HOI4 (Hearts of Iron IV): Division Template Guide (Best Options) (2024)

Hearts of Iron IV (HOI4) is a grand strategy game that focuses on the intricacies of the Second World War. As you are tasked with leading a nation, you’ll inevitably have to build an army that can both withstand enemy assaults and eventually take the fight to them. In this case, you require an army that can accomplish your goal. In this area, you’ll need to create division templates to suit the army you wish to assemble. Ideally, they must be optimized according to the meta to be fully utilized, and that is what we’ll be tackling in this guide. Here is what a division template is in HOI4, what the best ones to use are, and any more relevant details that will help you win your wars.

What is a Division Template in HOI4?

Each division is defined by its division template in HOI4. These templates form the composition of each division. When starting the game, you will have some default templates already created for you, but they are not exactly optimal in most cases.

When you change a template, you require Army XP to apply the changes. Do note that each change may or may not necessitate an addition or deduction of equipment and manpower for all units using said division template.

Each division is composed of 5 support companies and 5 combat regiments (25 battalions). While you’re theoretically able to fill the entire division, we’ll discuss later why it’s not exactly ideal.

Combat Regiment and Support Companies

A combat regiment contains five battalions each, and said battalions can be made out of as many of these as possible:

• Infantry Battalions– Infantry, Special Forces, Towed Anti-Air/Artillery/Anti-Tank
• Mobile Battalions– Cavalry, Mechanized Infantry, Motorized Infantry, Armored Cars, Motorized Rocket Artillery, Motorized Artillery/Anti-Tank/Anti-Air
• Armor Battalions– Tanks, Tank Destroyers, Self-Propelled Artillery/Anti-Air, Amphibious Tanks

A support company is also called integrated support in order to distinguish it from dispersed support (line artillery battalions are an example). They can only be placed once in a division template, so it’s wise to choose your five support companies carefully.

Combat Width

An important part of designing a division template in HOI4 is the combat width. It determines how many of your units can enter the fight at once. The lower the combat width of the division, the more iterations of it can join the fight, and vice versa.

Depending on the terrain, the combat width may alter drastically. For example, plains tend to offer a lot of combat width due to the vastness of the terrain, but in mountainous areas, you’ll definitely be limited to much less.

In the game, the ideal combat widths to have are:15, 18, 21, 25, 41/44.

Division Composition

In all divisions, you’d need to at least have a value of 30+ in organization, as it is the bare minimum to keep your units in the fight for as long as possible. Having less than 30 will likely result in your units fleeing from the battlefield as quickly as they can.

• Infantry units (legged, motorized, and mechanized) provide the best organization value and can also add soft attack.
• Artillery units (rocket, line, and motorized rocket) are the best in soft attack.
• Anti-Tank and Tank Destroyers both do the same role and will add hard attack to your division template.
• Anti-air units will inflict damage on enemy planes and try to limit their ground support capabilities.
• Tanks provide the punch and are almost always used as the tip of the spear for any potential offensives.
• Support companies provide strategic uses and should be used to cover up any of the division’s weaknesses or further magnify the unit’s strengths.

Best Division Templates in HOI4

While there is no clear best division template in HOI4, as each one suits a different purpose, we’ll go through some with a quick analysis.

In this division template, you’ll have access to a strong core of infantry-only battalions, which comes with a high organizational value. This will allow your unit to survive longer in battle. It’s highly advised to use this unit for defensive purposes while your more offensive-minded units punch through enemy lines and try to encircle them.

In this template, you’ll have an infantry division that’s capable of pushing against enemy forces and defending against any potential counterattacks. The addition of three artillery battalions helps tremendously in the division’s soft attack and will surely pound any enemy forces into submission. The support companies work well together, although you can always change the recon company to anything you prefer.

This motorized division template is intended to serve as the starting template for your army, as it can always be added with more battalions to hit the 25 or 41 combat width value. Still, for a basic template, you’ll be getting a good soft attack here that will allow you to push back enemy forces and utilize your speed to encircle them as quickly as you can.

This armored division template is a great one to use, as in spite of a low max speed, you’ll be able to push into enemy lines as your medium tanks should be unstoppable against the AI. The addition of motorized infantry provides an organizational boost for the template and can always be replaced with much better mechanized infantry battalions in the future.

And that is all you need to know about the division template in Hearts of Iron IV. Check out other interesting guides and articles:

• HOI4 (Hearts of Iron IV): How to Increase Compliance