Commander trait

A commander trait can change a commander's skills, specialize them for different combat scenarios, change how much experience they get and various other effects. Traits can affect which skills are given to a commander when their skill level increases by modifying variables not visible in game called "skill factor"; higher skill factor for a skill makes it more likely to be given on a level up.

General and field marshal

Personality traits

These traits can not be gained through experience and generally do not affect subordinate unit leaders. Conversely they are the only traits that can appear on newly hired generals and field marshals.

name	personal modifier	modifier	skill	skill factor	notes
Old Guard	-25% experience gain	+1 max entrenchment
Brilliant Strategist			+1 attack +1 planning	+1 attack +1 planning
Inflexible Strategist			+1 defense +1 logistics	+1 defense +1 logistics
Politically Connected	-10% experience gain -50% promotion cost			+1 planning +1 logistics
War Hero	-50% promotion cost +50% reassignment duration			+1 attack +1 planning	does not randomly appear on new leaders
Career Officer	-25% promotion cost			+1 planning +1 logistics
Cautious		-20% planning speed -50% wounding chance		+1 defense +1 logistics
Reckless		+20% planning speed +50% wounding chance		+1 attack -1 defense +1 planning
Media Personality	+100% reassignment duration			+1 attack +1 defense
Harsh Leader		-10% division recovery	+1 attack	+1 attack +1 logistics
Bearer of Artillery		Artillery Attack: +15%			Only available to Wojtek by the event “Wojtek Never Drops A Crate”.
Infantry Officer				+1 defense +1 planning	+100% XP gain for Infantry Leader
Cavalry Officer				+1 attack +1 logistics	+100% XP gain for Cavalry Leader
Armor Officer				+1 attack +1 planning	+100% XP gain for Panzer Leader
Kemalist Champion					does not randomly appear on new leaders, only available to Turkish generals.

Gainable traits

These traits can be earned by generals collecting relevant experience. Some of them do not work when the general is used as a field marshal after promoting them. For every trait a general has already acquired, the gain rate for all other traits gets reduced. Half speed with one finished trait, one-third speed with two traits, and so on.

name	experience gain	general-only modifier	modifier	notes
Organizer	using a battle plan		Planning Speed: +10%
Cavalry Leader	Cavalry, motorized and mechanized ratio > 40%		Cavalry Attack: +15% Motorized Attack: +15% Mechanized Attack: +15%
Infantry Leader	Infantry ratio > 80%		Infantry Division Defense: +15%
Skilled Staffer	Controlling at least 24 divisions	General Max Army Size: +6		+2 logistics skill factor
Trickster	Is flanking the enemy or getting flanked by them		Reconnaissance: +25%
Winter Specialist	Temperature less than -10		Winter Attrition: −50.00%
Engineer	has combat modifier Fort or River crossing		River Attack: +5.0% Fort Attack: +10.0%
Panzer Leader	Armored ratio > 40.00%		Armor speed: +5% Armor Division Attack: +10%	+2 attack skill factor
Commando	One of the following must be true: Temperature less than -15 Temperature more than 27 Has combat modifier: Paradrop Has combat modifier: Naval Penalty		Out of Supply: -25.00%
Desert Fox	Fighting on terrain:  Desert		Desert: Movement: +5.0% Attack: +10.0% Defense: +10.0%
Swamp Fox	Fighting on terrain:  Marsh		Marsh: Movement: +5.0% Attack: +10.0% Defense: +10.0%
Mountaineer	Fighting on terrain:  Mountain		Mountain: Movement: +5.0% Attack: +10.0% Defense: +10.0%
Hill Fighter	Fighting on terrain:  Hills		Hills: Movement: +5.0% Attack: +10.0% Defense: +10.0%
Jungle Rat	Fighting on terrain:  Jungle		Jungle: Movement: +5.0% Attack: +10.0% Defense: +10.0%
Ranger	Fighting on terrain:  Forest		Forest: Movement: +5.0% Attack: +10.0% Defense: +10.0%
Urban Assault Specialist	Fighting on terrain:  Urban		Urban: Movement: +5.0% Attack: +10.0% Defense: +10.0%
Invader	amphibious invasion		Amphibious Invasion Speed: +30.00% Invasion Preparation Time: -30.00%

Assignable traits

Apart from starting commanders, these traits are only available with Waking the Tiger and are manually assigned. Many of them give access to command power abilities, another feature of this DLC. It costs 15 command power to assign a trait.

Field marshal

Trait	Prerequisites	Effect
Logistics Wizard	Has trait Organizer	Supply Consumption: −15% Enables Ability: Extra Supplies
Fast Planner	Has trait Organizer Does not have trait Thorough Planner	Planning Speed: +25%
Thorough Planner	Has trait Organizer Does not have trait Fast Planner	Max Planning: +10%
Unyielding Defender	Has trait Inflexible Strategist Does not have trait Aggressive Assaulter	Defense: +10% Increased chance of executing Counterattack tactics
Aggressive Assaulter	Has trait Brilliant Strategist Does not have trait Unyielding Defender	Breakthrough: +10% Increased chance of executing Assault and Shock tactics
Offensive Doctrine	Does not have trait Defensive Doctrine	Organization Loss when Moving: −30%, Attack Skill +1
Defensive Doctrine	Does not have trait Offensive Doctrine	Max Entrenchment: +30%
Organization First		Reinforce Rate: +2%
Charismatic		Division Recovery Rate: +10%
Expert Delegator	Has trait Skilled Staffer	Field Marshal Max Army Group Size: +2

General

Trait	Prerequisites	Effect
Panzer Expert	Has trait Panzer Leader Does not have trait Combined Arms Expert or Cavalry Expert	Armor Division Defense: +10.00% Increased chance of executing Blitz and Encirclement tactics
Combined Arms Expert	Has trait Panzer Leader or Cavalry Leader Does not have trait Panzer Expert or Cavalry Expert	Motorized Defense: +15.00% Mechanized Defense: +15.00% Increased chance of executing Blitz and Encirclement tactics
Cavalry Expert	Has trait Cavalry Leader Does not have trait Panzer Expert or Combined Arms Expert	Cavalry Defense: +10.00%
Fortress Buster	Has trait Engineer Does not have trait Scavenger	Fort: Attack: +15.0% Enables Ability: Siege Artillery
Scavenger	Has trait Engineer Does not have trait Fortress Buster	Equipment Capture Ratio Gain: +3.0%
Infantry Expert	Has trait Infantry Leader Does not have trait Ambusher	Infantry Division Attack: +10.00%
Ambusher	Has trait Infantry Leader Does not have trait Infantry Expert	Max Entrenchment: +5.0 Recon Bonus While Entrenched: +25.0%
Amphibious	Has trait Invader	Extra Marine Supply Grace: +240.0 Hour(s) Enables Ability: Naval Assault Plan
Naval Liaison	Has trait Invader	Shore Bombardment Bonus: +25.0%
Skirmisher	Has trait Commando	Enables Ability: Probing Attack
Paratroopers	Has trait Commando	Extra Paratrooper Supply Grace: +240.0 Hour(s) Enables Ability: Glider Planes
Camouflage Expert	Has trait Commando	Damage Reduction Against CAS: +50.0% Air Support (CAS) Bonus in Combat: -50.0%
Improvisation Expert	Has trait Trickster At Least 1 Terrain Trait	Movement Bonus On Land: +10% Enables Ability: Makeshift Bridges
Guerilla Fighter	Has trait Trickster	Entrenchment Speed: +50%
Adaptable	Assignable when has 2 Terrain Traits	Terrain Penalty Reduction: +30.00% (Applied after summing all other terrain modifiers, not applied to terrain features) Cold acclimation gain factor: +0.1 Hot acclimation gain factor: +0.1
Winter Expert	Assignable when has trait Winter Specialist	Cold acclimation gain factor: +0.4

Admiral

Personality traits

These traits can not be gained through experience. Conversely they are the only traits that can appear on newly hired admirals.

Trait	Effect
Old Guard	−25% Leader experience gain
Media Personality	+10% Fleet Attack and Defense if commanding the Pride of the Fleet
Career Officer	+10% Commander Experience Gain
Bold	Naval Speed: +10% Damage: +5.00%
Caustic Personality	Number of ships in the first contact: -25%
Naval Lineage	Number of ships in the first contact: +25% Retreat Decision Chance: -25%
Gentlemanly	Navy Organization: +5 Enemy Retreat Chance: +20.00%
Battleship Adherent	Naval AA attack: -20.00% Capital Ship Attack: +10.00%
Gunnery Expert	Ironside experience factor: 50%
Aviation Enthusiast	Air Controller experience factor: 50%
Cuts Corners	Damage: +20.00% Defense: -10.00%
Chief Engineer	Chance to Receive Critical Hit: -5.0%
Craven	Retreat Decision Chance: +25% Damage: -5.00%

Gainable traits

Trait	Effect	Experience gained while	XP required
Sea Wolf	+20% Submarine Attack	More than 80% submarines in fleet.	700
Blockade Runner	+20% Retreat decision chance +15% Fleet speed while retreating +5% Convoy speed while retreating	Bravely retreating in the face of overwhelming force.	500
Superior Tactician	+25% Positioning	Having the advantage in combat.	500
Spotter	+10% Spotting speed	Spotting the enemy.	500
Fly swatter	+10% Naval AA attack	Fighting enemy air units.	300
Ironside	+10% Capital Ship Armor	Commanding or fighting Capital Ships.	500
Air Controller	+10% Sortie efficiency +10% Naval Air Targeting from Carriers	Has carrier with air wings on a mission or carrier has air wings in combat it is a part of.	500
Fleet Protector	+20% Screening efficiency	More than 50% screening vessels in fleet.	500
Cold Water Expert	Attrition: -8%	While weather is Arctic Water	1000
Inshore Fighter	Fjords and Archipelagos: Movement: +10% Attack: +10% Defense: +10%	Fighting on terrain: Fjords and Archipelagos	1000
Blue Water Expert	Deep Oceans: Movement: +10% Attack: +10% Defense: +10%	Fighting on terrain: Deep Oceans	1000
Green Water Expert	Shallow Sea: Movement: +10% Attack: +10% Defense: +10%	Fighting on terrain: Shallow Sea	1000

Assignable traits

Admirals may get traits assigned if they have the prerequisite earned traits. Assigning traits cost 15 command power. There is however no experience requirement for these traits. The maximum of assignable traits depends on the admiral's level.

Trait	Effect	Prerequisite Trait	Exclusive with
Silent Hunter	Torpedo Reveal Chance: -15%	Sea Wolf	Lancer
Torpedo Expert	Torpedo Hit Chance +10%	Silent Hunter	-
Lancer	Torpedo Screen Penetration +25%	Sea Wolf or Fleet Protector	Silent Hunter
Loading Drill Master	Torpedo Cooldown -25%	Silent Hunter or Lancer or Destroyer Leader	-
Destroyer Leader	Destroyer Visibiliy: -10% Damage: +10% Torpedo hit chance: +10%	Fleet Protector	-
Hunter-Killer	Submarine Attack: +10% Submarine Detection: +20%	Destroyer Leader	-
Cruiser Captain	Heavy Cruiser Naval Speed: +10% Damage +10% Light Cruiser Naval Speed: +10% Damage: +10%	Flyswatter	-
Search Pattern Expert	Spotting Speed: +20%	Cruiser Captain	-
Lone Wolf	Enemy Fleet Size Penalty: +10%	Superior Tactician	Concealment Expert
Smoke Screen Specialist	Retreat Decision Chance +25%	Lone Wolf or Concealment Expert	-
Concealment Expert	Visibility -20%	Superior Tactician or Blockade Runner or Spotter	Lone Wolf
Mine Sweeper	Naval minesweeping efficiency: +25% Naval mines avoidance: +25%	Blockade Runner or Spotter	Mine Layer
Mine Layer	Naval minelaying efficiency +25%	Blockade Runner or Spotter	Mine Sweeper
Flight Deck Manager	Sortie Efficiency: +10%	Air Controller	-
Fighter Director	Fighters sortie efficiency; +20%	Flight Deck Manager	Torpedo Bomber and Dive Bomber
Dive Bomber	Close air support (Carrier) Air Mission Efficiency: +10% Air Attack: +10%	Flight Deck Manager	Fighter Director and Torpedo Bomber
Torpedo Bomber	Naval bomber (Carrier) Air Mission Efficiency: +10% Air Attack: +10%	Flight Deck Manager	Fighter Director and Dive Bomber
Big Guns Expert	Capital Ship Attack: +15%	Ironside	-
Marksman	Chance to score Critical hit: +10%	Big Guns Expert	Crisis Magician
Safety First	Chance to Receive Critical Hit: -25%	Ironside	-
Crisis Magician	Effects of sustained Critical Hits: -50%	Safety First	Marksman
Ground Pounder	Shore Bombardement Bonus: +25%	Ironside	-