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Hello,

I recently acquired a collection of AI models from a friend (hurray!). But it did not come with rules.

I actually have the original Aeronautica Imperialis rulebook from Forge world. When all the models were resin and smaller.

Are the rules different between the the FW version and the later SG version?

If not where can I get a copy of the rule book. Is the one GW webstore the current version? Does it have rules for Orks, Tau, and Eldar like the original rules.

Thanks

I believe GW are currently only selling 1 Aeronautica Imperialis rulebook, this one: https://www.warhammer.com/en-GB/shop/aeronautica-imperialis-horus-heresy-rulebook-2022-eng

This book is for the Horus Heresy setting, for this reason I believe it only contains rules for the Imperium aircraft that were around back then. No xenos.

AI is basically a dead game, GW are no longer supporting it. They still sell the aircraft that were around in the Horus Heresy so you can use them in Legions Imperialis. That's about it. No doubt we'll be able to buy xenos aircraft as Made to Order at some point, exactly when is anyone's guess.

I don't know how similar the old Forgeworld version of the game is to the newer version.



If you want a copy of the rulebook Ebay is probably your best bet (or Facebook sellers).

Rules are different between FW and GW yes. I have not played it but my impression is that the FW version is noticably better. There should not be any problems using FW rules to GW bases (8mm bases beeing bigger that is)

AI is not just "basicly dead", it is completely dead. All plane models are now ment for use in LI.
You wont even find it as a category under boxed games on their web shop. It was a specialist game that failed becouse over simplistic rules and everything exept the plastic planes and 2p boxes was 1 time limited production run only. (not to mention the overpriced FW resin)

What remains very hidden on the web shop, is the only rulebook left that you have found, and AI was a year ago forced into a 30k setting and ONLY features factions from that era, aka marines, custodes and guard.

All airplane models that is 40k, is permanently discontinued. AI will not return to 40k.

Allso keep in mind that the GW version demands that you use a hex grid playing surface as distances are measured by hex grids, not by ruler. (one of the reasons to why the game was badly designed) So just one more reason to use the FW rules.

The new rules are based off the old rules, but they made some key changes, like the new rules being based on a hex map and the old rules using manoeuvre cards but no hexes.

There's also some stats and balance changes.

GW discontinued everything except the Horus Heresy models, and there's a HH rulebook which contains rules for all those aircraft. If you want to play Orks, Tau, and Eldar, you'd need to track down the previous campaign books that GW is no longer selling. You might be able to find PDFs online from the high seas, especially for the Ork (Rynn's World) and Tau (Taros Air War) books.

We don't really know what GW are going to do with the game from here, they've removed the aeronautica section from their website, but when they reboxed the models they kept the aeronautica imperialis branding (similar to titans keeping the adeptus titanicus branding). So maybe GW intend to support it, maybe they don't.

The game has seen a resurgence among my gaming friends simply because it's fast to learn and fast to play. We can get through a couple of games in the evening after work on a weeknight rather than having do dedicate a whole saturday to it like many other games.