most effective use of paratroopers

[Trubinator]

I'm quite the fan of the paratroopers in BTS given that they are only 4 STR behind the tank. However, I'm rather disappointed with the 5 tile jump limitation from your cities. Is there any other way to deploy these units using the 'chutes without going from point a (city) to point b (enemy territory)? I tried using an aircraft carrier to no avail, so I'm a bit stumped here.

 

[Looshi]

I think they can jump out of forts, if that helps anyway.

Personally I love the little guys. My favorite tactic is having them jump on to hills in enemy territory, so the AI wastes troops trying to take them out. Meanwhile my other troops can penetrate enemy territory a lot easier.

 

[Trubinator]

Ah, that makes sense Thanks.

 

[axident]

I think they can jump out of forts, if that helps anyway.

Personally I love the little guys. My favorite tactic is having them jump on to hills in enemy territory, so the AI wastes troops trying to take them out. Meanwhile my other troops can penetrate enemy territory a lot easier.

Yes jump and move onto a hill. Pepper the city with bombers the next turn and then hammer the city with the paratroopers.

 

[Tennyson]

I use them as garrison troops behind tanks. Tanks take an enemy city, I jump them in from the last enemy city and walk them the rest of the way into the city same turn.

"We're paratroopers, Lieutenant. We're supposed to be surrounded."

 

[Hellman109]

Hopping to other islands/continents is another method too, as you dont need a ship to get over the smaller passages.

Another is paradropping on resources (although the 5 range stifles that) for fortifying/pilliaging them to cut them off, Ive used this successfully in the past.

Pangrea maps I could see them hopping all over the place, and if the enemy has a stronger navy this could be very important.

The restricted range really sucks, wish you could load them up in a bomber to increase their range and/or get an operational range upgrade or something

 

[InvisibleStalke]

They are fantastic. Combine with bombers to remove the cultural defense and soften the city, then drop your parachutes next to the city and take it on the next turn. You use them like tanks, only they are faster, get terrain defense, don't slow down on hills and don't have CR promotions.

The range is sufficient since you parachute from the last city you took to the next one you are going to take. Its unlikely that AI cities are further spaced than a parachute can jump and move. Used properly against an opponent without fighters you can storm across their empire faster than any other option including tanks.

They aren't quite as good as tanks at taking cities - but if the enemy infantry have been pounded by bombers then it doesn't matter. But their huge speed means that the enemy have less time to build units and the war damages your economy less. And they can be better at holding against a counterattack. (Although I always like to airlift in a CG3 infantry for this purpose).

 

[Antilogic]

To echo one post above, I like to drop and attack enemy guards to resources, especially if they stick SAM infantry on them. The AI loves to put SAM infantry there (because they guess you will use planes to attack the resources), but paratroopers with Combat I and Pinch can paradrop and kill them, then a second paratrooper can pillage.

 

[Lt. Bob]

Combine them with helicoptors and you can take a city 5 squares away in one turn. Kill all the defenders with the chopers. Then paradrop next to the city and walk right over it.

 

[Sephlock]

What makes helicopters so good? Is it just the speed?

 

[Grimus]

I LOVE helicopters, nobody can run from my copters! I use them to pickoff the wounded, or to take out intruders quickly in my terrain. They're also amazing pillagers.

I haven't waged a real late game war yet with BtS, but I'm planning on it with the game I started last night as Japan. The paratroopers sound pretty sweet, perhaps that's why the computer kept "recommending" me to spam them after I produced something in a city during my last Space Race game.

 

[PibbZ]

They have a fantastic potential! Last game i used mine as some sort of elite force (created them in the city with Red Cross and West Point, had 3 great generals + Theocracy and barracks). They started as level 5, and with Woodsman I, II, III (2 first strikes), Medic I, Combat I (from being Aggresive civ), and March, they are pretty damn hot.

Jump'em onto some hills, preferably with forests, and watch them cut down pretty much everything that tries to kill them.

Love this unit, looks awesome too!

 

[Rusty Edge]

What makes helicopters so good? Is it just the speed?

They have an anti- tank bonus. The counter to helicopters is SAM infantry so the suggestion is to use the helicopters with the paratroopers as they compliment each other and have a similar range

 

[Antilogic]

The other thing you can do is airlift units into that recently captured city...air warfare just got a lot more interesting.

I'm playing as Frederick and am involved in a Modern war against a permanent alliance of Augustus and Joao. I'm looking forward to invading their continent and trying to use paratroopers at any opportunity.

 

[Quagga]

I find myself paratrooping into my own cities regularly. Other than the range limitation, there's no limit-one limitation as there is with airlift. Thus I can shift forces rapidly.

Flight has gone from a so-so tech to an absolute killer. Once you can build paratroopers, you'll never build another infantry.

 

[mice]

Are fighters the counter for paratroopers? They cut them up on the way down dont they, with a wide range.

 

[Trubinator]

I believe paratroopers can be intercepted and shot down if the other player/AI has anti-air units stationed in his/her/its city.

 

[Quagga]

Yes, they can be shot down. But I haven't noticed the AIs prioritizing Flight. In my current game, I had free reign with paratroopers for a long time.

 

[GoodGame]

Some other uses:

Block a retreat. If the enemy's attack failed and they start to walk away, drop some paras on them.

Block reinforcements. As you start assembling a stack to take down a city that's on the fringe, drop some paras on the reinforcement route from the enemy's core.

 

[snipafist]

I like jumping them from city to city as city defenders in the wake of my tanks/bobmers/mobile artillery/mobile sam/mechanized infantry. The 2 speed units can keep mulching up city after city while my paratroopers keep dropping in to garrison the place immediately thereafter.