Flyers are similar to skimmers in that they are capable of flight. The main difference between a skimmer and a flyer is that fliers tend to make an attack run, flying on at one table edge and then hurtling in a straight line very fast over the table before zooming off another table edge, all in the course of less than a turn.
Flyers
Flying vehicles require rather a lot of special rules to cover their movement. They start the game off the table, and then basically carry out an 'attack run' by flying over the table in a straight line. The following rules explain how this works in a game of 40K.
Flyers always start the game in reserve, even in scenarios that do not normally allow reserves to be used. Roll a dice for them each turn, starting with the second turn, as you would normally for a reserve unit. When the flyer appears, place it on any table edge, facing in the direction you wish it to fly. It will not actually move until the opponent's turn, but placing it like this equates to the opposing army hearing and seeing the flyer appearing on the horizon. Because it's not really got to the table yet, the flyer may not shoot or be shot at until it makes its attack run.
A flyer makes its attack run after the opposing player's movement phase, but before their shooting phase — in effect you 'interrupt' their turn to let the flyer make its move. (If several flyers all arrive at the same time, make their moves in any order you like and then move onto the shooting phase.) Move the flyer in a straight line any distance you like across the table. The flyer will get to make its attack at the end of the opponent's shooting phase, after the opponent has had a chance to fire at it.
After making the move, play returns to the opponent's shooting phase. Enemy units shoot normally, or can target the flyer if preferred. The flyer can be shot at by any weapons apart from ordnance and barrage weapons. Measure the range to the flyer's base, or to any position the flyer occupied during its move before it reached its final position (i.e. the shots can be assumed to have taken place as the aircraft moved). Then add 12" to the range measured to the base to find the range to the flier. Roll to hit the flyer, but because it is moving so fast it will only be hit on a roll of 6, no matter what the BS of the model making the attack is. Then roll for damage normally, counting the flyer as a fast-moving skimmer (i.e. all hits are glancing). Stunned and shaken results stop the flyer from attacking but have no other effect. Immobilised results destroy the flyer. Note that the LOS can never be blocked between a flyer and a target, either when it attacks or when it is shot at.
Assuming the flyer isn't shot down or suffered a stunned or shaken result, then it can make its attacks after the opponent has finished his shooting phase. The flyer may pivot up to 45 degrees either before or after making the attack (but not both). A flyer may shoot all of its weapons, even though it has moved.
Measure the range from the flyer's base to the target, but do not add 12" to the range this time (the flyer's attack doesn't have to work against gravity!). Then make the attack using the normal shooting rules. After the flyer has made its attack, it flies in a straight line off the table.
The flyer can make further attack runs. Roll a D6 at the start of the next friendly player turn, and position the flyer on the table edge in the same manner as when it first appeared on a D6 roll of 2+. On a roll of 1 the flyer doesn't return this turn, but you may roll again for it in your next player turn.
New Weapons
These weapons may only be fitted to flyers.
Bombs: Bombs have the same effect as mortars (G48", S4, AP6, heavy 1 blast, may pin). If a flyer releases several bombs at the same time, count each as a separate mortar in a "battery". Each bomb carried may be used once per battle.
Big Bombs: These work in the same manner as a normal bomb, but it has the same effect as a Griffon Mortar (G12-48", S6, AP4, Ordnance 1 blast).
Rockits: Rockits have the same effect as hunter-killer missiles (unlimited range, S8, AP3, heavy 1). Each rockit carried may be used once per battle.
Smart Bombs: A Smart Bomb works in the same way as a normal bomb, except you may re-roll the scatter dice if you don't like the first result (you must accept the second roll though!). Orks refer to Smart Bombs as Grot Bombs.
Anti-Aircraft Mount
An anti-aircraft mount, as its name implies, is a mount that allows a weapon to be fired at flyers more easily than would normally be the case. An anti-aircraft mount allows the weapon to shoot at flyers using its normal BS, rather than only hitting on a '6'. It also allows ordnance and barrage weapons to fire at fliers (you score a hit if the flyer is under the marker, but can't hit ground targets as well).
Weapons fitted in anti-aircraft mounts may not fire at all if the vehicle moved, and preclude the use of any other weapons on the vehicle in the turn that they fired, unless they are fitted to a war machine.
Super-Heavy Flyers
The Vampire Raider is a Super-Heavy Flyer, and all of the rules that apply to Super-Heavy Tanks apply to it also. Note that because the Vampire is a flyer it can't tank-shock enemy units or assault them! Because Vampire Raiders are super-heavy units they must be taken in their own 'detachment', as described for Scorpions and Cobras. A Vampire Raider detachment can consist of between 1-3 aircraft.
Super-Heavy Flyers Damage Tables
Glancing Hit
(S+D6 roll equals Armour Value)
| D6 | Result |
|---|---|
| 1 | Gun Crew Shaken – One weapon may not shoot (chosen by opponent). |
| 2 | Gun Crew Shaken – One weapon may not shoot (chosen by opponent). |
| 3 | Pilot Shaken – Roll 1D6 immediately. On a 1-3 the aircraft turns 45° left, on a 4-6 the aircraft turns 45° right. The flyer may not turn again for the remainder of this turn, and must remain facing in this direction when it shoots and moves off the table. |
| 4 | Engines Damaged – From now on there is a –1 modifier to the dice roll made to see if this flyer returns to the table after each attack run. The modifier is cumulative, so a flyer which suffered two engine damaged result would suffer a –2 modifier, etc. |
| 5 | Field or Weapon Destroyed – One weapon or field chosen by opponent is destroyed. |
| 6 | Major Damage – Lose one structure point and roll again on this table. If reduced to '0' damage points then roll on the Catastrophic Damage table instead. |
Penetrating Hit
(S+D6 roll beats Armour Value)
| D6 | Result |
|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot Shaken – Roll 1D6 immediately. On a 1-3 the aircraft turns 45° left, on a 4-6 the aircraft turns 45° right. The flyer may not turn again for the remainder of this turn, and must remain facing in this direction when it shoots and moves off the table. |
| 2 | Engines Damaged – From now on there is a –1 modifier to the dice roll made to see if this flyer returns to the table after each attack run. The modifier is cumulative, so a flyer which suffered two engine damaged result would suffer a –2 modifier, etc. |
| 3 | Field or Weapon Destroyed – One weapon or field chosen by opponent is destroyed. |
| 4 | Major Damage – Lose one structure point and roll again on the Glancing Hit table. If reduced to '0' damage points, roll on the Catastrophic Damage table instead. |
| 5 | Major Damage – Lose one structure point and roll again on the Glancing Hit table. If reduced to '0' damage points, roll on the Catastrophic Damage table instead. |
| 6 | Chain Reaction – Lose one structure point and roll again on this table. If reduced to '0' damage points, roll on the Catastrophic Damage table instead. |
Catastrophic Damage Hit
(S+D6 roll beats Armour Value)
| D6 | Result |
|---|---|
| 1 | Damage Control – The player controlling the vehicle must take a Ld test for it (use the 'standard' Ld for the army, i.e. 7 for Imperial Guard). If the Ld test is passed then the damage control systems on the super-heavy flyer have contained the damage, and 1 structure point is 'repaired'. If the test is failed your opponent must roll again on this table (which may give you another damage control test, if you're lucky!). |
| 2-5 | Crash – The flyer crashes into the table 2D6" away in a random direction and then explodes. Models within D6" suffer one wound on a D6 roll of 4+ (saving throws allowed). Vehicles are unaffected. |
| 6 | Huge Explosion – The flyer is vapourised in a huge explosion. This does not affect units on the ground, but other flyers within D6" suffer a glancing hit. Remove the flyer from play. |