Questions about German technical manual

[Dargoth]

Hi.
I really liked WaW so with my WaW friend we bought VD rules last Thursday and played our first game on Saturday. And we saw that it was good  . So today I (well my friend, as I don't have an WGV account) bought the aforementioned book. I REALLY like the Maus, I think I'll buy one soon. I have one question(for now) - aren't the side/rear armor values of the Panther, Tiger and King Tiger wrong? I mean side armor is much weaker then the rear? Is that a printing mistake? I'm almost sure looking at other tanks/SPG.
And a bonus question is Volkssturm list in your plans?

[Dargoth]

Some more reading and there are more problems.
Some light tanks have the same problem as above but the crown goes to Panzer 1 F tank from page 48 it has rather strong armor. Panzer 4 level armor. I guess this are those German para-normal division's tanks with protective runes. 
I'm starting to get a little disappointed.

[Westfalia Chris]

I cannot comment on the side/rear issue (I suspect it takes into account the vulnerability of the running gear, a persistent problem of German tanks, and the fact that a large part of the area could not be sloped on the Panther), but the I F was a late variant of the Panzer I specifically designed for anti-partizan warfare in enclosed areas, and sported armour up to 80mm thick. Therefore, a rating on par with a Pz. IV (which ranged from 10-80mm, depending on facing) is not unrealistic.

[Dargoth]

I still prefer the magic runes explanation
side/rear - my friend suggested that, but let say easier hit/critic but the armor was thicker then rear armor. Also why some have weaker sides and some rear? Why Panzer 3 is in one group and 4 in another? Why the tanks from main rules are 'normal' just like tank hunters, halftracks, Magic-Rune-Powered-Tank etc?

[Agis]

Thanks for the interest.

The values for Front/ Side / Rear (Hit, Critical, Save) are based on several factors: actual armour thickness, size, sloped armour, running gear etc. etc. And yes, most AFV had the thickest armour in the front and the weakest in the rear.
But if a real world tank has better armour protection in the rear (compared to the side) it will be reflected in the gaming values.
As far as the Panzer I F is concerned, yes it had such a thick armour, it was  a strange little vehicle, only armed with MGs but armoured like a big one! (Search the web about this little bugger, very interesting!).

So no runes or other magical stuff, just different real world stats!