question about fliers

[walrusman999]

If a flier is allowed to hover, it is treated as a fast skimmer, does that mean it is still a flier but with fast skimmer special rules? or does it become a fast skimmer except for the ability to turn back into a zooming flier.

[DarkLink]

It's either a Flyer, or a Skimmer, one or the other but not both.

[Bob821]

Yeah thats how I understand it. Its a flyer that can turn in to fast skimmer or a fast skimmr that can turn in to a flyer.

[JMichael]

Rulebook p81 (bottom right box).
"If a flyer is hovering it is treated like a Fast Skimmer"

It doesn't state that you loose the Flyer designation, though I don't know why that makes a difference.
It can choose to Hover instead of Zooming meaning that enemies use their normal BS for shooting.

[Nabterayl]

Out of curiosity, why would it matter? I don't remember any benefits, or restrictions, associated with just being a flyer.

[DarkLink]

I think that he was thinking that it would be a skimmer that everyone needed to Snap Fire at because it was also a flyer.

[walrusman999]

I think that he was thinking that it would be a skimmer that everyone needed to Snap Fire at because it was also a flyer.

That was the loophole i was thinking of abusing if it worked. But Yes, if it acted like a fast skimmer but was still technically a flyer then people would need to snapfire. And there isn't anything about it losing the flyer description. Besides, it does say it "treated as a fast skimmer" not that it is a fast skimmer, it would still technically be Flyer (hover mode).

[walrusman999]

I'm looking into it more, I was not very aware of how Ongoing reserves worked. Hovering is now pointless in my opinion lol

[Nabterayl]

I think that he was thinking that it would be a skimmer that everyone needed to Snap Fire at because it was also a flyer.
Yeah, that's what I figured. Except that isn't a consequence of being a flyer. Hard to Hit applies only to Zooming flyers. Same with firing four weapons, etc. Just being a flyer does nothing for you.

Hovering isn't pointless, it's just something to do very sparingly. It makes you slower but significantly more maneuverable. Yes, if you fly of the board you come back next turn, but sometimes that's a turn you shouldn't lose. There ARE times when it's better to switch to hover mode so you can get a shot THIS turn instead of NEXT turn.

[DarkLink]

You also can't disembark from flyer transports unless they're hovering, unless you're Necrons. WTF was GW thinking with that rule, as if flyers aren't annoying enough?

[Tynskel]

well, you can jump out of Valkyries and Stormravens.
All the other transport flyers that require hovermode to get out of them are Forgeworld. Forgeworld always makes their rules not as cool as they should.

Also, Hovering is quite useful. There are plenty of situations where it is useful. Being able to stay on the board is one. Last turn shenanigans is also good, too.

[Nabterayl]

To be fair, every single flying transport has an option to disembark without hovering. Necrons just do it better.

EDIT: Tynskel beat me to it.

[walrusman999]

And one last question, thats not particularly related, Necron Crypteks are only allowed one harbinger type per group of them? like all 5 can be harbingers of despair, and two of them are allowed 1 wargear item each. I am correct in my understanding of the side note on the page of their codex? (helping the GF come up with a decent list of necrons)

[DarkLink]

Yeah, but the Shadow Skies/Grav Chute rules are terrible. I've only ever seen anyone actually use them once.

[Nabterayl]

And one last question, thats not particularly related, Necron Crypteks are only allowed one harbinger type per group of them? like all 5 can be harbingers of despair, and two of them are allowed 1 wargear item each. I am correct in my understanding of the side note on the page of their codex? (helping the GF come up with a decent list of necrons)
Correct, except it's also fine for one cryptek to have both wargear options rather than for two to have one each.

[Tynskel]

Yeah, but the Shadow Skies/Grav Chute rules are terrible. I've only ever seen anyone actually use them once.

Really?
I would imagine that if you slapped a Locator Beacon on a Stormraven, and put a shooty Furioso/or Librarian Dread + a full tactical squad and characters would be quite deadly. You are getting to land exactly where you want to, you can split squads, and you have tons of firepower.