Hearts of Iron 4: Boosting Your Intelligence Agencies
Hearts of Iron 4 isn’t just about military might – your intelligence agencies play a significant role in shaping the course of the Second World War. These agencies can give you a competitive edge, from uncovering enemy troop movements to sowing discord within enemy ranks.
However, establishing and maintaining effective intelligence agencies requires significant investment. To maximize your espionage efforts, you’ll need to increase the number of spies at your disposal.
How to Get More Spies/Operatives in HOI4
To get your first spy operative in HOI4, you will need to allocate 5 civilian factories to create an Intelligence Agency. Once established, it takes 30 days to recruit your first spy.
But before you can expand your espionage operation, you need to complete one of the following:
- Get 5 Intelligence Agency upgrades
- Appoint the Illusive Gentleman Political Advisor
- Become Spy Master of a large faction
- Complete National Focuses
Intelligence Agency Upgrades
Once your Intelligence Agency is operational, you can access various upgrades under the Agency Branches. These upgrades typically require 5 civilian factories and 30 days to complete. Once you have obtained 5 upgrades, you’ll gain an additional operative slot, allowing you to recruit a new spy.
Illusive Gentleman Political Advisor
The Illusive Gentleman Political Advisor is available to all countries in HOI4, provided they have the La Résistance DLC. This advisor increases your Operative Slots by 1 and reduces the time required for agency upgrades by 15%, down to 25 days per upgrade. This is an efficient way to bolster your espionage capabilities.
Spy Master
By meeting specific criteria and spending 50 Political Power, you can become a Spy Master in HOI4. This title allows you to increase your Operative Slots based on the status of countries in your faction. The Spy Master can significantly expand the reach of your spy network, with a maximum limit of 10 operatives.
National Focuses
Countries with a focus tree rework after the La Résistance DLC release have special national focuses that grant additional Operative Slots. For example, the USSR, Poland, and several Nordic countries can access these focuses to bolster their espionage capabilities. Utilizing these national focuses can provide a critical advantage in intelligence operations.
By following these methods, you can effectively increase your network of spies in Hearts of Iron 4, enhancing your intelligence capabilities and potentially altering the course of history.
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