Could someone explain briefly some meta templates?

[Loperenco]

Hello guys

I usually play minor nations with aim to grow bigger in some time, fe. Belgium merging with Netherlands later oraz Latvia merging with Lithuania and Estonia. And my knowledge is outdated - I consider 20 width, 7 inf + 2 arty a good overall infantry template. Could you please drop some tips to improve my knowledge?

Thanks!

[HappySack]

7/2 was overpowered and the only template that was mindlessly unbeatable because everything else lost to it.

Thankfully that isn't the case anymore so templates can vary much more based on your manpower and production though I find myself defaulting to 2 of them, try experimenting instead of min/maxing against the AI.

[mlmcdougal]

Here's a bunch of guides including templates... 10 to a page... Have fun!

https://gamerempire.net/author/adrian-oprea/

[Bored Peon]

Using meta 20w templates for minors not always going to be successful simply because they lack they manpower to fill them. You would be lucky to get one division for each section of your borders with some minors.

12-16 width for defense (with bunkers) and a reactionary force of your 16-24 width units.

[Mack]

Infantry:
20 width inf only. Support: Arty, Engineers, AA. I add hospitals unless I'm playing the Soviets or USA or China. Use for holding the line (when you're using special forces or tanks or a separate infantry with arty unit to push), gradually increase the INF until your width is 30 or 34.

If you want to push with them (ie, Grand Battleplan or Superior Firepower) you want 2 to 4 Line Artillery and the rest INF, don't go over 34 width. Maintenance company is a good addition to recover artillery pieces if you have support equipment spare.

Garrison:
Use whatever Cav template you start with, remove any support except MP (note there's also a really good Motorbike MP in special research now).
If you have a LOT of light tanks or not much land to protect, you can use Light Tanks instead of Cav, again with MP's.
If you aren't using light tanks for your combat units (ie, using Helo recon not Armor recon) you can make a very cheap light tank specifically for MP usage.
Some mods have "Irregular Cavalry" which often have better suppression than regular cav.

Tank:
In the early game you can use 5 Light Tank/5 Motorised with Armour Recon, Arty, Engineer support if you're going to attack other countries before the 1940's. It's enough punch to kill early AI armies without being too expensive. Stick to a two man turret, a decent small gun, keep it's speed above 10kmph, you don't need much extras, armour not really needed in early game, and you're going to use them for Recon later & to build them quickly so you want them to be cheap.

Mid to Late Game:
7 Medium Tanks
8 Mechanised (you can start with Trucks obviously, even if you don't swap to Mech ensure you research Mech 1 because it improves Trucks as well)

Support:
Arty
Engineer
Logistics
Medium Flame Tank
Armor Recon (uses Light Tanks)

Tank Design:
3 Man Turret
Medium Cannon (or Medium Howitzer, it probably won't matter which one you pick in singleplayer).
Radio
Fuel Tank
Easy Maintenance (You need Maintenance Company 2 researched)
Wet Ammunition Storage
Armor Skirt (Research Improved Armor Protection)

Christie Suspension
Gasoline Engine
Riveted Armor on the Inter-War and 1938 Mediums, then Cast Armor for 1940 Mediums.

Armour -/+ MAXIMUM of 4. You will not need higher armour tick value in singleplayer.
Speed -/+ 8 km/h is fine, but by 1940 medium I will aim for 10 km/h or even 12 km/h.

Medium Flame Tank needs the Land Warfare Special project for flamer tanks. Once you have that, take your Medium Design, switch out the gun to a flamer change to 2 man turret and swap the Armor Skirt for a Dozer Blade (Engineer 2 research).

With all the new stuff in the DLC, if you want to play around with special projects, I have often used in mid & late game the following support units:
Super Heavy Self Propelled Howitzer (Special Project)
Assault Engineer Company (Armoured Support Special Project + Research)
Support Arty
Helicopter Recon (Helicopter Special Project + Research)
Helicopter Brigade

Don't disregard your supply situation (always remember to set the unit onto the triple truck supply option) and try your best to balance out building an army with having a good fighter production so you win air superiority (Heavy Machine Guns, 1 highest tier engine, amour plate, drop tank, self sealing fuel tank if you can afford the rubber).

If you want to get more complicated you can swap out some of the medium tanks for medium SPG's. Use the flame tank template but with a howitzer, set it to an artillery tank, and throw in machine gun turrets instead of fuel tanks & dozer blade.

[Zerian VySil]

Hey OP,

As a minor nation looking to take over other minor nations, you most likely can't afford to Design, Man, or Equip a powerful Army with all the cool goodies.

Sometimes the best lessons of war are the simplest ones.

If your enemy only has 3 - 2width infantry divisions, then they probably can't cover their front line.

Speed deploy a ton of 2widths or 4, or 6w, and just walk around their army and seize their victory points.


The exact same is true as you, and your enemies, grow in size.


You don't need 5 full armies of Tank Divisions to crush France, as Germany.
You just need 3 to 6 good Tank divisions, and some Truck divisions to follow them.
Encircle some, crush them with Infantry.
Rinse, Repeat.

Single Player is surprisingly easy once you get the hang of things.
Just look at all the crazy videos online where guys do an (Artillery Only) challenge, or such.

Best of luck! Wage War smarter, not harder.