Just like last year, TANKS-giving was a blast, so we again this year are going to do the follow-up game for December: a game of 40k plane mayhem. Again, the game is a big event that lets new and experienced players group together, play a fun mega-event, and win some prizes.

WHEN: Thursday, December 15th. Set-up for game, pictures, and painting accomplishments inspection at 6:30 pm, dice start at 7:00pm.

WHY: A motivation to paint flyers (and select skimmers) of all types for our 40k armies, and then to field them in one glorious free-for-all battle. Fun at the event, motivation for painting new things, and prizes for the winners are the reason we do these events.

WHAT: Players will bring a flight team consisting of two painted Flyers (or selected skimmers) to compete for aerial supremacy. Each flight team will indicate a “Primary” and a “Wingman”, and players are strongly encouraged to come up with call signs for the pair. The goals of the game will be to rack the most confirmed kills while surviving as long as you can. If for some reason you can only field a single painted flyer, that’s fine–you just lost your Wingman in your tragic backstory! Models need to be painted to tabletop standard (the general 3 colors approach).

HOW: There will be a door prize raffle with some great 40k prizes as always for our big events. Everyone who shows up with a painted force of two flyers (or selected skimmers), gets one entry in the draw. For each plane that you have painted new for the event you’ll get an extra ticket with your name in the prize drawing. The winners will get five extra tickets with their name in the drawing, including both competition victory as well as best painted Flight Team. As for the game, we’ll use the playing card system as often is the case with our big events: each round every player will be dealt a card that will determine turn order after turn one. Turn one is slightly different, as more expensive (by PL) flyer teams will have to enter the board first (in order), which will help balance out the advantage of having more capable vehicles. Finally, eliminated players will have a special way to affect the battle even when they’ve been shot down.

WHO: You! Entry is $5 for Drawbridge Gatecrasher Members (only $35 for the entire year, and includes 10% discount on all purchases for that year plus 20% on select pre-orders), and $7.

SPECIAL RULES: Flight Teams use their formation to protect each other. Thus, when targeting in your shooting phase you simply indicate which other Flight Team(s) in range of your weapons you’re targeting. The “Wingman” of the pair is always hit and wounded first. Until they’re downed, the Primary does not take damage. Accordingly, Wingmen may choose to fly more defensively than their Primary partner. Each of their active turns they choose to fly more defensively, the Wingmen halve the number of shots and range of their weapons (rounding up). But if they do so, they get a 4+++ “Feel No Pain” style save against wounds (replaces rather than stacks with any similar rules they might have). When the Wingman plane has been eliminated, the Primary can itself choose to fly more defensively for the same benefit (and automatically gains this condition if its Wingman was shot down while using this mode, until the start of its next turn). Heavier flyers (e.g. Super-heavy or Titanic keyword models) cannot fly defensively, cannot be the Wingman model (only the Primary plane in the Flight Team), and can be specifically targeted even if the Wingman model remains alive (as they’re so big). As this is a Dogfight, there won’t be any charge phase or combat phase (similar to TANKS-giving), as that will keep the game flowing smoothly.

So what can you bring? The list below has everything that we’re permitting. If something is missing let me know and we can talk about adding it.

Space Marines	Arvus Lighter, Corvus Blackstar, Dark Talon, Fire Raptor, Nephilim, Sokar Stormbird, Storm Fang, Storm Eagle, Storm Hawk, Storm Raven, Storm Talon, Stormwolf, Thunderhawk, Xiphon
Armies of the Imperium*	Arvus Lighter, Avenger, Lightning, Marauders, Sky Talon, Thunderbolt, Valkyrie, Vendetta, Vulture
Custodes	Orion Assault Dropship, Ares Gunship
Ad Mech	Arvus Lighter, Fusilave, Stratoraptor, Transvector
Chaos	Arvus Lighter, Avenger, Fire Raptor, Helldrake, Hell Blade, Hell Talon, Lightning, Sky Talon, Sokar Stormbird, Storm Eagle, Thunderbolt, Thunderhawk, Valkyrie, Vendetta, Vulture, Xiphon
Aeldari	Crimson Hunter, Hemlock, Nightwing, Razorwing, Voidraven
Necrons	Doom Scythe, Night Scythe, Night Shroud
Orks	Blitza Bomma, Burna Bomma, Dakkajet, Wazbom Blastajet
T’au Empire	Barracuda, Manta**, Razorshark, Remora Drone***, Sun Shark, Tiger Shark
Tyranids and Genestealer Cults*	Harpy, Hive Crone, Harridan

Note that models that have drones or spore mines can use those models and rules as part of this event. Any additional models placed do not count toward surviving until the end, but can give the player additional things to do in their turns.

You get to select the shared Faction keyword for your force (e.g. Night Lords, Ultramarines, Szarekhan Dynasty, Bad Moons, Kraken) and use the rules for that as normal. In the case of fielding Genestealer Cults mix between Imperial and Tyranid, you pick a Cult (e.g. Four-Armed Emperor) that would apply to the Imperial unit and a Hive Fleet for the Tyranid unit.

As always, potential players can direct any questions about the event to me or Drawbridge’s owner Enrico on social media.

Ground Shooting

When a player is eliminated, they can still affect their opponents on their phase. After each round of activations is done, all eliminated players get to indicate a single model each that takes a number mortal wounds depending on the round of the game (wounds can be shrugged as normal if they have that rule or are flying defensively). This represents various flak, stray shots, and defensive grids.