Assault ingener Company

What the Assault Engineer Company is

In HoI4 the Assault Engineer Company is a company in the Support Companies column on the right, for the whole division. Not regimental support at the bottom — a normal slot next to artillery and Recon Company.

Per the in-game description: units for breaching fortified positions — explosives, armor, fortifications even in harsh conditions. In practice this is the assault version of engineers: less “sit in trenches,” more “break enemy defenses.”

Important: it cannot be combined with Engineer Company, Armored Engineer Company, or other engineer support in one template — the game treats them as one engineer support type. One division — one engineer company, your choice.

Why you need the Assault Engineer Company

So the division breaks through better — especially at forts, cities, rivers, and fortified sectors. It gives entrenchment (+2, like engineers), but the main value is on the attack, not defending forests and marshes.

• Strong breakthrough. Base breakthrough at the company level is three times higher than Engineer Company (1.5 vs 0.5). Infantry battalions in the column get another +10% breakthrough.
• Forts and cities. +25% soft attack at forts (engineers +10%), +20% in urban terrain (engineers get no attack bonus there).
• Not about raw damage. The company itself hits weakly: −50% soft attack support penalty, like engineers. Hard attack is not its job either — value is in breakthrough and terrain bonuses, not shooting.
• Entrenchment. +2 entrenchment — same as a regular Engineer Company. You can hold on defense, but less profitably than with engineers in forests.
• No width. Strengthens the division without adding combat width.

In short: the Assault Engineer Company is “engineers for the attack”: they break defenses, not dig in a forest for a month.

Do you need the Assault Engineer Company

Not mandatory — and definitely not on every division. This is a company for assault templates, not a baseline like Engineer Company.

• Yes — if your division is on the offensive, you need forts/cities, you already have the special project unlocked, and factories produce Armored Support Vehicles.
• No — if your division holds the line, forests, marshes, rivers: Engineer Company is more universal there.
• No — if the special project is not ready yet or you lack the Gotterdammerung DLC.
• No — if your industry is weak: 20 armored vehicles + 20 Support Equipment per company is expensive.
• Not with engineers. In one template — either Assault Engineer Company or Engineer Company (or another engineer support). You cannot fit two engineer slots.

Rule for beginners: put Engineer Company on most divisions; Assault Engineer Company on separate assault templates when you have the equipment and a clear goal.

When and who to add it

• Assault infantry — yes. The division pushes breakthroughs, takes fortified lines, forts, cities.
• Defensive line — no. Engineers give more in forests, marshes, at rivers. Assault engineers will not pay off there.
• Naval invasion — sometimes. Engineers also have +15% amphibious attack, but assault engineers are stronger in cities after landing.
• Paratroopers — no. You cannot drop Assault Engineer Company with paratroopers (Engineer Company — yes).
• Garrison — no. Expensive and pointless for a quiet sector.

How to get the Assault Engineer Company

1. Research Engineer Company I. Without it the special project will not unlock.
2. Start the special project "Military Engineering Vehicles". Requires Gotterdammerung and the special projects branch. When finished, the company and Armored Support Vehicle production unlock.
3. Research Engineer Company II–IV. Upgrades also improve the assault branch: breakthrough, soft attack at forts, in cities, at rivers.
4. Set up production. One company needs 20 Armored Support Vehicles and 20 Support Equipment.
5. Add to the template instead of engineers. In the designer — Support Companies, if you picked an assault division profile.

How effective is the Assault Engineer Company

Effectiveness is in offense: breaking the line, forts, cities, terrain soft attack bonuses. The company itself is weak at shooting — soft attack and hard attack are not its strength, like any engineer support. In pure forest and marsh defense Engineer Company usually wins — it has stronger terrain defense bonuses.

Assault Engineer Company vs Engineer Company

Both are engineer Support Companies, both give entrenchment. But roles differ: Engineer Company — universal defense and terrain; assault engineers — breakthrough and enemy fortifications. They cannot share one template.

In short: Engineer Company is first and main for most divisions: entrenchment, forests, rivers, cheaper. Assault Engineer Company is a replacement for engineers on specific assault divisions when you need to break forts and cities, not sit on defense.

What this looks like in practice

1. On most divisions add Engineer Company, artillery, Recon Company — baseline template.
2. Research Engineer Company I, complete the special project "Military Engineering Vehicles".
3. On 1–2 strike divisions for forts/cities swap engineers for Assault Engineer Company.
4. Make sure factories keep up with armored vehicles; do not give assault engineers to defensive lines.

Practical rule: engineers everywhere → assault engineers on breakthrough templates when you have the project and factories → do not mix both in one division.

Tips

• Do not confuse with regimental support. Assault Engineer Company is a normal right-column slot, not under battalion columns.
• Do not add with engineers. The game will not allow two engineer support companies of the same type.
• Research Engineer Company II–IV. Upgrades also improve the assault branch.
• Do not replace all engineers. Defensive divisions do not need assault engineers.
• Plan industry. Armored Support Vehicles are a separate production line, not infantry.