Does anyone know of a good use for paratroopers and helicopters? I gave them a whirl in my most recent game and they couldn't have been more lame. I couldn't drop troops on a square occupied by an enemy civ and would immediately lose the troop if I did. Even when I did drop them in an unoccupied square they were immediately eliminated. By the time copters & paratroopers become available, the whole map is railroaded so you can't employ an element of surprise. And since you can only air drop non-mech troops or paratroopers, you cant' employ strength against the enemy. By the time you have paratroopers/copters, the enemy has tanks/modern armor and just annihilates the weak troops you can air drop. Has anyone found a good use for these, other than against real backward civs?
Paratroopers & Helicopters--Any Use
- Thread starter sparty44
- Start date
maverick_mw
Toy Soldier
I find it useful to have a few, deploying them as far into enemy territory as possible. As the dumb AI can only seem to go after one threat at once, doing this sometimes gives you a clean sweep across the frontline.
They are much more useful against human players as a good counter to the "War Wall".
They are much more useful against human players as a good counter to the "War Wall".
Kalashnikov33
Chieftain
- Joined
- May 29, 2003
- Messages
- 37
No. The only purpose they serve is to make you feel good about yourself for having taken pity on the poor units and producing them.
actually they serve some decent purpose. a paradrop followed with helicopters with normal infantry can give a decent distraction for a main attack. also they very useful in player games.
Kalashnikov33
Chieftain
- Joined
- May 29, 2003
- Messages
- 37
Yeah, okay. How exactly are they useful in player games, cheif? And what you said about distractions is such a waste. I'm gonna put my shields into building these units to try and distract the enemy? That's so inefficient.
it isnt ineffiecent if you have extra production. although i believe they are relatively cheap and if you played the game good you should be able to build 1 a turn in a core city.
In player games they useful because it can surprise the hell out of someone AFTER they attack. With a AI you cant do that. this especially works in turnless or sim turn games. if you do it after they attack you can use them to cut off rails and roads the next turn. doesnt work with one player but it works great with multi.
In player games they useful because it can surprise the hell out of someone AFTER they attack. With a AI you cant do that. this especially works in turnless or sim turn games. if you do it after they attack you can use them to cut off rails and roads the next turn. doesnt work with one player but it works great with multi.
Hunter
Civ Addict
These units are loveable but not overly usefull.
I use paratroops to cut railroads of an attacker or to draw the AI quickly to a new area other than were he is attacking. As for the stupid helicopter well if it could pick up troops in the field then it would be vastly more usefull. However as it is I use them to launch troops from cities that do not have airports (same tactic as my paratroops) or when I am invading to bring troops quickly to the front line.
I use paratroops to cut railroads of an attacker or to draw the AI quickly to a new area other than were he is attacking. As for the stupid helicopter well if it could pick up troops in the field then it would be vastly more usefull. However as it is I use them to launch troops from cities that do not have airports (same tactic as my paratroops) or when I am invading to bring troops quickly to the front line.
actually sometimes it is possible to airlift troops out of an area using helicopters. It is only possible if you bring in workers with the first drop and use them to build an airfeild. only works with PTW and if you are in neutral territory though.
Hunter
Civ Addict
1) cant you just airlift your troops from an airfield anyway without a helicopter? (never tried)
2) If you build an airfield in someone else's land can you use it if you have troops on it?
2) If you build an airfield in someone else's land can you use it if you have troops on it?
elpadrino87
Warlord
I find that helicopters do have some value. Sure, they're not one of the best units of the game, but that doesn't mean that you should never build them. As maverick_mw and EQandcivfanatic said, they can serve as a distraction for the AI or human opponent. I like to use them to drop a bunch of infantry onto resource tiles, enough to survive a first wave of attack, and with two more to pillage the tile.
I do fing paratroopers a bit less useful, since they require an airport and aren't as tough on the defense as infantry, but if you can drop them onto an easily defensible tile, they might survive a few enemy attacks, which can be valuable, since it reduces the number of units that the AI can use to attack the main attack force.
I do fing paratroopers a bit less useful, since they require an airport and aren't as tough on the defense as infantry, but if you can drop them onto an easily defensible tile, they might survive a few enemy attacks, which can be valuable, since it reduces the number of units that the AI can use to attack the main attack force.
