Double Stormraven lists Viable

[Morticon]

I've decided that Meltas aren't worth it. Limited range plus only a single die isn't worth the effort.

 

Single die with a reroll. They are TL after all. Add to that, you can alpha strike by moving only 6" during the turn you want to really hit something, and add 4 Bloodstrike missiles against the same target, with POTMS Assault Cannon on something else...

 

Exactly right! Added to the fact you're also paying for a unit that is an assault vehicle means youre using it (or should be) to deliver packages of death!

That multimelta is golden! Also, when you deepstrike, you can also have a go with it up clsoe and personal.

[Brother_Dan'l]

My point is that even though it's a good gun it can only ever kill one thing at a time. With the TML I can kill 2 vehicles in a squadron or multiple infantry via blast. The Multi-meltas? One guy. Yes the TML cost 25 points. But with twice the range and twice the shots I've found it to be much more effective. The only time I've ever seen a SR killed in CC was when one zipped in to take advantage of the melta rule. And it only knocked a gun off it's target anyway. Besides, with the mobility of the Stormraven the only tank you have no choice but to shoot in an AV14 arc is a Land Raider. I'd rather throw a pair of Krak Missiles and the Assault Cannon in to 95% of the armored target on the table. And I don't know about you guys but I face a hell of a lot more infantry units than tanks in my games.

 

Am I really the only one who feels that Lascannon + Multi-melta is a waste of all the Stormraven's abilities? :lol:

[Burningblood]

Well when the model eventually comes out I'll be getting two. One will be Plasma cannon and typhoon armed and the other probably Assault cannon and typhoon. I will probably magnetise everything anyway.

[Zealadin]

Am I really the only one who feels that Lascannon + Multi-melta is a waste of all the Stormraven's abilities? :confused:

 

Thats kind of a strange stance to take....

The Stormraven is basically a gunship, its assault capabilities are great, but realistically to use it really well you want to be unloading mass firepower before trying to use it as a delivery system, otherwise it could easily go down in flames and have been a total waste of points, after delivering something you also ideally want to continue using it as a gunship.

Its a real finese unit, using it like a LR and it will probably fail due to AV12, use it like a mobile firebase and again your wasting half its abilities.

 

Typhoon ML is certainly more flexible and I would take it, but the MM is more suited against say a LR, its a personal choice. The MM and LC is of course mixing ranges which I would try and avoid, but its dependant on how someone uses it. If they are more concerned with a close range AT assault vehicle then its a reasonable choice.

This isn't even considering the fact it can carry a dread, and the dread can also assault from the Stormraven, due to the assault vehicle rule.

[GlauG]

I'm increasingly finding that my Stormraven comes in too late for the short-ranged weapons to do a lot in a game, and it's made doubly bad by Spearhead deployment. A lot of the time, because of how I tend to play, I find a game is more or less decided by turn 3, and that's /without/ the 500pt-ish Death Star the fully-loaded Stormraven represents on the board. Just once I'd like my SR to come on in turn 2 so the guys on board get to do something meaningful. :/ I'm toying with the Typhoon ML purely for the sake of having the extra range paired with the Lascannon, so when it comes on it can do a pretty clean sweep of any armour left on the board with 6 Krak missile shots and the twin las...

[kollar]

The Stormraven is basically a gunship, its assault capabilities are great, but realistically to use it really well you want to be unloading mass firepower before trying to use it as a delivery system, otherwise it could easily go down in flames and have been a total waste of points, after delivering something you also ideally want to continue using it as a gunship.

Its a real finese unit, using it like a LR and it will probably fail due to AV12, use it like a mobile firebase and again your wasting half its abilities.

 

 

I disagree with that. By (ab)using the transport capabilities you can plant several high threat units close to the enemy, forcing him to prioritise what to shoot at. When you're dropping off an assault unit, or even better a rampaging DC Dread just next to his base, you're forcing him to deal with both units. By dropping off two units, you are almost certainly guaranteed that the Stormraven will survive. I will readily admit that my experience with SR's so far is somewhat lacking, as I prefer to wait for the model. Only had one real game with a proxy from a vulture. What I do envision it doing is one of two things;

 

If you get first turn; Move 12" towards a high threat target, drop off payload (example, foot DC with a chappy and a DC dread). Immediately, your opponent will go pale from the three very dangerous units close to his force.

 

If you're not getting first turn; Reserve it, when it comes on (use corbulo reroll to help get it on faster), use the Flat Out move the first turn. Melta something with POTMS, possibly dropping off the DC unit via skies of blood. Next turn, move 6", alpha something to hell, while dropping off a 'Fleet' DC Dread, ready to rampage into his lines.

 

Add to this that you are saving a total of at least 85 points from the Rhino and Drop Pod you don't have to take to transport the DC Dread and DC unit, and using the Stormraven as a combined transport/gunship is using it to the fullest of it's capabilities.

 

I've been toying with the idea of two Stormraven carrying a Blood Talon Furioso Dread each. Less "eggs in a basket" approach, but when the SR drops off the Dread, you present lots of armoured threat right in the opponents face. A SR with XA carrying a Furioso with XA is "only" 355 points. And then they come with both a TL MM and a TL AC. Might even put Hurricane Bolters on em...

[Zealadin]

Ok I don't really see how your going to manage to abuse the transport capabilities. Realistically it can only move 12" and deliver its payload.

If it moves flat out nothing can disembark and it makes it extremely easy for your opponent to shoot it down, you get a 4+ save but an immobilse is dead. Not good odds when you look at the prevalence of not just melta (which with str 8 can do the job fine) but also longer range str 6/7 shots. Alot of armies mass these (or ML's).

Your also going to be lacking target saturation with a Stormraven, its expensive and its a deathstar if you outfit it to deliver something nasty. Its probably between 25-33% of your entire army depending on the point level.

 

Getting first turn is a pretty big gamble, and personally I think the deepstrike rule is a total joke since it removes the assault vehicle rule... I mean seriously? With all the dangers and inaccuracy of deepstriking they really took a dump on it, especially considering its price.

 

I would never move a distance first turn that disallows me shooting all the Stormravens weapons, personally I'd have it somewhere where it is either out of sight or obscured but can move 6" and unleash its rather deadly array of weapons, and hopefully knock out a few enemy units.

Your getting value for money if you can take out some points worth here, and already limiting your opponents mobility or firepower most likely.

Having it filled with something really deadly certainly does help, and makes it an ideal carrier or say DC since it allows you to circumnavigate Rage to an extend and deliver something very deadly, and realistically giving 10 DC jump packs is getting close to the cost of a Stormraven.

 

I'd also be tempted to look at putting a min squad of scouts inside. Sniper rifles, and a ML and it becomes scoring. Add a dread and you have scoring + a deadly CC monster, and an amazing vehicle for laying down ranged hurt.

 

The biggest criticism I've heard from people using them as a traditional assault vehicle is they die, and your not actually benefitting from their extremely expensive weaponry.

I have however heard good things using them as more of a support vehicle.

 

From using AV12 as eldar I know how (even with the special rules Eldar get) easily you can lose a valuable unit, and unlike Eldar, BA can't get enough of these to avoid the cost.

In a way I kind of think the Stormraven should have been AV13 for its cost, but its not really relevant.