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Big Changes Are Coming to 40k – Replacing The Flyer Rules

By Rob Baer | May 2nd, 2016 | Categories: Miniature Wargaming News & Rumors

stormhawk

BIG changes are coming to 40k! Checkout the latest on all the new rules for how flyers are changing in the Death from the skies supplement!

Source: Games Workshop

The release of a new Death from the Skies supplement for Warhammer 40,000 has got us all feeling very happy in the office. Many a zooming noise and can be heard as people run around with new flyers held in the air. I even saw a pair of flying goggles on Simon’s desk (they’d been there for ages; they just have a purpose now.) I thought I would have a read of the book to work out what all the fuss was about and see if my orky brain could come up with any nasty tricks to try out on my next unwitting opponent. Here’s what I found out.

The updated Flyer rules in Death from the Skies completely replace those in Warhammer 40,000: The Rules.

The highlight for me is the Break Turns rule which allows your flyer to try to make a second turn if they pass an Agility (a new statistic on every datasheet in the book) roll. I love the idea of my Dakkajet’s being able to bring their guns to bear more easily, I am always getting caught out of position with no enemies in my line of fire.

Another new element is Flyer Wings. These can be deployed in Attack Patterns and have Wing Leaders. A Flyer Wing is a group of 2 to 4 Flyers taken from the same datasheet or Formation. The Wing Leader gets a special ability to represent his experience and skill. Keeping the unit close together in one of a series of Attack Patterns will give the wing special benefits. I will be deploying my Dakkajets in a Vigilance Attack Pattern to gain +1 Ballistic Skill against ground targets. Combined with the datasheet special rules in Codex: Orks I will be hitting with almost every shot which is a rare treat for an ork warboss.

The Dogfight phase allows detailed combat between flyers who have not yet entered from Reserve. This happens at the start of each game turn and has a series of sub-phases where a each side choose from a series of Engagement, Manoeuvre and Attack Tactics to determine the winner. The ultimate goal is to gain Air Superiority which reduces the likelihood of enemy units coming on from reserve and increases your own. I will definitely need to equip my Flyers to give me Air Superiority, as I usually field a very mobile Ork army and I often have many units in reserve in transports. Air Superiority would allow me to assault isolated enemy positions ‘en masse’ while my opponents reserves arrive piecemeal.

The most exciting element for me is that I can play games with just my flyers. I have always imagined an air armada of ork flying contraptions duelling with hordes of enemy aircraft blissfully unaware of the ground battle taking place below. And now I can play that game. So I now need more flyers and I think Dorgaz Deathspin will be getting promoted to Wing Leader with some Dakkajet’s to boss around. I also think a Flyer Wing of the new Wazbom Blastajet’s is a must have. To the skies!

via Iuchiban, 4-29-2016

Hi all,

I already have my copy of the book, and after a quick go-through:

(As usual, translations may not be 100% correct)

– There is a new detachment:

Air Superiority Detachment

Is formed by 1-3 Flyer Wings*

Restrictions: All models have to be chosen from the same faction

Benefits:
– Air commander; If the commander of the Wing is in reserves, re-roll interception, If you have superiority and your Chief is in Reservers you add +2 to your reserve rolls instead of 1.
– Combined formation: You choose to make a single reserve roll for the whole formation if you want.
– Transport that have the hover mode have the Objetive secured rule.

Of course I need to read the book to know what it all means.

All the existing flyers have the same point costs and rules as in their current codex.

The stormhawk costs 125 points and comes with: Twin linked assault cannon, twin linked heavy bolter, “super laser thing” (24″, S9, AP2, Heavy 2), Ceraminte plating, and one ítem that allow the stormhawk reroll when jinking. Has the supersonic special rule.
May exchange the laser thing for an Icurus Cannon for 155 points. May exchange the heavy bolter for a Typhoon missile launcher for +20 points or for a Celestial hammer missile thrower for +5 points.

Now I have to go, but will be back in one hour and a half (aprox).

DeathFromTheSkiesENG_Slot2

Follow-up:

About the ork flyer:

140 points 12/10/10 3HP

(Cannot translate the ork weapons)
Twin-linked 36″, S8, AP2, Heavy 1, Blast, Gets hot
1x 36″ S1D6+4, AP1, Heavy1
5++ vs one single hit each enemy shooting phase (May be exchanged for an ork energy shield 5++ to be bearer and all models at 6″ for +25 points)

Question: can other chapters BA and SW etc use (the Stormhawk)?

Looks like, but they have to be taken as part of the detachment mentioned before.

The book says that all the flyers described in this book replace their Data Sheets in all the current codex. Seems that this rules are coming to stay.

FMC are not in this book.

The datasheets are:
– Valkyries
– Stormhawk Interceptors
– Stormtalon
– Stormraven
– Storm wing (Formation)
– Strike Wing (Formation, 2 Stormhawks + 2 Stormtalons)
– Blood Angel Stormraven
– Grey Knights Stormraven
– Dark Talon
– Nephilim
– Ravenwing abductor squadron (Formation, 2 Nephilim + 1 Dark Talon)
– Stormwolf
– Stormfang
– Ice Storm assault pack (Formation, 2 Stormwolves + 2 Stormfangs)
– Heldrake
– Razorwing
– Voidraven
– Blackheart Talon (Formation, 2 Razorwings + 2 Voidravens)
– Crimson Hunter
– Hemlock
– Shroud of Kurnous (Formation, 2-3 Crimson Hunters + 1 Hemlock)
– Night Scythes
– Doom Scythes
– Oppressor Flight (Formation, 1 Night Scythe + 2-3 Doom Scythes)
– Blitza-Bomber
– Burna-Bomber
– Dakkajet
– Wazbom Blastajets
– Ork Skwadron (Formation, 3 of any but Wazbom Blastajets)
– Kustom Wazmob (1 Wazbom + 3 up to three of any other ork flyer including the Wazmob)
– Razorshark
– Sun Shark
– Air caste Support cadre (Formation, 2 Razorsharks + 1 Sun Shark)

60040199058_DeathfromtheSkiesENG02

Follow-up:

I will try to sumarize the new stuff:

All Flyers have now three new Atributes: Combat Role, Pursuit and Agility (the more the better)

When shooting there are two types of targes: Ground and flying. Flying targets are FMC, other Flyers, Jetbikes and Grav vehicles. The rest are ground targets.

New rule: Air superiority: If a player has Flyers in Reserve at the end of the Aerial Duel Phase can add +1/-1 to their reserve rolls. Opponent has -1 to reserve rolls.

Any flyer can now make an additional pivot at any point of ther movement if they roll their Agility or less in a single D6.

Only Flyers with the Attack Role can have AA when shooting, but they have -1 BS when shooting Ground Targets.

Flyers do not benefit from cover (Terrain or other models)

When moving Flat Out you can add your Pursuit to the distance

The different combat roles give different bonusses depending on the type of the Attack Pattern.

There are 6 different attack patterns.

To sumarize a litte bit:

Duel Phase happens at the beginning of each Player’s turn. It is optional. It only involves Flyers in reserve or active reserves. If a player wants to skip the phase, roll a d6. Winner decides.

4 Subphases:
Interception
Aproximation
Maneuver
Attack

INTERCEPTION
Each player roll a D6. Winner (after applying modificators) is attacking player, the other defending player.

APROX, MANEUVER AND ATTACK
During each phase each player chooses secretly a Tactic, then compare tactics in a table and apply results.

At the end of the Attack phase, resolve a shooting phase between both flyers, applying the mods from the previous phases (if any)

via Warseer’s Inq.Serge 4-30-2016

Bought mine today. When are they supposed to release it anyway?

On Attack patterns:

2 planes:

*one gets +1bs (against appropriate target) and +1 to jink save.

3 planes:

* Flat out and Shoot/bomb (appropriate target) at full bs

* Tank hunter vs appropriate target / Reroll to pen rolls with bombs

* Shooting/Bombs Ignore cover vs appropriate target

4 planes:

* one gets +1bs (against appropriate target) and +1 to jink save. + all get Tank hunter vs appropriate target / Reroll to pen rolls with bombs and Shooting/Bombs Ignore cover vs appropriate target

* 4++, IWND, Interceptor (on all)

* Pick one unit that all 4 planes have LoS to. PERMANENT preferred enemy against ANY unit of it’s kind. (I.E: You pick ONE Tactical squad, You get permanent Preferred Enemy on ALL Tactical squads for the rest of the battle).

All planes in the attack pattern must be from same formation or attack wing.

Attack wing: 2-4 planes (all same). Flyers can now be bought in units of 1-4 per slot, but they only count as attack wing if they are 2+. Attack wings may use Attack patterns. One flyer gets “Wing leader”, wich is a free “Fighter ace” equivalent. Fighter ace, as we know it, is not in the book, instead, it’s a campaign bonus. (There are 3 bonuses to randomize from on the wing leader table. The campaign fighter ace has 6, and you can earn all 6 by becoming a Top Gun (Kill 30 flyers during a campaign without dying)).

NOTE: Flyers from same attack wing do not follow rules for squadrons, or count as a single unit, nor do they need to be in coherency. (unless they want to benefit from attack patterns.)

The flyer detachment consists 1-3 attack wings. All from same codex/faction. (Formations count as attack wings).

So now, you can have a pair of any flyer as a separate detachment!

I.E: on attack wings.

2-4 razorwings is an attack wing.

2-4 voidravens is an attackwing.

1 razorwing + 1 voidraven is not an attack wing, and thus, can’t benefit from attack patterns.

3 razorwings + 1 voidraven, the razorwings is an attack wing, the voidraven isn’t.

However, there’s a 2 Razor-2 voidraven formation, where they all count as the same attack wing, and thus benefit from attack patterns.

On appropriate targets: flying targets for fighters , ground targets for attack craft.

DeathFromTheSkies1 horz

The dog-fight rules only mention Flyers. So I doubt about FMC.

Haven’t looked up the vendetta (even though I have a vendetta myself. I HAVE 12 FLYERS!)

There are 6 flyer missions/Scenarios, and a mini-campaign. There’s the Flyer detachment, but no rules for turn 1 entry (unless there’s something in the missions.). So,unless you play craftworlders with FW, and have a pair of lynxes, who may start on the table, all-flyers is a no-go.

Wing leaders are pretty much on par, but slightly worse, than the old fighter aces. There are different for every army, (even for different flyers in some cases), but they are on par with +1bs vs appropriate target.

Bale flamer does what Jon Snow knows: Nothing. The whole dog fight phase, is; You roll to see who’s the attacker, the attacker picks one of his flyers (Usually a fighter), and one of the enemies (Usually a

bomber, unless facing DE shenanigans), and both must be in reserve. Then you roll dice and bluff to decide distance between the flyers, facing (Gives bonuses. If a non-fighter outmanoeuvres an enemy, it may shoot at full BS, otherwise only snap. Fighters may always shoot at full BS.), Facing affects which facing you hit and what weapons you may fire (Suddenly, rear mounted weapons got relevant), and then, who shoots first (And only shoot! No Vector strikes! Templates can’t hit flyers!). If one goes down: 2-5 It’s ded! All passengers ded to!, 1: Opponent places the downed flyer in downed flyers deployment zone, no closer than 1″ from units, then roll for crash and burn. on a 6; same, but you place your downed flier in the opponents deployment zone.

1 dogfight per turns, so even if you have 5 planes and your opponent 3, only 1 per side will dogfight per turn.

DeathFromTheSkies2 horz

Necrons are not as fast as eldar, but fast, however, they’re not manoeuvrable, slightly more than the flying furrie containers.

Their formation lets you “Teleport” vehicles like their transport fliers teleport footsoldiers.

GW-new flyers-horz

Flyer wings are 2-4 of the same flyer, or a flyer formation (of usually 4 flyers).

The Furry formation gives movement bonuses for things assaulting from the transports, and movement penalties to those hit by snowballs.

Fighters are the only ones who get to keep skyfire, but get -1bs vs ground. (the rest only snap at flyers)

marine-squadron-horz

Also; Bombers differ in being worse at dogfights and getting other bonuses from attack patterns.

1; The 2-flyer attack pattern gives bombers +1st on their bombs, not +1bs. And only Bombs, no other weapons.

2; Attack patterns start once you end a movement phase in that pattern, and lasts until the end of your next movement phase. Thus; Bombers won’t benefit from their attack pattern bonuses (I.E: ignore cover) on their bombing runs when they arrive from reserve, AND, almost all their attack pattern bonuses only apply to their bombs. Bombers truly got the short stick here.

3: Stunned/shaken fliers also temporarily lower their Pursuit/Agility to 0.

Razorwing

Razorwings are amongst the top tier fighter aircraft now. And -1bs on 4 large blasts isn’t that bad. (And interceptor in the DE formation).

Also, fighters do not get the -1bs against skimmers and jetbikes. Such count as “appropriate targets”(My word) for fighters, not attack craft.

FW hasn’t released their update, so I doubt the phoenix bomber will count as a bomber.

Considering that basically all flyers have been nerfed, and that razorwings “kinda got” vector dancer, they haven’t been hit as hard as every other flyer.

 

 

Looks like BIG changes are coming to 40k, as even flyers themselves are getting quite a few updates in the new Death From The Skies supplement.

More content is coming to the game, and bonuses as well. But are more rules better for the game, and can we opt out of playing this format if we just want to play a “normal sized” game of 40k?

Checkout the rest of the pictures below on the roundup:

New 40k Death From The Skies Release

BECAUSE I WAS INVERTED!

New Flyers – Does The Game Need MORE Rules? Long War Podcast Episode 49

 

About the Author: Rob Baer

Virginia Restless, Miniature Painter & Cat Dad. I blame LEGOs. There was something about those little-colored blocks that started it all... Twitter @catdaddymbg