Wrath of Angels is up for pre-order this weekend, but the new Aeronautica Imperialis box presents an almost impossible choice. Do you play as the fantastic flying Battle Brothers of the Adeptus Astartes or the aerodynamic aerial aces of the Asuryani?
Two sets of iconic aircraft rendered in tiny plane size, and you can pick either side? It’s a decision too tough to make without help, so we’ve put together a helpful quiz to guide you.
Question One
We’ve seen all sorts of aircraft designs in Aeronautica Imperialis, from the ramshackle Ork planes to the hyper-technical skimmers of the T’au Air Caste armada. They say you should go with your gut when choosing an army, so…
What’s your prefered design aesthetic?
A: No nonsense. Brutalist. Ceramite bolted onto yet more ceramite. Oil-stained mechanical parts. A big Aquila somewhere.
B: Organic. Sleek. Modern. Forward-thinking. Homegrown, from real Wraithbone.
Question Two
Planes need three things to stay in the air: wings, engines, and a bally good pilot in the cockpit. Ork engines belch huge gouts of flames and smoke, while the Imperial Navy blesses its sacred thrusters daily to ensure peak performance.
Which is the best kind of engine?
A: One that blasts so hard that the sky recoils in fear, propelling your holy payload forward to righteous glory.
B: One that works in harmony with the elements, cutting through the air like a feather pirouetting through a hurricane.
Question Three
A dogfight isn’t won through engineering and fancy manoeuvres alone – you need guns. Big guns. From over-engineered railguns to foolhardy grots steering flying bombs into enemy flyers. So, we simply have to ask…
What’s your favourite kind of weapon?
A: High-energy laser beams of concentrated killy-death, designed to sear through the weakling armour of the Emperor’s foes and smite the xenos filth with the most extreme prejudice.
B: Ancient weapons perfected to apply the precise amount of esoteric force to strip enemy aircraft apart using nano-wafers of high-density starmetal and pure, arcane plasma technology.
Question Four
Aerial battles are more complicated than those on the ground, with a third dimension that gives Orks, in particular, a bit of trouble at times.
What kind of tactics do you like to employ?
A: Obliterate the enemy with overwhelming firepower, shrug off their puny return fire with armour that requires multiple tons of thrust to keep aloft, and smash through their defences like mighty aerial fists.
B: Elegant hit-and-run tactics that baffle an opponent, striking so fast that they barely see – let alone recover from – such precise blows before you escape to the shadows once more.
Question Five
Flying is dangerous. To be safe, you’ll need a helmet just on the off-chance you fall out of your plane and bump your head on the ground.
What kind of dashing flying helmet would you prefer to wear?
A: The standard Astartes-grade powered helmet outfitted with the latest targeting auspices,* inscribed with the sacred litanies of flying and shooting really, really well.
B: A big pointy helmet to frame your supernaturally elegant features and mark you out as one who walks the lonely path of the pilot.
Your Results
If you answered mainly A, then your best fit for Wrath of Angels is the ferocious aircraft of the Adeptus Astartes, piloted by transhuman warriors who can withstand high-Gs that would make a mere human pass out in seconds.
If you find yourself answering mainly B, you’re suited to the nimble and acrobatic flight patterns of the Asuryani aircraft, whose engineers and pilots value form as highly as function.
This quiz is 99.99% accurate, but if you’re not convinced, just pick whichever side you think is the coolest.
Wrath of Angels is available for pre-order this weekend, alongside a host of other Aeronautica Imperialis goodies. So grab your flying goggles and do a barrel roll over to Facebook and Twitter to let us know which faction you’ll be picking out of the box.
* The latest cutting-edge and up-to-the-minute tech circa M.31.