You need veterancy to reliably counter a stock unit? That doesn't sound really balanced now does it?
Now that sounds like old precision strike to have a chance at getting rid of old HMG42 or turbomortar now, does it?
You don't NEED TWP, but it will make the engagement completely one sided in PaKs favor.
An at gun is not a soft counter, it is a HARD counter. The name itself says it: ANTI-TANK GUN. If Micheal Wittmann feared anti tank guns more than tanks, you can bet safely that they are a hard counter. They were designed to counter tanks. I can't believe you actually stated an at gun is a soft counter lol lol.
Indomitable force vs immovable object paradox.
Yes, AT gun is a hard counter to armored units.
But centaur(or any other AI tank) is hard counter to infantry units and AT gun is an infantry based AT.
They hardcounter each other.