Among the many warfare mechanics in Hearts of Iron 4, choosing a Land Doctrine allows nations to further specialize in the way their armies conduct land warfare. Accessing this mechanic is possible through the Officer Corps. Land Doctrines are divided across Mobile Warfare, Superior Firepower, Grand Battleplan, and Mass Assault.

Depending on the player's choice, their army can focus on speed to outmaneuver opponents, or pure firepower to decimate them on the frontlines. Likewise, Land Doctrines can force players to secure advantages through careful planning, or to overwhelm opponents with sheer numbers. Land Doctrines can offer many options to modify a player's way of conducting land warfare, so which of these are a player's best choice in Hearts of Iron 4?

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10 Trench Warfare

Strengthen Defense In Static Plays

Fitting the layout of the British Commonwealth, Japan, and even France is the Grand Battleplan Doctrine Tree. This emphasizes planning bonuses for Artillery and Infantry, specifically tailored towards defense instead of offense. This is evident with Trench Warfare, whose effects give an immediate bonus to players who have to defend their provinces from constant attacks.

Trench Warfare can pave the way for stronger passive bonuses towards Organization, Defense, and Planning. Unfortunately, its more "static" style won't work in multiplayer, where players often engage and re-engage opponents depending on their strategies. However, Trench Warfare can be quite effective in single player, where enemies are often predictable. Players can hold down a position and slowly decimate enemy attackers as they strike.

9 Armored Spearhead

Get More Out Of Tanks Early In The Game

Players who want to speed up their Tank aggression in Hearts of Iron 4 gameplay should use Armored Spearhead. This Doctrine falls under Mobile Warfare, and is perfect for early-game Tank attacks. This Doctrine enables players to hit enemies hard, without suffering many casualties when enemies return fire.

Moreover, unlocking this Doctrine unlocks Blitz (Tactic). This Tactic provides +15% Attacker Tactic Damage and +50% Tactics Movement, while also imposing -15% Defender Tactic Damage. Blitz lets Tanks move much faster and catch the enemy unawares, foreshadowing the potential Blitzkrieg Doctrine that further encourages hyper-aggressive Tank plays.

8 Mobile Warfare

Perfect For Starting Aggressive Plays

Players who want to pursue world domination in Hearts of Iron 4 need to strike at the heart of the enemy as fast as possible. The Mobile Warfare Doctrine Tree makes this possible, specifically when it comes to executing skirmishes quickly while suffering little damage. Choosing this starting Doctrine incentivizes more direct plays while mitigating risks.

The Doctrine's Breakthrough bonus encourages aggressive plays as soon as players get access to more powerful units. This works well with Unexpected Thrust (Tactic), which gives +15% Attacker Tactic Damage and +15% Tactics Movement, making early-game aggression more effective for players.

7 Vast Offensives

Remove Supply Problems

Assigned as the starting Doctrine Tree for both China and the Soviet Union, Mass Assault capitalizes on the potential of nations to overwhelm enemies with their numbers. Among the more useful Doctrines in this Tree is Vast Offensives, located in the Mass Assault subtree. When unlocked, Vast Offensives builds upon the reinforcement and supply boosts of earlier Doctrines with the following effects:

• +0.10% Weekly War Support - Combat Casualties
• +10% Reinforce Rate (Mass Assault, Operational Concentration)
• +48 Hours Supply Grace
• -10% Non-Combat Out of Supply Penalties (Pocket Defense)
• -10% Supply Consumption (Large Front Operations)

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In fact, Vast Offensives grants another -10% Supply Consumption for a total of -20%. Combined with higher-level Logistics Support (-10% Supply Consumption per tier), and a Field Marshal with Logistics Wizard (-15% Supply Consumption) and high Logistics, players can enjoy upwards of at least -30% Supply Consumption per division. This makes supplying the frontlines less of a hassle in extended campaigns.

6 Mechanized Offensive

Elevate Motorized, Mechanized Infantry With Bonuses

When players pursue the Mobile Warfare route, the Mechanized Offensive Doctrine under the Mobile Infantry Tree vastly improves the offensive capabilities of Motorized and Mechanized Infantry. This builds upon the existing +10 Organization to all Infantry and Motorized and Mechanized units (Mass Motorization), as well as +10% Speed and +0.20 Recovery Rate for a wide variety of vehicles.

In addition to the effects listed above, this Doctrine also comes with Blitz (Tactic). Blitz provides +15% Attacker Tactic Damage, -15% Defender Tactic Damage, and +50% Tactics Movement. While these bonuses don't apply to Light Infantry, players who like running Motorized/Mechanized Infantry can give their units better performance and improved survivability with this Doctrine.

5 Regimental Combat Teams

Boost Infantry Performance For Most Skirmishes

The Superior Firepower Doctrine Tree emphasizes well-balanced divisions. The Integrate Support subtree focuses on potent Support Companies to guarantee optimized performance on the battlefield. Unlocking Regimental Combat Teams builds upon existing upgrades such as Soft Attack to All Frontline Battalions (Superior Firepower), +10 Organization to Leg Infantry (Delay), and +10% Defense to Infantry as well as Motorized and Mechanized units.

More specific to Regimental Combat Teams is its improvement of division performance. Enabling this Doctrine now gives the above bonuses to Soft Attack. It also unlocks Overwhelming Fire (Tactic), which provides -10% Attacker Tactic Damage and +10% Defender Tactic Damage. This gives divisions more opportunities to pulverize enemy soft units like Infantry.

4 Shock And Awe

Pulverize Softer Units With Even More Soft Attack

When it comes to the offensive-leaning Superior Firepower Doctrine Tree, fans who want to spice up their Hearts of Iron 4 gameplay with stronger Infantry and Artillery should opt for Shock and Awe. Unlocking this ensures builds upon existing boosts:

• +10% Soft Attack to Frontline Battalions (Superior Firepower)
• +10 Defense to Infantry and Mot/Mech units (Mobile Defense
• +5% Soft Attack (Centralized Fire Control)
• +10 Organization and +0.05 Recovery Rate (Advanced Firebases)
• +2% Reinforce Rate and +100% to Recon Company reconaissance (Forward Observers)

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With Shock and Awe, players can use Breakthrough (Tactic), which provides +25% Attacker Tactic Damage, -15% Defender Tactic Damage, and +50% Tactics Movement. This works in tandem with the listed units' bonus to Soft and Hard Attack. If players can take the lack of upgrade to Tanks that Airland Battle provides, Shock and Awe can become a decent substitute in terms of offensive potential.

3 Airland Battle

Strengthen Tank Divisions With Anti-Air

The potential of Superior Firepower has to do with its final subtrees. Tank fans will likely enjoy Superior Firepower for its boosts. Unlocking it gives Tanks and Armor Variants +10% Breakthrough (Mechanized Offensive) and +10% Soft and Hard Attack (Combined Arms).

The Doctrine cements a Tank Division's offensive capabilities with the effects mentioned above.. Players who want to pursue more combat-ready Tank divisions may appreciate the additional Air Superiority this Doctrine provides.

2 Mobile Blitzkrieg

Turn Tanks Into Heavy-Hitters While Mitigating Risk

Near the endgame of the Mobile Warfare Doctrine Tree, players can improve their Hearts of Iron 4 gameplay by choosing the Modern Blitzkrieg route. While the Desperate Defense subtree boosts Manpower, it does little to improve a player's odds in skirmishes. Modern Blitzkrieg, on the other hand, now finishes the Mobile Warfare Doctrine Tree, ensuring that Tanks have:

• +12 Organization
• +60% Breakthrough
• 0.40 Recovery Rate
• +60% Breakthrough

The +60% Breakthrough is important for Tanks who take the frontlines, as this ensures they take as little damage as possible while striking enemy provinces. While straightforward in terms of bonuses, the Doctrine vastly improves the performance of players who prefer to crush everything in their path with Tanks.

1 Blitzkrieg

Help Tanks Shine With Breakthrough, Speed, Organization

As Mobile Warfare is built as an aggressive Doctrine Tree, it revolves around boosting the offensive capabilities of the game's heavy hitters. In the case of Blitzkrieg, this specific subtree develops tanks. Once players unlock Blitzkrieg, Tanks in the game will have:

• +40% Breakthrough (Mobile Warfare, Armored Spearhead)
• +10% Speed (Elastic Defense)
• +0.20 Recovery Rate (Schwerpunkt, Blitzkrieg)
• Organization +7 (Elastic Defense, Armored Spearhead, Schwerpunkt, Blitzkrieg)

An interesting unlock from Blitzkrieg is Breakthrough (Tactic), which adds +25% Attacker Damage, -15% Defender Tactic Damage, and +50% Tactics Movement.

Hearts of Iron 4

Platform(s)

PC

Released

June 6, 2016

Developer(s)

Paradox Development Studio

Genre(s)

Grand Strategy