Stormbird thoughts - ideas?

[depthcharge12]

So now that the Stormbird rules have been released, we are able to assess its function and rules via theoryhammer for the time being. The Bird is on a first glance, quite good....more expensive than a Thunderhawk, but seemingly better.

I'd like to know what units you guys and gals would stick in it and how you would use it in a 4000 point game and the meta at the moment. Here's my preliminary breakdown:

+++Defense+++

Hidden Content

The Stormbird is capital T Tough. With the best armor of any 30k flying vehicle currently, the Bird has AV14 front and 13 on the sides. This lovely craft seems to be the product of Techmarines leaving a Caestus assault ram and a Thunderhawk in an empty hanger with some mood lights and Barry White playing (yes I know the Stormbird came first, keep your pants on).

At first, I was worried that the Bird would die to two Deredeos hanging out in the corners, Our Lord and Savior Bligh seems to have foreseen that and adjusted accordingly. 2 void shields help to take the brunt of the initial shots while the 5++ reinforced structure after the shields is a huge benefit. 12 hull points is nothing to sniff at either.

Pros:

+ Best armor value of any 30k flyer

+ 2 void shields to block interceptor shots

+ Extra ++ after shields helps survivability

+ 12 hull points!!!

Cons;

- Extra frontal defense means no forward assault ramp

+++Offense+++

Hidden Content

Less of an all rounder attack transport like the Thunder chicken, the Bird is initially focused towards anit-tank capabilities. I personally prefer the 5 twin linked lascannon turrets instead of all the semi useless heavy bolters that the T hawk carries around. Though the turrets seem unlikely to be able to hit the same target, you'll get a 360 degree angle of a target rich environment at 4000 points. If they can all hit a target directly in front of the cockpit, they'd be super useful against titans of any sort.

The six Dreadstrike missiles are Where It's At. I'd keep these and use them in conjunction with the lascannons to bring down titans or other large vehicular targets. Unload at first chance...that's an order soldier.

Macro bomb payload......ehhhhhh. That's seriously how I feel about it. It seems counterproductive towards all the AT weaponry you have, even though it comes with Sunder. The Apoc barrage, while I've never used it, seems a bit random to me and less useable. Though the Bird will fly across the field out of reserves, you'd have go more times than not out of your desired flight plan to drop the bomb. And if you don't already have some form of AP3 spam in a 4000 point 30k army, you may be doing it wrong Though I do like the thought of a giant MOAB...

Orbital targeter - Why aren't you taking this for 150 points?! After giving your flying Spartan a D weapon, you'll never go back to the Stormchicken. It rounds out the weaponry for the Bird and makes it a supreme tank killer and Titan harasser. Looking at facing down a Warlord, you can use your lascannons to strip down void shields, use the missiles to bring down any other shields and strip hullpoints, then use the orbital targeter to drop a D blast on it. Though the indirect fire sucks a bit, you can still use the targeter from any point on the Bird as it is not a weapon on the actual model. Drop that bass from any line of sight on the hull.

Pros:

+ High volume of lascannons, twin linked

+ Dreadstrike missiles

+ D weapon

+ Great for heavy vehicle harassment with little retaliation

Cons:

- Macro bomb is a bit lackluster

- Indirect fire on D weapon

- Lascannons unable to aim at the same target

+++Transport+++

Hidden Content

I believe the Stormbird has a larger capacity than the T Hawk, but either way, 50 spots is pretty awesome. You're able to transport everything from dreadnoughts on down. I think that using bikers and jump troops from it might be deadly - for any of them that's an 18" movement plus charge distance; a huge threat range. Terminators always are a good bet, but these other choices sound pretty good too.

I think that the ability to drop half of your army off in a vital location goes without saying, maybe crazy tactics will be made from it. I'm thinking these combos:

3 contemptors, 10 terminators

40 tacticals with ccws (World Eaters) plus 5 special terminators

Any mix of your special troops

Plasma spam squads

5 plas bikes, 5 melta bikes

Pros:

+ Lots o' space, bring your friends, family, and dogs (space wolves)

+ Can take bikes, jumpers, dreads

Cons:

- Again, only side and rear exit points

So what do you guys think? What are the best loadouts? Which units go best in it? Thoughts?

Also let's get this out of the way

- "The Bird is the word"

- "Give them the Bird"

- "Goodnight sweet Primarch, and may flocks of Stormbirds take thee to thy rest"

[Gorgoff]

I think using a flyer to transport cc units is nonsense. They couldn't charge before the third gameturn which is too late in my oppinion. And if they don't arrive in the second turn it gets worse.

[Hesh Kadesh]

That's why you take the Skyshield.

[depthcharge12]

It's also quite possible that in a 4000 point game your ground assault units could be obliterated by your turn two. Having a contingency is never a bad thing.

 

Imagine if you took Dynat for his bonus and a bunch of AT specialists or grav dreads to lay waste to a super heavy in the backfield after dropping then off in the enemy's deployment zone.

[Dono1979]

The biggest problem with the transport aspect of the bird is going to be the same as the Thunderhawk experiences; having to drop to hover in order to unload its cargo can sometimes be impossible on a model and terrain rich board, especially considering you will be playing a minimum of 4,000 points (unless you take this in Leviathan list which it isnt suited towards). There can often be situations where you simply cannot land the Bird.

At least when you do land, the Bird has the advantage over the Hawk in that it will be a little more resilient to incoming fire.

 

While it has some nice weapons and reasonable defensive stats, it is 1,000pts. That's part way between the Warhound and Reaver, with slightly more resilience than a Warhound (being a flyer and having a 5++) but significantly less firepower, but of course the transport capacity (with the above drawbacks).

 

To avoid the landing problem, does it have any Grav Chute or drop insertion rules?

[Theredknight]

I came across this discussion about the kharbydis.

 

There's no where in the rulebook that actually states you have to take if off the stand to go to hover mode. I thought you did, but page 84 brb says you ignore the base unless

 

The flyer is in close combat or models are embarking / disembarking from the flyer. Also opposite page the hover section mentions nothing about it.

Unless there's something in the new book which counteracts this?

Next time I play the Kharbydis, all this shots are going in one direction this time!

[Dono1979]

I was of the understanding that Skimmers (a hovering Flyer acts like a Fast Skimmer) cannot allow its hull (not the base) to be within 1" of another model and uses its hull to determine whether it is in terrain or not.

[Theredknight]

It might do, and you still can, but still don't have to take it off its stand, sometimes it's just not practical i guess! I had the same problem with my thunderhawk.

[Dono1979]

It might do, and you still can, but still don't have to take it off its stand, sometimes it's just not practical i guess! I had the same problem with my thunderhawk.

I dont think anyone is suggesting removing it from the stand though?

 

I'm more referring to the requirement that a Skimmer cant finish it movement with any friendly or enemy models within 1" of its hull. That can be very very difficult in a congested battle field. Certainly not going to be as hard as the Manta (which can be prevented from landing quite easily).

[Theredknight]

 

It might do, and you still can, but still don't have to take it off its stand, sometimes it's just not practical i guess! I had the same problem with my thunderhawk.

I dont think anyone is suggesting removing it from the stand though?

 

I'm more referring to the requirement that a Skimmer cant finish it movement with any friendly or enemy models within 1" of its hull. That can be very very difficult in a congested battle field. Certainly not going to be as hard as the Manta (which can be prevented from landing quite easily).

Ah ok, I took 'drop down to hover' as though you are removing it's base.

As for spacing, is imagine at 4/5 k per army, you'd have bigger board and more room to move.

All situational of course :-)

Also units have 6" move, then charge distance so more variety, it all depends on terrain etc

[Vaulxis]

I would put two dreads and probably 2 full squads of reavers in it. Fly it on to the board and head to behind the enemy's line or in front of my line and put it into hover mode. Mainly because if it did not move it can extend its void shields to cover units in a 12 inch bubble making them immune to small arms fire and use it as a flying moblie fire support base and apply pressure where I need to.

[Wolf Lord Loki]

The problem I find with flier transports is we don't use big enough gaming areas to allow their use effectively.

 

We need space to drop down behind cover and unload but realisticly that would require a 40k sized game on an apocalypse sized table.

 

Otherwise they just get shot to pieces or relegated to the role of gunship

[Dono1979]

The problem I find with flier transports is we don't use big enough gaming areas to allow their use effectively.

We need space to drop down behind cover and unload but realisticly that would require a 40k sized game on an apocalypse sized table.

Otherwise they just get shot to pieces or relegated to the role of gunship

Any game large enough to be fielding a Stormbird should be using an Apoc sized table.