All the models in this set have, terrifyingly for foes of the Covenant, 360-degree Movement, Hit-and-Run and Low Level Flyer. 360-degree Movement is something we've only seen on small models such as small tanks and Russian Coalition frigates, so this should be pretty high on the "They can do what?!"-o-meter for the larger models. Hit-and-Run is, from experience with Polish-Lithuanian small tanks, utterly fantastic when combined with the aforementioned movement flexibility. The final MAR all these new units get is Low Level Flyer, which allows the model to move as a Surface Skimmer, but gaining the Vulnerable MAR to compensate. All these MARs in combination result in a set of models that opponents are going to have a hard time pinning down, hiding behind terrain, in clouds or just out of range.
The Capek flyer itself comes with a respectable stat line, with cruiser level toughness, 10"of movement, and a good AA value (For the Covenant) of 4, all for 60 points. Weapons wise, the Capek is lightly equipped, with 4AD rockets at all ranges, and a forward turret of 7/6/5/-. Both of these have fairly narrow arcs of fire, with a 90-degree arc on the turret, and a new-to-the-Covenant forward fixed channel on the rockets. Previously, all CoA rockets have been given a 360-degree arc, but the manoeuvrability of the Capek itself negates this somewhat. As well as the set of MARs standard to the box, the Capek has Limited Availability(750). This MAR has become almost standard for new releases, and its inclusion is understandable, but I'm not a fan. Obviously, some restrictions have to be made to fleet composition (Many other games have far stricter restrictions than Dystopian Wars' percentages), but one can't help but feel that the fix to spamming units should be a little better than sticking a rule on every model that just says "Just don't spam them, alright?". On one or two of the new models, yes, a restriction is apt, but the almost universal presence of this MAR on new models feels, if nothing else, lazy. Especially when the perfectly workable and slightly similar Resource MARs were scrapped. On to the other MARs the Capek has. Electrical Defences gives the Capek a very strong anti-boarding tool, meaning that any attempt on this fairly cheap model will only be worth it for an opponent desperate to be rid of them, and makes me fairly happy, as suddenly losing an entire squadron of perfectly fine models in a single activation is one of my pet hates in Dystopian Wars. Finally, Air Hunter (Fore Rockets) brings the purpose of those rockets into focus. This gives the Capek a chance to strike at obscured air targets, and harks back to the original purpose as an interceptor. So, the Capek is a flexible, fairly cheap medium flyer that, played right, will be a thorn in your opponent's side all game long.
But how does it compare to its rivals in the Medium flyer category? The Ptolemy bomber comes in 5 point below, and the Icarus medium flyer is 10 points more. The bomber has never really been a consideration in my lists, mainly due to the fact that the starter box only contains two, and I have no desire to put down £13(+postage) to fill out the squadron. It comes in a bit faster, but with a much less flexible weapon set, requiring the model to come within boarding distance to use its main weapon, and guns that require some care to use without getting a face full of Ack-Ack from the target or just not do any damage. Swift Ascent gives it some defence against the inevitable counter barrage in the next activation, but generally, I haven't been able to rely on it. The Capek, however is much more flexible. The weapon loadout is highly effective at RB2 (One less AD for a full set of linked guns than RB1 and far enough away to not be counterattacked, but three more than RB3), and using Hit-and-Run and Low-Level Flyer means they can be well away before the opponent's activation has a chance to damage them. The other option in the medium flyer category is the Icarus, one of the better medium flyers, and one that is utterly covered in guns, with broadsides, mines, forward guns and a turret. Also one of the few models that saw some use from its Energy Turret option before the recent update, due to 4AD being better than the RB3 firepower of the normal turret. The Icarus' defences take the form an Inventive Scientist-equipped Shield Generator, and the standard extra HP that medium flyers get over cruisers. It also features superior AP values to the Capek, but lacks Electrical Defences and any CC value whatsoever. The Icarus still fills the sky-gunboat role excellently, but the Capek manages to really steal the show in terms of flexibility. It looks like the Capek is going to be the superior harassment choice, while the Icarus will continue to be the choice for up-close brawling. The 10 point break, though, will see the Capek included in a lot more of my lists that previously struggled to find the points for medium air support in the past.
Overall, the Capek-class attack flyer look to be a flexible vessel that is sure to find a home in many fleets.
