Infantry technology

The Infantry technology research tree unlocks new infantry equipment, motorized equipment, and mechanized equipment, as well as enabling and improving special forces infantry and improving infantry and cavalry performance as a whole.

Infantry research tree

Infantry weapons
Representing an infantryman's standard kit of tools and weapons, Infantry Equipment is the basis of any army. The 1918 Basic Infantry Equipment is available for every nation, while all majors and many minors have the 1936 Weapons I researched. There are a total of four increasingly more advanced types of infantry equipment. {| class="wikitable" ! style="width:146px;" | Icon (generic) ! style="width:15em;" | Technology ! style="width:1px;" | Year ! style="width:67px;" | Base cost ! style="width:13em;" | Prerequisites ! Description ! style="width:526.5px;" | Statistics ! Pre-Gunpowder Equipment
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | melee_weapons.png
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | melee_weapons.png
 * 500
 * style="text-align: center;" | Auto. unlocked 30 days
 * Before the invention of gunpowder polearms, swords, shields, slings, bows, crossbows, basic handcannons and numerous other weapons along with metal armours were common on the battlefield, and still are in less advanced places of the world.
 * Before the invention of gunpowder polearms, swords, shields, slings, bows, crossbows, basic handcannons and numerous other weapons along with metal armours were common on the battlefield, and still are in less advanced places of the world.

! Muzzle-loading Guns
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | melee_weapons1.png
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | melee_weapons1.png
 * 800
 * style="text-align: center;" | 50 days
 * style="text-align: center;" | Pre-Gunpowder Equipment
 * Gunpowder weapons are slowly being adapted, but so far gunsmiths are only able to make basic muzzle-loading firearms with wheellocks, flintlocks or matchlocks, which use black powder to propel bullets across a relatively long distance. The weapons are highly inaccurate and take a long time to reload, which means the most effective way to use the weapon in battle is to form up in long, organized lines.

! Breech-Loaded Rifles
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | infantry_equipment_t0.png
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | infantry_equipment_t0.png
 * 989
 * style="text-align: center;" | 150 days
 * style="text-align: center;" | Muzzle-loading Guns and Pre-Industrial Artillery
 * Muskets of old have been largely replaced by breech-loaded rifled firearms, which use smokeless powder and can be reloaded quickly and easily. In addition, soldiers use sidearms such as pistols and bayonets as well as state-issued helmets and uniforms.

! Bolt-Action Rifles
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | infantry_equipment_t1.png
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | infantry_equipment_t1.png
 * 1007
 * style="text-align: center;" | 150 days
 * style="text-align: center;" | Breech-Loaded Rifles
 * Bolt-action rifles are replacing older designs thanks to their higher rate of fire compared to previous breech-loaders. Furthermore, standardised grenades are seeing widespread use, vastly increasing the firepower of the individual soldier.

! Improved Infantry Equipment I
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | infantry_weapons.png
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | infantry_weapons.png
 * 1009
 * style="text-align: center;" | 150 days
 * style="text-align: center;" | Bolt-Action Rifles
 * Personal and crew served weapons for infantry as well as the various other bits of kit a soldier needs. Improved weapon models and more specialized equipment.

! Submachine Guns
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | infantry_equipment_t2.png
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | infantry_equipment_t2.png
 * 1010
 * style="text-align: center;" | 200 days
 * style="text-align: center;" | Improved Infantry Equipment I
 * Machine guns proved to be powerful weapons but lack mobility. However, submachine guns allow soldiers to maintain high rates of fire even on the move. Newer designs make these firearms particularly effective in close-quarters combat. Meanwhile, new anti-tank weapons help overcome armoured vehicles such as half-tracks and tanks.

! Improved Infantry Equipment II
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | infantry_weapons2.png
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | infantry_weapons2.png
 * 1011
 * style="text-align: center;" | 200 days
 * style="text-align: center;" | Submachine Guns or Magic Rifles
 * Personal and crew served weapons for infantry as well as the various other bits of kit a soldier needs. Improved weapon models and more specialized equipment.

! Infantry Anti-Tank I
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | infantry_at.png
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | infantry_at.png
 * 1013
 * style="text-align: center;" | 150 days
 * style="text-align: center;" | Improved Infantry Equipment I
 * Arming our infantry with anti-tank rifles will allow them to take out lighter armored vehicles while maintaining mobility.

! Battle Rifles
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | infantry_equipment_t3.png
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | infantry_equipment_t3.png
 * 1013
 * style="text-align: center;" | 200 days
 * style="text-align: center;" | Improved Infantry Equipment II
 * Battle rifles are specially designed to improve soldiers' firepower by utilising either semi-automatic or fully automatic fire modes. As such, battle rifles combine the stopping power and range of previous service rifles with the close-quarters efficacy of submachine guns. Meanwhile, personal anti-tank weapons continue to evolve, allowing the infantry to engage enemy tanks effectively.

! Infantry Anti-Tank II
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | infantry_at2.png
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | infantry_at2.png
 * 1014
 * style="text-align: center;" | 150 days
 * style="text-align: center;" | Infantry Anti-Tank I
 * For infantry to effectively engage heavier armored units, high-explosive anti-tank weapons need to be made smaller and lighter.

! Improved Infantry Equipment III
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | infantry_weapons3.png
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | infantry_weapons3.png
 * 1015
 * style="text-align: center;" | 150 days
 * style="text-align: center;" | Battle Rifles or Automatic Magic Rifles
 * Personal and crew served weapons for infantry as well as the various other bits of kit a soldier needs. Further Modernized to include personal Assault Rifles and anti-tank rockets. Improved availability of weapons previously distributed to a limited extent.

! Improved Infantry Equipment IV
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | infantry_weapons_a.png
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | infantry_weapons_a.png
 * 1017
 * style="text-align: center;" | 150 days
 * style="text-align: center;" | Improved Infantry Equipment III
 * New efforts in standardisations for personal kits will allow us to focus on only certain firearms for further design improvements such as select-fire for assault rifles and better handling to make our soldiers even deadlier

! Infantry Anti-Tank III
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | infantry_at_a.png
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | infantry_at_a.png
 * 1018
 * style="text-align: center;" | 150 days
 * style="text-align: center;" | Infantry Anti-Tank II
 * Out of every possible means of delivering ordinance against armoured targets, rocket-based weapons have shown to be the most effective. Arming our soldiers with these anti-tank rockets will make them a deadly foe to enemy armour.

! Assault Rifles
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | infantry_equipment_t4.png
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | infantry_equipment_t4.png
 * 1019
 * style="text-align: center;" | 150 days
 * style="text-align: center;" | Improved Infantry Equipment IV
 * A divergence from the development of battle rifles, the assault rifle mainly differentiates itself from the former by using intermediate rifle cartridges. The smaller calibre sacrifices overall range and stopping power for better weapon handling, making the assault rifle more useful in tighter combat situations. New tactics developed in tandem with this new rifle change the old infantry combat dynamics, rendering our soldiers far deadlier than those of yesteryear.

! Improved Infantry Equipment V
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | infantry_weapons_b.png
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | infantry_weapons_b.png
 * 1021
 * style="text-align: center;" | 150 days
 * style="text-align: center;" | Assault Rifles or Magic Light Machine Gun
 * With newer light-weight weaponry introduced with more modern weapons, soldier kits can allow for other equipment such as MREs, additional grenades or ammunition, all of which lengthens the staying power of our soldiers before they must withdraw.

! Infantry Anti-Tank IV
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | infantry_at_b.png
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | infantry_at_b.png
 * 1022
 * style="text-align: center;" | 150 days
 * style="text-align: center;" | Infantry Anti-Tank III
 * Refinements of our anti-tank rocket launchers have crystallised to the recoilless platforms that are lightweight, can be shouldered, and provide the greatest caliber of ordinance against enemy targets. There is nothing more terrifying to a tanker than a soldier lying in wait with such a weapon.

! Improved Infantry Equipment VI
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | infantry_weapons_c.png
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | infantry_weapons_c.png
 * 1023
 * style="text-align: center;" | 150 days
 * style="text-align: center;" | Improved Infantry Equipment V
 * A new generation of modern firearms may just be beyond the horizon, but that doesn't mean that further refinements of our current generation cannot be made. New modular designs improve ease of maintenance, all in service to making the lone soldier capable of fighting for as long as possible without support.

! Infantry Anti-Air I
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | infantry_aa.png
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | infantry_aa.png
 * 1025
 * style="text-align: center;" | 150 days
 * style="text-align: center;" | Infantry Anti-Tank IV
 * The addition of a small anti-air rocket launcher capable of being carried on a soldier's back, similar to the introduction of the bazooka a decade ago, will allow infantry to have a fighting chance against airplanes.

! Modern Rifles
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | infantry_equipment_t5.png
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | infantry_equipment_t5.png
 * 1025
 * style="text-align: center;" | 150 days
 * style="text-align: center;" | Improved Infantry Equipment VI
 * New materials, lighter weapon accessories, and better equipment layouts have significantly improved upon previous iterations of our assault and battle rifles to the point that they have supplanted older bolt-action rifles as the service weapon. Submachine guns and bolt-action rifles are now effectively specialist weapons. In contrast, the versatile high-capacity automatic rifle is used by the rank-and-file, permanently changing the nature of infantry combat.
 * }
 * }

Support weapons
Support weapons includes crew-served weapons such as medium and heavy machine guns and mortars. These technologies provide bonuses to the defense and breakthrough of cavalry and all types of infantry.

{| class="wikitable" ! style="width:146px;" | Icon (generic) ! style="width:15em;" | Technology ! style="width:1px;" | Year ! style="width:67px;" | Base cost ! style="width:13em;" | Prerequisites ! Description ! style="width:526.5px;" | Statistics ! Support Weapons I
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | Support_weapons.png
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | Support_weapons.png
 * 989
 * style="text-align: center;" | 127 days
 * style="text-align: center;" | None
 * Automatic weapons are becoming more portable. Submachine guns have already proven effective and the development of hand-held support weapons must continue.

! Support Weapons II
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | Support_weapons2.png
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | Support_weapons2.png
 * 1009
 * style="text-align: center;" | 127 days
 * style="text-align: center;" | Support Weapons I
 * The development of automatic weapons which combine the aspects of light and heavy machine guns allows versatility in how our infantry employ their equipment.

! Support Weapons III
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | Support_weapons3.png
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | Support_weapons3.png
 * 1011
 * style="text-align: center;" | 127 days
 * style="text-align: center;" | Support Weapons II
 * While maintaining and improving reliability of machine guns, we can also experiment with higher firing rates to ensure lethality of the constant stream of bullets.

! Support Weapons IV
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | Support_weapons4.png
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | Support_weapons4.png
 * 1013
 * style="text-align: center;" | 127 days
 * style="text-align: center;" | Support Weapons III
 * With the increased use of assault rifles, developing automatic weapons that can be used in any environment by all soldiers is a priority for a modern army.

! Support Weapons V
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | Support_weapons_a.png
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | Support_weapons_a.png
 * 1015
 * style="text-align: center;" | 127 days
 * style="text-align: center;" | Support Weapons IV
 * Despite some notable drawbacks and ethical questions, infantry flamethrowers can be highly effective provided they are used in the correct environment and circumstances.

! Support Weapons VI
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | Support_weapons_b.png
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | Support_weapons_b.png
 * 1017
 * style="text-align: center;" | 127 days
 * style="text-align: center;" | Support Weapons V
 * Lightweight, anti-personnel mines can be deployed more easily over a larger area compared to conventional anti-tank mines, for protecting FOBs and setting up ambushes.

! Support Weapons VII
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | Support_weapons_c.png
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | Support_weapons_c.png
 * 1019
 * style="text-align: center;" | 127 days
 * style="text-align: center;" | Support Weapons VII
 * Specialized grenades, including incendiary, smoke, and tear gas variants, are normally only used by special forces. Outfitting our standard infantry units with these grenades may give our soldiers a tactical advantage in certain scenarios.

! Support Weapons VIII
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | Support_weapons_d.png
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | Support_weapons_d.png
 * 1021
 * style="text-align: center;" | 127 days
 * style="text-align: center;" | Support Weapons VII
 * It is time to update our light and heavy machine guns, as new techniques and technologies have become available that can be used to produce more effective heavy weaponry.

! Support Weapons IX
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | Support_weapons_e.png
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | Support_weapons_e.png
 * 1023
 * style="text-align: center;" | 127 days
 * style="text-align: center;" | Support Weapons VIII
 * Making internal improvements to our support weapons will help to increase their lifespan by reducing wear and tear, allowing them to fire for longer with a barrel replacement.

! Support Weapons X
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | Support_weapons_f.png
 * style="width:1px; text-align: center;" | Support_weapons_f.png
 * 1025
 * style="text-align: center;" | 127 days
 * style="text-align: center;" | Support Weapons IX
 * Trials done with newly developed anti-personnel mines have shown them to be more effective than the current models, with a smaller signature and larger blast radius.


 * }

Night vision
Night vision equipment allows soldiers to see even in the dark, offsetting some of the penalty that units receive when fighting at night and giving an edge over enemies who do not have such equipment.

Motorized
Motorized infantry is a somewhat harder and much faster version of infantry, but is more expensive and less reliable. It represents infantry outfitted with "soft-skinned—unarmored or lightly armored—vehicles (Jeeps, trucks, etc.). It provides infantry with more strategic (deploying to the area of operations, though state infrastructure is the primary strategic mover) and operational (moving along the front line) mobility and is suitable to accompany armored forces.

Motorized technology enables research of Mechanized Infantry that uses increasingly advanced armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles (e.g., armored cars and half-tracks). These are much more expensive than Motorized, and initially slower, but provide higher attack, armor and hardness, with much greater tactical mobility (moving under fire, i.e., the "breakthrough" stat). Mechanized Infantry should be upgraded to keep pace with the faster advanced tanks. Mechanized Infantry lacking tanks is better as a defensive fire brigade than an assault force (except against relatively weak opposition that it can outpace and overrun). As a general rule, mechanized infantry are best used with armored forces, just as they were in reality.

Special forces
In addition to regular, motorized, and mechanized infantry, there are three specialized infantry types (Marines, Mountaineers, and Paratroopers) that are useful in specific situations. They require standard infantry equipment.

These three types of specialized infantry types are known as Special Forces or SF (not to be confused with the army doctrine Superior Firepower). Special Forces have a Battalion cap for each country. This cap is the greater of either 24 battalions or 5% of your total battalions (excluding SF battalions) making up the rest of your divisions. Divisions cannot be changed, trained, given a different template or have their template adjusted if that would result in exceeding the SF cap. To increase the 24 SF battalion cap, you would have to exceed the 480 non-SF battalion breakeven point by 20 for each additional SF battalion. For example, you would need 500 non-SF battalions for 25 SF battalions, 520 non-SF battalions for 26 SF battalions, 540 non-SF battalions for 27 SF battalions, etc.

Marines
Marines are specialized infantry trained to engage in wet terrain and perform amphibious invasions. They receive attack in marshes,  attack when fighting over rivers, and  attack when engaging enemies during amphibious landings. Marine Divisions are very effective when supported by Engineer Companies.

Mountain Infantry
Mountaineers are specialized infantry that excel in maneuvering through and engaging in rough terrain. They receive movement,  attack, and  defense in hills and  movement,  attack, and  defense in mountains.

Paratroopers
While they take longer to train and only have slightly better stats than normal Infantry, Paratroopers are the only type of unit that can be paradropped into the field, which they do via transport plane. This allows them to perform operations behind enemy lines and in locations where other units cannot easily reach. The AI will use paratroopers in battle, but never uses them for paradrops.

Special Forces Concentration
Special forces (marines, mountaineers, paratroopers) are trained and equipped for conditions that ordinary soldiers aren’t expected to excel in. The first tech will give them a boost to acclimatization speed. Afterwards, the tree splits. One option is to train your special forces harder, to improve their skills and their ability to fight for longer before having to be resupplied.

The other option is to expand the special forces training programs to accept more recruits. Your special forces will be more numerous, but come with more drag and not quite as high speed. In the end though, they will still be elite forces and will be able to develop training to make them even more skilled in fighting in the harshest of conditions.

Note: The maximum quantity of special forces is capped at 24 battalions or 5% of your fielded regular battalions (this limit can be increased by unlocking the Expanded Special Forces Program technology). Special Forces research tree