Flying Units and Missile Combat

Units that launch missiles from the air suffer a penalty of x1/2 AD in addition to all other applicable penalties. However, defenders that depend upon vertical obstacles such as walls or breastworks for an armor rating bonus against missile fire might lose that bonus when they are attacked from the air. If the airborne attackers are farther above the obstacle than they are in front of it (away from the defenders), then the defensive benefit of the obstacle is negated.

Range Effects of Altitude

When a missile attack is directed against, or launched by, flying creatures, the vertical distance between the attacker and the target affects the calculation of the range at which the attack is made.

Every 1" (10-foot increment, in scale) of altitude of the target above the attacker counts as 1" of distance for range determination. However, if the target is at a lower altitude than the attacker, every 2" of vertical distance counts as 1" for range determination. The horizontal distance between the units is measured (just as if they were both on the ground directly beneath their present locations), and then the vertical distance and horizontal distance are added together to determine the range at which the attack takes place. Also, a flying unit at a higher altitude than its target receives the range bonus for elevation—each range category is increased by 1" for each 1" difference in altitude, up to a maximum bonus of 3".

For example, Advanced Scenario 3 in this book (see pages 101-102) contains a unit of manticores (missile range 6" / 12" /18") on one side and a unit of hippogriffs carrying elven longbowmen (range 7" /14" /21") on the other. Both units are capable of flight. If the manticores are about to fire missiles while flying 8" above the hippogriffs and 5" away in horizontal distance, they are considered to be 9" away for purposes of range determination—5" for horizontal distance, plus 1" for every 2" of vertical distance. The manticores qualify for the maximum range bonus of 3" because of their elevation, which means that the attack from 9" away is a short-range attack. If the elves fire at the manticores in the same situation, they do so from a distance of 13" (8" vertical plus 5" horizontal), which is a medium-range attack.

A target that is far below a unit of missile troops, and is out of range because of vertical distance, can still be fired upon (treated as a long-range target) if the horizontal distance between attacker and target would put the target in short range. If the manticores from the above example were more than 21" above the hippogriffs, the target would be out of range in terms of vertical distance (even including the manticores' 3" elevation range bonus). However, if the hippogriffs were 9" or less away from the manticores in horizontal distance, the manticores could make a long-range attack.