Flying units
Troops and monsters who are able to fly can move long distances very quickly. However, once airborne they are almost impossible to direct, so such troops must be deployed and committed to battle with care.
Initiative
A flying unit can use its initiative to charge an enemy within 20cm. In this respect it’s like any other unit.
Flying troops don’t evade as ground based troops do. This is because they are allowed to home back instead. Homing back is explained below.
Orders
A flying unit can only be issued orders by a character within 20cm. This restricted range reflects the difficulty of issuing orders to troops that are airborne.
Home back
Flying units more than 20cm from a character at the start of the Command phase can choose to move up to 1D6 × 10 cm towards any character after initiative moves have been made but before any orders are issued. This is called a home back move. The player can roll for distance before deciding whether or where to home back to.
A unit can home back and be given orders in the same Command phase if it homes back to within 20cm of a character.
A unit can home back even if confused and therefore normally barred from moving, although such a unit cannot be given an order in that Command phase.
Unless affected by a spell that prevents movement, flyers can always home back if the player wishes. This is because airborne units are isolated from broader events and their natural reaction to not knowing what is going on is to home back rather than stand around in confusion. Once the player has decided where to home back, move the unit towards the nominated character. If the dice roll is greater than the distance between the unit and character move the unit directly towards the character stand and into touch.
Otherwise, move the unit the full distance rolled towards the character. If this isn’t possible due to the presence of other units or restrictive terrain, move the flyers as far as possible. The nearest stand is placed first – the other stands are placed around the first. No stand may be placed nearer to the character than the first. No stand may change orientation along their way. Flyers cannot be placed into touch with enemy stands when they home back.
Moving
When flying units move in the Command phase they can move over other units, including other units of flyers, whether friend or foe. They can also move over terrain as noted below. Flying units cannot end their move touching enemy units unless they have charged, nor can they end their move on top of other friendly stands – stands must have room to be positioned in the same way as units on the ground.
Flying units move up to 100cm when moving under orders. However when charging, flyers can move only up to 60cm. Once a flying unit has moved, it is treated exactly like a ground based unit and can therefore be shot at, charged or attacked with magic in the normal way. However, certain special rules apply regarding terrain as noted below. Also note, that flying units can only move half pace (up to 10cm) when charging from irregular formation which is an exception to the normal rules.
What can flying units see?
When working out if a flying unit can see an enemy, for shooting or charging for example, treat the flying unit exactly as you would a unit on the ground. Even though a flying unit can fly over another unit, or over terrain such as a wood, flying stands still can’t see through other stands or obstructive terrain. This forces flying units to move towards their targets rather than simply bouncing enemy units out of the blue, and it enables enemy units to avoid aerial attack if they have screening units or if there is plenty of terrain.
Terrain
When flyers move in the Command phase they ignore terrain altogether because they fly right over it. This means they can move over terrain that is impassable to other troops such as sheer cliffs, wide rivers, and so forth.
Although flyers can move over all kinds of terrain they cannot end their move in any kind of terrain that would be impassable to infantry, or over woods. The restriction for woods is because we imagine it is practically impossible for flyers to operate effectively amongst trees. The general restriction for other kinds of impassable terrain is because we have chosen to treat flyers as ‘hopping’ from position to position rather than remaining airborne from move to move. Although this may seem a little arbitrary, it is necessary to avoid complexity and ambiguity in other aspects of the game, and it is a very practical way of representing flyers.
Moving in the shooting and combat phases
Flyers that are driven back by shooting will move over interposing stands and terrain in the same way as in the Command phase. Driven back flyers that end their move positioned over impassable terrain will stop in front of it in the same way as ground troops. Driven back flyers that end their move positioned over friendly units are treated exactly like ground troops – i.e.; friends can make way or, if they do not do so, the flyers halt as they touch. Driven back flyers that end their move positioned over enemy will come to a stop 1cm in front of them in the same way as ground troops. In all cases appropriate tests must be made for confusion (see Confusion).
In the Combat phase flying units that are retreating or pursuing make all moves along the ground, and their moves will be blocked by other stands, terrain that is impassable to infantry, or woods. This represents the fact that flyers are operating at ground level and that in reality these moves are progressive and can be thought of as occurring during the fighting. In cases where flyers are destroyed because they retreat into enemy or impassable terrain it may be more convincing to think of the unit as routed or dispersed rather than actually slain. For our purposes this amounts to the same thing so the unit can be removed from the game.
Flying units that are advancing or falling back in the Combat phase are treated as during the Command phase and can therefore fly over terrain and stands.
Fortified troops
Flying units can attack fortified units as well as units within castle courtyards and similar places. Fortified units still count as fortified to attack from the air. It is assumed that ramparts have hoardings and other fortifications which offer sufficient shelter to protect them from aerial attack.
Characters
If a General, Wizard or Hero rides a flying Monstrous Mount, such as a Dragon or Griffon, his fighting ability is vastly improved. The stand’s maximum movement is increased to 100cm and the Attack bonus of the monster is added to the character’s.
A character riding a flying monster is bound by the terrain movement restrictions that apply for flying monsters. See Generals, Wizards and Heroes.
If a lone flying character has to move to a friendly unit as a result of enemy contact he can move 30cm to reach safety in time. In this case, his move is not increased because he rides a flying creature. If there is no friendly unit he can join within 30cm, he is slain.
If a flying character joins a unit in combat, he must remain with it as it fights but if the unit retreats, falls back, pursues or advances into terrain which the character cannot enter then he must move to another unit in the same way as a lone character contacted by the enemy. He can move up to 30cm and if he is unable to reach a friendly unit he is slain.
