Hearts of Iron IV: World War II Grand Strategy (UPDATE March 2018 - New DLC)

[Pugilistic]

preparing for a war with iraq with the glorious British army

Any general plans you guys use for fighting wars?

I usually send up my forces along the border and set up on offensive line to build up the combat bonus while I justify for war. I always try to have air superiority and CAS. I maintain a detachment of mobile troops (mech infantry, armor) that can punch through and send them straight towards cities or territories that give me the most victory points. This plan works pretty well with weaker nations but I have been having a lot more trouble against stronger ones like Germany since they have so much armor.

 

[Chubz]

I read there's a new mod for this game that starts a zombie apocalypse.

This game is going to have some badass mods when it's all said and done. I reckon it's very easy to mod, so you can expect everything under the sun: Zombies, modern war, WW1, Vietnam, Korea, Middle Ages, you name it. I'm going to try my hand at modding it here soon by starting off with really basic things like designing my own units/upgrades, focus trees, etc.

 

[El Che]

When this game eventually gets discounted I'm gonna jump on it. I'm sure by then it will have some great mods like usual. HoI2 had awesome mods. Just reading you guys talk about it is getting me excited yet again for massive campaigns.

 

[Shoemaker]

Wife is out of town all weekend, so it was HOI until the early morning hours. It's hot as hell at home though so I'm out for a walk for a few hours, but then it's back to the game.

Also lol, communist Australia's flag is a star and kangaroo.

 

[GhostZ06]

anyone use paratroopers?


im thinking of getting them for england

 

[Shoemaker]

Isn’t there a mode where AI doesn’t act historically? Maybe you can prevent those events in that way.

Yeah, but even still some of the scripted events still run - the Spanish Civil War for sure.

Any general plans you guys use for fighting wars?

Depends. Always have a battle plan, though usually what I do is get a big army lined up on the border mostly to hold the line. Then I use special forces (an army I create with the highest-leveled infantry) or armor or both, depending on the country, to fast-attack weak spots in the opposing line. Once I break through a couple of provinces, loop around and start pocketing their front line. I try to get them in pockets so I can completely kill them instead of them just falling back.

I usually send up my forces along the border and set up on offensive line to build up the combat bonus while I justify for war. I always try to have air superiority and CAS. I maintain a detachment of mobile troops (mech infantry, armor) that can punch through and send them straight towards cities or territories that give me the most victory points. This plan works pretty well with weaker nations but I have been having a lot more trouble against stronger ones like Germany since they have so much armor.

I haven't taken on Rommel yet, but maybe tactical bombers doing CAS against the tanks? And make sure the infantry has anti-tank. Im curious now if the game simulates defilade, because then hanging on the back side of mountains would give you an advantage on the attacking tanks.

anyone use paratroopers?


im thinking of getting them for england

I haven't yet, but I imagine that would make pocketing a bit easier. If Britain would paratroop into Frane in my Spain game they'd have a good chance. But it completely stale-mated. I turn it up as fast as it can go and no change for years lol.

 

[Chubz]

anyone use paratroopers?


im thinking of getting them for england

I haven't tried them yet either. It seems like they'd be fun to use, but the thing that worries me is having them almost immediately run out of supplies when they're dropped in enemy territory. I'm still not 100% sure how the supply system works or what the best way is to get supplies if you're cut off in enemy territory (if there is a way), so that's something I'll have to check on.

 

[GhostZ06]

I haven't tried them yet either. It seems like they'd be fun to use, but the thing that worries me is having them almost immediately run out of supplies when they're dropped in enemy territory. I'm still not 100% sure how the supply system works or what the best way is to get supplies if you're cut off in enemy territory (if there is a way), so that's something I'll have to check on.

i mean id drop them and try an push or have a armored spear head rush up an catch up

 

[Shoemaker]

I haven't tried them yet either. It seems like they'd be fun to use, but the thing that worries me is having them almost immediately run out of supplies when they're dropped in enemy territory. I'm still not 100% sure how the supply system works or what the best way is to get supplies if you're cut off in enemy territory (if there is a way), so that's something I'll have to check on.

Yeah. I had a war with Canada last night stalemate for like a year because I couldn't take Vancouver without building a ton of infrastructure to supply my troops first. So with paratroopers I imagine you have to close in to a port quickly.

I just checked and aside from the terrain modifiers, there's not much difference between paratroopers and other special forces so I don't see how they've made them more resource efficient or anything. I'm about to start up a game as Turkey, I might try paratroopers for the hell of it, though they may not be the best choice.

 

[Chubz]

Yeah. I had a war with Canada last night stalemate for like a year because I couldn't take Vancouver without building a ton of infrastructure to supply my troops first. So with paratroopers I imagine you have to close in to a port quickly.

I just checked and aside from the terrain modifiers, there's not much difference between paratroopers and other special forces so I don't see how they've made them more resource efficient or anything. I'm about to start up a game as Turkey, I might try paratroopers for the hell of it, though they may not be the best choice.

That'd be cool if there was a way to do supply drops via air or something, even if it was just "small" equipment like infantry weapons!

 

[GhostZ06]

as for north africa


basically sums up my naval war with the germans

 

[Shoemaker]

as for north africa


basically sums up my naval war with the germans

I had the same thing going in my last Spain game. Didn't have much of a navy, but my Air Force was pretty good. Tactical bombers are the best if you're a small country - not great at any one thing but does everything well enough. I was able to lay waste to the British navy with one relatively small fleet and a ton of tactical bombers and fighters.


I think the most irritating thing in the game is the AI. It's pretty dumb. Fairly easy to encircle troops, your allies never take advantage of moments of opportunity, etc. In a game I had distracted the British in Scotland and cleared out a lot of the English Channel (the British navy had to move towards Denmark to stop our invasions). Germany could've taken air and naval superiority (it had the resources), then rushed its troops over and ended the whole war. But nothing. They just sat there like they were Italian.

 

[Shoemaker]

@GhostZ06 i know you're a pretty big military buff - do you feel like that knowledge helps you make better decisions in the game? Sort of curious how well Paradox blended realism with game-balance.

 

[GhostZ06]

@GhostZ06 i know you're a pretty big military buff - do you feel like that knowledge helps you make better decisions in the game? Sort of curious how well Paradox blended realism with game-balance.

A little, i wouldn't say im epic with it, but i started to push into Germany but then the fable french started to kick in and i now have to pull completely out of Europe

 

[Shoemaker]

Anyone up for a multiplayer game sometime soon? I'm getting pretty tired of the AI and wouldn't mind doing F4A, teams, co-op, whatever.

 

[Shoemaker]

That'd be cool if there was a way to do supply drops via air or something, even if it was just "small" equipment like infantry weapons!

F yeah man. I was thinking about this, and it could be a use for transport planes. They are either reserved and available for paratrooper drops, or you can assign them over a province for supply drops like any other air-order. To be honest I don't know as much about the tactics of WWII as I do the strategy, but I'd think making that researchable around 1940 would make sense, even identical to the Naval Invasion line. So you're kind of picking/choosing between strong naval invasions or strong air invasions.

 

[GhostZ06]

i just fully lost france

 

[GhostZ06]

It was a sad day gentlemen, we lost Europe. i got all the men out an brought them back to Britain and sending a massive force to NA to fuck up Italy

 

[Shoemaker]

It was a sad day gentlemen, we lost Europe. i got all the men out an brought them back to Britain and sending a massive force to NA to fuck up Italy

The light dims, their fires extinguished far too soon.

 

[Pugilistic]

The Allies having complete domination over the sea helps a lot. The AI is stupid as fuck. The US and the Soviets could easily steam roll through Germany but I realized the AI tends to only send 1 or 2 infantry divisions to attack, no matter the force defending the area. I would have some weak ass Italian infantry division attack my position of 2 Armor divisions and 4 mechanized infantry divisions. At least the sheer number of Allied troops help hold a defensive line along the territory I conquer. The AI US did impress once though by encircling German forces I was having trouble punching through. It is 1947 now and we are creeping closer to Berlin.

I had the same thing going in my last Spain game. Didn't have much of a navy, but my Air Force was pretty good. Tactical bombers are the best if you're a small country - not great at any one thing but does everything well enough. I was able to lay waste to the British navy with one relatively small fleet and a ton of tactical bombers and fighters.

I think the most irritating thing in the game is the AI. It's pretty dumb. Fairly easy to encircle troops, your allies never take advantage of moments of opportunity, etc. In a game I had distracted the British in Scotland and cleared out a lot of the English Channel (the British navy had to move towards Denmark to stop our invasions). Germany could've taken air and naval superiority (it had the resources), then rushed its troops over and ended the whole war. But nothing. They just sat there like they were Italian.

Are tactical bombers better for supporting ground troops than the lighter CAS planes?