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Hi folks, I hope you can clarify how the flying modes work with close combat for me. I faced a daemon price recently and it seemed...somewhat powerful. I'm quite new to 40k so might be missing something obvious. This is the behaviour:

It moved 36 inches on turn 1 so hard-to-hit was in effect.

Turn 2, it turned and moved about 20 inches, finished its movement (I didn't say land) next to a tank and made engaged it in close combat. Of course, it destroyed the tank in one go. In my next shooting phase, I targeted it with another tank but my opponent said it was 6s to hit because it was in its fast-flying mode (swoop?). I couldn't find anything in the rule book about entering close combat this way - that seems to assume someone always charges to initiate close combat. The fluff around the hard-to-hit rule says that it's moving too high and fast to target; if that's the case, how can it fight in close combat?

The other questionable behaviour was that it flew over a squad of terminators, performed a vector strike, finished its movement at the far side of the squad and had a full round of close combat attacks (facing the wrong way?). Goodbye terminators. On the rare occasions I scored a hit with shooting, it used a dive along with some shroud rule (I didn't catch the detail) and had 3+ unmodified saves all the while, remaining in this fast flying mode.

This thing effectively chose a new target every turn, no matter where it was on the battlefield and killed it (true, everything worked out within the 90 degree turn). At 6s to hit all game it was all but impossible (skyfire wasn't available - as I said, I'm new and only had the Dark Vengeance marines to choose from with a couple of other scavenged bits).

Does this sound right? Rule-book and Internet searching came up blank. With a stat-line way above anything in my codex and a remote chance of actually hitting it, I had nothing that could come close. That one model's kill tally was 2 predators, 1 terminator squad and Belial. None of them even got to hit back - all dead in the first round of close combat!

Cheers

First off, Flying Monstrous Creatures may only move between 12" and 24" in the Movement phase, as laid out on page 49, under "Swooping".

He may not move within 1" of your models unless he assaults (Charges). He may not assault when he is swooping. This is spelled out on page 10, under the header "Models in the way." This includes vehicles. (he may fly over them, but may not land beside them within 1".) If his movement to vector strike would end within 1" of you models, he would be unallowed to vector strike. (he cannot exceed his move distance.)

Did he take grounded tests when you did manage to hit him? If he was cheating as plainly as he was from the rest of your post, he might have ignored that too.

However, Nurgle Daemon Princes do get a 3+ cover save on the move. (5+ Jink + Shrouded).

Vector Strikes are also done at unmodified strength and AP3. (just incase you where unclear)

In summary, he could not have landed beside your tank, or in base to base with your terminators. He also was disallowed to move the 36", as FMC may only move 24". He may also not make an assault move of any kind if he was swooping.

No, there is almost nothing right there.

A model can only make CC attacks if it's in close combat, and it can only get into close combat by charging (or subsequent turns after charging.) A Swooping Monstrous Creature cannot charge, so there was no way for it to attack the tank turn 2. It also couldn't attack the terminators in CC, as to Vector Strike it must be swooping.

Yeah its all pretty much been said, you got screwed over there big time man

Durnig your Move in the Movement phase you CANNOT move within 1" of an enemy model. So he could not have landed in base contact with your tank

Further the "Flying" mode states you may not make an assault move, so he had no way of movign into base contact.

Your opponent was cheating, out of ignorance or malice, but definitely chearting.

The rulebook under Monstrous Creatures is very clear on this.

Thanks all - really appreciate the responses. I don't think there was any malice as he's known for skim-reading and there are a lot of rules to digest for a newbie!

It was a Nurgle Daemon Prince so the jink/shrouded makes sense. Grounded tests were taken when we remembered.

I feel a whole lot happier about the way things turned out now!