Summary
Air Doctrines inHearts of Iron 4allow nations to specialize in specific methods of aerial warfare, potentially allowing them to change the tide of battle depending on how their air force adapts to certain situations. On top of the right Aircraft Design and Air Technologies, overall Air Combat can become significantly bolstered with the right Air Doctrine.
Divided into three major categories,Hearts of Iron 4players can have Air Doctrines under Battlefield Support, Operational Integrity, and Strategic Destruction - all providing benefits that are technically useful for players, but may become especially useful in specific situations. However, which Air Doctrines should players rely on when certain battle conditions pop up?
Strategic Destruction, +10% Agility (Fighter, Heavy Fighter)
Effect
+10% Fighter Detection, +20% Air Superiority Mission Efficiency, +5% Air Wing Mission Experience Gain, +10% Agility
The most important thing about Air Doctrines inHearts of Iron 4is how it can secure air war for players, with other effects on the side like neat bonuses. In the case ofMulti-Altitude Flying (Strategic Destruction), this provides players with +10% Agility for their Fighters and Heavy Fighters, boosting their chances of hitting opponents. However, with the multi-layered nature ofHearts of Iron 4gameplay, this Strategic Destruction Doctrine is more useful with what it implies than the base bonuses.
Given the tech tree nature of Doctrines, unlocking Multi-Altitude Flying means stacking all the bonuses of prior Doctrine choices. By the time this is unlocked, players have also likely already acquired +20% Air Superiority Mission Efficiency and +5% Air Wing Mission Experience Gain (Dogfighting Experience), +10% Interception Detection (Home Defense), and +10% Fighter Detection (Air Superiority). Compared to other Doctrines in Strategic Destruction, Multi-Altitude Flying is likely the end-point of all useful direct-aerial combat Doctrine choices in this tree.
Operational Integrity,+10% Ace Generation
Going down the tree will eventually get players to +20% Ace Generation
Regardless of whatHearts of Iron 4countryplayers pick for their playthrough, their nation of choice will likely have the gamified advantages, setbacks, and unique properties as their real-time counterparts, especially during the game’s setting of the 1930s. Included among these real-life allusions are specializations in certain aspects of the battlefield, as well as skilled ace pilots that can turn around the tide of battle. Aces are a key component of the Operational Integrity tree - something signaled early upon the acquisition ofFighter Baiting (Operational Integrity).
The +10% Ace Generation chance of Fighter Baiting could eventually evolve to +20% with the other half coming from Air Skirmish. At first glance, the odds of Ace Generation don’t seem important as only one can be assigned to an air wing. However, the advantages they can provide may turn the tide of an encounter. Depending on the type and the skill level, an Ace can provide combat advantages (Fighter), range (Strategic Bomber), or even naval and ground targeting (CAS, TAC, Naval).
Get Ace And Better Mission Performance
Property
Operational Integrity, +20% Air Superiority Mission Efficiency, +10% Ace Generation Chance
+20% Ace Generation Chance, +20% Air Superiority, +15% Air Superiority, +20% Fighter Detection
Should players want to start theirHearts of Iron 4playthrough with some of its hardest countries, they need all the advantages they can get. In terms of air combat, this may come in the form ofAir Skirmish (Operational Integrity). While its placement in Operational Integrity is close to the end of the Doctrine tree, it does come with a lot of advantages. By the time Air Skirmish provides its +10% Ace Generation Chance and +20% Air Superiority Mission Efficiency, it already packs more buffs for aerial missions compared to Strategic Destruction.
Unlocking Air Skirmish already secures +20% Ace Generation, potentially giving specialized air wing benefits. The tree by then also provides +20% Fighter Detection (Dispersed Fighting), +15% Air Superiority (Operational Destruction), +20% Interception Detection and +5% Air Wing Mission Experience Gain (Force Rotation), and +20% Interception Mission Efficiency (Fighter Baiting).
Battlefield Support, Air Superiority +20%
Air Superiority +30%, Agility +20%, Air Support Mission Efficiency +40%, Ground Attack Factor +10%, Ground Support +20%, Fighter Detection +15%
Part of what makesHearts of Iron 4a compelling strategy experienceis its tactical versatility, especially from its grand strategy perspective. This is made more evident withBattlefield Support (Battlefield Support), an Air Doctrine from the tree of the same name that can grant a whopping 20% boost to Air Superiority. At its core, this already stacks with potent bonuses from prior Air Doctrines such as Fighter Detection +15% (Formation Flying), Air Support Mission Efficiency +40% and Ground Attack Factor +10% (Dive Bombing and Hunt and Destroy), Ground Support +20% (Direct Ground Support), Air Superiority Mission Efficiency +15% (Formation Fighting), and the +10% from Combat Unit Destruction.
Among the buff stacks, Air Superiority and Air Superiority Mission Efficiency are perhaps the most important to Battlefield Support. This stat alone increases the scale through which damage can be dealt to enemy units on the ground. Having the advantage of Air Superiority alone on top of bonuses to Ground Support and Ground Attack Factor can give players dominance in ground combat without having to use their planes for direct assaults.
Operational Integrity, +20% Fighter Detection
+20% Interception Mission Efficiency, +10% Ace Generation Chance, +20% Interception Detection, +5% Air Wing Mission Experience Gain
If there’s anythinggames likeHearts of Iron 4teach about warfare, it’s that sometimes it’s more efficient to destroy the enemy’s best assets instead of wasting time eliminating their forces. This is whatDispersed Fighting (Operational Integrity)represents, as it essentially paves the way for players to eliminate the enemy nation’s best planes in their wing. When unlocked, Dispersed Fighting will have its bonus stack with +20% Interception Mission Efficiency and +10% Ace Generation Chance (Fighter Baiting) as well as +20% Interception Detection and +5% Air Wing Mission Experience Gain (Force Rotation).
With these bonuses in mind, players can enjoy more detection from planes on Air Superiority missions, much in the same way Interception Detection does the same in Interception missions. The bonuses from Mission Experience Gain and Ace Generation can pave the way towards more focus-built air wings.
Strategic Destruction,+30% Strategic Bombing
Can lead to +50 to 70% Strategic Bombing, Air Superiority +15%, Air Superiority Mission Efficiency +20%, Interception Mission Efficiency +20%, Interception Detection +10%, Fighter Detection +10%
On top of thesheer destructive power of nukes inHearts of Iron 4are its Strategic Bombers, especially when used to rain hell on the enemy’s valuable supply lines. Players who want to wreak havoc on enemy forces in this manner should pursueDay Bombing (Strategic Destruction). Its +30% Strategic Bombing is a precursor to the Doctrine tree’s slate of massive bonuses to the stat, which can make a player’s air forces more potent given how it already stacks with Air Superiority (Logistical Bombing), Air Superiority Mission Efficiency (Dogfighting Experience) and Interception (Fighter Sweeps) Mission Efficiency, Interception Detection (Home Defense), and Fighter Detection (Air Superiority).
From Day Bombing, players can upgrade their Strategic Bombing prowess further down the line. Players can get another +20% Strategic Bombing from Massed Bomber Formation and a final +20% Strategic Bombing from Mass Destruction. By then, players can also enjoy an additional +25% Bomber Defense (Flying Fortress) and go overkill with another +15% Air Superiority (Offensive Formations).
Battlefield Support, +20% Ground Support
+40% Ground Support, +25% Ace Generation Chance, +10% Ground Attack Factor, +15% Fighter Detection
Whether gamers play a solo ormultiplayerHearts of Iron 4session, it’s just as important for their air wings to coordinate seamlessly with their ground forces. This is something thatGround Support Integration (Battlefield Support)does, as its +20% Ground Support totals into a whopping +40% Ground Support when combined with the Direct Ground Support Doctrine. This stacks on other unlocked buffs such as +15% Air Superiority (Formation Fighting), as well as +10% Ground Attack Factor and +40% Air Support Mission Efficiency (Dive Bombing, Hunt and Destroy).
Integral to Ground Support Integration’s benefit is Ground Support, which is essentially a buff that increases the number of planes that can participate in CAS Missions during combat. Compared to Air Support which buffs troops when CAS wings support them, Ground Support boosts the damage that planes deal in similar situations.
