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So I am wondering if there is a point to bringing any dedicated AA anymore, outside of maybe a quad-gun since it's just a good all around tool.

Since codex Tau dropped I am noticing less and less flyers outside of Helldrakes and Vendettas in competitive play, even then I see less of these than I used to.

I play armor heavy IG and Orks (allied when I want to go for the throat) and I am considering taking something like Hydras because they're solid AA and great against skimmers, but if I drop them for something more anti infantry would I really be losing that much

Well I've noticed in my meta that you rarely see flyers, though then again my LGS never really hooked onto flyers. But yeah, I would expect in most areas that many players would be scared of bringing fragile air units against an army with lots of anti-air potential like Tau, so flyer-heavy lists are probably less popular than they were. Of course, units like Vendettas and so on are always useful, but Skyfire-only units/weapons? Some games they'll be useless, some games they won't. If they are cheap to take, I guess the answer is; why not?

To answer the question, I would say that if you aren't seeing too many fliers, and you can take more useful units overall instead of dedicated anti-air units, then I would do that.

These days I bring a stalker just in case.
Worst case scenario? 75pt AV12 mobile shield... Not so bad.

Yeah Hydras are in the same boat, nearly identical minus that split fire skill, meanwhile they can both still shoot at Skimmers, and with Tau and Eldar being the new hotness I expect to see those basically every game, so I am torn.

Actually now that you pointed out Skyfire affects skimmers (I ALWAYS forget this lol), I think that yes, they probably still have a place. I think I am correct in assuming Wave Serpents don't like Hydras? Tau and Eldar are the most popular competitive armies, and Necrons are still hanging around, and all of them use mostly skimmers or flyers.

So I am wondering if there is a point to bringing any dedicated AA anymore, outside of maybe a quad-gun since it's just a good all around tool.

Since codex Tau dropped I am noticing less and less flyers outside of Helldrakes and Vendettas in competitive play, even then I see less of these than I used to.

I play armor heavy IG and Orks (allied when I want to go for the throat) and I am considering taking something like Hydras because they're solid AA and great against skimmers, but if I drop them for something more anti infantry would I really be losing that much

I think it's highly dependent on your meta. Around me, Tau AA actually caused MORE fliers to show up. It sounds counter-intuitive, but my local group tends to suffer from Orky logic. "They always shoot my flier down .... I need TWO fliers now!" lol I actually think some dedicated AA is always advisable. It's just one of those things - you might go three or four games and hardly see any fliers at all and then that 5th game a BL list with 4 drakes shows up.

You aren't scared of Daemons Flying Circus. FMC Tyranids. Heldrakes?

When I play my orks I'm probably most scared of flying circus and wraithknight spam out of everything.

Facing FMC lists is impossible with some decent AA. You'll never drop the Greater daemons and flyrants and they'll destroy you and assault at will.

Yes this is a good point, they need to at least get grounded so the rest of the army can open up on them, same with Nids, though to a lesser extent.. until their new book comes out.

2 full squads of lootas for my orks usually kill flyers (oh noes, I only hit on 6s now instead of 5 and 6) I find my marines struggle the most with them. But their 3+ armor tax now a days with all the ap 2/3 weapons running around really hurts them anyway, so whats one more thing.

I dont think anyone actually remembers Skyfire affects skimmers lol. My entire group of friends we like "Huh?" when i mentioned i would HATE them if they used Stalkers/Hunters against me since i love my Ionheads/Skyrays and they would ravage them turn 1 easily.

My group was never really that big into fliers anyway, except the CSM dork insisting his helldrake was the alpha-omega or something. Doesnt matter what i field he insists it'll crush it, and 7/10 of the time i just bring it down before it does anything lol. That was in South Korea though.

Now that im in Nebraska all ive done is observe since my crap is still on a slowass boat from Korea. Eldar fliers are everywhere, but thats about it. Im going to have to find a good AA unit since i dislike Broadsides for it (location location location can make or break that trick)