Why the HIMARS is the best artillery elite force in WC4 (IMO)

Well, back at it again it seems! (I’ll make one for every AI post that I can refute [In game]).

This time we’ll look at every artillery elite force and see which one is the best! (The title should’ve been “An Overview of every Artillery EF and my overall ranking”)

Spoiler Alert: Not the Heavy Gustav.

Here are some notes:

- We are assuming every elite force is level 12 here. This does change a lot of things, for instance, a level 9 Gustav has no synergy with Zhukov.

- While synergies with generals (main culprits ofc being De Gaulle, Zhukov) will be considered, they are not really the end all be all. I will consider general synergies, but most of the discussion will be in a vacuum (Think of say, Brooke being on them).

- The Topol is only an Artillery EF de jure and has too much of a different function to be considered.

- Base attack, HP, mobility is mostly negligible for most elite forces besides Gustav. You could theoretically knock down the Priest, BM-21 for instance because they are the most fragile, but in general I won’t be considering the minor stat differences. They may serve as a tiebreaker, but we’ll be focusing on the EF skills.

- All EFs are good in their respective situations. I can’t really stress that more. While some EFs may be better overall, you may want another EF for a specific situation. This is most prevalent for the skytrainables, Gustav and Walking Stuka.

- This is my opinion. If you want to argue for another EF, be my guest! I can see a couple other EFs being your first choice over my already spoiled pick.

Now let’s begin comparing them all! We’ll just do a bit of an overview on every elite force and then come to a TLDR conclusion. Also, all abilities are 2 turn abilities at lvl 12.

- Priest:

- Machine Gun: +55% damage to infantry

- Armor Piercing: +60% more damage to maxed HP targets

- Supressive Fire (ability): Can attack 2 other targets around the selected target

- Is skytrainable and does +100% damage the turn skytrained

- Only 2 range :(

- Notable synergies: None

The Priest falls into what I consider the “Skytrainable” group. It’s main benefit is the ability to be skytrained (and do fairly crazy damage). +60% more damage to maxed HP targets is a nice skill, but it doesn’t synergize best with artillery whose main goal is to soften up generals, not one shot things. Also, if you’re using Chennault and don’t want to risk the 20% counterattack chance, too bad. It’s either or. Supressive Fire is a strong ability, and on average it practically doubles the Priest’s damage output in its best case scenario. It can sometimes be a bit useless against isolated targets, however.

It’s reliable at its role of being a manueverable EF (using skytrain), but it obviously falls short in sheer power (unless you’re actively using skytrain with it every other turn) compared to the other artillery EFs that either deal much more damage overall, or have special skills (like walking Stuka). In addition, 2 range is pretty lame when most artillery EFs have 3 or even 4. Also, IMO there’s a much better artillery EF that can be skytrained…

- Heavy Gustav:

- A lot more base attack and HP, but bad mobility

- Critical Damage: +50% critical attack damage (effectively means x1.25 damage, unless you fail crit)

- Giant Artillery (ability): +2 attack range, extra flat damage (?), does an extra 60% HP (max 1200) to stronghold units and 30% HP (max 500) to city garrison units

- Track Construction: Movement +9 (3 plain hexes) if you don’t move on previous turn

- Notable synergies: Zhukov (using ability)

This is effectively the city and fortress buster EF. It will absolutely shred a city garrison and also do huge damage to fortresses. However, I would say it’s lacking in general damage output. Outside of cities, it’s only advantages are the critical attack damage buff as well as its extra base attack. This becomes surprisingly underwhelming albeit still strong. EFs like BM-21 have many more buffs to take advantage of, HIMARS has an ability that’s always useful and also the Rocket Artillery trait, Flak has a much bigger damage multiplier when used at range, etc.

And also mobility is an issue. There’s not being skytrained, but the Gustav is very lacking in base mobility. This can be remedied with a movement ribbon, but still its annoying especially when most other elite forces are zooming (to the point where they can still get into position even with 2/3 range). Track Construction can help, but that also means you have to literally not move for the previous turn.

There’s a strong synergy with Zhukov, who can take advantage of the 5 range to destroy anything in his path, but other then that, Gustav is specific and is generally not desirable unless you’re taking down fortresses and cities. Also, if you have God Auchinleck, it becomes a little redundant in its role.

- BM-21:

- Salvo: Rocket Artillery, but the damage to secondary targets is not reduced (effectively an x3 damage buff to those targets).

- Other Salvo Buffs: +40% critical attack damage (effectively x1.2 damage), +20% damage (Total damage buff: x1.44)

- Critical Attack: +30% critical hit chance (this means it always crits)

- Attack On The Unready Enemy (120%): +20% damage (+30% with Konev), ignores 20% defense

Notable synergies: Konev (because of bio), Zhukov (because it just does a ton of damage)

The BM-21 is a go-to when it comes to spreading damage. Single target, it has a litany of buffs with Salvo and AotUE, only really being beat out by the AuF1. But the Salvo special ability? That is absurd and can be used for some truly nasty group damage and with Zhukov, being able to extend chain kills just a bit farther.

I would say this is the best elite force for simply spreading damage, and it is one of the 2 best synergizers for God Zhukov also. The second? We’ll get to that. But seriously, using Salvo correctly allows you to hit up to 3 targets, dealing full damage to them. It’s almost like the Priest’s Supressive Fire but every turn! A weakness is against isolated targets, as it can be lame hitting a single target with the BM-21, but even then it has strong single target damage with all of its buffs.

I would personally not argue if you like the BM-21’s power more. We’ve seen what it can do. In GPW nightmare, the Lost Toll Zhukov, even the lvl 12 BM-21 you can play with in Final Countdown. Even without Zhukov, Konev’s bio makes him even better on the BM-21, giving him just more damage. Personally, I think it’s #2, barely falling short thanks to having less versatility (no skytrain, not great when picking off isolated targets). But don’t take this as me saying its bad. It is absurdly strong.

- B-4 Howitzer:

- Critical Damage: +50% critical attack damage (effectively means x1.25 damage, unless you fail crit)

- Assault: +60% damage to city defense.

- Is skytrainable and does +100% damage the turn skytrained

Notable synergies: None

Personally I think this is the most underwhelming of all the artillery elite forces. It just does the least damage overall, even less compared to Priest (accounting for abilities/traits). Sure it being skytrainable is nice, but it‘s the worst out of the 4 skytrainables.

- Stuka Zu Fuss (Walking Stuka)

- Machine Gun: +55% more damage to infantry

- Rocket Artillery trait

- Pursue Retreating Enemy: Each kill grants an extra action, up to 4 times.

- Firepower Enhancement: +10% damage for every enemy killed (up to 30%)

- Notable Synergies: De Gaulle (allows him to also attack again after a kill)

The Walking Stuka is a bit unique. It functions as a tank almost, but sacrifices pure crowd clearing for mobility with how Pursue Retreating Enemy works. It synergizes really well with De Gaulle because De Gaulle can attack multiple times to kill an enemy, allowing for the Walking Stuka to activate more often, shoring up De Gaulle’s weakness of his skill not activating after a kill otherwise.

Do note that the Walking Stuka sacrifices quite a lot of damage, even with Firepower Enhancement. It can sometimes miss a kill that say, a BM-21 would have gotten. So would you want to trade a lot of damage for a lot of mobility? It depends on the situation. I would say this EF is also really strong, but you need to know to utilize it effectively and sometimes it just isn’t suited for what you want, i.e. consolidating a front.

- AuF1:

- Machine Gun: +55% damage to infantry

- Avenging Strike: +15 base attack for every 50 HP lost

Note: With Marshal rank, you can reach 1302 HP, meaing 26 stacks, so up to +390 base attack, a x3 buff

- 4 range (Tied to Avenging Strike for some reason)

- Protection Device: Basically invincible for 3 turns besides units that ignore the device (Flak, Eisenhower, Apache ability, etc.), 2 turn downtime and 30% heal when protection device finished.

- Critical Attack: Always crits (No need for Empire medal)

Notable synergies: Williams (once he gets Artillery Leader)

AuF1 has the nice ability of becoming a walking nuke whenever it reaches low health. It does great damage and the temporary invincibility is a main appeal; particularly great at charging solo into the enemy since the AI thinks every one of its units is a Flak. With Williams (after the Purple IAP update), even better. At level 12, you can even cycle multiple Protection Devices even without say, a Medic thanks to the inherent heal. It mainly is good to absolutely nuke generals while not caring for their own attacks.

However, I will note that Avenging Strike is the only damage skill AuF1 gets. Don’t get me wrong, x3 damage is x3 damage, but it’s not the most OP; BM-21 for instance can do x1.728 damage with its buffs and hit 3 targets with its Salvo special ability. The requirement of getting it to low HP does mean that it has to take a bit to get fully online; this isn’t the biggest deal since you know, it doesn’t die, but it can be annoying sometimes not being able to play with the buff for the first couple turns. And without Williams (or Zhukov, but Zhukov‘s Fire-Fighting Captain skill is counterproductive with the AuF1), you can only hit 1 target on your turn.

Also, AuF1 has the weakness of potentially dying to a random Flak. So you have to play around that if you’re fighting Germany. But still, this thing excels as a mindless solo carry if you have it. Just good luck getting one unless you’re playing the French 11th Parachute Brigade.

- HIMARS:

- Rocket Artillery trait

- Critical Damage: +50% critical attack damage (effectively means x1.25 damage)

- Destructive Strike: Always crits (It’s a bit wack with ribbons however)

- Sky Dome Guidance: Can hit 6 targets within its range, doing damage to them and also lowering the defense of those hit by 50%

- 4 range

- is skytrainable

Notable synergies: Zhukov (4 range, skytrainable)

You already know this is my pick, so I’ll just explain why. It’s base damage is decent, but not remarkable. Critical Damage does help, but it’s only an x1.25 multiplier when even the Walking Stuka for example can reach x1.3.

However, Sky Dome Guidance is practically Suppressive Fire after taking 1000 steroids. It hits 6 targets, and also lowers defense by 50%. That’ll shred generals with support and also deal huge damage to whatever you want to hit. It’s also VERY reliable. No ifs or buts, this thing will just allow you to hit a bunch of targets around you for free. Also is great against tankier units to allow your tankers to finish them off. It pretty much triples what HIMARS can do, and it helps literally every arty general in the game.

I think the thing that truly takes the cake for me is its ability to be skytrained. Skytrained? That gives HIMARS the maneuverability of a Walking Stuka while it also has the damage output of a BM-21 (accounting for ability) with also 4 range (great for God Zhukov). Overall the most reliable option for any situation.

- Flak:

- Steel Guard: 80% damage reduction against air units, 40% damage reduction in desert

- Long-Range Suppression: 10% less damage when attacking point-blank (1 tile), 70% more damage when attacking 2+ tiles away

- Line-of-Sight Lock: Ignores Centurion, AuF1, dodge effects, does +20% damage to helis

- is skytrainable and does +100% damage the turn skytrained

Notable Synergies: Govorov (?)

Flak mainly functions as a heli counter. That’s its main appeal. It ignores dodge and even does extra damage to helis. Perfect Hartmann killer. It also ignores AuF1 and the Centurion’s smoke bomb, which is particularly useful against the AuF1 because you can just kill it normally (instead of needing to make it go dumb or something).

It does do good damage also with +70% damage at long-range. However, Steel Guard is a very niche defense bonus. Like, being almost invincible to air is nice, but unnecessary when you’re killing helis, and desert terrain is fairly nonexistant outside of Africa. With Long-Range Suppression being its only damage skill, Flak’s damage output is less than pretty much every other EF besides B-4 Howitzer, even Priest can output more damage.

Overall, a niche option that I would say is overall better than Priest and Howitzer but with less general use than most other EFs.

Overall review: (You can also just skip the rest, this is a TLDR take):

I’ll first remove the B-4 Howitzer since it’s the most underwhelming EF IMO, without many special buffs.

Similarly, the Priest also falls into the outclassed tier. HIMARS just straight up has a better ability.

This leaves Gustav, BM-21, Walking Stuka, AuF1, HIMARS and Flak.

Of these the Flak‘s niche is the most specific, i.e. a hardcounter to helis and desert survivability. Also, the Apache competes for it in its role as AuF1 killer.

Similarly, the Gustav’s niche is also specific; while it obviously excels in its role as city/fortress buster, I would say it lacks general use compared to the more mobile, higher damage, less specific options and also is made a little redundant by a high-tier god general.

This leaves BM-21, Walking Stuka, AuF1, and HIMARS. All of them have strong general use, but IMO the HIMARS is the best overall option.

Sky Dome Guidance is just a very useful ability and it literally multiplies the damage output for literally every artillery gen besides Zhukov. Speaking of Zhukov, 4 range makes it one of the 2 best synergizers with arguably the best general outright in the game (until Mainstein comes out at least), along with BM-21. But unlike BM-21, it’s ability becomes more impactful with any other general. HIMARS can hit 8 targets every 2 turns, the BM-21 only 6 (assuming no Zhukov/Williams). The BM-21 will do more damage per hit, but HIMARS’ debuff and reliability, along with the ability to be skytrained (a great synergizer with Zhukov btw).

Both the Walking Stuka and AuF1 have very strong niches, but the Walking Stuka is limited in pure crowd clearing while also having mediocre damage (and it suffers when having to fight stronger targets), and the AuF1 is limited in the amount of targets it can hit, besides Williams and Zhukov, who are both IAPs and 1 has a specific built-in anti-AuF1 measure.

If you want to flame me for my takes, go for it! Just decided to continue the tradition to responding to the Display guy’s AI posts.