Re: The Wolverine
It's a solid tier 5 TD. But don't let the turret fool you. It shares a lot of similarities with the M4 but it really can't be played the same.
The reason it does bounce shots a surprising amount is that is has some crazy angling on the armor, but the armor otherwise is paper thin, so unless you manage to make things hit you at auto-bounce angles(which is relatively easy due to the geometry of the armor but still tough enough that you shouldn't depend on it) you're going to get penned and you don't have much HP to work with so that's almost always a bad choice.
You've got decent choices for guns at tier 5. The 76 mm that's on the M4 or the 105mm Howitzer that's on the M4. They're basically identical to the M4's setup weapon wise although I think the reload time is a bit shorter. The 76mm can be amazingly effective with it's decent penetration, okay damage, and good reload speed. Most good players who use the Wolverine will stick to the 76mm. Personally though, I prefer the 105. If I'm top tier, I clean up with it. If I'm low tier, I can still be helpful support as a spotter and with critical damage to crew and modules.
The really nice part is the spotting ability though. Those open top TDs are usually pretty good with it, but slap a pair of binocs on it and hide in a bush and you can rival a lot of dedicated scouts while still having a really nice gun to help out with when necessary. Double nice since the turret keeps you from having to reposition to aim. You can stay in full camo and optimal spotting mode while you sight your weapon and right up to the moment you fire.
I once really hated it, it sat in my garage for months without me touching it except when I felt I had to on the major XP bonus days and even then just the 1 or 2 games to get that. At some point I finally decided to give the 105 a try. I'd written if off after I'd watched so many "pro" players avoid it, but for me it works and it made all the difference. I'd originally decided I'd only unlock one of the branches off of it, but since then I've unlocked the Hellcat and decided I'd go for the Jackson as well and just elite the thing, since it has been so good to me and I've learned to have fun with it.
It basically is the odd offspring of a TD and a tank, and while sometimes you get abominations like the M3 Lee from that sort of pairing, the other side of the coin is that you get things like the Wolverine, which really can be a great tank if played correctly. Just don't go mistaking it for a medium, as I did for a long time. It may walk like a tank and quack like a tank, but it's all TD.