Overview
A small guide on divisions • More updates to come • Support companies explained
Universal Infantry Templates
Keep in mind these can be used in multiplayer, they just might not be as effective
~~~~~ 20 width Infantry Division ~~~~~
If you are not new, or you watch any HOI youtubers you will hear this a lot, the 20 width infantry division is a great defensive and offensive division which can hold lines while a stronger divisions breakthrough – a cost effective division for minors and majors all to use.
You can use 10 infantry battalions (picture above) or 7 infantry battalions and 2 artillery, known as a 7/2. The 7/2 has more soft attack (because of the artillery) but the 10 infantry battalions have more defence, making the 10 infantry battalions good for defence of lines and the 7/2 good for offensives, these are cost effective divisions that are good for minors and majors.
You can also add multiple support companies, the first of which is recommended being the engineer division, then recon artillery signal companies etc.
~~~~~ 20 width Infantry Anti-Tank Division ~~~~~
This division overall, is not too useful against any other nation than Germany. I recommend only building a few if you see these necessary. If you’re playing as France it may be a good idea to make a few of these to place against the Belgian border for when Germany starts pushing around Maginot.
~~~~~ 40 width Infantry Division ~~~~~
The 40 width division, is strong and relatively expensive and more accessible if you are a major.
This division is known as the 14/4 because of the 14 infantry and 4 artillery battalions.
This is a 11/16, this is an artillery division so infantry specialist doesn’t boost its stats.
This division is good for both defence and offensives and can be changed to have more artillery or infantry battalions depending on the players needs. Adding several support companies can be good as well, for example if you’re looking to combat tanks use Anti-Tank or if you want to re-enforce manpower and equipment quicker you can use support companies increasing initiative.
40 width high piercing and more expensive template.
I recommend this division for countries like the USA, USSR and Germany due to its cost – although quite heavy and impractical in mountains and hills this division will serve well late game with its Anti-Tank capabilities and huge amount of firepower. This division is also boosted a considerable amount by the superior firepower doctrine.
~~~~~ Marine Divisions ~~~~~
Depending on your plans marines can be very useful, and getting a good template for them is necessary to make a beach head. This is especially useful if you’re playing as the UK/USA and need to land a D-Day, which although being easier in singleplayer if you leave it too long you may need better divisions.
The standard 14/4 just made up of marines rather than standard infantry with engineer company can be very effective. Or if you do not have the resources then you can use a 20 width:
A 40 width marine division with an engineer and reconnaissance.
A basic 20 width marine division with an engineer company.
If you feel like doing something different and have DLC you could use amphibious tanks, like this:
20 width division using marines and amphibious tanks.
40 width division using marines and ampbibious tanks.
The amphibious tanks are more useful for countries with more industry but can be achieved by smaller nations.
You can also use an exploit to get more special forces. Create loads of 2 width divisions and then convert them to unequipped 50 widths. This will increase the special force cap and then you can convert some of the divisions to the marines and get a lot more of the marines.
Tank Divisions
~~~~~ Medium Tank Templates ~~~~~
These divisions are almost always the best at breaking through, the centre of your army, if you can afford them.
Beginning with a 20 width 6 medium tank battalion and 4 motorised battalion division:
Essentially motorised units are necessary in armoured divisions to keep organisation, so that your divisions don’t burn up and get destroyed easily. You can also use mechanised which adds more soft attack, hard attack, defence, breakthrough, armour, piercing and hardness however it slightly decreases speed and ups fuel and supply usage.
Mechanised also costs more to produce and is researched later, I would usually use mechanised if I have the choice though.
Support companies are important on armoured divisions as well, engineers and artillery are good and then a recon company – light tank recon gives better stats as does armoured car however if you want to keep high speed you could use anything that isn’t cavalry recon. Maintenance companies are very useful when the later models are researched and signal is optional, you could swap either out for a logistics company.
40 width medium tank division, with motorised – mechanised is optional.
These 40 widths are almost always banned in multiplayer and almost anything they face in the correct terrain.
Quite expensive but worth making if you can, you may notice I haven’t really included light tanks apart from in the recon support company which is optional on which recon type you choose, this is because light tanks just aren’t that good – unless used for a specific purpose against a specific country early or mid game. Medium tanks are better in almost every way.
Medium division with medium SP artillery and medium SP AA, good for consolidated breakthroughs – watch supply as they use a lot, can swap SP AA out for medium Anti-Tank if you have air superiority.
A solid 20 width medium tank division with tank-destroyers and SP artillery, solid division – note: avoid combat with strong 40 width divisions, watch for enemy CAS otherwise not too expensive and easy to make a few of.
Overall, don’t attack 40 width divisions with the smaller tank divisions. Watch supply when using the larger ones and change motorised for mechanised if you prefer it.
~~~~~ Heavy Tank Templates ~~~~~
Heavy tanks are good for easily crushing infantry, and sometimes attacking enemy armoured divisions – only make if you are focusing on producing tanks or have quite a good economy.
20 width heavy tank division, pretty good for minors and majors – don’t attack most 40 widths with this and watch for enemy CAS and Anti-Tank divisions, you can switch the support companies to your preference or situation.
40 width strong heavy tank template – high production cost.
I recommend the 40 width heavy tank for the Soviet Union, as it is a good counter against Barbarossa or holding till you get back on your feet. Can be useful for other nations you just might want to swap some support companies or add mechanised or change the SP Anti-Air for Artillery etc.
~ More coming soon ~
Support Companies Explanation
Support companies can be added onto the side of a division, and do not change the overall combat width but do change several stats, and prove to be useful in combat.
1. Engineer companies
These companies can seriously buff your divisions, making them much stronger and able.
One of the main things they do is add the ability for your units to entrench more past the basic level of entrenchment giving a far larger bonus in defence. They also improve divisions ability to move and attack on different terrain and against forts.
Without an engineer company.
With an engineer company.
This is why you will notice whenever you see a coast or frontline holding division it will almost always have an engineer company.
2. Reconnaissance companies
These companies also can give useful bonuses in combat, but also provide a small speed bonus on some terrains. They increase the chance of your General to counter an enemy attack tactic, and they can also add a small amount of attack and defence. There is cavalry recon, motorised recon, AC (Armoured Car) recon and armoured recon which uses light tanks.
To conclude reconnaissance companies are an important part of a template to pick up extra attack buffs and movement.
3. Artillery companies
Artillery companies are essentially a way to use artillery but not have it in the battalions section, doing less soft attack than a battalion bot nonetheless still being extremely useful – even if you have artillery battalions it is still often useful to use an artillery support company for the extra edge over the enemy.
4. Anti-Air companies
Not always 100% useful however if you have a shortage of fighters or they’re stretched thin AA is very useful and effective, even adding some piercing to your division meaning they can usually pierce unmodified light tanks.
They are most effective against CAS (Close Air Support) and Tactical Bombers, they can shoot down fighters but you would need more of them requiring not just support company but also a battalion or two of AA.
They drastically reduce enemy air superiority bonus in combat and help you have to stop worrying about the air – *as much*.
5. Military Police companies
The basic researched military police have an effect of +20% suppression, reducing resistance in occupied territories and overall increasing compliance. These are quite necessary for your garrison divisions.
The most effective garrison division, using up not too much manpower or guns.
Maintenance companies
The base Maintenance company when researched gives a bonus of +5% Reliability and +5% Equipment capture ratio, equipment capture can be useful although depending on your countries situation, it also decreases number of equipment lost to attrition.
Overall it is quite useful but initially very weak with the 1936 version.
Field hospital companies
With the 1936 hospital company, 20% of the losses suffered in combat get returned to your manpower rather than being lost forever, also 10% less XP is lost from combat losses.
This kind of company can be good if you are just using a frontline assault and no micro-management, and can work well with any doctrine.
Logistics companies
The 1936 version does just −10% Supply Usage and -5% Fuel Usage, the next ones up until 1945 add on the same −10% Supply Usage and -5% Fuel Usage, these companies unlike the maintenance companies are useful from the start. They are great for attacking Russia as Germany and other wars like it.
Work very well with artillery divisions like the 11/16 as they use more supply (due to the artillery)
Signal companies
A personal favourite, my divisions rarely don’t have a signal company. These provide more of the initiative stat, useful for divisions that need rapid re-enforcement in combat or of planning speed.
The 1936 Signal Company increase Initiative by 20%, and every following upgrade adds 12% Initiative.
Other useful information
Several countries start with a division template that can be edited to form an average 20 width division:
Changed to this:
For example Germany and the UK, this can not only make slowly progressing to larger and better divisions easier but give you more time to do so and keep a small step ahead of the AI for a few in-game months.
Please like if you found this useful/think it is good, helps a lot – thanks 🙂
WIP —————– More to be added here.