Hearts of Iron II Doomsday

[discovery1]

Sounds really interesting, but isn't it a mistake to attack in June? You might not reach the key cities before the Russian winter.

By the way, how does everyone build so much? By using Series or Parallel?

It doesn't really matter and both.

[Csargo]

Anyone got any tips for playing Japan?

[Keba]

Tips for Japan:

Navy, navy, marines, navy, China, navy, infantry, marines, navy, bombers and navy.

Have those things, and you win.

Generally, first objective is China. Preferrably, take it quickly, as quick as possible. It will provide manpower, industry and a safe flank.

Build up the navy, always have the newest developments in that field, always keep building ships.

Man islands, establish airbases and use them as outposts for launching naval bombers. Add ports to islands, so that your fleet can dock.

Use marines, supported by the fleet for quick incursions. Take an island, then move on to the next. Aim for Australia, puppet it, do the same with New Zealand.

In India, strike quickly, the Brits have few defenses, so a few corps will suffice, some armour is useful to have, even if an older model.

Against the US, fortify your islands, take his and fortify those. Keep the US Navy at bay with naval bombers, and only advance in force (an attack force is, in my case, 7 carriers, various models, 6 battleships, and as many other ships as you can get). Strike hard, hold the islands you take as well as you can. Keep pushing him.

Once you have Hawaii (not difficult, you only have Wake and Midway between), things are going differently, and you are essentially, winning. You can bombard his cities from there, and you can keep your fleet there.

Keep in mind, he can outproduce you, but the US has several fronts to manage and two huge coastlines. Taking Vancouver is good, it is on an island, and can serve as a forward base for invasion. Take Alaska, then fortify in the mountains. Once you are confident you can hold the mountains, begin striking against him.

And whatever you do, don't engage the Soviets. If you have, send excess resources to Germany, but do not get involved against the SU, you have too long a border and too bad an industry to fight both the SU and US at the same time.

[GoreBag]

I managed to avoid war with the USA completely in my campaign as Japan. I crushed China without much difficulty and with the aid of the reworked Sino-Japanese war events which may or may not have made the cut into Doomsday, I redrew the east Asian map and ceded a great deal of Nat China to the warlords and made them all my puppets. I then took on the USSR after the Cold War got hot and split it down the middle with the USA. Tibet was next on the hit list to expand my sphere of influence.

[Avicenna]

Just wondering, but as Japan, can you free 'Korea' or 'North/South Korea'?

By the way, how do you (or the Germans for that matter) deal with the dissent after declaring so many wars and needing to reinforce/supply/produce troops?

[Keba]

Just wondering, but as Japan, can you free 'Korea' or 'North/South Korea'?

By the way, how do you (or the Germans for that matter) deal with the dissent after declaring so many wars and needing to reinforce/supply/produce troops?

IIRC, Japan can only liberate Korea as a whole, though Korea offers an excellend defensive positions, a series of mountains, perfect for fortification works. Easily held with only a few infantry or even garrison division. Plus, Korea has some industry, manpower and resources.

Dissent, mostly with consumer goods, but also sliders. Fully interventionist, fully dicatorial countries get no dissent when declaring war (this applies to Germany mainly, events give them that). Japan has a few more problems, but in their case, events will drive their wars, lessening dissent.

[Csargo]

I've started a campaign with Italy in the original HoI2 and am doing pretty good so far.

[Samurai Waki]

Italy is cake, Box in the Brits by taking Gibraltar (Intervention in the Spanish Civil War is always a good idea, generally I do a naval landing at Mercia and then expand my borders until I touch Gibraltar. Then when you join the Axis, blitz North Africa, take the Suez. Take all the British Med Isles, and lastly Paradrop on Malta once they run low on Org. and Supplies. If your lucky you can catch a few RN Battlegroups in the Med with their pants down, and then Naval Bomb em' to pieces. I think I took out about 2/3rds of the Channel Fleet by doing this tactic, made taking the British Isles a lot less of a headache.

I then generally push into Africa using Infantry and a few tanks (Although for much of Africa Tanks are Next to useless). I split my forces from there, DoW on Turkey, move into the Caucasus, and if your lucky you'll be in Stalingrad by late '42.

[Avicenna]

Wait.. attacking the Soviets as ITALY before destroying the Allies?

Also, I have an embarrassing statement to make. In my first campaign, after a DoW on the axis by the allies, my navy got annihilated in the Med. By the French.

[Csargo]

Wait.. attacking the Soviets as ITALY before destroying the Allies?

Also, I have an embarrassing statement to make. In my first campaign, after a DoW on the axis by the allies, my navy got annihilated in the Med. By the French.

Man that sucks. I'm in late 1936 have taken Ethopia, Yugoslavia, and Albania. Not sure what to take next the British look a little scary to take on. I also need to reinforce Libya so that I'll be able to blitz through Egypt to the Suez Canal to try and cut off the British from the rest of their Empire. I also need to bulk up my navy so I can atleast have something to defend myself from the RN. I also need to take Gibraltor from the British. I supported the revolution in Spain but didn't take any provinces since I was at war with Yugoslavia.

Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

[Avicenna]

Tips?

Take Albania ASAP. Don't annex Ehtiopia, no point since only addis ababa are of any use and the rest will clog up your TC, and annexing increases belligerence.

Personally, in campaign #2, I made the mistake of annexing and ended up puppeting. I also annexed+puppeted Saudi and most of Angola. I have just opted for annexation on Albania and Greece, and got the Yugos to cede my rightful territory. I puppeted Spain, and got some of their provinces (resource-rich ones) and got all of Portugal apart from their East African colonies, Lisbon and the Azores.

A tip would definitely to interfere with Spain. If you fight as an ally, you can gain valuable troop and general experience, and experience for yourself as well. If you opt for annexation or puppetmaster status, wait until one side has won. That side will be weaker, while you strengthened yourself during their war. Then, proceed to strike.

Portugal is not a good option: nobody will actually help them and they barely have any troops, but you CAN'T annex them, simply because Macau and their East African colonies are too far for your transports. You'd have to get military access with smelly democracies to get those places.

If you want to avoid war with the USSR, don't attack Switzerland (which is incredibly difficult to take anyway) or Turkey.

Allying with Deutschland also seems to be sensible, but not until they've achieved European dominance. Getting your bum handed to you while they play around in EE as the French and Brits send their boats and soldiers to you is not fun at all.

[Csargo]

Too late already annexed Ethopia. Oops. Annexed Yugoslavia too probably a bad idea but rookie mistake. I'm pretty new at this had the game for a while but have only played with Germany, Central American and South American countries.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

Too late already annexed Ethopia. Oops.

Clear your troops out of Ethiopia and puppet it. Use them in Spain, Greece, or Turkey. Bulgaria if you feel like making the border look good. It's also a fairly easily defended location. I usually take Bulgaria when I'm strong enough, depending on how nice Romania and the Soviet Union are being to me.

There's only one problem to the Bulgarian strategy, really. If they join the Axis, and Germany can't cover for them, you're fighting a two front war against the Soviets, one through Armenia and Georgia and one through the Balkans and Ukraine.

[Csargo]

I've been debating on whether or not I should join the Axis. I'll wait and see how the Germans fair later on I guess.

[Lehesu]

I am trying to get into this game, but everything is quite overwhelming Any advice as to what country/when to start, and how to minimize my learning curve?

[GoreBag]

Well, you should have a run through the tutorials. They actually do help. Read the manual in your downtime. Then...well, I used Peru first to come to terms with the game and the whole system. Using a dirt-poor country also teaches you to manage your resources more efficiently, how important terrain is in small-scale battles, and why cavalry still has a role on the battlefield (albeit a small, focused one).

My second campaign was with Canada, which let me not lag nearly as far behind as Peru, technologically speaking, and allows you to get your first taste of the big war.

You'll probably be set to use a major power after these two, smaller campaigns. Spain might be a nice alternative to playing as Canada - the civil war can be pretty grueling for players new to the game, and sometimes still gives veterans a run for their money.

[Csargo]

I am trying to get into this game, but everything is quite overwhelming Any advice as to what country/when to start, and how to minimize my learning curve?

I started with a small Central American country to learn the basics it's slow but it'll help you learn. Then move onto some of the bigger countries Germany and USA are the best I think. Stay away from the UK and France. Especially the UK they have such a large Empire I imagine it's hard to handle. I'm sure some of the more experienced players can give you better help. But it makes you feel good when you create a little Central American empire. Just watch out for the US they won't like you getting too Belligerent it will all end with them kicking your @$$. Not fun

Hope that helps some.

[Avicenna]

Hell, I just went straight to Italy. Just play around and expect a failure in the first campaign. I don't know how to do convoys or trading myself.. I just set them all to auto. Seems to work fine for me. I also don't bother with the sliders.. I just use all my IC on these things in the order of priority:
- consumer goods
- supplies
- reinforcements
- upgrades
- production



When in need of resources.. colony time!

[Keba]

I'd advise you to do IC manually, at least. I don't really bother with convoys, since I can miss a unit's land-line being cut-off, the AI doesn't miss such things. And when you're operating on three continents, there's a lot to miss.

I used to do automated IC, but once I found out that the AI had weird priorities sometimes I gave up. It will take a bit of your time, but you can optimize your resources better like that.

Italy is generally a good starting nation ... it's not targeted particularly, fair industry, fair tech-teams, lots of options to get acquainted with the combat system, etc. Poland is fun, too ... though you can forget about playing past 1939, you don't stand the shadow of a chance against the Germans.

[Avicenna]

No option for the land doctrine though.. which sucks. A blitzkrieging Italy is what I want.. not some WWI era trench dogma.

[Avicenna]

Patch 1.2? Thanks a lot, I'll try that next time round. By the way, if I choose to play as Italy, is Operation Husky scripted?

[Csargo]

Well Puppeted Ethopia, Yugoslavia, and Greece also too all the coast of Yugoslavia. The British have Reinforced their holdings in Egypt 10 divisions or so to my 1 doesn't look good need to reinforce North Africa it's almost 1938. Still haven't allied with Germany isn't there some kind of Event that triggers it? Turkey I think will be an annoyance for me but I think that will trigger a war with the USSR which I am not ready for. Biding my time and waiting for 1939 to take Gibraltor and I see no RN in sight I think if I can take Gilbraltor fast enough I should be able to destroy any of the RN in the Med. with Naval bombers and my Navy. Everythings been easy so far but I fear war with the UK will be tough but I think I'm ready for a challenge. Once I take Gib. and Suez Canal I should be able to destroy the RN in Med. Hopefully all will go well and any tips would be appreciated.

[Avicenna]

Do you have carriers are modern ships? If you don't, I'm afraid the destroying will be done to you, not by you. Also, there is no event for alliance. Just wait until Germany has steamrollered France (ie when your left flank is safe) to join in the Axis. Turkey most probably does trigger war with the Soviets, which is a bad option for you. In my first campaign, even Switzerland led to war with the reds...

[screwtype]

Just out of interest, do any of you folks name your divisions or ships or corps?

Yeah, when playing Italy I gave all the divisions English descriptive names because I found the Italian names confusing. So, "1st Infantry", "27th Garrison", "2nd Mountain" and so on.

[CountArach]

Just a question for you guys.

I have HoI1 (Because I couldn't find #2 and can't be bothered to order it in online, and I have NO idea how to load troops onto a plane (Paratroopers) or planes onto a carrier.

Could someone who has played help me?

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

Just a question for you guys.

I have HoI1 (Because I couldn't find #2 and can't be bothered to order it in online, and I have NO idea how to load troops onto a plane (Paratroopers) or planes onto a carrier.

Could someone who has played help me?

1) For paratroopers, you just have to make sure you have one or less units per transport aircraft in the same province, then click on the parachute icon in the corner of the field command box.

2) Aircraft are loaded onto full sized carriers by way of a brigade attachment. Light Carriers cannot have aircraft added, as far as I know.

[Csargo]

Do you have carriers are modern ships? If you don't, I'm afraid the destroying will be done to you, not by you. Also, there is no event for alliance. Just wait until Germany has steamrollered France (ie when your left flank is safe) to join in the Axis. Turkey most probably does trigger war with the Soviets, which is a bad option for you. In my first campaign, even Switzerland led to war with the reds...

Not sure Tiberius I'll have to check haven't played today. Though that is why I added Naval Bombers. Eh I'll wait then not ready for war with the UK anyways. I had that same problem playing as another country Austria I think. SU is always a hassel.

[CountArach]

1) For paratroopers, you just have to make sure you have one or less units per transport aircraft in the same province, then click on the parachute icon in the corner of the field command box.

2) Aircraft are loaded onto full sized carriers by way of a brigade attachment. Light Carriers cannot have aircraft added, as far as I know.

Alright thanks!

Now Japan and America become playable...

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

No problem, hope that helps.


A small update on my Austrian campaign:

It's almost 1939, and I've managed to avoid both the Anschluss and military alliance to Germany without them declaring war (this was really suprising), not to mention the annexation of Hungary (which made the Italians rather angry). I'm on a bit of a mission to reunite the Austro-Hungarian Empire.


Any tips? Should I invade Yugoslavia (which would leave the homeland almost unguarded, but I could bring in allies to make it more secure, and if so, who should I ally with?), build up troops, or try to take as much of Slovakia as I can? Or even try to follow the Italian strategy and clear out a route to the Causcaus (could take a while)?

At the moment, I'm leaning towards Yugoslavia, but the Italians might finally lose it and declare war if I do that.

Update: I declared on Yugoslavia. Only it wasn't the Italians who took the bait. It was the Turks who declared war on me. Following that, the Allies declared war on the Turks, which made the Soviet Union rather angry, so it declared war on the Allies. Germany, for some reason, passed up the chance of quickly overrunning the already stretched Austria or Poland, and instead turned its eyes towards France. This is 1939.

We've really got a World War going now.

[Keba]

That is why unpredicted war declarations can cause so much fun in HoI2.

I tend to randomly declare war, too, sometimes.