This guide is written for the context of the HOI4 mod Equestria at War and with the assumption that all expansions are enabled. However, paid DLC are not required to play the mod and sections are marked if they cover content from these expansions.

• An explanation of all the basic game mechanics.
  
• A full walk-through.

• A series of practical tips from the perspective of Equestria to enhance understanding of the game and to reduce information overload and decision paralysis.
  
• A jumping off point to explore and learn independently.

Part 1 deals with general aspects of the game, while Part 2 delves deeper into playing as Equestria.

Equestria is recommended as a player's first nation because, while its size may be intimidating, it provides a lot more learning opportunities than a small nation as well as a greater cushion for mistakes.

For a complete beginner, these two videos are highly recommend to cover all the basics not present here.

A good first investment of Political Power is a Political Advisor that gives bonus Political Power Gain, and Equestria happens to have two in Twilight Sparkle and Raven Inkwell.
⠀
Normally, Conscription and Economy laws should be increased ASAP, but Equestria can only change to Early Mobilization until future Events and Focuses are unlocked. Trade law is less important and is situation dependent, so feel free to leave it on Export Focus.

Equestria's Focus tree, like most, can be split into a few rough categories.


Focuses which give free Factories and add more Research Slots are usually the most powerful. To find these more easily, filters can be selected in the top right of the Focus menu.


For convenience, some important Focuses are marked below. Of particular note are the ones marked in green, which will remove the Stagnation of Harmony National Spirit and unlock Equestria's full potential as a super power.

Occupying Territory both during and after a war requires Garrisons, which are like invisible divisions automatically assigned to each state. Make sure the default Territory Management option is set to Local Police Force and change the Primary Garrison Template to a suitable division.



In the early game, this starting Garrison Division will suffice. Later it can be upgraded with Military Police and Armored Cars. The only important stat for these divisions is Suppression.

Subjects gain Autonomy when their ruler buys their Trade goods, accepts their Lend leases, and when they contribute War Score. A Subject's Autonomy can easily be lowered by sending them Lend-leases of cheap things like Convoys or by Constructing in their territory. If a Subject's Autonomy hits the lowest tier, they can be Annexed outright.

Introudced in the La Resistance DLC. Ignore if it is disabled.

Create an Agency ASAP. Set operatives to Build Intel Network in other nations to unlock missions, provide better intel about their nation, and get the Intel Advantage passive combat bonus.

Having at least two Operatives is important so that one can rescue the other in case either gets captured. Here are a few ways to get more spies:

• Most nations have a Political Advisor who gives an additional Operative (Bon Bon for Equestria).
  
• Some nations also have a Focus to get more Operatives (but not Equestria).
  
• Being the leader of a Faction and having at least 3 Agency Upgrades unlocks the Become Spymaster option which gives more Operative slots based on the number, subject type, and size of the allies in the faction.

Info on other nations can be seen by clicking the Intel Ledger in their Diplomacy menu.


Every race in Equestria at War has a debuff to Operatives except for changelings, which can be hired by Equestria after completing the "Localized Training Centers" upgrade.

The Technology trees will look different without the DLCs, but the principles still apply.

The following Technology trees have been marked to indicate what are generally the most important technologies. The ones marked with blue should be prioritized first.

Magical infantry are an option, but normal infantry do just fine at what infantry does best - holding the line and padding armor divisions.


All of the Support Companies have their uses, but Engineers are the most broadly applicable. Engineers II also unlocks Flame Tank Support Company, which is excellent for offensive divisions.


Medium tanks are the best for general offensive use.




Navy technology is less important than the other trees because land battles are what wins wars (and Equestria begins the game with a good navy).


Small planes work well for the three best plane types: fighter, close air support, and naval bomber. And they are also used to for carrier planes. Transport planes are mainly for paradropping (which can be done with Pegasai).




The resource technologies under Construction can also unlock Prospecting Decisions.

Equestria begins with lackluster Division Templates, but Army XP is needed to change them.



XP can be acquired during peacetime in a few ways:

• Setting Armies to Exercise.
  
  
• Using the Military Training Decision
  
  
• Hiring Military Chiefs (all of Equestria's starting Chiefs are locked till completing the "New High Command" Focus, BUT after completing "Ministry of Defense," Field Marshal Luna can be promoted to an officer role and hired as a Military Chief).
  
  
  

---

Below are some basic Templates that can be created to replace the starting ones once enough Ponypower and Equipment are acquired.

Cheap Infantry
Good for defending long fronts and coast lines, or when low on Ponypower (like Equestria before the war).


Standard Infantry


Medium Tanks
The best at pushing the enemy line. Motorized Infantry is fine before getting Mechanized. Make sure the tank designs match the speed of the infantry. The other important stat for medium tanks is Breakthrough.


Fast Infantry
Super fast. Good for creating encirclements and snatching undefended locations.

---

The Template of active Divisions can be changed with this button.

---

Division Templates and Designs
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2141885565
Comprehensive Army Guide
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2714213712

Originally posted by Every HOI4 Player:

Close Air Support is king.

The Basics:

• Use Infantry to hold the Front Line (or Fallback Line to hold strategic points).
  
• Attack with Tanks and Encircle enemy Divisions to destroy them.
  
• Put Fighters on Air Superiority and Close Air Support on Air Support missions.
  
• Profit.

To avoid micro managing Air Wings, they can be attached to armies and they will attempt to automatically follow those troops.


Select the Field Marshal and set the Motorization Priority is set to the three trucks icon. This will improve the Supply of the assigned Armies.

There's a link to a thorough guide on the navy in the Additional Resources at the end of this section, as well as a video if you're struggling with the controls of manipulating the navy.
DD - Destoryer
CA - Cruiser Heavy
CL - Cruiser Light
CV - Carrier
BB - Battleship
BC - Battle Cruiser
SHBB - Super Heavy Battleship
SS - Submarine
ASW - Anti-Submarine Warfare
Capital - Large ships marked with a diamond next to their tier number.
Screens - Small ships that block torpedo from hitting capitals.

---

There are many ways to build a Navy, but, to keep it simple, it can just be one massive "doomstack" fleet set to Strike Force and a bunch of smaller task forces on Patrol, Escort, and Convoy Raiding.

4 Carriers (more than 4 can lead to penalties)
8 Other Capitals (1-2 per carrier)
48-72 Screens (4-6 per capital)
~1 Light Cruiser per 5 Destroyers (ideal but not necessary)

Light Cruisers stacked with light attack guns to destroy enemy Screens.

Destroyers can be "roaches" with no modules to be cheap shields and/or ones with torpedoes to kill Capitals once the enemy Screen is down.

Smaller Strike Force fleets can also be created with excess Capitals and Screens.

Ideally 1 fast "recon" Light Cruiser task force stacked with Detection modules, but can be other screens on a budget. Set to Never Engage.

Can just be made of left over screens in task forces of ~10 to scare off raiding subs. To actually kill the subs, use Destroyers with Depth Charges and a recon Light Cruiser.

8-12 Submarines per task force.

---

Equestria begins the game with a decent navy, although notably lacking any Submarines (which aren't necessary for them to win a Naval war). To begin organizing, combine the entire Navy into one task force, then, once the ships are all together, open the task force composition editor.


Adjust the ship numbers like so.


Now this main fleet will automatically reinforce with ships from the Reserve fleet which match the types shown in the editor (note the symbol determines a ship's designation, so a Destroyer with a Skull symbol for example will not reinforce).

Use four of the left over Light Cruisers for Patrols.

When a war begins, set the main Strike Force to Split Off: Disabled, Never Repair, and Always Engage so it can effectively chase down and destroy the enemy's main fleet. Once this decisive battle is finished and naval supremacy secured, automatic repairs and split off can be enabled again.

After following these steps, it should look similar to this:


The Naval Production queue can be set up like this, letting the starting ships finish and then working on the Escort, Patrol, and Raiding forces (and set all of the dockyards to repair).

---

Ship Designs
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2182500905
Comprehensive Navy Guide
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2943980823
Quick Walk-Through on Organizing the Navy

Be sure to disable Ironpony before beginning the game.

It's January 1st, 1007, but there are some things to do before un-pausing.

• Set Focus to "Ministry of Defense".
  
• From the Political menu, select Occupied Territories and click the infantry icon to change the default garrison template to the Garrison Regiment.
  
• Create an Intel Agency.
  
• For Technology, begin the Electrical Engineering, Production, and Construction trees.
  
  
• Once the need to Trade for resources arises, try to get them from a nation that is NOT a Subject.
  
• Queue Construction of some Civilian Factories in high-infrastructure states.
  
• Set up the Production menu similar to this.
  
  
• Begin Recruiting 3 Pegasai divisions and as many Onhooves divisions as possible (set to deploy near the border). Continue Recruiting until Ponypower reaches about 50k (enough to staff Naval ships in production and crew air crafts).
  
  
• Select all Divisions and assign them to an Army. Assign a General and Field Marshal and set their Front line to the border with the Changelings. Create a second Army with with just the Tanks - this is the offensive force.
  
• Set all Armies and Air wings to Exercise (except for the tanks, because losing tanks to attrition is a problem this early in the game).
  
• Set up the Navy as per the Navy section. Make sure the ships can cover the western coasts.
  

Here are a some goals to work toward in the early game in the absence of a clear direction.

• Save Political Power to hire Twilight Sparkle and Raven Inkwell as Political Advisors ASAP.
  
• Complete 3 agency upgrades and become Spy Master.
  
• Try the "Trade with Skyfall" Decision (if it fails, the Political Power will be refunded).
  
• Change the Economy Law to Early Mobilization once War Support has reached 15%.
  
• Use Decisions to get aluminum and building slots.
  
• Send attache to Kingdom of Yaktakistan, since their civil war drags on for a long time, to get War Support and XP. If they refuse, spamming them with other Diplomatic actions like Military Access and such will quickly increase relations.
  
• Build enough carrier naval bombers and fighters to fill the carriers.
  
• Research and build better medium tanks and small aircraft.
  
• Equestria has a large navy and not a lot of fuel to run it. The Industry Technology tab has technologies to increase fuel gain, and more oil can be gained from Decisions and Focuses.
  
• Build Land Forts on the Changeling border.
  
• Recruit 3 full armies of infantry and a fourth with 6 or more medium tank divisions. This is possible to do before the war if "Urgent War Committee" is unlocked early.

Not long into the first year, Luna will approach Celestia about the issue of Thestrals (bat ponies) in Equestria. This event begins a story line with multiple, potentially drastic, outcomes. Below is a guide to get the "best" ending.

1. Tell Luna Celestia believes in her.
2. Turn to the elements of harmony.
3. Choose the most peaceful options (bottom ones).
4. Resist!

Originally posted by Paula Neighvere:

The Changelings are coming!

The Changelings will usually have the upper hand at the start of the war, but Equestria can quickly grow in power. Once Chrysalis attacks, the Focus "Urgent War Committee" unlocks, opening up a powerful path to whip the nation into shape.

But it is possible to unlock it early by garnering 50% War Support before the Great War. Some methods to get War Support include:

• Focuses along the "Ministry of Defense" path.
  
• "Propaganda Efforts" Decisions.
  
• Diplomacy option Send attache with another country at war.

Once the Great War begins, or earlier depending on when "Urgent War Committee" is completed, an Event to change the Conscription law will pop up. At this point, the weak Equestrian infantry can have their Template changed to something more substantial.

As the war progresses, more Events will trigger, allowing the player to choose between maintaining Equestria's harmonic spirit or accelerating toward dictatorial control.

The player's choices will affect Celestia's mood, tracked by the "Toll of War" Decision, which can lead to drastic changes. Below is a spoiler for the outcome of her mood declining too much.
She may become Daybreaker, changing Equestria into the Solar Empire, a Supremacist dictatorship.
If the war is going poorly, Stalliongrad can be called to your aid using Focuses.
Below is a tip that can trivialize the Great War to the point that some call it "cheese" (although it is not an exploit). It has been spoiler'd in case one would prefer a challenge or to discover it on their own.

Complete the Olenia path of the focus tree (preferably within the first year). This is referred to as the "Olenia cheese" strategy. With Olenia as your puppet, the Changelings will be much weaker going into the war and their main naval force will be safely out of reach.

Feel free to ask questions or provide criticism in the comments. This is my first ever stream guide, so let me know what you think! And most importantly, have fun with the game and the learning process. :)