Just clarifying, the Strike Cruiser's 20 unit capacity, does that include units in ThunderHawks, or not?

ie, does 3 Tactical Squads in Drop Pods, plus 2 Assault Marines in a Thunderhawk count as a legitimate army?

If not, why allow 6 Thunderhawks to be attached? Seems weird.

Morgan Vening

Yes.
No.
Because a Strike Cruiser can carry up to 6 Thunderhawks. They are not only space-taxi for the SM infantry, but also aerian bombers or space bomber/boarding craft.

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But the only reason to take Planetfalling Thunderhawks is as transport, correct? There's not a big tactical advantage to doing it without cargo?

I don't have a problem with it from a rules perspective. It just comes across as weird that the Strike Cruiser can carry 20 units, and the Thunderhawks it also carries can carry 48 (24 if all Dreadnoughts).

I dunno. I guess I'll build that bridge.

Morgan Vening
- So I can get over it.

An empty Thunderhawk is really useful in the game. It can pick up units to re-insert next turn amongst other things.

You can also planetfall an empty Thunderhawk as a piece of stationary AA I guess.

Though it's hardly going to be optimal use of it's abilities

The Strike cruiser has slots for 20x 'infantry' units and 20x 'vehicles' irrespective of their "transport" size - so that could be 20 terminators and 20 Land Raiders (or the 1st company). In addition to this, the spacecraft is assumed to carry 6x Thunderhawks and lots of Landing Craft. This allows the terminators (or other infantry) to be landed in a variety of ways with or without vehicles. The most expensive (financially) would be 5x Landing Craft each containing a Terminator and a Land Raider formation at an army list cost in excess of 5450 points (including the Cruiser) - for a very short game! (You could also get the 6x ThunderHawks for an additional 1200 points, but that is just overkill )

In reality you have to mix and match the formations and their transport within the constraints of the spacecraft and landing vehicles, and this can make for some agonising decisions on just what to include or exclude for a given mission or playing style (even assuming your pocket stretches to multiple ThunderHawks and Landing Craft).

Finally as others have pointed out, 'empty' THawks are very usefull both for multiple assaults and CAS - but must then be protected from AA which then drags in other elements of the Marine armoury.

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Sir Hemry Newbolt

It has nothing to do with things that make sensible strategies in Epic.  It's to keep the spaceship loads consistent with the BFG stats and other background.

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Neal

One other point - you are not allowed to use the "Russian Doll" approach and carry lots of additional stuff packed away on the various transports in the Space Cruiser. 20x Inf and 20x Vehicles are hard limits; the mixture of Landing Craft and THawks allows you to put all the forces carried onto the surface.

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Sir Hemry Newbolt

You could planetfall an empty Thunderhawk to claim a cheap (although really speculative!) Crossfire...

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