Flight
(Active)
Three altitude levels are used to represent the position of the fighters on the battlefield and in the air.
Level 0: All miniatures touching the ground are located at level 0, even if they are on top of an obstacle (the elements of the scenery placed on the battlefield are considered to be at level 0). Level 0 therefore isn’t the surface of the gaming table but rather the surface of all elements placed onto it. The miniatures with the Flight ability must be deployed at level 0, unless the scenario specifies the contrary.
Level 1: This level represents the low altitude flight zone.
Level 2: This level represents the high altitude flight zone.
Placing the Miniatures
When two miniatures are vertically in the same place but at different altitude levels, then placing them can become tricky. To avoid this problem, the following rules must be applied.
As soon as a fighter takes off and is at level 1 or 2, his miniature is replaced by a counter on which the level he is located at is marked (the counters supplied with Rag’Narok can be used for this). One must also mark an edge of the counter to symbolize the front of the miniature being represented (in order to determine the fighter’s field of vision).
As long as the fighter remains at levels 1 or 2, all his movements are made using the counter representing him.
Movement on the Ground and in the Air
Miniatures with the Flight ability have two Movement values. The first one is their MOV on the ground and the second one is theirs when flying.
A fighter who is moving at level 1 or 2 (or who is taking off from level 0) uses the second value (meaning his flight speed).
Movement when flying uses the same rules as movement on the ground, with a few exceptions.
- Only the counter is moved. The size of the miniatures’ bases is not taken into account. The counters can move around each other freely. This represents the extreme mobility of the fighters moving about in the air.
- When a flying fighter does an assault, the distance between the counter representing him and his target is measured. It is therefore possible to charge, engage, or make a movement equivalent to a walk or a run.
Changing Levels
A fighter can change altitude levels before or after his move- ment. This manoeuvre must be announced before any move- ment is made, for it causes a reduction in Movement.
- Moving at level 0 and then taking off to level 1: Ground MOV reduced by 5.
- Taking off to level 1 and then moving: Flight MOV reduced by 5.
- Moving from level 1 to level 2 or vice versa: Flight MOV reduced by 5
Example: A player announces that a morbid angel located at level 2 is moving down to level 1 at its activation. The angel’s flight MOV goes from 17.5 to 12.5. So the angel can move at level 2 and then go down to level 1, or vice versa.
A fighter can change levels only once per round.
Landing
Landing at level 0 is a special case. The change of levels reduces the flight MOV by 5 and it is forbidden to move after having landed. The fighter can nevertheless do any other action that he has the right to (firing, incantation, divination, etc.). He can also do pursuit movements during the hand-to-hand combat phase. His ground MOV is then taken into account. A fighter cannot change levels while doing a pursuit movement.
At level 1 the fighters ignore the movement penalties bound to the various types of ground, but they must nevertheless move around obstacles that are bigger than 15 cm.
At level 2 the fighters ignore all obstacles (even other creatures located at level 2) and the movement penalties bound to the various types of ground.
Firing and Flying
A fighter can fire at a target located at a level directly above or below the one he is at. The distance between the marks- man and his target is measured on the ground, from the marksman’s base (or the counter representing him) to the target’s base (or the counter representing it).
When a fighter targets a miniature at a level different than his, then the shot’s difficulty is increased by two points.
A flying fighter never hides another flying fighter, and a fighter on the ground never hides another fighter on the ground if the shot is made from level 1.
Flying and Hand-to-Hand Combat
Hand-to-Hand Combat in the Air
Fighters located at level 1 or 2 are simulated off the battlefield on another table. This allows hand-to-hand combat in the air to be visualised without disturbing the miniatures placed on the battlefield at level 0.
Two miniatures can be considered to be in base-to-base contact with each other only if they are both at the same altitude level.
If hand-to-hand combat takes place at level 1 or 2, the fighters’ flight MOV is used for pursuit movements. This is simulated using a counter “on the ground.” A fighter cannot change levels when making a pursuit movement.
Dive Attack
A fighter located at level 1 or 2 can dive attack an opponent located at the level directly below his. This attack follows the same rules as a regular charge.
When a fighter does a dive attack he benefits from a +2 bonus on the final results of his Initiative, Attack and Damage tests in hand-to-hand combat. This bonus is acquired even if the fighter is separated from his target after fray splitting. Yet it is only valid during the first combat in which the fighter participates, and it no longer applies if the fighter makes a pursuit movement.
Incantation and Flying
A magician can choose to target a fighter located at an altitude level directly above or below his. The distance between the magician and his target is measured on the ground from the magician’s base (or the counter representing him) to the target’s base (or the counter representing it).
When a magician targets a miniature that is at a different altitude level than his, he suffers a penalty of –2 on the final result of his incantation tests.
A flying fighter never hides another flying fighter, and a fighter on the ground never hides another fighter on the ground if the spell is being cast from altitude level 1