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Do fliers in hover mode still have the option of skyfiring? Rulebook says hover mode is fast skimmer.

Yes, there is no restriction to the skyfire paragraph on P81 and the Hover section does not remove the Flyer subtype if the flyer chooses to hover.

To make the OP aware, this is actually still a grey area. It's been discussed about whether or not they do, and as far as I'm aware no consensus has been reached. While it does still have the flyer type when it is hovering, it is treated exactly like a fast skimmer. Since the rules for fast and for skimmers do not give you the option to skyfire, you may run into people that won't allow it. Make sure you clear it up before hand with your opponent, whether it can or not.

pretre wrote:Yes, there is no restriction to the skyfire paragraph on P81 and the Hover section does not remove the Flyer subtype if the flyer chooses to hover.

"treated exactly as a Fast Skimmer."

Is a fast Skimmer a Flyer?

Does a Fast Skimmer use the Flyers rules?

You determine if the Flyer with the Hover type is going to be a Flyer or a Fast skimmer before it moves in each Movement phase; it is never both.

So Flyers can choose to have Skyfire, Fast Skimmers cannot.

@KK: I can dig that. I think it is pretty unclear, but I like your version better.

@KK
The problem with that reasoning is it means once you hover, you MUST hover for the rest of the game, as fast skimmers cannot change their movement type.

Kommissar Kel wrote:"treated exactly as a Fast Skimmer."

Is a fast Skimmer a Flyer?

Does a Fast Skimmer use the Flyers rules?

You determine if the Flyer with the Hover type is going to be a Flyer or a Fast skimmer before it moves in each Movement phase; it is never both.

So Flyers can choose to have Skyfire, Fast Skimmers cannot.

While I would prefer this kind of interpretation, you do run into some problems if your take is that Hovering Flyers are no longer Flyers:

1. It can use more than two missiles per turn
2. Models embarking on or disembarking from a hovering flyer do so from the access points on the model (up in the air, unless the base has been removed due to an immobilize result while it was hovering).
3. Models can't move under a hovering flyer, and similarly, the hovering flyer can't end its move on top of other models (which isn't necessarily a problem)

And this is, of course, assuming that the vehicle would revert to "Flyer" at the start of your turn -- and there's nothing to suggest this happens.

Kommissar Kel wrote:
"treated exactly as a Fast Skimmer."

Is a fast Skimmer a Flyer?

Does a Fast Skimmer use the Flyers rules?

You determine if the Flyer with the Hover type is going to be a Flyer or a Fast skimmer before it moves in each Movement phase; it is never both.

So Flyers can choose to have Skyfire, Fast Skimmers cannot.

Does a Fast Skimmer have a rule that allows it to become a Flyer? No?

In that case, once you Hover, you can never go back to Zooming.... since Fast Skimmers don't have that rule.

elrabin wrote:
While I would prefer this kind of interpretation, you do run into some problems if your take is that Hovering Flyers are no longer Flyers:

1. It can use more than two missiles per turn
2. Models embarking on or disembarking from a hovering flyer do so from the access points on the model (up in the air, unless the base has been removed due to an immobilize result while it was hovering).
3. Models can't move under a hovering flyer, and similarly, the hovering flyer can't end its move on top of other models (which isn't necessarily a problem)

And this is, of course, assuming that the vehicle would revert to "Flyer" at the start of your turn -- and there's nothing to suggest this happens.

Actually it does revert to being a flyer on its next movement phase. As in KK's example the flyer is suppressed, and on its next movement there is a choice, be a hovering flyer or a zooming flyer. It has never lost the flyer type, it has only been temporarily overridden by the hover rules.

Yeah, thats why that interperation is flawed.

The proper RAW answer is that yes, Flyers always can Skyfire. Even in Hover Mode.

It never ceases to be a Flyer(the Hover mode doesn't say it stops) and nothing prevents you from having multiple vehicle types. In fact, its almost certain that a vehicle will have multiple types.


So the Flyer still follows the Flyer rules. It just isn't Zooming. So it still can't shoot more then 2 missiles a turn, can still skyfire if it wants, and is still a Flyer for the purposes of Preferred Enemy or other special rules that only effect Flyers.(hypothetically speaking) It can be assaulted because only Zooming Flyers can't be assaulted and is also hit on normal BS because of the same reason.

It is a Fast Skimmer for the purposes of how many weapons it can shoot, getting a Jink save, and how far it can move in Hover mode.



Saying it ceases to be a Flyer for all purposes causes the rules to break, because it can't return to being a flyer if you do it that way. It must remain as a Flyer to be able to leave Hover Mode and return to Zooming.

No because it never loses the flying skimmer type, it just follows the rules for fast skimmers until your next movement phase.

Hover mode does not give you both the advantages of being a flyer and advantages of being a skimmer at the same time.

Its not a question of weather it gives you the advantages or anything. It has them standard.


All Flyers may choose to use the Skyfire special rule at the beginning of the shooting phase.

This privilige is not removed by hover mode. You must find where it is removed to say the flyer no longer has it. It is a permissive rule set after all, things must explicitly be said to change for them to change.