Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

This really has only come up due to some discussion of skimmers "dodging" ram attacks.

My thoughts are that skimmers intentionally are trying to avoid contact with the ground and pilots are likely not going to cut the engines to skid along the ground to run over some infantry...

While I can see some skimmers having the degree of control necessary to properly impact a vehicle or shock infantry, others are going to have far less elevation control to maintain speed while also getting low enough to make an effective ram/tank shock.

Not to mention that many of the skimmers that would have greater control over their movement are also much lighter and elegant in design (read: Eldar) making them less of a brute for ramming...


I have a couple ideas for adjusting the tank shock and ramming rules for skimmers, though only one may be actually used- they're just differing ways to address the issue.

My thoughts behind this are that skimmers gain the benefit of flying faster (when they're fast), avoiding terrain, and dodging rams from all other vehicles (including other skimmers oddly enough), which is accounted for in their points cost, but they should have some sort of drawback to tank shock and ramming because they are indeed flying/floating and not cruising on the ground and not quite as adequately designed to impact other vehicles.


#1:
Infantry tank shocked by a skimmer gain +1 to their Ld for the test.
Vehicles rammed by a skimmer count the ram attack's hit as 1 less strength. (traction on the ground gives a better impact than thrusters in the air).

#2:
Tank shocks by skimmers do not pin the target unit, but instead force them to go to ground as they dive for the ground to avoid the flying vehicle (they're not really getting out of the way of the treads in fear of getting run over, more diving under the low-flying skimmer).
Rams by skimmers count as moving 2" less as the skimmer requires slightly more distance to get up to speed. Traction on the ground allows for better acceleration?

#3:
Infantry tank shocked by a skimmer may elect to go to ground instead of making a test. Death or Glory may still be performed if desired.
Rams from skimmers count as difficult terrain to the skimmer. On a 1, the skimmer is immobilized. Resolve the ram as normal... (the skimmer rams, but the force of the impact causes the engines to falter or the vehicle's ailerons to fail)



What do you guys think?

Not a game-breaking issue, but I've always thought that skimmers buzzing infantry and slamming into other vehicles always seemed out of place... I can see buzzing infantry- as they fly low over their heads... but slamming full-force into another vehicle seemed a bit haphazard for a flying vehicle...

Traction on the ground allows for better acceleration?

I disagree with this. Aircraft accelerate MUCH faster than ground vehicles.

You're right, I more mean that traction on the ground gives a better impact? When a flying vehicle would impact something, it has less resistance to recoiling and thus can easily bounce of it's target?

In_Theory wrote:You're right, I more mean that traction on the ground gives a better impact? When a flying vehicle would impact something, it has less resistance to recoiling and thus can easily bounce of it's target?

And why is that? If some object is going with some speed, the force is the same when it hits the other vehicle regardless of type of vehicle. It may bounce or whatever but the "force of the impact" is the same. Additionally skimmers have some kind of control where the collision is made (due to changing of elevation).

Many skimmers' point costs are calculated with 4th ed. skimmer rules. Which were more powerful then they are now. We don't need to handicap them more, you know..