Land Doctrines; General Guide.

"Land Doctrines" play an important role in warfare inside HOI IV, often directing our playstyle and shaping the composition of our armies.
This such important role has sparked the continuous question towards "What should I use for this situation or army build? What's the most efficient choice for me?"

In this guide I'll show detailed information about Land Doctrines, their effects and bonuses. This guide is directed especially to new players and experienced players who want to take a deep look at the doctrines statistics!

The Big 4; All Land Doctrines

Hearts of Iron IV gives the player a choice between 4 different Land Doctrines, each one of them with distinctive army approaches, making them effective on certain army builds and playstyles:

- Mobile Warfare - Superior Firepower - Grand Battleplan - Mass Assault -

Also, every single one of them have its own internal paths, remarked as Left (L) and Right (R) from now on.






To make a detailed understanding of doctrines, we'll be analyzing this topic as the following:

1. Army Bonuses Table. Detailed table of overall army bonuses with all tech tree completed.
   
2. Division Bonuses Table. Detailed table of specific battalion bonuses with all tech tree completed.
   
3. Differences in "L" and "R" Paths.
   
4. Unique Officer Corps Unlocks.
   
5. Conclusion and Tips.

Mobile Warfare Doctrine - Speed is Key.

Mobile Warfare concentrates almost entirely in a highly motorised/armored army, using the speed and blindage of these divisions as a spear to break through the enemy lines.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Army Bonuses Table ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Division Bonuses Table ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Differences in "L" and "R" Paths ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1st Decision; Mobile Infantry(L1) or Blitzkrieg(R1)?
- Mobile Infantry(L1) offers bonuses to motorised and mechanised infantry.
- Blitzkrieg(R1) makes tanks more powerful in combat and breakthrough.

2nd Decision; Desperate Defence(L2) or Modern Blitzkrieg(R2)?
- Desperate Defense(L2) gives more manpower and garrison damage.
- Modern Blitzkrieg(R2) is a continuation of the blitzkrieg route, giving large bonus to tanks and mobile infantry.

All possible paths:

1. L&L Doctrine: Focused on motorised/mechanised army and extra manpower reserve.
   
2. L&R Doctrine: Mix between motorised/mechanised and tanks sections. Strong if your focus still are motorised/mechanised.
   
3. R&L Doctrine: Tanks are strengthened along with an extra manpower pool.
   
4. R&R Doctrine: Extremely armored focus. Insane tank breakthrough and motorised/mechanised organization buffs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Unique Officer Corps ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

-Spirit of the Academy-



-Spirit of the Army-



-Spirit of Division Command-



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Conclusion & Tips ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

• RESUME: This is the ultimate doctrine for a mobile army.
  
• ARMY: Flexible usage of planning gain speed bonus and organization in all divisions. Concentrated in the production and improvement of motorisation and mobile forces.
  
• INDUSTRY: Due to the large usage of heavy equipment in the form of tanks, support companies and others, you'll need to be mindfull of production costs and your industry capacity.
  

Superior Firepower Doctrine - Crush Everything.

Superior Firepower uses greatest amount of attack and support bonuses, dealing great damage against most divisions.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Army Bonuses Table ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Division Bonuses Table ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Differences in "L" and "R" Paths ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1st Decision; Dispersed Support(L1) or Integrated Support(R1)?
- Dispersed Support(L1) gives soft attack bonuses and recovery rate to line artillery.
- Integrated Support(R1) are indispensable if using lots of support companies. This gives more organization and soft attack on support companies.

2nd Decision; Airland Battle(L2) or Shock & Awe(R2)?
- Airland Battle(L2) is in itself a mix of things, going through attack bonus for the army and tanks, to air superiority.
- Shock & Awe(R2), even more soft and hard attack for artillery and leg/mobile infantry.

All possible paths:

1. L&L Doctrine: Mega combo of tank performance, air superiority and line artillery bonuses. This combination is aimed to maximise damage output using the combined arms of the airforce, tanks and line artillery to shock the enemy.
   
2. L&R Doctrine: Direct battalion approach. Infantry, mechanised and motorised divisions with line artillery are greatly consolidated towards soft and hard attack bonuses. Recommended if you rely heavily on line artillery. Great for Anti-Tank divisions.
   
3. R&L Doctrine: Support companies performance and tanks damage output are directed to make a formidable tank section and armor variants. Divisions will benefit from the massive support companies organisation.
   
4. R&R Doctrine: Army is build over organization. Infantry, artillery, motorised and mechanised receive great all around bonuses alongside support companies. Tanks are a supportive but standing section.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Unique Officer Corps ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

-Spirit of the Academy-



-Spirit of the Army-



-Spirit of Division Command-



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Conclusion & Tips ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

• RESUME: This doctrine surpasses any other in soft and hard attack. Having the possibility to employ true "combined arms" tactics. Pretty good in all situations.
  
• ARMY: Mostly infantry and artillery based. Can get tanks and air bonus from (L) side ending. Can get motorised/mechanised bonus from (R) side ending. Best doctrine for artillery support divisions, AT guns and AT tanks.
  
• INDUSTRY: Needs some industry to get divisions supplied on variety of support equipments (Support Equipment, Motorised, Artillery based weapons).
  
  
  

Grand Battleplan Doctrine - Strategic Oportunities.

Grand Battleplan is based around a defensive stance using infantry and a safer offensive style with plannings use.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Army Bonuses Table ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Division Bonuses Table ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Differences in "L" and "R" Paths ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Decision; Assault (L) or Infantry Infiltration (R)?
- Assault(L) gives huge max planning bonus and breakthrough, focused more on offensive operations. Small bonus to mobile infantry organization and tank performance.
- Infiltration(R) flexibilize infantry, land night attack penalty reduction and less supply consumption. Perfect for missions in hard terrain and commando like operations.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Unique Officer Corps ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

-Spirit of the Academy-



-Spirit of the Army-



-Spirit of Division Command-



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Conclusion & Tips ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

• RESUME: Doctrine with best defense in the game. Using entrenchment and organization as his main form of consolidation and planning bonus as the main offensive tool. Perfect for static fronts and localised offensives.
  
• ARMY: Primarily usage of infantry divisions and special forces. Special Forces are definitely a highlight of this doctrine as you can easily build up a specialized army according to your needs. Huge max planning bonuses. Lacks relevant armor bonuses.
  
• INDRUSTRY: Good doctrine for low industrialised nations as unit performance doesn't rely specifically on certain equipments.

Mass Assault Doctrine - A Weapon for Every Soldier.

Mass Assault is made for a large army mobilization, manpower becomes a weapon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Army Bonuses Table ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Division Bonuses Table ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Differences in "L" and "R" Paths ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Decision; Deep Battle(L) or Mass Mobilisation(R)?
- Deep Battle(L) brings more distributed army bonuses aside from pure infantry force, building a competent armor/ motorised section and reducing your divisions supply consumption. Takes the fight in large fonts. More offensive minded.
- Mass Mobilisation(R), literaly the infantry side doctrine, manpower becomes easy to mobilise: hold the enemy with the pure strenght of massed conscripted rifles. Huge bonus to resistanse and guerrilla tactics, making it even harder for invaders to gain and hold territory. Defensive minded.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Unique Officer Corps ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

-Spirit of the Academy-



-Spirit of the Army-



-Spirit of Division Command-



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Conclusion & Tips ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

• RESUME: Very flexible doctrine. Can go either very defensive or offensive style warfare. The goal of this doctrine is not to "out-stat" your enemy, but rather build an impenetrable wall of your own divisions. Even if the enemy breaks one of your divisions, there will be 4 more already waiting on reserve.
  
• ARMY: Large reinfoce bonus. This means more divisions can reinforce into battles faster than any other doctrine, keeping up longer battles. Lacks overall army and division damage output.
  
• INDUSTRY: Good for nations without a strong industry and great reserves of manpower.

Thanks~

Regarding this guide, there may be modifications and adjustments over time and things could be added to make this a more complete guide.

If you got any comment or suggestion, please let me know in the comments section!

Thanks for reading this, I hope it's helpful for your gameplay in Hearts of Iron IV!

[Kumizguy]

Hi, there's something for you to add as a friend

[Nao♫]

Updated the Unique Officer Corps entry for each doctrine since it came to my attention that the HOI IV wiki page had them outdated. Keep painting the map, generals!

[RPS 12324]

Mass Assault R also gives the Mass Charge combat tactics, it always wrecks stuff everytime it is used. I have even seen it push aside the German 40W medium tank divisions despite failing to pierce.

[erikchen901]

Good job this is very good

[BigPK]

very consice just joking but for someone new this works perfect.

[Zapierdalam w kamieniołomie]

noice

[LordHelmchen]

nice

[Nao♫]

[醉拳甘迺迪]

Very conclusive. Thumbs up.