[Top 10] Hearts of Iron 4 Best Templates That Are Powerful

Updated:

30 Sep 2022

Here's how to make a powerful division template in Hearts of Iron 4

When creating a division template in HOI4 you need to pay attention to organization, soft and hard attacks, as well as breakthrough stats

Many Hearts of Iron 4 players wonder what the best division template to use is. Before the ‘No Step Back’ expansion the matter was relatively simple, in most cases, a division with 40 combat width was the optimal, or ‘meta’ template used by the majority of HOI4 fans. However, Paradox decided to shake things up by introducing terrain-specific combat width which means there’s no meta template anymore. We’re going to help you find the optimal HOI4 template that will make your divisions invincible.

10. Motorized Infantry + Artillery

Using this template is ideal for players who like using fast divisions

Speed and firepower are essential to having a successful HOI4 campaign, especially in competitive multiplayer games. You’ll always want to be a step ahead of your opponents and have enough firepower to penetrate their armor.

This template is a good choice for minor nations since it’s easy to produce and effective in combat.

What’s great about the Motorized Infantry template:

High organization, means your divisions can fight for a longer period and adapt to more difficult terrain
A high soft attack stat that makes it ideal for fighting infantry
Speed, you’ll be able to achieve high mobility. Ideal for plains tiles

9. 45 Width Armor Division

To break through the enemy ranks, you'll need plenty of armored divisions but you'll need to make sure your tanks can defeat enemy targets

This is a pretty big division template but not too costly to produce and most importantly, doesn’t consume too much fuel. Both the soft and hard attack stats are quite good, making the template a good choice to counter not only infantry and other soft targets but also armor.

If you’re playing as a major nation and have no production issues, we recommend using this template.

Reasons to use this template:

Good speed and organization stats that make it effective in combat
Large combat width makes it difficult to counter
Not too costly to produce, unlike some other armored templates

8. Amphibious Rocket Division

Unlike other division templates, this one has been designed specifically for naval invasions

Those among you who like to play nations such as the UK, and the USA, will probably know that amphibious tanks are the key to successful naval invasions. This can be a pretty good template for fighting in places such as Pacific Islands.

Consider trying out this template if you’re playing as a major naval power.

The pros of using this template:

Combat bonuses for terrain such as rivers and coastlines
Excellent breakthrough stat making it a very good choice for landing naval invasions

7. Infantry with Artillery Support

Even if you have plenty of tanks, you're still going to need good infantry templates to man the frontlines and defend against enemy attacks

Even if you’re not a big fan of infantry divisions, you’ll still need them to man the frontline and for garrison purposes. On the other hand, lots of players use infantry to attack and even for breakthrough purposes.

Having a large infantry template with several artillery battalions is recommended when playing nations such as Germany and the Soviet Union.

What’s good about this template is:

It offers a decent amount of firepower and enables you to do damage to enemy divisions
It’s better than regular infantry and can be also used to attack
It’s useful in defense or if you can’t afford to build too many armored divisions

6. Medium Armor Panzer Division

German players will generally rely on medium tanks to form the bulk of their armored divisions but it's necessary to know how to create a good template to make your tanks perform well in combat

Playing as Germany means you’ll be building many armored divisions. German tech and research come with a set of unique bonuses for tanks, letting you create powerful armor divisions.

The best thing about this template is the very high organization stat.

Reasons to use this template:

Its high combat width and organization will let you defeat enemy infantry
It’s not expensive to produce when compared to other, especially late-game armored divisions

5. (Line) Infantry Division

The task of your infantry divisions will be to garrison cities and ports and support your other units in combat

While infantry can be used in the offense, most of the time, you’ll be using it for garrisoning and defense purposes. It’s been observed that since the No Step Back expansion was released, smaller-width infantry divisions perform well in combat.

Consider using this template for the majority of your infantry divisions as it’s cheap to produce and has excellent combat stats. Alternatively, you can go for a 15-width infantry template and include one artillery battalion.

Here’s why this is a very good template to use:

Cheap to produce and has a very high soft attack stat
Is excellent for covering the frontline
Supply won’t be an issue

4. Infantry (25 width) Division

There’s been a lot of talk among HOI4 fans about what the new ‘meta’ division is. Our opinion is that there’s no such a thing as a meta template anymore and that very much demands on the country you’re playing, terrain, and your play style.

Nevertheless, you probably wouldn’t want to manage 20 different templates, as it can be pretty cumbersome and time-consuming. Based on the stats, this template is one of the best candidates for a meta template that will do a bit of everything.

Here’s why:

Cost-effective and can be used on different terrain
It’s a versatile template that can be used in both offense and defense
It’s an ideal choice if you’re looking for a ‘meta’ template

3. Panzer Division (37 width)

German panzers are among the most powerful tanks in the game, use them wisely

The same question has been bothering many HOI4 players: how to make an armored division that has excellent organization, is fast, and can pierce enemy armor? Even though you can’t have all three at the same time, this template comes close to achieving the ideal balance between these all-important stats.

With over 40 organization, excellent soft and hard attack stats, and high breakthrough, this template is the best mid-game choice for German players.

Why you should use this template:

It’s a good all-round armored template designed to perform well against soft targets
Production cost is not too high so you won’t have to worry about production and supply
If you’re a fan of German-style mobile warfare (aka Blitzkrieg) this template is the right choice

2. Armored Division (20 width)

It's not always necessary that your armored templates have to exceed 30 or 40 combat width to be effective; using smaller templates can just as good, providing you max out the breakthrough and attack stats

If you love fighting with tank divisions then you’ll probably want to have a template with a high breakthrough stat. In that case, using this template has got you covered. Even though it has a relatively low combat width (20) the insanely high breakthrough and organization stats will ensure it performs incredibly well and will be able to defeat all but heavily armored opponents.

Another thing that makes the template a perfect choice is the relatively low production cost. So if you’re playing as Germany and need a lot of armored divisions to throw at the Soviets, this is the template you’ve been looking for.

Why is this one of the best-armored templates to use:

Doesn’t cost too much to produce but performs excellently in battle
High organization and breakthrough stats make it one of the most effective armored templates

1. Motorized-Armored Division (42 width)

If you're searching for a new meta template, we have good news to share

This can be a perfect all-around template if you're one of those players looking for meta divisions

If you had the patience to read the whole article it’s time to make the wait worth your while. Even at first glance, this template has it all: a sky-high breakthrough, good organization, and an almost evenly balanced soft and hard attack. It shouldn’t be too difficult to produce, assuming you’re playing a major nation and have enough military factories.

You should definitively try out this template if you want a good, all-around armored division that will perform well regardless of the terrain.

Reasons why this is the best HOI4 template:

High breakthrough and organization will ensure that you’ll be able to defeat enemy infantry
It will also perform well vs enemy light and medium armor divisions
It’s the best division template for making breakthroughs and is ideal for players who enjoy using tanks