Toughts of a veteran on the airborne company

The 30 cal is terrific, although double 30 cal rifles seem pretty close to 30 cal paras (except missing one man).

I played a match with 30 cal airborne and pathfinder manned 50 cals as the core infantry and I did alright. The pathfinders enhance the 50 cals and make them more survivable. I also manned my double AT paradrops with pathfinders.

I'm not sure if this was less economical than the usual rifles 30 cal build.

Why get another 290mp unit to do that when you can do the same thing even better with an ambulance? The only time a beacon would be useful is reinforcing inside enemy lines, but if you are doing that they are just going to find and destroy it quickly. Beacon should just make the reinforcing safer, and as an added bonus maybe have a faster reinforce time next to it. That way there would actually be a reason to use one inside your own lines rather than a ambulance.

Well, the idea is to have an interesting gameplay. sure the beacons seems easy to find but they are kind of invisible to some degree and free. Planting a few around to make backup points for your paras who operate behind the enemy's line add it's own gameplay element that no other company can offer. I like this idea and i think it should stay for those reasons.

@coh2player
The .30 paras are indeed pretty good, but some say it might be a mistake that will be resolved (Allied units doing too well, where are we going) I'd still say that the infantrie .30 would be better since they would have gained more experience by then, have smokes, rifle AT nade and other good ability given by the infantrie company. Let's not forget cheaper. In any case, let's keep looking at making this company interesting so if a nerf hits we can still have something.

Dear Part time commie,
After reading your OP, I must confess that I am feeling a little pinker. Your recommendations especially under "Pathfinders" and "Paratroopers" are right-on. Pathfinders should drop in not walk in, however. Now, they are practically useless.
First of all, I know that COH is not realistic, but in some ways it pretends to "feel" realistic or historical.
The US Airborne in COH 2 are, indeed, underwhelming. The US Airborne were elite troops compared with the stock-in-trade riflemen. Their physical requirements were demanding and Airborne training had a high degree of wash-outs. They were not just riflemen with a parachute placed on their backs.
http://www.worldwar2history.info/Army/elite/Airborne.html
In fact, some critics of US Airborne doctrine believed that these highly-competent soldiers should have been distributed throughout the army. The average height of a US paratrooper was 2 inches taller than the average soldier in regular US Army units. The physical requirements were higher.
The combat effectiveness of the paratroopers frequently lead to US Airborne being used as regular ground troops as was the case during the Battle of the Bulge. The US paratroopers generally performed better in combat than "leg" infantry. With a sense of great elan, they performed with great determination.
-p.s. I have relatives who were paratroopers in WW 2. So, I am biased.

I've had an extensive group discussion with a veteran (Capt.) of the 101st Airborne (RIP).

An interesting fun fact: They were given IQ tests, and the cut off for officers was, IIRC 125 points and many were college graduates (he was, as well) in a time when only 5% of Americans were rich enough to have a degree.

The personnel selection was pretty strict. Ditto for the physical standards. The airborne men were generally older and more mature men than those in the infantry divisions.

Well i am still not so keen on the idea of dropping as i believe they weren't dropped right at zone but somwhere close and had to close in on the right position to deploy a beacon. The drop would also increase this recon unit's cost. Considering the size of the map and how they could have the german sniper's cloak, you could consider that they were dropped somewhere close and the zone they had to recon is the one where we play. Add to that a 0 CP cost and they can infiltrate before the fight start to already plant beacons.

Someone considered the airdrop a 40MP additional cost. Would you pay this price early on for a recon unit that can move around invisible given certain conditions?

Let's no crowd the airspace and give away our intentions too quickly! My 2 cent.

If you like extrordinary soldiers, i suggest you check Léo Major. Personal favorite war hero for many reasons. I won't spoil too much but this include: punching a british officer who tried to execute his prisoner and probably making more prisoners than many good snipers ever shot. If there was a Léo Major doctrine i'd play that and stop building any troops. Unfortunatly it would be OP. Ubersoldatens piss you off? this is like 40 of them.

@victorstrategos:
I can understand your anger toward the current state of this company given you had relatives. Also thanks for the kind words.

Way I see it, the only real reason to get paratroopers is for their upgraded weapons. Other than that they seem to be just fancier riflemen.

I like the idea of the Pathfinder having a more recon role to play, I know they are as-is, but they could really be expanded in that role like flares to light up areas. A sniping ability would be great and add a marksman element to the US Forces, even if it's doctrinal. A sniping ability like the one used in Brits in CoH1 would do fine, and as a munitions and cooldown ability would only be used sparingly, such as to finish off that one squad you absolutely do not want to survive the fight by retreating.

The unlockable (sorry, war spoils lottery) Air Recon commander actually has better call-ins than Airborne: I&R Pathfinders and the Paradrop with two paratroopers AND an AT gun.

The P-47 I actually think is more a liability to my own men- one time my ally kept using it and it posed more a threat to me men rather than the enemy; I swear, he probably had a better chance killing the enemy if he'd targeted our base!

Off Topic: does anyone know what's different about the IR variant of the Pathfinders? All I know is that they can call in artillery, but anything else? Is there a unit guide out on the new units?

The only thing i am disappointed with is the performance of pathfinders. Whenever i use them, they never seem to do any proper DPS and get laughed at by any other infantry. I dont like producing them.

Apart from that, i really like that doctrine. Paras are fine, although they could get 1 more unique ability imo, MG's and AT guns are REALLY nice to have as, for example, the dropped AT gun lets you easily skip T3 and the P47 is, well, the P47. Its really hard hitting AT. With Jacksons, it can easily tackle the big cats.

I think the weapon drops can be consolidated into a single ability, like a glider that can provide all of these things and more; basically a weaker, slightly more expensive version of the OKW's medic truck, and can also operate like a weapons rack for nearby troops. It could be the last ability and can only be used by the player and not allies. It would therefore act as a forward base that can heal and/or reinforce, at least for paratroopers.

Well, a bit a self aware necro... The new buff they gave to the paras from the jul 22 patch

Paratroopers
-Thompson package now provides 4 SMG’s instead of 3
-Tactical Assault now increases burst length while moving

After testing it i can say that the paras with thompsons do feel much better, at least viable if not more and the ability dosen't seems so much like a suicide button anymore. We can walk in style now.

I'll update the main post since it seems like Relic listened, but the other problems still remains for the pathfinders, the drops being overpriced and breaking your squads behind enemy lines and the lack of really interesting abilities/equipement for the paras.

What do you guys think of this change?

I don't think it means much because double 30 cals is still going to be clicked.

I haven't ever used tactical assault in a match, and in fact I forgot that the ability exists due to not using thompsons.

I would like to see a cheap upgrade to M1 garands to replace the carbines and also an upgrade for double bazookas.

I don't think it means much because double 30 cals is still going to be clicked.

I haven't ever used tactical assault in a match, and in fact I forgot that the ability exists due to not using thompsons.

I would like to see a cheap upgrade to M1 garands to replace the carbines and also an upgrade for double bazookas.

Well, try the new thompsons, they feel great for assaulting. Maybe i am being too easy on them but i really feel like it's a viable option.

Garand? i don't think so, it would make them overlap way too much with the riflemans at that point.

Thompsons Paras still can't get bazookas from the rack which seems like a bug. But i gotta say that i'd prefer to see them with stickies instead of a bazooka upgrade (but still letting them get the one on the rack like anyone)

Thompsons Paras still can't get bazookas from the rack which seems like a bug. But i gotta say that i'd prefer to see them with stickies instead of a bazooka upgrade (but still letting them get the one on the rack like anyone)

Why would it be a bug?
Just because weapon doesn't drop it doesn't mean it doesn't take weapon slot.
Except ppsh, but ppsh are like half of the weapon anyway(worse then thompsons by a long shot).

Why would it be a bug?
Just because weapon doesn't drop it doesn't mean it doesn't take weapon slot.
Except ppsh, but ppsh are like half of the weapon anyway(worse then thompsons by a long shot).

Falls,Shocks,Panzer Grenadiers, Sturm Pioneers, Pios, Assault engineers,... hell even the paras from the recon support commander can. All of these units come with free SMGs/ARs while the airborn that has to pay for them cannot. It makes no sens at that point.

Damn it, pressed the wrong button, whanted to add this to my post :

edit: let's note that unequiped paras are rather weak too.

Except paras thompsons are already an upgrade, not a stock weapon.

Not a single squad you've mentioned needs to upgrade to have these weapons, so the only comparable squad are ppsh conscripts.

Except paras thompsons are already an upgrade, not a stock weapon.

Not a single squad you've mentioned needs to upgrade to have these weapons, so the only comparable squad are ppsh conscripts.

Not a single one of these squads needs an upgrade to become decent for their price.

The carbines must be then revised to be a good weapon at short and medium range then. Currently, they stink. With the tommies, the paras should have the highest short range DPS in the game.

I don't mind the paras having 'super' garands and being better riflemen. This upgrade would work well with the 30 cals.

Well, try the new thompsons, they feel great for assaulting. Maybe i am being too easy on them but i really feel like it's a viable option.

Garand? i don't think so, it would make them overlap way too much with the riflemans at that point.

Thompsons Paras still can't get bazookas from the rack which seems like a bug. But i gotta say that i'd prefer to see them with stickies instead of a bazooka upgrade (but still letting them get the one on the rack like anyone)

And paras aren't that bad as well.
They have DPS on pair with rifles+nades with shorter fuse+timed demos.

They are not exceptionally good, but they certainly are not bad.

And paras aren't that bad as well.
They have DPS on pair with rifles+nades with shorter fuse+timed demos.

They are not exceptionally good, but they certainly are not bad.

380 MP, 3cp doctrinal unit on par with a basic 280 unit? That seems balanced. I really can't find much use for that time demo charge either, but my friend says it makes nice craters of heavy covers for 45MU.

They sure can do something, but not enought for what they cost and being doctrinal.

^

I would like to see paras as being expensive 'feared' troops like the obersoldaten. They are behind enemy lines for that matter and have the disadvantage of being disconnected from the main force.

Otherwise, paras will continue to be used as reinforcements rather than than part of some sort of special strat.