EU4 Army Composition Spreadsheet (Europa Universalis 4) (2024)

Table of Contents
Combat Width Artillery Cavalry FAQs

This article is a comprehensive guide focused on unit composition in the strategy game, Europa Universalis 4. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced player, learning more about the game’s mechanics is essential for strategic success. The Europa Universalis Guide offers practical advice and strategies that will help you hone your gameplay. It’s an all-encompassing guide intended to refine your understanding and tactical use of different units within the game. Let’s dive into the Unit Composition Guide for EU4 to elevate your gameplay strategy.

Military TechnologyCombat WidthNum. InfantryNum. CavalryNum. CannonsTotal Units
015174021
220224026
522244028
624264030
925274031
1127294033
1429314035
16303243066
18323263270
20343463474
22363663678
23363483678
24383683882
26403884086

Combat Width

An important consideration in unit composition is the Combat Width, a feature visible on the military screen of your country’s interface. The Combat Width reflects the number of regiments that can simultaneously engage in combat. Advancement in-game allows for an increase in your Combat Width. This is made possible by unlocking Military Technology, a key upgrade that enhances your Combat Width. It’s also vital to remember that the effectual use of Combat Width becomes an important factor that shapes your battle strategies, due to its direct influence on the outcomes.

Artillery

Artillery units, uniquely capable of attacking from the back row, must be strategically positioned behind the infantry to maintain their efficacy in combat. While situated on the back row, they deliver decreased damage compared to their potential on the front line. However, placing them on the front row renders them vulnerable, incurring them an additional 50% damage. The fall of the infantry, leading to the advancement of artillery to the front row, precipitates a quick loss due to the escalation in damage artillery units receive.

EU4 Army Composition Spreadsheet (Europa Universalis 4) (1)

Cavalry

Cavalry units, on the other hand, tend to fall short of expectations in the later stages of the game, a matter better discussed in later sections of this guide. The contentious issue comes into focus when considering the cost of cavalry, which is a staggering 2.5 times higher than that of infantry. Despite this prohibitive cost, an interesting trend of cavalry overuse has been observed within the game’s community. This paradox might be linked to particular bonuses, or perhaps certain exclusive abilities that these pricier units possess.

EU4 Army Composition Spreadsheet (Europa Universalis 4) (2)

When starting out you should still use cavalry but it’s best to ditch them at around Tech 10. Put your artillery at the back and infantry on the front row. A full Combat Width cavalry is useful for a short time during the early stages of the game but once the units on the flanks are defeated that cavalry will be left out and won’t be used. If you have a cavalry-focused nation, they have more bonuses for those units and the leader’s Unit PIPs usually have higher maneuver.

When in combat your units are reinforced by the back row, so if your Combat Width is 16 and you have 20 thousand soldiers ready for battle 4 thousand will be in the back row. When a unit ahead of them dies the reserves move forward to replace them. When you get Tech 5 update your Military Template to the 24,4,0 template now that your Combat Width has increased. You can change to this and any others by going to Conform to Template.

EU4 Army Composition Spreadsheet (Europa Universalis 4) (3)

The Shock Damage cavalry does is superior to infantry, and they deal good flanking damage. A decent composition at the start of the game is 12 infantry, 4 cavalries, and 0 artillery. All battles go through 3 phases alternating between Fire and Shock. Fire Phase is first which represents ranged attacks such as longbow, artillery, muskets going first. The shock Phase is next which is hand to hand combat, these battle phases will continue until one side has no more moral and discipline and they retreat.

An ideal Army Composition is to have all infantry at the start of the game since cavalry costs a lot. The first round of artillery you unlock they’re not very good but are useful and when sieging they’ve extremely useful. Keep up to date with your Military Templates and bring multiple of your armies together (stacking) to create a larger force but by doing so you will get more attrition. By splitting the army before and after a fight you will get less attrition; no one wants that to be high.

With that, we wrap up our comprehensive guide on EU4 Army Composition. This concluded look highlights the key aspects of unit effectiveness such as Combat Width, situational unit choice, and Military Tech level. Balancing infantry, cavalry, and artillery by considering costs and strategic application can greatly influence your military performance in Europa Universalis 4.

EU4 Army Composition Spreadsheet (Europa Universalis 4) (2024)

FAQs

What is the combat width in eu4 army composition? ›

The base combat width is 15. As military technology advances, a country's combat width increases, allowing them to use more soldiers effectively at once. All countries other than Native Americans start with tech level 2 or 3, so their starting combat width will be 20.

What are the types of army in eu4? ›

Contents
  • 1 Infantry. 1.1 Cost. 1.2 Combat ability. 1.3 Infantry Shock.
  • 2 Cavalry. 2.1 Cost. 2.2 Cavalry fire. 2.3 Combat ability. 2.4 Cavalry to infantry ratio.
  • 3 Artillery. 3.1 Cost. 3.2 Artillery fire. 3.3 Combat ability. ...
  • 4 Unit groups. 4.1 Aboriginal. 4.2 African groups. 4.3 Anatolian. ...
  • 5 Best unit group by tech level.
  • 6 References.
Jul 6, 2024

How do you move troops in Europa Universalis 4? ›

General. There are several types of ships in EUIV, with one of them being transport ships. In order to move troops across water, you need transport ships ; each transport ship can carry one regiment (1000 soldiers) at a time.

Is 40 combat width good? ›

Not to mention, the relatively manageable penalties on Plains, Hills, and Desert as well as Marsh and Mountains can make Combat Width 40 a tolerable heavy-hitter in these areas. The increased penalties for Forest and Jungle areas make Combat Width 40 not as practical in these locations.

What is the cavalry to infantry ratio in EUIV? ›

If you want to be cost efficient 6 cavalry is enough (maybe even 4), the rest should be infantry to fill up the rest of the combat width (plus a few spares). More cavalry is usually stronger, especially earlier on, but is most efficient when flanking. Infantry is best for holding the line and soaking up the losses.

Is quantity better than quality EU4? ›

Depends on context. If you need a military edge without a money or manpower cost, quality is the way to go. If you're looking to increase the absolute strength of your military, then quantity is better than anything else.

How do you make your army strong in eu4? ›

Proper army composition: Full front row of infantry and a full back row of artillery if you can afford it. Offensive Ideas 4th if you are desperate: The extra general pips will make your army stronger than Quality Ideas (half of which are naval buffs).

What do forts do in eu4? ›

Forts limit unit movement due to their zones of control ("ZoC").

What is the easiest faction in EU4? ›

  • 8 Vijayanagar. ...
  • 7 Ayutthaya. ...
  • 6 Austria. ...
  • 5 Kilwa. Start Strong To Prepare For Later Challenges. ...
  • 4 Portugal. Dominate The Game With Trade. ...
  • 3 Castile. Train Nation-Building With The Reconquista. ...
  • 2 Ottomans. Headstart Encourages Early-Game Domination. ...
  • 1 France. Experience All Major Mechanics In The Game.
Apr 24, 2024

Which government type is best EU4? ›

  • 5 Native Tribe. Starting With Extreme Handicaps. Effects. ...
  • 4 Monarchy. Vanilla But Flexible For Most Playthroughs. Effects. ...
  • 3 Republic. Dominate Early Game Management. Effects. ...
  • 2 Theocracy. Dominant Military Held Back By Contentious Leadership. Effects. ...
  • 1 Tribal Government. Razing As The Backdrop Of World Conquest. Effects.
Dec 27, 2023

What is the strongest European nation EU4? ›

For the A.I the ottoman empire is the strongest nation in the game and the hardest to deal with for other A.I nations.

Can you conquer the world in Europa Universalis 4? ›

Yes, this is known as a World Conquest (WC) and is the goal of the achievement World Conqueror, and the game's hardest achievement The Three Mountains; conquer the entire world as Ryukyu. There's also One Faith, which is converting the entire world to, well, one faith.

How to colonize Europa 4? ›

In order to colonize a nation must have:
  1. a colonist (from national ideas, idea groups, a Parliamentary issue, or a religious reform) A special case is Russia with the. ...
  2. an empty province to colonize (either adjacent to a core province, or within colonial range of a port)

What is combat width? ›

The combat width of a division is the total width of its battalions. Most battalions have a combat width of two, artillery (including motorized and self-propelled) guns have a combat width of three. Anti-tank and anti-air battalions (including motorized) have a combat width of one.

How do you check combat width in eu4? ›

Europa Universalis IV

If you open your technology panel, on the rightside of the military tech area should be a collection of stats related to your current tech level. One of those will be your combat width (the picture is 2 crossed sabres with arrows pointing either way underneath it if I remember correctly).

What is the composition of combat team? ›

A brigade combat team consists of one combat arms branch maneuver brigade, and its assigned support and fire units. A brigade is normally commanded by a colonel (O-6) although in some cases a brigadier general (O-7) may assume command.

What is the size of a combat division? ›

Usually commanded by a major general, divisions are made up of three or four brigades and include 10,000 to 15,000 soldiers. Current divisions include airborne, armored, infantry and mountain divisions. Each can conduct major tactical operations and sustained battlefield operations.

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