Tips and resources for a HoI2 beginner?

[Munch]

HoI2 fans:

I am anticipating delivery of HoI2 and both expansions in the next couple of days! I played around with the free demo a bit over the last few days and I just beat it as the Germans after getting a bit more comfortable with the controls, concepts and strategy.

Basically as there doesn't appear to be a thread for HoI2 beginners (correct me if I'm wrong) I thought I'd start one so that anyone who is learning it can post things they've learnt that really helped them out, and post some questions for people who have much more knowledge of the game. Also, if there are any online resources that experienced players found useful when they began, or tips/concepts that helped them get familiar then please say. Preferably no spoilers/exploits?

 

[Munch]

I'll start with a few points that after two long, slow and painful attempts at the demo seemed to help me win on that lucky third attempt:

1) Look at the speed of your individual divisions and detach fast units such as tanks and motorised units from slower units such as infantry. If you're trying to break through a defensive line like you are in the demo as the Germans, manoeuvrability and speed really help - your infantry can then slowly follow or garrison regions.

2) Putting units on 'reserve' seems to be useful as they automatically lend support to adjacent regions when they are attacked. Is that right?

3) When you're examining your armies, the red number on an army means that the leader has too many divisions under their control. I presume that reducing the number to something more manageable for that particular general helps the effectiveness of the force somehow, and you have a few spare generals at the start to use up anyway.

4) Click the button that sets your attacking units to load up on fuel for a protracted campaign, it seems to help the momentum build.

5) Units with mountain bonuses should be moved to mountainous terrain unlike where they are positioned at the start of the demo!

 

[Kan' Sharuminar]

We've had a couple of threads on the forum, most recent is this one, but it's always handy to have a new thread.

Other sites:
Paradox's own forum for HoI2. They're almost as nice as we are: http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=255
Hearts of Iron 2 Wiki. It's got some nice guides for playing as specific countries, I mostly use it as a quick-reference guide now: http://www.paradoxian.org/hoi2wiki/index.php/Main_Page

For your own points:

2) I think so, which is why I never do it. But then I prefer to micro-manage my troops
3) Yes. An HQ Division also (I think) doubles the amount of troops a commander can lead if it's in the same or adjacent province.

 

[Dell19]

2) You can also set units to help aid the defence in a particular province. I've set up the events so that the game pauses as soon as an enemy attack occurs so setting units to reserve etc isn't that useful. There is a drawback that some units will take too long to get to the region that is under attack. My person defence tactic is to counter attack the regions that their attack is coming from with my free troops.

3) I think a HQ unit needs to be commanded by a General or Field Marshall to be most effective although that could just because they have initially high command limits.

I found this AAR quite useful when I was first starting out:
http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?t=378841
Mainly as it gives hints for all the small details that can be managed and I think it talks about slider settings. The most favoured seems to be moving to full Hawk and interventionalist.

Also it helped starting the 1939 scenario as Germany and getting a feel for how the game should work.

 

[Munch]

Thanks, I've had a look on the official forum briefly and that wiki looks interesting. Although I'm going to avoid looking up the strategies for particular countries and stuff like that, as I believe the only effective way to learn is to make your own mistakes. I'll employ this try-fail-adapt system to getting to grips with air/naval power as well probably, but for the general overview of strategic options and missions it will be useful.

One question for the moment: should I go ahead and install the game followed by both expansions straight away or sample the delights of vanilla first?

EDIT: I didn't realise you could set the game to pause when a province is attacked, that would certainly make things easier to manage. I was having nightmares about having to dart between Europe and Asia just to check whether I was being attacked every few turns . Good tips. Also, your link is broken as it includes the "...".

 

[Dell19]

Vanilla doesn't have the spies tab so I guess its slightly easier to get to grips with when first learning although once you've got the basics I would move on to Armageddon as it has extra features and seems to make the game more challenging.

The link above fixed:
http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?t=378841

When a message pops up is in the event log in the bottom, you can right click and change the message settings and there is an overview where you can change them all in one go. A large portion of events now pause the game for me like a division reaching a province, tech being researched or something being built.

 

[Kozmos]

Battlecruisers fail. Do not build them. Remember that and you will go far.

 

[MajorGeneral2]

A few of my own lessons, learned the hard way in my (ongoing) early games:

Keep your coastlines covered. The AI may not be too great at amphibious landings, but they will take advantage of an unprotected coast. I learned this playing as Nat. China, and Japan made three landings within a few days of each other while most of my troops were in south Korea.

Keep your "Upgrade" slider on, always, even if it's just barely.

Also, don't trust your allies to do anything intelligent. While playing as Germany, I went to war with the USSR. My two allies (Bulgaria and Hungary), both sharing a border with Russia, just sat around and did nothing. In that same game, I've also had to bail out Nat. Spain from the UK multiple times.

 

[Dell19]

When starting in 1936 I leave the upgrade slider at 0 until a few months before the war begins and the reinforcement slider should be at 0 unless you are at war or about to go to war.

So in the game as France I think I put it to around 40% in the phoney war phase whilst Germany was fighting Poland and quickly had 1941 infantry. The theory is that its better to spend as much of your early production on factories and then when you get closer to war, start churning out units and upgrade the old ones. It also means that the units being built are likely to be a better tech level.

This AAR isn't massively helpful but it does show what can be done with good preparation:
http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?t=371592
(Its a Poland AAR with the normal event sequence)

 

[Kan' Sharuminar]

If it's the '36 scenario I normally have the upgrade slider set to be upgrading 5-10% of my entire army, keeping an eye on it as time passes.

 

[Volum]

Unless I'm playing as Japan or some other country that goes to war early i don't touch the upgrade or reinforcement slider. Mainly because the newer the units the more supplies it usually needs, the same with lower strength. Also if your most likely gonna sit around for a few years before war (like Germany) a little trick can be to swap as many as your leaders as possible so that you have logistics wizards leading your men. That again saves on supplies and you can use the IC for something else.

Some other basic stuff:
- Group units of the same type together (INF with ARM for example is useless) If you put 2ARM and 1MOT for instance you can get a combined arms bonus. Personally i don't like it tough. (You need either 2Hard units and 1 soft unit, or 2 soft units and 1 hard unit)

- Start researching techs at the earliest 1 year before they're historical date, otherwise the penalty is so big it takes ages to get it done and that's a waste of time. Only time i started earlier i think was when i as France had Gamelin with his level 1 skill research doctrines.

- Don't use armored units to attack cities.

- Mountain units have higher speed then other inf units, so don't group them together. (I.E group units of the same type)

- I like to have 3 units in each corps, but if youre low on generals you might have to use more.

- Have enough HQs, watch that command limit.

- Brigade Marines with artillery for an extra punch.

- Protect the airbase(s) of your airforce, especiallialy if its at the coast. Suddenly a Portugeese militia division comes and destroys it

- Be careful about your TC, there is such a thing as TO MANY armor divisions.

- Dont put Battleships in a carrier fleet.

A few things from the top of my head

 

[KevinRuddPM]

This is a good thread, for I have also started playing Hearts of Iron 2. I'm not really getting into it, but I'm sure i'll learn more about it!

 

[Serutan]

I would recommend the Soviet '36 scenario as a good tutorial. It's fairly forgiving (i.e. you can make mistakes and still win). And you can build a massive steam roller by 1941

 

[Captain2]

arg, double postage!

 

[Captain2]

Preferably no spoilers/exploits?

Well I was just going to blurt it out but since you asked, I'll put it in a spoiler tag

Spoiler :

The Axis loses

But I recomend liberal amounts of submarine warfare, no matter the enemy

 

[Munch]

I resisted and resisted but eventually just had to peek at that spoiler. You sir truly have ruined this game for me

Quick question: at one point in the demo I detached an experienced general who was commanding unused men and teleported him to the front to take command of a group of offensive units of some kind. Later on I tried this trick again a couple of times but in both cases the general just disappeared into the aether, leaving a couple of my defensive forces without a portraited leader. Is there a reason why this happened? When I removed the general in the first instance was I just imagining that I reassigned the same guy to a different army rather than just taking him out the back of the sheds in Saarbrucken and having him shot?

 

[Maniacal]

Can officers die?

 

[Dell19]

They can die in battle and I think there is a random event that makes leaders disappear. You also gain leaders so possibly those officers retired once they became unassigned?

 

[Danielos]

I love the game but think the Paradox-staff are arrogant, banning people from forums for the slightest sarcastic remarks and criticising. They might be skilled at making games, but should really work on their inflated egos and rudimentary social skills...

 

[Fr8monkey]

Blitzkrieg tips:

1. Build combined forces (1 Armor with 2 Motorised or Mechinized) - you get a bonus to offense.

2. Your attacking force on that front should be 75% - 80% Infantry. Avoid massive Armor stacks. They will drain your oil to 0 fast.

3. Combine your units into Corps. (3 units under 1 commander) - avoid the massive 9 unit army. You loose flexibility on counter attacks, etc.

4. HQ units are a MUST - Field Marshal in an HQ can 'control' 24 divisions. Build them... protect them... they are your friends!

5. Brigade Armored units with SP Arty and Infantry with regular Arty... All others are a waste of IC.

Attacking:
Put Infantry along the boarder with HQ staggered behind.
Attack 2 -3 provinces deep and encircle your foe with Armor.
Pound the surrounded pockets with CAS and TAC bombers to lower organization.
Send in the infantry... attack the pockets of demoralized troops into surrendering.
Rest up your troops... rinse and repeat.

Build up Mountaineers as Germany. The Soviet Union is hilly in spots and when winter hits, most of your regular units are going to be at a stand still. Mountain units with commando leaders have a bonus for offence and defense in frozen areas and don't get a penelty on movement.