upgrade vs new units

[Tormentor]

I'm playing as Germany in 1936. I was wondering what's your strategy. Do you spend your IC to upgrade all units or do you use them to build new upgraded division? In my game I'm upgrading my units while building 2BB 1BC 2CV 2FTR 2INT 1HQ 2AA but in 1938 I still need 200.74IC to upgrade all my units. I don't know if it's better to get to 1st september 1939 with the bigger part of my army formed by 1926/1931 INF or with a full upgraded army but with less unit.

 

[Sakkura]

If you've researched 1936 infantry, then at least upgrade your 1926 infantry; units that are (at least) twice obsolete are much cheaper to upgrade.
I find that Germany does need to expand its armed forces at least somewhat before invading Poland. This may mean you won't be able to be fully upgraded; so be it.

 

[MastahCheef117]

I usually split it up early on but do more production - once I've completed my naval plans and airforce I shift it back towards more upgrading than production. At this point I start making improved infantry, armor divisions and mechanized/motorised.

 

[FlyingDutchman]

As Germany every slider move to central planning will make upgrades take longer and cost more. So if you plan to upgrade the units you start with you should do it early on, otherwise they will take longer and cost more. You may also benefit from more manpower this way. If you wait until after Partition of CZE to enact 2 and 3 year terms of service you stand to gain 152 more manpower then if you did it before Austria joins. You can count on 300 manpower from Austria and another 100 from Munich treaty, so if your builds do not exceed the starting Manpower plus the 400 you stand to gain then waiting will net you more Manpower over all. I tend to upgrade all infantry to 1936 model in the first two years. I also upgrade the Armour to Level II and start on Level III upgrading. I try to get about 8-12 CAS and add 1 TAC to the starting Air force. Then after Munich (if I did it right, I should have 1939 infantry by then) I build like 21 infantry at a time. You should get one wave done before Poland. This is more then enough to walk through Poland, assuming you remember to use ground support for your air missions. I also do a run of INTs from the start. My slider moves are to Central Planning as events will move you to hawk lobby.
Also you can use some of that upgrade IC for supply building, which then you can trade to the Bank Of America, for some cash. Then use the cash to improve your research rate. You can just about add 4-6 points of research before Austria. This will help off set the penalty you get as you Mobilize once war begins.

 

[sollitdude]

historically, all of germany's forces were quite up to date before the poland invasion. why does darkest hour hold you back? its like using an ak-47 while theres already the akm-200. technologically you are also holded back, as after chechoslovakia joined you, you are able to research the first medium tank, the 38t while actually the panzer IV C and D series was the first mass produced medium tanks. *in 1938 they were classed as heavy tanks becouse they were at that time the most advanced tanks, but just before the french invasion they were reclassed as medium tanks*

and no, in the technology list the panzer IV does not show up as a heavy tank -.-

 

[Sakkura]

Germany had as many Panzer 38(t) tanks as Panzer IVs for the battle of France. The majority of German tanks, however, were still Panzer Is and IIs. DH allows you to face France with much more advanced tanks if you focus your efforts towards it. The Panzer IV was not a heavy tank either; it was intended as an infantry tank, but in practice used predominantly as a medium tank.

Really, your criticism seems quite unfounded.

 

[unmerged(227777)]

historically, all of germany's forces were quite up to date before the poland invasion. why does darkest hour hold you back?

When Germany invaded Poland, they had ~2,700 tanks. Of these, 310 were the Panzer III/IVs, and 350 were Czech (panzer 35/38). The rest (~2000) were the Panzer I/IIs....

 

[Rotten Venetic]

FlyingDutchman's post is spot on, though I'd probably hold back on upgrades until I've got the Infantry, Artillery, AA and Light Armor 1936 techs, and I'll still take the first move to central planning, as events will max your interventionism and hawk. Use the Rhineland Reoccupation's -2 dissent to switch to Hjalmar Schacht and one of the espionage guys with +2 IC as well, and start your heavy duty production (tanks, HQ, ships,I recommend air too) normally. Apart from the almost-finished destroyers, submarines and cruiser, you probably won't finish anything before '36 INF kicks in, then switch all your IC to upgrade until you're up to date. Unless I'm much in error, you'll upgrade every one of your land divisions at that point. Even inf '39 won't be such a big step, and inf '36 will not be hopelessly out of date anyway.

I'd use the fifth slot to get a quick '35 MOT out to start putting those on the map ASAP. You probably prefer them over cavalry and I build both anyway.

Also note that I use 8 max tech slots but all countries including the majors have the 0.5 base research speed, so you'll get the five big techs 1-2 months earlier than I.

As Germany you can get right up to the invasion of Poland without any service period extension, if you don't go into manpower burners early on (inf, gar, and especially mil), but that 12 from enacting partial mobilization will hit you like a truck so I suggest doing it when you decide to enact the Ribbentropp-Molotov pact, as this will trigger the Danzig coup, giving you -2 dissent. You still need 2k money for every other dissent point you want to get rid of.

Edit: As to the four techs above, I'm remembering my AA and its much-improved air attack value. Better to scrub AA brigades at least for the moment and get an industrial tech.