In this article, we’ll be looking at the Top 10 best infantry division templates as of the No Step Back DLC. Infantry units will form the brunt of your offense and defense, and as such, they are highly vital to every army’s capabilities.

In no particular order is this list ranked as each division template has a scenario that suits it better. It should also be mentioned that in the basic templates mentioned below, they can be outfitted with more support companies and brigades (of the same type) in order to boost their stats and capabilities.

The Basic Infantry Division

Why this Template is Great:

• Cheap to produce with minimal infantry, support, and artillery equipment
• Has further adaptability with the addition of three more support companies.
• Great in defensive actions thanks to their high organization.
• The ideal combat width allows more units to be in the battle without that much of a penalty.
• Strong defense and HP equate to this unit surviving longer

This division template is one of the most basic you can find out there. The nine infantry brigades are meant to serve as the lifeblood of the division, as with them, you have a strong organization. While this can be used for offense, it’s a much better division when used in a defensive manner, as the high organization and good entrenchment will make it difficult for the enemy to push through.

The Basic All Around Infantry Division

Why this Template is Great:

• Combat width remains good and will allow for more units to join the battle.
• Strong soft attack thanks to the addition of two line artillery brigades and one support artillery
• Can be used in both offensive and defensive battles, provided the enemy does not have any armored units.
• Good organization means that it’ll last longer in battles against the enemy.
• A respectable manpower cost allows more of this unit to be pushed out on the battlefield.

Moving on to the basic all-around infantry division, the main benefit of this template is that you’re giving up two infantry brigades for artillery brigades in order to give the enemy forces a living hell. The addition of a soft attack should be enough to face any enemy infantry division in the early and midgame. Additionally, production costs remain relatively low here, allowing for more equipment to be stored.

The Standard Paratrooper Division

Why this Template is Great:

• Can land in any area behind the enemy, leading to multiple encirclement opportunities.
• Good organization, soft attack, and defense will make sure they can defend themselves against the opponent.
• Can also be resupplied through the air, maintaining their combat readiness.
• Relatively cheap to produce, with not much required to keep them going.
• If needed, they can also perform further breakout actions.

The standard paratrooper division here is tasked with one goal: to cut off the enemy forces and make sure they remain so. With air superiority and transport planes, you can drop these troops in any tile behind the enemy lines and leave them to be a pain in the enemy’s rear area. Furthermore, allocating transport planes to supply this division will make the usage niche but powerful in the right hands.

The Basic Motorized Division

Why this Template is Great:

• Excellent speed allows units to reach their destinations before the enemy does.
• Still maintains the organization level needed to push past the enemy defenses.
• Support companies can still be added, all while maintaining the fast speed of the division.
• Production is easy to manage, as trucks and infantry equipment form the majority of needs.
• Comes with great breakthrough and defense, hence their ability to push past enemy defenses.

The basic motorized division should have two aims to accomplish: push past any enemy infantry divisions and outpace the enemy in order to force encirclements. In this division template, you’ll find both objectives accomplished, as a strong attack coupled with great speed make this unit deadly. This is what made the Germans so highly effective in the early stages of World War 2, and you should take notice.

The Infantry Division plus a friend

Why this Template is Great:

• Fantastic organization allows this unit to last longer on the frontlines.
• Easy to produce with the division’s needs mostly consisting of infantry equipment.
• Strong defenses ensure that any enemy attack is done at a huge cost to organization and strength.
• Compared to the default infantry division, the increase in breakthrough ensures this unit can also function on the attack.
• Combat width remains good because it’s one of the optimal values to target.

If you were not satisfied with the first build, this one should satisfy the need for a high organization value while allowing the division to take to the offense. Equipped with artillery and a recon company, this unit should be able to brush apart weaker foes and set their positions for a concentrated defense.

The Basic Mechanized Division

Why this Template is Great:

• Maintains the good speed needed to outflank enemy forces.
• A high breakthrough means the offense can be maintained longer.
• A decent organizational value will provide staying power for this division on the battlefield.
• Can still be equipped with support companies and brigades, allowing for flexibility.
• Extremely high defense, thanks in large part to the mechanized units, will allow this division to counteract any enemy forces.

Being a near carbon copy of the motorized division, the main difference is that the addition of mechanized units allowed for a larger breakthrough and armor that most infantry divisions won’t be able to penetrate while bringing the overall speed of the division down. In my opinion, that trade-off is worth it, as you’re getting a strong unit capable of launching and taking attacks right to their faces.

The Not-Basic Infantry Division

Why this Template is Great:

• Terrific organization values mean it won’t easily be routed.
• All-around against most enemy infantry divisions (or even light armor ones).
• Defense and breakthrough are great, allowing for the division to switch between either role during the campaign.
• Anti-Air should be of great help in taking down any enemy support planes.
• Production remains easy to accomplish, as only infantry equipment needs a huge pile to keep it supplied.

The upgraded form of the first template, this division template’s goal is to keep organization value high while also preparing the unit to deal with all-around threats (save for armored units). The addition of a support AA company and line infantry brigade and the switch to a motorized recon company are meant to provide a good soft attack and defense boost, which this division has clearly achieved.

The Better Motorized Division

Why this Template is Great:

• A great soft attack indicates enemy infantry divisions can be broken down quickly.
• Breakthrough value is high, allowing for more battles to occur soon after another.
• Organization is still at a fair value, which will prove useful for breaking down tougher opponents.
• Speed was still maintained at 12 km/h, which is more than enough to encircle enemy forces.
• Combat width still fits in the optimal value list.

The upgraded version of the motorized division earlier takes advantage of the opportunity to add more infantry brigades all while changing motorized artillery to motorized rocket artillery. The latter has a significant role to play, as motorized rocket artillery provides a significantly higher soft attack than regular artillery does. As such, this template is great for offensive actions, especially if you can determine the field of battle.

The Premium Infantry Division

Why this Template is Great:

• A good organizational value is seen, despite the presence of line artillery.
• A very strong soft attack is vital for tearing down the organization of the enemy.
• Excellent defense value allows the division to hold the line longer.
• Terrific HP would mean that it’d take a large concentration of force to fully eliminate this division.
• Supporting AA is a great plus in terms of anti-air attacks and piercing

To start off, this division isn’t ideal for minor nations due to their small manpower pool, but for major nations, this is one of the better templates out there. The huge number of men used in this division as well as the number of artillery pieces gives out a sense of being capable of performing both offensive and defensive actions in a terrifying manner (for the enemy).

The Better Mechanized Division

Why this Template is Great:

• The extremely high defense will ensure this division can push back any enemy attack.
• A terrifying breakthrough and piercing value will ensure this division’s attacks will succeed.
• Soft and hard attack values remain strong, which indicates a high chance of breaking through an enemy position.
• Organizationally, it still maintains a great value needed for both offensive and defensive actions.
• Combat width falls under the list of optimal values, allowing for more units to join the battlefield.

Our final pick, and possibly our most expensive so far, is the upgraded mechanized division, which is a bigger baddie than the basic one provided a while ago. The upgraded version has maintained its speed while swapping out regular artillery with rocket artillery. The result is a juggernaut of a division capable of punching through any enemy lines and at will.

You may also like: 

You may also like: 

• [Guide] Hearts of Iron 4 Best Air Doctrine - What To Choose
• [Top 15] Hearts of Iron 4 Best Division Templates That Are Powerful
• [Top 25] Best Hearts of Iron 4 Mods For A New Experience
• [Top 10] Hearts of Iron 4 Best Countries That Are Powerful