M103: How to make this bloody thing work?

The_Chieftain: That was my philosophy as well. (Actually, on all my US heavies). It's fast enough to keep up with the mediums (not right up with them, but close enough to give supporting fire) and beats up on anything else fast enough to be involved in that fight. It's fast enough to get into trouble easily, but unlike most Tier IX heavies, is also nimble enough to get itself out of trouble once it's in it.   The armor is, as mentioned, unreliable. It has potential to bounce most anything on the field, but you can't expect that it will usually do so. I consider the armor to be more of a saving throw: if you're relying on the armor to avoid taking damage, you're probably doing something wrong.