How to Gear a Storm and it's payload?

[Necronpheliac]

I just got the battle force and also purchased a Landspeeder Storm, i couldnt pass up how cool the model looked! Anyway, i was thinking of gearing the Storm to be modular with either a HB or MM, but its the speeder's payload im more concerned with. I was thinking of maybe CC scouts? Maybe toss some Pfist action on the sgt. Im thinking melta bombs would be a moot point as he is already geared with the Pfist. Thoughts? I really wanna build and paint the scouts!

[Xeonic]

Well, I've only deployed them in theory, but I'd go with CC scouts. Convention states that you could also deploy shotguns since scouts are just as bad at shooting as they are in CC, but I figure that you're in combat for more rounds than you're shooting so CC weapon all the way. If you're using a fistysarge, combi melta as a can opener, or shotgun for an extra shot over a pistol is a must. Remember the sarge is BS4, so it's a very worthwhile upgrade. Even with a fist, meltabombs might be worth it if you have lots of land raiders to bust. Otherwise, I'd leave the points for other upgrades.

Of course that's all if you're going to be assaulting, if you just want to do a drive by, bolters or shotguns are the way to go. Move 6", fire the storm's heavy bolter, 10 shotgun blasts, and with shotguns you can also debark, shoot, and assault something juicy.

 

Personally speaking, I'd tailor the scouts to fit the role of the speeder(I'd magnetize the speeder and sarge in any case). Since I'd be using it as a suprise birthday present style assault vehicle, CCWs on all the scouts, fist on sarge, melta on the storm, combi-melta on sarge also. For a purely assault vehicle I'd go with a heavy flamer on the speeder, and a shotgun or combi flamer on the sarge.

I think that the multi/combi melta combi is best, it doesn't stop you from assaulting soft targets, and you can pop tanks if you need to with the triple threat can opener of multi-melta, combi-melta, powerfist or meltabombs. It's worth noting that since the LSS replaces a conventional speeder or attack bike slot, you can still cram some melta in there this way as well.

 

If you wanted to you could outflank, or take a 10 man squad, combat squad off 5 snipers and a HB(2+ template is really great IMO) or ML, and go off hunting with your assault scouts.

It is worth noting that LSS teams work best in pairs or better for the sake of target saturation and redundancy, as well as effectiveness in close combat.

[Necronpheliac]

thanks, that helps alot. I think i will magnetize the weapons on the LSS and the SGT. Im thinkin gearing him up with a combimelta in his off hand and the rest of the squad gets CCWs. Again cheers Broheim

[Top Secret]

My favorite loadout is as follows:

 

LSS with Multi-Melta (Yes, over the heavy flamer)

 

Sarge with Powerfist and Combi-Melta

 

4x Scouts with CCW

 

Outflanking

 

It's a pretty reliable anti-tank/anti-support choice. Not to mention scoring. Awesome for killing Crisis Suits, Broadsides, Battlewagons, Landraiders, Leman Russ Battle Tanks, Hammerheads, Lootas, etc etc.

 

Also, if you can help it - fire at a separate (secondary) target with your LSS's Multi-Melta. You basically have a 25% chance of killing most transports (Rhino's, Chimeras, Trukks, etc) and about a 50% chance of at least disabling them for a turn. Have the Sargent and his scouts target the MORE important target.

 

For example: You come off the side of the board and are in assault range of both a Battlewagon and a Trukk. Position the LSS so it is within Melta range of the Trukk, but also within Assault range of the Battlewagon. Eject the scouts. LSS fires at Trukk, and the scouts fire their Combi-Melta at the Battlewagon, and then assault it with 3 Powerfist attacks and 4 Krak grenades.

 

For 175 points you will very likely destroy the battlewagon, and perhaps the trukk too (taking quite a few Orks with them). If that Wagon had Ghazzy or a Big Mek with a Kustom Force-Field, or some Mega Armored Nobz you just paid off that LSS. The scouts are probably toast next round, the LSS however I find to be quit survivable. Any Multi-Melta shots after the first are all gravy.

 

Sometimes, (like anything else) your LSS will not come in until turn 4 or 5. At that point, its mission changes from being a hunter of opportunistic targets to being a extremely mobile (24" move) scoring unit that can pretty much come from anywhere. You could potentially threaten EVERY objective not in the 18" area where the LSS could not reach on the turn it comes in. (24" inch move plus 3" objective distance)

[captain sox]

Hello Necronpheliac!

 

I must say that is a clever user name, well done.

 

I just went through this same debate. I originally wanted to have my LSS as a tank hunter, but then I figured there are better things in my army to do that (ie, chapter master/terminators with chainfists).

 

Then I decided to make it a support vehicle for my CC scouts, and I figured I'd arm it with a a heavy flamer. The thing I worry about with a heavy flamer is being too close to the enemy and getting assaulted. The 10 armour all around the storm is not the best (possibly the same reason I'm cautious to use it as a tank hunter).

 

While the HB is a great ranged weapon and it's good against most higher toughness opponents, the BS of the scouts really hinders it.

 

In the end, I still haven't decided which way to go, but I am leaning most towards the HF variant, just because of the auto hits.

 

As for the crew:

 

CC all the way. again, shotguns or bolt pistol and combat blades or a combination of both.

 

As for Sarge, melta bombs, always. It's a just in case weapon, with either a combi flamer, combi melta with a fist or sword. Depends on what purpose the squad is for (anti tank or support for CC squads)

 

hope this helps...

[Grey Mage]

I just got the battle force and also purchased a Landspeeder Storm, i couldnt pass up how cool the model looked! Anyway, i was thinking of gearing the Storm to be modular with either a HB or MM, but its the speeder's payload im more concerned with. I was thinking of maybe CC scouts? Maybe toss some Pfist action on the sgt. Im thinking melta bombs would be a moot point as he is already geared with the Pfist. Thoughts? I really wanna build and paint the scouts!

Id suggest:

 

LSS- HF- 60pts.

5 Scouts- 4xBP+CCW, Powerfist- 100pts.

 

Why? Because its cheap, useful, scoring, and completely ignores scouts biggest weakness- low BS. You can always throw meltabombs on him if you find them useful as its only 5 pts.

[Giga]

If I ran a LSS, I'd run it in a Vulkan list, with the following loadout:

 

LSS with multimelta

5 combat scouts with combimelta and meltabombs

 

First turn twin-linked vehicle murder, or outflanking vehicle murder. Sounds fun as hell, if anything. :D

[rat of vengence]

I just got the battle force and also purchased a Landspeeder Storm, i couldnt pass up how cool the model looked! Anyway, i was thinking of gearing the Storm to be modular with either a HB or MM, but its the speeder's payload im more concerned with. I was thinking of maybe CC scouts? Maybe toss some Pfist action on the sgt. Im thinking melta bombs would be a moot point as he is already geared with the Pfist. Thoughts? I really wanna build and paint the scouts!

Id suggest:

 

LSS- HF- 60pts.

5 Scouts- 4xBP+CCW, Powerfist- 100pts.

 

Why? Because its cheap, useful, scoring, and completely ignores scouts biggest weakness- low BS. You can always throw meltabombs on him if you find them useful as its only 5 pts.

This is exactly the way I run mine, and it has been fantastic. Leave heavy armour to dedicated anti-tank units (unless you use the Vulkan Krutch) and use the Heavy Flamer to do mass casualties on a unit. There are so many options with a LSS kitted out the way Grey Mage has described, which is brilliant for outflanking. By turn 2 or 3, the enemy have committed most of their forces, and it can leave some vunerable. Drop your scouts next to that Vindicator, punch a hole in it with the powerfist and krak grenades while the LSS visits burning template death on the nearest support infantry. Toast those Orks holding the back objective, and run them off the table by assaulting them with the scouts, with -2 to their leadership. Flame that uberunit that just has to die, and throw the scouts into the combat to support your assault squad. All these things I havce done successfully with my LSS. I am planning to get a second one :D

 

RoV

[greatcrusade08]

If I ran a LSS, I'd run it in a Vulkan list, with the following loadout:

 

LSS with multimelta

5 combat scouts with combimelta and meltabombs

 

First turn twin-linked vehicle murder, or outflanking vehicle murder. Sounds fun as hell, if anything. :lol:

 

thats exactly how i run mine, albeit without vulkan

[Red Lost Soldier]

I use two squads the same as Grey Mage in a recent tournament. Was extremely useful to have 2' moving scoring units in some of the objective missions, though they were a liability in KP missions, especially when I bit off a bit more than I could chew with some of them.

 

Even geared towards comabt you can either use them together, or use them only on weakened squads to kill off stragglers. The lower WS and armour make a big different when you get hit back by MEq, meaning you really must finish what you charge. Heavy Flamer is great for scaring anything below MEq, and sometimes even drawing fire from your real danger vehicles like Rhinos full of marines or Vindicators.

 

Two such equiped squads come out at just over 300 points, so it's not simply a throw away unit. They are great to support a charge from another unit though, the extra power fist can make a huge difference in tipping the combat balance on your side.

 

Best memory with them was a first turn charge, after stealing the initiative, against an old sniper fex and squad of guants. Took out one entire flank of anti tank and a scoring unit before my opponent could move, and afterwards he had two fast moving heavy flamers in amoung his little creatures.

 

Like most things outflanking, sometimes just the knowledge that you have them coming on can be good to unnerve the opponent. Take a couple of outflanking squads and get the enemy ot bunch up in the middle for Vindicator/Whirlwind blasts.

 

As with most fragile units, I'd recommend a great deal of practice with them, don't take them early to a tournament like I did and make amateur mistakes. They are a great deal of fun though, and the model is one of the best put out by GW.

[Giga]

If I ran a LSS, I'd run it in a Vulkan list, with the following loadout:

 

LSS with multimelta

5 combat scouts with combimelta and meltabombs

 

First turn twin-linked vehicle murder, or outflanking vehicle murder. Sounds fun as hell, if anything.

 

thats exactly how i run mine, albeit without vulkan

The way I see it, that loadout not only works well with Vulkan because of all the twin-linking, it also goes a long way toward complementing the generally explosive playstyle that Vulkan lists excel at so much. By having two of these LSS+5 scout units, you can seriously threaten the enemy in turn 1, drawing his attention away from the rest of your army, allowing you to advance in greater safety. In case you don't get first turn, the LSS+scouts can always outflank, too. :P

 

The only disadvantage with this, however, is that LSS and 5 scouts are practically giving away kill points.

[greatcrusade08]

The way I see it, that loadout not only works well with Vulkan because of all the twin-linking, it also goes a long way toward complementing the generally explosive playstyle that Vulkan lists excel at so much. By having two of these LSS+5 scout units, you can seriously threaten the enemy in turn 1, drawing his attention away from the rest of your army, allowing you to advance in greater safety. In case you don't get first turn, the LSS+scouts can always outflank, too. :D

 

The only disadvantage with this, however, is that LSS and 5 scouts are practically giving away kill points.

 

your probably right that they work wonders with Vulakn lists, he adds so much more thier thier ability, i run themed 10th co, so no vulkan but this unit still shines for me.

Ive only had one LR walk away unscathed from an aplha strike from this unit!

 

If you factor in the MM, combi-melta and meltabombs the chances of scoring a pen hit are the same as if shooting with 3 MM attack bikes at close range (with an alpha strike) .. the meltabombs against stationary targets is what does it for me... less chance of being unlucky with an auto hit

[Wildfire]

Probably the best way to use a Storm is to put it on the shelf. But if I was going to use one, I'd go Storm w/heavy flamer, scouts x10 w/missile, bp/ccw x4, bolter or sniper x4, and sgt w/power weapon.

 

If Storms were dedicated transports, they'd have some use. But I never have enough FA slots as it is, using a Storm would make that worse.

 

I'd like Storms if they could only take a full squad of Scouts. But as it is, I don't feel a scout combat squad has enough bodies or attacks to be a viable threat.

 

If they were dedicated transports that could carry 10 scouts, I'd never use Tacs again.

[Mustalid]

I think that the Heavy Flamer is the best option, as it takes the most advantage of the storm's -2 moral to enemies. It gives you a great chance to get your opponent to fall back, and then you can follow up with a scout charge to make them take another moral check OR BE DESTROYED! Works great vs. Tau and small Ork squads. The charge also makes your speeder safe from counter attack. If you want to destroy tanks, just use a normal landspeeder and take advantage of the storm's special rules. Part of a sucessful scout combat squad is positioning, place your models so that sarge is in base-to-base contact, and the other scouts are behind him within two inches. This way you get all your attacks as well as minimal retaliation. The storm is open-topped so you charge after disembarking.