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So, I was inspired by this model posted in the gallery:



As a vehicle lover, I got thinking about "what if 40K had rules/models for airships?" - something like Space 1889's airships, the zeppelins of WWI or Age of Sail pirates blasting broadsides at each other (and on troops below).

New Vehicle Type:

Sky Skimmer

Movement: Sky skimmers can move over all terrain, and do not normally take difficult terrain or dangerous terrain tests. A Sky skimmer can end its move over impassible terrain if it's normal stand height is taller than the terrain. If a Sky skimmer ends it move over a model, move the sky skimmer the minimum distance so there are no models beneath it.

Movement Range: Sky skimmers can move up to 12" in the movement phase (Combat Speed) or up to 18" (Cruising Speed). Fast sky skimmers can move 18" in the movement phase (Combat Speed) or up to 24" (Cruising Speed).

Stand: Sky skimmers fly above the battlefield at heights between 4" and 18". A sky skimmer that flies higher than 18" is considered to have left the ground battle and are placed in Ongoing Reserves.

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Shooting: Measure distance to and from the model from the hull of the sky skimmer to the target/firer, including the vertical distance. A sky skimmer that has not moved can fire all weapons. A sky skimmer that has moved at Combat Speed can fire a single weapon at full BS and all other weapons as snap shots. A sky skimmer that has moved at Cruising Speed can only make snap shots.

Since Sky Skimmers are relatively slow-moving, ground units can fire at Sky Skimmers at normal BS - though many smaller Sky Skimmers have the Jink special ability.

Underside weapons: Many sky skimmers bear underside weapons, designed to be used against enemy troops on the ground. Underside weapons cannot be used against flyers or other sky skimmers.

Flat Out: If a sky skimmer forgoes shooting, it can move 6" in the shooting phase. Fast sky skimmers can move 12" in the shooting phase, if they do not fire.

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Assault: Sky skimmers cannot engage ground targets in an assault. They can attempt to ram flying vehicles or other Sky skimmers, if they are within 2" of the same height and did not move Flat Out. When attempting to ram, the Sky Skimmer can move 6" + D6" inches toward the target. If the sky skimmer fails to contact the enemy model, the ram fails, otherwise resolve the ram as per the normal rules.

Boarding Action: Sky skimmers with access points or boarding ramps can attempt to perform boarding actions against other Sky Skimmers (but not against Flyers). To perform a boarding action, the Sky Skimmer moves 6" + D6" toward the enemy sky skimmer. If the attacking Sky skimmer can be brought alongside the enemy skimmer's side so at least one of the attacking Sky Skimmer's access points or boarding ramps overlaps the enemy's side - and the Sky Skimmers are within 2" height of each other, the boarding may commence.

The boarding action is actually performed by models being transported on the attacking sky skimmer, and is resolved as a normal assault - however, distance between the two forces does not need to be checked; it is assumed the boarding parties have moved into position to strike or repel boarders.

The two sky skimmers are considered locked in place until the close combat is resolved. If one side fails the morale check to hold its ground, roll for Sweeping Advance as normal, but do not move any of the boarder models. If the falling back unit is swept, the winning side overwhelms the enemy sky skimmer and the troops aboard, destroying both the enemy troops and the enemy sky skimmer (the winning troops fall back to the safety of their own sky skimmer). If the falling back units roll high enough to evade the attackers, move the sky skimmers 1" apart and the two vehicles and their forces are no longer considered locked in close combat.

Note that if an attacking sky skimmer boards an enemy skimmer with no defending troops aboard, it automatically loses the close combat and immediately rolls for Sweeping Advance. If it fails the Sweeping Advance, the enemy sky skimmer is destroyed with all hands.

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SKY SKIMMER BASE STATS

Dark Eldar Raider

The dark eldar raider is the general transport used by fast-striking dark eldar raiders. Its main asset is speed and ability to drop or extract raiders quickly. Though it can harrass other flyers or sky skimmers, it is at best a distraction and not designed for straight-up combat. However, in swarms, it can easily wear down and overwhelm other more powerful sky skimmers.

WS -, BS 4, FA 10, SA 10, RA 10 - Fast, Jink
1 heavy weapon (skyfire), 1 side weapon (x2), boarding ramp, transport (10)

Dark Eldar Scorpion

Where the dark eldar raider is used primarily as a transport, dark eldar scorpions are used to overtake and board enemy sky skimmers and larger targets. They are sometimes employed against ground targets or may take up positions above a battle to rain death down on dug in defenders.

WS -, BS 4, FA 12, SA 11, RA 10 - Fast, Jink
1 heavy weapon (skyfire), 2 side weapon (skyfire) (x2), boarding ramp, transport (20)
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Eldar Phoenix

The Eldar Phoenix is a vessel used to deny air superioty to their enemy in battles. With its ability to rain death from above or deliver troops to or around the battlefield, it is a weapon that brings both terror and awe to its enemies.

WS -, BS 4, FA 12, SA 11, RA 10 - Fast, Jink
2 heavy weapon (skyfire), 2 underside turret weapons, access point (x2), transport (10)

Eldar Dragon

The bigger cousin to the phoenix, the Dragon is a purely offensive weapon, designed for dueling other heavy sky skimmers or raining death on enemy forces on the ground below. Though the Dragon has a troop complement, it is generally reserved as a defensive measure to prevent enemy boarders from interfering with the ship during normal operations.

WS -, BS 4, FA 13, SA 12, RA 11 - Fast, Jink
1 super-heavy turret weapon (skyfire), 2 heavy turret weapon (skyfire), 2 underside turret weapon, access point (x2), transport (10)
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Imperial Thundertalon

The imperial thundertalon is the imperium's cutter class, designed as an aerial defense bastion that is placed in the sky over contested areas to keep enemy fliers at bay. It is also sometime used to deliver or extract infantry troops or vehicles from battlezones that are in danger of being overrun.


WS -, BS 3, FA 13, SA 12, RA 12
2 heavy turret weapon (skyfire), 1 turret weapon (skyfire), anti-infantry weapon (x2), transport (10 or 1 vehicle)

Imperial Thundereagle

The thundereagle is the imperium's destroyer class, designed for anti-vehicle or anti-flyer/sky skimmer patrols. It is packed with tremendous firepower designed to oblitorate ground units and to spar with enemy flying vessels.

WS -, BS 3, FA 14, SA 12, RA 12 - Heavy
1 super-heavy turret weapon, 2 underside heavy turret weapon, bomb rack (x2), 2 anti-infantry weapon (x2), transport (20)

Imperial Thunderchild

While not the largest of the imperial's planetary battleships, the thunderchild class sky skimmer is a titan hunter and air superiority platform. It can also be used as the forefront of a imperial landing, delivering a horde of troops or support vehicles for a planetary landing.

WS -, BS 3, FA 14, SA 13, RA 12 - Superheavy
2 super-heavy turret weapon (skyfire), 2 heavy turret weapon (skyfire), 1 underside heavy turret weapon, 2 underside weapons, 3 anti-infantry weapon (x2), transport (40 or 2 vehicles or 1 superheavy vehicle)

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Space Marine Sabretooth

The Sabretooth is part drop pod and part sky defense platform. These rare items are often deployed as part of an initial space marine drop into areas where enemy air support are suspected to be called in.

WS -, BS 3, FA 13, SA 13, RA 13 - Heavy
2 heavy turret weapon (skyfire), 2 underside heavy turret weapon, anti-infantry weapon, transport (10 or 1 dreadnought)

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Necron

Best described as a combination Doomsday Ark and Ghost Ark, this dual prow vessel drops endless waves of necron forces onto the battlefield as its massive tesla weapons cleave enemies from the skies and the ground.

WS -, BS 4, FA 11, SA 11, RA 11 - Heavy, Open-topped, Quantum shielding
Doomsday cannon, 2 gauss flayer arrays, transport (10), dimensional corridor

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Ork Killy Platform

Usually powered by magnetic repulsors, the killy platform skips over the battlefield, giving the orks aboard place to rain death down on their foes below.

WS -, BS 3, FA 12, SA 11, RA 10 - Open-topped, turboboost
Heavy turret (skyfire), anti-infantry weapon (x2), bomb, boading ramp, transport (10)

Ork Sky Kruzer

Made of a collection of mismatched parts, each ork sky kruzer is a custom creation piloted by an enthusiastic, if not crack team of orks itching to rain dakka on whatever comes into their sights.

WS -, BS 3, FA 13, SA 13, RA 12 - Heavy, Open-topped
2 heavy turrets (skyfire), 2 turrets (skyfire), anti-infantry weapon (x2), bomb, boarding ramp, transport (20), rappel lines

rappel lines: friendly models can drop to the ground below or use the rappel lines to board the sky kruzer. It uses no movement to drop or assend the rappel lines, but difficult terrain below the model is treated as dangerous terrain to those models using the lines.

Ork Deff Drifter

When ork warbosses want to cruise the sky in style, sometimes they force their mekboyz to create huge armored vessels that slowly glide along, dealing death to anything unfortunate to get in the way. With a mighty image of Gork (or is it Mork) affixed to the prow, these deadly vessels drift towards their enemy drawing dread in all who face the possibility of facing them.

WS -, BS 3, FA 13, SA 13, RA 12 - Superheavy, Open-topped
1 super-heavy turret (skyfire), 3 heavy turret (skyfire), 2 anti-infantry weapon (x2), 2 bomb, boarding ram (x2), transport (40)

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Special Upgrades

Torpedoes: R48", S8, AP 1, One use; Skyfire, Interceptor; designed for use against flyers or other sky skimmers, these weapons are kept in batteries atop the hull or built into the forward or rear portion of the hull

Rockets: R24", S6, AP 4, Blast; normally kept in batteries along the sides of the ship's hull, or sometimes affixed beneath the ship, they are fired at targets on the ground.

Skymine: R D6", S8, AP 1, One use: Skymines are released as a defensive measure to drift outward from the sky skimmer to deter enemy fliers. Skymines drift D6" inches in a random direction in the movement phase. If they come within 2" of an enemy flier, the magnetic/gravatic generators in them instantly draw them to the enemy flier, where it detonates.

I'm no good at affixing points, so any ideas on how to "price" these things would be greatly appreciated. As would additional ideas for more sky skimmers, upgrades and the like.

Can the Tyranids join the fun with living gas bag models?

Ha! I like this idea, I coulds just imagine useing the larger ones as mobile terrain while fighting off boarders to keep control of it!

The biggest issue with this is a slow broadside-shooting floaty battleship thingamajigger is only really in-character for the Orks and maybe the Necrons. Eldar, Dark Eldar, and Tau don't really like to get into close range and exchange broadsides on even terms, Tyranids don't really do the shooty thing, the Imperium and Chaos tend towards more modern/efficient war machines, and Daemons don't really do vehicles in general. This as a general mechanic across all armies probably isn't a workable plan.

That said some of this could make some pretty awesome scenario rules dealing with (say) a gas giant dotted with floating Imperial gas-processing facilities and the Ork Waaagh! attacking it, or a scenario-based expansion built around space boarding actions (combine some of this with some Zone Mortalis rules). It might make an interesting way to work out scenarios that reward mobile armies built around infantry/jump infantry.

 Kain wrote:
Can the Tyranids join the fun with living gas bag models?

Definately! I was just thinking about that this morning.

Tyranid Scylla

This many-tentacled behemoth lazily drifts along, preparing anything on the battlefield that comes within reach for consumption by the forces below. Scylla also contain a birthing pouch, allowing them to process the material they digest and deploy new forces onto the battlefield.

FMC; BS 3, WS 3, S8, T8, W5, I1, A6, Ld8, Sv 2+
Floater, Tentacles, 2 Bile Cannon, Cluster Spines (x2), Transport (20), Broodspore, Leap to combat

Floater: the model uses the sky skimmer movement rules

Bile Cannon: R 18", S as tyranid, AP 3, Large Blast
Tentacles: these are close combat weapons that allow the attacker to engage enemy targets at a range of up to 6" during the assault phase, with a number of attacks equal to it's attack stat. After using the tentacles, the attacker is no longer considered to be locked in close combat.

Broodspore: At the start of the turn, roll 3d6. The creature can generate this many termagaunts, hormagaunts or gargoyles. On a double roll of 1's or 6's, the model has exhausted its supply of nutrients to produce more gaunts.

Leap to combat: If the model descends to 4", hormagaunts can safely disembark from the transport. If the hormaguants are deployed into difficult terrain, treat it as dangerous terrain. Place disembarking models in contact with the deploying model's base.

Tyranid Charybdis

This enormous gas bag is filled with multiple stomach-like chambers divided by rows or rotating, serrated teeth designed to tear anything consumed into tiny bits. The Charybdis does not only pluck targets off the battlefield with it's vaccuum-like appendages, its waving tendrils also swat flying opponents out of the sky. Tyranic Charybdis have also been know to attack, latch onto and consume enemy sky skimmers, using their massive bulk and flailing tendrils to crush the enemy vessel as it slurps the crew off the deck.

FGMC; BS 3, WS 3, S10, T8, W7, I1, A4, Ld8, Sv 2+
Floater, Siphon, Tentacles, Rupture Cannon (skyfire), 2 Bile Cannon, 2 Cluster Spines (x2), access points (3), Boarding ramp, Transport (40)

Siphon: In the assault phase, the model can nominate one one enemy non-vehicle, non-monstrous creature target within 18" and perform a single attack at I10. If the attack is successful, it inflicts Instant Death as the target is inhaled and drawn into the monstrous gullet of the Charybdis.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 AnomanderRake wrote:
...stuff...

If GW can retcon to add more fun to the game, I don't see any reason why airborne naval engagements ought to be shot down, so to speak. Just go with it.

 Stormonu wrote:

Automatically Appended Next Post:

 AnomanderRake wrote:
...stuff...

If GW can retcon to add more fun to the game, I don't see any reason why airborne naval engagements ought to be shot down, so to speak. Just go with it.

Point taken. I'll set to working out some scenario details in the meantime.

BTW, I had purposely not put forth any Tau sky skimmers, as I think they are adequately covered with the Orca, Manta, Tiger Shark and the like.

Though if someone can come up with something (perhaps a gundam - er, I mean riptide deployment ark) I'd like to see it.

'Fraid I'm not much into daemons, so there's lots of room there for those kind of sky skimmers. I'd imagine there'd be some Tzeench disk-flyers of some sort, maybe some nurgle poison-gas flying thing-a-ma-bobs.

For the other races, I imagine that the imperial sky skimmers are smaller versions of Gothic spaceships, used for planetary defense or by worlds that have little or no star-faring vessels. I could also see something large enough to carry jetbike/speeders, I think - full blown planes is probably too big for anything smaller than Armageddon. Thinking something akin to S.H.I.E.LD. helecarrier for Imperials,

I imagine Eldar sky skimmers would look like a cross between streamlined modern air fighters and flying galleons. I could see jetbike carriers that look like Robotech Mospedia Horizont though more organic, perhaps even with faux sails.

I imagine tyranid look something akin to zentradi ships/whales or nautaloids or cuttlefish. I've seen a gallery post (I think from Games Day) showing a huge tyranid ship with an umbilical to the ground that, if scaled down, might be something that fits as a battlefield model.

Dark Eldar, of course would have sky skimmers that look Jabba's sail barge and the various skiffs from Return of the Jedi.

Of course, there's a picture of what the Orks might use above, and I've also seen a picture in the gallery of a land-based aircraft carrier model that I think would make a neat Armageddon-level sky skimmer.

For scenarios, my two favorite naval engagements are the Battle of Midway and the "duel" between the Bismark and the Hood. I need to stat up some "carrier" sky skimmers for the former . The other scenario would be some sort of "battle of the behemoths" and maybe a "hunt the behemoth" scenario. And a good ol' "broadsides and boarding parties" scenario with multiple small ships blasting at one another and attempting to board enemy sky skimmers. I think also an "extraction" scenario would work and maybe a beachhead scenario as well (attackers arrive in sky skimmers, defenders are entrenched in fortifications).

As for the Eldar taking the Lothern Sky Cutter from WHFB as a visual model and it wouldn't be far off, I'd think.