Choppers

[Mordack]

Does anyone use helicopters?

I have yet to find any meaningful use for them. I mean only one unit can transport, 6 range, no mechanized units.....why is it even there.

Amazing, wonder if they were trying to adjust for the overwhelming superiority of these units in Civ2.

 

[Doc Tsiolkovski]

They are completely useless in VC3/PtW, no arguing about that. Especially since you normally cannot build Infantry any longer once you have AF.
In C3C however, they can be handy for Archipelago/Continents map.
First, they now carry 3 units. Then, the TOW and the boosted Paras are finally useful foot units to fly in.
So, if you just captured a city on an enemy landmass, use the Heli to rebase a Worker and 2 TOWs. If there's a roaded tile next to the city, build an Airfield, and airlift whatever you want, while the TOWs defend the city.
Dropping units is nice theoretically (mostly for resources or to block a choke), but I never needed it so far.

 

[Virote_Considon]

I used to use Hellicopters a lot in Civ 2, but I think they were WAY too overpowered. 'The Strategy' for me in wartime used to be stockpile on Partisains and either a mech inf. or a couple of marines, wait for the AI to take city, use up all the Partisains on weakening the opponent, then sending in a couple of Hellis to capture the city.

I remember one time playing the WW2 scenario as Germany, I managed to completely wipe out the Neutrals in a few turns with just one chopper.

But on to the question, if hellis can land on carriers, then you can save all the Transports space for Modern Armours, Mech Infs., etc, if that makes any sence?

 

[Rohili]

I never use choppers. I am patiently awaiting the day when some bright spark writes an article on previously unthought-of ways to exploit this apparently-useless unit.

 

[hievery]

The use for heli's is : Landign infantry on thier mountains, in the mack/ middle of thier empire. They wil stupidly throw units at them instead of helpin thir border under seige. I use heli's all the time, I usually build at least 4 or 5. With enough heli's, you can land on all thie rescources and defensive c hockes/ mountains.

 

[hievery]

Doc Tsiolkovski, you have to be the ONLY other person who knows what Tin-tin is. Those books absorbed the hell out my middle school years. Awesome

 

[Roxlimn]

Use Helicopters to transport 3 infantry units every turn from any of your cities to any other of your cities (or to simulate a 2 link Transport chain). I consider them superior to Transports in transferring defense troops to where they're needed. This is arithmetically provable in any instance in which you need more than 2 links in a ship-chain to send your troops to where they're needed. Of course, the Helis don't have to reconfigure, either for alternate landing areas, nor are they subject to attack when used to Rebase.

I've used Helicopters to take out enemy Rubber and Oil, reducing them to Guerilla and Cavalry I'm fielding in Infantry and Tanks. Basically, they're like Galleys and Transports, only better.

They're great for isolating enemy cities when dealing with bottlenecks (usually one or 2 tile bottlenecks). Likewise, they also add flexibility to troop placement tactically, if you have air superiority. There are times when you back off an attack because your troops might be placed in an awkward position after 2 consecutive attacks. You can use Helicopters to establish fortified positions even deep in enemy territory, a concern when you're using fast moving attackers like Tanks and Cavalry.

When you can build Helicopters (and have air superiority), you should try to avoid sending in SODs one tile at a time into enemy territory because the Infantry is so darned slow. Just send the troops in fast and pack the Infantry in Helis so they can catch up.

I tend to build at least 9 or 10 Helis for various purposes in a Standard map, though I've accunmulated as much as 20 in one game.

 

[eldar]

I think I built a Heli, once. I couldn't figure out just what I was supposed to do with it, so I've never built one since....

 

[hievery]

You load the units in a city/airfield into it like a boat, then choose a landing zone. It can make 1 run each turn

 

[searcheagle]

Load 3 units into a chopper in conquests, 1 in vanilla. Move chopper anywhere for reinforcements in a city.

Also, you can use it for attacking offshore or deep in enemy territory to mess up the computers response. With the TOW in C3C, you have a strong unit that you can move that can both attack and defend. With helicopters in C3C, you can capture whole islands without using a transport.

 

[jst666]

Cannot remember where I read an article about naval invasions on hard difficulty levels. The writer pointed out the same strat Doc Ts mentioned. Instead of using transports to move troops from your main continent ashore, just load foot units (TOWs) to a chopper and rebase.

 

[Doc Tsiolkovski]

The point people forget is: If you 'airlift via helicopter' (=rebase), the unit still has its movement; if you airlift between cities/airfields not.

@hievery: Tin Tin is still well known in 'Old Europe', fortunately.

 

[El Justo]

oh contraire...

i often use helis; especially in my Cold War scenario.

for example, the Soviets seem to know where all of my Transport units are and they like to bombard the hell out of them. however, my UH-1s and UH-60s are never subjected to being 'out in the open' and they're able to lauch, air drop and return to base all in the same turn. this is a huge advantage.

they are a nice alternative to sea transports and airport/airlifting. their range is also nice and i consider them a quick insertion/penetration, air mobile tactic. thy are great for airdropping units in unforgiving terrain and areas that do not have a road system.

to simply ignore the uses of helis would be foolhardy.