Prepping for a 1v1

[Synpax]

A friend of mine is a reasonably experienced HOI 4 player and has played HOI 2 and 3. I have experience with grand strategy and have played a bit of HOI 4 but none of the previous games.

He has challenged me to a one on one battle inwhich he is Germany and I can be any other nation in the world. The winner is whomever conquers the others nation, either through alliances or directly. We will be running the Black Ice mod and historical or non-historical AI is my preference.

Based only on my knowledge of history, I'd believe the US is a good choice. However, based on my research, it seems the US is somewhat weak at the start and that he may be able to *rush* me.

I have a few weeks of preperatory study before we begin this game, but am curious what nations you might suggest and any strategies you'd recommend.

[[BDSM]Mrtophatcat]

Go japan Take over all of china and then go for ussr if his at war with ussr other wise wait. then will all of the man power in the world take over all of asia and steal all of the rubber in the world(and all of the manpower) and then take over the middle east(for oil) and then take over russia since by then you should have all of the man power in the world and have a large industry. With at least part of the USSR(if he wars with the ussr then you won't get all of it) then go for the british raj and while he takes care of the Uk and that should give you even more manpower. if he ever decides to go to war with you then just bog him down with all the manpower you have and wait for him to lose all of his guns/manpower other wise just keep taking nations. This is really a bare bones for a plan and you will need to expand on it but its what I've done before and it works well for becomeing a super nation.

[Synpax]

Originally posted by Mrtophatcat:

Go japan

Interesting. You think this would work better than starting as USSR and rushing him?

[Andrew]

Germany is strong early and ussr is weak early but a well managed ussr with all the right focus at the right time can quickly turn them around. Play Ussr get the officer purge over as quick as and the start boxing him in support republican spain have an ally on that side get turkey unboard I know they are not a major concern but will still tie up 50 divisions back Uk and France ensure he dosent just walk in....Hit Romania Buligary. Yogo and put you bigger manpower at use with bigger frontline.3x3 infantry 1x3 Arty 1x2 anti tank 1xmoterise with support as Anti tank Arty Recon Engineer and Field Hos on you frontline with him will match any division he throws at you in many case then use special division to break through use bombers to bomb his factories and navy to kill his inport. Support nertherland as there satalite dutch indies is a vita rubber supple to germany. Help any1 he attacks send troops not supplys...buld forts to cause massive deaths to him..so much more you can do

[Torrens]

Germany is the easiest country to play. It should be you as germany and your experienced veteran HOI friend be any other country.

[Andrew]

Thats why the experince player picked it lol maybe not as good as the friend thinks but still easy to beat in a pvp

[Torrens]

Im gonna add to that, pick USA. Don't pick Japan don't pick USSR. Your veteran friend is gonna steamroll all over europe and will have insane amount of factories in notime as he is playing the most capable country in the game. Go USA. get an equal amount of factories and slug it out.

[[BDSM]Mrtophatcat]

Originally posted by Torrens:

Im gonna add to that, pick USA. Don't pick Japan don't pick USSR. Your veteran friend is gonna steamroll all over europe and will have insane amount of factories in notime as he is playing the most capable country in the game. Go USA. get an equal amount of factories and slug it out.

Yea but with USA you don't have much room to expand and if you say take over all of south america then he will just go and start taking over all of russia and asia and start to get more factories and manpower while all of south america is pretty weak and dosen't give you as many factories as france or great britian or even you know ALL OF RUSSIA. and if you do some how do have a step up on germany his navy is going to be much larger and better because its been fighting and because eroupe has many MANY more ports then south america. I mean most nations is south america have small amount of ports. and a few of them are landlocked I think. So its going to be hard to get more land/manpower/guns/ when you stuck taking weak nations with small industrys.

[Andrew]

USA Vs Europa Asian German no hope German would have 1000 Military Factorys 500 Naval and no need of trade...For ever divison you kill 100 more will replace they will out pace and out produce you....

Only hope is play close to them and hinder him as much as you can while ensureing you are growing.

Boost Communist in USA Japan
When war comes with German Boost Communist in a region on the other side of the Germany and stage a Coup to make him lose troops and force him to pull troops off the war with you.

Remember he will be at war with much of the world at some stage use this as the USSR and ATTACK him while he is at war with Allied Nations as USSR you start with 200 Divisions ''Bad Divisions fix that straight away reduce to 100 Divisions that are better organised and stronger and rebuild the Army start the purge and then attack a small nation to get rid of the purge effects take away his vita resourse e.g ''Romania Oil'' Boost Communist in Italy and take away that ally. He starts with 30 Divisons that are a match for your 200 and he can pump out 100 Divisons very quickly so remember out think him attack his trade his resouces and think defensives offensive

[Synpax]

Whatever we pick, he's going to come straight at me. He had said that if I picked the US, he'd be dictating terms from the White House by 1939.

Russia seems like a good option; can I avoid the purge by going Fascist myself?

[Andrew]

Going Fascist will ruin you as you need more time to set yourself up.
1.Stay Commie
2.Start Purge
3.Win small war ''Lose Purge effects''
4.With Experince fix your templates
5.Build all factories away from German front to allow you to lose some ground if needed
6.Level 2 Forts or higer on Border
7.Support anyone he wars with with sending troops
8.If he is in a large war join against him and kill him

Do not allow him to expand quickly do not allow him all of poland you start to justifty on poland the moment the game starts he cant rush you that early your 200 Divisions againts he at best 60 by the time he is ready for poland do not allow him romania.Support Rep of Spain he will support Nationalist Support France and UK boost Italy and Japan to remove his allys he will likly do this too. Let him fall over his own echo he will under think you.

[[BDSM]Mrtophatcat]

Originally posted by A.W.:

Going Fascist will ruin you as you need more time to set yourself up.
1.Stay Commie
2.Start Purge
3.Win small war ''Lose Purge effects''
4.With Experince fix your templates
5.Build all factories away from German front to allow you to lose some ground if needed
6.Level 2 Forts or higer on Border
7.Support anyone he wars with with sending troops
8.If he is in a large war join against him and kill him

Do not allow him to expand quickly do not allow him all of poland you start to justifty on poland the moment the game starts he cant rush you that early your 200 Divisions againts he at best 60 by the time he is ready for poland do not allow him romania.Support Rep of Spain he will support Nationalist Support France and UK boost Italy and Japan to remove his allys he will likly do this too. Let him fall over his own echo he will under think you.

What he said ^

[Torrens]

If you pick ussr do this. Your advatage is quantity. Make very cheap divisions in terms of production cost, I recommend somethig under 900 points. You will make an absolute ♥♥♥♥ tons of these and it won't matter if you lose a few dozen in encirclements. Don't rush purge. Delay it. Delay, delay,delay. If your friend rushes you immediately there is no point starting a 210 day focus that will ruin your organisation. There is really no right answer to this as you are gonna have to do it anyway at some point. Once you do it and you are at war with him, rush lessons of war. You dont need to get rid of it via minor war. Don't put your whole army at the border and don't make land forts there. This will solve nothing against your pro friend. Put 10% of ur army there. Otherwise you will lose 50% when he immediately breaks trough. You are the soviet union, dig in behind the big river. You can afford to lose ground. Defense in depth. Your job is to make discustingly simple divisions and have hundreds of them to plug the lines.
Im not gonna tell you what kind of templates you have to make but keep them cheap. This game is about creating templates that counter the enemy's build.

[Andrew]

Originally posted by Torrens:

If you pick ussr do this. Your advatage is quantity. Make very cheap divisions in terms of production cost, I recommend somethig under 900 points. You will make an absolute ♥♥♥♥ tons of these and it won't matter if you lose a few dozen in encirclements. Don't rush purge. Delay it. Delay, delay,delay. If your friend rushes you immediately there is no point starting a 210 day focus that will ruin your organisation. There is really no right answer to this as you are gonna have to do it anyway at some point. Once you do it and you are at war with him, rush lessons of war. You dont need to get rid of it via minor war. Don't put your whole army at the border and don't make land forts there. This will solve nothing against your pro friend. Put 10% of ur army there. Otherwise you will lose 50% when he immediately breaks trough. You are the soviet union, dig in behind the big river. You can afford to lose ground. Defense in depth. Your job is to make discustingly simple divisions and have hundreds of them to plug the lines.
Im not gonna tell you what kind of templates you have to make but keep them cheap. This game is about creating templates that counter the enemy's build.

200 Cheap template is not going to stop his friend who will break in and just surround him if German break in and gets a chance to advance with only bad division USSR is dead. Medium Division that can withstand Infantry and Armour is what he needs.. Infantry Arty and Anti Tank USSR can mass produce that and that will stop or massively slow down the Germans while the USSR better troops surround him been defensive against Germany is a loss you must be proactive in you offensive take away his producion his trade his friends..Take Poland Romania extend your border with him and use your larger manpower and ensure that your attacking him and puting him under pressure e.g bombing his production and not the other way around

[Synpax]

Other advice has me taking the French and going Communist.

How will Black Ice mod affect us?

[Andrew]

Black ice just adds more stuff rather then Just infantry gear you will need to produce Boots and so on just makes the production better and harder i might add.. France is powerfull but for you vs a semi decent player and unless you know how to play not much hope..Even with UK he will just roll you up..UK and France will rule the sea but he will rule on land...And you have to fight possible Italy Nationlist Spain and a large front with German that close to you VP cities...Best hope Turn Italy ensure Rep Spain wins and ally with USSR that way you will have him on more then one front