Point of Paratroopers,Marines

[mazzz]

I know with marines can get those island cities, but about paratropers what is the point? why not just drop off a transport full of tanks?

[MadScot]

Well, if your enemy has naval superiority you may just end up with a sunken transport full of tanks.

Paratroops have very limited utility (as do helicopters also) and the simplistic (non existent) logistics don't give them much scope for employment. But people have touted their use for diversions (the AI being rather bad as discriminating between the main threat and a minor effort) and to impede reinforcements or to deny a resource, even if temporarily.

...just to add to what Madscot said, If Paratroopers weren't implemented, then there would be loads of people complaining/suggesting that they should be (not I )

[sabo]

I always drop paratroopers into mountains or hills to increase their defense factor, they are a good diversion and if you land them on a resource and they can survive till the next turn you can cut that resource... I wonder if they can drop into undefended cities (like THAT will ever happen)

[The Last Conformist]

Not tried it, but the Civ2 "nuke and drop" tactic should work if you drop sufficient nukes on a city that all defenders die.

[bobgote]

with marines you can capture a city and land the rest of your attack force in the port city, and they can get their turn before retaliation (they can be fortified in a city, or can attack the next city along in the first turn).

I've never used paratroops, but there is probably some use, i guess..

[BomberEscort]

Originally posted by The Last Conformist
Not tried it, but the Civ2 "nuke and drop" tactic should work if you drop sufficient nukes on a city that all defenders die.

IIRC this does not work, they must land outside an unoccupied city... I tried this once a long time ago (Vanilla v.1.07)

[Mano3]

I use marines and paratroopers as diversions and for holding captured cities. The AI goes nuts when paratroopers appear all over the place... meanwhile, my armor moves in for the kill!

[kb2tvl]

By the time that I get paratroopers, I generally have my area fully railed and the ai tends to be pretty well railed up. So, if you send in the para's and advance with other units, the ai will go for the single units before hitting a large stack. Have I ever done this? nope. The WW makes this impratical.

Where do I use paratroopers? If you have an island off the coast and it will take ships 10+ turns to get there, you can build a city, helo and drop paratroopers on land direcly next to the city. OR you can nuke it first.