Best factions for a beginner

[EmperorBatman999]

Hey everybody,

I'm very interested in this game and I can't wait for it to come out. But I have never seriously played the HoI series and it seems far more daunting from the brief time I played HoI3 compared to CK2 or EU4. My only experiences with HoI was a brief game in HoI3 with a very brief casual MP game with friends where I played Iran. I tried to be funny and speed ahead on nuclear technology so I could nuke Israel like a troll only to be told by one of my friends at the end that I ran my country's economy in the ground within months of starting out. Just too many knobs and controls, from what I remember, and I went in without the tutorial.

So what are the best factions for a starting player? I'm guessing the United States, but I want to be somewhat closer to the action. Perhaps the USSR, if the player stays on his toes and uses attrition properly? I figure that whatever the easiest factions were in 3 will remain the same in this rendition.

Thanks in advance my friends!

 

[Damiani]

Germany is generally the best option for new players in HOI, although I abstained for a while because of the whole Nazi thing. Germany will always be busy, whether it be in war, build up, or diplomatic actions so it is great for getting a grasp on the mechanics of the game.

 

[The Tactician]

I would prefer smaller countries to start out just to figure out the game if you have not played a lot of HOI there won't be a lot of action but just to figure out the game Italy Germany USSR and UK are all good as well but Germany and Italy will be by far the easiest in scope.
The USA is difficult in something very important a 2 front war fighting Germany and japan at the same time is never an easy thing while protecting the pacific and atlantic oceans so the US isn't that easy. I played a game once with US in HOI3 I had to automate my entire pacific theater of war just to focus on the european one then I automated that one too because I was invading Europe from 4 fronts it was a nightmare to focus on everything that was going on. USSR is also very large in scope while the UK will be sending its nave everywhere
France and Poland are challenging while Australia and Canada always have problems with Manpower
But that is just HOI3 talking HOI4 looks like its going to have a very great and easy UI so who knows.

 

[GhostKiller01]

The thing with what seems to be one different between HoI 3 and HoI 4 is the diplomacy, which seems will alter a lot more of the game.

In HoI 3, whatever you did, you were forced to rely on war to expand, which ended up with war taking up your entire game as factions formed over a long period of time and resuted in a gigantic war between two factions until one of them bit the dust.
Unlike that, HoI 4 seems to want you to start gaining approval before the whole shitstorm breaks loose, and while the world tension builds up, mass recruit countries into you faction to bolster its ranks. Unlike HoI 3, the nations seem to rush to join factions once world tension breaks out, so having a bunch of friendly states will most likely be enough for you to gather a large faction to fight off the other factions.

Choose wisely and accordingly

 

[Jeremy971]

Sweden is probably the best choice. It's a neutral nation. You can take your time and choose the side you want. Axis for an easy game.

Enough IC and Manpower to have an interesting game.

Ireland is interesting also.

 

[The Tactician]

Sweden is probably the best choice. It's a neutral nation. You can take your time and choose the side you want. Axis for an easy game.

Enough IC and Manpower to have an interesting game.

Ireland is interesting also.

I was actually thinking the same thing Sweden would be great axis game take over all of Scandinavia allies game fight the german reich
in conclusion endless possibilities maybe even a communist sweden might find a place in there

 

[Anna_Gein]

Italy is great. You have the initiative unlike the (weak democracies) . You will have smaller theater of war to manage which is easier to learn with and more enjoyable imo. It lets you experiment war against weaker opponent like the Balkans states and stronger one like UK and France. Finally you have a bit of everything to manage on the warfare aspect while countries like Germany and USSR have a heavy focus on land combat, UK on naval and air.

Hearts of Iron IV seems way more enjoyable with small countries than HoI 3 is so you may learn the game with even smaller countries. Maybe the Spanish Civil War will be fun to play this time.

 

[Adige]

Canada
Brazil
Turkey
South Africa
Mexico
After these you could go,
Germany
USA
After these
Italy
Japan
China
UK
Greece
And finally
France
Czechoslovakia
Poland
Yugoslavia

 

[aruon]

japan and italy for navy,
nat. china and USSR for army,
USA for everything but mainly economy,
rep. or nat. spain for an army challlenge
and poland for diplomacy and a desperate situation

 

[Loke]

Italy is great. You have the initiative unlike the (weak democracies) . You will have smaller theater of war to manage which is easier to learn with and more enjoyable imo. It lets you experiment war against weaker opponent like the Balkans states and stronger one like UK and France. Finally you have a bit of everything to manage on the warfare aspect while countries like Germany and USSR have a heavy focus on land combat, UK on naval and air.

Hearts of Iron IV seems way more enjoyable with small countries than HoI 3 is so you may learn the game with even smaller countries. Maybe the Spanish Civil War will be fun to play this time.

 

[Manscher]

I began with Soviet Union in HOI3, found it rather it to be pretty straight forward. You can basically ignore the far east and just focus on your western front against Germany. Furthermore you can safely ignore naval warfare. USA would properly also be a pretty solid start, with the removal of troop transport, playing whack a mole in the pacific with Japan should be significantly less tedious.

 

[Ivan_W_S]

Poland, because your game will probably only last 3 years

In all seriousness though, Germany is generally best for learning the game because it forces you to learn about everything in the game to win. You need the army, air force and navy to have a successful game, you need to trade for resources, diplomacy to find allies to take on the Allies and USSR, and as a fascist nation, you can declare war whenever you want, you can also send expeditionary forces anywhere you want, you can even start fighting in 1936 (SCW). You will never have a boring moment as Germany.

 

[Anichent]

Austria. A nice quick game.

 

[EmperorBatman999]

Austria. A nice quick game.

Safe to say that I probably won't even manage to restore the Hungarian end of the Austro-Hungarian Empire before I get anschluss'd either violently or automatically?

Edit: But the conquest of Hungary, I suspect, might turn out to be the hardest part of any campaign as Austria.

 

[Anichent]

Safe to say that I probably won't even manage to restore the Hungarian end of the Austro-Hungarian Empire before I get anschluss'd either violently or automatically?

Edit: But the conquest of Hungary, I suspect, might turn out to be the hardest part of any campaign as Austria.

Kidding aside, it depends how easy it is to make allies and factions in HOI4 as compared to HOI3. In HOI3 you'd be doomed. But in HOI4, if its possible for you to set up an alliance strong enough to resist Germany you'd probably be in a fine position going forward.

Annexation will never be automatic if you play Austria you'd have a choice, and by resisting it means you'd be at war with Germany. To survive as Austria you'd need allies and to get ready for war starting day 1 making the right preparation choices.

 

[Aries666]

I had a ball learning HOI3 with Italy. They are strong enough that you can genuinely effect the outcome of the war but not so big that it is tough to organise them. I would say however, that I first learned the interface and basics playing Brazil. However, I personally see learning a game and learning how to play a game well as two different things.

 

[Caesar15]

Canada is nice. Mini USA kinda.

 

[Hagen67483]

I think the best way to learn the game is to use a big bully (Germany, USSR) and just try things out against weak opponents.

The USSR is the easier one of the two, because it allows more mistakes and you dont need to worry about the Navel aspekt of the game.

Germany on the other hand has a really nice learning curve of all aspekts of the game.
1936-1939 Diplomacy, trade, econemy and a small army but the ability to build up the army of your likeing.
Poland is an easy first Land and air battle training ground.
Norway can teach you the basics of Naval Invasions.
France is advanced Land and Air training.
If you reach the point where France, Norway and Poland are beaten and you had some battles vs the Royal Navy, you have in my opinion understood the game.

 

[shri]

For Land Warfare - the USSR, as USSR it is very difficult to lose esp. against the AI on lower levels of difficulty.
For an All round game- UK or Japan, UK is better as it is nearly impossible to lose.
For an aggressive focus with no chance of losing- USA, impossible to lose despite losing half your navy.
For a tricky and intense war- the Germans are best, you will have to focus on Land and also on Air and neglect the fleet but build submarines.
For an Observer status- Take Finland, you can always peace-out with Stalin (hopefully!).

 

[Mannstien]

Italy is great. You have the initiative unlike the (weak democracies) . You will have smaller theater of war to manage which is easier to learn with and more enjoyable imo. It lets you experiment war against weaker opponent like the Balkans states and stronger one like UK and France. Finally you have a bit of everything to manage on the warfare aspect while countries like Germany and USSR have a heavy focus on land combat, UK on naval and air.

Hearts of Iron IV seems way more enjoyable with small countries than HoI 3 is so you may learn the game with even smaller countries. Maybe the Spanish Civil War will be fun to play this time.

This