Combat tactics

Combat tactics[1] provide damage, defense, movement speed, and combat width modifiers in land battles.
Tactics get re-selected every 12 hours from a weighted list of all available tactics. The side having Initiative gets an increased chance to counter their enemy's tactic. If a tactic gets countered, all its effects are disabled.
To determine initiative, the leading generals' skill levels are compared. The side with the highest recon value in one of their divisions (including reserves) gets a bonus of 5 skill levels for this comparison. The side with the higher effective skill level gets Initiative.
The side losing this comparison has to pick their tactic first. The side with initiative will pick their tactic after and if the counter-tactic is available its weight gets a bonus of 35% for every point of advantage in the skill comparison. Initiative does not explicitly decrease the probability of picking a tactic that is countered by the enemy's tactic.
Phases[edit | edit source]
Default[edit | edit source]
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This is a community maintained wiki. If you spot a mistake then you are welcome to fix it. |
Name | Trigger | Weight | Countered by | ![]() |
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Starts battle phase | Requires research |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() Attack |
– | 4 | Counter-Attack | +5% | – | – | – | – | – |
![]() Assault |
– | 2, in urban terrain else 0.4
4, if has trait |
Counter-Attack | +25% | – | – | – | Close combat | – |
![]() Encirclement |
|
4
8, if at least 1 of the following:
|
Tactical Withdrawal | +25% | +5% | +50% | – | – | – |
![]() Shock |
– | 4
8, if has trait |
Ambush | – | −25% | – | – | – | – |
![]() Breakthrough |
At least 1 of the following: | 4 | Backhand Blow | +25% | −15% | – | +50% | – | |
![]() Blitz |
|
4
8, if at least 1 of the following:
|
Elastic Defense | +15% | −15% | – | +50% | – | |
![]() Masterful Blitz |
|
4
8, if at least 1 of the following:
|
Elastic Defense | +20% | −20% | +10% | +50% | – | ![]() ![]() |
![]() Seize Bridge |
|
2 | – | +20% | −5% | −25% | +10% | Seize bridge | – |
![]() Mass Charge |
|
4 | – | +10% | +10% | +50% | – | – | ![]() |
![]() Banzai Charge |
Country is ![]() |
4 | Overwhelming Fire | +25% | +10% | – | +10% | – | – |
![]() Infiltration Assault |
– | 4 | – | +10% | −5% | – | – | – | ![]() |
![]() Well-Planned Attack |
– | 4 | – | +15% | – | – | – | – | ![]() |
![]() Relentless Assault |
– | 4 | – | +20% | +5% | – | +15% | – | ![]() |
![]() Unexpected Thrust |
– | 4 | – | +15% | – | – | +15% | – | ![]() |
![]() Suppressive Barrage |
– | 4 | – | +10% | -20% | – | – | – | ![]()
|
![]() Defend |
– | 4 | – | – | +5% | – | – | – | – |
![]() Counter-Attack |
Skill advantage is over 0. | 4
8, if has trait |
– | – | +25% | – | – | – | – |
![]() Delay |
– | 4 | Shock | −25% | −15% | – | −25% | – | |
![]() Tactical Withdrawal |
At least 1 of the following: | 4 | – | −25% | −5% | −25% | – | Tactical withdrawal | |
![]() Ambush |
At least 1 of the following: | 4 | Breakthrough | −25% | – | – | – | – | – |
![]() Elastic Defense |
At least 1 of the following:
|
4 | – | −15% | +10% | – | −25% | – | |
![]() Backhand Blow |
At least 1 of the following:
|
4 | – | −20% | +25% | – | −30% | – | |
![]() Hold Bridge |
|
2 | – | +20% | −5% | −25% | +10% | Hold bridge | – |
![]() Guerrilla Tactics |
At least 1 of the following: | 4 | – | −70% | −60% | −50% | – | – | |
![]() Overwhelming Fire |
– | 2 | – | −10% | +10% | – | – | – |
Close combat[edit | edit source]
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This is a community maintained wiki. If you spot a mistake then you are welcome to fix it. |
Name | Trigger | Weight | Countered by | ![]() |
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![]() |
Starts battle phase | Requires research |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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– | 4 | – | +10% | +5% | – | – | – | – |
![]() |
– | 2 | – | +20% | +20% | – | – | – | – |
![]() |
– | 1 | – | −5% | −5% | – | – | Default | – |
![]() |
– | 4 | – | +5% | +10% | – | – | – | – |
![]() |
– | 2 | – | −20% | – | – | – | – | – |
Tactical withdrawal[edit | edit source]
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This is a community maintained wiki. If you spot a mistake then you are welcome to fix it. |
Name | Trigger | Weight | Countered by | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Starts battle phase | Requires research |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() |
– | 4 | – | −25% | −10% | −25% | – | – | – |
![]() |
– | 4 | – | −15% | −5% | −25% | – | – | – |
![]() |
– | 4 | – | −5% | −10% | – | – | Default | – |
![]() |
– | 4 | – | −30% | −5% | −25% | – | – | – |
![]() |
– | 4 | – | −40% | −10% | −25% | – | – | – |
Seize bridge[edit | edit source]
![]() |
This is a community maintained wiki. If you spot a mistake then you are welcome to fix it. |
Name | Trigger | Weight | Countered by | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Starts battle phase | Requires research |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() |
– | 4 | – | +20% | – | −25% | – | – | – |
![]() |
Skill is over 4. | 4 | – | +20% | −10% | −25% | – | – | – |
![]() |
– | 4 | – | – | −5% | −25% | – | – | – |
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Skill is under 3. | 4 | – | +25% | −10% | −25% | – | – | – |
![]() |
At least one of the following: | 4 | Defend Bridge | +10% | −5% | −25% | – | Hold bridge | – |
Hold bridge[edit | edit source]
![]() |
This is a community maintained wiki. If you spot a mistake then you are welcome to fix it. |
Name | Trigger | Weight | Countered by | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Starts battle phase | Requires research |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() |
– | 4 | – | +10% | – | −25% | – | – | – |
![]() |
Skill is over 4. | 4 | – | +20% | – | −25% | – | – | – |
![]() |
– | 2 | Defend Bridge | +20% | +5% | −25% | – | Seize bridge | – |
![]() |
Skill is under 3. | 2 | – | +20% | −10% | −25% | – | – | – |
![]() |
At least one of the following: | 2 | – | +10% | +5% | −25% | – | – | – |
Footnotes[edit | edit source]
- ↑ See in /Hearts of Iron IV/common/combat_tactics.txt.
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