Hey,
On Dec 8, 9:30 am, "Spack" <n... DeleteThis @worldofspack.co.uk> wrote:
> Those aren't much use without the rest of the VDR -
With respect, "Use the Aquila rules" is of limited use, too.
The pdf covers Attack Runs, and the rules for Flyer Weapons.
Also, Orbital landers and an example Bomber are included.
See also:
ttp://www.warbozz.dk/warhr40k/VDR_Help.html
> In Apocalypse which the OP asked about they're useless anyway - Apocalypse
> has it's own flyer rules.
Yes, rules with which all 40kA players will already be familiar -
You can't play Apocalypse without having the rule book, right?
Also, these discussions are archived, and so not just 'for' the OPs.
Therefore, for all interested parties -
+++
Flyer Basics
Your Skin Is Thin
Just like modern aircraft, Flyers of the 41st millennium are not
heavily armored. They can't carry the weight of armor plating and
still be able to fly - even the most well-armored attack plane of
today has weak armor compared to even a half-track vehicle. This thin
skin is reflected in the Armor Values of the Flyers in the Imperial
Armour books. Even the Super-Heavy, 680-point Thunderhawk Gunship only
has a maximum AV of 12 - less than a Space Marine Predator tank. The
average fighter has an AV of 10, which is nothing to brag about. Which
brings us to the next point...
Speed Is Your Ally
Aircraft and spacecraft rely on speed and maneuverability to survive
the trials of combat. This fact is reflected in the rules - your
Flyers are moving so fast that you can only be hit on a 6 regardless
of BS (unless the shooter has an anti-aircraft mount). Plus, the very
nature of the Attack Run system requires you to keep moving after you
shoot, which is a wise tactic in the first place. The exceptions to
this system are craft with Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL)
capability, which allows them to loiter over the battlefield. You
should only use this ability when it will get you closer to winning
the mission or when you can mow down Troops with insufficient Armor
Penetration weapons. Otherwise, VTOL can turn your precious Flyer into
a listless, floating bulls eye.
Stay out of Reach
Though Flyers can cruise over any intervening forces or terrain
features, that doesn't mean you should just draw a bee-line from the
table edge to your target. During the Attack Run, you can pivot the
Flyer up to 45 degrees after its initial move onto the board. That
means you can move along an unoccupied flank and turn to make your
attack, or turn after your attack. Also don't forget that the shooters
have to add 12" to their range measurements to account for your
Flyer's height above the field. Combine this extra distance with your
pivot ability to stay as far out of the enemy's range for as much of
your Attack Run as you can.
Know Your Weapons
The armaments available to Flyers share some similarities with regular
40K vehicles. However, they have access to aircraft-only weapons that
have unique profiles that can make them well worth their points cost.
For example, the Rocket weapon profile has unlimited range, S8, AP3,
Heavy 1 and costs 10 points - that's essentially a Hunter-Killer
Missile for 5-fewer points! Plus, the Bomb, Heavy Bomb, and Smart Bomb
are all great for taking out any infantry squads that are foolish
enough to stay bunched together. That's not even mentioning the
mounted weapons and non-Human armaments. In short, you have many
instruments of destruction available to you with your Flyers - use
them well.
The Dice Giveth...
Unfortunately, you don't really have any control over when your Flyers
appear - they are subject to the Reserves rules (though some armies
have special rules that allow them to roll for Reserves in the 1st
turn, which includes Flyers). If the dice turn against you, your
Flyers can sit out the entire game. However, once they appear, you can
make Second Strikes on a 2+ in subsequent turns.
Air-to-Ground Tactics
Based on the current rules, Flyers excel at air-to-ground strikes more
than anything else. Their speed allows them to attack any target on
the board in relative safety, and their weapons mean they have a good
chance of severely damaging their target.
Bombing Run
One of the best advantages of Flyers is that they can strike anywhere
- you cannot hide from their wrath on the battlefield. Does your
opponent have a squad of sharpshooters that are out of your infantry's
range? Call in the Flyers. Does your opponent have a Basilisk hiding
behind a hill as it pummels your forces with indirect barrage fire?
Call in the Flyers. You can really ruin your opponent's well-laid
plans when you zip over his lines and destroy a unit that he
considered safe. What's more, a Flyer can fire all of its weapons at
once even while moving - ideal for eliminating high-priority targets.
Combined Arms
Air power alone is impressive, but when you coordinate it with actions
on the ground, it can prove unstoppable. Ever heard of the Blitzkrieg?
Use your Flyers to cut a hole in the enemy line for your assault
Troops or vehicles to charge through. Or, if you're in trouble and
your lines are collapsing, drop a few bombs on the enemy's attacking
column to buy your forces some breathing room. Just make sure you
place your strike with care - it will do you no good to wipe out the
enemy in a location where your ground forces can't take advantage of
it.
Tank Hunters
For some time now, the bane of ground vehicles has been the warplane.
Unless a vehicle has an anti-aircraft mount, there's not a lot it can
do to fight off an attack by air. What's more, there are a lot of mean
things that a pilot can do to vehicles. For example, if your opponent
has arranged his vehicles in a column (usually seen on roadways), all
you have to do is take out the first vehicle to block the column's
movement so you can take the rest out easier. Another similar example:
if there's a terrain bottleneck on the field, take out a vehicle while
it's in the chokepoint, and you've just put a stopper in your
opponent's flow of vehicles.
Catch 'Em Napping
If your opponent is foolish enough to land a Flyer on the field to
pick up passengers when you have a Flyer as well, then it's his loss.
One of the best places to take out a Flyer is before it has left the
ground. They are treated as regular vehicles at that point, and with
no anti-aircraft mounts or heavy armor, they are sitting ducks...
literally.
Air Cav
The final and perhaps riskiest way to use your Flyers is in the Air
Cavalry (Air Cav) role. Employing your Flyers as transports for your
forces can offer you unparalleled mobility: you can drop units behind
enemy lines, move units completely across the table in a turn, and
evacuate units if the mission requires it. Some Flyers, especially
those in Imperial service, can enter VTOL mode to hover and provide
sustained fire support much like the attack helicopters of today.
However, as mentioned earlier, Flyers cannot take much punishment
before they crash and burn.
Air-to-Air Tactics
If you use the optional rules from WD301 for Dogfights and Intercepts,
or from Imperial Armour Update 2004 for Fighter-Intercepts, then there
are a few tactics to consider before you get into a dogfight.
Combat Air Patrol
One of other main duties of aircraft is to protect ground forces from
other aircraft. Under the WD301 Intercept and IAU2004 Fighter-
Intercepts rules, instead of starting your Attack Run against ground
targets, you can have your Flyer wait for enemy Flyers to enter the
board and then jump them. This way, you provide air cover for your
groundpounders by forcing your foe to redirect his Flyer attacks
against your Flyers.
Air Combat Maneuvers
The IAU2004 Fighter-Intercepts rule indicates that if the two Flyers
enter from the same board edge, then the interceptor is assumed to be
on the other Flyer's tail. The rules in WD301 don't negate this
concept, so you can do this maneuver under those rules. Again, don't
forget your 45-degree pivot before or after your Attacks. One of the
unique things about Flyers is that you can deploy them from any board
edge, and you should take advantage of this ability when dogfighting.
You can place your interceptor on a board edge that you think your
opponent will find tempting for Attack Run purposes. You've forced him
to choose between protecting his Flyer from certain doom and making an
Attack Run on that juicy ground target in your lines.
Anti-Aircraft Mounts
Somewhat surprisingly, vehicles with anti-aircraft mounts will have a
statistically better chance of hitting Flyers than just interceptors
will. The only real advantage that interceptors have beyond
maneuvering is the removal of the 12" normally added to range
calculations for height. Interceptors still need 6's to hit, and they
will only cause glancing hits if they manage to hit. Therefore, if you
have a vehicle with an anti-aircraft mount and a Flyer in your force,
you might want to forget about dogfighting for now and let the vehicle
clean the skies.
Flyer optional rules from Imperial Armour Vol. 2, Appendix II:
VTOL HOVER MODE
Some Flyers (such as the Valkyrie and Vulture) are able to hover in
place, remaining over the battlefield rather than flying off after an
Attack Run.
When the Flyer halts, it may declare it is entering VTOL hover mode.
Resolve the enemy Shooting Phase as normal, but the hovering Flyer is
hit using the firer's normal BS. The hovering Flyer may then fire as a
normal Flyer, or disembark passengers. Rather than leave the table as
per the normal Flyer rules, it remains on the table. They Flyer uses
its vectored engines to hover above the ground. It remains stationary
but can turn in any direction to bring its weapons to bear. While
hovering, a Flyer may fire all its weapons.
For the purposes of being fired at, treat the hovering Flyer as a
moving Skimmer while in hover mode. It can be targeted with the
firer's normal BS, but still add 12" to the range. All hits are
treated as glancing hits. If the hovering Flyer is Immobilized, then
it is destroyed. While hovering, it cannot be attacked in close combat
(it is too high off the ground), unless the attacker can fly or has
jump packs, in which case [the Flyer] can be assaulted as if it is a
moving vehicle.
At the end of its own turn, the hovering Flyer may disengage VTOL
hover mode, use its main thrusters and fly off. It now reverts to
being a [normal] Flyer. It will return in the enemy turn on a 2+ as
per the normal Flyer rules. It cannot return in the enemy turn
immediately after it leaves the table, but must miss that turn as it
flies away to gain height and speed for its Attack Run.
Example
A Valkyrie transporting a Storm Trooper Squad arrives from the
Reserves. It is placed on the edge of the board until the enemy's
turn. After the enemy Movement Phase, the Valkyrie moves to the point
it wishes to drop its troops off and declares it is activating VTOL
hover mode. In the enemy Shooting Phase, they can target the Valkyrie,
using there normal BS, adding 12" to the range and only scoring
glancing hits. After the shooting, but before the Assault Phase, the
Valkyrie deploys its troops, who are placed within 2" of the access
points. The Valkyrie then remains on the board, and can fire in its
own Shooting Phase before deactivating VTOL mode and leaving the board
at the end of its turn. The Storm Troopers can move normally in their
turn.
DOGFIGHT
The players place their aircraft on the table for an Attack Run per
the rules for Flyers in Imperial Armor [Vol. 2]. When there is another
Flyer on the table on a turn when a player makes an Attack Run with
his aircraft, he may opt to Dogfight rather than bomb the troops on
the ground.
To initiate a Dogfight, the player nominates which Flyer he is
attacking, moves his aircraft as he would normally, and directs his
Attacks at his opponent's aircraft. The player must roll a 6 to hit as
with all Flyers, though he does not have to add 12" to the range as he
would were he attacking from the ground.
Dogfighting is a risky business. To represent the danger, the other
aircraft may opt to fire back. In a Dogfight, all attacks are resolved
simultaneously, because the two aircraft strafe each other as they fly
by. However, if a player decides to defend himself in this manner,
then he may not make an Attack Run in his own turn. Instead, he moves
his aircraft off the table once his own turn is done.
INTERCEPT
If a player has two or more aircraft on the table at once and one is
attacked in a Dogfight, then he may opt to intercept with another
Flyer. This interceptor must not have been nominated for Dogfighting
by the enemy. On the roll of 4+, the Dogfight is resolved with the
intercepting craft. Landed Flyers and Flyers hovering in VTOL mode are
attacked as normal. As the planes are flying past each other at
enormous speeds, any hits inflicted on them during a Dogfight are
glancing hits.
Playa
>> Stay informed about: [40k] VDR for a chaos Hind vtol 
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