Brought to players by the creative minds of Paradox Interactive is yet another riveting take on the grand strategy genre.Hearts of Iron 4tries to encapsulate the intense combat of World War II with a wargame setup that determines the fate of the world. While the game allows players to create, train, and customize various divisions according to their needs, Tanks inHearts of Iron 4serve as one of the most important ground units aside from basic infantry.
The sheer complexity of customization options with Tank Designs can mean any minute configuration in a tank’s layout can spell victory or defeat for players. Thankfully, there are ways for players to customize and create the ideal tanks depending on their needs. Some of these designs are based on existing tanks today that get the job done.
Updated on June 11, 2025, by Rhenn Taguiam:When fans realized that the recent Hearts of Iron 4 trailer was hiding a message via Morse code, it was Paradox Plaza user (sc)chronos who deciphered it using the Enigma Machine - revealing a quote from theoretical physicist Werner Heisenberg that reads: “What we observe is not nature itself but nature exposed to our method of questioning.” What might intrigue fans here isn’t just the fact that Heisenberg is a renowned nuclear scientist, but also the fact that it took using the famed Enigma Machine to decipher this quote. As fans scramble to theorycraft just what new gameplay features might be in store in the next update, users might want to brush up on their warfare skills by preparing their favorite strategies through new content. For fans who want to dominate through land warfare, relying on the best tank designs can give them an edge regardless of what the new update offers. Some must-try tank designs include Medium Tank builds, and an optimized Anti-Air kit.
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AlthoughHeavy Tanks are ideally equipped with larger weapons, theMedium Cannon Busterdesign inHearts of Iron 4maximizes bang for buck. It replaces the Tiger template’s Small Cannons with a Medium Cannon as its main armaments to improve the tank’s overall Soft Attack. In turn, theMedium Cannon Busterbecomes an AI-suited build capable of besting many of the game’s AI challenges, capitalizing on the fact that many of their tanks have Soft Armor anyway.
On top of these components, the Medium Cannon Buster equips the tank with Torque Bar (Suspension) and Riveted Armor (Armor Type) to boost its Reliability and Breakthrough, improving its efficiency in long-term fights.
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By the time players ofHearts of Iron 4start unlocking more tanks, especially in 1938, theAll-Around Medium Rusheris an ideal choice for most practical plays. This is built upon thestatistical advantages of Medium Tankstowards better attack and movement capabilities compared to Light Tanks.
At its core, theAll-Around Medium Rusheris built with decent Breakthrough and Soft Attack in mind, making this especially useful in encounters in multiplayer where players want to finish off enemies quickly and without risking any huge counteroffensives. Should players want to upgrade this build, they can add another Small Cannon and Interleaved Roadwheels, improving performance at the cost of some speed.
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AsMedium Tanks hold the reputation of being the ever-dependable tank typeinHearts of Iron 4gameplay, it makes sense for builds such as theBalanced Medium Frontlineto emphasize positioning these war machines in the thick of battle. WithBalanced Medium Frontline, players take advantage of the Medium Tank’s inherent speed and averaging offense with tweaks that maximize their potential without sacrificing both maneuverability and aggressive potential.
When done successfully, this build packs a lot of Soft Attack, Breakthrough, and overall Armor. Survivability is increased with base Armor and Breakthrough that lessens damage this build takes from defending enemies. Most importantly, high Soft Attack allows this tank to dish out a lot of damage to cheaper but plentiful soft targets and leave opponents with nothing but their expensive but few heavy units to protect them.
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At first glance, theFlame Support Supremacybuild forHearts of Iron 4gameplay doesn’t seem worth the while considering the Flamer’s baselackluster performancein combat. However, fans need to remember that the Flamer is built not for offense but rather for support. When players unlock the ability to create Flame Tank Support Companies, they should take advantage of theFlame Support Supremacybuild for its boosts.
Building upon the Medium Flame Tank, this build not only boasts a lot of Fuel Supply but also massive bonuses to terrain. This is the specialization of the Flamer, as they can provide as much as +40% Attack to Forts and +35% to Urban Terrain, on top of other flat attack bonuses that can make divisions especially deadly when tailored to tackle setups.
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When players start unlocking various tanks intheirHearts of Iron 4gameplay, they will likely want a tank design that can last them across various skirmishes and even wars. This is whereOptimized Starting Mediumcomes in, which recommends a combat-ready Medium Tank build that should theoretically help players outlast their threats in World War 2 through decent Breakthrough and Soft Attack options.
TheOptimized Starting Mediumbuild becomes available in the 1939 mark of a playthrough, wherein the 12.85 Production Cost should be affordable for most players without sacrificing Reliability and Breakthrough. The Medium Howitzer becomes the main choice for turret and can likely become a default build throughout the campaign, although there are ways to upgrade the design based on the player’s preference.
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Flame Tanks have become common in building efficient tank divisions inHearts of Iron 4.Heavy Flame Tank Supremacycapitalizes on their potential to provide backline support. While the flamethrower-based kit already adds decent Defense boosts to the rest of the squad,Heavy Flame Tank Supremacypushes things further by optimizing what the build can offer.
In this iteration of the Heavy Flame Tank, players use a Grosstraktor A and assign it as a Flame Tank without necessarily opting for a Flamethrower. Instead, players stack as much Armor as possible to the kit alongside Armor Skirts (Special Features) to get decent boosts to Breakthrough. This encourages the creation of a Flame Tank Division capable of destroying an enemy’s rear while securing defenses for the rest of the team.
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Players enjoying theirHearts of Iron 4gameplaywho want to square off against AI opponents with a more efficient tank build may want to consider theSoft Giant. While not as heavily armored as the Heavy Tank, this Panzer IV-based tank utilizes the Medium Tank’s speed for better exploration around the battlefield. That’s because theSoft Giantbuild makes use of the limited Small Cannons that the tank can equip but compensates with the rest of its kit.
Due to the weapon limitations of the build, Soft Giant added a Radio and additional Ammunition Storage to boost its Reliability and Breakthrough even further. Its minimum Soft Attack should be just enough to pierce through the Armor rating of most AIs in the opponent’s arsenal.
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When it comes to bolstering a Division’s survivability inHearts of Iron 4gameplay, players should create a well-kitted tank squad with high-enough Defense to share with the rest of the squad. This is what theSpace Marinebuild signifies. Its components aim to boost the combat potential of a Division not through high-powered, tanks but through optimizing its Infantry squad under the backbone of a Neubaufahrzeug.
When it comes to the specifics of theSuper Marinebuild, Armor Skirts (Special Features) is a more optimal choice. Sloped Armor and Cast Armor (Armor Type) are decent late-game additions, but they could make the Super Marine tank more expensive than it needs to. Ways to make this cheaper include Riveted Armor (Armor Type), Auto Cannon (Main Armament), and the Two-Man Turret (Turret).
The Medium TankinHearts ofIron 4gameplayis almost always the optimal middle ground of tank builds.Maximized Efficiencycapitalizes on the inventory-heavy focus of a Medium Tank. Using a Crusader as a base,Maximized Efficiencygives the tank as many options as it should to maximize its stats. For instance, chief among the Maximized Efficiency’s arsenal is the Three-Man Turret (Turret), Small Cannon (Main Armament), Improved Radio and Easy Maintenance (Special Features), Riveted Armor (Armor), and Interleaved Roadwheels (Suspension).
With these components, players can get a fast-enough Medium Tank without sacrificing defense, while still offering decent speed and firepower. While Maximized Efficiency offers lackluster Hard Attack, its Soft Attack coupled with an above average Max Speed can make it a deadly predator when chasing other ground units.
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Players will notice that the Panzer II Ausf. serves as their starting tank in most scenarios. This can build towards a1936 Cost Efficiencydesign that creates a slightly future-proofed kit that doesn’t break the bank. Key to the build here is using a Light Tank. Using a Heavy Tank can create an impractical boost in cost, and Lights can be customized to perform as decently as Mediums anyway.
In the1936 Cost Efficiencybuild, players use standout cost-efficient options such as the Improved Automatic Cannon (Main Armament), Three-Man Turret (Turret), Armor Skirts (Special Features), Welded Armor (Armor), Bogie Suspension (Suspension). Theoretically, this should give players a build with impressive Armor and Breakthrough that can decimate enemy lines early in the game.
