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Okay - a while ago, people at our local club talked about a massed 40k dogfight, with everyone's flyers and flying monstrous creatures thrown into the mix.
I'm all in favour of this, with the proviso of a little common sense being applied to the rules.

a) If it's a pure flyer game, then it's a pure flyer game - for the purposes of this game, every faction has access to a 'Fighter Wing' Formation Detachment of 3+ Flyers or Flying Monstrous Creatures.

b) The two problems with Flyer-on-Flyer games are:
~ (1) that you have nothing starting on the board, hence you lose automatically in turn 1. As a result, the Fighter Squadron needs a rule to allow Flyers to turn up on turn 1 - or, better yet, to deploy on the board (so you have something to shoot at if you go first). Call the Command Benefit Combat Air Patrol, and make it 1 for every 3 flyers, which provides a nice balance in Flyers starting on the board, Flyers coming on in turn 2, and Flyers coming on in subsquent turns.
~ (2) that most flyers are very much 'whoever shoots first wins' - compare a stormtalon, crimson hunter, xiphon, voidraven or dakkajet's firepower to its toughness, and you'll find that most of them are perfectly capable of one-shotting one another with fairly average rolls. Now, that's fine when flyers are a 'bolt on' to the game but when they're the stars of the show they need to fight more enduringly. Flyers already have a built-in durability boost - Jink - but when they use it they're next to useless for the next turn. If they could Jink without being relegated to snap shots only, then fighters would take a couple of turns of fire to take down most equivalents, which would at least give them a fighting chance at damaging their opponent back (assuming they don't suffer Weapon Destroyed or Crew Shaken results, but I don't want to make it too easy). Also, to leave in the choice of 'do I jink or not', give them the added bonus of +1 cover save if they accept snap shots only. Call the Command Benefit Evasive Manveuvers
~ (3) You don't get a Flyer or Flying Monstrous warlord (with the exception of Daemon Princes and Hive Tyrants) who can have a warlord trait. Allow some appropriate special rules. Call the Command Benefit Wing Leader


Fighter Wing Formation Detachment


c) The game ideally needs some objectives other than simple dogfight kills. 'Take and hold' makes no sense for a fighter, so instead how about having ground targets to strafe, bomb or protect? This makes more sense and as an added advantage means that those fighters paying for baleflamers, boom bombz, monoscythe missiles and death rays actually get some practical use out of them. Therefore:
~ (1) The standard 6 objectives represent places where the battle is happening on the ground. Ideally these should be denoted with a mix of friendly and enemy squads, characters, vehicle or fortifications rather than just an objective marker, although a single specific objective marker is required for line of sight, range, etc. Standard rules for placing objectives apply.
~ (2) A custom Tactical Objectives Deck will be required; the '10', '20' and '30' series tactical objectives will involve either inflicting damage on a specific enemy objective. '40' will involve hitting multiple objectives at once and defending your own objectives, '50' and '60' will involve shooting down enemy flyers, or forcing them to Jink or disengage into ongoing reserves.


Tactical Objectives

11-16 - Strafing Run - firing Devourers, Autocannons, Splinter Cannons, Tesla Destructors, etc. The Objective Marker may be targeted as if it was a non-flyer enemy unit. Gain 1 VP if you score A hits on the Objective Marker with shooting attacks and vector strikes in one one player turn.

21-26 - Bombing Run - firing template and blast weapons. The Objective Marker may be targeted as if it was a non-flyer enemy unit. Gain 1 VP if you score B hits on the Objective Marker with template or blast weapons or vector strikes in one player turn.

31-36 - Precision Strike - firing lascannons and lances. The Objective Marker may be targeted as if it was a non-flyer enemy unit and. Gain 1 VP if you score C hits on the Objective Marker in one one player turn with a Strength of 8 or more, or the Armourbane , Destroyer, Haywire or Lance special rules.

41-46 - Fighter Cover - The relevant Objective Marker may be targeted by the enemy as if it was a non-flyer friendly unit and. Gain 1 VP if the Objective Marker suffers less than D hits from shooting attacks and vector strikes during the previous enemy player turn. You may not claim this Tactical Objective on the turn it is drawn.


51 - Gain 1 VP if you destroy an enemy Flyer or Flying Monstrous Creature with shooting attacks. If you destroy 3 or more enemy Flyers or Flying Monstrous Creatures, gain D3 VPs
52 - Gain 2 VPs if your opponent's Warlord was destroyed during this or any previous turn
53
54
55
56

61 - Gain 1 VP if one or more enemy Flyers or Flying Monstrous Creatures enters ongoing reserves during the previous enemy player turn. You may not claim this Tactical Objective on the turn it is drawn.
62
63
64
65
66


Additonal thoughts for tactical objectives are welcome, as are any thoughts for the game idea generally...