Hearts of Iron 4 Best Combat Width

In Hearts of Iron 4, understanding combat width is key to effective campaigns. It can lead to quick, decisive victories or painful losses. Many players struggle with designing the best divisions because the game’s combat width mechanics can initially seem complex and unclear. Once mastered, being able to properly manipulate combat width can give you a huge advantage in battle. Combat width dictates how much space divisions occupy in battle, directly impacting your army’s effectiveness.

In this guide, we’ll review what combat width actually is in HOI4, discuss how the various values are reached and how terrain affects the calculation. We’ll then give some tips on how to manage combat width, and cover some of the best Combat Widths for different divisions.

Understanding Combat Width

Combat width determines how many divisions can engage in combat at the same time. You want to fill the combat width for each battle, with none wasted. This isn’t always feasible, so aim to get as close as possible.

For example, if there’s a plains tile with 70 combat width, sending:

• 2 divisions of 35 combat width each means no wasted width and maximum fighting potential.
• A 50 combat width division and a 35 combat width division means only the 50 width division can engage, putting you at a disadvantage.

Battalion Contributions to Combat Width

Each battalion contributes to your division’s width. Each division in a province will contribute to the cumulative combat width:

• Infantry and Armor battalions: add 2 width each
• Artillery battalions: add 3 width
• Anti-Tank (AT) or Anti-Air (AA) battalions: add 1 width

Support companies do not impact combat width. Choosing the best support companies is vital for division design, since it’s almost a free bonus to your division’s effectiveness.

Terrain and Combat Width

The base combat width varies with the terrain where battles take place. The total combat width is affected by:

• The terrain’s base width
• Flanking/Directions of Attack
• Any modifiers

Understanding the terrain you’re in is key to leveraging combat width effectively.

Attacking from multiple provinces (flanking), using paradrops, or initiating naval invasions expands the available combat width by a set amount for each direction. This allows more divisions to fight at once. To maximize efficiency, design division templates that fit common battlefield sizes. Exceeding combat width results in penalties and limits your divisions’ effectiveness.

Always aim to attack from multiple provinces or directions. This strategy increases width and improves your odds of victory.

Combat Width by Terrain Type

The table below shows the default combat width for each terrain type. The number in parentheses indicates how much width is added for each extra direction of attack. For instance, if you attack a forest province from 3 directions, it will have a combat width of 120 (60 + 30 + 30).

Combat Width Penalties

Combat width penalties happen when your divisions’ total width exceeds the battlefield’s available width. The penalty is calculated as follows:

Penalty = 1.0 x (Total Width – Battle Width) / Battle Width

Penalties beyond 33% stop additional reinforcements from entering the battle, hampering your odds of success. Monitor individual combat engagements closely and adjust division assignments or widths to prevent unnecessary penalties.

Tips for Effective Combat Width Management

• Tailor Divisions to Terrain: Customize division templates based on the primary terrains you’ll encounter.
• Strategic Experimentation: Test different templates to find which combat widths work best with your chosen doctrines and battalion types.
• Leverage Flanking and Invasions: Always try to attack from multiple angles. Flanking increases battlefield width, allowing more divisions to engage simultaneously.
• Monitor Combat Closely: Watch the battle interface for signs of combat width penalties. Adjust your strategy to avoid penalties that reduce your effectiveness.
• Adapt to Your Doctrine: Your military doctrine can influence combat width. For example, the Mass Assault doctrine reduces infantry battalion width, allowing for more battalions in battle. Adjust your templates based on your doctrine to stay efficient.

Best Combat Widths in Hearts of Iron 4

The best combat width depends on your situation. However, these “good enough” combat widths work well for most countries:

• Optimal Small Width Divisions:
  • Widths of 10-15: Great for dense frontline coverage, defense, and specialized operations like mountain or jungle warfare.
• Balanced General-Purpose Divisions:
  • Widths of 18 or 21: Effective for all-around roles, balancing attack, defense, and supply efficiency.
• Heavy Attack or Armored Divisions:
  • Widths of 27 or 30: Ideal for concentrated firepower, particularly in breakthroughs on flat terrain.
• Large, Powerful Divisions:
  • Widths of 40 or 42: Can be favorable for high industrial capacity countries when the terrain is right, but risk penalties in restrictive terrains.

By mastering combat width, you can maximize your divisions’ potential and gain decisive advantages in battles. What division widths have worked best for your campaigns? Share your insights in the comments below!