Paratroopers

Part of the rest of the rule book also know as the FAQ
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=ah/article/ah20081212

The answer is no.

Yes, it is a silly rule.

Historically more serviceman were ferried by air transport into rear areas than were airdropped into a hostile combat zone.

It does seem to be a silly distinction.

Our house rule is to allow transport of troops on non-bombing runs if you have the Paratroopers tech from friendly area to friendly area within the bombers range.

bombers are cheap now.
Giving NCM capability makes them EVEN MORE powerful (as part of Paratroopers)

I suspect it is because then the americans could much more easily get units into china/russia/you name it if they could be moved in NCM.

Does anyone else besides me find unlocking paratroopers to be underwhelming?

Paratroopers is probably the worst tech you can unlock next to Improved Factor production or Rockets for USA.

So yes, I would like to see Paratroopers made MORE powerful.

2)  You can do an Aerial Sea Lion.  Only will work once though, first time your opponent goes “Oh shi.t, you just dropped 6 infantry, 6 bombers and 6 fighters on England and I only have 4 infantry, 2 armor to defend” and you’ll NEVER get that opportunity again with him! (I speak from experience!)

Speaking from experience, someone has done that to me before.  You’re right, you never forget.

Oh, and please don’t diss improved factories!

Go back and reread my original post:

“Paratroopers is probably the worst tech you can unlock next to Improved Factory production or Rockets for USA.”

I dissed Improved Factories and Rockets for UNITED STATES.  I’ve made it clear in the past of how good Improved Factories can be for Russia or Germany.  You madame, lose.   :wink:

So far, there is only one technology that is utterly and completely useless, and it’s the same one that was useless in classic, revised and enhanced: Super Submarines

Not so!  RADAR is the ALL TIME, MOST USELESS TECH IN THE WORLD.  Consider who’s getting it.  Japan, USA, and UK.  None of them need it.  Okay, UK benefits somewhat.  But consider how often UK gets bombed and why the German wouldn’t just start bombing Russia instead.

Radar < Cowpies

@TG:

Oh, and please don’t diss improved factories!

Go back and reread my original post:

“Paratroopers is probably the worst tech you can unlock next to Improved Factory production or Rockets for USA.”

I dissed Improved Factories and Rockets for UNITED STATES.  I’ve made it clear in the past of how good Improved Factories can be for Russia or Germany.  You madame, lose.   :wink:

I disagree on all counts.

US Rockets in Algeria and UK can pay for it’s research rather quickly. You could even put one in Egypt for the inevitable Japanese IC in India.

If I got Improved Factories, I would let the US take Algeria and Libya and put two 3-unit factories in each. That would be more than enough to keep the Italians out of Africa and then you could send your entire fleet west to engage the Japanese. With the west coast covered by your fleet and the Atlantic inaccessible to the Axis, you could leave the US devoid of units. And if the Italian fleet is bugging Russia then a 1 turn build of 6 SS supported by a few aircraft would solve that problem.

And with Paratroops, bombers based out of Libya could hit everything from France to Persia including the usually undefended territories like Bulgaria and Balkans. And you wouldn’t even need to sink the Italian fleet.

US AA guns with Radar can hit at 2 in England.

Those things aint nailed to the board ya know.

If I got Improved Factories, I would let the US take Algeria and Libya and put two 3-unit factories in each. That would be more than enough to keep the Italians out of Africa and then you could send your entire fleet west to engage the Japanese. With the west coast covered by your fleet and the Atlantic inaccessible to the Axis, you could leave the US devoid of units. And if the Italian fleet is bugging Russia then a 1 turn build of 6 SS supported by a few aircraft would solve that problem.

Let me get this straight.

You would unlock Improved Factories so you (USA) could take Algeria and Libya, spend 30 IPCs on ICs, wait a turn to place ICs, and hope Italy doesn’t retake both territories before you can place six units?

…

…

…

(Do you realize what you’re saying?)

Chances are if the Allies can take and hold Algeria and Libya, you’re already winning the African War.  In which case, this just seems like a “win more” move.

Sure you could do something constructive like build transports out of Libya and attempt a landing in Europe, but how do you protect said transports now that you’ve sent your entire navy west to engage the Japanese?

US Rockets in Algeria and UK can pay for it’s research rather quickly. You could even put one in Egypt for the inevitable Japanese IC in India.

Same principle applies.  Though you get +1 Karma for LOLs. 
However, I do realize that you could ship Rockets to England, in which case I take back what I said, American rockets are useful.

And with Paratroops, bombers based out of Libya could hit everything from France to Persia including the usually undefended territories like Bulgaria and Balkans. And you wouldn’t even need to sink the Italian fleet.

So your strategy hinges on getting infantry to Libya, landing bombers in Libya, picking up said infantry and parachuting them into undefended territories, while landing back in Libya so you could do it again?  And during all of this, you’re relaying on your bombers not to get strafed on the ground as they await your paradrop?

No thanks.

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US AA guns with Radar can hit at 2 in England.

Read: “But consider how often UK gets bombed and why the German wouldn’t just start bombing Russia instead.”

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Thanks A44, my point as well.  You can also move them to Karelia, Caucasus and Russia too.

Me = Russia.   
You = United States

“Gee, thanks for sending that Radar guided AA-gun over, Jennifer.  We can finally shoot down those German bombers.  Too bad you had to cancel out my National Objective just to do it.”

Also, Germany getting Radar and/or Improved Factories ends, permanently, the allies SBR campaigns.  Why risk your bomber to score 3 or 4 IPC in damage when you have a 33% chance of getting shot down and the enemy will only pay 1 or 2 IPC to repair?

Now on the flip side, how often does Germany go for Air/Naval Tech to even Radar?  You’re much better off gunning for Improved Factories and hitting something useful like Mechanized infantry along the way.

Radar, still worthless.

I’d say Improved Factories, Mechanized Infantry, Paratroopers are the top three on Chart 1.

For me it’s: War bonds, Mechanized Infantry, Advanced Artillery.  Rockets deserves to be mentioned

I’d say Heavy Bombers, Long Range Aircraft, Improved Shipyards are the top three on Chart 2.

Same.  Jet Fighters is also up there.

The worst on Chart 2, and the absolute worst tech in EVERY incarnation of the game I have ever played, is Super Submarines.
The worst on Chart 1, and still INCREDIBLY good and useful, is War Bonds

Chart 2:  Radar
Chart 1:  Paratroopers

Now Jenn, you know there is that unwritten rule that the Axis can not buy bombers and must buy all tanks instead.

Honestly I can find a good use for all the techs except super subs.

Except if we were handing out techs I would give that to Italy with 1 sub to represent the Italian fast attack craft which were some of the best of their type in the war.

Finding the use for the techs and who to get them by does however require one to discard the baggage of games of A&A past.

You guys keep talking about shipping  AA guns to allied territories, but doesn’t that change the owner ship and cancel the tech?