13 May 2024
Blog
Sep
05
Legions Imperialis: GW lifts the flaps on how aircraft work
Hey there, folks! We've got some fresh and exciting news straight from Games Workshop about Legions Imperialis. This game is all about the epic clash of infantry, armored units, Knights, and those mighty Titan maniples in the 31st Millennium. But guess what? There's a game-changer – air support!
In this epic battlefield showdown, not only will you have your infantry and tanks, but you'll also have a whole bunch of flying machines at your disposal. Aeronautica Imperialis is hooking you up with these bad boys, and they play a bit differently than your regular units. They start off the board, in what we call Reserve, and then they swoop in for strafing runs, bombing missions, interceptions, and even dropping troops where they're needed most. So, here's the lowdown:
Flyers
These are your aerial workhorses. They kick things off off the battlefield and can only get an Advance Order or a March Order. When they hit the scene during the Movement phase, they start within 8" of your battlefield edge and go in a straight line with one 90-degree turn max.
When it's time to shoot stuff up during the Combat phase, they're just like regular units, but with one cool twist – they can see (but not always reach) everything on the battlefield. After the round, they're back in Reserve, ready for their next tour of duty, and they'll remember any damage they've taken.
Flyers aren't built for close combat, holding objectives, or blocking enemies. Unless units with the Skyfire trait are targeting them (which is common among flyers), you'll need to roll a natural 6 to hit them, and they laugh off template weapons (unless they have Skyfire).
Interceptors
These guys are like the lightweight fighters of the game. They're all about taking down those bigger, badder flyers. After they've moved, they get a bonus attack against another Flyer thanks to their Interceptor rule. It's like a little extra oomph in a dogfight. Initially, there are four Interceptors to choose from, like the Xiphon Interceptor for the Legiones Astartes, and the Thunderbolt, Lightning, and Avenger for the Solar Auxilia. The Avenger's a real all-rounder, packing heat to deal with planes and ground targets. It can even do a bit of bombing – how cool is that?
Bombers
Now we're talking heavy firepower. Bombers are the big boys of the skies. They're larger, tougher, and pack a serious punch. The Solar Auxilia Marauder Bomber is the go-to bomber right now, thanks to its Bombing Run trait. Weapons with this trait can mess up Structures and even the troops hiding inside them. After a bombing run, the Flyer can keep moving and shoot its other weapons as usual.
Transports
But what about the iconic birds like the Thunderhawk Gunship, Storm Eagle, and the trusty Arvus Lighter? Their job is to taxi your troops where they're needed, and they've got some nifty rules to do it: Transport, Assault Transport, and Large Assault Transport.
Units hitching a ride in these aircraft can only get Advance or March Orders, so they're a bit limited in their movement and shooting until they hop out. Assault transports let your troops charge right out of the cargo hold into close combat, while large transports can haul walkers and units with the Bulky trait, like Terminators. That makes the Thunderhawk Gunship a real multi-threat.
And don't think we're done with Flyers yet! You've probably noticed some other cool rules like Hover, Point Defence, and Jink. We've talked about Jink before – it's a special Save for dodging attacks. As for the other rules, well, you're just gonna have to hang tight until Legions Imperialis drops. Stay tuned for more!