TACTICAL SUGGESTIONS:

Because of it's hard hitting power and troop carrying capability, the Falcon will attract a lot of fire, and therefore it is necessary to either keep it moving 6" or more; in cover or screen it with jetbikes.

In a way, the Falcon has more weapons than it can use. The Falcon, because of its light armor, usually needs to be kept moving. The necessity of movement precludes the use of more that one weapon each turn. If the Falcon sits still to use all of it's weapons in a turn, it will probably get destroyed in the next turn.

Due to the fact, that the Falcon can only carry six passengers, any troops carried should be very hard hitting, such as Fire Dragons or a Farseer with a retinue of Warlocks. When dropping off troops it is a good idea to put the falcon in the way of the enemy's retreat if possible, to take advantage of the crossfire rule.

Be careful when tank shocking the enemy before disembarking your troops. If you tank shock too deep into the enemy and they don't break, your Falcon will be surrounded by enemy troops and you won’t be able to disembark your troops. Remember that you can't position your troops closer than 1" if they aren't in hth. Disembarkation can only happen during the movement phase and not during the assault phase which means you can't assault directly from a vehicle.

CHOICE OF WEAPONS:

Again, the type of enemy will determine which weapons to arm the Falcon with.

For starters, it is a waste of points to put a shuriken cannon on a Falcon.

If you are playing against a heavily armored foe such as Imperial guard, an addition of a Bright Lance to the turret would be a good choice. As tanks will be your target.

Against all other armies, I'd suggest that a Star Cannon would be a good addition to the pulse laser.

If you are using the Falcon to transport troops the Star Cannon can soften up the squad you are attacking.

At 5 points more than the Bright Lance, the missile launcher will give better range but less chance of penetrating. Keep in mind that most of the time, the Falcon will be kept moving more than 6" so if it is hit, it will only count as being struck by a glancing hit. Vehicles that move more than 6" can only fire one weapon. The Star Cannon is better against troops in power or terminator armor.

The scatter laser would only be useful against troops with low armor or light vehicles. You have to ask yourself though, how would you feel if you moved the Falcon (you'd only be able to fire one weapon) and then rolled a 1 for the scatter laser and then missed!

VEHICLE UPGRADES:

The Falcon may be given any of the following upgrades, "Crystal Targeting Matrix", "Spirit Stone", "Holo-field", "Vectored Engines", "Star Engines" or "Scythes".

The "Crystal Targeting Matrix" at 30 points is a good deal because it enables the Falcon to fire its weapons during the movement phase. This means that the Falcon can stay behind cover, emerge to shoot and then return back to cover. This is an excellent upgrade to put on a Falcon that you are using to hold a flank.

The "Spirit Stone" is a fairly inexpensive upgrade that can help to reduce the effects of "Crew shaken" or "Crew stunned" results.

A Holo-field can help a Falcon survive longer and is a very good choice if you have an expensive squad on board.

"Vectored Engines" are inexpensive upgrade that enables you to re-roll any failed "Difficult terrain" tests.

If you want to make lightning fast attacks over large distances, then "Star Engines" are an upgrade you may want to consider. "Star Engines" allow the Falcon to move another 2D 6" instead of shooting.

"Scythes" can be fitted to outside of the Falcon so if the Falcon gets attacked in close combat, any attacker that rolls a 1 to hit will receive a strength 5 hit. If you plan on "Tank Shocking" and think that you might end up near enemy troops, I’d suggest that you upgrade your Falcon with "Scythes".

When choosing an upgrade, try to keep in mind what role you want to play with the Flacon.

If you want use the Falcon in a defensive way to hold a certain area such as a flank, I would recommend the "Crystal Targeting Matrix"

If you want to use the falcon to deliver valuable squads, such as a Farseer with a bodyguard or a squad of Fire Dragons, the "Holo-field" is a wise choice. The falcon can be further improved as a troop transport by adding a "Spirit Stone"

In missions such as "Take and hold" and "Cleanse", "Star Engines" can make the difference between winning and loosing.

Basic Tactics
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