A Guide to Hearts of Iron 4

By Francisco Piña

Have you ever wanted to play a game of Hearts of Iron 4? You don’t know what that is? Hearts of Iron 4 is a historical WW2 simulator where you control a nation from 1936 to 1947. In this guide, I will go through the basics of playing the game. By the end of it, you’ll be able to play a successful game of Hearts of Iron 4.

First, open the game. The directions to get to the main menu should be fairly simple. Since this is a beginner’s guide, click “Singleplayer” Then, click “New Game” You should select the start date of 1936. Why? 1939 is more difficult, since you will have less time to build your military before war. Select your nation. You can pick any nation that existed in 1936, but I recommend an easier nation for beginners, like Italy. Italy is a beginner nation because it starts out with a decent military and size. It also has weak neighbors, or ones that will most likely not go to war with Italy, such as France. From this point onwards, I will be writing as if the player was Italy.

Now that you have started the game, you will notice that you are looking at a map, surrounded by buttons. To move around the map, use the arrow keys, or move the mouse to the side of the screen in the direction you want to move in. You will see that your nation consists of states and provinces. A state is an area of land owned by a country, while a province is a small area of land within a state.

Next, look at the top of the screen. On the top bar, there will be 7 gray buttons. These are the most important. The first one covers research. Click research, then on an empty slot. The research screen may seem overwhelming at first, but it is actually neatly separated into 10 different tabs. All forms of research are beneficial, but I recommend going to industry and researching construction technology.

Now, click on the second button. The second gray button covers diplomacy. In my opinion, the button is unnecessary, since you can initiate diplomacy by right clicking a country. The third button opens the trade menu. This button is also not useful. You will only need to trade when you lack resources, and you will get a notification when you do. When in the trade menu, click on a nation, and select the amount of resources you need to import.

Furthermore, Clicking the fourth button opens the construction menu. This will show you the available constructions in your states. Click the building you want to build, and then the state or province you want to build it in. Be careful though, since every state and province has a certain amount of building slots available. There are three factory types; civilian, military, and dockyards. Civilian factories are best early in the game, while military factories are better to build a couple years later. Naval dockyards, used to build ships, should be built after military factories.

Next, click the fifth button. This will open the production screen. You will see four groups of producible things; land equipment, vehicles, planes, and ships. Inside these categories, you will find different equipment. You can assign a certain amount of military factories to each production line, depending on how many you have and the importance of the equipment produced. Equipment costs resources though, so you should be prepared to import materials if you do not have enough.

Finally, we are almost done with the buttons. The deployment screen, accessed through the sixth button, is where you design and deploy divisions. On the right of the deployment screen, you can edit your divisions. You should make sure to design a good division. For example, I recommend 7 infantry and 2 artillery. You can click the train button near your new division, and then wait for it it train and deploy. The seventh gray button is logistics. Logistics is a simple screen that shows how many of each equipment type you have. It will tell you if you lack certain supplies for reinforcements.

Now that I have covered the buttons, look in the top left corner. You will notice that there is a flag displayed in the corner. Clicking it will bring you to the country menu. You can assign advisors here, which will give bonuses to different tasks. You can also click the button to assign a national focus. These will guide your nation’s actions. Most take 70 days to complete. When completed, they can give special events, add factories, or even add troops.

Finally, you will notice that, as Italy, you start at war with Ethiopia. Ethiopia has poor divisions, and you outnumber them. Select all your divisions, and hit the button that adds them to an army. Assign a commander with the highest level and best traits. A field marshall can command an unlimited number of troops, but they lose one level and all traits when created from a general. Selecting your army, assign different divisions to front lines. Then, create an attack order. Click start, and the army will carry out all orders given. If you attack Ethiopia from both sides(your colonial states), the war will be over in a few months. Whenever you are at war, repeat this advice. When you assign a front line and attack order, your divisions automatically attack weak enemies and guard against strong ones.

Now that you know the basics, you should be able to win a successful game of Hearts of Iron 4! You know how to research, build, produce, deploy, manage your country, and fight in wars. One day, you might even be able to play a harder nation, like Poland. For now, only play Italy. As long as you follow this guide, I guarantee success.

Frank Piña Block 1-2A

Learning to Ride

“Ow!” I cried as I fell off the bike, the road scraping skin off my knee. I had been trying to ride a bike for the past few weeks, without success. I was all alone, as nobody has the time to help me. I looked at the wound, blood slowly trickling out of the raw flesh. I held back tears of both pain and disappointment. How could I ever hope to learn? This was pointless! I slowly picked up my bike and walked into my garage. I slowly put it back, with a frown on my face.

After school the next day, I decided I would try again. I grabbed my bike, and got on. Slowly, I pedaled out of my driveway and onto the street. It seemed to work! As I turned to the left, a car in the distance honked. Startled, I jerked my hand up, and fell off my bike. My hand smacked into the ground. The palm of my hand was on fire. In rage and anger, I kicked the bike. With the strength of a seven year old, it was motionless. I immediately realized my mistake. After closely examining the bike, it had no damage. I rolled it into my garage, cleaned my hurt hand, and ran upstairs.

That night, I wondered to myself how I would ride the bike. I was a failure! I couldn’t even ride a simple bike. What hope did I have after two tries and a scraped knee and hand? Still, some part of me still wanted to learn, so I promised myself I’d try once more.

That morning, I woke up with hope. It was a chilly Saturday morning. I leapt down the stairs, and ran into the garage. I hopped on my bike, and started to ride. The world seemed to slow down. Birds in the distance were chirping. Pedaling the green bike, I sped across the street. I glided across the street like an eagle in the sky. I smelled fresh morning air, and the faint aroma of cut grass. The sun’s rays beat down on me, and sweat trickled down my cheeks. I licked my dry, cracked lips. I could finally ride a bike! I slowed down, and turned around. The ride back was less thrilling, although I was still joyous and animated. I was delighted, and thought eagerly about how my friends and family would react.

Although it was not obvious then, I now know the true knowledge I learned was not how to ride a bike. The real knowledge I gained was to never give up. Through perseverance, I can achieve what seems impossible. Dream big, and you might just achieve what you want. After all, what would you have to lose?

I was strolling out of the New York City subway when the event that changed my life happened. I looked around, wondering where the foul odor was coming from. It was a bright, sunlit morning with no clouds. I heard cars honking, people babbling, and a pigeon cooing. The homeless man approached me holding a grimy brown shoebox. He was short, wearing torn clothes and a white hat. I could smell him from ten feet away, reeking of rotten food and urine. As he got closer, I was uneasy and tense. He might be concealing a weapon.

He held out his hat, with a warm but tired smile. I had always been a charitable and friendly person, so I took out my wallet and grabbed $20. “Th-thank you!” He exclaimed, his face brightening up. “Here,” He pressed the shoebox into my hands. “Take these, they will bring you happiness beyond measure!” Before I can respond, he darted off. I considered following him, but he had already disappeared in the sea of people.

Very carefully, I opened the box. It contained a rotten, putrid apple. I gagged at the smell. It smelled like death. I grinned. I’ve been meaning to plant a tree, so I may as well use this.

Five decades later, I finally understand what the man meant. I planted the tree the day after. I watered and cared for it every day. It took five years to grow tall, and another two to bear the fruits of my labor. When I proposed to my wife, I stood near the tree. When my first daughter learned to walk, it was under the shade of the tree. When she wanted a swing set, I built it on the strongest branch. When my son wanted a treehouse, I built it there. I now stand here, pushing my granddaughter on one of the swings.

The tree has created countless happy memories. The $20 might have given him a good meal or two, but it gave me a lifetime of happiness. I put my hand on the tree, and smile. The tree was my happiness. The tree was worth all the wealth in the world, and more.

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