Get Started If this is your first time with the game or this site

FILE NO. 036 — GUIDE ZERO

Beginner's Guide

Never played HOI4 before? What the game is and how to take your first steps without getting overwhelmed.

#beginner · #basic
 FILE NO. 037 — REFERENCE

Glossary

PP, XP, org, MIO, CAS and all the other acronyms you'll keep running into, explained quickly.

#basic

Nations

Work in progress: alternative-path sub-guides.
FILE NO. 002 — GERMANY

Germany

How to reach 1939 with your industry and doctrine ready, without depending on the historical script.

#focus-tree · #majors · #western-europe · #eastern-europe · #basic · #land · #air · #expansionism
 FILE NO. 007 — ITALY

Italy

How to turn a weak industry into a Mediterranean power without opening more fronts than you can sustain.

#focus-tree · #majors · #medium · #western-europe · #naval · #expansionism
 FILE NO. 006 — USSR

USSR

How to survive the weak early game and make the most of the biggest manpower and industry potential in the game.

#focus-tree · #majors · #medium · #eastern-europe · #land · #air · #expansionism
 FILE NO. 015 — POLAND

Poland

Caught between Germany and the USSR: how to hold out longer than history did.

#focus-tree · #minors · #hard · #eastern-europe · #land · #neutrality
 FILE NO. 009 — UNITED KINGDOM

United Kingdom

How to manage a scattered empire and balance the Navy and army before France falls.

#focus-tree · #naval · #majors · #medium · #western-europe · #air · #expansionism
 FILE NO. 013 — FRANCE

France

The Maginot Line, mobile reserves and the alliance with the UK: how not to repeat the six weeks of 1940.

#focus-tree · #land · #majors · #hard · #western-europe · #expansionism
 FILE NO. 014 — UNITED STATES

United States

The biggest industrial potential in the game, if you know how to manage the shift from isolationism to intervention.

#focus-tree · #majors · #basic · #americas · #land · #naval · #air · #neutrality
 FILE NO. 008 — JAPAN

Japan

How to close out the Chinese front as soon as possible and calmly decide between expanding north or south.

#focus-tree · #pacific · #majors · #medium · #land · #naval · #expansionism
 FILE NO. 016 — CHINA

China

Warlords, communists and the war against Japan: how to unify before attrition becomes too much.

#focus-tree · #minors · #medium · #pacific · #land · #expansionism
 FILE NO. 045 — COMMUNIST CHINA

Communist China

Squeezed between Japan and the Nationalists: how to survive first and win later, with almost no industry.

#focus-tree · #pacific · #minors · #hard · #land · #expansionism
 FILE NO. 001 — SPAIN

Spain

From the coup to Mediterranean power: the optimal route, key decisions and mistakes that will cost you the game.

#focus-tree · #minors · #medium · #western-europe · #land · #neutrality
 FILE NO. 054 — PORTUGAL

Portugal

How to make the most of the Atlantic position and colonial empire without getting dragged into the war.

#focus-tree · #neutrality · #minors · #basic · #western-europe · #land · #naval
 FILE NO. 046 — INDIA

India

How to make the most of the largest industrial and manpower potential in the British Empire.

#focus-tree · #minors · #medium · #pacific · #land · #neutrality
 FILE NO. 043 — CANADA

Canada

How to supply industry and manpower to the UK while gaining your own autonomy along the way.

#focus-tree · #minors · #basic · #americas · #land · #neutrality
 FILE NO. 044 — AUSTRALIA

Australia

How to prepare the Pacific defense while still contributing to the British war effort in Europe.

#focus-tree · #pacific · #minors · #medium · #land · #naval · #neutrality
 FILE NO. 041 — FINLAND

Finland

How to hold off the USSR by using the forest, the cold and morale instead of brute force.

#focus-tree · #minors · #basic · #nordics · #eastern-europe · #land · #neutrality
 FILE NO. 052 — SWEDEN

Sweden

How to maintain armed neutrality, or take the step toward intervention at just the right moment.

#focus-tree · #neutrality · #minors · #medium · #nordics · #land · #naval
 FILE NO. 042 — YUGOSLAVIA

Yugoslavia

How to manage internal tensions before the Axis decides the rest for you.

#focus-tree · #balkans · #minors · #medium · #land · #neutrality
 FILE NO. 048 — GREECE

Greece

How to use the mountainous terrain to stop Italy and Germany, just like the real Greece did.

#focus-tree · #balkans · #minors · #hard · #land · #naval · #neutrality
 FILE NO. 076 — AUSTRIA

Austria

Communism, republic, a Habsburg restoration, or fascist resistance: your fate against the Anschluss also depends on which Germany you get.

#focus-tree · #minors · #hard · #eastern-europe · #land
 FILE NO. 049 — HUNGARY

Hungary

How to reclaim revisionist territory without ending up completely dragged along by Germany.

#focus-tree · #balkans · #minors · #medium · #land · #expansionism
 FILE NO. 066 — CZECHOSLOVAKIA

Czechoslovakia

How to fortify the German border in time and decide between handing over the Sudetenland or seeking allies of your own.

#focus-tree · #minors · #hard · #eastern-europe · #land · #neutrality
 FILE NO. 050 — ROMANIA

Romania

How to protect your Ploiești oil fields and pick the right moment to switch sides.

#focus-tree · #balkans · #minors · #medium · #land · #expansionism
 FILE NO. 051 — BULGARIA

Bulgaria

How to reclaim territory in the Balkans without dragging yourself into a war with the USSR.

#focus-tree · #balkans · #minors · #medium · #land · #expansionism
 FILE NO. 047 — TURKEY

Turkey

How to profit from controlling the Bosphorus strait without getting dragged into either side.

#focus-tree · #minors · #medium · #middle-east · #land · #naval · #neutrality
 FILE NO. 077 — IRAN

Iran

Sitting on one of the biggest oil reserves in the game, caught between the UK and the USSR: communism, republic, fascist Greater Iran, or the Pahlavi Empire.

#focus-tree · #minors · #hard · #middle-east · #land
 FILE NO. 078 — AFGHANISTAN

Afghanistan

Two military factories, no navy or air force, and some of the most outlandish endings in the game: from King Zahir to the Emirate of Pashtunistan.

#focus-tree · #minors · #hard · #middle-east · #land
 FILE NO. 053 — MEXICO

Mexico

How to make the most of being close to the United States and build up national industry without rushing.

#focus-tree · #neutrality · #minors · #medium · #americas · #land
 FILE NO. 067 — BRAZIL

Brazil

Communist revolution, an imperial crown, or Vargas's Estado Novo: pick which Brazil you're going to build.

#focus-tree · #minors · #medium · #americas · #land
 FILE NO. 068 — SIAM

Siam

How to survive between French Indochina and British Burma until you find a sponsor.

#focus-tree · #minors · #hard · #pacific · #land · #naval
 FILE NO. 075 — PHILIPPINES

Philippines

Independence, monarchy, communism, or fascism: choose which path America's smallest subject takes.

#focus-tree · #minors · #hard · #pacific · #land · #naval

Game Mechanics

Fundamentals
FILE NO. 056 — FUNDAMENTALS

National Stats

Stability, war support, manpower, political power and command power: the five numbers that run your game.

#mechanics · #fundamentals
 FILE NO. 060 — FUNDAMENTALS

Politics

Political power, the focus tree, laws and ministers: where your PP really goes and what's worth spending it on.

#mechanics · #fundamentals
 FILE NO. 074 — FUNDAMENTALS

National Focuses

How the system works under the hood: prerequisites, mutual exclusion, the generic tree, and which focuses to prioritize first.

#mechanics · #fundamentals
 FILE NO. 061 — FUNDAMENTALS

Decisions

Generic categories vs. country-specific ones, the real cost of cracking down on the opposition, and the order that actually works.

#mechanics · #fundamentals
 FILE NO. 070 — FUNDAMENTALS

Cheats and Console Commands

The commands you'll actually use, chosen with judgment — not the unfiltered list of 170-plus that exist.

#mechanics · #fundamentals
Military Strength
FILE NO. 004 — COMBAT

Combat Width

The mechanic that confuses newcomers the most: what combat width is, and two templates that always work.

#mechanics · #land
 FILE NO. 019 — AIR

Air Warfare

Why almost everything in the air war depends on securing air superiority over the front first.

#mechanics · #air
 FILE NO. 018 — NAVAL

Naval Warfare

Fleet composition, convoy protection, and why submarines are so dangerous to unescorted ships.

#mechanics · #naval
 FILE NO. 017 — DOCTRINE

Combat Doctrines

Mobile Warfare, Superior Firepower, Mass Assault and Grand Battle Plan, explained without jargon.

#mechanics · #land
 FILE NO. 020 — COMMAND

Military Command

Command traits, command capacity, and how to organize your command tree without losing performance along the way.

#mechanics · #land
 FILE NO. 064 — TEMPLATES

Division Templates

Combat battalions, support companies, and how much experience each change costs in the division designer.

#mechanics · #land
 FILE NO. 065 — RECRUITMENT

Recruitment and Deployment

Manpower, conscription laws, and how to use the training queue without getting stuck mid-war.

#mechanics · #land
 FILE NO. 071 — TANKS

Tank Designer

Chassis, engine, armor, turret, and main gun: how to build the vehicle your army actually needs.

#mechanics · #land
 FILE NO. 072 — AVIATION

Aircraft Designer

Airframe, engine, and main armament: how to build the fighter or bomber your air force actually needs.

#mechanics · #air
 FILE NO. 073 — NAVAL

Ship Designer

Hull, engine, and main armament: how to build the destroyer, cruiser, or battleship your fleet actually needs.

#mechanics · #naval
Economy
FILE NO. 003 — ECONOMY

Military Production

Civilian vs. military factories, production efficiency, and the 7 strategic resources explained without jargon.

#mechanics · #production
 FILE NO. 057 — CONSTRUCTION

Construction

Construction speed, how many projects you can run at once, and where it's worth investing your industry.

#mechanics · #economy
 FILE NO. 039 — TRADE

Resource Trade

How to buy the resources you're missing, who to trade with, and what happens when the supply gets cut off.

#mechanics · #trade
 FILE NO. 058 — LOGISTICS

Logistics

Supply network, railways, and trucks: why your divisions run out of supply and how to avoid it.

#mechanics · #economy
 FILE NO. 059 — MARKET

International Market

How to buy and sell equipment between nations, and how that surplus ends up speeding up your construction.

#mechanics · #economy
 FILE NO. 040 — SELF-SUFFICIENCY

Self-Sufficiency

Synthetic refineries, resource extraction, and when chasing autarky just isn't worth it.

#mechanics · #economy
 FILE NO. 063 — ECONOMY

MIO

Military Industrial Organizations: how they grow in size, their irreversible traits, and the policies that unlock at level 6.

#mechanics · #economy
Research
FILE NO. 010 — RESEARCH

Technological Advances

Research slots, the cost of getting ahead of your time, and how to decide what to research first.

#mechanics · #technology
 FILE NO. 055 — RESEARCH

Special Projects

Nuclear weapons, rockets and the rest of the secret projects Götterdämmerung brought in.

#mechanics · #technology
Diplomacy
FILE NO. 011 — DIPLOMACY

Diplomacy and Factions

Factions, guarantees, non-aggression pacts and world tension, explained so you don't enter the war isolated.

#mechanics · #diplomacy
 FILE NO. 038 — INTELLIGENCE

Intelligence Agency

Espionage operations, code-breaking, and how to defend yourself against enemy agents.

#mechanics · #espionage
 FILE NO. 062 — OCCUPATION

Occupation and Resistance

The resistance thresholds that end in rebellion, compliance, and how much garrison you really need.

#mechanics · #occupation
 FILE NO. 069 — PUPPETS

Puppets

The four autonomy levels, their real advantages, and when puppeting pays off more than annexing outright.

#mechanics · #diplomacy

DLCs & Expansions

FILE NO. 005 — DLCs

Which DLC to Buy First

Every major expansion and country pack explained, and which one to start with depending on the nation you want to play.

#dlc
 FILE NO. 012 — DLCs

Thunder at Our Gates

The newest Theater Pack: Australia, Siam, Indonesia, Army General Headquarters, and ship captains.

#dlc · #new · #paid
 FILE NO. 030 — DLCs

Peace for Our Time

An alternate focus tree for Czechoslovakia that stands up to Germany at the Munich Conference.

#dlc · #focus-pack · #paid
 FILE NO. 026 — DLCs

No Compromise, No Surrender

Aircraft carriers, new doctrines and an expanded faction system — Japan and China with overhauled trees.

#dlc · #pacific · #paid
 FILE NO. 027 — DLCs

Graveyard of Empires

India, Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan get their own focus trees centered on regional resistance.

#dlc · #country-pack · #paid
 FILE NO. 025 — DLCs

Götterdämmerung

Special projects (nuclear weapons, rockets) and Germany's focus tree rewritten from scratch.

#dlc · #paid
 FILE NO. 028 — DLCs

Trial of Allegiance

Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay get their own focus trees.

#dlc · #country-pack · #paid
 FILE NO. 024 — DLCs

Arms Against Tyranny

Military Industrial Organizations and the international arms market — the Nordic countries enter the game.

#dlc · #industry · #paid
 FILE NO. 023 — DLCs

By Blood Alone

The plane designer and peace conferences — Italy overhauled with much greater depth.

#dlc · #air · #paid
 FILE NO. 022 — DLCs

No Step Back

Officer corps, army spirits and the tank designer — the USSR and Poland completely overhauled.

#dlc · #paid
 FILE NO. 029 — DLCs

Battle for the Bosporus

Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey get their own focus trees in a region key to the Mediterranean.

#dlc · #country-pack · #paid
 FILE NO. 021 — DLCs

La Résistance

Espionage, resistance support and collaborationist governments — the expansion that overhauled France and expanded Spain.

#dlc · #espionage · #paid
 FILE NO. 031 — DLCs

Man the Guns

The ship designer, governments in exile, and naval treaties — now integrated free into the base game.

#dlc · #free
 FILE NO. 032 — DLCs

Waking the Tiger

The first focus trees for Nationalist and Communist China — now integrated free into the base game.

#dlc · #free
 FILE NO. 033 — DLCs

Death or Dishonor

Hungary, Romania, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia — now integrated free into the base game.

#dlc · #free
 FILE NO. 034 — DLCs

Together for Victory

Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India and South Africa, plus the autonomy system — now integrated free.

#dlc · #free
 FILE NO. 035 — DLCs

Poland: United and Ready

Poland's first focus tree, now surpassed by No Step Back but integrated free into the base game.

#dlc · #free