Redefining canon for Shermans

[larrymm]

An off-the-wall idea: perhaps the SWWAS approach to variant gunnery values could be used here, namely: for later scenarios, obtaining a hit against an original armor rating of "3" could then require a second, "confirming" die role that would lower the final odds to whatever was desired for the specific model/year/field mod, etc.

[plloyd1010]

This should satisfy 10 of the 13 respondents, make 7 of them happy, and be tolerable for the other 3.
I will make the Sherman's variable per time frame and theater, and have it's alternate available through a sub-menu. None of this will happen until the December update (though people playing with may could get the updates on the side).

European theater Shermans of 1943 and before, and Pacific theater Shermans of 1945 and before will have an armor of 3, with armor 4 as the alternate.
This means Shermans in OOB extensions intended for Armor of Saipan, An Army at Dawn, Leyte '44, Blackshirt Division, Nihon Silk, Marianas 1944 and Saipan 1944 would default to an armor of 3.

European theater Shermans of 1944 and after, and Pacific theater Shermans of 1946 and after will have an armor of 4, with armor 3 as the alternate.
That means OOB extensions intended for all other games would have a default armor of 4. This would include all of the American allies and lend-lease recipients.

The Soviet M4A2 was a bit of pause. Reading a little bit about Soviet Shermans, I found a few interesting tidbits. Soviet tankers considered the Shermans to be less explosive than the T-34s when penetrated, with ammunition detonation being noted most often. I don't know if this was because of wet storage (which reduces ammo fires) or just better stowage. Either way, it makes an armor of 4 reasonable when compared to the armor 5 T-34 of the period. I also noted that about ½ of the Shermans sent to Russia had the 76mm gun. So I will be making and adding that counter to the Soviet late war and Iron Curtain OOB extensions.

[plloyd1010]

This is what I think I need to change.

Armor 3, Alternate 4
    OOB British Army 1940-42
        Sherman
    OOB British Army 1942-43
        Sherman
    OOB US Army ETO 1942-43
        M4 'Sherman'
    OOB US Army PTO 1942-45
        M4 'Sherman'
        M4/105 'Sherman'
    OOB US Marine Corps 1944-45
        M4 'Sherman'
        M4/76 'Sherman'
        M4/105 'Sherman'
        E4-5 Flamethrower Sherman
    
Armor 4, Alternate 3
    OOB British Army 1944-45
        Sherman
        Firefly SS
        Firefly
    OOB Canadian Army 1944-45
        Sherman
        Firefly
    OOB Indian Army 1944-48
        Sherman
    OOB NewZealand Army 1944-45
        Sherman
    OOB Polish Army 1944-45
        Sherman
    OOB Soviet RKKA 1944-45
        M4/76
        M4a2
    OOB US Army ETO 1944-45
        M4 'Sherman'
        M4/76 'Sherman'
        M4/105 'Sherman'
        M4 DD (User addition)
    Unit US 761stTankBatt
        M4 'Sherman'
        M4/76 'Sherman'
        M4/105 'Sherman'
    Unit US 3rdArmDiv
        M4 'Sherman'
        M4/76 'Sherman'
        M4/105 'Sherman'

The only other Sherman I can think of is that immobile Sherman captured by the Japanese. Any others?

[triangular_cube]

The Brits have that crab unit from Beyond Normandy. Don't know how that should be treated. Nothing else comes to my immediate memory.

[plloyd1010]

Since I'm pretty sure it is based on the M4A4, I would think a 4.

Thanks.