Welcome to Hearts of Among us. This is a comp mod created by MrBoss, Lobcity and Rockoe. Our aim is to create fun and exciting hoi4 games for every level of player to have fun with. This guide will show "meta" paths and playstyles for comp games. If you want to learn the more simple game mechanics please see the following video. It is quite extensive but covers quite a lot. If you have anything to add please let us know and we can add more to this guide.

Please note that neither of us are pros or super "esport". These are our recommendations.

One of the big changes to this mod is the return of all tiles being 80 combat width. Therefore, the best size for div templates are 10, 20 or 40. Most often, 10 is used for garrison, 20 for defense and 40 for tanks or spec ops. Here are a few "meta" templates. Note: it does not matter where in the designer the individual regiment is located, it only matters that the correct number of that unit type is within the division.

10 W Garrison:(MP is just for help with suppression. You can also use cav here)


20 W "org wall":


20 W Tank Defense:


OR



40 W Offensive Infantry:(You can replace one of the INF with 2 Anti Tank for more Hard Attack or AA for less enemy CAS damage. Also you can half this div to the standard 7inf 2arty for a very cheap but mid div.)


40 W Heavy Arty Div:


OR



40 W Marines:


10 W Para: (You can go higher but they die, A LOT)


20 W Mountaineer: (You can go 40W but adding any arty reduces Mountain buff and these are mainly defensive infantry)


40 W Tanks: (Main thing here is to get 30 ORG which this div temp would have with doctrine. Also all motorized here can be replaced with mech when you research it.)
Don"t use armored cars. We all know you love mad max but please. They are just awful.
Any infantry div here can be replaced with mot or mechanized and mobile arty/AT/AA if desired. This is very good for mobile warfare nations.
Rocket arty can be used for normal arty since it has the same width and purpose. (Blowing ♥♥♥♥ up)

Thanks No Step Back. You made the game more complex. Now I need to write this. So here we go. The main goal is to make the best tank possible without making the reliability too far under 100%. As far as which tank to use there are some trade offs. Lights are the fastest but have the worst armor. Heavy tanks hit like a truck and have good armor but are slow. Mediums are a good balance. Super heavy's take EONS to produce and are slower than your elderly grandmother walking up Mount Everest. Amph Tanks are good across rivers and onto beachheads but struggle elsewhere. The guns for your tanks can be researched in the arty tab.
Use army XP to boost the armor and engine stats to max without going under 90-100 reliability when you can.

Light Design:
You can replace the auto loader for wet ammo storage if you are running out of reliability. Main thing here is you want to be fast but also have enough armor to beat inf divisions.

Medium Design:
These tanks will come into contact with other tanks so you will need armor and some piercing.

Heavy Tank Design:
This is where reliability starts to hurt, reason why the torsion bar and diesel engine are here. You have to have a min speed of 4 km/h so keep that in mind.

Super Heavy Tank Design:
As you can see, there are issues with reliability here due to the speed minimum. Also HOLY ♥♥♥♥ THE PRODUCTION COST. Don't make these unless you are a madman

AMPH Tank Design:
Armor is the biggest issue with these tanks. However, their main role is to gain a landing zone so this is not usually an issue.

If you want to make any SPG/SPAA or even Rocket Tanks use the same template for the Medium tank and replace the gun. Remember to not go under 90-100 reliability!

Air wins wars. Flat out. Here are some air designs to make your opponent mald. All of the following designs are the 1944 air frames.

Fighter:
You can replace the armor with Non_strategic Materials Usage if you are struggling to get aluminum

Heavy Fighter:
High armor means more kills on strat bombers. However the lower agility means they will get dunked on by normal fighters

CAS:
You can remove the turrets for armor if you want more survivability instead of trades

NAV:

Land Tac:
Small bomb bays are better for CAS damage but these are still listed as tac bombers and will get buffs accordingly.

NAV Tac:

Strat:
You can use more armor or turrets here the main goal is drop bombs and make it back

To make scout plans add one recon camera to any slot in a plane. Go for range and cheapness
Any carrier plans can be made with the same template with adjusted engines.
Don't build multi roles. No matter how Greeny tries to justify them to you with spreadsheets, they suck.

Ahhh. Man the Guns. The HOI4 DLC that made the entire player base drink a liter of liquid uranium-235 and sit next to Chernobyl. Thanks Paradox for taking the time to ruin everything.

Subs:
Pretty easy here. Mod removes snorkels so its just torps. That's it.


Destroyers:
A few options here. 1 is anti Sub with spotting and a lot of depth charges. Next is a build with torps. Final is a build with a lot of light attack to kill screens.




Cruisers:
First here is a spotting cruiser. Don't really need many of these as they are only used for detection. Throw at most 5 in a fleet or 1 in each section of an anti sub task-force. Second is the standard build for ship to ship combat.



Battleships:
Mainly you want all the heavy attack possible as seen in the first template. Only other design is if you want to have a ship nearby to a land battle to reduce enemy air support and offer shore bombardment.



Carriers:
Only one thing needed here. DECK SPACE

Doctrines are buffs you unlock with land, air or navy XP. Here is the just and the relative "strength" of each. Specific overall buffs can be seen in the doctrine tabs at the bottom.

Land:

Superior Firepower: A Doctrine list that buffs division org and mostly soft attack. Great for divisions with lots of supply or needing more soft attack. Overall the best doctrine in most cases

Mobile Warfare: This doctrine will mostly buff tanks and mech/motorized inf. Really only good if your entire army is mobile in this fashion. Infantry is weak if you go down this doctrine.

Grand Battleplan: By far the best defensive doctrine around. Gives massive buffs to entrenchment. Also improves planning. If you go this doctrine you will need to set up planning against nations far earlier than other doctrines.

Mass Assault: Great doctrine for defense but also from increasing manpower. Org wall nations are bound to go this route. Also has a good section for tank buffs as well.

Air:

Strategic Destruction: Great for nations wanting to bomb the enemy industry to pieces. Has moderate buffs to fighters and tends to be a odd middle ground.

Battlefield Support: Great for maxing out CAS damage. Otherwise kinda mid for everything else. Has a good bonus for naval strike as well. Go this if you want to be extremely offensive with your air attack.

Operations Integrity: A doctrine that buffs tac bombers as well as fighters well. Generally the meta route for AC's. Great for dog-fighting.

Navy:

Trade Interdiction: Great for subs and also for convoy escort as well. Go this route if you plan to spam out subs to kill enemy supply.

Fleet in Being: The old school option. Big ships, big guns and big firepower. Tends to be ok in naval combat but struggles against carrier fleets.

Base Strike: The best option for more modern carrier fleets. Optimizes carrier plane damage and org. Best option for all large naval nations on the start.

Hearts of Among us has a few new mechanics that help deepen the strategy of combat and game-play. They are all decisions and are as follows.

Operations:
These are decisions bought with PP one time but have great targeted attack bonuses. They are based around real life operations or offensives such as Overlord, Battleaxe or Barbarossa. The best way to use these is know when they can be used (mouse over them) coordinate when you want to use them together and save up PP for them. (Pictured is Operation Overlord for England)
The Pacific War:
The Pacific War mechanic is a set of a few decisions split between the USA and Japan. When the war starts there are 10 islands, 5 on each side, that are listed below. If the USA or Japan owns all of their island and one of the enemies other 5, they can give themselves a buff and the enemy a debuff. This increases with each island taken. You must own all five of your islands in order to use the buff system.
Punishments:
The punishment system is a few decisions that England has to give big debuffs to Axis nations or ECAPS nations that miss the time frame on certain goals. The nations with said debuffs can get rid of these debuffs with free decisions when they have fixed the issue.
Special Forces Increase:
Minor nations have the option to use 100 PP to double their limit of Special forces.

For Air Cons: Always get operational integrity if your going to control your factions fighters. Operational integrity gives the most agility of all the air doctrines. You shouldn't worry about having a land army, if you have any spare research do synthetics and make them for you and your faction.

When actually microing planes:
Don't overcrowd airports, makes your planes less efficient.
If you are having a negative K/D ratio, take your planes out. Don't waste planes.
Place your planes where they are needed, and try to get the most airspace coverage as possible.

LISTEN TO YOUR FACTION: People are constantly going to be talking to you asking you to put planes somewhere, be sure to always be there communicating and not deafened in discord.
If you need more airport space, ask your team to build up airports.

Be sure to have your light aircraft designer before you research fighter twos, or your planes wont get the benefit from the designer.

BLOCKING OFF SEA ZONES :
Mostly for Allies but all nations can utilize this. When clicking on a ocean zone there is a small menu in the bottom Left that shows 3 buttons colored green, yellow and red. These are great for controlling convoy travel. Green is standard and allows convoys and fleets to operate here. Yellow makes convoys try to avoid the area and fleets only enter if ordered. Red prevents all convoys and fleets from entering for that nation. As the allies, both Germany and Italy will use subs to punish your armies supply as it moves across the ocean. Make sure to make all zones red in the center of the Atlantic so that all convoys travel near shorelines of friendly nations.

Misc: Forts are good but can be a problem if the enemy has a fort buster. Axis and EACPS can get these easy.
Field Hospitals are not worth the space they take up. End of discussion
Always communicate with allies. A coordinated attack is a great way to beat the enemy.
Always be building some convoys if you can. 3-5 dockyards on them minimum.

WIP

Level: Extreme
Role: Everything
Lob's Fun Rating: 8/10

WIP

Level: Hard
Role: Navy for Med, North Africa and other support in Axis fronts
Lob's Fun Rating: 7/10 (New tree is far too long)

Level: Medium
Role: Aircon or Tanks (Both is literal CBT)
Lob's Fun Rating: 5/10 aircon 7/10 tanks
Greeny's Fun Rating: 10/10 aircon.

Sup Guy.

Focus Path:
Ignore political path, Germany will add you to AXIS before Yugo, if he doesn't, scream at him.
Secret Rearmament
Theoretical Air Efforts
Industrial Revitalisation
Reintegrate the Rail Roads (Industry Liasons in Air Officer Core around now.)
Support Domestic Industry
Support Urbanization
Institute for Industrial Techniques
Gyor Progamm



PP:
Chief of the Airforce
Partial Morbilisation
Air Designer (M.W. Aircraft)
Free Trade
Mil High Command Bela Rakosi "Ground Support" (Expert)


Research:
1st Slot: Machining Tools, Dispersed 1 & 2, Fighter 1s, Fighter 2s (with licence), Fighter 3s
2nd Slot: Electronics 1, Electronics 1.5, Industry, Radio and RADAR
3rd Slot: Construction 1, Hold until focus finishes, Construction 2, Aircraft Engines and weaponry
4th Slot (5th May): Electronics, Industry and Aircraft Weaponry in any order

5th Slot:

Doctrine: Remember to pick level 1s to no waste bonuses
No Ground
Operational Integrity
Port Strike (only the first 4 on the right pat for the additional naval strike)

Agency (PAIN)
Create day 1
Passive Defence 1
Interrogation techniques
Passive Defence 2
Ignore for later.

Production:
Starting 6: (-8Steel total)
3: Guns
2: Support Equipment
1: Trains
Until Romania gets Fighter 2s then swap to them in like June 37, In the Yugo war, transfer the Guns to Germany or other Axis Members.

Divisions:
Delete after Poland but leave some for VP defence so you don't get paradropped if ♥♥♥♥ hit the fan.

Level: Medium
Role: Marines or Tank Hunters (Aircon is a possibility)
Lob's Fun Rating: 6/10 (You lose a lot of territory)

ALWAYS TAKE THE 20% CONSUMER GOODS UNTIL THE KING IS GONE.

Focus Path:
Expand Airforce
Local Development
Air Superiority
IAR 80 (use for fighter 2's)
Institute Royal Dictatorship
Revise the Constitution
The Royal Foundation
Flexible Foreign Policy
Appoint Pro-Axis Government
Iron Guard
Force Abdication

From here prioritize econ focuses and research bonuses for your infantry

PP:
Free Trade
ICAR air designer
Partial Mob
Captain of Industry
Industrial Concern

Research:
1st Slot: Electronics 1 then Fighter 1's (with Licence) then hold for X days until the focus finishes. Fighter 2s. Electronics 1.5 then afterwards go arty (will be on time for Arty 2)
2nd Slot: Basic Machine Tools Dispursed Industry 1&2, Then Marines and Special forces (When you get to spec ops there is no ahead of time penalty)
3rd Slot: Construction 1, Aircraft Engine 2, Aircraft Bombs, Construction 2, Machining tools 2 Finally Support companies or AT at the end,
4th Slot: Fuel Refining and Excavation

Note, all bold are vital to the entire war front, the rest are general nice things to do but if you got another idea for those slots or the order then do whatever, fuel refining is delayed until your 4th slot as you likely will be busy with industry Research.

Doctrine:
Superior Firepower
If Aircon, go Operational Integrity
No Navy

Production:
The first thing you should do is max out your infrastructure in Muntenia, after that, start building civs, with concentrated 5 Romania will have a large number of building slots. Dont build in the two provinces bordering USSR, as they will end up being ceded to the Soviets. Romania has a 15% Agility modifier from the Air Designer, meaning his fighters are the best in the Axis beside Japan. He also gets a -10% production cost for all planes. All of his factories should be on planes, since they will outclass German and Italian ones. Be sure to upgrade them "meta" plane designs so that they can actually be used

Divisions:
40w Marines + full support for naval invasions in Norway and The Med.
40w Infantry with AT to poach Soviet tanks like African Elephants.

WIP

Level: Easy
Role: Org wall for D-Day or Motorized Rocket Arty
Lob's Fun Rating: 8/10 (Tree is ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ odd)

Level: Medium
Role: Tank Vols or join the axis
Lob's Fun Rating: 7/10

Focus Path:
A Great Spain to Unify the Nationalist front. (Use PP here to get every advantage in the civil war)
When the Civil War starts do Consolidate the north at your first opportunity
Save the Alcazar
Martyrdom for Primo De Rivera
Caudillo of Spain
Extol the Martyrs of War
Foment a Carlist Split
Banish the Party Leaders
Fuse the Party Leaders
The Condor Legion (After this tell Germany they can send more vols)
The Corpo Truppe Volontarie (After this tell Italy they can send more vols)
A Methodical Approach
Tackle the Vulnerable Fronts
Integrate the Requetes
Utilize the Intellectuals
(If SCW is still on you can do the 3 focuses under the Condor legion focus.)
Adopt the 26 Points
Dictator for Life
Stamp Out the Maquis
National Recovery

From here it depends if you want to take Portugal and send volunteers or join the axis. If you take Portugal you need to make a good amount of 10w infantry to max out the number of vols you can send. Also max out infrastructure on all tiles with tungsten and research hard into extraction. If not do the focus Join the Axis and be ready to fight on every inch of your territory.

PP:
Pre SCW use all PP for making sure you own the tiles necessary to consolidate the north. If not the Carlists will ♥♥♥♥ you up.
Partial Mob/War Econ
From here during the war get Army advisors and start stacking Army XP for templates and doctrine. Also once it is over get the Tank Designer

Research:
1st Slot: Industry
2nd Slot: Electronics
3rd Slot Medium 1's then arty. Wait for bonus for medium 2's
4th Slot: Mech and Catch up
5th Slot: Catch up

Doctrine:
Superior Firepower
Operational Integrity (only for SCW or if you also want to send air vols)
Fleet in Being (If you want to join the axis your mid sized fleet can be useful.)

Production:
4 on guns
1 on arty
1 on support equipment
1 on trains

Only build industry pre war in states you will own for sure. Best bet is Galaicia

Divisions:
40w Tanks with full support
10w garrisons to increase number of vols
20w Port guards if you join axis

Level: Extreme
Role: Take all allied rubber and cripple the USA
Lob's Fun Rating: 10/10

Focus Path:
1. Purge the Kodoha Faction
2. Guide the Zaibatsus
3. National Mobilization Law
4. National Research Policy
5. Nationalize War Industry
6. National Defense State
7. Imperial Arsenals
8. Liaison Conference (you have to do this one although 1 planning bonus doesn't hurt)
9. Greater East-Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere
10. Marco Polo Bridge Incident
11. Spiritual Mobilization

After this you have options. Either rush the Zero and Unified Fighter Development then The Ultimate Battleship or if China is giving you fits rush Supremacy of Will.
Know that you can annex Manchu and Siam if they are AI via focus

PP: (A LOT to balance so be flexible and knowledgeable. Also look and the second paragraph for Army Navy Balance)
Silent Workhorse
Soviet Border Incident Decision
A/N Balance 1
Pacific Fleet Designer
Prince of Terror (2% non core manpower of China is wild frfr)
A/N Balance 2
Pacific Fleet Designer
War Industrialist
Mitsubishi Fighter Designer (20% Agility is OP)
Head of Army/Air/Navy

Here is my Recommendation for Army Navy Balance

1. Steel for Guns > Steel for Ships (Mils are better than Dockyards)
2. Naval Aircraft Construction > Army Aircraft Construction (The Zero is a carrier fighter. You want to produce a lot of those. Just use carrier CAS and Fighters for land. Its not much worse)
3. Indiscriminate Conscription = Draft Exemptions (If you need Manpower do the first. If not do the second)
4. Raiding Regiments > Special Air Landing Forces (I generally go more special forces than 5% attack and defense but its slight)

After this make sure to balance the rivalry for the best game against the USA. You can also go heavy army during game start to 1939 then heavy Navy 1939-end but its a risk.

Make sure to escalate the war in China every time to kill them easier.

Research:
1st Slot: Industry
2nd Slot: Electronics then medium air frames and modules
3rd Slot: Support companies and arty
4th Slot: Navy
5th Slot: Catch Up

Doctrine:
Superior Firepower or Grand Battleplan if you want to play more defensive
Operational Integrity (You can do Strategic Destruction since it has 5% more naval attack but its not really that big of a buff.)
Base Strike

Production:
3 fac support equipment
5 fac arty
6 fac guns
1 fac motorized
1 fac trains
1 fac transport planes

Once you upgrade your current carrier CAS and Fighters you can make those with factories from your tree. Again I say stick with carrier planes over normal ones except for medium frame naval and land bombers.

Divisions:
20w with shovels for garrison
40w 14 inf 4 arty with support arty, shovels and recon for glorious banzi
10w for passive garrison (Korea is a ♥♥♥♥♥)
40w Marines with full support to definitely not commit unspeakable crimes in the Philippines.

Make sure to not let the USA get footholds in the Pacific. Take them by surprise early. Watch out for allied troops in Macau and Hong Kong. You need to take Indonesia and Singapore as well as Shri Lanka to cripple rubber outlets for the allies. The it's on to your Barbarosa, India. Mancu or even Siamese Mountaineers will help here. Capping NZ or AST is pure domination.

Level: Easy
Role: Mountaineers for Raj (I have seen Tank, Aircon and Naval Manchukuo. They all sucked like a catholic girl in a fraternity)
Lob's Fun Rating: 3/10

Focus Path:
1. Pacify the Countryside
2. Invite foreign Investers (Free civs for Japan)
3. Army Modernization
4. Mukden Military Academy
5. Law University
6. Obedience
7. First Five Year Plan
8. Invite Japanese Investors (Again Free civs for Japan)
From here on out its up to you.

PP: (Level up your economy as soon as you can)
Banditry Decisions
Captain of Industry
Free Trade
Economist
War Industrialist
Army Head
Military Theorist


Research:
1st Slot: Industry
2nd Slot: Electronics and Guns
3rd Slot: Arty
4th Slot: How TF did you get this?
5th Slot: What year is it 3066?

Doctrine:
Superior Firepower
No Air
No Navy

Production:
1 fac on guns
1 on arty

You can ask for inland territory from Japan in order to be less puny. They are not required to say yes.

Build civs for awhile, maybe 1937-38. Then five into mils

Divisions:
10w infantry with shovels for pot garrison
40w Mountaineers with full support to push or hold Raj

Level: Easy
Role: Depends on Japan's selection. Could be Tanks, Air or Subs. Must win the war for Singapore.
Lob's Fun Rating: 7/10

Focus Path:
Our Place in South East Asia
The Path to Fascism
Industrial Effort
Armament Effort
Work for the Nation
(Industrial focuses until fascist)
Recover from the King
Envoy to Japan
(Following focus based on Japan's choice)
Industrial Build-Up
(Finish Industrial Focuses and Extra Research Slot)
The South-East Resource Base
Prepare for the Peninsular War
Japanese Guidance
Jungle Training
For Suriyawongse! Once war Starts

PP:
Silent Workhorse
Fascist Demagogue
Partial Mob
Captain of Industry
Free Trade
Head of Army/Navy/Air force
Theorist
Design Company


Research:
1st Slot: Industry
2nd Slot: Electronics
3rd Slot: Based on Japan's Guidance
4th Slot: Catch up

Doctrine:
Superior Firepower
Operational Integrity
Trade Interdiction

Production:
1 fac on guns
You are poor

Divisions:
Either 40w Tanks with full support or 40w with full support Mountaineers for Singapore

You can form The Rattanokosin Kingdom and gain lots of cores but make sure to man out resources for Japan or they will kill you for them.

WIP

Level: Extreme
Role: Everything but mostly Air and Navy
Lob's Fun Rating: 7/10 (Tard wrangler)

Level: Hard
Role: Everything
Lob's Fun Rating: 8/10

Focus Path: (IF AT ANY POINT YOU CAN DO GIANT WAKES HIT THAT ♥♥♥♥)
Continue New Deal
WPA
Agricultural Adjustment Act
Scientific Research & Development Office
Neutrality Act
Arsenal of Democracy
Fair Labor Standards Act
Scientist Haven
War Department
Two Ocean Navy
Federal Housing Act

From here you can prioritize what you want. America has great buffs for everything. Find what you think is best to do and go with it. For me I generally lean more in the way of army then navy then airforce.

PP: (Get German and Italian scientists in here somewhere)
1 Silent workhorse
2 Democratic Reformer
3 Omar Bradley Superior Firepower Army Theorist
4 Light Air Designer
5 Head of Army (drill to start then go with stats)
6 War Industrialist (affects all tanks not just heavy tanks)
7 Tank Designer
8 Pacific Fleet Designer
9 Air Reformer
10 Naval Reformer (you will switch both this and the air reformer out when its war time)

Research: (make sure to get German and Italian Scientists)
1st Slot: Industry
2nd Slot: Electronics (you need all of it not just radio and computers)
3rd Slot: If you want to do strats get to basic large airframes. If not then start with some naval research
4th Slot: Artillery
5th Slot: Tanks and Spec ops
6th Slot: Catch Up

Doctrines:
Superior Firepower
Strategic Destruction for strats otherwise Operational Integrity
Base Strike

Production:
Start by maxing out infrastructure in oil sectors. You should only need to do Texas, Cali, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Kansas. Reason you do this is because of the debuff you get to construction speed with Undisturbed Isolationism.
After great depression is over construct enough dockyards so that you have 35 dockyards. 5 for convoys and 30 for carriers. Then just make military factories in your highest infrastructure areas for the rest of the game. Do not build civilian factories.

Start the game doing division training and getting your templates squared away. Train your airforce and navy you have enough oil to drown Kazakhstan. You only need 1-3 factory on guns, artillery and support equipment and 1 on motorized and trains. The rest should be on fighters and CAS once you have made them usable templates. In the early game you will mostly be making fighters to give the Allies a fighting chance in the air war. Start producing good ships asap. and make them the whole game. Don't make battleships. As soon as you have Medium tank 1s researched then start producing them. You can wait for medium 2's for the extra armor but its not horrible to use 1's. You will need American tanks for D-Day or Torch. You NEED tanks. You will also want to be making a sizable amount of strong 14/4 infantry divisions. Don't spam out weak troops. You need to make your troops as high quality as possible. Make sure you produce enough carrier fighters and carrier naval bombers for your carriers. (a 50/50 split or a bit more naval bombers are a good mix to win naval combat) Make sure you put your tanks under Patton and use Eisenhower for your main army for the supply reduction

IT IS KEY TO NOT LOSE THE PACIFIC. If you do you will be shafted trying to fight in Europe or North Africa.

Divisions:
20w inf with shovels to guard pacific islands
40w medium or heavy tanks with full support
40w marines with 14 marines + 4 arty and full support
Possibly 10w paras with shovels, recon, logi and arty

WIP

Level: Hard
Role: Die as slow as possible and somehow hold on
Lob's Fun Rating: 5/10

Level: Medium
Role: Aircon for Allies. If not, Tanks (It is possible to do both but god does it hurt )
Lob's Fun Rating: 5/10 Aircon 9/10 Tanks

Focus Path:
Strengthen Common wealth ties
Montreal Lab Cooperation
Rowell-sirois Commission
Shadow Factories
Crown Corporations
National Housing Act
Dollar A Year Men
RCAF Station
Pacific Coast Air Defence
Commonwealth Air Training
.
. (Depends based on Axis Activity) waiting Focuses include: Canadian pacific Railway, Going towards The Saber and Supply the Empire. IF you can do tension required, DO THAT
.
We have the Hurricane (When Fighter 2s finish within 70-90 days

Research:
1st slot. Electronics 1, Engine 2, Bombs, Survivability Studies, Fighter 1s,sub 90 day research, Fighter 2s, Fighter 3s,
2nd slot. Machine Tools, Dispersed 1, Construction 2 (Engine/HMG rush maybe?)
3rd slot. Construction 1, Electronics 1.5, Radio, Industry and What not

Doctrines:
Superior Firepower if yanks else, Dont.
Operational Integrity if aircon else, Don't
Port Strike

Industry: Build only where you have highest infrastructure, build civs until late 38, then do mils, use your dockyards for convoys

2 fac on guns
1 on support equipment
2 on arty

IF TANKS: Drop down to 1 on motorized, 1 on guns, 1 on support equipment, 1 on arty and put the rest on tanks and mechanized when you get them, don't trade for any of these resources.

IF AIR: Once you get the fighter from Australia produce it with all factories. Keep all factories on your best fighter as you continue to produce them for your amazingly fun aircon game.

Political Power:
Aircraft designer (Canadian Car)
Harold Edwards (Airforce Chief)
Silent Work Horse
Captian of Industry
Raymond Collishaw (Military High Command)
Free Trade

Divisions:
40w tanks with mech and full support

Level: Medium
Role: Tanks for Allies
Lob's Fun Rating: 10/10

Focus Path:
1. South African Railways
2. Expand the Mining Industry
3. Special Service Battalion
4. Q Service Corps
5. Armor Investments
6. SA Engineering Corps
7. South African Special Forces
8. Armor Effort (use for tank 2's)
After this it is mainly up to you. Use the armor bonuses to get medium or heavy 2's asap. Generally don't do any air or naval focuses and try to get all the research slots you can. If the game plays out the right way, getting to the Unite Southern Africa focus is amazing.

PP buys:
1. Silent Workhorse
2. Free Trade
3. Medium Tank Designer
4. Captain of Industry
5. Industrial Concern
6. Military Theorist
7. Armor Specialist

Research:
1st Research Slot: Electronic 1 and 2, then Tank 1's and 2's, then support companies like signal, maintenance, recon, and engineering.
2nd Research Slot: Concentrated I, then go do arty research for tank guns
3rd Research Slot: Industry stuff
4th Research Slot: Electronics Research and guns.

Doctrine:
Superior Firepower
No Air
No Navy

Production: Have UK lend lease you motorized since you don't start with it researched, use your one factory for guns and when you get additional military factories have 1 on guns, 1 on arty, 1 on support equipment, and rest on tanks.
Make lots of Civilian factories up until you can switch onto a better mobilization law, then start making/converting mils. You need one fully equipped tank division by the war to place in Egypt to help hold against the stupid ugly spaghetti people.

Be sure to train from day one of the game, and make the division to 50 combat width for maximum Xp gain. Place it in el alamein so once you have enough tanks you can just convert it.

Level: Hard
Role: Org Wall for North Africa, take Ethiopia and Asia
Lob's Fun Rating: 6/10

Focus Path: (note, not everything is exact, certain focuses like Provincial Elections are locked behind world tension, if you gain the world tension to do this focus, drop what you were doing and go for that, after doing the needed stuff there then go back and finish what you didn't already do.)

1. Great Indian Railway
2. Industrial Expansion
3. Tata Steel
4. Assam Oil
5. Indian Institute of Science
6. East India Railways
7. Integrate Princely States
8. Ishapore Arsenal
9. Provincial Elections
10. Indian National Congress
11. Cripp's Mission
12. Two Nation Theory
13. Princely State Donations
14. Imperial Service Troops
15. Lessons of the Great War
16. Indianisation of the Army
17. Lions of the Great War
18. The Bangalore Torpedo (Can be switched with 16)
19. Indian Gurkha

At this point, you can do 1 of 2 things. Get the extra research slot and minor upgrades to your units. You can try to remove the agrarian society but it takes a long time and a ♥♥♥♥ ton of PP. However it is incremental so it can be of some use

Research:
1st slot: Industry, Do Construction I and II then start doing Basic Machine tools and concentrated Industry.
2nd slot: Use for artillery or spec ops tech
3rd slot; Use for Electronics and Infantry/arty tech Research so you have good troops for Japan. Be sure to get good engineer companies for high entrenchment.

Doctrine:
Mass Mob
No Air
No Navy

At some point you will take your research off of industry improvement to get yourself level 2 AA. It will be needed to keep you from getting deorged from CAS and to also pierce the Japanese light tanks if he attempts to push with them.


Production:
1 fac on Support equipment
1 fac on Arty
3-5 facs on AA when able
Remaining: Guns

PP buys:
1. Silent Workhorse
2. Free Trade
3. Captain on Industry
4. Popular Figurehead
5. Industrial Concern
6. Infantry Equipment Designer
7. Military Theorist
8. Infantry Expert
9. Army Defense

During any point you have the War Support to switch off of Civilian Economy, drop whatever you are saving PP for and switch.

Divisions:
40 width Infantry + Engi Support Arty, AA
14 Infantry with 4 Line Arty (SF)
20 Infantry (GP)
20 width infantry + Engi Support Arty (Port guard and Ethiopia)
40 width Mountaineers + Engi Support Arty, AA

War:
There are two lines you can hold, the Dakka line or the Mountain Line. Personally, i feel the mountain line is better because you are holding more territory. Hold a line of 14 4 Infantry
Only hold mountain line if the Allies are able to spare planes for you and you have a sufficient amount of divisions to be able to hold more ground.

Notes: Build airports for planes on eastern border. As well as a lvl 5 airport in Dehli. Upgrade your Naval base to 10 at West Bengal if you need assistance from the Allies with troops. If your Lucky one of the other allied minors will provide you with AA so you may not have to build it yourself. Never forget about your furthest north tile in West Bengal. Put that 40 width Mountaineer there to ensure it holds. Ensure those divs in Ethiopia have green naval coverage or they will be sunk by a good Axis, or just use the for El-Alemain and Alexandria.

Level: Medium
Role: Infantry and Marines for North Africa, D-Day and Asia (Tanks can be made but its an old meta)
Lob's Fun Rating: 8/10

Very Key player for allied air tech

Focus Path:
1. Expand the RAF
2. CAC Boomerang

Yep that't if for the hard stuck path. You need to get a Light Air Designer to make sure the plane has extra agility at base. Afterwards if you are going Spec ops, do industry then the army focuses. If tanks, get the tank bonuses then do industry before finishing up the rest of the army tree.

PP buys:
1. Air Designer
2. Partial Mobilization
3. Silent Workhorse
4. Free Trade
5. Industrial Concern
6. Army Theorist or Tank designer depending on plan

Production: Build Civs, yes you have the great depression and high consumer goods, but the only reason you don't make civs as the USA is because you start with 130. Australia only has 11, you need civs so you can make military factories once you are off of the Great Depression.
Build Civs in high infrastructure areas, and be sure to have your Concentrated III so you don't run out of building slots. Once in the war start making tons of military factories so you can produce more infantry divs.
1 fac on guns
1 fac on support equipment
1 fac on arty
The rest of your factories: You can place on Fighter 2's, even though you don't have an air designer and your planes are a little worse off, you have nothing better to produce and by making them you support your faction. Lend lease all the fighters you make to Canada. If not place them on guns, arty, sup equipment and 1 on motorized.

Research:
1st slot: Use for Industry, Start researching Basic Machine parts, Concentrated I and II. Be sure to be researching Concentrated II by the time the focus Industries Assistance Cooperation ends so you can use the bonus on Concentrated III. Then start doing Construction and Machine Tools.
2nd slot: (After getting the fighter) Use for spec ops as well as cannons then use the slot for Engineer, Recon, logistics, and Signal companies.
When you get 3rd slot: Better guns
When you get the 4th slot: Use for electronics research to catch up.

Doctrines:
Superior Firepower
No Air
Maybe Navy if you are worried about Japanese raiding. Fleet in being has best convoy protection

Divisions:

20 width Infantry 10 inf + arty engi for org wall
40 width Marines for naval invasions and pushing into enemy.

Hold onto The Solomon Islands! They are important for the Pacific War!

Level: Easy
Role: Rush fighter 2's and after that is up to you. Light tanks, marines or even 1 Super Heavy tank divisions are all semi viable options
Lob's Fun Rating: 7/10 (-500/10 if you go super heavies)

Focus:
1. Expand the NZPAF
2. Form the RNZAF
3. Fighter Focus (rush fighter 2's)
4. Army Reforms
5. Bob Semple tank (use for light 1s)
6. Schofield tank (use for light 3's)
7. National Roads Board
8. New Zealand Steel
9. Bureau of Industry
10. Department of Scientific and Industrial Research
11. Wairarapa Sheep Farms
12. Industrial Conscription
13. Chariton Automatic Rifle
14. Domestic Arms Industry
15. Big Think
16. Expand University of Auckland
17. The First Labor Government
18. Strengthen the Commonwealth
19. Ratana Alliance
20. Social Security Act
21. The Manpower Act

PP buys:
1. Free Trade
2. Partial Mobilization
3. Heavy Tank Designer (if you are doing a tank strat)
4. Industrial Concern
5. Military Theorist
6. Infantry Equipment Company
7. Limited Conscription
8. Army Regrouping Expert
9. Army Offense Expert

Research:
1st slot: First electronics tech, Fighter 1's (licence from the Aussies) Fighter 2's, then light tanks.
2nd slot: Start researching industry, hard research concentrated I II and III from day one of the game. After that start doing machine parts and then hard research concentrated IV.
When you get 3rd slot: Use for cannons if you are doing tanks. Spec ops other wise.
When you get 4th slot: Use for Electronics research
When you get 5th slot: Use for Infantry Tech (i guess)
When you get 6th slot:

Doctrine:
Superior Firepower
No Air
Maybe Navy if worried about Japanese raiders. Do fleet in being to support convoys the best


Production:
1 fac on guns
1 fac on support equipment
1 fac on arty
1 fac on motorized
Rest of factories on Light tanks. If you aren't going tanks put back on other above.

Build civs until you are low on building slots then do mils, and then start converting some of your civs over to mils.

Divisions:
40 width 8 mot 12 light tank + recon engi maintenance signal logi
or
40 width marines. 14 marines + 4 arty recon engi arty signal logi

Make infantry late 40 to garrison your ports and Singapore.

20 width 10 inf + engi arty

Level: Easy
Role: A very open nation in planning. Tanks, marines even paras are all options. Create your own path
Lob's Fun Rating: 6/10

Focus Path:
Plan of Agua Prieta
Exile Calles
Control the Army
Repeal the Calles Law
Ban Political Militias
Revolutionary Women
Depoliticized Army
Abolish Capital Punishment
State Education
Professional Army
Purge the Bureaucracy
Arrest General Cedillo
National Bank

From there get more research slots and focus on research buffs for your plan of attack. Make sure to not get a civil war with Cedillo and work with USA and UK for Oil issues. You will start to go democratic here and there so be ready to hold a referendum if needed.

Political Power Stuff:
1. Captain of Industry
2. Free Trade
3. Partial or Early Mob (if WT allows)
4. Military Theorist
5. Social Reformer

Research:
1st slot: Industrial stuff
2nd slot: Electronics tech until mechanical computing, then go arty
3rd slot: spec ops
4th slot: rushing tech for the allies or industry

Doctrine:
Superior Frepower
No Air
No Navy

Production:
1 fac on guns
1 fac on support equip
1 fac on arty
Get one on motorized when you get around 3 for each above.

Divisions:
1 div training will be good here

Make any meta division you want just communicate with other allies

Level: Easy
Role: Generally volunteers or join allies. Usually makes Marines
Lob's Fun Rating: 6/10

Focus Path:
The Vargas Era
Estado Novo
The Will of Vargas
Army Consolidation
Exploit the Amazon
Army Modernization
Jungle Training
Economic Recovery

From here start to do industrial focuses then get research bonuses for your method of attack.
Remember if you take Venezuela then you cannot join the allies.

PP Order:
Popular Figurehead
Free Trade
Military Theorist
Partial Or Early Mob
Head of Army

Make sure to start with the popular figurehead to have stability for focuses.

Research:
1st Slot: Industry
2nd Slot: Electronics then Infantry or arty
3rd Slot: Support Companies and spec ops
4th: Fill in any missing gaps in research

Doctrine:
Superior Firepower
No Air
You can do navy. Brazil starts with a few ships. Fleet in being is best to help stop subs in Mid-Atlantic

Production:
Build civs until 1938-39 then switch to mils
1 fac on gun
1 fac on arty
1 fac on support

Divisions:
Generally 40w Marines 14 marines + 4 arty with full support

Level: Easy
Role: Join the allies, make tanks or marines and demand the North. (You have a commando expert as well as an armored expert. Amph tanks are also an option)
Lob's Fun Rating: 7/10

Focus Path:
Irish Political Effort
Approach IRA
You can either limit or support the IRA from here. Make sure to get partial mob first.
Expand the metropolitan areas
Then do industrial focuses as well as research bonuses.

PP Path:
Partial Mob
Captain of Industry
Popular Figurehead
(If going amph tanks) Armored designer
Military Industrialist
Military Theorist

Research:
1st Slot: Industry
2nd Slot: If going tanks, start researching to get to the amph tank. Then used armored bonus for it. Otherwise electronics
3rd Slot: Guns and arty
4th Slot: Catch up with any missing tech
5th Slot: WHY TF DO YOU GET 5?????

Doctrine:
Superior Firepower
No Air
No Navy

Production:
You have 1 factory. Put it on guns. You are poor

Divisions:
Either 40w Amph tanks or 40w Marines
Also make either 1w with engineers or 20w with engineers to garrison your shore and help with England's.

Now go make a Maggie Thatcher joke

WIP

Level: Extreme
Role: Hold back operation Barbarossa at any cost
Lob's Fun Rating: 9/10

Level: Easy
Role: Either Soviet Aircon or Extra troops/spec ops
Lob's Fun Rating: 8/10

Focus Path:
Political Effort
Collectivist Ethos
(Do industrial focuses until you are a Communist nation)
Internationalism Focus
(If Aircon rush New Fighter Models then continue)
Our Five Year Plan
Industrialization
Terhan Arms
(Next get to The Iraq Gambit. If you wish to take them do it. If not do not do the focus. Make sure the Allies hold North Africa or the Monkey Front ensues. Germany can also open up the front on their own if the own Syria and the Suez)
Get Deterrence if you need to build forts along the river line

PP:(Save 175 PP after Communist Revolutionary to make sure you do not go into civil war. There is a decision to hold national referendum to do so.)
Silent Workhorse
Communist Revolutionary
War Economy/partial mob
Free Trade
If aircon Light Air Designer
Head of army/airforce
Theorist

Research:
1st Slot: Industry
2nd Slot: Electronics
3rd Slot: Air or arty
4th Slot: Gun
5th Slot: Catch up

Doctrines:
Superior Firepower or Mass Mob for org wall
Operational Integrity
No Navy

Divisions:
20w Camels with shovels to hold monket front
10w paras with full support to leach axis supplies (only if soviets or you have air)
20-40w Mountaineers for Allah