I've been trying to get my head around this for a while; i've seen several different people  play it several different ways.  I refer to section 4.2.5 of the core epic rules as included in the GW issue rulebook: those that we'll be using at this years UK tournaments. I understand how air assualt works, this question focuses on Landing.
I get the feeling that my question is answered in ample by War Engine Transports in section 3.1.3, the example i'm using here pertains to something i want to try with Marine Landing Crafts and Thunderhawks.
In short which of the below holds true:

a) when a transport aircraft lands and disembarks troops those troops may 'do nothing' aside from disembarking then and there and TAKE AN ACTION LATER IN THE TURN. The aircraft may fire if it so wishes to.

b) the troops may choose to stay in the aircraft once it has landed. They then take an action later in the turn in order to disembark (be it march, engage, single, double)

c) the troops disembark when the aircraft lands and may fire (could they 1) sustain despite moving to disembark, 2) make a single and shoot, 3) make a double and shoot, 4) the disembark is the only move they get and they fire normally?).  Can they fire at seperate targets to the transport.

So: do you 'lose' the troops activations etc for later on in the turn?
Hope all that's clear; if anyone can make it so then that would be great.
R>

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Actually, none of the above are true, at least not fully.

When formations are being held in a transport, they are treated as *one* formation.  So, the transport aircraft and all units aboard may only take a single action, all together.

To land, the aircraft must make a ground attack choosing either to "Land" or "Air Assault"... in the first case, once the aircraft has finished its approach move, any units that wish to disembark are placed within 5cm (15cm for jumpers and skimmers) and then the *whole* lot of them, as one formation, may shoot at a single target formation.

If "Air Assault" is selected, the whole group may enter the ZoC of enemy units and fight an assault with, instead of shooting at, a target enemy formation.

During all of this, the transport aircraft and all units that were being transported are treated as one formation (including coherency rules).  Once the action is completed, they become seperate formations.

If the transported units wish to stay within the aircraft transport, they will not have the opportunty to disembark until the *next* turn... unless, somehow, the aircraft becomes broken and survives, then withdrawal moves can be made.

Get it?

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Yes, i think so :-)
One last small bit i'd like to pick up on:
"Once the action is completed, they become seperate formations."
BUT they've ALL had their action that turn correct?
This is a great help thanks Chroma.

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They've both been "activated" this turn, so they can't be used again until the next turn.

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By mere seconds it would seem... *LAUGH*

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Sorted, Cheers guys :-)...now all i need to do is work it all into some sort of coherent 3k plan...

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I have another question then.

Since you said they must be all in coherency...

Supposing a Thunderhawk Gunship performs a ground assault action. As chance would have it, it's also been carrying a Death Company and an Assault detachment, all with jump packs, who gleefully disembark to assault the enemy.

Being jump troops they can disembark up to 15 cm away. Since T-hawk is DC2, that means that at least one of the jump troop units must land within 10 cm of it, the rest must all be not further than 5cm from at least one other stand (or 10 cm within the thunderhawk), and all of them must be within 15cm of the Thunderhawk. Units of the same detachment are also not required to be within 5cm of another unit as long as they're within 10 cm of the thunderhawk.

Is that correct?

A bit late, 'cos I type slowly

The key to all transporting (embarking and disembarking) for ground and air is to consider which formation is activating, and to realise that travelling, embarking and disembarking takes time. There are a couple of underlying principles behind transporting troops.

1) Formations may only have one activation per turn.
2) Formations may not gain by being transported.

When considering War Engine transport, formations being carried do not have an activation as such, even though they are considered to be separate entities both before the transport activates and after the action is complete. So:-

• When troops are inside the transport, it is the transport that activates. (Both 3.1.3 and 4.2.5)
  • The transport and the troops being carried are considered a single formation until the action ends.
    
  • The transported troops may disembark and join in with the transport activites (provided they are not broken).
    
  • Some transports (notably Orks) allow the troops to shoot from inside the vehicle without disembarking.
    
  • If the transport is attacked, all troops may automatically disembark (including broken troops), provided they have not been 'locked in' by the enemy getting 2x the transport's DC into base-to-base contact.
    
  • If the 'formation' breaks, the troops and transport may withdraw separately
  
  
• When the troops are outside the transport
  • The troops may activate and move into the transport (3.1.3), which then may not activate for the rest of the turn (though it could have activated earlier).
    
  • An air transport may land and embark the troops (4.2.5) which then lose their activation for the rest of the turn
    
  • Troops consolidating onto a transport are considered to be doing so in the end phase, so this prevents an air transport from disengaging. Note, embarking by normal movement or withdrawals does not prevent air transport disengagement.
  
  
• Spaceships and Planetfall work slightly differently again, because although it is the Spaceship that activates, Planetfalling is merely a mechanic to put formations on the table. After the spaceship activation is complete, all formations may activate normally; planetfalling does not replace their activation.
  Disembarking from a transport is optional though troops must disembark from Drop Pods. (Troops with no armour save might want to stay inside and wait for the transport to activate)

Finally, the basic transportation rules of 1.7.5 still apply unless overriden by the War Engine rules as outlined above.

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Sir Hemry Newbolt

Actually, that's incorrect.

Only a war engine benefits from the extended unit coherency, 10cm for the Thunderhawk; as long as it's within 10cm of another unit it's in coherency.  Non-war engine units do not benefit from that extended coherency, they must be within 5cm of another unit in their formation.

Now, you could parcel out the troops in groups of two, as long as each group was within 10cm of the T-hawk, or 5cm of another group.

And, on top of that, all the disembarked jump packers would have to be within 15cm of the T-hawk.

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Correct to this point.

Units of the same detachment are also not required to be within 5cm of another unit as long as they're within 10 cm of the thunderhawk.

Is that correct?

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Neal

Okay. So imagine this.

Thunderhawk in the middle.

A cluster of two Assault and one DC units 10 cm to the right of it, within 5cm of each other and furthest one within 15cm of the Hawk.

Another equivalent cluster of one Assault and two DC units to the left.

A DC unit 10 cm in front of the Hawk.

An Assault unit 15 cm in front of the Hawk, within 5cm of the DC unit.

Is that a valid disembarkation scenario?

Looks like that gang's all here!  

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Now living in Boston... any EPIC players want to meet up?

If these two are together, yes, if not then no.

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"EPIC: Total War" Lead Developer

Now living in Boston... any EPIC players want to meet up?