Hearts of Iron IV: Complete Beginners Guide (2024)

About this video

• Video Title: Hearts of Iron IV: Complete Beginners Guide (2024)
• Channel: Hearts Of Iron IV
• Speakers: Hammer Time
• Duration: 00:39:56

Overview

This video serves as a comprehensive beginner's guide to Hearts of Iron IV, a grand strategy war game. It aims to equip new players with essential knowledge of game mechanics, including UI elements, political systems, research, production, military management (army, air force, navy), supply, warfare, and pre-game setup, enabling them to start playing and enjoying the game effectively.

Key takeaways

• Game Overview: Hearts of Iron IV is a grand strategy war game where players control a nation from WWII, managing military, industry, and government.
• Getting Started: Players choose between a 1936 or 1939 start date and can select any nation; Italy is recommended for beginners due to its manageable complexity and early war opportunities.
• User Interface (UI): Key UI elements at the top of the screen include Political Power (PP), Stability, War Support, Manpower, Factory Count, Fuel, Logistics, Convoy Counts, and various experience types (Command, Army, Navy, Air).
• Political Focuses & Menu: The political menu allows players to appoint advisors, change laws, select national focuses (unique country paths), and manage national spirits and political parties. Focuses take time to complete and provide bonuses or changes.
• Decisions: These are temporary events or static options that require political or command power, such as improving worker conditions or forming new nations.
• Research: Players unlock new equipment and bonuses through research slots, focusing on industry, electronics, infantry, tanks, artillery, naval ships, aircraft, and more.
• Diplomacy & War Goals: Players interact with other nations through the diplomacy menu and must establish war goals (via focuses or justification) to initiate conflicts, being mindful of national guarantees.
• Construction: Civilian factories build infrastructure, airports, radar, etc., while military factories and dockyards produce equipment and ships. State buildings have individual caps, while shared buildings (like factories) have caps per state.
• Production: Military factories and dockyards produce equipment. Production efficiency increases with continuous production of the same item.
• Trade & Resources: Players manage resource surpluses and deficits via the trade menu, trading with other nations using civilian factories to acquire needed resources.
• Recruit & Deployment: New divisions are trained and deployed, gaining experience levels that provide combat modifiers. Early deployment of under-trained divisions incurs penalties.
• Division Design: Players can customize division templates by adding battalions (infantry, artillery, tanks, etc.) and support companies. Key stats to consider are Organization, Soft/Hard Attack, and Combat Width.
• Logistics & Officer Corps: The logistics tab shows equipment stockpiles and deficits. The officer corps allows recruitment of generals and field marshals to lead armies and provide bonuses.
• Army Management: Armies are led by generals (max 24 divisions) who can be assigned field marshals for broader command. Orders include setting front lines, offensive lines, fallback lines, and garrison duty. Combat width and terrain penalties are crucial.
• Air Force: Planes are deployed into air wings based at airports. Missions include Air Superiority, Interception, Close Air Support, Naval Strike, and Strategic Bombing. Air superiority impacts battles.
• Navy: Ship classes (screens and capital ships) are used in fleets and task forces. Missions include Patrol, Strike Force, Convoy Raiding, and Convoy Escort. Naval Supremacy is required for invasions.
• Supply: The supply system relies on connections from the capital via rail and convoy routes to supply hubs, which then distribute to troops. Insufficient supply causes penalties. Fuel is crucial for engines.
• Waging Wars & Peace Deals: Wars are won by capturing victory points. Peace deals allow annexing territory, creating puppets, or liberating nations.
• Notifications & Pre-Game Setup: Players can manage notifications and set up their initial research, construction, production lines, army/navy assignments, and political focuses.