Paratroop Division
Paratroopers are an elite branch of the Infantry, specifically trained to either parachute to the ground or be ferried to a battle in gliders. Their rapid deployment capability makes them ideal for use as a mobile reserve or for use in capturing a strategic asset behind enemy lines. However, they are handicapped by a lack of heavy equipment due to their mode of travel, and when they are in action it is advisable to move other units to their support.
Paratroop Division Statistics
| Model | Default ORG | Morale | Air Attack | Air Def. | Soft Attack | Hard Attack | Tough- ness |
Defens- iveness |
Soft- ness |
Cost | Build- time |
Man- power |
Max Speed | Supply Cons. | Fuel Cons. | Supp. | Transp. Weight | Upgrade Time Factor | Upgrade Cost Factor | Speed Cap Art | Speed Cap Eng | Speed Cap AT | Speed Cap AA | |
| Airborne '39 | 40 | 40 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 16 | 11 | 100 | 12 | 180 | 15 | 4 | 1.4 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | |
| Airborne '41 | 40 | 40 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 2 | 20 | 16 | 100 | 12 | 180 | 15 | 5 | 1.5 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | |
| Airborne '43 | 40 | 40 | 4 | 5 | 12 | 4 | 28 | 20 | 100 | 12 | 180 | 15 | 5 | 1.7 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | |
| Airborne '45 | 40 | 40 | 5 | 6 | 14 | 5 | 35 | 25 | 100 | 12 | 180 | 15 | 5 | 1.9 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
Brigades allowed
Notes
- Paratroop divisions are considered a soft unit.
- Paratroopers have higher org and morale, reduced soft and hard attack values, and cost more IC and more manpower compared to a normal infantry of the same year.
Paratroopers are much maligned by veteran players for several reasons:
- They require players to pursue two research trees (paratroopers and transport planes)
- Transport planes are extremely expensive in IC days
- Transport planes have very limited range
- Paratroopers are average at combat
| Unit | Soft Attack | Defensiveness | Manpower | Cost | BuildTime |
| Airborne 1939 | 8 | 11 | 15 | 12 | 210 |
| Infantry 1939 | 12 | 18 | 10 | 7 | 95 |
This means that the Airborne unit requires 2,520 IC days versus 665 IC days for Infantry, in exchange for considerably lower combat ability. A player could build four Infantry divisions (2,660 IC days) for a roughly equivalent cost.
Paratroopers do have some positives:
- Fun to use
- Provide an extra envelopment angle if dropped into a battle. The bonus is then added to all your divisions engaged in the battle.
- Paratroopers can be dropped into an empty province behind the enemy to close encirclements.
- Paratroopers dropped on unprotected airfields will destroy all planes based there.
- After an enemy loses a battle and is retreating into an adjacent province, if that province is empty, paratroopers can "overrun" the retreating enemy to destroy them. This can also be used defensively.
- In critical battles, paratroopers can swing the outcome, specifically during amphibious assaults when only a relatively small number of marines can be used. Dropping paratroopers onto the beach province dramatically increases the chance of victory.
- Paratroopers can be used to instantly cover ground that would otherwise take weeks for ground forces, such as the huge, low infrastructure provinces in C. Asia, Africa and S. America.