Fun with 2 storm ravens

[Isryion]

It had been awhile since I played any 40k and my Blood Angels, but the new release got me to dust them off. I went with 2 Storm Ravens and thought I'd share a battle report and observations for those interested in tangible examples over Theoryhammer.

 

A brief bit of background: It was my first game of 40k in months against a Space Wolf rival I haven't yet beat. We're both regular WFB players and started 40k early last year. We'd played 3 games against each other before this and it just seemed everything my BA could do, his SW could do better. That is, until last night....Feel free to skip to the notes if you don't want to read the blow-by-blow report.

 

Other things to keep in mind as you read:

1. My 40k group tends to use Battle Missions and play mostly for fun. This is good and bad, but it meant that we would both make silly mistake playing scenarios we rarely play. In this case, we played Tyranid Infestation (p.86) and I was randomly selected to be the Tyranids. I essentially got the advantage of deployment, likely going first, and stealth while he had preferred enemy. It was a kill points scenario.

2. Not only had I not played 40k in awhile, I hadn't played a game where I needed to judge any distances in about 8 months. I was way off in general with these. On the other hand, he'd played mostly 40k in that time and typically wins.

3. When I built my list I really just wanted to include two storm ravens and try a couple of other things I hadn't before (no sang priests, astorath, vanguard vets). I got a lot of jokes about cheese from my friends but they were good natured as they knew I had really no idea what I was doing both due to the scenario and lack of play for a long time. I stuck to mostly models I had painted and no proxies. Neither of us tend to build the ultra-competitive lists, though mine may have ended up meaner than it might look at first glance, or it could have been exaggerated by the scenario.

4. We always chat quite a bit before the game about various things as we clarify rules pretty carefully. I especially made to sure to explain SR rules but he had also read them in the WD, assuming I'd have one, so we wouldn't be shocked or beaten just by lack of knowledge of elements we didn't know about the others' army.

 

Speaking of lists:

MY BA:

Astorath

7 DC w/ 2xPW, Fist (In SR w/ Furioso)

10 RAS w/ 2x melta

10 RAS w/ flamer, melta, no jump packs (in SR w/ DC Dread)

5 VV w/ SS+PF, TH, PW+BP, BP+CS, 2xLC

2 storm ravens w EA, TLAC, TLMM

Baal Predator TLAC, HB sponsons

Furioso with BT

DC dread with BT

 

His SW (definitely not exact)

Rune Priest in Terminator Armor

Wolf Priest on bike

7-8 bikes, attack bike

3 Troop packs, 2 with rhinos

6-7 Long Fangs with razorback

5-6? Scouts with sniper rifles

3 Thunderwolf Cavalry

A SW (Lone Wolf?) in terminator armor with 2 wolves (some special kill point rule if he were alive at the end of the game it SW penalize my opponent)

 

All in all he outnumbered me by about 30. He would be forced to set up in one table corner (opposite my right) and my twelve inches beyond his table quarter edges. We could both reserve whatever we wanted to, but I had to set up first. I gambled that he wouldn't reserve anything (or much, and this is something we talked about that he would do much differently next time) and put most of my models at the edge of my deployment/ only the VV in reserve. One SR (Furioso+ RAS) to the left side of his deployment and the other to the right . Jump troops and Baal Pred behind some woods in the center. All units rolled red thirst. He avoided putting things on the edge of his deployment in general, but his bikes were definitely too close to my SR w/DC dread.

 

He deployed his Thunderwolves and a rhino with troops to my left, bikes, another rhino with troops to the right. Troops with Rune Priest in the center of his zone. Long fangs in the far back corner with their . Scouts ended up behind me just over 18" away from my jump troops and Baal Pred.

 

I ended up getting first turn.

 

The battle essentially was a battle of two flanks. Most of the battle he either hurricaned a unit or had the power up that made things difficult and dangerous terrain.

 

On the left side:

I actually moved my SR with the DC and Furioso back 6" as they weren't in assault range for anything and I didn't want to mess with the cavalry. Astorath left the RAS jumpers to move closer to the DC Stormraven while the RAS moved back to go after the SW scouts. The stormraven and Baal Pred emptied everything they had (including all four BS missiles) into the Thunderwolf cav. At the end, there was still one left with a single wound.

 

That remaining TW cavalry managed, with a good running roll, to just get in range to assault the SR. It immobilized it. The scouts boldly charged the RAS in hopes of tying them up and taking a few with them. It worked for a turn.

 

My turn two, the DC and Furioso piled out, Astorath planning to charge the remaining thunderwolf if necessary. The StormRaven destroyed the cav while Predator destroyed his troop carrying rhino on the left. The RAS finished off the scouts. KP 3-0.

 

His turn two, his "Lone Wolf" assaulted the furioso, obliterating it. and his remaining two troops, including the rune priest moved in on the stormraven and units surrounding it (furioso, DC+astorath). Lone Wolf blew up the dread after making a couple of invulnerable saves, but he only lasted through my next shooting phase. KP 3-1

 

I made the mistake of having my DC shoot at the Lone Wolf early in the turn, especially since I was in range of charging his troops who had bailed out of the rhino. But overall, it took the combined shooting of my RAS (who were returning from wiping out the scout), Baal Pred, and SR to take out the Lone Wolf in terminator armor. No KP for me, though so still 3-1.

 

I'm always amazed that between Wulfen and extra power weapons on rune priests and sergeants, SW seem to have little trouble with DC (of course preferred enemy was probably the big difference here). His troops, who had just bailed out of the rhino assaulted the DC and Astorath. They managed to get the DC but took a lot of damage in return. 3-2 BA.

 

Over the next couple of turns, both his remaining troops squads to casualties in the shooting phase, while his runic priest managed to kill Astorath with a psychic attack. Eventually, though, the shooting and RAS finished of the remaining troops unit and runic priest.

 

Total KP on the left 5-3

 

 

 

On the right side:

I moved the storm raven up and disembarked the assualt squad and DC dread. The stormraven shot at the Long Fangs with the MM and TLAC, killing one while melta gun. The foot RAS got lucky and popped his rhino on that side with a long range meltagun shot. In the assault phase, The dread tore through the bikes (and would finish the priest off in his turn), avoiding 2 3+ meltabomb sticks due to low rolls (3s total!) on the pentetration. KP total 2-0

 

His troops bailed out and dealt with the RAS on foot pretty handily through shooting and charging. DC dread finishes off wolf priest. The long fangs caused the SR to be shaken. KP total 3-1

 

The DC dread was free in my turn 2 but had to move towards the long fang's razorback. The SR got immobilized (rolled a 1!) by "the storm power" but blew up the razorback with it's TLAC, allowing the dread to run toward and assault his troops who had taken care of the RAS. The DC dread wiped them out. The storm raven would remain a gun emplacement for the rest of the game without earning anymore killpoints but would whittle down his other squads. KP total 5-1.

 

The DC dread would end it's rampage there. It did manage to help kill a few more troops in the unit with his rune priest, but after whiffing one round was destroyed by them. KP total 5-2

 

Vanguard vets came in on turn 2. I brought them in the storm with heroic intervention to kill off the long fangs. They did, but between the storm (lost two to dangerous terrain) and some good rolling by the SW, I had only one left. He hid out in the corner the rest of the game.Total on the right: 7-2 BA.

 

Final Score 12-5

 

NOTES:

 

Overall, I'd say this was the ideal scenario for my list, but a few thoughts:

 

The presence of the storm ravens made the Baal Predator almost invisible and it had a key role in cutting down thunderwolves and destroying a rhino as well as pouring fire into troops.

 

While I also got a bit lucky with my SRs, they are more resilient than I thought. Only one had the chance to use the assault vehicle rule and both were disabled by turn 2. Despite that, they were really highly effective and continued to kill enemy models throughout the game.

 

I didn't miss my sanguinary priest(s), even against an opponent that had preferred enemy across the board. Sure, I had red thirst, but it actually didn't come into play all that much as I only got a one (maybe two) assault of with a unit that had it and the fights' outcomes were pretty much decided with or without it.

 

VV will probably be making all my lists. Key to protecting things like the stormraven, I can imagine they'd be more useful if I kept the Ravens in reserve. My scatter roll, btw, was four inches but parallel to the unit I wanted to assault.

 

I've always used DC dreads, but imo they continue to be the most effective unit in the army for their points. Even when they don't do anything, they've hopefully drawn a lot of fire for what is one of the cheapest units in the list.

[Sanguinarian]

Way to take it to the Pups! Although I hated the part where your Furioso lost to the Lone Wolf, I agree with you that our DC Dreads with Blood Talons are the deadliest killers in the game for 120-something-points!!! IMHO, Furiosos don't benefit from Blood Talons as well as DC Dreads do. And Furiosos have access to the Frag Cannon that DC Dreads don't, so you have to use each of their strengths. I'd recommend you try your Furioso with Frag Cannon and Blood Fist, or use it as an MC Hunter (Lone Wolf) with two Blood Fists, otherwise a 2nd DC Dread would've minced that Lassie. At least it would've given you more Attacks and the chance for bonus if you scored an unsaved Wound. Nevertheless, great battle! I look forward to reading more and seeing pictures next time. ;)

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

I always love to see wolves get their arses handed to them. Well done m8! :)

 

G :)