Canada Startup Questions

[Enuna]

Hi all,
I've recently just started playing Hearts of Iron 4 and picked up a few of the expansions. I'm enjoying playing as my home country of Canada to learn the ropes, but I'm having difficulty with the build up.

After doing some reading on it, I have decided that I want to specialize in medium tanks. I have been fixing the economy rather than the conscription crisis to get more production and rushing to get medium tanks for 1939. At my current rate, I only manage to get 1 fully trained armour division by the end of 1939/early 1940 (consisting of 4 medium tanks, 4 motorized infantry, 3-4 medium spg, mobile recon, and engineers... I might be off on the numbers but it's usually 20 width).

I usually build civilian factories until 1939/1940 depending, and then switch to military. I also build the 2 infrastructure in Quebec required to get the extra steel decision.

I usualy disband all my starting infantry except 1 to exercise for army experience and exercise my naval destroyers until regular rank. I'm not too sure about my production order either. In my early attempts I used to add artillery pieces into the mix in order to lend lease to the UK. But, I found the research and production took away from my tank build up. Plus, I don't really care about being independent.

Anyway, am I being too hard on myself or not hard enough? I want to play a democratic Canada that helps the Allies with a small but strong tank force to hit Africa and maybe Italy. Am I too optimistic on the time frame? Perhaps I can only help in the late war? Or perhaps I should just use a 15/5 or 13/7 template?

Sorry for the multitude of questions!

 

[BeauNiddle]

If you have the Together for Victory DLC then Canada is a harder (but more interesting) country to play. The default generic national focus tree is really powerful and so each DLC tends to make the countries involved weaker but more interesting. If you're still learning the game you might get a boost by disabling TfV, at least until you've grasped the basics.

The trick of getting more xp by only having one division training doesn't work (as well) any more. A useful trick is to have a division that is purely infantry (NO support units) as that can be trained up in only 90 days & it only costs infantry kits to train on the map (vs expensive tanks). Once expert you can then convert it to a more useful division design and it still retains a lot of the xp it earnt. Switching your starting units to that design can allow you to train cheaply and get in more army xp.

Although to be fair you will always be short of army xp as the Allies until the war kicks off.

Medium tanks at 20 width is a good division. 40 width can crush the AI if you want an easier life (but it takes ages to get enough army xp for them).

Mobilisation laws are important - the speed up to factory building can equal 2 other cabinet posts.

A small force of tanks with a supporting infantry army can be decisive in the area around Ethiopia at the war start. Capture all the ports in that area and deny the Italian troops resupply. Just be very careful on the mountainous terrain in Ethiopia itself. Once the Italians are pinned / destroyed there you can send your forces north to take the Med coast. Just be careful of Vichy territory (depending on DLC it may or may not be hostile at that moment but often ends up attacking at inopportune moments.

Clearing out Africa is the most important task in the war since it threatens the Axis underbelly but more importantly allows support an communication between Europe and Asia. It's a good goal to have without being overwhelming. You should be able to do it with mostly light tanks as well if you want to get forces built up faster. But you'll be able to tell the difference in quality once you convert over to mediums.

 

[Enuna]

If you have the Together for Victory DLC then Canada is a harder (but more interesting) country to play. The default generic national focus tree is really powerful and so each DLC tends to make the countries involved weaker but more interesting. If you're still learning the game you might get a boost by disabling TfV, at least until you've grasped the basics.

The trick of getting more xp by only having one division training doesn't work (as well) any more. A useful trick is to have a division that is purely infantry (NO support units) as that can be trained up in only 90 days & it only costs infantry kits to train on the map (vs expensive tanks). Once expert you can then convert it to a more useful division design and it still retains a lot of the xp it earnt. Switching your starting units to that design can allow you to train cheaply and get in more army xp.

Although to be fair you will always be short of army xp as the Allies until the war kicks off.

Medium tanks at 20 width is a good division. 40 width can crush the AI if you want an easier life (but it takes ages to get enough army xp for them).

Mobilisation laws are important - the speed up to factory building can equal 2 other cabinet posts.

A small force of tanks with a supporting infantry army can be decisive in the area around Ethiopia at the war start. Capture all the ports in that area and deny the Italian troops resupply. Just be very careful on the mountainous terrain in Ethiopia itself. Once the Italians are pinned / destroyed there you can send your forces north to take the Med coast. Just be careful of Vichy territory (depending on DLC it may or may not be hostile at that moment but often ends up attacking at inopportune moments.

Clearing out Africa is the most important task in the war since it threatens the Axis underbelly but more importantly allows support an communication between Europe and Asia. It's a good goal to have without being overwhelming. You should be able to do it with mostly light tanks as well if you want to get forces built up faster. But you'll be able to tell the difference in quality once you convert over to mediums.

Thanks for your reply!

It sounds like a lot of the things I'm doing have me on the right track. I think my expectations of Canada need to be tempered slightly. Unlike in real life where Canada was an industrial power (supplying jeeps and supplies for the Allies) along with a well equipped fighting force, this DLC seems to make you stick to purely one lane (at least as a democracy).

I actually do like it as a teaching country due to it's realitive isolation. I just need to pick my battles.

Anyway, I appreciate your taking the time to reply.

 

[Silverhood]

Anyway, am I being too hard on myself or not hard enough? I want to play a democratic Canada that helps the Allies with a small but strong tank force to hit Africa and maybe Italy. Am I too optimistic on the time frame? Perhaps I can only help in the late war? Or perhaps I should just use a 15/5 or 13/7 template?

It's supposed to be hard being the Allies. You will be behind early on, and then as your industry picks up, the Allies will start to get an advantage around 1942-1943, assuming no major collapse or other weirdness. Micromanaging a few tank divisions in a theater where you can tip the balance is a very effective way to contribute, but you're not going to have many divisions to start with as Canada, Australia or South Africa. All the Together for Victory focus trees are somewhere between very bad and terrible, so don't feel too hard done by. Have a go as democratic India in the Allies, it's a much better experience than the other minors, as you have plenty of manpower.

Axis Hungary is a good learning experience too, as is Obedience path Manchukuo. You just focus on helping Germany / Japan in the land and air, focusing on creating small encirclement pockets and trapping enemy troops.

 

[Orbs]

At my current rate, I only manage to get 1 fully trained armour division by the end of 1939/early 1940 (consisting of 4 medium tanks, 4 motorized infantry, 3-4 medium spg, mobile recon, and engineers...

I usually build civilian factories until 1939/1940 depending, and then switch to military.

If you want more tanks, try building mils earlier. It will hurt you in the long run (less mils overall) but will help a lot in the buildup phase (more mils earlier)

Also, the division you quoted is a nice well-rounded division, but if you eliminate the stuff that requires an extra production line (spg), you can put those extra mils in tanks. I like my tank division to have 4 mots and rest rock-em-sock tanks anyway.