Best Combat Widths In Hearts Of Iron 4

With Hearts of Iron 4 considered one of the most comprehensive grand strategy games set in World War 2, fans of wargames may appreciate the level of depth the game offers, especially from the perspective of wartime production and overall warfare. After players research improvements and other advancements for their ground troops, they can engage in intense land battles against enemy forces - with much of their units' strength reliant on Combat Width.

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Combat Width in the game is defined as the overall concentration of a faction's ground forces. Terrain determines the base width and flanking width available to players, with elements such as flanking, naval attacks, and paradrops adding to a side's Combat Width before engagements begin. Considering how Combat Width is determined by its encompassing battalions, fans may wonder just how much is "enough" when trying to engage enemies as practically as possible. With the game offering different engagement setups, just which Combat Widths are the most practical in the game?

Updated on January 12, 2025, by Rhenn Taguiam: With Hearts of Iron 4 about to release its Graveyard of Empires Country Pack sometime this Q1 2025, fans of the franchise will now be able to help Afghanistan, India, Iran, and Iraq become superpowers who refuse to bow down to existing empires at the time. However, while the nations will receive respective upgrades and new additions to their National Focii, fans need to make sure they can maximize these countries’ offerings - especially in combat. Thankfully, understanding the right Combat Widths to use in fights can help any nation stand a chance in intense wars - especially when Hearts of Iron 4 emphasizes logistics just as much as combat power. Among must-try Combat Widths include one decent for general flexibility, two defensive Widths for players to try, and one for specialized terrain.

1 Combat Width 21

Decent For General Flexibility

Players looking for more flexible options for their Combat Width should consider opting for Combat Width 21 for their in-game incursions. While not necessarily providing the same flexibility as other higher-ranking Combat Widths, players who want a sizable unit for most terrain will appreciate something along the lines of a Combat Width 21 9/1 set up as a flexible enough arrangement for both defense and offense.

Due to geography, Combat Width 21 seems to be effective in Europe, especially when working in tandem with Combat Width 27 and Combat Width 42. Due to Forests being prevalent in Europe, opting for 4x 21w, 3x 27w, and 2x 42w should be able to accommodate this setup without suffering a lot of debuffs.

2 Combat Width 13

Useful Small Unit Comp For Specialized Terrain

Players who want more of a smaller unit count for their divisions should consider Combat Width 13. Although not as optimal compared to the more suitable Combat Width 14 and the flexibility powerhouse that is Combat Width 15, fans of Hearts of Iron 4 gameplay can still find use for Combat Width 13 if they need an alternative to a small unit composition that still has some degree of overall efficiency.

Although Combat Width 13 suffers heavily in Urban settings as well as experiencing some disadvantages in 1-to-2-direction fights in Plains, Hills, and Deserts, the setup will see improvements when positioned in Marshes and Mountains as well as Forests and Jungles. In this regard, Combat Width 13 seems feasible when trying to plug in the defensive line from unconventional positions - something 13w allows with its minimal unit count.

3 Combat Width 19

Strong Multi-Direction Attacker To Support Defensive Line

Although falling on the lower-numbered side on the scale among Hearts of Iron 4 unit arrangements, Combat Width 19 can be more of an emergency reserve and not a primary Combat Width of consideration due to the effectiveness of its neighbors - 18w and 20w.

However, one shouldn’t just immediately let 19w go, especially when taking into consideration the right terrain. One-directional attacks don’t seem to work as much with 19w, especially in terms of penalties in Forests and Jungles as well as Urban settings. However, two-direction and four-direction attacks from 19w seem decently performing in most other scenarios, making the division ideal for split attacks meant to reinforce defenses.

4 Combat Width 16

Underrated Meta Contender Decent For Defense

While recent updates to Hearts of Iron 4 gameplay practically encouraged more flexible use of a variety of Combat Widths, fans of the game may have encountered others suggesting both Combat Width 16 and its close neighbor Combat Width 15 as among ideal unit comps to use in their skirmishes. And while the current meta seems to favor 15w units, one can’t underscore the potential of 16w with the right setup.

Being a smaller-sized composition, 16w works well with Mass Assault and Guerilla-based mixture of Infantry, Support AA, and Support Artillery divisions. Save for its disadvantage in one-direction attacks in Marsh and Mountains, 16w seems very ideal for holding the defensive line due to its room for further optimization.

5 Combat Width 11

Avoid Plains And Urban Environments

Among lower-numbered Widths, it’s perhaps Combat Width 11 that is among the most practical to consider without dwelling too low on impractical penalties. As expected, their small numbers allow them to perform decently in Marshes and Mountains, as well as Forests and Jungles. However, Combat Width 11 does perform rather averagely in Plains, Deserts, and Hills, and may suffer from multi-directional attacks when engaging enemies in Urban environments.

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Another potential setback of a smaller Division as a whole in the grand strategy title would be having fewer Breakthrough and Defense, theoretically making them much easier to take out. In order to counteract this, gamers may play into the nature of smaller Divisions having better Organization and boosting overall damage with the help of Support Companies, albeit at the cost of more Manpower and Equipment.

6 Combat Width 24

Decent-Sized Division For Fillers

The potential strength of Combat Width 25 in Marsh and Mountains can make for a surprising revelation in the nature of its predecessor in Hearts of Iron 4 gameplay, as Combat Width 24 shares similarities with other Widths of having harsh penalties in the aforementioned region.

However, Combat Width 24 can potentially fill the gaps of Width 25 when it comes to one-directional conflicts in most other terrain. Moreover, this Width’s potential for being line-fillers can help them win fights more consistently assuming players are prepared for the temporary setback in terms of resource losses.

7 Combat Width 12

Decently Balanced, With A Slight Disadvantaged In Urban Fights

Despite being so close in terms of numbers to Combat Width 11, a Division of Combat Width 12 immediately performed better on various fronts. While it faces a disadvantage when attacking in Marshes and Mountains from one direction, it doesn’t receive as many penalties in other regions. Its potential performance in Hearts of Iron 4 drastically improves in the Plains and even more in Urban environments, although the latter remains its weakest terrain.

Should players want to maximize Combat Width 12, they can use their presence and accessibility to accommodate different combat situations. Their smaller numbers make them ideal for defense and quick production, allowing players to defend critical chokepoints while reinforcements are on the way. Their nature for easier line stacking and cycling allows them to plug in holes in combat, although players do need to take their easily-destructible nature into account.

8 Combat Width 14

Good Enough If Not Pushing For Width 15

Unsurprisingly enough, the sheer efficiency of Combat Width 15 means its predecessor Combat Width 14 is likely going to perform with similar numbers. Stats-wise, Combat Width 14 does incur slightly more penalties in most terrain, especially Marshes and Mountains, as well as Urban environments. However, this Width outperforms Combat Width 15 in one-directional fights in the same terrain - a mostly negligible stat that players may use in specific situations.

Given its nature as a smaller Division size, Combat Width 14 is best used as more of a defensive measure, as larger Divisions have better offensive stats. Thanks to possessing more Organization, Combat Width 14 shares the advantage of a narrower-width Division being able to hold the line more efficiently. Not to mention, the potential higher Soft Attack of Combat Width 14 Divisions may also destabilize attackers much faster, hence their potential performance as a defensive Width.

9 Combat Width 18

More Penalties Vs Width 15, But Still Manageable

As a narrow-width Division just passing Combat Width 15, it makes sense for Combat Width 18 to possess similar advantages of a smaller-sized Division with some penalties on specific terrain in Hearts of Iron 4 gameplay. It’s in this regard that penalty distribution in Combat Width 18 is less than Widths 15 and 14, but has harsher penalties in specific directions in terrains (2 Directions in Marsh/Mountain, 1 Direction in Forest/Jungle, 1 Direction in Urban) compared to Width 14.

In this regard, players who want to settle for Combat Width 18 instead of going for Combat Widths 15 and 20 outright can use this Division Width as terrain fillers while they’re still forming their main line. Their smaller numbers allow players to transport and protect supply more efficiently, and their potential cost-effectiveness can help save valuable resources during combat.

10 Combat Width 40

Technical Number Ideal For Large-Scale Urban Conflict

Due to how Urban Terrain already offers +20% Movement Cost on top of -30% Attack and -50% Enemy Air Support, players may as well take advantage of these penalties to opt for a battle based on numbers. This is the underlying logic of Combat Width 40, as its lack of penalty multipliers on Urban Terrain means players can try to go wild with large divisions to devastate enemies in these areas.

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Not to mention, the relatively manageable penalties on Plains, Hills, and Desert as well as Marsh and Mountains can make Combat Width 40 a tolerable heavy-hitter in these areas. The increased penalties for Forest and Jungle areas make Combat Width 40 not as practical in these locations.