Lately, I've been using my pivs a lot, and I've found out just how damn awesome these tanks are when used right. However, I've seen a lot of my partners use em kinda wastefully, or in ways I don't agree with. Or maybe some people just struggle to get its cost back out of the PIV, so I figured I'd try and help em out a bit. This is how I feel a PIV should be used, but feel free to disagree! Just do it else where
Using the Panzer IV.
The PIV should never ever sit at the front of the line. Its a tough tank yes, but in my opinion, also extremely easy to put out of action. A hellcat suprising you will do enough damange, (including the ensuing fight with it) to put your PIV out of action or straight out kill it (with a little help). Piats eat right through it and RRs do decent damange against it. Driving into an AT will also hurt bad enough to make fighting other tanks dangerous.
Now, you might say, well duh, all of that stuff is obvious, and yes it is, but thats the stuff that should NEVER get you, because your feedervolks and other units are always ahead of your PIV. Now here is where some players make a mistake. When that sherman or m10 comes rolling forward. They instantly move the PIV in to fight it. Don't use the PIV as your anti-tank!! Shermans and m10s come a lot cheaper, and the ally will have more of them then you have PIVS! If you fight them 1 on 1, yes, you will win, but you'll probly be low enough on health to be useless. Always have a pak, or some shrecks around. Allow them to fire first, start hurting the allied armour, then move in and use the PIV from its max range, make sure to stop. If you do this right, you should get a shot or two off before the sherman even aims at you. You can also drive into range, fire, then back up, the enemies gun swings away, drive in, shoot, back up, ect. By fighting this way, you keep the PIV with the max hp and ingame for the most amount of time. This allows it to do its main purpose.
Eating infantry. The PIV REALLY shines when fighting infantry. Since the allied inf is attacking your inf, and their at guns aren't in range. You can happily sit back and gobbles them up. Rangers rushing you? no problem, Commandoes killing all your support weapons? Simple, You're PIV should easily get 20+ kills. Getting around 30 before having to pull it off should be your goal.
Remember, always stay as far back as you can. At vet 2 you get +5 range, and with blitz's +12% it gets even better. Backing out of bad situations, not getting stickied or bren'd or rearshotted are what keep you alive.
Overall Goals/Strategy
I used to run a 4 PIV company, now I run 2 PIV and a tiger, (once that POS is dead, i'm going back to 4 PIVs...) and both use the same idea. So does anyone using a panther, or KT or have allies with a jag. Your main purpose is to kill AT. Start with a fully pimped PIV, this will force your opponents to bring out lots of AT, by keeping PIVs on the field, you force them to continuously keep lots of AT on the field. Midgame, you can use your less important tanks, again, making them bring out most of the AT in the first 30 minutes. Remember to destroy all ATGs/paks, and pick up all handheld AT. Once you feel they are lacking in AT, bring out the big baby or that vet 3. Without fear of running into 2 at guns, you can really put the pressure on, hopefully winning you the game. Nothing makes people more mad then when they still have lots of units to call in, but no at, and they are forced to pull back/off.
Happy hunting.
