Best Defense Template 2026

The cheapest backbone. 5 Infantry battalions, Engineer Company, Heavy Weapons Company in the regiment. The width fits every land terrain. Any country in the game can afford this. A micro-nation can drop Heavy Weapons Company if you cannot fit in the research.

One such division will not hold an army. The trick is cost: you churn them out. A minor is covered by 2–5 per tile, a major from 6. Nothing against tanks: you need Support Anti-Tank. Support Artillery can go in companies if Organization allows (often after doctrines). Good call: you get Soft Attack.

Stronger than naked 10 CW. 4 Infantry battalions, 1 Medium SP Anti-Air, Engineer Company. If the enemy has no tanks and no anti-tank, armor simply blocks part of the damage. SPAA also cuts the enemy-air debuff and shoots down planes. Organization is poor, but playable.

Make the SPAA template cheap and max the armor: One Man Turret and Basic Anti-Air Gun. Inter-War chassis is enough, you do not need 1938–40. On 10 military factories, in 1–2 years you stock SPAA for 24 such divisions. 1–2 of these per tile plus a couple of normal 10 CW — the line is already solid. A large major like Germany should look at Armored Infantry 20 CW.

The infantry doctrine branch raises Organization: then you can add Heavy Weapons Company if final Organization stays at 45 or above.

Bridge between 10 and 20 CW. 6 Infantry battalions, 1 Artillery, Engineer Company. It holds and it hits. Relatively cheap, but it eats artillery: do not put whole armies on it, or you will run 7+ military factories on artillery instead of the usual 1–3.

Pairing: 10 CW (armored or not) holds the front, 15 CW is your striking fist. Or 1–2 of these per tile mixed with 10-width divisions — Soft Attack on defense. Width sits nicely in many terrains. As Germany in 1940 I held France this way: 2–3 on the border. Fits a mid minor to a mid major. If you attack with them a lot, put Cavalry Recon Detachment for terrain buffs. If the infantry doctrine branch is open and Organization is 50+, you can add Heavy Weapons Company or Support Artillery.

Forest and jungle, not plains. 6 Ranger battalions, 1 Artillery, Support Artillery and Engineer Company. Organization already lets you put artillery in companies. Any country, by the special-forces cap, fields at least 4 of these.

I used this as Portugal to hold Spain in the south. Research Rangers II and the special-forces doctrine — then Heavy Weapons Company and recon. Minor and major both can. In forest it is clearly meaner than Infantry 15 CW.

Upgraded Armored Infantry 10 CW, now for a major. 9 Infantry battalions, 1 Medium SP Anti-Air, Engineer Company and Support Artillery. Hard to kick off a tile, especially if it is not alone. The AI usually needs several divisions focused on one tile to even scratch the paint. Best template in the article on a normal front, special forces aside.

It can counter-attack, but for attacking you want a breakthrough template. The infantry doctrine branch adds Organization, then Heavy Weapons Company and recon. 1–2 of these per tile, plus 2–3 other divisions and manual rotation — the enemy struggles to move the front. A minor usually cannot afford the size; a major can. Enemy anti-tank or tanks make it much worse — they pierce armor well.

King of the mountains. 11 Mountaineers battalions, 1 Artillery, companies: Support Artillery, engineers, Field Hospital. Two Heavy Weapons Companies in the regiment. Built for mountains and hills. One of these often holds several enemy divisions thanks to its buffs. Almost useless on other terrain — do not drag them onto plains. By the cap, any country fields at least 2.

Artillery gives Soft Attack for counter-attacks, the hospital cuts losses, heavy companies raise defense. A major template.
A minor can drop the hospital and one or two Heavy Weapons Companies — the width still fits mountains. Upgrade: a third Heavy Weapons Company and recon if you have Mountain Infantry II–III or the special-forces doctrine.

Same lineup as the mountain template, but this is the king of marshes. 11 Marines battalions, 1 Artillery, the same companies and two Heavy Weapons Companies. Also works on landings. Do not hold dry plains or other terrain — no buffs there. Cap is again at least 2 divisions for any country.

The minor cut is the same: drop the hospital and heavy companies if industry cannot take it. You can also upgrade — a third Heavy Weapons Company and recon after Marines II–III or the special-forces doctrine. Cost matches the mountain one.