Paratroopers
Troops delivered behind the line.
Paratroopers let infantry be inserted behind a frontline by air. It is a powerful way to flank and disrupt — but, like a landing, a drop without support quickly becomes a handful of stranded soldiers.
What this page teaches
- What paratrooper operations are
- Why they disrupt the enemy
- Why drops need follow-up
- Coordinating an airborne insertion
What paratrooper operations are
Paratrooper operations use aircraft to drop infantry behind or around an enemy frontline, placing troops where the enemy did not expect them.
It is a way to bypass a defended line entirely rather than assaulting through it.
Why they disrupt the enemy
Troops appearing in the enemy's rear threaten supply, infrastructure, and undefended objectives. Even a small drop forces the enemy to react and divert forces.
The disruption is often worth more than the drop's direct combat power.
Why drops need follow-up
Dropped troops have no frontline behind them. Without a plan to reinforce, supply, or extract, a paratrooper force is quickly hunted down.
- Have an objective the drop can realistically achieve
- Plan reinforcement, resupply, or extraction in advance
- Consider securing a base so troops can spawn nearby
- Do not drop more troops than the plan can sustain
Coordinating an insertion
Airborne insertions need aircraft, troops, timing, and a ground plan to align. They are coordinated operations, best run by organised groups with clear communication.
A disorganised drop scatters troops and wastes them.
When to use paratroopers
Use paratrooper drops for deliberate operations against worthwhile rear objectives, when a group can support the troops after they land.
An unsupported drop is just a gift of kills to the enemy.
Related systems
Paratroopers connect to the Airborne Overview, Aircraft Logistics, and Recon and Partisans for behind-the-lines thinking.
Dropping paratroopers behind enemy lines with no objective and no follow-up. They are quickly surrounded and lost.
Treat a drop like a landing: plan the objective and the sustain phase first. Insertion is the easy part.