Original guide by lord tachanka#6157 from https://discord.gg/redbaron
For any mod/server that doesn’t allow tech steal, sabotage, boosting resistance, etc., the utility of the spy agency is:
- Gaining army intel on your enemy to give information and stats (up to +15%) in combat
- Air/naval intel for air controller micro/navy micro
- Preventing the enemy from gaining high intel/increasing the cost and time of enemy spy activity in your country
Agency upgrades:
- If possible, complete upgrades on civ eco. Do not overinvest in the agency.
- When on partial/war eco/total mob, delay agency upgrades until they are needed.
- The minimal set of upgrades for minors includes suicide pills, invisible ink, army department, cryptology department, radio interception group 1. This gives the ability to decrypt your main opponent and infiltrate the army effectively with 2 spies.
- Early game defensive upgrades (majors): passive 1-4, suicide pill
Spy planes:
- Usage: fly them over any airzone that contains any territory owned by the target nation (can do multiple nations at the same time). 100 scout planes are enough to be fully effective, so 1 mil license production is enough.
- Effect: gives civilian, army, air, and navy intel of the target nations.
Faction counter intel:
- Minors sometimes get requested by their majors to help with counter intel. When asked, select your spy (spies), choose counter intel mission, and click on the capital of the said major in your faction. This increases the passive defense to prevent a full enemy intel network or coordinated strike (critical for UK and Germany).
Spy usage:
- Build an intel network with all your spies at the same time. When a target level is reached, select one of the spies and put it on “silent intel network”. The spy will not get caught, and all other spies can do other missions.
- Before Danzig, if a spy gets captured, one can let it die automatically. After war has been declared, one must rescue any captured spy immediately to prevent the enemy from getting a massive intel advantage against your army.
- If there is spare PP, hire an illusive gentleman.