I have been reading the rules for Aircraft, and War engines that are treated as aircraft. Looked at bombing runs, intercept, ground flack attacks, approach and disengagement moves, dropping off ground formations, and assault deployment of ground formations. I think I have it knotted out, in particularly how bast markers affect aircraft. I put together the following on a Word Document as a summary to make it easier for me to understand. Especially during games.

Let me know if I got it correct. I know things like Planetfall and self Planetfall are under a different section of the rule book, but the rules for them are partly explained in the aircraft rules. Obviously planetfall/self planetfall will add to the rules summary below (which I think for myself at least is easier to understand).

Air ground assaults, intercept and flack attacks in Epic Armageddon.

A side declares that one of its aircraft formations is making a ground attack in order to make a bombing run or deploy/ assault troops from. If it passes its activation, it may make an approach move which has unlimited distance but it can turn every 30cm and make a 45 degree for bombers, or a 90 degree turn for fighters. It is set up at the edge of the table before making its approach move.

The enemy may declare that one of its unactivated fighter or fighter bomber formations is performing an intercept move. If the activation is passed, then it is set up on its board edge and may make an approach move to intercept the ground attacking aircraft, or if the enemy has any formations on CAP, they can automatically intercept without needing to activate. Only one Intercept can be declared.

Intercepting models make their AA attack against ground attack aircraft before they fire on an enemy formation, which is carried out after flack attacks are made during the approach move.

Ground units/formations and supporting aircraft/formations with anti-air Flack weapons may make an out of turn flack attack against enemy aircraft making either the ground attack or intercept that p[ass within their AA weapons range during their move before the ground attack aircraft have fired.

The playing making the ground attack may also declare that their CAP is intercepting the enemy interceptors, so this takes place first, followed by the intercepting unit from the enemy defenders, followed by Flack attacks from both sides, and then the bombing run is carried out.

Flack attacks from ground formations may shoot at multiple enemy formations as long as they have not already shot at that particular air formation this turn. Ground/Support formations may shoot at the intercept air units or bombing units either during their approach move or during their disengagement move. Again - only as long as they did not already shoot at them this turn. Remember Line of Site is ignored as well, and the crossfire rule does not apply when shooting at aircraft.

Once a formation has made its ground attack, it may disengage. Aircraft destroyed before they can make their ground attack can not attack or intercept. If the formation was landing and deploying ground forces, it can then deploy them up to 5cm from the aircraft/ war engine, or 15cm if they have the jump or skimmer rule. Any units on aircraft/ war engines destroyed on approach are destroyed along with the aircraft (no saves of any kind). Once landed the aircraft has a move of 0cm and may not undertake any actions except to shoot. In the end phase of the turn it arrived it may make a disengagement move to exit the table in the same manner as an aircraft making a bombing run. Some aircraft like drop pods are automatically removed from play after they have fired their weapons and then deployed their cargo.

Units may not undertake actions once deployed and the war engine or aircraft may can only shoot and provide flack air cover. The only exception is if the aircraft/support craft/ War engine deploying the formation declares an assault (fire fights) the enemy. In this case the formation that has deployed can also assault, and is treated as part of the war engine/ aircraft formation until next turn.

When this is done, the war engine/aircraft/ support craft is treated like any other unit for the purposes of assault/ fire fight rules, and blast markers affect it in the normal manner. In the next turn, it can declare it is making a disengagement move to leave the table. Support craft may leave the formation/formations it dropped off and move around the table as a separate formation in the following turn, if they survive the fire fight/assault.

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Interceptions in the same tyrn as a aircraft tries to do ground attacks/ground assaults/ interceptions (the order) can only be done with formation already on CAP.

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This is covered by the FAQ and a step by step run through is included.



Only Formations already on CAP can interupt an opponents ground attack action to try to intercept, you cannot attempt to go on CAP as part of your opponents action. If you have no formations already on CAP you cannot intercept.


Also unless you are using house rules this following cannot be done (cannot CAP a CAP)



Formations on CAP can only react to a ground attack action, coming of CAP to intercept other interceptors is not reacting to a ground attack action

That has cleared all that up thanks.

Since my Dark Eldar do not have have any ground based anti-air units like many other armies have, I have to rely on my raven fighters and Razorwing fighter bombers.

My Slavebringer assault barge is a bomber, so can not intercept. It is also really only useful for deploying ground formations via planetfall which means the expense of a spaceship then I need to keep bring it on each turn as a bomber putting it at risk of being shot from the sky.

The Executioner landing module is a war engine and support craft, so it might fill the role of a ground based AA unit in a similar manner to the Squats Overlord armoured airships, however it is very expensive. Artillery can not hit it with indirect barrages, however everything on the board can see it and shoot it with direct fire fire from their Anti tank and Macro Weapons. SO basilisks just need to shoot at it directly out to their 120cm range. My shadow fields might help it for a while, but at 750 points, it is a huge risk for a 3000 point game, taking up most of my 1/3 allocation for aircraft, spaceships and titans. Since it only has 2 x 60cm 4+ AA weapons, it needs to be able to do more than just kill of an enemy aircraft now and then to pay for its points value. Deploying 16 units of infantry and 8 vehicles helps, however it does have my best long range weapons in the game for my army. It also does not need a space ship to planet fall.


I think lots and lots of raven fighters on CAP is the way to go.

_________________
6mm wargaming is just like 25mm wargaming with more units fitting on the same size table. Thus bigger games to get lost in and avoid the hassles of everyday living, and offerings for the dice gods.

Just FYI
- only one unit on CAP can react to a ground attack
- you can fire artillery indirectly at a support craft
- a support craft cannot be shot by everything on the board. However what can shoot it depends on how you are treating terrain (infinite height, TLOS, hybrid)

Unless it is a specific tournament thing, like at heavy bolter where area terrain like ruins, wood and jungle are infinite height. In all the local games I have played, we do not use the infinite height terrain rule.

I thought aircraft were not able to be targeted by artillery bombardments, and I thought support craft once they landed were in a hybrid mode between aircraft and a popped up skimmer. Permanently sitting in popped up mode. OK so even artillery can hurt them, damn.

Well, can I have the Executioner starting on the table in turn 1 as a support craft? Setup with all my other forces within the 15cm set up zone. It would not be using the self planetfall rules, and would then be considered to have already planetfalled prior to the battle taking place. Setup in the same manner an Overlord airship is setup. If I can, this would be a safe option, as it moves 25cm, has a lot of shadow fields, and lots of DC before it goes down. I could triple move it in one turn weather the enemy fire, send in a lot of other ground forces to shoot at defenders as well, then in turn 2 unload, assault and from that point on use it as a mobile weapons platform.

I just want to avoid the whole planetfall thing with scatter, and so on. Even Teleporting in is a risk. I could lose on the strategy roll and end up with the formations teleporting in getting shot up.

I already knew that only one aircraft could intercept another aircraft attempting to make a ground attack. It was the intercepting an interceptor that I was confused with, which has now been sorted out - you can not do that.

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6mm wargaming is just like 25mm wargaming with more units fitting on the same size table. Thus bigger games to get lost in and avoid the hassles of everyday living, and offerings for the dice gods.

Well executioners never count as aircraft. So never get hit by AA (not when they planetfall and not on turn 1). They can hit and be hit according to the popped up skimmer rules. So there may be some direct fire units that will not be able to draw LOS - although you have an impressively big model . However indirect shots will hit them. Planetfall could work well if done as late as possible in turn 1 so limiting ability of enemy to react that turn.

Hmm food for thought. However it costs 750 points to use the Executioner. Add to this the cost of transported formations. Then I have to retain enough forces to make the enemy expend their ammunition. Even then, I have to make sure the tactic works. It is a big gamble all in one expensive package. Unless I am going to play games of at least 4000 points or more, I will probably not use it. In larger games the enemy has more formations as well, however, I should be able to keep them busy with the amount of ravagers, Reaver jetbikes, and other nasties I can bring to bear.

I think the teleport idea is good. Especially against armies that have low strategy ratings. Hpefully they can not handle 4 Formations. 2 of which have infiltrate (30cm charge), and the other 2 can double move and provide fire support (Fleet of foot/Hit and Run). The only thing is they will not have any inspiring characters or commander for those 4 formations.

I will have to keep trying out tactics until I find a combination that works well. And yes not every army and plan is suited to every enemy list, and the dice gods can make even a well devised plan go to sheyt.

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6mm wargaming is just like 25mm wargaming with more units fitting on the same size table. Thus bigger games to get lost in and avoid the hassles of everyday living, and offerings for the dice gods.