Advice for OOB Chain of Command?

[Karsk]

I've managed to figure out every other part of this game but the level of micro and busywork that seems to go into this feature is absurd.

I wish for Hoi4 they had merely cut away a bit of excess fat rather than ripping it out of the game entirely.

Anyway I just can't seem to figure out this ♥♥♥♥♥♥ chain of command HQ system.

I've tried since the day it came out but there's something about it that I find really difficult to understand.

Any tips for learning, minimizing the busywork, streamlining the OOB, and anything else would be very much appreciated!

[dhbaer]

I assume you mean the HOI3 OOB. I'd be happy to help. The first answer is that for any divisions you care about (aka, everything but Garrison/Anti-Partisan), you will want the full command structure (i.e. Theater, Army Group, Army, Corp). This is because each HQ gives a bonus to the divisions under it based on the level of its assigned leader. The most important is at Army Group level as each level of your leader here reduces supply/fuel usage by all units under it immensely. As such this is where you will want your best leaders.

Otherwise, it's just common sense. But BattleMasters over high priority corps (panzers), attacking bonus leaders at infantry corp level and get on. You will also want to have aircraft and ships too hooked up to either Corp or Army level so they also receive the most bonuses they can from the HQ's above them.

If you have any specific questions, feel free to drop me a ping and I'll try to help. I can also send you a vanilla save file at certain points of Germany games (the starts of Case Yellow and Barbarossa) if you want to look them over.

[realist123]

These are my opinions.

There is an attach and detach button to string together the chain of command, if I remember correctly.

Also read the manual, each level of command gives a bonus. In my physical manual that is on page 71. The internet manual I'm not sure. It wouldn't hurt you to give the manual a quick glance, in my opinion. The e-manual is on the Steam Storepage on the right.

I suggest you play as Germany on Normal Difficulty. I find everything there is more streamlined. After 500 hours with the game playing as Germany I could still get confused playing as the USA, Great Britain, Japan or even Italy. I mean I could eventually play as those, I suppose, but initially I'd still be confused.

I have some tips for playing as Germany, I conquered the Soviet Union on Very Hard difficulty, but I won't give them unless asked.

[Karsk]

Originally posted by dhbaer:

I assume you mean the HOI3 OOB. I'd be happy to help. The first answer is that for any divisions you care about (aka, everything but Garrison/Anti-Partisan), you will want the full command structure (i.e. Theater, Army Group, Army, Corp). This is because each HQ gives a bonus to the divisions under it based on the level of its assigned leader. The most important is at Army Group level as each level of your leader here reduces supply/fuel usage by all units under it immensely. As such this is where you will want your best leaders.

Otherwise, it's just common sense. But BattleMasters over high priority corps (panzers), attacking bonus leaders at infantry corp level and get on. You will also want to have aircraft and ships too hooked up to either Corp or Army level so they also receive the most bonuses they can from the HQ's above them.

If you have any specific questions, feel free to drop me a ping and I'll try to help. I can also send you a vanilla save file at certain points of Germany games (the starts of Case Yellow and Barbarossa) if you want to look them over.

I appreciate any help! My issue is figuring out how to organize an order of battle correctly. Generally rebuilding an OOB after clearing out the horrible one you generally start with is a task I find nearly impossible.

[dhbaer]

I've become an expert at it :)

[Catmander]

Yep its fiddly - hoi3 with better UI and stable MP and i'd bought hoi4^^

BTT: Depends how you start a game. Easiest was is in custom setup:

- Mass every unit on a hex.
- keep experienced units eg Germany. Just delete other divisions + all command structures and make new ones.
- works the same in a non custom game - you just have to manually move the army on a hex.

- Make a lvl 5 command and put all ships / aircrafts there to save fuel and don't scatter them in all directions in the OOB
- Since the sweetspot is around 4-5 divisions on a hex you place the amount, select em and make a higher command ... you shift click (select) eg 4-5 commands and voila you get the next higher lvl and so on.
- You want to fill the hierarchy as full as possible to get maximum bonusses. Exception would be eg range, so you need 2 army groups east and west. Or you have specialised units like fortress busters or tank hunters - then make a seperate corps with the right commanders.
- Garrisions and partisan hunters dont need to be in the OOB

- If your unit composition makes no sense and you have to rearrange them... good luck^^
The troop tree on the left UI side helps a bit. just try to drag and drop what you can use and what not into a temporary structure and fill em as you need.

- Give them propper names eg. as Italy its useful to have an armies like: Balkan, France, North Arfica, etc. Simple names and you know whats going on. You don't have to label every division but location or specific tasks are always helpful as tag.

- during war you might have to do this again eg. for moving to a new theatre or you unlocked the 5 brigade sized divisions...

Thats basically how i work with the given UI. With more specific questions about "how to" you might get more detailed answers since its a hughe topic.

[Karsk]

Originally posted by Catmander:

Yep its fiddly - hoi3 with better UI and stable MP and i'd bought hoi4^^

BTT: Depends how you start a game. Easiest was is in custom setup:

- Mass every unit on a hex.
- keep experienced units eg Germany. Just delete other divisions + all command structures and make new ones.
- works the same in a non custom game - you just have to manually move the army on a hex.

- Make a lvl 5 command and put all ships / aircrafts there to save fuel and don't scatter them in all directions in the OOB
- Since the sweetspot is around 4-5 divisions on a hex you place the amount, select em and make a higher command ... you shift click (select) eg 4-5 commands and voila you get the next higher lvl and so on.
- You want to fill the hierarchy as full as possible to get maximum bonusses. Exception would be eg range, so you need 2 army groups east and west. Or you have specialised units like fortress busters or tank hunters - then make a seperate corps with the right commanders.
- Garrisions and partisan hunters dont need to be in the OOB

- If your unit composition makes no sense and you have to rearrange them... good luck^^
The troop tree on the left UI side helps a bit. just try to drag and drop what you can use and what not into a temporary structure and fill em as you need.

- Give them propper names eg. as Italy its useful to have an armies like: Balkan, France, North Arfica, etc. Simple names and you know whats going on. You don't have to label every division but location or specific tasks are always helpful as tag.

- during war you might have to do this again eg. for moving to a new theatre or you unlocked the 5 brigade sized divisions...

Thats basically how i work with the given UI. With more specific questions about "how to" you might get more detailed answers since its a hughe topic.

This is EXTREMELY helpful along with dhbaer!