Note: Revised after I learned how Military High Command worked on a division, rather than battalion, basis. Just gonna strike out what I changed.
This list will also include major nations for each doctrine. Please post your own list and reasons if you'd like. For background, I play SP, have about 1500 hours played, use Elite Difficulty and the Expert AI mod. For criteria, this list looks at what a nation's existing strengths are and whether a doctrine plays to said strengths. For example, a nation with an Infantry bonus in Military High Command is more likely to pair well with the Mass Assault Doctrine. No doctrine is worthless and part of the game's fun is trying out to different doctrines for each nation. Without further ado:
Grand Battleplan Doctrine
While GBD is very weak in a mobile war, GBD works with any division template. Need defense? best defensive bonus in the game. Need offense? best planning bonus in the game. While SFD provides more attack (in both offense and defense), that's all it boosts. Entrenchment and Planning boost both attack and defense/breakthrough. Further, full SFD utilization is relatively expensive (normally full tree research with artillery or tanks and aircraft) although it will ramp up better than GDB over time. Still GBD works regardless of army comp and its strengths are felt immediately with +10 entrenchment and +10% planning. That flexibility is important when dealing with Elite difficulties penalties. For those reasons GBD get the#1 #2 slot.
For the UK, I recommend the GBD Infiltration branch. It synergizes best with Special Forces and pure Infantry Divisions (MAD is infantry only). The UK has a rifle production bonus and both an Infantry and Commando Military High Command bonus. All things being equal, a UK player will want to attack with Special Forces rather than Infantry so Infiltration better capitalizes on the UK strengths. Further, unless you plan to KO Germany early, most UK fighting will occur in high attrition, low supply areas which are better suited to infantry than armor. When combined with the UK's relatively low military production, there is a lot of synergy on focusing on GBD Infiltration. You can go MAD with Britain, but you'll pay more in manpower and lose out on the SF bonuses.
For France, I recommend the SFD Shock and Awe. France is the only major who can optimize Cavalry/Motorized/Mechanized Divisions with its Cavalry MHC. Further, Cavalry synergizes with Frances inability to doctrine tech until Victors of the Great is removed.GBD Assault branch as France has the best planning bonus in the game and no infantry or armor bonuses (apart from a production bonus in a focus line that I don't recommend). Ironically, because of its Cavalry MHC, France, and to a lesser extent Italy, are the only nations which synergize with MWD's Mobile Infantry doctrine though poor production makes the combination something of a pipe dream.
For the Soviet Union, I recommend the GBD Infiltration branch. The SU has no infantry bonus which is practically a perquisite for MAD. Still with the SU's manpower it should flood the map with infantry. Without an Infantry MHC, the GBD bonuses are equal to MAD's infantry bonus plus SU Special Forces synergize with GBD infiltration. Once the SU armor gets up and running, the GBD Infiltration Night Attack will work well even if MAD Deep Battle is arguably better. While the SU has an Armor Genius MHC (which requires giving up some nice noncombat bonuses) you really should prioritize infantry divisions.
Superior Firepower Doctrine
SFD is great as always, but I found it telling no major faction synergized with SFD. That said, while Airland Battle has the best Hard Attack bonus and Air Superiority I find armor overrated (just go around the tanks or bog them down with infantry, aircraft and/or AT) and winning the air war is so expensive that Air Superiority only matters if the fight has gone completely pear shaped. Meanwhile, Shock & Awe's is arguably the best doctrine in the game with unmatched Soft Attack DPS although the doctrine is built around Artillery which can get expensive (every battalion benefits but you really should build arty too) and no major faction has an Artillery MHC. You can't go wrong with SFD due its versatility with almost any division template. but at the end of the day the Superior Firepower reduction from 20% to 10% appears to have kept the doctrine in line with the others. The King is dead, long live the King!
Mass Assault Doctrine
MAD is the only doctrine built around pure infantry divisions (GBD infiltration works with both infantry and SF divisions). The pure infantry bonus is arguably better than SFD and GBD as MAD boosts an Infantry Division, with 25 rather than 20 battalions, firepower and breakthrough by 25% with an entrenchment and, potential, planning bonus. SFD boosts infantry firepower only by 25% with a potential 50% support company firepower boost. To maximize MAD's bonus a nation needs 1. High Manpower and 2. an Infantry MHC. While most factions can finagle enough manpower, if you lack the requisite MHC you should really look for another doctrine and this specialization requirement pushes MAD down the ranking. Fun note, Mass Mobilization's Mass Charge expands combat width which can synergize well with a powerful air force.
Only Japan can get both manpower and an Infantry MHC early on. As an added bonus the otherwise relatively worthless Pocket Defense synergizes well with Japan's naval invasion needs, better allowing Japan to drop troops off adjacent to the port in order to form a pocket.
Mobile Warfare Doctrine
MWD is the weakest because MWD's strength is the tank breakthrough bonus. Tanks, imo, are overpriced and underperform. The only real reason to build tanks to create enough breakthrough for the armor division heavy hitters: SPA and SPTDs. MWD is perfect in this regard (the raw firepower of additional SPAs and SPTDs outweigh SFD's bonuses imo). But, to capitalize on MWD, you need two things: 1. High MF Production and 2. an Armor MHC.
Only Germany can allocate a high portion of its MFs to armor and easily obtain an Armor MHC (the Soviets should prioritize infantry and go down a specific focus tree for its Armor MHC). In fact, to successfully invade the relatively open but narrow front Low Countries on higher difficulties, Germany is almost required to build armor which is tailored made for that kind of operation. It speaks to Germany's enormous power that it, and it alone, can optimally utilize what is arguably the weakest Land Doctrine.
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Finally, we come to the USA and Italy. Honestly, I don't play USA much as its boring. But once the USA gets rolling there is really no wrong doctrine to take with its high population, production capability, and MHCs to do almost anything. Shoot, only the USA can realistically produce the insanely expensive strat bombers. GBD might be the least suitable as its bonuses are more early game fronted, but take whatever you want as USA and have fun.
Italy, for now, is tough. It's obvious expansion point is blocked by French guarantees and the country lacks manpower, production, and raw materials. This isn't to say Italy can't make a difference, Italy is much stronger than France in the early game, but any strategy, and related doctrine, you choose faces an uphill struggle. If someone put a gun to my head, I'd probably say MAD is the best Italian doctrine. If you stay in the Axis, Italy desperately needs planes and ships, and the necessary synthetic refineries, to conquer the Med and most potential European operations will occur in poor armor terrain. Therefore, you need a cheap and relatively effective land army which MAD supported by the Specialist Infantry MHC can provide.
Thanks for reading and please let me know your thoughts.
This list will also include major nations for each doctrine. Please post your own list and reasons if you'd like. For background, I play SP, have about 1500 hours played, use Elite Difficulty and the Expert AI mod. For criteria, this list looks at what a nation's existing strengths are and whether a doctrine plays to said strengths. For example, a nation with an Infantry bonus in Military High Command is more likely to pair well with the Mass Assault Doctrine. No doctrine is worthless and part of the game's fun is trying out to different doctrines for each nation. Without further ado:
- (Now 2) Grand Battleplan Doctrine (UK,
France,Soviet Union) - (Now 1) Superior Firepower Doctrine (France)
- Mass Assault Doctrine (Japan)
- Mobile Warfare Doctrine (Germany)
- Can Do Whatever They Want (USA) / In a Tough Spot Regardless (Italy)
Grand Battleplan Doctrine
While GBD is very weak in a mobile war, GBD works with any division template. Need defense? best defensive bonus in the game. Need offense? best planning bonus in the game. While SFD provides more attack (in both offense and defense), that's all it boosts. Entrenchment and Planning boost both attack and defense/breakthrough. Further, full SFD utilization is relatively expensive (normally full tree research with artillery or tanks and aircraft) although it will ramp up better than GDB over time. Still GBD works regardless of army comp and its strengths are felt immediately with +10 entrenchment and +10% planning. That flexibility is important when dealing with Elite difficulties penalties. For those reasons GBD get the
For the UK, I recommend the GBD Infiltration branch. It synergizes best with Special Forces and pure Infantry Divisions (MAD is infantry only). The UK has a rifle production bonus and both an Infantry and Commando Military High Command bonus. All things being equal, a UK player will want to attack with Special Forces rather than Infantry so Infiltration better capitalizes on the UK strengths. Further, unless you plan to KO Germany early, most UK fighting will occur in high attrition, low supply areas which are better suited to infantry than armor. When combined with the UK's relatively low military production, there is a lot of synergy on focusing on GBD Infiltration. You can go MAD with Britain, but you'll pay more in manpower and lose out on the SF bonuses.
For France, I recommend the SFD Shock and Awe. France is the only major who can optimize Cavalry/Motorized/Mechanized Divisions with its Cavalry MHC. Further, Cavalry synergizes with Frances inability to doctrine tech until Victors of the Great is removed.
For the Soviet Union, I recommend the GBD Infiltration branch. The SU has no infantry bonus which is practically a perquisite for MAD. Still with the SU's manpower it should flood the map with infantry. Without an Infantry MHC, the GBD bonuses are equal to MAD's infantry bonus plus SU Special Forces synergize with GBD infiltration. Once the SU armor gets up and running, the GBD Infiltration Night Attack will work well even if MAD Deep Battle is arguably better. While the SU has an Armor Genius MHC (which requires giving up some nice noncombat bonuses) you really should prioritize infantry divisions.
Superior Firepower Doctrine
SFD is great as always
Mass Assault Doctrine
MAD is the only doctrine built around pure infantry divisions (GBD infiltration works with both infantry and SF divisions). The pure infantry bonus is arguably better than SFD and GBD as MAD boosts an Infantry Division, with 25 rather than 20 battalions, firepower and breakthrough by 25% with an entrenchment and, potential, planning bonus. SFD boosts infantry firepower only by 25% with a potential 50% support company firepower boost. To maximize MAD's bonus a nation needs 1. High Manpower and 2. an Infantry MHC. While most factions can finagle enough manpower, if you lack the requisite MHC you should really look for another doctrine and this specialization requirement pushes MAD down the ranking. Fun note, Mass Mobilization's Mass Charge expands combat width which can synergize well with a powerful air force.
Only Japan can get both manpower and an Infantry MHC early on. As an added bonus the otherwise relatively worthless Pocket Defense synergizes well with Japan's naval invasion needs, better allowing Japan to drop troops off adjacent to the port in order to form a pocket.
Mobile Warfare Doctrine
MWD is the weakest because MWD's strength is the tank breakthrough bonus. Tanks, imo, are overpriced and underperform. The only real reason to build tanks to create enough breakthrough for the armor division heavy hitters: SPA and SPTDs. MWD is perfect in this regard (the raw firepower of additional SPAs and SPTDs outweigh SFD's bonuses imo). But, to capitalize on MWD, you need two things: 1. High MF Production and 2. an Armor MHC.
Only Germany can allocate a high portion of its MFs to armor and easily obtain an Armor MHC (the Soviets should prioritize infantry and go down a specific focus tree for its Armor MHC). In fact, to successfully invade the relatively open but narrow front Low Countries on higher difficulties, Germany is almost required to build armor which is tailored made for that kind of operation. It speaks to Germany's enormous power that it, and it alone, can optimally utilize what is arguably the weakest Land Doctrine.
---
Finally, we come to the USA and Italy. Honestly, I don't play USA much as its boring. But once the USA gets rolling there is really no wrong doctrine to take with its high population, production capability, and MHCs to do almost anything. Shoot, only the USA can realistically produce the insanely expensive strat bombers. GBD might be the least suitable as its bonuses are more early game fronted, but take whatever you want as USA and have fun.
Italy, for now, is tough. It's obvious expansion point is blocked by French guarantees and the country lacks manpower, production, and raw materials. This isn't to say Italy can't make a difference, Italy is much stronger than France in the early game, but any strategy, and related doctrine, you choose faces an uphill struggle. If someone put a gun to my head, I'd probably say MAD is the best Italian doctrine. If you stay in the Axis, Italy desperately needs planes and ships, and the necessary synthetic refineries, to conquer the Med and most potential European operations will occur in poor armor terrain. Therefore, you need a cheap and relatively effective land army which MAD supported by the Specialist Infantry MHC can provide.
Thanks for reading and please let me know your thoughts.
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