Tormented by visions of flight and falling

More woundrous and terrible each than the last

Master Leonardo imagines an engine

To carry a man into the sun…

Since Icarus soared too close to the sun, since Da Vinci first sketched his flying machine, since the Wright Brothers fashioned their Flyer, mankind have been enraptured by the flying machine… and also wargames designers have struggled to write good rules for planes in 28mm 6×4 wargames.

Flyers have never hit the sweet spot in GW mainline games. They sucked in Horus Heresy second edition, where your Storm Eagle would explode and kill all your friends. If they don’t suck, they’re too good, like your Wizdicky Bombbusta Dakkajets ruining mid-ninth 40K for like three weeks in 2021. Like indirect artillery, they’re something simply too large and fast for wargames designers to reckon with. The table is too small and time too long to represent a plane doing its thing miles above a battlefield, beyond the grasp of a lowly infantryman.

This time, in Horus Heresy third edition, they might have cracked it. Planes might not be good, but they’re certainly exciting, and for me, that’s enough. Let’s look at the rules!

How to Fly a Plane

Flyers ignore Terrain and don’t block movement or line of sight. They’re UP, you understand?

Flyers can’t be attacked during the assault phase or locked in combat, and they cannot suffer Tactical Statuses. They also can’t react normally (since they’re never on the board in the opponent’s turn). Flyers have a single armour characteristic (apart from the Caestus Assault Ram, oops), and if you get glanced you just lose a Hullpoint.

You don’t deploy Flyers on the board. Instead, they begin in reserve and at the start of each turn you declare a Combat Air Mission and roll an Aerial Reserve roll, which starts at a 3+ and can’t be modified or rerolled by anything that would normally affect Reserves. Each combat air mission is associated with a given objective, and has its own rules, and once you finish one your flyer leaves the board and comes back next turn, but their Aerial Reserve roll is one worse. You’ll be lucky to survive until a +6 Aerial Reserve roll anyway. Let’s run through the Missions!

Drop Mission

Drop a transported unit on the battlefield. You place the flyer on your Battlefield edge turn 1 (any battlefield edge turn 2 and beyond, per the recent FAQ). It then can be Intercepted with Snap Shots, and it’s bad news bears for the embarked if it goes down: D6 for each model, on a 1 they take an AP2 D2 wound with no damage mitigation. Less bad than days of old, but still bad.

Then, in the movement phase you can move the flyer (most flying transports go 16-20″) without turning, then you get Combat Air Patrolled, and then those onboard disembark as normal. Vitally, you can charge out of this movement (but you’ll be disordered unless it’s an Assault Vehicle). The vehicle can then shoot with Defensive Weapons, and then depart.

Extraction Mission

That, but backwards, pick up some boys! You go through the same process, but where a unit would normally disembark, instead a unit fully within 2” of the flyer embarks departs to safety. This is fun for (slowly) uppy-downy-ing units in the wrong part of the battlefield, or saving a Warlord or damaged unit from potential Vanguard/Slay The Warlord nonsense, or just removing a Status from a unit and repositioning them next turn. The vehicle can then shoot with Defensive Weapons, and then depart.

Strike Mission

Shoot something but in a safe and speedy way. You place the Flyer on your Battlefield edge turn 1 (any battlefield edge turn 2 and beyond, per the recent FAQ). It then can be Intercepted, but only with Snap Shots. You then move up to your movement in a straight line, potentially get Combat Air Missioned, then can then Snap Fire any centreline weapons and normally fire any Guide Missiles. Then, you disappear.

Strafing Run

A slower and deeply more dangerous shooting mission. Interceptor Reactions made against you aren’t Snap Shots and you only get to move half your movement, but you get to fire all your guns at full BS, including non-centreline weapons. Big risk, big reward! Now the list of stuff that can kill you in a single reaction isn’t just Araknaes and Deredeos, it’s just anything with a basic hand eye coordination and a magazine.

What Does This Mean?

For shooty Flyers, you’re doing either a Strike Mission if you’re risk averse, or a Strafing Run if your opponent has no good reaction targets left later in the game. Alternatively, there are times you might as well Strafing Run since your opponent has a Skyfire Interceptor Unit and you’re desperate.

For transport Flyers, you drop off your primary cargo with the Drop Mission, and then either grab a useful unit with the Extraction Mission, or drop into the same pattern of “shooty Flyers” as above with whatever guns they have.

Fast Attack Slots

Most planes are Fast Attack. These are a tad awkward to come by. You get 2 in a First Strike detachment, and they barely make their way anywhere else. A good single flyer slot comes in the Vigilator’s Recon Demi-Company (traditionally meant for Land Speeders or Jetbikes, but you can also use it to grab a Storm Eagle or something), and a few Legion specific detachments unlock them.

Legions Astartes

A myriad of planes of various models and sizes, most of which are big heavy transports or attach craft.

Xiphon Interceptor (FA)

At 110pts, it has 11 Armour and 5 HP, so dies to a stiff breeze, but remember if you’re targeting vehicles you’ll often be shooting their rear armour. It boasts a pair of twin lascannons, bashing out four D1 shots, whereas the rotary missile launcher has 3 S8 AP2 D2 shots. A full aggression Strafing Run is likely to get you killed, but the damage is worth it if it doesn’t. This is primed for anti-light/mid vehicle, so is the perfect anti-flyer flyer.

Storm Eagle (FA)

My favourite plane is an Assault Vehicle, allowing you to non-disordered charge out your Drop Mission with an impressive 16 transport capacity, packing a big Power Armour squad or 8 Terminators, which is more than a Land Raider and for 200 points! It is, unlike a Land Raider, made of paper, with 12 AV and 6 HP. The good news is that when you do a Drop Mission, your Interceptors will be snap firing, but you’re still in danger from almost anything.

Once it dropped its targets, Stable means its guns always fire as if it was stationary for Heavy. You get a Twin Heavy Bolter, Twin Multi Melta or Cyclone Missile Launcher, plus an anti-light infantry Vengeance Launcher and a choice of two Twin Lascannons, four Tempest Rockets or four Hunter Killer Missiles. Really, if this thing dropped its payload without exploding, you’re on the money and the guns are just icing on the cake.

Fire Raptor (FA)

A much more firepower focused variant of the Storm Eagle, with the same defensive profile as its cousin but much better guns. An Avenger Bolt Cannon, two Gravis Heavy Bolter or Autocannon Batteries, and four Tempest Rocket or Hellstrike Missiles. This focuses on a much heavier volume of fire than the Xiphon, and also can hand out a lot of statuses, with the 10 shot AP3 Avenger Bolt Cannon and each eight shot Heavy Bolter Battery equipped with Suppressive (2). Critically, all these Suppressive weapons are defensive so it can split fire to its hearts content and stack up the statuses, especially in any Legion with access to Fear. Imagine this as the gun on a Castigator and two Gravis Bolter Rapier that move wherever you want and are really scared of Araknae,

Caetsus Assault Ram (HT, Legacies)

A 290pt flying brick with 14/13/11 on its armour facings (which legally doesn’t do anything as a flyer) and HP7, this Assault Vehicle packs the same capacity and battlefield role as the Storm Eagle. The main difference is the gun, which is the magna-melta cannon you normally see on a Predator. It’s also a Heavy Transport, so a little bit easier to get a hold of in most lists.

Thunderhawk (SH)

At 685pts, it delicately squeezes in under the Lord of War cap for a 3000pt game. It has 32 transport capacity, which means silly until you remember it can fit multiple infantry units. You can also fit in a pair of Bulky (6) Contemptor Dreadnoughts thanks to the Thunderhawk Transport Bay special rule. Unlike the Storm Eagle, it’s not made of paper either, boasting Armour 13 and a meaty 18 hullpoints. I wish to be clear: if you own one of these you are duty bound to run it in every game and you’re a coward if you don’t.

It is, however, glaringly not an Assault Vehicle (and it should be), so you’re sensible if you don’t run it, even if you’re not brave.

Sokar Pattern Stormbird (SH)

God’s idiot son; three flying land raiders taped together with hope. Complete with 22 HP, AV14, its own void shields and 52 transport capacity (including a two Contemptors and a Bulky (12) rhino with its own transport capacity). Not an Assault Vehicle. I refuse to analyse this more: bristling with guns, stupid, not worth the points, a glorious miracle of engineering, a pig to build and paint. Find me on the Goonhammer Discord if you want to sell one for cheap.

Thunderhawk Transport (LoW, Legacies)

Carries a single land raider or two rhinos, plus 20 men for 500pts. I hate to be a downer, but I would simply drive the tanks where they needed to be instead for much cheaper.

Solar Auxilia

An exciting range of mortal fliers, who are BS3 and thus Snap Fire on 6s. Deeply regrettable.

Arvus Light (Transport)

It doesn’t need guns cos its job is dropping off men in the opponent’s deployment zone for dirt cheap (75pts). Armour 11 and 4 HP isn’t much, but it can spend 5 points for a Flare Launcher which arms it with a 5+ Shrouded Damage Mitigation against Interceptor which you should always do. Fill it up with Velataris and volkite some poor suck to death for some sweet, sweet vanguard.

Primaris Lightning (FA)

40 more points than a Xiphon for half the lascannon guns and BS3. If all of its S9 AP3 D3 Armourbane Missiles hit then it will do something, but they’re Limited (1) once those missiles have flown it may as well go back to base. The missiles are Guided Missiles, which means they don’t have to Snap Shoot during Strike Missions. If you want to benefit from the lascannon on subsequent turns (BS3 Snap Fires on a 6), you’ll need to either destroy the potentially dangerous intercepting units or just die on the way in.

Thunderbolt Heavy Fighter (FA)

The same points as a Xiphon for half the lascannon guns and BS3. Its two gravis autocannons will at least let it do something past turn 2, but you’re still going to need to do a Strafing Run and eat some Interceptor. He’s also in Militia, but with third line!

Avenger Strike Fighter (FA, Legacies)

An anti-infantry craft with a five shot AP3 Avenger Boltt Cannon, a twin lascannon and a cheeky rear heavy stubber it will never get to fire. At 100pts, I really like the Avenger Strike Fighter and I don’t know why. It’s quite good at hunting elite power armour infantry, but only once dangerous Interceptors have been cleared out.

Marauder Bomber (LoW, Legacies)

Now this is showbusiness! 10HP, 12 AV, some (frankly incidental) normal guns and a MACRO BOMB CLUSTER which drops one 10” blast with Pinning (2) on it. That rocks. It’s only 225 points. Being BS6 on your snap fire doesn’t matter if the blast is 10” wide. You literally can’t miss! Why fire a Marauder Destroyer’s Gravis Autocannon at something when the Bomber can instead hit everything within a 10” bubble with the same autocannon hit.

Marauder Destroyer (LoW, Legacies)

Big plane with heavy firepower… the Gravis Autocannon Array fires 8 S8 D2 shots which will kill a lot of medium or light armour. Plus, it’s got enough HP that it will probably tank an Interceptor or two. Similarly cheap at 245.

Summary

No planes for the Mechanicum, and I’m not going to bother reviewing anything for the Talons right now. In short, the Marauders and Arvuses are solid for the Auxilia, and I think there’s a meaningful battlefield role for all of the Marine flyers (apart from the Stormbird and Transporter, since one is illegal in normal games and one is pointless).

Killing Planes

Hi flyer haters! Did you not think I was gonna help you out too? I’ve got your back. Here’s how to deal with planes.

Flyers disappear at the end of the turn, which means killing them in your own Shooting Phase is impossible. Instead, you’re relying on the Interceptor Reaction, or the Combat Air Patrol advance reaction (more on this later). If the Flyer isn’t doing a Strafing Run Combat Air Mission, you’ll be snap firing at them, and that is going to usually half the impressiveness of your shooting.

The special rule you’re seeking is Skyfire, this allows you to fire at Flyers without snapshots while intercepting a flyer. Vehicles also want the Rapid Tracking keyword, allowing you to Interceptor with non-defensive weapons. What units is that on?

• The Araknae Quad Accelerator Autocannon (10 shots), and by the Sicaran’s Twin Accelerator Autocannon (just 5). Either of these shred aircraft, and if planes become overwhelming I expect to see a lot of these on the table.
• Deredeo Dreadnough’s Anvillus Autocannon Battery packs a similar punch, as does the massive 4 damage Arachnus Heavy Lascannon Battery. The single shot single use Aiolos Air Defence Missile might do 3 damage too!
• Flak Missiles on Missile Launchers, found on Heavy Support Squads or in Cyclone Missile Launchers on certain Terminators or Land Speeders. These are only S8 D1, so are required in large quantities to make a serious dent.

That said, anything can hit a plan, just requiring you to hit on 5s first. Anything with high volume mid-strength weaponry, like a big autocannon Heavy Support Squad (especially an Imperial Fists one) will blow a plane out the sky if you fire enough shots.

Your other option is bringing your own flyer and using the Combat Air Patrol advanced reaction to do some dogfighting! When an enemy flyer arrives, your own flyer can arrive and do a single good shooting attack (never snap firing).

Sample List

I’ve written a 3000 point Legion generic list, which focuses on running as many Flyers as possible and still being cool. This could be made much better with Legion specific stuff, but I wanted to let you make those changes.

3000 Points Flyer List

Seven total planes aim to render Interceptors null and void with target saturation, with an average of 4-5 flyers showing up turn 1. Send the Xiphons first and force good reactors out the way, or use missiles to bring potential anti-air low! Our airwing of two Xiphon Interceptors and a Fire Raptor deal the hate, and then three character supported bricks: the Champion leading the Lightning Claw Squad, the Praetor with the Terminator Unit, and the Champion with the 10x Disintegrator Rifle squad (Artificer here means they can’t disintegrate themselves. 2×10 Tacticals Line some objectives, and a Marauder Bomber shows up and pie-plate-pips a 10” chunk of the opponent’s army.

You need to hide at least one of the Tactical Squads very, very well, so you don’t get tabled.

My only regret is not being able to fit more Vanguard in here. Perhaps the Cataphractii should be a normal squad and not a Command Squad, or you could deploy some Veteran Breachers or Legion specific elites with Vanguard.

Final Thoughts

I have high-flying hopes for Flyers in the new edition of 30k. Did you enjoy the article? Are you a fellow Storm Eagle enjoyer? Have you taken a Flyer heavy army to the table yet? Will you sell me a Thunderhawk Gunship for a shockingly low percentage of RRP?

If any of these are true, comment below!

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