Aeronautica Imperialis: Taros

[Arendious]

Does this thing move? Or is it basically a large ground target with an altitude characteristic?

[klisof]

 

 

Also, the Arvus has the same transport capacity as the Vendetta.

Yes, that's interesting. They are super-cheap, and can auto-escape after dropping their payload off, though

I think the arvus is going to really limit manoeuvres in a mission, or you are going to just give up points when it crashes.

To voluntarily disengage you still need to get to the board edge or altitude 5 and use the rocket booster rule.

 

The arvus only has fuel 6 so you don't get many turns to get to the target, drop off or pick up troops and then get out.

[klisof]

Does this thing move? Or is it basically a large ground target with an altitude characteristic?

The sky fortress?

 

It's a static ground target of effectively infinite height, but you attack it like it's an aircraft instead of a ground target.

 

That may mean you can't hit it with hellstrike missiles

[Fajita Fan]

Okay so we’re talking about something like Don Carnage’s “Iron Vulture” from Talespin? lolololz

 

https://youtu.be/sngJd0F20XU

 

I love it!

[Firedrake Cordova]

To voluntarily disengage you still need to get to the board edge or altitude 5 and use the rocket booster rule.

The arvus only has fuel 6 so you don't get many turns to get to the target, drop off or pick up troops and then get out.

Yeah, I completely misread the rules and mentally blanked the "needs altitude 5" requirement for rocket boosters. :blush:  

[Mandragola]

I think that basically landing troops during a dogfight is insanity. As a result, it's very difficult to do in AI. There's no plane that does it all that well. It's not quite as bad as I thought though, as you don't have to get to a specific hex, just a point near to it, and that means you've got a tiny bit more freedom. You still look extremely likely to lose your plane in the process though, I think.

 

On the whole I think valks are the best option for Imperials to do it. You know an Arvus isn't going to kill anything and a valk might achieve something, especially against ground defences. They still seem hideously vulnerable to enemy fighters but they're cheap, so your own fighters are quite likely to get an advantage on activations. Valks and TBs look like they'd have a shot at accomplishing a landing.

 

The tiger shark might be the best lander currently. It only has 2 transport, but I think in a transport mission you'd be taking sharks and nothing else. They look like they can actually handle themselves in a fight against most things, and land troops when the opportunity came for extra VPs. Even then, you're talking about trying to win the dogfight first and land troops second.

 

I do really like the look of the new mission types. The rolling engagement idea is great, especially with oncoming obstacles. The canyon attack run scenario looks great, though there's a possible issue with the defender just turning around and flying off, leaving the attacking squadron on the board to be removed. I really like how these missions make speed relevant though, as well as providing definite opportunities for long-range fire. The railgun 1-0 would be a true asset in that situation, for example.

[Robbienw]

I think GW got a bit confused when deciding which gun version of the Lightning was the Fighter and which was the Strike Fighter :lol:

[Mandragola]

I think GW got a bit confused when deciding which gun version of the Lightning was the Fighter and which was the Strike Fighter

I think they were just generally confused when they wrote the rules for the lightning. It seems a lot too expensive and the upgrade (whatever it's called) for multi-lasers isn't worth close to 4 points. It's maybe worth 1. The base plane should probably be 17-18, I think.

[Robbienw]

They should have done 2 profiles as well like they did with the Thunderbolt and the Thunderbolt fury.    

[Firedrake Cordova]

They should have done 2 profiles as well like they did with the Thunderbolt and the Thunderbolt fury.    

Yup, the Lightning/Lightning Strike and Valkyrie/Vendetta should have been separate entries, IMHO.

[Firedrake Cordova]

Goonhammer have their breakdown up: https://www.goonhammer.com/the-taros-air-war-campaign-book-review-it-is-cool-and-good/

 

I didn't realise the book in the box had 3 missions in it ...

 

They've also got a how-to-paint up: https://www.goonhammer.com/how-to-paint-everything-imperial-navy/

Edited June 16, 2020 by Firedrake Cordova

[Arendious]

Thinking about the Arvus-

I definitely think there needs to be a mechanism for obscuring which aircraft is which in certain scenarios. (While recognizing this can become a bookkeeping exercise.)

[duz_]

Order my box with my PA preorder can't wait for some tiny Valks :D

[Mandragola]

I think I'm going to get the starter. I see it's also got a nice little scenario book in, which goonhammer says is useful, and the planes are all nice even if I still think Lightnings are rubbish. I could see myself fielding the Ace lightning.

 

Barracudas might also be overpriced, though not as much as lightnings I think. I hadn't paid attention to the option of Ionic Afterburners, but I think they could be the thing that makes Barracudas worth taking, rather than just going with tiger sharks. A speed 7 bank can put you in pretty unexpected places and I imagine it will help keep ranges good and long. A barracuda with afterburners seeker missiles, drones and a railgun costs a hefty 30 points. I'm still not convinced they're worth that, but at least it's interesting. 

[Fajita Fan]

Can you take solo Lightnings? Are they useful as a solo flanker maybe and maybe that’s why there’s a points premium? The character Awings in X-wing were very points heavy till I realized they weren’t really meant to operate as squads of Awings, they’re better taken as solo flankers who bank in on a target already whacked by an Xwing or Bwing.

[Firedrake Cordova]

Can you take solo Lightnings? 

Rule-wise? Yes.

 

Are they useful as a solo flanker maybe and maybe that’s why there’s a points premium? 

They have extra speed, throttle, manoeuvre, and ordnance capacity compared to a Thunderbolt (I'm surprised they didn't have better handling, too).  Obviously, their built-in guns are less shooty than a Thunderbolt's, and they're less durable.  Is that worth it?  Don't know. 

Edited June 18, 2020 by Firedrake Cordova

[Mandragola]

I think the Ace Lightning's ability to change a manoeuvre on any plane is probably worth quite a bit. Maybe it's enough to get around the fact that the plane she's piloting is pretty lacklustre. I could see her fitting into lists.

[Fajita Fan]

I think you get four or six Lightnings in a box? It’s a pity you can’t just get one sprue of 2 or 3 if that’s how the box works.

 

Edit: just found the new starter on Amazon for $76 so I ordered it. 3 Lightnings and two Valks are pretty much all I need.

Edited June 19, 2020 by Fajita Fan

[Arendious]

Six Lightnings to a box, which is playing merry hell with my flight-size OCD.

Do I get a Skies of Fire box, and settle for always being As-Fragged-Minus-One?

Do I get just a box of Lightnings? Now I have a four-ship and a two-ship...

Do I get both? If so, what do I do with 9 Lightnings?!

[Mandragola]

I got the starter. I’m going to make one with lascannons, one with multilasers as the ace, and scrap one for a Titan’s base and a dakkajet.

 

They’re a bit annoying if you ask me. Only one pair of lascannons and only skyfire missiles for two of them on the sprue.

[Firedrake Cordova]

what do I do with 9 Lightnings?!

I think we all know the answer is "make zooming and pew-pew noises"

 

On a more serious note if you've got a spare or two, you could use them to make aces, or make a "downed" search-and-rescue objective marker? (although Thingiverse have some 3D printable files for crashed aircraft)

 

They’re a bit annoying if you ask me. Only one pair of lascannons and only skyfire missiles for two of them on the sprue.

Indeed.  It's a shame GW didn't do an "Imperial ordnance" mini-sprue with 8 pairs of each that they could just drop in the boxes (2 for the Lightnings).  If you end up with any Marauder Bombers, you should end up with some spares, at least.

Edited June 20, 2020 by Firedrake Cordova

[Fire Golem]

Six Lightnings to a box, which is playing merry hell with my flight-size OCD.

Do I get a Skies of Fire box, and settle for always being As-Fragged-Minus-One?

Do I get just a box of Lightnings? Now I have a four-ship and a two-ship...

Do I get both? If so, what do I do with 9 Lightnings?!

You might be able to find people splitting the starter on eBay, and pick up another 3 Lightning’s that way. That was my plan for Orks. 

[Qkhitai]

Two Skies of Fire is what I'm shooting for; six Lightnings is good, then can pick up the box of six to make a total of twelve for a whole squadron. Four Valkyries and four Tigersharks are all I need, and six barracudas is actually quite nice: four generic ones, then two to do up in ace markings.

 

Seems the ground assets have been disappeared though, which is a shame; didn't get chance to pick a set up before. Hopefully we'll see them again soon.

[Firedrake Cordova]

Seems the ground assets have been disappeared though, which is a shame; didn't get chance to pick a set up before. Hopefully we'll see them again soon.

I would imagine that we'll see a new box in the future.  There's new Imperial assets in the Taros book (basilisk AA emplacement, plus the Hydra one looks different to the old design), as well as Tau ones.  If you're looking for the discontinued ground assets box, it might be the case that a local shop has one on a shelf?  My local GW still had one when they were forced to close due to lockdown.

[Mandragola]

Two boxes might be good. Personally the plane I think I'll want most of is Valkyries. In any transport mission I could see myself spamming those.