HOI4 (Hearts of Iron IV): How to Paradrop

Want to see Raider King content first? Add us as a preferred source.

Add as preferred source Follow on Google News

Hearts of Iron IV (HOI4) is an extraordinary grand strategy game that immerses players in the dramatic events of World War II. Developed by Paradox Interactive for the PC, it grants players the power to shape the course of history by assuming control of a nation and guiding its military and economic endeavors. With the advent of extensive airborne operations, paratroopers have emerged as pivotal assets capable of significantly influencing the outcome of crucial military campaigns. From the daring operations in the Lowlands, Crete, Sicily, and Normandy to Operation Market Garden, successful paratrooper assaults have proven their impact. In this article, we will delve into how to paradrop in HOI4 and share invaluable tips for achieving success in these daring operations.

How to Paradrop in HOI4

To plan for a paradrop in HOi4, the infantry division should be a paratrooper division. Any other form of division will not be able to make the jump. Likewise, all brigades and support companies within a paratrooper division should have a parachute icon at their bottom right. Typically, all support companies can make the jump as well.

There are two conditions to meet when attempting a successful paradrop:

Planes and Air Bases

Air Supremacy

If you meet those, here is all you need to do to paradrop in HOI4:

Select an army (ideally consisting of only paratroopers).
Select the paradrop order to the right (parachute icon).
Select an airbase to designate as the takeoff point.
Click on a single province tile to drop to.
Activate the plan once all requirements are met.

Transport Planes and Air Bases

As with naval invasions, paratroopers need to be supported by the right transport type. In this case, the only viable option is the transport plane. It should be noted that, unlike other plane types, 1 transport plane does not mean it’s a single plane. Rather, it means that it’s a group of planes.

The number of transport planes needs to match or exceed the total weight limit of all troops making a jump. There is technically no limit to how many divisions can fit in a single operation, but be aware that there is a cap on the number of special forces available to train.

If an air base is overloaded with planes, the operation will not commence until this has been rectified. Likewise, if the transport planes have a mission set or an air zone assigned, the operation will not proceed. All transport planes must remain on standby at the airbase where the paratroopers will board.

There will be cases of losses when paratroopers land, although it happens more frequently in high-altitude areas (mountainous areas in, say, Norway or China) and coastal areas. While anti-aircraft guns and air superiority may play a small part, their numbers are rather static and don’t change based on the number of planes or anti-aircraft guns.

Air Supremacy

Air Supremacy works very much in the same way as naval supremacy, though in the former’s case, they rely heavily on fighter planes to establish dominance in the sky. Although support planes and static anti-aircraft guns can help, fighter planes will be your primary go-to for establishing air superiority.

An air superiority of 70% is needed across all air zones for a paradrop operation to commence. A notable issue and something to keep aware of is that while an area can be targeted by your transport plane (think Germany to Southern England), it will never commence as it’s too far away from the range of your fighters.

Key HOI4 Paradrop Tips

Here are some tips to keep in mind when attempting airborne attacks:

Paradrop operations can commence immediately once all the requirements are met. There are no preparation times here, unlike naval operations.

The AI will never attempt a paradrop, so use that to your advantage.

Be sure to always keep an eye out for your paratroopers’ supplies. Some ideas here can be to land new supply areas (ports or supply hubs) and take them immediately, choose the Logistical focus as your spirit of division (when taking the Grand Battleplan doctrine), or set your transport planes to immediately resupply your troops via air after dropping them off.