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There are a few truths that apply to most Flyers, regardless
of which species they belong to, what weapons they carry,
or what their armour is.
Just like modern aircraft, Flyers of the 41st millennium
are not heavily armoured. They can't carry the weight of armour
plating and still be able to fly – even the most well-armoured
attack plane of today has weak armour compared to even a half-track
vehicle. This thin skin is reflected in the Armour 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...
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 Armour Penetration weapons. Otherwise, VTOL can
turn your precious Flyer into a listless, floating bulls eye.
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.
 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.
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.
Next:
Air-to-Ground
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Your
Skin Is Thin
Stay
out of Reach
