As we know from the Support Companies DD (https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/foru...development-diary-28th-of-august-2015.879058/) and the WWW videos (https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/index.php?threads/world-war-wednesday.893681/), Support Companies will play an interesting role in the game, but how exactly do you think they should be used? Which are the most useful? And when?
Anti-Air:
Why: Air battles will be integrated with land battles in HOI4 and it seems air superiority will play a pretty big role. In theory this should be useful for any division, especially infantry divs as armoured divs should probably use motorized AA battalions if they can be afforded.
Who: I can't help thinking that this seems the poor man's substitute to a powerful airforce. So, countries like Italy or minors could find anti-air companies pretty handy.
When: Possibly from the very start.
Anti-Tank:
Why: Sooner or later your divisions, of any kind, will face armoured opposition. Infantry should have som AT capabilities of its own, but will that be enough?
Who: Probably everybody with the exception of the US who should be able to field AT motorized battalions. Mountaneers probably don't need this as they're not very likely to see too many vehicles.
When: Possibly from the very start.
Artillery:
Why: Artillery has won the First World War and it's probably going to be very useful in the second as well. However, full infantry divisions should probably use Artillery battalions instead of Companies.
Who: All the countries that want to give their armoured divisions an extra punch but can't afford self-propelled guns.
When: If you're defending this is probably not as urgent as it is for the country that wants to blitzkrieg Europe.
Rockets:
Essentially artillery but more offensive-minded.
Recon:
Why: To make good use of the rest of your division. Probably more useful if you have a Rommel commanding your troops in order to make the most of his skills.
Who: Anyone who want to specialize their army or part of it.
When: For an attacking country this is probably rather urgent.
Engineers:
Why: They're useful both attacking (crossing rivers) and defending (entrenching). Some theatres probably don't need them (Africa, Pacific), some others definitely do (Benelux, Russia). If you're defending in western Europe you're probably better off with fixed bunkers and mobile forces to fill the gaps. Tough choice.
Who: Any division that is likely to be used in a stationary role and, occasionally, the motorized division that needs to cross a well defended river.
When: Hard to say and depending on other grand strategy factors.
Field Hospital:
Why: Because nobody likes to see their comrades die in the mud, especially if those comrades are veterans that could be useful elsewhere. If you want to preserve you manpower pool, and its all important experience, hospitals are good.
Who: Countries like the USSR, China and maybe the US can forget about this company unless they want to mantain the experience level of some specific divisions. Other countries, such as Commonwealth, should probably add a Field Hospital Company to each of their infantry divisions.
When: Small-population countries should do this before anything else, bigger countries can take their time.
Logistic Company:
Why: Some areas with poor infra can cause your on-paper formidable division to stop for the lack of foodstuffs and fuel. A logistic company rationalize the supply flux making it more efficient. Every division needs supply, but not all areas are troublesome.
Who: Whoever is involved in Africa, Asia or some parts of Russia. If you're invading Northern France this should not be necessary.
When: Whenever the numbers involved in a problematic theater start getting bigger. Italy and the UK should have this from the very beginning. Germany can wait its Polish and other European offensives to be done, but needs to make sure most of its divisions have logistic support (especially motorized and armoured in the Caucausus area).
Military Police:
Why: Those pesky marquis aren't going to arrest themselves.
Who: The axis and communist powers.
When: As soon as the ‘fighting army' is called back to fight on another front, or carries on in its victorious march, you shoud leave behind a few cavalry divisions with MP companies.
Maintenance Company:
Why: The field hospital of pistons and carburetors. If you need to preserve your tank force, you will need an army of echanics in its trail.
Who: All the coutries whose tank production is not stellar, meaning anyone who is fighting the US.
When: If you can afford it, from the very beginning, otherwise only later on when you start producing tanks that are potentially going to be useful until the end of the war.
Signal Company:
Why: By the looks of it, a signal company improves battleplan coordination, so it's an offensive-only company.
Who: Especially useful for conutries that make full use of battleplans, like Italy or Britain.
When: As soon as possible.
Opinions?
Anti-Air:
Why: Air battles will be integrated with land battles in HOI4 and it seems air superiority will play a pretty big role. In theory this should be useful for any division, especially infantry divs as armoured divs should probably use motorized AA battalions if they can be afforded.
Who: I can't help thinking that this seems the poor man's substitute to a powerful airforce. So, countries like Italy or minors could find anti-air companies pretty handy.
When: Possibly from the very start.
Anti-Tank:
Why: Sooner or later your divisions, of any kind, will face armoured opposition. Infantry should have som AT capabilities of its own, but will that be enough?
Who: Probably everybody with the exception of the US who should be able to field AT motorized battalions. Mountaneers probably don't need this as they're not very likely to see too many vehicles.
When: Possibly from the very start.
Artillery:
Why: Artillery has won the First World War and it's probably going to be very useful in the second as well. However, full infantry divisions should probably use Artillery battalions instead of Companies.
Who: All the countries that want to give their armoured divisions an extra punch but can't afford self-propelled guns.
When: If you're defending this is probably not as urgent as it is for the country that wants to blitzkrieg Europe.
Rockets:
Essentially artillery but more offensive-minded.
Recon:
Why: To make good use of the rest of your division. Probably more useful if you have a Rommel commanding your troops in order to make the most of his skills.
Who: Anyone who want to specialize their army or part of it.
When: For an attacking country this is probably rather urgent.
Engineers:
Why: They're useful both attacking (crossing rivers) and defending (entrenching). Some theatres probably don't need them (Africa, Pacific), some others definitely do (Benelux, Russia). If you're defending in western Europe you're probably better off with fixed bunkers and mobile forces to fill the gaps. Tough choice.
Who: Any division that is likely to be used in a stationary role and, occasionally, the motorized division that needs to cross a well defended river.
When: Hard to say and depending on other grand strategy factors.
Field Hospital:
Why: Because nobody likes to see their comrades die in the mud, especially if those comrades are veterans that could be useful elsewhere. If you want to preserve you manpower pool, and its all important experience, hospitals are good.
Who: Countries like the USSR, China and maybe the US can forget about this company unless they want to mantain the experience level of some specific divisions. Other countries, such as Commonwealth, should probably add a Field Hospital Company to each of their infantry divisions.
When: Small-population countries should do this before anything else, bigger countries can take their time.
Logistic Company:
Why: Some areas with poor infra can cause your on-paper formidable division to stop for the lack of foodstuffs and fuel. A logistic company rationalize the supply flux making it more efficient. Every division needs supply, but not all areas are troublesome.
Who: Whoever is involved in Africa, Asia or some parts of Russia. If you're invading Northern France this should not be necessary.
When: Whenever the numbers involved in a problematic theater start getting bigger. Italy and the UK should have this from the very beginning. Germany can wait its Polish and other European offensives to be done, but needs to make sure most of its divisions have logistic support (especially motorized and armoured in the Caucausus area).
Military Police:
Why: Those pesky marquis aren't going to arrest themselves.
Who: The axis and communist powers.
When: As soon as the ‘fighting army' is called back to fight on another front, or carries on in its victorious march, you shoud leave behind a few cavalry divisions with MP companies.
Maintenance Company:
Why: The field hospital of pistons and carburetors. If you need to preserve your tank force, you will need an army of echanics in its trail.
Who: All the coutries whose tank production is not stellar, meaning anyone who is fighting the US.
When: If you can afford it, from the very beginning, otherwise only later on when you start producing tanks that are potentially going to be useful until the end of the war.
Signal Company:
Why: By the looks of it, a signal company improves battleplan coordination, so it's an offensive-only company.
Who: Especially useful for conutries that make full use of battleplans, like Italy or Britain.
When: As soon as possible.
Opinions?
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. Since hearing about the supply model, I wonder if the logistics company means your unit uses less of the supply cap. If this was the case, using logistics companies would mean you could have greater force in a supply area relative to your enemy, giving you a handy advantage. Even if the logistics company just reduces the impact of attrition (rather than reducing the supply cap), it could be a very handy tool for nations with low oil supplies (as fewer replacements means a nation might find it more feasible to run a 'no oil' production line to keep its armoured divs running).
