Your Choice of Transport?

[Joasht]

While I'm sure this question would depend a lot on the specific list, unit and role, I was wondering; what is your choice of transport?

 

I like Drop Pods for SWs, mostly due to their tendency to use closer-ranged weapons (e.g. combi weapons, melta, plasma guns) and their ability to stand their ground in assault a lot better than many armies. Plus, they are cheap, allowing me to load more bodies into my list. I'm not particularly sold on the concept of loading up a Stormwolf with Blood Claws; while I see the value of having such a high-capacity assault flier (particularly given that its no slouch at range itself), I've always been somewhat paranoid about my flying transports blowing up before delivering their load.

 

What do you guys prefer?

 

Thanks!

[Frater Cornelius]

You do not load anything inside the Stormwolf. No, just no. Too many points invested. The charge takes place T3 at best and after they killed a unit, they stand there like idiots because 6" movement is bad. If you can not move 12" and preferably have Fleet, forget melee in any shape or form.

I prefer pods. I deliver combi-weapon TDA bombs via pods, sometimes some UM tactical marines (depending on list) but usually they are meant for 3 Grav Centurions with Tiggy. Any other transport is lacking by a mile, especially if you have a competitive (read: xenos heavy) meta.

[ContemptuousAngel]

I disagree. If you're using Wolves Unleashed you have a good chance of getting troops in a storm wolf onto the table on turn two. You don't need to use them for assault. They can carry Terminators, Grey Hunters, Long Fangs, Wolf Guard, whatever. I don't think TWC are the only effective assault unit in our list either. Maybe they're the MOST effective, but not the only one. 

 

By the way I prefer Lasplas Razorbacks. Or my Storm Eagle. :)

[Frater Cornelius]

So, you want to start with around 500 points off the field in a 1750 game? I will only thank you for it ;)

[Skallagoose]

I know I'm in the minority here but i like rhinos. I just do… Theres something about moving a group of them together in the field and having a moving objective scorer. Is it survivable? HELL NO, but it moves and if you play with a lot of terrain (like i do) you can hide it. I run two in my list now. If i face an assault heavy enemy ill drop my guys off on my side of the field and send them around the enemy flanks to score line breaker and other objectives, while if i face a ranged list ill send them up as cover for my units. 

 

I don't like any of the space wolves flyers as transports because they cost too much to put into hover.

 

Drop pods are nice… and i have used them… BUT they don't move- which would be fine if they didnt scatter. I once played a game and it scatted just an inch too far off the obj i wanted and haven't used them since.

[Frater Cornelius]

I like attaching Deathwind to mine. That way they have an actual use if they drop too far away. But most of the time I use mine to deliver to a certain point, block path or block line of sight. Landing on objectives is secondary. I am in no position to play the objective game with my model count.

[tylerw]

I could be wrong, but it was explained to me that you could come on the board (on turn 2) in Hover with the Stormwolf, and that COULD lead to a T2 assault.  I dunno how frequently you'd get sufficient range, but if you were assigning outflanking to the SW, maybe it works.

[Z00Z]

I dont know hey. I dont think anything coming out of reserve can assault in the turn they arrive. Even an out-flanking LR cant. 

[Yoyo ninja]

I still go with rhinos, partly because I haven't got round to buying any pods, partly because I do like that rhinos are mobile. I can't be doing with dropping some GHs in and then needing them to be the other side of the board to claim the next objective. Then having to foot slog all the way (my Skyclaws help with this a bit, but they are usually busy cutting treads somewhere or leading a rear gard action when someone outflanks me). I know that they are not the most survivable but i usually still have one about at the end of a game to grab/contest objectives with.

 

Also I don't think there is much else that we have access to that can replace them. After them I would say Landraiders are a great transport, survivable, you can get a lot of troops across the board and support them well at the other end, but they are prohibitively expensive unless you are playing really big games. Even then you are not going to want to fork out for one for basic troops. The next best thing in my opinion is the stormwolf but like Immersturm says I would start it with anything in. I would just have it pick up troops on the board if needed, but it's better off just being a gunship. And last for me are Razorbacks. I like 10 man GH squads, so these are pointless for me. I used to take one for my long fangs for the extra heavy weapon, but then I fell out with long fangs and stopped taking them.

[Rune_Priest_Rhapsody]

I like drop pods for my TDAWG and rhinos for power armored troops. I have packed a bunch of blood claws into a StormGrrr a few times to my enjoyment and my opponents disappointment!!

I have also been known to put a pack of Long Fangs into a razorback.

 

End of Line

[Karack Blackstone]

Rhino: GH's packs with upgrades to WGPL, if any, RP if any

 

Razorback: LF's packs

 

LR Godhammer: WG TDA packs

 

LR Crusader: BC packs, WGPL if any, WP if any; or, WG TDA packs, with Attached if any

 

Stormwolf: BC packs, WGPL if any, WP if any

 

Stormfang: Not sure, I was wondering about LF's, however that might not work overall.

 

One opinion amongst many.

[Leif Bearclaw]

While I've still been running Rhinos. I'm currently leaning towards Razorbacks for Hunters as part of an armour focused list, with a Raider for a WL/Blood Claw assault element.

 

As for ultimate preference? It depends on the list you're building. If you play sensibly, then any of three available options can work. Plus, as Skallagoose said, it depends on your local meta. If terrain is sparse, you'll struggle to run Rhinos, and pods are your best bet. But if terrain is plentiful/appropriate. then it ultimately comes down to personal opinion, any transport can work in the right list, but take the option that gives you a list you enjoy playing with.

[Joasht]

One of the common concepts I've heard touted many times is that if you go Drop Pods, you go full-on Drop Pods (e.g. 7-9 pods in the army). For some reason, I see that SWs can do the grounded transport + Drop Pod hybrid easier, assuming the Pods are carrying things that don't fit in other places (e.g. dropping in Murderfang). 

 

Thoughts?

[Rune_Priest_Rhapsody]

I like the combination of the two. The pods are for a more precision tactic, with the mobility of the rhino to provide support.

 

I think that dropping bullseye targets and then having moving units can help ensure tactical advantage. It helps with the 'which one to do you choose' idea that I like to play. A rhino full of GH's is less threatening that a drop pod full of murder. Or is it...??!! ;)

 

End of Line

[Wolf Guard Dan]

I have been playing with pods instead of rhinos/razorbacks lately and I love them.  I love them SO much.

 

I have also been podding in TDA w/ combi weapons.  They're useful and they usually stick around a lot longer than non-TDA.  My gaming group just shake their heads because TDA are not "efficient".  I just have a hard time passing 3+ saves these days with all of the high strength high volume shots.

 

And although I have never used a Storm Wolf I think that Immersturm has a point about leaving 500 points of the table and not be able to charge until turn 3.  I hear a lot of people running them with smaller units so it is not as much of an investment.  I really like the idea of an ObSec Stormwolf though!

[Rune_Priest_Rhapsody]

5 Blood Claws in a StormGrrr is a lot more efficient that dumping 250-ish points worth of tactical dreadnought armor into it.

That's the truth.

 

End of Line

[Joasht]

It's both interesting and yet not overly surprising that even though TDA can now deep strike in this edition of the SW dex, many still prefer podding them.

[Rune Priest Jbickb]

It's safer to pod. I miss the dedicated transport pod option on termis to be honest. It's one of the few complaints I have about the new dex

[Yoyo ninja]

It's both interesting and yet not overly surprising that even though TDA can now deep strike in this edition of the SW dex, many still prefer podding them.

The only problem with this is that pods ain't an option for TDA WG anymore. So the only way I can see of doing it is taking a pod as a fast attack choice and there is much better stuff to put in those slots.

[Rune_Priest_Rhapsody]

It's both interesting and yet not overly surprising that even though TDA can now deep strike in this edition of the SW dex, many still prefer podding them.

 

Deep striking 230ish points off of the table basically ruins the game and your chances of winning it. Mostly, it just ruins your day.

The only time I feel safe DSing the TDA packs is when I have locator beacons on the Drop Pods.

 

End of Line

[Wulfgar Ironmane]

Pods and Razors mostly. but depends on the list i guess.. Still those two are my top choices.
The extra firepower the RB provide does wonders for me. As i keep my packs always pretty small.
And the pods are great for the whole "surprise i have meltas and big mean termies in your face" kind of thing. 

[NightHowler]

There are several occasions when I use my Stormwolf as a transport instead of as a gunboat.

 

Take the Stormwolf as a dedicated transport for a naked 5 man Bloodclaws unit and attach an ironpriest for a flier that can outflank on a 4+. Take 2 for twice as much fun.

 

Take the Stormwolf as a fast attack slot and stick a Culexus inside for a flying anti magic bubble of doom to shut down those pesky insible units and jetseer councils at exactly the same moment your thunderwolves are getting ready to charge.

 

Or you can put 7-8 TDA WG with combi-melta/chainfists for a T3 Titan-killer.

 

Under any other circumstances I prefer Drop Pods for T1 delivery of whatever.

 

My thunderwolves bring their own transport.

 

I have several rhinos, razorbacks, and landraiders, but haven't used them much in 7th. It's not that they're bad, they just don't fit my play style.

[Ulrik_Ironfist]

I like drop pods, and I tend to run two wolf guard thunderstrike formations, with a squad of grey hunters or a dreadnought in a pod to back them up, and get them in first turn. 

 

Now, as for transports that actually move, I like the stormraven( I take the astartes storm wing on occasion) Since I play shooty wolves, turn 3 assaults don't bother me as much, nor does getting charged. And it plays to my theme of an Air Assault Space Wolves Force.

 

Lets look at the Stormraven vs the Stormwolf

1. Stormraven can deliver troops via deepstrike along its flight path, and carries a dreadnought. Stormwolf can only deliver troops by its assault ramp up front. 

2. Stormraven can deliver troops near combat without dropping to hover, Stormwolf cannot.

3. Stormraven can disembark passengers via the above method, after zooming, stormwolf has to enter in hover and can only move 6" in order to disembark the turn it       comes on.

There are probably more reasons the Stormraven is better, but those are just a handful of reasons. Don't get me wrong, the Stormwolf is good, but it's poorly thought out. It doesn't do transport as well as the Stormraven, and the stormtalon does air support and dogfighting better for ~100pts less. Now the huge benefit to the stormwolf is it can be taken as a dedicated transport, meaning you get it without spending an FOC slot. You don't have to embark the unit that takes it as a transport, so it still gets all of those benefits, but you can put the unit on the board and not have as many points hanging in reserve. Take attached to a unit of WGTDA to get it as a fast attack, without using a slot. This is the same way I get my land raiders and razorbacks into my lists.

 

Stormfang Gunship is a good transport for small squads of terminators, or my favourite, lone wolves. Zoom it where you want it, drop to hover and drop out a lone wolf right into your opponent's back line.

 

Razorbacks are my go to for long fangs, because I can get yet more lascannons that way.

I also like to employ heavy bolter/assault cannon razorbacks with small squads of GH for ambushing or objective holding. 

 

I like all of the Space Marine transports, for different things, but of all of them, I like the Stormraven and drop pods. 

[NightHowler]

Can your stormraven make me a ham sandwhich? Because all that reading about how great stormravens are has made me terribly hungry.

Seriously, though. Stormravens may be better at transporting things, but I think the Stormwolf holds up to the Stormraven just fine in terms of damage output. With 4 twin-linked S8/9 AP1/2 shots it fills the role of monster-killer/tank-hunter just as well, if not better than the Stormraven, but it also has the option for a twin-linked S6 AP3 blast (something the Stormraven can't do). Plus for the purists among us, we can take the Stormwolf without relying on allies.

We all have our preferences and reasons for liking one unit over another, as a purist I like the Stormwolf better even if it's not as good at transporting stuff.

[Ulrik_Ironfist]

I'll agree that the stormwolf does have its upsides, like the fact that it can be taken a lot easier, and the blast weapon is nice, and more reliable than the plasma cannons on the stormraven. I'm just saying that I feel the Stormwolf is overcosted for air support, and it seems like a waste not to put something in it, so it's suffering a little from an identity crisis IMO.