Deploying paratroopers

[Mark50]

How do you deploy the paratroopers before starting a campaign mission so that they start on a ground hex and not as a plane in the air? By default they seem to be already embarked and the hex presented for deployment are the ones for the air units. This didn`t really bothered me normally, but there are cases when I`d rather have the unit on the ground so I can use it from the first turn instead of having to disembark it first.

[MartyWard]

How do you deploy the paratroopers before starting a campaign mission so that they start on a ground hex and not as a plane in the air? By default they seem to be already embarked and the hex presented for deployment are the ones for the air units. This didn`t really bothered me normally, but there are cases when I`d rather have the unit on the ground so I can use it from the first turn instead of having to disembark it first.

buy them trucks.

[Mark50]

buy them trucks.

Any other solution? Naturally, I could buy them trucks, but I`d rather not have to spend on that every time I want them pedestrian at the start of a mission. I do want them to fly in some missions.

[soldier]

They quite often fought on the ground so it would be nice to be able to deploy them as an extra troop in the opening attack and then maybe fly them over later when the air situation is under control. It also annoys me having them start in the air every time. Buying a truck is a poor solution here. I'd also like the ability to disband a units truck transport anywhere. I've been caught out too many times hoping to move into thick forest only to find i cannot because i have transport assigned. Neither fun nor realistic.

off topic here but regarding another movement quirk, the churchill tank cannot move into bocage terrain.

[Rood]

I think that if you set the available air transports to zero (using the cheat code) then you can deploy the para's on the ground, and of course after that you can set the air transport to it's original value.

[Mark50]

Thanks for the replies! Then it means there just isn`t a built in game solution at this stage. Let`s hope one would be developed. Imo there should be an embark-disembark icon when you deploy your paratroopers so you can choose if you want them on the ground helping with the initial stages of the battle(and afterwords airborne them if you want to) or in the air from the start.

[AgentX]

I believe the developers were thinking of using the Air/Ground toggle during deployment to be able to switch the paratroopers between air and ground. Don't know the progress or how high it is on things they'd like to implement, though.

[Razz1]

I believe you have to hit the tab key before you deploy in on the ground.

[Aloo]

I believe you have to hit the tab key before you deploy in on the ground.

This doesn't work for me, it only switches the air/ground view.

[bebro]

I believe the developers were thinking of using the Air/Ground toggle during deployment to be able to switch the paratroopers between air and ground. Don't know the progress or how high it is on things they'd like to implement, though.

Would be really nice to have that option.

[evan748]

I agree also, would like to use my Paras as ground in a lot of scenarios.

[Amaranthus]

Another related question on paratroopers. They often don't deploy on the hex that I specify, but instead on an adjacent one. Is this because you cannot airdrop onto a hex that is under the zone of control of an enemy unit?

By the way, I'm new to these forums, but have found them invaluable in enhancing my experience so far. I only bought PzC a few days ago, after stumbling across it. I was a big PzG fan back in the mid-1990s, but then lost touch with the series. I'm loving the reimagining. Have already completed the vanilla campaign and am starting on GC39, as well as a few PBEM games.

Expect to see a lot more of me around here

[El_Condoro]

They often don't deploy on the hex that I specify, but instead on an adjacent one. Is this because you cannot airdrop onto a hex that is under the zone of control of an enemy unit?

Welcome to the forum, Aramanthus. The feature you mention is a representation of the unreliability of para-drops. If you land directly under where the transport is, the paratroops will drop directly, but if you try an adjacent hex there is a random chance of landing in another (unoccupied) adjacent hex, which can get very hairy (like it was for the Poles and Brits who landed at Arnhem, for example!)

[dragos]

I agree also, would like to use my Paras as ground in a lot of scenarios.

Since I use paratroopers as regular infantry for many scenarios, I buy them trucks (or cheap halftracks if I plan to use them on ground for several scenarios in a row) and when I intend to paradrop them I disband the trucks in the deployment phase. Losing the prestige worth of a couple of trucks isn't such a big deal.

[Mark50]

I agree also, would like to use my Paras as ground in a lot of scenarios.

Since I use paratroopers as regular infantry for many scenarios, I buy them trucks (or cheap halftracks if I plan to use them on ground for several scenarios in a row) and when I intend to paradrop them I disband the trucks in the deployment phase. Losing the prestige worth of a couple of trucks isn't such a big deal.

It is a big deal for anyone who struggles with prestige and has more stringent uses for it. Plus, how would that plan work in the same scenario? I mean deploying paratroopers on the ground from the beginning and after a couple turns airborning them.

[Devadoris]

Deploying paratroopers on the ground is quite simple, they deploy airborne and aground alternatively. Just follow these steps:
- deploy them on the map, they will appear aboard a Ju 52 3/M
- remove them from the map by right-cliking on them
- redeploy them : they will come aground.

The only thing is that they won't deploy on an hex for ground units.

[Aloo]

Deploying paratroopers on the ground is quite simple, they deploy airborne and aground alternatively. Just follow these steps:
- deploy them on the map, they will appear aboard a Ju 52 3/M
- remove them from the map by right-cliking on them
- redeploy them : they will come aground.

The only thing is that they won't deploy on an hex for ground units.

Doesn't work for me.

[Mark50]

Doesn`t work for me either.

[Aloo]

They often don't deploy on the hex that I specify, but instead on an adjacent one. Is this because you cannot airdrop onto a hex that is under the zone of control of an enemy unit?

Welcome to the forum, Aramanthus. The feature you mention is a representation of the unreliability of para-drops. If you land directly under where the transport is, the paratroops will drop directly, but if you try an adjacent hex there is a random chance of landing in another (unoccupied) adjacent hex, which can get very hairy (like it was for the Poles and Brits who landed at Arnhem, for example!)

Are you sure that they should always land when dropping under the transport? Ive just had them miss their mark (tried to drop into an empty enemy city and landed next to it).

[El_Condoro]

From memory they always have for me but maybe not. Perhaps a dev can confirm this.