Mostly ex-Ballet Dancers (Come on- Bounding Leap!?!) who enjoy cirlcling high above the battlefield and dropping grenade packs on unsuspecting squads, then giggling uncontrollably when the enemy can't figure out where it's coming from. Eventually they have to hit the turf where they tend to flutter to positions well out of harm's way and aim their tiny lasblasters at the slow, angry pursuers.

The one exception is the exarch, xxxxxxxx. With Sustained Assault, a Web of Skulls and a Pistol, he's one bad $#%@^^(^#%@. How bad? Even the Banshee exarch won't mess with him. Mix Jean Claude Van Damme, Space Ghost and Xena together in a blender. Scary stuff.

These birds are expensive and they get clobbered easily so you will always want to Deep Strike with them. If you don't, two things will happen- First, their grenade packs are wasted. You paid the points for them, use them. Second, your opponent will see them waddling their way across the ground and riddle them with bolter fire. With a well-placed grenade launcher template on their entry turn and then a round of shooting with their lasblasters and Web of Skulls you can decimate a single squad or do some serious damage to two units. You will want this initial blast because Mr. Web-of-Skulls-Sustained-Attack won't be able to assault on the turn he arrives.

A note on placement.... When scattering these guys onto the battlefield, if they drift within range of enemy assaulters take a look at the initiative of the assaulting enemy unit before you set down your winged avengers. If they will strike first, place your exarch away from the enemy unit (on the edge of the template furthest from them). You won't want him killed before he has a chance to use all that expensive stuff you gave him. On the other hand, if your exarch has the higher initiative, make him the first Hawk they come in contact with, especially if they are weapon skill 4 or less. If you don't understand the reasoning for this, read the codex stats about Sustained Attack, then see how many hits you can roll up with three dice, needing a 3+ for contact, and getting another die to roll for each one you score with.

Once when charging, I started with my four initial attacks and rang up 16 hits before I was finished. At stength 3 they're not all going to wound, but if your Exarch gets 3 or 4 kills before your enemy gets to swing back you'll be in good shape. Remember, a Web of Skulls is treated like a power weapon in close combat.