Adeptus Mechanicus

Flak!

by Johan Wahlstrom

Introduction

The biggest failing with the original flyer rules was that it encourages huge flyer hordes rather than just a few flyers.

A small flyer force was quickly wiped out by a bigger one and anti-aircraft and infantry would quickly "run out of ammo" against a large number of flyers. We can't just redo the power of flyers to remedy this because then it would become very unattractive to take any flyers at all. Infantry running out of ammo is already taken care of by the rules but are still rather weak against flyers (as they should be) we need to do something with the AA too.

Here's are the new rules for anti-aircraft units:


Orders

AA batteries can’t take First Fire orders. Instead they take Anti-Air (AA) orders (use the first fire counter). They fire against Air Units on Anti-Air orders only and against ground units on Advance orders. AA batteries on Anti-Air orders can move at their normal advance rate. Titans Praetorians & vehicles with both AA capable and other weapons, can fire with their AA weapons against attacking thrusters on First Fire or Advance orders (or if they are command units) If they do, they can’t fire with those weapons against ground units but may fire later with other weapons.

 

Attack Dice and Number of Attacks

When you fire with an AA battery (or AA weapon) against an attacking thruster detachment, you can no longer save some of it’s attack dice for later use. You have to deal all the attack dice from the firing battery to the thrusters on the attacking detachment before rolling to hit and if some of the models in the battery are out of range or LOS their attack dice are simply wasted. You can however decide to use or not to use one battery after resolving another fire from infantry and/or another batteries. Each separate AA weapon on a titan, praetorian or vehicle count as a separate battery. Weapons with single line on a vehicle's profile count as one weapon even if the weapons name is in plural and/or the model has several barrels (ie. Thundereagle’s lascannons is one weapon and aft-lasers is one). Many AA weapons can however attack against more than one attacking thruster detachment each turn. This is represented by attribute called Number of Attack or NoA for short. An AA battery/weapon can fire a maximum number of times equal to it’s NoA during a turn but it can fire only once (with all it’s attack dice though) against each attacking detachment. A battery can have unlimited NoA, which means that it can fire against each and every attacking thruster detachment in range.

 

Flak

Flak type AA relies more on filling the skies with flying debris than accuracy. They are generally rapid-fire weapons that fire shells that explode in mid air. Flak type batteries have Flack Points (FP) analogous to Barrage Points of artillery.

When a flck type artillery fires against attacking thruster detachment roll to hit once against each thruster in the detachment. The roll needed "to hit" is determined using the same table an artillery unit’s to hit value is determined. This is done by using the firing battery’s total Flak Points instead of Barrage Points. They receive a +1 to hit if they are within 10cm of the attacking detachments targeting marker. (Count the range from the closest model in the battery.) Most Flak type weapons also have unlimited NoA, making them very good at keeping large airforces away.


AA Profiles

AA weapons often have double profiles, in witch case they have different statistics when firing against ground units and air units. Profile against air targets is marked with (A) after the weapons name and profile against Ground targets is marked with (G). Many flak type weapons fire barrages against ground troops but such barrages can only be fired against troops on line of sight and does not affect buildings.

AA units may only attack ground troops on advance orders. Also units on Anti-aircraft orders may also MOVE (if possible) their standard advance move.

 

Imperial Guard and Tech Guard

Troop Type

Move

Save

CAF

Weapon

Range

Flak
Points

Roll
To Hit

Target
Save
Modifier

NoA

Cost

Scorpion auto-AA laser

10cm*

None

-3

Lascannon(A)

75cm

1

5+

-2

1

100 per
3 models

Hydra Flak Gun

15cm

5+ all
around

0

Flak Gun (A)

Flak Gun (G)

50cm*

50cm*

2FP

2BP

6+

6+

-1

0

Unlimited

150 per
3 models

The Scorpion is a Tarantula variant that serves as static anti-aircraft defense.

*The Scorpion may only move on charge orders in which case it moves up to 10cm. It does not move on AA orders and it can’t take advance orders at all, it can’t fire against ground targets (it’s robotic controls are programmed top target air units only). On the upside, its robotic brains make it immune to morale checks. Scorpion is very common piece of equipment and Space Marine, Chaos Space Marine, and Squat forces can also use them.

 

Eldar

Troop Type

Move

Save

CAF

Weapon

Range

Flak
Points

Roll
To Hit

Target
Save
Modifier

NoA

Cost

Firestorm

25cm (s)

3+ all
around

+2

Laser battery(A)

Laser Battery(G)

75cm

50cm

3

3

4+

4+

-2

-1

3

200 per
model

Firestorm is a skimmer like most Eldar vehicles. They may not make pop-up attacks

 

Orks

Troop Type

Move

Save

CAF

Weapon

Range

Flak
Points

Roll
To Hit

Target
Save
Modifier

NoA

Cost

Magna Kannon

20cm

4+

0

Elektro-magnet(A)

Elektro-magnet(G)

75cm

75cm

1

1

4+

4+

-4

-2

1

250 per
3 models

Flakwagon

25cm

4+

+1

Flak Gun (A)

Flak Gun (G)

50cm*

50cm*

2FP

2BP

6+

6+

-1

0

Unlimited

200 per
3 models

Flakwagon can carry up to 2 Ork troop stands.

Magna Kannon firing against ground targets may only fire against skimmers. Magna Kannon battery is a mekboy card (flakwagon battery is not).

Multiple Magna Kannon or Flakwagon batteries don’t mend into a single mob but stay as separate formations. They add +2 to break point and +2 for the flakwagons and +3 for Magna Kannons to the VP value of the clan they are attached per battery. They are subject to the Ork Command Rule.

 

Squats

Troop Type

Move

Save

CAF

Weapon

Range

Flak
Points

Roll
To Hit

Target
Save
Modifier

NoA

Cost

Thunderfire Flak Cannon

5cm*

3+ all
around

-3

Flack Cannon(A)

Flack Cannon(G)

75cm

75cm

4FP

4BP

5+

5+

-2

-1

Unlimited

300 per
2 models

The Thunderfire is a huge flak gun that has to be stabilised well for its recoil. It can only move when on Charge orders in that case it moves up to 5cm and may not fire at any targets.


Future Projects

The basic ground work is laid out above the Net Epic Discussion group is currently developing variants of thrusters and flak guns for all armies and will appear in the next issue of Incoming!