Paratroopers - do you use them (and how) ?

[rah]

I guess it depends on the circumstances. If my SOD is next to a city and I'm ready to release the siege dogs, I want as many of the AI's units in the area actually in the city to all be nicked and easier to kill. That's much easier then chasing them down so I give the ai as much opportunity as possible to reinforce a city the turn I'm taking down the walls. Sometimes I'll try to block a road but usually not. (MP is totally different and blocking reinforcements is necessary since humans know how to take advantage of reinforcements better)

[Ming]

I want as many of the AI's units in the area actually in the city to all be nicked and easier to kill. That's much easier then chasing them down so I give the ai as much opportunity as possible to reinforce a city the turn I'm taking down the walls.

Sometimes, when I'am ready to finish off a city, but I don't have enough units left to move into the city and defend it, I have no problem waiting a turn. The enemy moves whatever he can into the city on his turn, making them easier to kill, and I can then move a real stack into the city to defend it.

Also, when I'm doing an initial sea based attack on a new island/cont... I will attack the city down to a single unit. And then watch the AI move more units in... destroy them down to a single unit, and do it a few more times until there will be no chance of a real SOD coming at the city once I do take it.

[rah]

Of course it's a little different now that you can't use siege units straight off the transports like you used to.

[Ming]

True enough... the good ole days

But if you have superior troops on the ships, it's a good way to take out as many units as you can in an effort to avoid the usual SOD that shows up after you take the first city.

[Blaupanzer]

Actually, when you have naval superiority a good time to hit with amphibs is just before your SOD moves onstage. Hit in the rear area and don't take the city (in the spirit of Ming's leave one and let them reinforce). They will divert troops based on their count of your troop carriers (galleons X 3, transports X 4). Your stack with several empty or single unit carriers can suck up their reserves just before your SOD begins crushing their cities one-by-one.

[Ming]

I like taking my obsolete and empty galleons that I didn't upgrade, matching them up with some destroyers, and then moving them up and down the enemies coast and watch the enemy units move around like a stepped on ant hill

[brandonjm8]

going back to your airports talk, i thought you can only receive one airlifted unit per turn per city, like you have 10 cities with airports right, those 10 can only airlift one unit per turn per city and each city that you airlift too can only receive one unit once per turn, like you cannot airlift ten units from those ten cities with airports to only one city w/o airport, if you airlift 10 units you have to airlift them to 10 different cities that havent used up their one airlift/one airlifted too limit. i havent had to airlift yet in bts but in vanilla that was true, once you capture a city then rush an airport (why would you? its not like your moving units outta the newly captured city are you? id think youd want more units there not leaving) only one unit can be airlifted to that newly captured city right? did they change the rules? are you guys playing a different mod?

[Theben]

You can airlift more units to a city than 1/turn but I believe it depends on city size and whether or not the receiving city has an airport. I do know that in 3.19 I was able to airlift 3 units/turn to a size 7 city (possibly more but didn't try) but could only lift 1/turn to a size 1 foreign vassal city.

[Ming]

If the city you want to airlift TO does not have an airport, it can only receive ONE unit per turn. If it has an airport, it can receive an UNLIMITED number of units per turn. Cities that have airports can only send out one unit per turn, and that unit must start the turn in the city. If you move a unit into a city, it can not be airlifted out until the next turn.

[brandonjm8]

so they did change the airport rules from vanilla, huh didnt know that, now i see why you would want to rush an airport in a newly captured city. wouldnt need 10+ transports then, just hold the city til you rush airport then airlift your SoD, kewl, lol.

[rah]

Sometimes I'd use a great artist to get the city out of revolt and whip the airport but that takes a really big city taken on surprise.

[Ming]

If it's a sea side city on another land mass, it usually can be taken by surprise, and before they can whip it down to nothing. The ships move in from outside the culture border, take down the defenses, direct attack from the the ships, and maybe even soften them up with some fighters first... take the city, move the transports in, culture bomb the city that same turn, select airport, whip... and next turn, bring in a whole new army.

Total surprise

[rah]

Last time I tried that the city was one pop short of being able to whip with no hammers towards it. I had to wait a turn and lost a lot of units in the counter-attack. (but I still held the city)

[Ming]

That's why I always love the GA and GE combo. Never a doubt... instand beach head.

[rah]

Yeah, but there are so many late wonders that I get tempted to use the GE on.