What special ability does Paratrooopers have?

[Edwin P.]

Several posts mention that SC2 incudes paratroopers. Can someone explain what this unit can do in SC2?

[Roosevelt45]

I think they will be able to cover great distances and probably water(seas).It would be logical if they could land behind enemy lines but I'm not sure they can.

[pzgndr]

Paratroopers will have some operating range for airdrops behind enemy lines. Probably start at range 3-4 and increase with L/R tech.

Airdrops should be an air operation subject to enemy interceptions and friendly escorts. This would ensure players have air superiority or else risk disaster. And being relatively expensive units, you really wouldn't want to do anything too risky.

Other than that, things are still fuzzy at this point. I don't envision airdrops being capable of decisive attacks behind enemy lines all by themselves. But they will come in handy for seizing unoccupied key terrain or resources, or serving as a strategic reserve to drop into a vacated tile when you don't have other land units available.

[ev]

Are paratroopers in SC2 independent units or attachments to a an air or land unit?

I have some ideas:

They should have enough combat strength to hold a hex or tile much like an infantry corps or army would. ...and, a paratroop unit would be an infantry unit that can be airdrop - just have to firgure out what it means to airdrop in SC1.

They could be also be though of as a unit that supports another land unit within its range (sort of like an HQ but on a 1 to 1 basis). They could either add to the combat strength of the supported unit, or, they could increase the combat multiplier of the supported unit. But (unlike an HQ) paratroopers would take losses even if they are solely acting as a support unit. In fact, they should have particularly high losses if the attack fails.

Option #2 would not allow you attack an island like Crete using only paratroopers. However Options #1 and #2 need not be exclusive of each other. The game could allow to use paratroopers both as independent combat units and as supporting units.

[pzgndr]

Option #2 would not allow you attack an island like Crete using only paratroopers.

All alone, without any air or naval support, against a defending unit? And if there's no defending unit, why not?

Paratroops will be independent corps-size units. Assuming you have interception losses and landing losses for an airdrop, what's left of a basic corps probably won't do much on the ground all by itself. Like real life, airdrops will have to be integrated with other operations to be successful.

That's about it. No special abilities beyond being able to drop several tiles behind enemy lines. And no special limitations to prevent players from using them in interesting and novel ways. Force pool limits and higher costs should keep these units to a minimum so you won't see airborne armies flying overhead. Or they can be zeroed out completely to have games without paratroopers for those who disagree with their inclusion at this scale.

[Liam]

to be honest I think it's rocks.. I'd love to drop my Paras into a "stuffed," Fighting situation where you've no room or Action points to move in another unit.<i know everyone here has faced those type of situations b4> A Diverse Unit. I hope they have some defense value!!! Big Targets if they're expensive

Also think of cutting of supply, which is a misused and huge power for any army in SC... Paras would make this easier

[Edwin P.]

It also forces the enemy to garrision cites that are just behind the front lines, otherwise a para could drop in and rob your frontline units of supply.

[Codename Condor]

Originally posted by pzgndr:

But they will come in handy for seizing unoccupied key terrain or resources, or serving as a strategic reserve to drop into a vacated tile when you don't have other land units available.

I figured out that this is going to be an expensive unit so I just hope the paratroopers can make more damage than just to ocupate vacated tiles in the front...

[82ndReady]

Here's my 2cents worth.....

Paratroopers when dropped should maintain supply for 2 turns after which supply rules are then in affect also they should act like like Russia partisans (ie..cutting enemy supply lines)giving the unit more than this ability in my opinion would be wrong.

To determine exact and fair strengths of Paratroop units will be difficult since the US, UK & Germany were the only countries to have comprised large units of Paratroopers that engaged in combat. Poland and a few other countries had similar smaller sized paratroop units but never on a large scale as the US or Germany.

I think it will be intresting to see how Hubert will handle this type of unit in the game!

[ev]

Originally posted by 82ndReady:

...the US, UK & Germany were the only countries to have comprised large units of Paratroopers that engaged in combat. Poland and a few other countries had similar smaller sized paratroop units but never on a large scale as the US or Germany.

Russia also had paratroopers, and used them in a large operation attempting to close a pocket of German troops. I understand the Russians suffered heavy cassualties, and did not manage to encircle the German troops. ...sorry I forgot the name of the battle, but, I believe it was in 1944.

[jon_j_rambo]

American paratroops rock! D-Day & Bastogne

[Sombra]

American paratroops in the D-DA<y were a dissaster. They droped in the wrong location and got slaughered

[Panzeh]

They were scattered but they scattered the Germans, too. They did their job.

[Roosevelt45]

The original plan was a total disaster but because paratroopers from different divisions teamed up and improvised they still were able to achieve most of their objectives.

[Night]

Paratroopers played an important role in WWII and should be included in SC2 as normal fighting units with the ability to do airdrops with restrictions.

the 101st in the battle of the buldge did not act like soviet partisans, they were a normal infantry unit just like all the others and fought just as hard if not harder.

[pzgndr]

I think it will be intresting to see how Hubert will handle this type of unit in the game!

Yes indeed. :cool: Current plan is to have paratroops, engineers and partisans as specialized units only. They will have their unique abilities but will not be subject to research tech advances.

This may sound like paratroops are getting the short end of the stick, but their initial combat factors will probably be higher than your standard infantry corps. This would make them more or less "elite" in the early war, and hopefully "tough enough" as the war progresses. Otherwise, we do risk seeing "super duper" paratroopers capable of fantastic feats.

For airdrops they can only carry so much. They're light infantry, period. If you want to assume they can fight on the line like everyone else and have heavy artillery and AT assault guns, then they don't need to be paratroopers. Their true value should be their full strength and readiness to jump, and their POTENTIAL threat will usually be greater than what they may actually accomplish. Let your opponent worry about what they MIGHT do.

Basic idea would be to get your paratroops some early experience, upgrade them with elite reinforcements, and then keep them fresh and ready for a good opportunity. They'll be useful, but not omnipotent.

[jon_j_rambo]

One of my neighbors fought at Bastogne, he wasn't a paratrooper, he was a regular infantry. He has scars from battle wounds. He didn't mind the fighting, it was the cold. He planted several Gerries

[Sombra]

One question can parratroopers be intercepted?

I think it is quite hard to jump out off a burning plane

[Jordy]

Paratroopers are a great addition.

I think their supply should be halved every turn until they are relieved.

While in normal supply I think that the appropriate support battalions (AA, Artillery, Armor, etc) would be represented by making this unit act(attack/defend) like the other ground units. After a Drop and while not having the support of those attachments, they would still fight like the other units for 1 turn while their supply is full. This would represent the eliment of surprise. The next turn, after the surprise is gone, their supply (and thus readiness) is halved. The supply is continually halved every turn after that.

So the supply is 10 -> 5 -> 2 -> 1 -> 0.

Or something like that...

A unit like this will definitely add a new deminsion to the game.

My brother just got back from Iraq (hes in the 82nd MP) and sent me the following:

The Rule of the LGOP's

"After the demise of the best Airborne plan, a most terrifying effect occurs on the battlefield. This effect is known as the rule of the LGOPs. This is, in its purest form, small groups of pissed of 19 year old American paratroopers. They are well-trained, armed to the teeth and lack serious adult supervision. They collectively remember the Commander's intent as "March to the sound of the guns and and kill anyone who is not dressed like you..." or something like that. Happily they go about the days work......"

Just thought I'd share it. Also, contrary to what you aways hear on the news, he said just about all of his company hates to jump out of planes.

[jon_j_rambo]

Makes sense that paratroop's transport planes can be intercepted. Interception rules need modified in general.

[pzgndr]

One question can paratroopers be intercepted?

I'm hoping this will be the case, but it's not worked out yet. The idea behind allowing interceptions is that this is an air operation. If the enemy HAS interceptors and you DON'T have escorts, it doesn't make sense that a major airdrop could occur without losses. Thus, players would be compelled to have air superiority and perhaps make some other air attacks first to strip away enemy interceptors. Otherwise you would risk disaster, right?

[Exel]

Originally posted by pzgndr:

</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr /> One question can paratroopers be intercepted?

I'm hoping this will be the case, but it's not worked out yet. The idea behind allowing interceptions is that this is an air operation. If the enemy HAS interceptors and you DON'T have escorts, it doesn't make sense that a major airdrop could occur without losses. Thus, players would be compelled to have air superiority and perhaps make some other air attacks first to strip away enemy interceptors. Otherwise you would risk disaster, right? </font>