# HOI4 Infantry Templates 2026 > This guide covers how to build offensive and defensive infantry templates in Hearts of Iron IV, including doctrine choices, support companies, and when infantry is worth using at all. It is aimed at players who want practical division setups that perform in multiplayer and single-player alike. - **Game:** Hearts of Iron IV - **Category:** Templates - **Author:** LongBeam (https://guides-factory.com/about) - **Difficulty:** Intermediate - **Reading time:** 10 min - **Published:** 2026-08-24 - **Updated:** 2026-08-31 - **Tags:** Multiplayer, defense, division design, doctrine, infantry, offense, support companies, templates - **Adapted from:** [Why Your HOI4 Infantry Templates Are Failing – and How to Fix Them](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBk-nVIXstA) - **Canonical URL:** https://guides-factory.com/guides/hoi4-infantry-templates-2026 --- If you want infantry templates that consistently perform in Hearts of Iron IV, you need the right mix of doctrine, division width, and support companies. This guide covers practical setups for both offense and defense, and explains which choices matter for your country's manpower and supply situation. ## Quick answer | What | Answer | | --- | --- | | Best offensive doctrine | Mass Assault, right side | | Best defensive width | 16 width | | Must-have support companies | Field Hospitals and Logistics | | Anti-air and anti-tank | Support AA and support AT | | Good offensive country | Soviet Union | | Key defensive tactic | Last stand micro |

This page covers infantry templates only — offensive infantry for long fronts, 16-width defensive infantry, and the support companies each one wants; for widths, tank divisions and the rest of the template range, see HOI4 division templates after the Thunder at Our Gates rework.

## Choose the right infantry role Deciding whether your infantry divisions are meant for offense or defense shapes every part of your template. *Offensive infantry* is designed to grind the enemy down across wide front lines. It works by pushing, draining equipment, organization, and manpower over time. Compared to tanks, it isn't as effective per combat width, but its production cost is much lower, making it ideal for countries with lots of manpower and industry and fronts stretching dozens of provinces. Aggressive battle-planning is the standard tactic — keep pressure steady, accept early losses, and wear down the opponent. *Defensive infantry*, on the other hand, is mainly a stopgap. Its job is to buy time until tanks or specialized offensive units can mount a decisive breakthrough. Defensive divisions need high organization, so they stall attacks for as long as possible, letting superior firepower build up elsewhere. Templates and doctrine choices here prioritize reliability over outright destruction, using narrower divisions and support companies that improve staying power. Infantry is most efficient on *large front lines*, where you can field many divisions and take advantage of sheer numbers and production efficiency. It's rarely as strong per combat width as armor or mechanized, but it is much easier to mass-produce and keep supplied. ## Build offensive infantry for long-front pressure

setup required before deployment
cheap easy optional upgrades

Select Mass Assault doctrine (right side) setup
Unlocks higher HP, recovery rate, reinforce rate, and reduces infantry battalion combat width. Enables you to build larger divisions without sacrificing org. Vital for offensive infantry performance 0:01 ↗
Build large (high-width) infantry divisions setup
Increase combat width to maximize HP, breakthrough, and defense. Larger divisions suffer fewer losses ('crits') and can sustain pressure longer, especially with Mass Assault's combat width reduction features. As big as supply and org will allow 1:00 ↗
Add heavy tank battalion (optional, high-IC games) cheap
Include a heavy tank battalion if rules and industry allow. This raises division armor but is not required for standard offensive infantry. For nations with exceptional industry 1:28 ↗
Add line AT only if tanks are ubiquitous cheap
Line anti-tank (AT) battalions should only be added if the enemy fields tanks on nearly every tile. Otherwise, focus division setup on defeating infantry. Specialist option for tank-heavy opponents 1:36 ↗

## Pick the support companies that matter most The support companies you pick for offensive infantry will make or break your division's durability and supply flow. Here’s how the most common support options compare: | Support Company | Benefit | When to Use | | --- | --- | --- | | Field Hospitals | +10% HP, reduces manpower and XP losses | Always. Essential for all offensive infantry templates | | Logistics | Improves supply efficiency, supports larger armies | Always. Needed to keep numerous divisions supplied | | Support AA | Provides anti-air, lowers enemy air superiority impact | If enemy has green air on your front | | Support AT | Ensures partial tank piercing | If enemy has tanks present, especially in multiplayer | | Support Artillery | Cheap soft attack boost | Flexible. Replaceable if you want other companies | | Signals | Raises reinforce rate and coordination | Useful for additional reinforce; especially late-game | | Military Police | Recovery rate boost | Optional | | Engineers | Offensive breakthrough, terrain bonus | Optional | | Rocket Artillery | Soft attack, tech-heavy option | Optional; late game, if research/IC allows | ![Division Designer screen showing a large infantry division template. The support company slots are visible on the left row, with multiple slots filled, including field hospital, logistics, support artillery, support anti-tank, and support anti-air companies. Key stats like HP, soft attack, and manpower are visible on the right panel.](https://api.guides-factory.com/media/uploads/2026/08/01-support-companies.jpg "The support row shows which slots are being treated as core picks versus flex options.")

Tip Aim for Field Hospitals and Logistics as core picks. Add AA and AT if your enemy has air or tanks. Signals, Engineers, Military Police, and Rocket Artillery are flex slots – adapt them to the late-game or match-up.

## Use offensive infantry in the right country and situation The best offensive infantry strategies depend heavily on your nation’s manpower pool and front size. The **[Soviet Union](/guides/hoi4-soviet-union-guide-2026)** is ideal because it has huge manpower and long front lines, making it possible to deploy dozens of divisions and sustain losses other nations could not afford. Other large countries can use the same approach if they have the industrial capacity and conscription laws to field large armies. Smaller nations can replicate the setup, but results will vary and overextension is a serious risk. This approach requires patience: you’ll often see red battle bubbles early in the campaign, indicating losses. Stick to the plan — your goal is to force the enemy to run out of equipment and manpower before you do, not to win every individual battle immediately. Production and steady reinforcement are what matter most. ## Design 16-width defensive infantry

Set division width to 16 Best organization-per-width ratio 4:53 ↗
Avoid widths below 10 Losses rise dramatically below 10 width
Choose Mass Assault doctrine if possible Provides superior organization and reinforce rate

![Division Designer screen displaying a defensive infantry template with a combat width value of 16 in the stats panel.](https://api.guides-factory.com/media/uploads/2026/08/02-16-width.jpg "This Division Designer setup shows a defensive infantry template with 16 combat width, which is optimal for delaying pushes efficiently.")

Careful Widths below 10 increase equipment and manpower losses significantly. Stick with 16 for balanced defense regardless of doctrine.

## Fill defensive support slots by matchup Support companies for defensive infantry depend more on your enemy and terrain than on offensive setups. Here’s a breakdown: | Support Company | Benefit | Use Case | | --- | --- | --- | | AA | Counters air; lowers enemy air superiority effect | If enemy has air presence | | AT | Pierce tanks; useful if enemy uses armor | If enemy has tanks; can be skipped if industry is tight or tanks are over-armored | | Signals | Reinforce rate boost | Mandatory for non-Mass Assault doctrines to avoid reinforce penalties | | Logistics | Supply efficiency | Optional; skip if front is well supplied | | Engineers | Defensive terrain modifier boosts | Optional; use in rough terrain or urban/river tiles | | Artillery/Support Artillery | Soft attack boost vs. soft targets | Recommended vs. special forces or AI; Asia/Japan setups especially | | Rocket Artillery | Soft attack; especially effective in single-player | Optional; strong late-game for AI matchups | ![Hearts of Iron IV Division Designer screen showing the 'Defensive Base' infantry template with Anti-Air, Anti-Tank, and Signals support companies filled in; other slots are empty.](https://api.guides-factory.com/media/uploads/2026/08/03-signals-aa-at.jpg "Division Designer with AA, AT, and Signals support companies selected for a defensive infantry template.")

Matchup AA and AT are defaults if you face air or armor. Signals compensate for reinforce rate if not using Mass Assault doctrine. Engineers and artillery shine in terrain-heavy and soft-target situations.

## Use last stand and tactic preferences on defense

Preserve last stand by general micro Move a unit to another general, activate last stand, then return it. This keeps the last stand active on key bottlenecks 7:17 ↗
Keep a spare general with prepared units Positions ready for fast last stand activation at critical chokepoints 7:46 ↗
Select preferred defensive tactics in officer corps, generals, and field marshals Mobile Warfare enables Back and Blow, Mass Assault gives Guerrilla Warfare, and Superior Firepower offers Tactical Withdrawal. These modifiers stack 8:16 ↗

![Hearts of Iron IV general traits and officer corps roles screen, with 'Preferred Tactic' panel showing 'No Tactic Selected' and multiple trait trees for general and field marshal roles.](https://api.guides-factory.com/media/uploads/2026/08/04-tactics-screen.jpg "The traits screen lets players select a preferred tactic for top generals and field marshals, which boosts defensive power.")

Timing gate Stacking preferred defensive tactics boosts your chance to trigger the strongest combat phases for defense, especially useful on tiles where delay is crucial.

## Also worth knowing

Before you commit - **Micro techniques deserve a deeper follow-up.** Many players want more practical control tips, especially for tanks. Consider learning advanced general and division micro beyond last stand and tactic selection. - **Country-specific and terrain-specialized templates are in demand.** Division design changes against special forces, river crossings, urban combat, or unique national focuses. Template details for these cases would benefit players facing specialized challenges. - **Always check template relevance after updates.** Strategies and optimal widths can shift after game patches. Confirm that your infantry setup is current before large campaigns. - **Support AT is a budget anti-armor fix.** Consider using support AT in place of recon for cheaper anti-tank coverage in standard infantry divisions — especially when industry is limited.

--- ## FAQ ### What width should defensive infantry be in HOI4? A strong default is 16 width. It gives a better organization-per-width tradeoff than wider defensive divisions and still keeps losses reasonable, while widths below 10 become very inefficient in practice. ### Which support companies are most important for infantry? Field hospitals and logistics are the main defaults for offensive infantry. Support AA and support AT become important when the enemy has air superiority or tanks, and signals, engineers, or artillery can be swapped in depending on the job. ### What doctrine is best for infantry templates? Mass Assault on the right side is the strongest fit for offensive infantry in this setup. For defense, the same doctrine is still recommended, but other doctrines can work if you adjust support companies and tactics properly. ### What country benefits most from this infantry style? The Soviet Union benefits the most because of its large manpower pool and long front lines. The same approach can still work for other large countries, especially in multiplayer.