This guide is a straightforward, spoon-feeding guide to how succeed with Communist China in the early game. Read from the top to the bottom. Every new line is a new step. It is meant to be played on normal difficulty. HoI4 is a semi-fluid game. You may be unlucky in the wars you must conduct and be slower than me, hell you may be even faster than me, but this guide serves more of a purpose of what needs to be done before you join the war against China. You may also disagree with what foci and research I do. That is absolutely okay. You don't have to follow them 100%, it is more of a neat walkthrough for newer players that are not completely steady in the game and its mechanics. Think of this guide as a production line in game with production efficiency at 95%. It is not 100% effective, but it is damn near close!
Before unpausing:
Technology: "Pocket Defence" and "Basic Machine Tools"
Build: Can't build factories. I would recommend Infrastructure.
Recruit: Delete your current army. It sucks and is unevenly trained. Duplicate the garrison template, rename it Infantry with infantry names and train up 7 of them in a line.
Focus: "Land Redistribution"
Unpause
-25jan: Spend your 25 PP on justifying on Siankiang (Retake Cores)
-05Feb: Non-Aggression pact, military access and improve relations with Soviet Union
-05mar: Stop improving relations with Soviet. We have hit 100. They won't accept us in comintern yet
-11Mar: Our first focus is done. Now pick "Literacy Programs" focus. Stalin is cheerful and we can join Comintern now! I will explain why that is neat later.
-20May: New research slot! Pick "type 24" infantry equipment. New focus should be "Yan'an base area"
-25May: Army is trained. Now train 3 new infantry units. Create an army with Lin Bao as general and Mao as Field marshal. Improve Mao's traits with the two already available (Reinforce rate and recovery rate)
The 3 divisions should be set to deploy at the tip of the "phallos" pointing into Shanxi...
-30May: War goal vs Siankiang is done. "Basic Machine tools" is done. Pick "concentrated industry" (At least what I think is best when being poor and have mass assault vs dispersed)
-29July: Focus is done. Pick "Focus on China"
-08Aug: Spend those 187 PP on the Political Workhorse
-13Sep: Spend 48 PP to justify on Tibet. NOTE: This is optional. You won't get many factories, (around 2 civ, 1 mil), but that is enough for me to think it's worth it.
-07Oct: Focus is done. Pick "Exploit the Weak neighbours"
-18Oct: New rifles researched and divisions ready. Pick "Electronic mechanical Engineering". Get a line of the new rifles ready, but keep producing the basic equipment. The hit to the efficiency is too great. Three old rifles is better than one slightly newer. Start training 3 new infantry divisions.
Set up your 10 division army on the Shanxi border
-27Oct: Doctrine done. Now do "Defence in depth"
WAR WITH SHANXI:
-16Dec: Focus and "Concentrated industry" is done. Let the research wait until January 1st. Pick "Strengthen the central secretariat". But most importantly: DOW SHANXI! Manually invade. We need to be quick to save equipment. Just zerg every unoccupied province like this. (PICTURE 2) Take Capitol ASAP. Don't use Battle Planner. Don't let Soviet join. I feel that is too risky. Queue up a military factory in your capitol and three more infantry divisions. Mongolia and Tannu Tuva sends you LL when you have a malus in infantry equipment.
Keep the enemies division busy while you flank.
-01Jan: Start researching "Improved machine tools" with the open research slot. If you are not unlucky you should have won vs Shanxi and gotten lots of infantry equipment. Start recruiting infantry divisions all the infantry divisions you can. Strategic redeployment of all divisions to Xibei San Ma, our next foe. With strategic redeployment, you don't lose any equipment.
-03Jan: Hire an Military theorist with your PP to save some research points on the doctrine research
WAR WITH XIBEI SAN MA AND SIANKIANG:
-15Jan: (This time really depends on when you took out Shanxi and got equipment to recruit) Now your equipped forces in training have 10% experience. Deploy them on the Northern and Southern flank of Xibei San Ma where they don't have any forces. Wait one day for them to get some organization. DOW Xibei. Keeep the enemy forces busy with the experienced forces and let your newly peasant militia penetrate the undefended provinces and go straight for the victory points. Spread them out so they can't be attacked and stuck in the same province en masse. This also has the added benefit of ticking up the capitulation percentage. Like in Shanxi, we need some provinces as well as the victory points.
-25Jan: "Electronic Mechanical Engineering" is done. Research "Mechanical Computing".
-24Feb: Focus is done. Now go for "Invite foreign investors". If everything went silky smooth, then you should have taken Xibei San Ma. Start recruiting more divisions if you havent already. Spend 150 PP on the Infantry Expert. Redeploy to the Siankiang border. DOW SIANKIANG ASAP. Same strategy. Bind enemies, move around to take Capitol, spread out forces to take as much land as possible. Don't destroy encircled divisions.
Regarding not enough iron: your construction speed is pretty terrible. If you need 4 iron. I feel that's okay. If you need 6 iron, I would advise to trade with NatChi or Soviet union.
-20Apr: With you 100 PP, improve Worker's condition. I won against Siankiang on this day too. Redeploy to Tibet.
-06May: Focus done. BEFORE YOU PICK ANOTHER: Go to "Invite foreign advisors" and bypass it and do the same with "Reapprochement with the Soviet union". You can do this because you are in the comintern. Now you should leave Comintern, because you need to join the United Front when the war vs Japan kick off. Being in Comintern also had the benefit of Soviet Union not sending volunteers to fight against you in Siankiang. Pick "Agrarian Socialism" as new focus
-11May: Justification vs Tibet done. I would have attacked now, but I see they have "Construction 3" as focus, giving them 2 civilian factories in a province, so I wil wait. If you want, you can wait even longer to attack Tibet, giving them time to build up some more equipment you can take.
13May: "Improved Machine Tools" finished. Start with "Support Weapons 1"
WAR WITH TIBET:
04July: I attack Tibet, because I know I would not win the war before they have finished their "Construction 3". They often have the entire border defended. Create a new Army with your most experienced troops focusing on the one eastern province that is north of their Capital. With your other army attack the northernmost province that you have 3 neighboring provinces to. Brute force is needed against Tibet.
14July: Focus done. Go for "Rectification Campaign". You now get an option that explains that Chiang Kai-Shek of Nationalist China has been taken prisoner. Make a deal and ally him. You now join the "United Front" against the Japanese menace. DO NOT WORRY: You are not at war with Japan yet. That is the sweet thing. Your provinces make the Sino-japanese front narrow in the North, helping NatChi as well as your provinces are a safe harbor where NatChi forces can retreat to if you. With all your forces focused in Tibet, it will be extremely stupid to declare on Japan when NatChi gives you a call to arms. Don't do that. For now...
24July: My war with Tibet is done.
BUILDING UP AGAINST JAPAN
Butterfly effect will be too great after this, so I will now stop posting dates. You are free to do whatever. Here are some tips
-Queue up on mil factories. they should go to the better rifles. Do not change production on the original rifles. Those 2 factories produces as much as 5 factories with better rifles when the production effeciency is low.
-Pick "Maoism" focus to get much needed boost to infantry equipment production (enabled currently only in beta patch)
-Pick army logistics, army defence, army regrouping as advisors. We need a buffed army
-Choose "infiltration" we need to get to "Mobile Warfare" ASAP for the nice offensive war bonus.
-Pick any technology that makes your infantry better
Basically, in this face just build up your forces and hope that China can hold their ground. The success depends on whether or not NatCHi's lines hold. If they collapse too early, it will be hard. If you see them start to collapse, just DOW Japan ASAP. In this particular game, they collapse hilariously early. I had to attack Japan 1st of January 1938. My offensive stalled before the gates of Beijing. While China continued their death spiral. I would say that if China can survive until the summer of 38, then you will win. If they can hold on later, then even better! Do not attack just unnecessarily early.
That is the problem with Commie China. They really depend on the success of Nationalist China early war against the Japanese. So if you lose, don't fret and be content that it really wasn't your fault. If anyone can find an easy way to win this war without being luck with good Nationalist China I would be very happy.
Strategy against Japan:
-Depending on how well China held you should optimally have four more or less full armies.
-Two armies goes for the two harbors at beijing. to cut off supplies. ASAP
-One army towards Mengkukuo
-One army secures northern Huang River
-When Beijing area is secured, divide the armies so two heads north and east towards Manchukuo and two heads south to help the Nationalists.
-It is more important to kill Manchukuo and take Korea than it is to help China (as long as they are still collapsing of course) Japan should have a big area in China that binds their forces down. Many Japanese divisions in Manchukuo is not fun. Besides, let the Nationalists and Japan kill themselves as much as possible, just don't let Japan get the upper hand too much.
-When Manchukuo and Korea is secured, then kill the rest of the japanese in China. Prioritise the harbors to cut off supplies.
-Remember to protect your harbors as well as Nationalist China with an army on garrison mode.
-A peace treaty will be signed when the last Jap is pushed off the mainland.
Congratulations! You have won the Sino-Japanese war! Now the world is your oyster. squishing China is easy. After China nothing can stop you. Your manpower will be ridiculous.
TL;DR
-Rush thy extra sesearch slot
-Justify against the Siankiangian fiend
-Join the glorious Comintern
-Rush Casus Belli against thy neighbours
-(optional) Justify against the Tibetan menace
-Smite thy neighbours (Shanxi and Xibei San Ma)
-Conquer Siankiang
-Leave Comintern
-Join thy brethren Nationalist China in an alliance
-(optional) End Tibet's suffering
-Build up thy strength
-Rush thy knights into battle against Japan when the time is dire for Nationalist China
-Thrust deep into the Japanese cronies Mengkukuo and Manchukuo
-Never stop nor build anything other than handcannoneers and focus on maximising the production of said weapons
PICTURES ILLUSTRATING HOW YOU SHOULD CONDUCT WAR VS THE CHINESE STATES:
https://imgur.com/a/2MGRX
Before unpausing:
Technology: "Pocket Defence" and "Basic Machine Tools"
Build: Can't build factories. I would recommend Infrastructure.
Recruit: Delete your current army. It sucks and is unevenly trained. Duplicate the garrison template, rename it Infantry with infantry names and train up 7 of them in a line.
Focus: "Land Redistribution"
Unpause
-25jan: Spend your 25 PP on justifying on Siankiang (Retake Cores)
-05Feb: Non-Aggression pact, military access and improve relations with Soviet Union
-05mar: Stop improving relations with Soviet. We have hit 100. They won't accept us in comintern yet
-11Mar: Our first focus is done. Now pick "Literacy Programs" focus. Stalin is cheerful and we can join Comintern now! I will explain why that is neat later.
-20May: New research slot! Pick "type 24" infantry equipment. New focus should be "Yan'an base area"
-25May: Army is trained. Now train 3 new infantry units. Create an army with Lin Bao as general and Mao as Field marshal. Improve Mao's traits with the two already available (Reinforce rate and recovery rate)
The 3 divisions should be set to deploy at the tip of the "phallos" pointing into Shanxi...
-30May: War goal vs Siankiang is done. "Basic Machine tools" is done. Pick "concentrated industry" (At least what I think is best when being poor and have mass assault vs dispersed)
-29July: Focus is done. Pick "Focus on China"
-08Aug: Spend those 187 PP on the Political Workhorse
-13Sep: Spend 48 PP to justify on Tibet. NOTE: This is optional. You won't get many factories, (around 2 civ, 1 mil), but that is enough for me to think it's worth it.
-07Oct: Focus is done. Pick "Exploit the Weak neighbours"
-18Oct: New rifles researched and divisions ready. Pick "Electronic mechanical Engineering". Get a line of the new rifles ready, but keep producing the basic equipment. The hit to the efficiency is too great. Three old rifles is better than one slightly newer. Start training 3 new infantry divisions.
Set up your 10 division army on the Shanxi border
-27Oct: Doctrine done. Now do "Defence in depth"
WAR WITH SHANXI:
-16Dec: Focus and "Concentrated industry" is done. Let the research wait until January 1st. Pick "Strengthen the central secretariat". But most importantly: DOW SHANXI! Manually invade. We need to be quick to save equipment. Just zerg every unoccupied province like this. (PICTURE 2) Take Capitol ASAP. Don't use Battle Planner. Don't let Soviet join. I feel that is too risky. Queue up a military factory in your capitol and three more infantry divisions. Mongolia and Tannu Tuva sends you LL when you have a malus in infantry equipment.
Keep the enemies division busy while you flank.
-01Jan: Start researching "Improved machine tools" with the open research slot. If you are not unlucky you should have won vs Shanxi and gotten lots of infantry equipment. Start recruiting infantry divisions all the infantry divisions you can. Strategic redeployment of all divisions to Xibei San Ma, our next foe. With strategic redeployment, you don't lose any equipment.
-03Jan: Hire an Military theorist with your PP to save some research points on the doctrine research
WAR WITH XIBEI SAN MA AND SIANKIANG:
-15Jan: (This time really depends on when you took out Shanxi and got equipment to recruit) Now your equipped forces in training have 10% experience. Deploy them on the Northern and Southern flank of Xibei San Ma where they don't have any forces. Wait one day for them to get some organization. DOW Xibei. Keeep the enemy forces busy with the experienced forces and let your newly peasant militia penetrate the undefended provinces and go straight for the victory points. Spread them out so they can't be attacked and stuck in the same province en masse. This also has the added benefit of ticking up the capitulation percentage. Like in Shanxi, we need some provinces as well as the victory points.
-25Jan: "Electronic Mechanical Engineering" is done. Research "Mechanical Computing".
-24Feb: Focus is done. Now go for "Invite foreign investors". If everything went silky smooth, then you should have taken Xibei San Ma. Start recruiting more divisions if you havent already. Spend 150 PP on the Infantry Expert. Redeploy to the Siankiang border. DOW SIANKIANG ASAP. Same strategy. Bind enemies, move around to take Capitol, spread out forces to take as much land as possible. Don't destroy encircled divisions.
Regarding not enough iron: your construction speed is pretty terrible. If you need 4 iron. I feel that's okay. If you need 6 iron, I would advise to trade with NatChi or Soviet union.
-20Apr: With you 100 PP, improve Worker's condition. I won against Siankiang on this day too. Redeploy to Tibet.
-06May: Focus done. BEFORE YOU PICK ANOTHER: Go to "Invite foreign advisors" and bypass it and do the same with "Reapprochement with the Soviet union". You can do this because you are in the comintern. Now you should leave Comintern, because you need to join the United Front when the war vs Japan kick off. Being in Comintern also had the benefit of Soviet Union not sending volunteers to fight against you in Siankiang. Pick "Agrarian Socialism" as new focus
-11May: Justification vs Tibet done. I would have attacked now, but I see they have "Construction 3" as focus, giving them 2 civilian factories in a province, so I wil wait. If you want, you can wait even longer to attack Tibet, giving them time to build up some more equipment you can take.
13May: "Improved Machine Tools" finished. Start with "Support Weapons 1"
WAR WITH TIBET:
04July: I attack Tibet, because I know I would not win the war before they have finished their "Construction 3". They often have the entire border defended. Create a new Army with your most experienced troops focusing on the one eastern province that is north of their Capital. With your other army attack the northernmost province that you have 3 neighboring provinces to. Brute force is needed against Tibet.
14July: Focus done. Go for "Rectification Campaign". You now get an option that explains that Chiang Kai-Shek of Nationalist China has been taken prisoner. Make a deal and ally him. You now join the "United Front" against the Japanese menace. DO NOT WORRY: You are not at war with Japan yet. That is the sweet thing. Your provinces make the Sino-japanese front narrow in the North, helping NatChi as well as your provinces are a safe harbor where NatChi forces can retreat to if you. With all your forces focused in Tibet, it will be extremely stupid to declare on Japan when NatChi gives you a call to arms. Don't do that. For now...
24July: My war with Tibet is done.
BUILDING UP AGAINST JAPAN
Butterfly effect will be too great after this, so I will now stop posting dates. You are free to do whatever. Here are some tips
-Queue up on mil factories. they should go to the better rifles. Do not change production on the original rifles. Those 2 factories produces as much as 5 factories with better rifles when the production effeciency is low.
-Pick "Maoism" focus to get much needed boost to infantry equipment production (enabled currently only in beta patch)
-Pick army logistics, army defence, army regrouping as advisors. We need a buffed army
-Choose "infiltration" we need to get to "Mobile Warfare" ASAP for the nice offensive war bonus.
-Pick any technology that makes your infantry better
Basically, in this face just build up your forces and hope that China can hold their ground. The success depends on whether or not NatCHi's lines hold. If they collapse too early, it will be hard. If you see them start to collapse, just DOW Japan ASAP. In this particular game, they collapse hilariously early. I had to attack Japan 1st of January 1938. My offensive stalled before the gates of Beijing. While China continued their death spiral. I would say that if China can survive until the summer of 38, then you will win. If they can hold on later, then even better! Do not attack just unnecessarily early.
That is the problem with Commie China. They really depend on the success of Nationalist China early war against the Japanese. So if you lose, don't fret and be content that it really wasn't your fault. If anyone can find an easy way to win this war without being luck with good Nationalist China I would be very happy.
Strategy against Japan:
-Depending on how well China held you should optimally have four more or less full armies.
-Two armies goes for the two harbors at beijing. to cut off supplies. ASAP
-One army towards Mengkukuo
-One army secures northern Huang River
-When Beijing area is secured, divide the armies so two heads north and east towards Manchukuo and two heads south to help the Nationalists.
-It is more important to kill Manchukuo and take Korea than it is to help China (as long as they are still collapsing of course) Japan should have a big area in China that binds their forces down. Many Japanese divisions in Manchukuo is not fun. Besides, let the Nationalists and Japan kill themselves as much as possible, just don't let Japan get the upper hand too much.
-When Manchukuo and Korea is secured, then kill the rest of the japanese in China. Prioritise the harbors to cut off supplies.
-Remember to protect your harbors as well as Nationalist China with an army on garrison mode.
-A peace treaty will be signed when the last Jap is pushed off the mainland.
Congratulations! You have won the Sino-Japanese war! Now the world is your oyster. squishing China is easy. After China nothing can stop you. Your manpower will be ridiculous.
TL;DR
-Rush thy extra sesearch slot
-Justify against the Siankiangian fiend
-Join the glorious Comintern
-Rush Casus Belli against thy neighbours
-(optional) Justify against the Tibetan menace
-Smite thy neighbours (Shanxi and Xibei San Ma)
-Conquer Siankiang
-Leave Comintern
-Join thy brethren Nationalist China in an alliance
-(optional) End Tibet's suffering
-Build up thy strength
-Rush thy knights into battle against Japan when the time is dire for Nationalist China
-Thrust deep into the Japanese cronies Mengkukuo and Manchukuo
-Never stop nor build anything other than handcannoneers and focus on maximising the production of said weapons
PICTURES ILLUSTRATING HOW YOU SHOULD CONDUCT WAR VS THE CHINESE STATES:
https://imgur.com/a/2MGRX
Last edited:
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