Hearts of Iron 4: How to Increase Manpower for War
In Hearts of Iron 4, the key to success in war lies in how well you can prepare your country. Building the best division templates and maintaining internal stability are crucial, but there is one factor that many countries struggle with – manpower. Unless you’re playing as the USSR or China, manpower will likely be a problem for you. Without enough manpower, your divisions will be unable to reinforce and will slowly dwindle in size. To help you overcome this challenge, we have compiled a list of methods to increase your manpower in HOI4.
How Manpower Works in HOI4
In HOI4, manpower represents the number of adults who are available to serve in your country’s army. There are two types of manpower – free and used. Free manpower refers to the number of people who can join your armies immediately for recruitment. Used manpower, on the other hand, represents the citizens already serving in your army divisions, including land, air, and navy divisions, as well as garrisons.
At the start of the game, you will have a set number of free manpower that you can utilize to build up your armies. This number increases every month based on the population of your core territories. It’s important to note that non-core territories will only contribute a small percentage of their population to your manpower pool.
Most countries in HOI4 have a limited increase in recruitable manpower per month, which is often insufficient to sustain high-tier divisions. These divisions usually require a minimum of 10,000 manpower and need to be replenished. To address this issue, we will guide you on how to increase your manpower pool and conscript every eligible adult in your country.
How to Increase Manpower in HOI4
While there aren’t many fast methods to increase manpower in HOI4, we’ll provide you with the most effective strategies:
Change Conscription Laws
One of the primary ways to boost manpower is by changing your conscription laws. Here’s how to do it:
- Click on the flag of your country in the top left corner of the screen.
- Under Laws & Government, click on the first button with the soldiers.
- Select one of the available conscription laws on the right.
After increasing manpower through conscription laws, you’ll need to wait for the new manpower to join the free manpower pool, based on your mobilization speed. The base mobilization speed at 50% war support is 0.01% per day. This means that if you increase your manpower pool by 1%, it will take 100 days for the manpower to reach its new maximum point.
Most countries start with the Volunteer Only conscription law, which only provides 1.5% of the population as manpower. Each change in conscription law costs 150 political power per step and requires meeting specific requirements. It’s generally recommended to stick with extensive conscription, as it provides a significant manpower boost with minimal debuffs.
Hire the Prince of Terror Political Advisor
If available, hiring the Prince of Terror political advisor can double the manpower from non-core territories, making a considerable difference for countries with extensive conquests. However, not all countries have access to this advisor, limiting its applicability.
Change Occupation Policies
Adjusting occupation policies in conquered territories can help increase both manpower and compliance. By implementing friendlier policies that require fewer garrisons, you can reclaim manpower and speed up compliance growth. Additionally, some occupation policies offer bonuses to recruitable manpower based on compliance level.
It’s essential to strike a balance between military policing and civilian oversight while considering the stability of the occupied territories.
Turn Communist and Get the Ideological Loyalty Spirit of the Army
Communist countries in HOI4 have the advantage of receiving free manpower every week through the Ideological Loyalty Spirit of the Army. This spirit provides a consistent 500 manpower per week, which adds up to around 2,000 free manpower per month. It’s a significant boost, especially for countries with limited manpower reserves.
To acquire the Ideological Loyalty Spirit of the Army:
- Click on the Officer Corps button at the top of the screen.
- In the Army Command section, click on the Spirit of the Army box.
- Choose Ideological Loyalty by spending 35 Army Experience.
It’s important to note that this option is only available to Communist ideologies.
Puppet Countries with High Manpower
If you have puppet countries under your control, you can utilize their manpower for training divisions. This can help alleviate your own manpower shortage and strengthen your forces.
By following these methods, you can increase your manpower reserves and ensure a stronger position in Hearts of Iron 4. Strategizing and maximizing your resources are vital for achieving victory on the battlefield.