In Hearts of Iron IV, airdropped attacks can play a key role in cutting off enemy forces and isolating them from vital reinforcements. In World War 2, the Allies and Germans were famous for using their paratroopers in this fashion. In this article, we’ll go through some of the best paratrooper templates to use, though it should be noted that airdropping units without air superiority can result in equipment and manpower being lost before the troops even land.

1. The Standard Airborne Division

Why this Template is Great:

• Strong HP thanks to the nine infantry brigades.
• High organizational value will allow this division to last longer in battle.
• Comes with the usual support companies and can still be equipped with more.
• Entrenchment is at a decent value thanks to the engineering company.
• Terrific defense value will make it harder for enemy units to break them down.

The standard airborne division is a great pick for targeting unguarded enemy flanks, supply points, or victory points, as once they land unopposed, they should have enough defense, entrenchment, and organization to hold their ground, although they’ll be even more effective if resupplied through the air. The production cost for this is not bad, though with how much manpower you’re investing, these units should not be thrown away on the battlefield.

2. The Basic Airborne Division

Why this Template is Great:

• Cheap to produce, needing little in terms of equipment
• Their cheap nature will allow you to field more units, allowing for more drop points.
• Maintains a very strong organization value thanks to the infantry brigades.
• Comes with a single artillery company to provide some firepower.
• Supply usage is low, which can be maintained easily through the air.

For comparison, the basic paratrooper division is only used for a single goal: attack as many enemy positions and hold them as long as possible. Given the low manpower used for this attack, it’s fair to say that they’re more expendable, as the goal now is to target as many key points as possible and take them all while your main armies attack the now-encircled foe.

3. The Ultimate Paratrooper Division

Why this Template is Great:

• Is perfect for attacking and defending vital choke points.
• Has tremendous organizational value.
• Comes equipped with most of the needed support for offensive and defensive actions.
• The defense value is staggering, allowing your units to theoretically beat back any enemy attacks.
• Attack values are at a fair level, which should allow you to do quite a bit of damage.

The best division template and the most expensive in terms of production cost, this division template should allow you to take any point as you wish thanks to the high values seen across the division stats. Though it’s worth noting that with the amount of equipment and time invested to train this division, each loss on the battlefield or during the paradrop mission will be painfully felt.

4. The Better Airborne Division

Why this Template is Great:

• Better than the standard airborne division
• A great organizational value does wonders for the longevity of the unit.
• Defense, breakthrough, and piercing value are at a fine level.
• Combat width remains at an optimal level for all battlegrounds.
• Support companies attached are the most optimal, though flexibility remains.

Now, if you do not want something as expensive as the previous entry but better than the first entry, this division template should suit you. Moving from 18 width to 24 width does quite a favor to a unit’s offensive and defensive capabilities, and with this, you’ll be able to attack enemy positions and subsequently hold them against enemy counterattacks.

5. The Sacrificial Division

Why this template is Great:

• The cheapest division template by far
• The highest organizational value among all division templates
• Uses the least amount of supply among all templates.
• Is great for targeting and dropping at multiple targets.
• HP is at a decent value, allowing it to last a long time against enemy forces.

As seen by the name, this division is mainly used as a sacrificial unit. The main goal when using this division is to produce as many of these as possible, drop them onto the enemy backlines, and let them wreck havoc, knowing that they can be replaced should they get destroyed. The time distraction this division provides should be enough for frontline units to engage the now undersupplied enemies.

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