thinking of adding one of the forgeworld fliers

[TheAvengingKnee]

I am looking to add one of the forgeworld fliers to my collection, I am torn between the fire raptor and the storm eagle, both seem good and have there merrits and flaws:

 

so far my pros/cons list is:

Fire Raptor:
Pros:
Great anti infantry and light armour
can fire at 4 separate targets
cheaper(points wise)

strafing run

cons:
no customization
light vehicle kill only

Storm eagle:
Pros:
Can be kitted out to fight flyers and tanks and infantry
transport capacity

"absolute swine to put together"

Cons:

easy to kit out to be to expensive
Have to land to embark/disembark
top mounted weapons(los issues at closer ranges)

please let me know if you have additions or contradictions to my list.

[Stercus]

Storm eagle is a great looking vehicle, but be aware that its an absolute swine to put together. Be prepared to swear a lot. Invest in some decent tools, glue, fillers and metal rod for pinning. Fire raptor although based on the same chassis has apparently been better moulded and is less evil to construct. I can't give any specifics as I've only built the eagle, but rest assured, once I'd finished it I was delighted with the results.

[TheAvengingKnee]

Someone at the local game store has one of the storm eagles on display, and ill admidt it is an amazing looking model.  From the pictures I've seen the fire raptor is also a very nice looking monster as well.

[Tanyr]

Just wanted to point out that the Fire Raptor can fire at 4 different targets. One standard, another with PotMS, and two others with the independent targeting systems. As an aside, while it does lack the ability to one-shot AV14, our army doesn't precisely lack for anti-armour ( though we hardly excel ). What we do often need is anti-flier, for which the Fire Raptors armaments work quite well, and the variety of its armaments will still wreak havoc with most infantry ( as you pointed out ). It comes with strafing run to boot!

 

How important is having transport capability to you? While the Storm Eagle has more options, those options will quickly raise it up to dangerous levels for an av12 vehicle.

[TheAvengingKnee]

I had completely missed strafing run on the fire raptor that is just amazing, the machine spirit allowing it to fire on 4 different targets is also nice. think its pretty much decided for me at this point, the fire raptor is less versatile but for a single role unit it is amazing, I have melta on my bikes so killing tanks is not hard. for anti air I have 2 contemptor mortis dreadnaughts, who are great and shooting down flyers with auto cannons and cyclone missiles.

 

 

where are the rules for the hellstrike missiles?

[Cactus]

Appendix IV, page 248 of Imperial Armour Volume 2.

[TheAvengingKnee]

so there ordanance, well that kinda stinks, but the rest of the guns are awesome since theyll hit almost all the time against ground targets.

[Fulminata]

Both are very good vehicles. My Storm Eagle carries my ten Deathwing Knights into battle. They just don't work out too well in a deepstrike situation.

 

I also have a Fire Raptor and the thing is a troop-killing beast. I usually fight either Chaos Space Marines, Orks or Tau and it rips through them all.

 

If I can help it, both craft will come in during the same turn and mutually support each other. The Storm Eagle has pretty good anti-armor weapons it armed that way.

[TheAvengingKnee]

For now im going to go with the fire raptor gunship and ill look into a storm eagle in the future, going to have to magnetise the autocannons/heavy bolters to be able to swap them easily.