Putting heavy tanks in infantry divisions worth it?

[The Hawk]

Putting heavy tanks in infantry divisions increases things like Piercing, Breakthrough and Defense greatly.

However, it also inflicts some sort of penalty if you don't actually produce the tanks, which I do not intend to do (the penalty is -20% to Attack and Defense I believe).

A few years ago the benefits weighed out this penalty, but I don't know if it has been patched since then. Does anybody know?


Info about my infantry divisions:
1st Battalion: 2 Infantry units, 1 Artillery
2nd Battalion: 3 Infantry units
3rd Battalion: 2 Infantry units, 1 Artillery
(4th Battalion: 1 Heavy tank)
Support equipment: Engineer Company, Recon Company, Field Hospital

Thanks!

[The Hawk]

Some extra information:

DLC: Together for Victory, Death or Dishonor, Waking the Tiger

Ironman: Yes

World tension: 36%

Playing as: German Empire under Wilhem II. Anschluss'ed Austria-Hungary + Czechoslovakia. Owner of Danzig, Poznan (Posen) and Voivodeship Silesia.

Year: 1940-41 (playing RN)

Faction: Central Powers. With Poland, Latvia, Kingdom of Italy, Estonia

War: Soviet-German war. With all Central Powers except Estonia. Against Com-Intern

Good friends with (because of guarantees, Anti-Comintern Pact and the like): Finland, Kingdom of Romania, Yugoslavia, Greece, Lithuania. (Working on getting Romania in my faction through focuses)

Likes me (trade): Iran, Afghanistan, Tibet, Portugal, Brazil

[seashell]

the ai is not competent enough such that as long your fighters and cas are dominating
your templates don't make a difference

[The Hawk]

Originally posted by (3CID)bottle:

the ai is not competent enough such that as long your fighters and cas are dominating
your templates don't make a difference

Some time ago, I read online that the AI is so stupid that it just can't deal with the Piercing damage coming from the heavy tanks, and thus it makes a huge difference.

I don't know if it has anything to do with the heavy tanks, but I've taken pretty much all the good parts of the Soviet Union. My troops are standing in the province right next to Moscow, and I control all areas west of there, including Leningrad, Kiev and (obviously) Minsk. Working on taking Sevastopol and eventually Stalingrad (as soon as Moscow is mine).

[Mack]

In singleplayer it doesn't matter.

You're better off just using basic light tanks and then switch everything to mediums once you get to the T34 tier. And then fighters & CAS are basically all you need for planes.

The AI is too stupid. As long as you don't have too much of a fortification line they'll gladly meatgrinder themselves trying to cross rivers or into level 5 forts.

[Mikey]

You wont receive the benefits if the tanks aren't actually in the division so if you don't intend on building them there really is no point in having it in the division. Even if the tanks aren't being built they still contribute to the combat width of the unit so you are losing out on other stuff.

As for having them in the division it's not so much the piercing you are getting them from but the added hardness which makes them take less damage from soft attacks