Storm Raven

[Razmus]

Just wandering. For those of you who've had experience with the SR, do you find it to be a better gunship, or a better transport?

 

And why?

 

To me, it seems to be better suited for gunship roles.

 

Raz

[igotsmeakabob!!]

It's a transport 'til the 2nd or 3rd turn, when it becomes a gunship.. or slag.

[shatter]

Oh aye, it's both... it's also the most sensible (deployment) transport for Mephiston, Psycho Tycho, The Sanguinor and CC dreads.

 

Kind of nice to see the Stormraven getting reevaluated. It didn't half get poo-pooed at codex release for either role; gunship or transport.

 

If I'd had the resources and commitment, I'd already have a couple. I think they're just cool bananas. They can be the glue that holds hybrid lists together or support our fast mech' gun-lines or DoA.

[skawolf]

I have used it in every game I have played with the blood angels (it's actually the reason I started blood angels). It performs both roles expertly and I absolutely love it!

 

I use it in a manner that most will object to though, I like to pile a tac squad in and drop them on an objective in the 5th turn. It has worked out for me so far.

 

 

Sorry for any typos, I just drank a bottle of wine.

[TheMouth]

gunship first...transport second.

[Red Fury]

I really like the idea of it for transporting dreads. Drop pods got nerfed big time with the stupid drop pod assault rule, now SRs can bring in your dreads right when and where you need them, and after you've had a chance to clear out a couple MMs. I think the SR will help make my dreads viable again.

 

I also like a short range gunship idea, Typhoon missles with Hurricane bolters and then either the ass can or even plasma cannons. I haven't even proxied a SR, but imagine this: move 12" dump the cargo for an assault. Then fire off your main gun and all defensive weapons, that's either a plasma template (I'm leaning towards this for the AP2) or the 4 S6 asscan shots + 12 S4 Hbolter shots + 2 S4 frag missile blasts. Plus you can still use POTMS to fire off one blood missile. This is some serious close range fire support!

 

It's pretty good set up for long range shooting too with the lascannons and all the krak and blood missles (that's a one time shot of 6 x S8 shots plus the Lascannon!), but with a cargo it has a mixed/confused role. If it is hanging back shooting it is not delivering the madmen inside and if it does go to dump its cargo then the lascannon isn't a very good choice anymore. Since a combi-pred already has this role covered pretty well, I don't think I'd run a raven this way.

[daboarder]

I will be useing mine primarly as a gunship, however it will ocassionally be used to add units to my Jump list that normally don fit, such as sternguard or a tactical squad.

[Corby]

I will be useing mine primarly as a gunship, however it will ocassionally be used to add units to my Jump list that normally don fit, such as sternguard or a tactical squad.

 

 

Why use it as a gunship? It has 4 one shot missles and several 24" range weapon options , sure it can take a single lascannon or a typhoon missle launcher but you can get better Firepower elsewhere in the blood angel army and for cheaper points. , 200 points for 2 weapons and 4 super krak missles isn't what a stormraven is used for.

 

Stormravens are what should be used in place of Land raider transports for Terminators in a Blood Angel army. Or Used as a quick way of getting Furioso Dreadnoughts + Termies in your opponenets face in a single turn. A single Stormraven is pointless as well , its av 12 , and is very very very fragile. A single mistake with movement can cost you your stormraven. 2 provide Redundancy and Armour saturation.

[daboarder]

because in the all JP list I run most often its packing the biggest guns for the theme. I also run a squad of 2 LS's with TML and HB's in the same role, Main battle tanks and land raiders are poped by squads packing melta on the deepstrike. Missiles and what not are for poping anythign from dreads to transports. those 4 one shot missiles are nothing to snear at either they have good range, something the rest of my list is lacking in.

 

and finally, the rule of cool.

[undeadfilth]

how do you get meph in a transport?

[Chairman_woo]

how do you get meph in a transport?

 

He can start the game in a non-deicated transport, i.e. stormraven. You just put him in there when you deploy, its only dedecated transports that can only start with their pairent squad embarked.

[the jeske]

costs too much to be a gunship. now if it was costed like a vendetta or a valk it would be different.

[Corby]

costs too much to be a gunship. now if it was costed like a vendetta or a valk it would be different.

 

 

Exactly.

[Brother Hadafix]

Its niether, its a fugly air borne *such thing could never 'fly'* mongrel cross between a rhino and a valk thats been beaten with the ugly stick.

 

Other than than I would say transport, in the same way that a Chimera is a transport.

[Razmus]

costs too much to be a gunship. now if it was costed like a vendetta or a valk it would be different.

Agreed. We'd all like it to cost less. But if you don't make it the focal point for which all success depends upon, then I think it might be viable (for the points).

 

However, that said. I did start this post to get experienced players opinions.

 

I'm thinking that a DOA troops and HQ army would be well supported by a gunship themed Hs and Fa:

2 x storm ravens w/ extra armor = 430 pts

3 x land speeder typhoons = 270 pts

Total = 700 pts for 5 units w/ some pretty competitive capabilities

 

Are ther other units that do the same or come close? Sure, but not for a cohesive theme.

 

On a separate note, when I build a list, I look at how many units I've got minus transports b/c transport w/ unit inside means more focused fire from your opponent. They won't be splitting their fire. Regarding th SR:

SR + unit + dread = roughly 550-625 pts for three combined units that your opponent will focus fire on. But, in a strictly gunship roll your opponent will have to look at three serious threats and choose his order of priority. Just sayin.

 

Thoughts?

 

Raz

[Judaz]

I see your point there Raz. But I do think that a pred or a vindicator fills that role better than the SR. Cheaper and tougher and it's easier to hide them. The SR can bring more shots a single turn than the others, but I think the others have more staying power.

 

But the theme is as important as the effectiveness for me, so I understand why you'd go with a SR.

[RebG]

It's flexible, that's the point.

 

I run one carrying DC and DC dread and support it with two speeders. For the first turn or two its there to transport my (small) hammer units into the enemies midst and hopefully pop a tank or take a couple of wounds from a monstrous creature etc.

 

If it lives past that its going as far away as is feasible and doing some lascannon sniping. Remember with it's POTMS you can focus on keeping it moving and still get a shot off at something you want dead. When the model comes out for it I have a list ready for running two, I'm just too lazy to convert another but I love 'em.

[JamesI]

If I used one, I would be planning it as a trasnport first gunship after it delivers its cargo (probably a DC dread or Furioso and a DC unit or Sanguard)

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

I see it as both a transport and gunship - that seems to have been the designer's intent to me. It can also carry jump units which I have found to be a big perk, sure the size of the transported squad is smaller but they can cover more ground after they disembark. Typically I use mine to alphastrike when it arrives from reserve then it drops off a dread and assault unit so they can charge. After that if its still flying I use it to pick off enemy armor. It's also good for contesting objectives late in the game. So I see it as both a transport and a gunship, using it as such you'll get the most out of it.

[Chairman_woo]

Vs eldar and especially Dark eldar now Ravens can make a handy substitute for Land Raiders due to the abbundance of lances (mileage may vary).

 

I think they have to some extent been overlooked as a compliment to a DOA based list. With the majority of your jumpers ariving on turn 2 you can close down many, most or all of the big threats facing the raven, the raven in turn allows you to bring Hammer units like thundernators, death co (sans JP) and dreads without sacrificing too much manouverability and flexibility.

 

Between Vanguard and double/tripple Melta RAS I think its quite possible to make most ballanced lists struggle to deal with a turn 2 or 3 arival of even a single stormraven, and if you can get a charge off with a squad of thundernators and or a tallon dread exactly where you want it the enemy isent likely to come back of the back foot. I'd only use either a squad or a dread in the raven tho, you are going to need as many points as possible in JP marines to make the concept "fly" (see what I did there). It could all go horribly wrong naturally, all the normal perils of a DOA list are very much still there, and syphoning 500ish points away from Jumpers wont help.

 

I doubt it will ever be "optimal" but I'm certain it can be made to work to a passable standard.

[bloodancient]

It's a gunship and a transport like a LR if you use it for only one purpose then you have denied it of it's role every time i see a LR and no one put anything in it to move over the field it's like yu spat on this great behemeth.

[Zeller]

It's a Mi-24 Hind gunship. Cargo capacity for troops and firepower for destruction.

[Judaz]

It's a Mi-24 Hind gunship. Cargo capacity for troops and firepower for destruction.

 

And constantly being shot down by Rambo.

[bulley]

One of my questions over it will be at what points level do you use it.

 

I am intriqued by the idea of using a couple of them as drop off transports then later gun boats - a bit like how I use my LR:C but w/ way more firepower. But I typically play 1500 (UK) which would struggle to get them in. The first instinct for me would be lashing in thunder hammer terms (w/ a couple or so LC's in there, and a libby) - thus a SR/Terms/Libby is a 500 point investment - throw in the I'd now be running at 700 odd w/ 800 left to fill out my army (which would end up being something like x4 razorback ASM squads).

 

But back to the original topic, if you using them, they are transports first where really you want to have deployed on T2 and really no later than T3 - and then have them gun boating T3-5/6/7 if they can survive that long. I mean once they've deployed people what else are you going to do with them? lol.

[Brother-Captain Devlonir]

I plan to use mine to transport an Assault Squad with IC attached and a Furioso/DC Dread. Drop them both off in the heart of battle during the second turn and from that turn use it as a gunship, or a way to pick up my footslogging DC and deliver them somewhere else next turn to avoid kiting.

 

To get your 10 man Assault Squad safely somewhere in a combined list of tanks and jump infantry is golden, and to have a Furioso get FC reliably because of the Sang Priest in the Storm Raven/RAS is also something great.

 

I will also test it as a DC transport, but I feel it will be forced too much to be thrown into the meatiest part of an enemy and will risk being shot too much because of that. But I will try it for sure!