It must be clear to all players (and agreed) which Airboats are capable of functioning as transports. Transport Airboats cost no more than standard Airboats (i.e. 3AP). Their advantages are counterbalanced by their not being able to initiate combat when carrying elements and the risk of loosing several elements in one go. They will be designated Airboat(t).

Each Airboat(t) can carry up to 2 elements and up to a maximum of 4AP. Airboats cannot carry other aerials, Behemoths or Lurkers.

Elements on board an Airboat(t) are kept off the table. Either make a written note of the location of each element or place them on a holding tray or card representing the Airboat. Each Airboat(t) should be named or numbered and easily identified. The occupants of an Airboat(t) need not be revealed to the other player.

When not carrying passengers, the Airboat(t) functions as per standard HOTT rules.

Whilst carrying passengers, an Airboat(t) cannot initiate combat. If attacked, the attacker does not suffer any adverse results. The passengers aboard an Airboat(t) make no effect on combat resolution and cannot partake as individuals in close combat, distance shooting or bespelling. Exception: An Airboat(t) carrying the general is classed as the general element whilst he is aboard. Passengers and crew do not require any movement PIP whilst aboard.

An Airboat(t) carrying passengers cannot be counted as giving overlap or any support to other elements in combat, but can themselves be supported by other aerials. If an Airboat is destroyed in combat, all passengers and crew on board are also lost.

Enemy elements can make contact with (and therefore combat) an Airboat(t) if it landed or picked up troops during its last turn and did not move after dis/embarkation.

Embarking and disembarking - sequence of play:

To dis/embark passengers:
1. Announce that the Airboat(t) will be landing to drop off or pick up elements.
2. If necessary spend PIPs to move the Airboat
3. Spend 1 pip for every element to dis/embark.
4. Dice for crash landing and remove crashed Airboat(t)s.
5. Dice for effects of crash landing on passengers and remove casualties.
6. Place disembarked elements (and / or crash survivors) on table.
7. Remove elements being picked up by Airboat(t) - place in holding tray or note their location.

Unloading Troops: It costs 1 PIP per element to board or disembark (in addition to any other movement costs). The first disembarked element in a turn must be placed in contact with the Airboat, the second can either be placed in contact with the first element or with the Airboat. If disembarkation takes place at the start of the turn, the Airboat may then make a normal move.

Boarding: basically the reverse of unloading i.e. a ground element or group can move to make contact with Airboat and embark one element per spare PIP. If the elements were in contact at the start, they may pay their PIP's to embark and then spend a further 2 PIP for the Airboat to move away. An Airboat can begin the game with crew and passengers already on board.

Crash Landing: Airboats run the risk of damaging themselves and their crew by making a heavy landing. When attempting to land to load or unload troops: Roll D6: the Airboat crash lands on a score of 1 and is destroyed and removed - test all passengers & crew (individually) for damage: Treat their sudden unexpected contact with the ground as combat with a Behemoth in good going with no tactical factors. Any adverse result indicates that the element is destroyed in the crash. Surviving elements must be placed so that part of their base would be touching part of the edge or area occupied by the base of the destroyed Airboat. An Airboat(t) that loaded / unloaded troops last turn and has not moved, need not test for crash landing if it continues to load / unload this turn.

An Airboat landing too close to an enemy stronghold runs a greater risk of crashing (being brought down by defensive fire from the stronghold garrison). Deduct 1 from the dice roll if landing attempted within 600 paces and line of sight of enemy stronghold.

Airboat(t)s may land or take-off on any area of good going. They may not land in, or land in contact with, any terrain classed as bad going in relation to the Airboat or its passengers e.g. built up areas, water features, hills or woodland. Nor can they land within one base width of any on-aerial troop enemy units or an Airboat base depth of an enemy stronghold. As per standard rules, an Airboat(t) may not end it's movement in bad going (woods or built-up areas). If forced to recoil into bad going it is destroyed.

Hot Landing Zones: Elements may not board or disembark if the Airboat is in base contact with an enemy element, but elements may disembark even if, when placed on the table, it would bring them into immediate contact with an enemy element.

Semi Historical (Modern) Games.

These rules have been devised with modern 'Air Cav.' Operations in mind (e.g. Vietnam). To preserve the correct feel of such semi hysterical games, I suggest players adhere to the following:

Airboats can only function as transport Airboats if their model represents a helicopter capable of troop transport (i.e. Huey Slick - Yes. Huey Cobra - No).
Airboat(t)s cannot transport elements whose model depicts a piece of equipment that would not be airportable by that model of Airboat.

Additionally:
Magicians are not penalised by running water.

Example HOTT AirCav army

Only the 3 slicks and the gunship need be set up on the table at the start of the game. All other units can be aboard the transports.

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