Paratroopers

[Complex]

Just wondering what other people do with these units? Generally speaking I've never used them for anything other than diversions or to take out some key border resources at the onset of an invasion, I was curious to get some additional feedback and perhaps some strategies I haven't thought of.

Also, what do you think the best promotion line for these units is?

 

[Bigfoot3814]

One of my first threads concerned paratroops. If you can search and find it, there were some excellent strategies suggested.

 

[AriochIV]

Once I have bombers, my attacking tanks generally don't wait for the infantry and artillery to keep up, so the main use I find for paratroopers is just being infantry that can keep up with my armored spearheads.

 

[Arksa]

Use them as medics. Drop them where aid is needed.

 

[Kawalimus]

I can't remember correctly but weren't these ridiculously powerful in civ 2? I remember being able to paradrop anywhere in the world and take a billion cities with em.

I use them in this for moving well behind enemy lines when going for a domination win. You sit em in your cities and they heal up while your main force goes to the next city. Then you paradrop em so they can move five squares at once.

And you can paradrop over water squares so you don't have to waste time with transports, great for archipelago situations.

 

[Synobun]

I think Paratroopers would be useful to do assaults in Archipelago maps, just as Kawalimus had said. It's just like the Red Alert (video game) situation, the Soviets para dropped in with a bunch of soldiers. The soldiers weren't strong, but they were strong in numbers...

 

[Ceritoglu]

One of my first threads concerned paratroops. If you can search and find it, there were some excellent strategies suggested.

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=264054

Good thread...I remember reading it back in February; was a good read.

To be perfectly honest, you can probably find 5 other threads with very similar content for every thread started here.

 

[Navarre]

I usually watch them fall like flies, gunned down by airships or SAMs. I've yet to find a situation where they're effective. More effective than a bunch of tanks and airlifts of infantry to defend newly conquered cities I mean.

 

[Commodore Nate]

I usually keep a few sitting around with guerrilla, woodsman, or medic promotions to drop onto squares I have a lot of tanks in. Sometimes I use them as city defense, and just move them into my newly captured cities as the front pushes forward and more defense can come in.

 

[peter450]

Just wondering what other people do with these units? Generally speaking I've never used them for anything other than diversions or to take out some key border resources at the onset of an invasion, I was curious to get some additional feedback and perhaps some strategies I haven't thought of.

Also, what do you think the best promotion line for these units is?

I've modded my game so they start with commando, there much more useful now, right through to the later stages

 

[Bob-san]

I use them on Archipelago maps as spearheads. They're great for crippling cities in long sieges... since you can usually drop a good number on food and hammer resources. Quite literally, you can starve the AI from the get-go. Other than that, I use them to invade small islands. Last game I got into using Paratroopers, I dropped them from one island to another and camped a half dozen outside a city while bombing the heck out of it. They were in jungles, so their measly 24 str was boosted up to 36 str or so. The AI never attacked because of the defenses.

 

[glaivemaster]

I use them mostly for speedy conquest. Bomb the city with bombers etc. and then drop in the Paratroopers. They move a lot faster than any other units I usually have, since I foolishly don't go for tanks that quickly (too busy getting paratroopers )

Then again, I've only really used them in Noble mode, where I completely dominate anyway, haven't had a chance to use them in higher difficulty levels yet

 

[Kevinicus]

I use them to take out important resources of the enemy. Such as aluminium, coal and whatnot. I take it out and then he can't build any troops, my main army follows up, close behind.

 

[jlindy]

Personally I've found their range to be kinda lame. They're O.K. for border cities but that's about it.

 

[IronicBuddha]

Use them as medics. Drop them where aid is needed.

I find this strategy with a paratrooper GG medic to be much more helpful than a cavalry or explorer

 

[cyclosarin]

The thing to remember is that in real life, when paratroop regiments were first created, they were intended as part shock troop, part commando. Their job was to harrass, cut supply lines, cut roads, ambush reinforcements and weaken/subdue defenses in preparation for the coming main invasion.

They should be used this way in game. I like to have 24 available at all times, 3 stacks of 8. I drop one stack in to roam around pillaging tiles with virtual impunity, the other two stacks I use to weaken defenders before sending in a main invasion. It is also good for feint tactics, drop them near one city two or so turns before, to draw out defenders away from the city you really intend to attack.

 

[Leodavinci]

I find this strategy with a paratrooper GG medic to be much more helpful than a cavalry or explorer

Same here - I always call my paratroops Medikis which is medic

 

[Fireseal]

Useful in the short period before mech infantry

 

[Minor Annoyance]

Here's a link to the last paratrooper discussion:
paratroopers
and the one before that more paratroopers

 

[The Snug]

I think Paratroopers would be useful to do assaults in Archipelago maps, just as Kawalimus had said. It's just like the Red Alert (video game) situation, the Soviets para dropped in with a bunch of soldiers. The soldiers weren't strong, but they were strong in numbers...

Because of the range limitation and the forced pause before assaults, I find Marines to be more useful on archi maps.