Stormraven gunships

[Ultramarine vet]

Hello everyone! For a long while, I've been fielding my space marines with their boots on the ground, no transports. I have won a lot of games in 6th edition and I think I have lucked out a bit in 7th ed.

 

So, the more and more I think about Stormravens, the more I want them. I'm thinking about getting anywhere from 3 to 6 Stormravens for my army. What squads are best to put in Stormravens and how many should I field? I usually play 3500+ points with a lot of tactical and devastator squads. I'm very shooty. Stormravens are expensive but are they worth it? I would appreciate all the advice and help I can get my brothers!

[Quixus]

If you want to field 3 Stormravens anyway, get the BA formation Angel's Fury Spearhead Force. The three Tactical squads in the aircraft have ObSec and FC, the ravens facilitate deep striking near them and best of all there is a chance all three come in Turn 1.

[Jarl of Wulfen]

There was also this discussion from a while back http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/298515-whats-the-best-contents-for-a-stormraven/?do=findComment&comment=3902562

[Leonaides]

You can also charge from deep strike with that ba formation... turn 1 assault by dreadnouht in a pod or terminator assault squads for example.

[Fibonacci]

You can also charge from deep strike with that ba formation... turn 1 assault by dreadnouht in a pod or terminator assault squads for example.

That's going to be damn hard to pull off since the unit needs to within 12" of 2 of the teleport homers being carried by the 3 tac squads not to mention the arguments you get into over the fact that TP homers only work for units composed entirely of models in TDA so dreads may not be affected.

 

Be sure to discuss the homer vs new formation rule problems with your gaming group before you start the game.  And turn 2 assaults are still nice to get when you don't have to stand around a turn eating bullets.

[GreyCrow]

Hey there ! So, here's a few things I've learned when playing a single Stormraven on the table :

1) Its AV12 immune to melta makes the flier extremely resistant in most cases !

 

2) On a points per points basis, its firepower is very decent, but nothing to write home about. I feel that there are two loadouts that are very efficient in my humble opinion : either the basic MM/LC/4 Missiles for 200 points, either the full service Hurricane Bolters, Typhoon Missile Launchers and Assault Cannons for 255 points. If your army is already mobile, then I would go for the first option because it's cheap enough and you can at maximum throw down 5 S8-9 AP2 and 1 shots which is great for taking down or neutering the big hitters out there. If your list is relatively static and you use the Stormraven to deliver a very nasty hard hitting unit paired with a Dreadnought, the 2nd option becomes very interesting.

With that second option, remember that when you'll go into hover mode to discharge your contents, you'll be able to fire *all* of your weapons because you're going to move 6" most likely. That means 6 S8 shots, 4 S6 twin linked and most likely 12 S4 twin linked shots, which is extremely nasty against an kind of unit. Alternatively, you can unload the 4 Stormstrikes + 2 krak Missiles on the turn you arrive, then switch to anti-infantry firepower to clear an area with  your frag missiles and the rest of your guns.

 

3) Don't plan on always using Skies of Fury. The Stormraven is resilient enough that you can afford one turn on the table, then switch to hover mode.

[Leonaides]

 

You can also charge from deep strike with that ba formation... turn 1 assault by dreadnouht in a pod or terminator assault squads for example.

That's going to be damn hard to pull off since the unit needs to within 12" of 2 of the teleport homers being carried by the 3 tac squads not to mention the arguments you get into over the fact that TP homers only work for units composed entirely of models in TDA so dreads may not be affected.

 

Be sure to discuss the homer vs new formation rule problems with your gaming group before you start the game.  And turn 2 assaults are still nice to get when you don't have to stand around a turn eating bullets.

 

Its actually quite easy, and the abilty to charge from deep strike is not linked to the homers, nor to teleporting troops. Fly in all 3 ravens so that they end their move 12" apart, that gives you an approximate area of 24" where any deep-strike unit can land and if it does so, it may avoid the restriction on deep-strike units not being able to charge. Note, this does not avoid the restriction on charging out of a vehicle (but drop-pods being open-topped avoids that anyway). The distance is to the tactical squad sergeant, but you can measure from the outside of the raven if you stay embarked. If your enemy has good anti-air you can either clump the ravens closer (providing better overlapping) or skies of blood the squad if you think thats safer.

 

It works on they turn up (ie: turn 1 if you are lucky) so if you have any other ways to guarantee T1 deepstriking then it would work for that. Deathwing assault, drop-pods, a few formations...

[L30n1d4s]

I have said it before, but I have had tremendous success running the following:

 

-2 x Scout Squads (5 models, all CCW/BP, MB on Sgt)

 

-2 x Stormravens (TLed MM, TLed LC, 4 x Missiles)

 

This unit has given me tremendous anti-fly shooting, great close air support against ground targets, objective seizing with Scouts, and even anti-tank with the Scout Krak Grenades/Melta Bombs. Overall, this combo has been in almost all of my competitive lists.

[Fibonacci]

 

Its actually quite easy, and the abilty to charge from deep strike is not linked to the homers, nor to teleporting troops.

That's not what the rules say in my White Dwarf ...

[Quixus]

The rules only say that the deep striking unit can do all this if it is within 12" of two models with a teleport homer. It does not tie the ability to the homer itself

 

@Leonaides: How do drop pods avoid the rule that units arriving from reserve are not allowed to charge on the turn they arrive? Even the passengers arrive from reserves. Open topped does not negate that restriction.

[Fibonacci]

The teleport homers are items that already exist and have rules. 

"Friendly units composed entirely of models in Terminator armour do not scatter when arriving from Deep Strike Reserve, so long as the first model is placed within 6" of the teleport homer’s bearer. For this to work, the bearer must have been on the battlefield at the start of the turn."

 

The angel's fury spearhead formation has a restriction that each tac sgt in the formation must take a homer at 0 points.  These are plane old homers and work even for you DA deathwing allies among others.

 

The formation has another special rule called augur triangulation.   That rule allows BA units to be with 12" of 2 models with teleport homers from the formation (changes the 6" TPH base rule).  Allied terminators can still use the 6" no scatter benefit of this formations honers, but only BA get 12" range.  The rule also says that thie arriving unit may assault when it arrives thus changing the base rule that units cannot assault when the arrive from reserves.

 

However, no where does it alter the other rules for having a teleport homer.  Friendly terminator units can still use it to avoid scatter when within 6" and it still has its base rule that "the bearer must have been on the battlefield at the start of the turn."  Nothing changed that rule for teleport homers.  It is still in effect.

 

My understanding is that the wording "friendly unit with the Blood Angels faction" changes who can use it to ALL BA units, not just terminators, but I know some people want to play it with the restriction of TDA only like the homer rules state.  Locally we are saying all BA units plus allied terminators but it could be played the other way without breaking any existing rules as well.

[Fibonacci]

@Leonaides: How do drop pods avoid the rule that units arriving from reserve are not allowed to charge on the turn they arrive?

White Dwarf #47, page 19

[Quixus]

 

@Leonaides: How do drop pods avoid the rule that units arriving from reserve are not allowed to charge on the turn they arrive?

White Dwarf #47, page 19

 

I was under the impression that Leonaides wanted to say that Drop pods always negated that restriction even without the formation's special rule:

Note, this does not avoid the restriction on charging out of a vehicle (but drop-pods being open-topped avoids that anyway).

Emphasis mine.

[Leonaides]

To be clear then. You 'can' charge out of a drop pod since it is an open-topped vehicle. You cannot charge on the turn you arrive from deep strike however, though the tri-raven formation circumvents that restriction.

[Leonaides]

The rules for using a teleport homer are quite separate from the auger triangulation rules. Triangulation works on anything arriving by deep strike. The 'ideal' way to use this would be for a turn 1 assault where your enemy only gets 1 round of overwatch at you as you charge. Methods of arrival on turn 1 generally are drop pods though there may be a formation that allows it.

 

If however, you deep-struck a different trsnsport, like a rhino for example, you would not be able to charge because it is not an open-topped vehicle.

[Fibonacci]

I don't think we are going to change anyone's mind and this is actually the wrong place for the discussion.

[Quixus]

The rules for using a teleport homer are quite separate from the auger triangulation rules. Triangulation works on anything arriving by deep strike.

Correct.

 

If however, you deep-struck a different trsnsport, like a rhino for example, you would not be able to charge because it is not an open-topped vehicle.

Why? Because the passengers don't arrive by deep strike?

[Leonaides]

Auger triangulation circumvents the restriction that you normally cannot charge from deep strike. It does not circumvent the restriction that you cannot charge on the turn you exit a vehicle. You must satisfy any/all relevant conditions to charge, so a drop pod is fine because it is open topped,Or a landraider because it is an assault vehicle, but any other vehicle that doesnt have either of these rules would stop it.

[Quixus]

Well land raiders and rhinos cannot deep strike anyways so the point is moot.

[Leonaides]

At the moment......

[Lord Lorne Walkier]

1) The most powerful Stormravens come in the Stormwing formation.  They get Strafing run as long as both Stormtalons are functioning.

 

2) The real value in a Stormraven is in its Assault Transport ability.  If you are looking for a pure gunship, better to use a Stormtalon, points wise.  Zooming one turn and delivering a Assault the next can be devastating.  This is something Flying monsters use to be able to pull off in 6th.  This is almost as good as assaulting from Deep strike.

 

3) As a transport the Stormraven is Great and can do three things no other ride can.  A, hold two separate units.  B, hold jump troops. C, hold a Dreadnought!  If you are not using them to transport these rare unit types then i feel you are missing out.

 

I have been using my lone Stormraven to hold a Jump Captain, 5 Vanguard vets and a Dreadnought.  This is a high risk/ reward way of war.  If you can boost your Reserve roll some how it starts to pay off big time. I use a Landraider Prometheus ( + 1 to all reserve rolls), and also roll on the Strategic warlord traits to get the Re roll reserve roll.  After i Disembark the Jump troops and Dreadnought, I make sure to declare an assault with my Dread first.   That way my enemy has to waste all his over-watch on a AV 12, 3 HP unit, leaving my Jump unit unmolested. 

 

I also arm my Stromraven with a Twin-linked Plasma Cannon.  This will reduce its Anti air power but i don't care because i use my two Stormtalons for that.  My Raven is a dedicated Air to ground gunship.  A Twin linked, BS 5, Plasma cannon abuses Terminators.