How to play the M26 Pershing

Grinding the Big Patton M48A5. I am an 1800 WN8 player with 1500~1800 WN8 on most tier 8~10 tanks l, but with this thing I only get 800. Excuse me but 800? I enjoyed my T-34-3 but this thing is even slower, doesn't have the big ass 390 gun, has even worse standard pen, only marginally better gun handling than the 122mm with a 90mm peeshooter, doesn't seem to have armor at all, with its only advantage being view range but offset by the shit camo, this thing is pure torture. I'm kind of a masochist so I somehow like weaker tanks but being simply murdered just isn't fun. Obviously this thing requires a different playstyle than big-gun mediums like T-34-3, or even high-mobility flanking meds like the T-44, but how should I play it?

Edit: this thing just feels like a worse T-34-3 except for the gun depression but I don't know how to use it, its hull down armor isn't that good either