Coastal forts and AA improvements

[JoeRambo]

If you drop PARA onto forts, you might need to rethink their use. They have enough problems just dropping onto an objective and fighting through the airborne assault penalty.

Actually PAR are very potent troops, with some research involved you can drop a 4xPAR division, add some penalty reduction, good leaders ( 4skill OD guys, not those useless commando guys ). For GER I also create them by upgrading initial INF - means they have 40% EXP instead of 25%, 15% of additional bonus. End result is a powerful combat div, that can para drop.

[Kovax]

From what I understand, the FtM expansion allows both provincial AA and AA brigades to fire at any aircraft which "happen to be" in the province. Since aircraft move several provinces per hour, and "teleport" between them, it's a bit of a "hit or miss" proposition as to whether your AA guns will be in the right place at the right time, unless they're specifically attacking it. If they do happen to end up in the province, though, you get a shot at them. Of course, certain strategic objectives and the locations of airfields will just happen to cause the attacking aircraft to pause over the same provinces over and over, so piling a heap of AA there can be handy, at least until their aircraft engines upgrade and they stop over a differnt province instead.

[themousemaster]

From what I understand, the FtM expansion allows both provincial AA and AA brigades to fire at any aircraft which "happen to be" in the province. Since aircraft move several provinces per hour, and "teleport" between them, it's a bit of a "hit or miss" proposition as to whether your AA guns will be in the right place at the right time, unless they're specifically attacking it. If they do happen to end up in the province, though, you get a shot at them. Of course, certain strategic objectives and the locations of airfields will just happen to cause the attacking aircraft to pause over the same provinces over and over, so piling a heap of AA there can be handy, at least until their aircraft engines upgrade and they stop over a differnt province instead.

Can you link the source of this info?

My understanding is that provincial AA will only fire at planes actively engaged in a province; it doesn't matter what the planes are actually engaging IN the province... units, supplies, INFRA, resources... but they have to be attacking something ground-side to get shot at.

[Old Ladies]

If you drop PARA onto forts, you might need to rethink their use. They have enough problems just dropping onto an objective and fighting through the airborne assault penalty.

I agree it is a terrible idea. For the maginot line for example you would be fighting at less than 5% effectiveness. They are only great against forts when you want maximum shock and awe.

[Secret Master]

Actually PAR are very potent troops, with some research involved you can drop a 4xPAR division, add some penalty reduction, good leaders ( 4skill OD guys, not those useless commando guys ). For GER I also create them by upgrading initial INF - means they have 40% EXP instead of 25%, 15% of additional bonus. End result is a powerful combat div, that can para drop.

They are powerful. But I'm not sending them on missions where they will be fighting at such a disadvantage. If the province has a fort, I'm not really keen on dropping onto it because failure generally means death for those expensive units. There may be a more useful place for them to drop (completing encirclements, ninja capitals, Market Garden style attacks).

[JoeRambo]

AFAIK paras get same forts penalties as everyone else. But they pack more punch than players imagine they do, so several levels of forts is no big deal for them. I certainly don't shy away from using paras on province with forts as long as there is advantage to do so. Even in Maginot line setting they are a fine combatant ( even if fighting @5% efficiency ) - instant capture on victory goes a long way in blitzkrieg + giving opponent -10% penalty for 3rd axis is just minor effect that is nice to have.

[Cybvep]

PARAs are way more powerful when they don't have to fight that much. Just drop them on an empty province where they will not deplete their ORG that fast and support them by using air supply mission if necessary. They can close encirclements, capture VPs or take provinces before amphibious invasions happen without firing many shots at all.

However, if the enemy has a coastal fort but doesn't have a land fort in a given province, an attack with PARAs will be a nasty surprise for him .

[Alex_brunius]

If you drop PARA onto forts, you might need to rethink their use. They have enough problems just dropping onto an objective and fighting through the airborne assault penalty.

The main point of dropping Para on a fort is to open up more combat width to the rest of your attacking force. Dropping a single brigade para will give you 4 extra width to use by land attackers and lessen any stacking penalty you have.

They can also be used in a supporting manner to absorb hits. Any hit taken by your paras is a hit not taken by the rest of your attacking forces.


But my personal favorite is dropping them into an undefended fort, just behind the enemy lines

[Secret Master]

The main point of dropping Para on a fort is to open up more combat width to the rest of your attacking force. Dropping a single brigade para will give you 4 extra width to use by land attackers and lessen any stacking penalty you have.

This is true.

[KLorberau]

Gotta love those fire breathing Fallschirmajers..........