Hi!
This is what I would suggest based off of madmagician's system.
Air units can choose one of 4 air mission orders:
1. Air superiority
The goal is to control the airspace over the battlefield. The level of flight is high in the clouds. Ground fire may not target fliers on such orders. AA may fire upon them normally.There are two options a flier with this order can choose from
a. Dogfight- flier starts at owning players table age and flies in a straight line towards enemy fliers and fights in the close combat phase. As the flier moves in it may be fired upon by AA batteries or intercepted.
b. Combat air patrol. Fliers move in from owning layers table edge and "station" it self anywhere over the battlefield. It can automatically choose to engage any fliers that enter its CAP "zone". They may be intercepted (flying through someone else CAP zone) as well as fired upon by AA batteries.
CAP "zones" can be a flat number (for all armies) or variable by army list. My suggestion would be a flat radius of 25cm (50cm diameter). Easy to remember.
2. Close Air support
The goal is to engage enemy ground forces or provide aerial firepower. This type of engagement represents low level flying, so fliers can benefit from terrain cover. However they are open to ground fire ( -1 penalty from non AA units). AA units are particularly effective against such low flying aircraft and may re-roll (second roll stands). The benefit for fliers on these orders is that being so close to the targets increase their accuracy (Re-roll misses, second roll stands) There are two options to select from:
a. Combat air support- fliers may enter through any side EXCEPT the opponents side of the table (may enter through sides). The flier may linger on the battlefield and engage any targets within the range of its weapons (may split its weapon attacks amongst eligible targets). May be intercepted or fired upon by AA.
b. Strafe run- Enters through owning players table side and in a straight line will choose ONE detachment sized formation as the target of the strafing run. All weapons MUST target the selected formation. Once attacks are finalized it will continue in a straight line and exit the opponents table edge. May be intercepted or fired upon by AA.
3. High Altitude Bombing (operational bombing)
The goal is to soften the enemy up before a ground assault or attack. Its "safer" than close air support, but not as accurate. Given the higher altitudes, ground fire that is not designated as AA may not engage. AA may engage normally with no modifiers to the roll to hit. There are two options
a. Carpet bombing- the fliers may enter any table edge except the opponents table edge. It may engage ground targets from high altitude within the range of its weapons. May linger on the battlefield and may be intercepted or fired on by AA.
b.Strafe Bombing- fliers starts at owning players able edge and goes into a straight line to attack one company sized formation. Once attacks are resolved it flies off the battlefield through the opposing players table edge.
Tactical Transport
The goal is to transport ground assets to key battlefield points. The flier is flying in NOE (nap of the earth) so may use terrain as cover. There are two options:
a. drop and run- the flier enters the table as if possessing the "deep strike" ability and may deploy ground assets at any point of the descent. Note that ground assets MUST be equipped with jump packs, flight packs or other method of rapid deployment to be able to disembark from a flier on these orders. Once deployable assets have disembarked it may fly off the table in a straight line through the nearest table edge.
Fliers on these orders may NOT fire their weapons, however given they are flying evasively ground fire from non-AA troops may not target them. AA may target them but if they do so during the descent (before deploying) then have a -1 penalty to hit, if they engage them after deployment (trying to leave the table) they fire at them normally. Fliers on this order may NOT be intercepted by other aircraft (to quick in and out of the theater of operations).
b.Drop landing zone- flier starts from any table edge except the opposing players table edge and fly in a straight line to the designated landing zone. Flier may be intercepted or fired upon by AA. Since it is flying low and evasively it may use terrain as cover. AA does not gain advantages of firing on fliers at lower level.
Once close to the designated landing zone, it may choose to land and deploy assets. Before landing it may fire all its weapons at targets within range. Fliers at the moment of support fire and landing are very vulnerable to ground fire, so all ground units may fire at the transport (unlike when it is in route). AA DOES receive the re-roll against such a flier on these order, but only at the moment of firing or landing (in route it does not).
Once assets are deployed, it may linger over the battlefield and support fire.
The things mentioned as "forward air control" I would give directly to command units as an ability to use.
Pick it apart now and discuss.
Primarch
