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Hearts of Iron IV, affectionately known as HOI4, stands as a masterful World War II grand strategy game, offering players the unique opportunity to assume the role of a nation’s leader and shape history. Amidst a global theater of war, a myriad of battles unfolds, immersing players in the complexity of wartime decision-making. This top-tier simulation game meticulously replicates the action and intricacies of the era, introducing support attacks as a vital component of its mechanics. In this article, we embark on a journey to explore the essence of support attacks, providing a comprehensive definition, a step-by-step guide on performing them officially, and analyzing alternative methods to optimize strategic gameplay. Here is exactly how you can launch a support attack in HOI4 to help your troops win battles without sending everyone on that province.
What is a Support Attack in HOI4
In the context of HOI4, a support attack is an action performed by a unit to aid an ongoing battle. The supporting unit/s assists in the battle but will not move into the province once the battle is won.
One significant advantage of this order is that it enables more units to contribute to capturing crucial states without compromising their current positions.
Typically, when a unit is directly ordered to assist and moves into the newly conquered territory, it leaves its previous position vulnerable to counterattacks.
However, with this approach, that risk is minimized as units can aid in capturing key states without abandoning their defensive positions. Nonetheless, there are drawbacks to consider, the most prominent being the absence of early engagement units.
As this strategy necessitates a battle already underway, the initial force engaged might be inadequate while awaiting reinforcements to arrive at the battlefield. In such a situation, achieving better results might demand a coordinated and direct attack from multiple units simultaneously.
When employing a battle order, the AI might occasionally launch supporting attacks, but this will not happen frequently.
If a unit carries out a manual order, like executing a support attack, it will be temporarily removed from the AI’s command until the order is completed. Once the task is fulfilled, it will be returned to the AI’s control.
How to Launch a Support Attack in HOI4
To launch a support attack in HOI4, the player will need to select the units they wish to participate in the battle and control + right-click on the battle indicator (the bubble indicating the battle’s progress).
By exercising creative freedom regarding the term “support attack,” we can take liberties in how a support attack is classified and include other actions that may also contribute to an attack, hence the unofficial alternatives.
Alternative Support Attacks
- Launch land attacks from multiple states- doing so will increase the combat width of the battle and lead to swifter destruction of enemy forces.
- Attach railway guns to armies – doing so and having a railway within range of enemy forces will lead to friendly artillery battering the enemy forces
- Having battleships near coastal states providing naval support – works in the same aspect as the railway guns though their range expands to only coastal areas and is best used when launching naval invasions rather than land attacks
- Attaching close air support and tactical bombers to armies – doing so will enable your air force to rain death from above (provided they are supported adequately by fighter planes) and easily erase the enemy army’s organization
- Utilizing nuclear bombs – doing so will decimate the enemy organization and strength within the area (includes both land and air units if an air base is located within the state and has air units within) alongside enemy infrastructure and buildings as well as reduce their surrender limit.
- Having high army intelligence and breaking the enemy’s ciphers – doing so will provide a bonus to your army’s attack or defense based on the intel advantage for the former while the latter only lasts for 30 days and will reset after the 30 days after over.
And that is all you need to know about how to launch a support attack in HOI4. Check out other interesting HOI4 guides and articles:
