The airspace above a battle is often thronged with activity. Fighters and bomber craft hurtle through the skies, duelling with one another and strafing enemy formations on the ground.
Some AIRCRAFT models have ‘Hover’ listed in their abilities. When you are instructed to Declare Battle Formations, before doing anything else, you must first declare which models from your army with this ability will be in Hover mode.
If a model is in Hover mode, then until the end of the battle, its Move characteristic is changed to 20", it loses the AIRCRAFT keyword and it loses all associated rules for being an AIRCRAFT model. Models in Hover mode do not start the battle in Reserves, but you can choose to place them into Strategic Reserves following the normal rules if you wish.
Some models have the AIRCRAFT keyword. The following rules describe how such models operate on the battlefield.
Deploying Aircraft
When you are instructed to Declare Battle Formations, AIRCRAFT models must start the battle in Reserves instead of being set up on the battlefield. Once the battle has started, AIRCRAFT models are then treated as Strategic Reserves units for all rules purposes (see Strategic Reserves section). Only units that are themselves placed into Reserves can start the battle embarked within AIRCRAFT TRANSPORT models that are in Reserves.
Aircraft in the Movement Phase
AIRCRAFT models cannot Advance, Fall Back or Remain Stationary. If, when an AIRCRAFT model is selected to move in the Movement phase, any enemy units are within Engagement Range of it, that AIRCRAFT model can still make a Normal move.
Each time an AIRCRAFT model makes a Normal move, first move the model straight forward, and it must move a minimum of 20" – all parts of the model’s base must end the move at least this far from where they started. After it has moved, it can pivot on the spot up to 90° – this does not contribute to how far the model moves. If, when making a Normal move, any part of an AIRCRAFT model’s base crosses the edge of the battlefield, or it cannot move a minimum of 20", that model’s move ends and it is placed into Strategic Reserves. There is no upper limit to how far AIRCRAFT models can move, and their Move characteristic is therefore 20+".
If placed into Strategic Reserves, an AIRCRAFT model will always arrive from Strategic Reserves in your next turn.
AIRCRAFT that cross the edge of the battlefield, or that cannot make their minimum move, are placed into Strategic Reserves.
AIRCRAFT can only make a Normal move, and can do so even when within Engagement Range of enemy models.
AIRCRAFT must move straight forward at least 20", and can then make one pivot of up to 90°.
Aircraft and the Movement of Other Models
When a unit is selected to move in the Movement phase, if the only enemy models that are within Engagement Range of that unit are AIRCRAFT models, then that unit can still make a Normal or Advance move.
Whenever a model makes any kind of move, it can be moved over enemy AIRCRAFT models as if they were not there, and can be moved within Engagement Range of enemy AIRCRAFT models, but it cannot end that move on top of another model or within Engagement Range of any enemy AIRCRAFT models.
Models can move within Engagement Range of enemy AIRCRAFT, but cannot end a move within Engagement Range of enemy AIRCRAFT.
Units can still make a Normal or Advance move if they are only within Engagement Range of enemy AIRCRAFT.
Models can move over AIRCRAFT when they make any kind of move.
Aircraft in the Charge and Fight Phases
AIRCRAFT units cannot declare a charge, and only units that can FLY can select an AIRCRAFT unit as a target of their charge. Such units can end their Charge move within Engagement Range of one or more enemy AIRCRAFT units.
An AIRCRAFT model is only eligible to fight if it is within Engagement Range of one or more enemy units that can FLY, and it can only make melee attacks against units that can FLY. Only models that can FLY can make melee attacks against AIRCRAFT units.
AIRCRAFT models cannot make Pile-in or Consolidation moves. Each time a model makes a Pile-in or Consolidation move, unless that model can FLY, AIRCRAFT models are ignored for the purposes of moving closer to the closest enemy model.
When a model Piles In or Consolidates, unless it can FLY, ignore AIRCRAFT when determining the closest enemy model.
Only units that can FLY can charge at or make melee attacks against AIRCRAFT.
AIRCRAFT cannot charge, Pile In or Consolidate, and can only make melee attacks against units that can FLY.
