Aircraft: Units, formations and setup

Aircraft units

This unit type includes all fixed wing aircraft that can operate in a planet’s atmosphere. Aircraft range in size from small single-seat fighters to huge transport landers that can carry entire formations of troops. Most are powered by powerful jet engines and are able to carry heavy payloads and fly at speeds of thousands of kilometres per hour.

Aircraft units are very different to other units in Epic:

• They are very fast compared to ground units, being perfectly capable of flying onto and off of even the largest gaming table in a single turn. Such speed means that only specialised ground units or other aircraft units can engage them.
• They often carry an arsenal of highly destructive weapons. In combination with their high speed, this means they can unleash devastating attacks at almost any point on the battlefield.
• Some aerospace units can transport ground units, hurtling onto the battlefield and delivering their cargo wherever they are needed.

Aircraft formations

Aircraft units are organised into formations just like any other unit. But there are some fundamental differences in when and how certain rules apply (or don't apply) to aircraft units.

• While in flight (or in reserve), aircraft units cannot participate in assaults at all — you can't assault them, and they can't lend supporting fire and participate in a crossfire, and so on. And their interactions with Blast markers are different to those of ground units.
• While transport aircraft units are landed, most rules apply as is normal for ground units — you can assault them, they can lend supporting fire and participate in a crossfire, and so on. And Blast markers affect them exactly as is usual for ground units.

Aircraft setup

You do not set up aircraft formations in the play area along with other units. Instead, you set them aside in reserve (imagine they are in orbit or stationed at a nearby airbase). This is where they remain until you take an action that brings them into the play area.

If you have transport aircraft then you may have other units that are in reserve but embarked and ready to enter the play area (when you take an appropriate action with the transport aircraft that carry them).