What is the point of paratroopers? They suck!

[Xanikk999]

I mean for a late industrial age unit thier attack sucks. Why do they only have as much attack as a knight?

They cant attack cities and thier are better defenders so why use them?

If i want to clean out the field around enemy cities il use tanks, cavs, or infantry. Not crappy paratroopers.

What was firaxises explanation for such lame stats for the era?

 

[Synobun]

The paratroopers serve as a quick 'interception' unit. Since they can paradrop to a few squares away, they can weaken the enemy approaching, or do a quick one time on a city.

 

[Thorvald of Lym]

Like what d.highland said; they make a good unit for establishing a foothold on, say, an island, and pillaging the countryside to disrupt the enemy's production/supply.

 

[azzaman333]

Or as a distraction. Drop 4-5 Paratroopers over 1 side of their empire, and get the tanks to mow through the rest of the empire while they attack the paras. But to be honest, the paras suck bad.

 

[psweetman1590]

If you've a lot of bombers and are in hilly terrain, try this:

Turn one: drop paras outside of target city. Use bombers to cut all roads into the city.

Turn two: bomb the city to kingdom come. Move paras into the city unchallenged.

Its just as fast as the tank or cavalry blitz, and you'll take far fewer casualties doing it.

I think the explanation behind the low stats is that after they're dropped, they're rather disorganized and spread out, and thus don't have a concentration of firepower. However, they ought to be just as good as infantry (if not better, because of extra training) when they're not dropped or on defense. Rather than poor stats I think they ought to simply suffer a penalty for attack a turn after being dropped to simulate the lack of coordination and organization.

 

[gmaharriet]

Here's a link to a great article on the use of paratroopers by scoutsout. http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=90323

 

[AutomatedTeller]

arent' paras 6.8.1?

 

[Xanikk999]

arent' paras 6.8.1?

Nope. I see in the civolopedia its 4-9-1.

 

[MAS]

arent' paras 6.8.1?

In vanilla: 6/8
in C3C: 4/9

 

[Bartleby]

I haven't used paratroopers seriously, only built them for a laugh, but I didn't realise they were only 4 attack in C3C. That is pretty sucky.

 

[MAS]

I haven't used paratroopers seriously, only built them for a laugh, but I didn't realise they were only 4 attack in C3C. That is pretty sucky.

The low attack isn't what makes them sucky. They aren't suppose to do an actual attack. They are supposed to "offensive defend" A kind of like the tactic of sending a Hopitle into enemy terrain in the AA. In that way, they are actually improved in C3C.
After all, they can't move after being dropped anyway.

What makes them sucky is the fact they are behind an optional tech and in an age where the player usually already rules the game by other means.
You just almost never get a chance to put them to good use.

 

[thetrooper]

I can only think of one thing: drop your paratroopers on a mountain/hill near your target city (but close enough so that cavalry can reach the same point on the same turn). Soften up the defenses by bombers next turn. Then attack with cavalry.

This, of course, is also doable with your old stack of infantry/cavalry/artillery. But you spend at least one more turn on this approach.

 

[MAS]

When enemy city is behind mountains the paratroopers+bombard may just conquer the city faster than tanks... since bombers have lethal bombard, the low offensive isn't an issue, they can just walk into an undefended city the turn after being dropped.

 

[Sir_Lancelot]

They cant attack cities and thier are better defenders so why use them?

You'll rarely need them, have fun wathcing the AI waste tons of shields on them.

bomb the city to kingdom come.

I don't know what you talk about?

However, they ought to be just as good as infantry (if not better, because of extra training) when they're not dropped or on defense.

Now you must be kidding? Infantry have 10 in defense. "Training"? Elite you mean? Then you must compare with Elite infantry.

Rather than poor stats I think they ought to simply suffer a penalty for attack a turn after being dropped to simulate the lack of coordination and organization.

Sounds almost too realistic to be Civ! C3C perhaps, but not C3.

In vanilla: 6/8
in C3C: 4/9

I see, they changed them. 6 in attack is useless against modern units. But for marching into undefended towns even 4 is enough. Defense 9 sounds like they actually can be used to something. Nice change.

 

[Stazro]

I can only think of one thing: drop your paratroopers on a mountain/hill near your target city (but close enough so that cavalry can reach the same point on the same turn). Soften up the defenses by bombers next turn. Then attack with cavalry.

This, of course, is also doable with your old stack of infantry/cavalry/artillery. But you spend at least one more turn on this approach.

Read the article mentioned above and you will think of more things It is a very good article and really worth the time to read!
There can be good use for paratroopers and i think its fun to do something different than the always same SoD-tactics.

 

[psweetman1590]

Quote:
However, they ought to be just as good as infantry (if not better, because of extra training) when they're not dropped or on defense.

Now you must be kidding? Infantry have 10 in defense. "Training"? Elite you mean? Then you must compare with Elite infantry.




Quote:
Rather than poor stats I think they ought to simply suffer a penalty for attack a turn after being dropped to simulate the lack of coordination and organization.

Sounds almost too realistic to be Civ! C3C perhaps, but not C3.

I was talking about what I thought the stats SHOULD BE, not what they actually were.

Quote:
Originally Posted by psweetman1590
bomb the city to kingdom come.

I don't know what you talk about?

Bomb it and bomb it hard.

 

[lurker322]

I don't know what you talk about?

it comes from the Bible- Basically it's like saying "give them Armageddon."

 

[Noobnerd]

Anyone tried changing the rules to make he paratrooper hidden nationality and then blockade some guy you don't like during peace?

 

[Sir_Lancelot]

Anyone tried changing the rules to make he paratrooper hidden nationality and then blockade some guy you don't like during peace?

I'd rather carry my flag in the blockade. If you've tried privateers, you know the AI will miss no opportunity to attack them.

 

[Noobnerd]

How about blockade with right of passage then?