Summary
Aerial troops. Cost 3AP. Move 500p. Combat factors are +5 vs foot or Stronghold, +3 vs mounted.
If they lose a combat they flee 600p from Magicians, otherwise they recoil.
If they are doubled in combat they are destroyed. They cannot end a move over woods or a built up area.

Jeff Bolton writes:
Here is how I use an airboat: If I am on defense, I will avoid setting out Woods or BUAs. If I do set them out, they are VERY small. This eliminates or diminishes the possible negative effects of terrain on airboat combat and movement. Otherwise, my airboat "doctrine" is attempt to turn the flanks of my opponent and protect my own flank. An airboat is very powerful against a foot element (+5 combat factor). With the overlap support of a flyer, this can be extremely powerful. The presence of an airboat on the battle field also tends to distract my opponent.

Important things to remember when using an airboat:

• Pick your fights. Try to ensure that you have room to recoil. Be aware of the other enemies in the area and their potential for engaging your airboat.
• Be aware of the PIPs needed to make the airboat move. A series of poor PIP rolls (which YOU probably never experience....) can leave your airboat in a very vulnerable position.
• Always roll high for PIPs and combat.

Paul Grace writes:
Airboats are useful for dealing with behemoths as,unlike fliers, enemy cannot pass under them, so if placed behind, they are destroyed on recoil.

Rahul Sukthankar writes:
Against ground forces, the airboat can act as an invincible patch of impassable terrain that also exudes an annoying ZOC. Advance the airboat early, ahead of your line and park it in the center of the battlefield. Here, the airboat doesn't expend PIPs, doesn't engage in combat and can't be defeated by the enemy ground forces. It's an aerial element that the enemy can't go under as well, so if the enemy wants to advance, the line must be split or somehow reorganized. If the enemy goes past the airboat, then the airboat is well placed for attacking the enemy's rear, or more importantly, for creating recoil-death opportunities. The airboat also seems to work well in stopping behemoths from advancing -- as long as it doesn't actually engage the behemoth. The airboat can also safely block a Behemoth's retreat (doesn't get crushed, yet behemoth can't recoil under it). I would say that the airboat is at its best when it's not actually in combat :-)

This tactic seems to do fine against shooters and artillery (a recoil here or there doesn't change the situation much). However, the airboat can get defeated by enemy Heroes (+3 vs +5) since they can attack it from the ground and have a decent chance of destroying it (1/6) without no chance of being destroyed in return. Enemy magicians are not to be feared: the 6" flee on minor defeat only occurs 10/36, costs the magician 2 PIPs, and you can regain a few hundred paces of that ground next turn for the same 2 PIPs. In the center of the battle, the airboat's line of retreat is likely to be clear of woods and BUAs.

Don't use this tactic when the enemy has active heroes, gods, dragons. This is mainly an anti-behemoth idea -- and those armies tend not to have heroes.

Alan Saunders writes:
One thing to watch with airboats is that whilst fliers tend to just flee from most ground troops if doubles by them, airboats are destroyed. A flier with a clear retreat can go into combat against the odds, knowing that the worst that can happen is a long trip back to the battle-line afterwards. An airboat just dies.

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