How to get the most out of a Stormraven

[Fahlnor]

How do you use yours?

 

Weapon load-out is always going to be dependent on what you need it to kill, but what do you put inside for special delivery?

 

Is maximising infantry-carrying capacity worth the opportunity cost of mobility or durability for the troops? Given that you can conceivably add mobility via the Stormraven itself, perhaps we don’t need jump packs on the infantry it contains. Maybe having a relatively safe delivery system means that Terminator armour isn’t as necessary as it might be for teleporters or foot sloggers.

 

What are your thoughts? What do you transport and why? How do you use them?

[Majkhel]

I believe that maximizing transport loadout is best. Otherwise Stormraven would not be worth its points as it usually is being targeted a lot and rarely survives long enough to do much damage itself.

[Fahlnor]

I believe that maximizing transport loadout is best. Otherwise Stormraven would not be worth its points as it usually is being targeted a lot and rarely survives long enough to do much damage itself.

Agreed. If you don’t take full advantage of the carrying capacity, you might as well bring Stormtalons or a Fire Raptor if your meta allows.

 

But how do you do that? Would you bring Death Company or Vanguard Veterans on foot, knowing you have a good chance of placing them right where you want them, for example? Eschewing jump packs means doubling your model count in terms of transport capacity. Twelve Death Company definitely hit harder than six!

[Panzer]

I'd say it depends on the rest of the list. If you have trouble posing other threats to the opponent so he can concentrate on the Stormraven, then filling it to the brim with Marines and possibly a Dreadnought would be an extremely fatal mistake and probably cost you the game.

Imo the Stormraven is well worth it even without using it as transport. It's just not a must-have.

[tychobi]

Storm raven is a fantastic fire support piece and would be well worth even without capacity to transport. It pumps out enough dakka to compete with devastators point for point and adds serious utility to any list.

 

Putting shear damage aside the utility factors that really set it apart are fast transport with huge capacity, assassination of priority targets including elusive characters, charge blocking (hammernators hate jetwash!), and dynamic board presence.

 

My fave loadout is lascannon, typhoon, hurricane. Standoff range can up survivability big time. Transporting choppy scouts, mephiston , dreads sometimes. Often its empty with some optional pick ups nearby.

 

I like an initial lateral move from a corner to fly past some sort of reroll buff for early kills. Then i put it into the fray or circle. Had a good time assaulting 2 bassilisks in hover mode to shut their shooting down recently. I imagined a space marine pilot lading on top of them scouts scrambling down huge cannons tossing crack grenades before gleefully ripping some nearby command group as the raven rammed the crew platform forcing crew into the open for the hurricane bolters. Good times!

[SydonianDragoon404]

How do you get anything out of your storm raven? You go first. You don't go first your storm raven WILL die. Every other army has enough firepower these days to down one in a single turn. If you don't go first it is dead. Hope you have something else that will pull its weight, the storm raven isn't worth it anymore if you're not playing a pure fluff game. 

[Slothysaur]

Target saturation really helps it's survivability. Also it's not impossible to hide from some AT that your opponent may have. Yes if you load 5 terminators, a captain and a dread into it and throw it out in the complete open, all guns are going to be pointed at it, but then that's a mistake on the raven players end, not the raven itself.

 

Edit: In my own experience I've had a raven last all game and I've had a raven go down before I got a chance to move it, but there are so many moving pieces in this game to make such absolute statements.

Edited March 3, 2018 by Slothysaur

[tychobi]

How do you get anything out of your storm raven? You go first. You don't go first your storm raven WILL die. Every other army has enough firepower these days to down one in a single turn. If you don't go first it is dead. Hope you have something else that will pull its weight, the storm raven isn't worth it anymore if you're not playing a pure fluff game.

You have a point that there are many armies that can and will shoot down your raven. Doesn't take away from anything i have said. Everything dies in 8th. More priority targets, stand off range, and lucky dice can keep the raven going. Had it hovering on 1 wound claiming line breaker in a corner spewing 5+ missiles a few times. I only use 1. Multiples are even more survivable. I used a knight errant that drew a fair amount of fire off my raven in recent tournament ( won 2 lost 3). Also my opinion (according to my ever loving wife) is often wrong! So try yourself but my raven is often mvp and always fun to fly.

[Indefragable]

Weapon loadout depends on expected targets (duh).

 

However, if you’re going to transport things, you’re 90% likely to be close to the enemy so it’s a criminal offense not to take the Hurricane Bolters.

 

Other build I like (by have used only a few times) is lascannon+ typhoon as it synergizes with the range of the missiles and is essentially a Hard To Hit Predator.

[SydonianDragoon404]

Problem with my meta is that I fight a ton of anti tank very often. We're talking armies with 3 hammer heads and fusion commanders, DE army with 3 ravagers, Tyranid armies with double firing exocrines that deal two damage per wound. Toughness 7, 3+ save, 14 wounds is freaking paper to the armies I fight at 2k. Not even worth trying. 

[brother_b]

Problem with my meta is that I fight a ton of anti tank very often. We're talking armies with 3 hammer heads and fusion commanders, DE army with 3 ravagers, Tyranid armies with double firing exocrines that deal two damage per wound. Toughness 7, 3+ save, 14 wounds is freaking paper to the armies I fight at 2k. Not even worth trying. 

 

Yes, it'll be dependent upon your local meta and the people you play with. For me, the Stormraven has proven to be a beast. Except for that one time I got too close to Mortarion who can conveniently fly too...=/

 

I do like getting close in order to drop off my loadout, usually Mephiston and a dreadnought. I put in an ASM squad too, but that was kind of a let down. I'd really like to drop some VV or SG, maybe even some DC.

[tychobi]

Know your meta. But your advice is probably meta specific? So all infantry is your counter of choice i suppose? Success is a many spendored flower. I like what you seem to give no credit. Form own opinion i guess?

[Fahlnor]

Good thoughts on weapon selection here, though as many are saying it will depend heavily on what you want the Stormraven to kill. In an ideal world, if you had access to any models available to Blood Angels, what would you put inside it?

[NTaW]

At present my options for occupants in my Stormravens are Sternguard, foot DC, Vets + Mephy, DC/Libby Dreads.

[Indefragable]

3x2 Company Vets with jump packs and inferno pistols akimbo.

 

:)

Edited March 4, 2018 by Indefragable

[SydonianDragoon404]

Back in the index days and when our codex was still fresh, I used to a run list I called "Titanfall". I ran a Leviathan Dreadnought, a Techmarine, the Emperor's Champion, and two Crusader squads with flamers in a storm raven, and I ran a Land Raider Crusader with a bunch of dudes with special weapons and character support inside. I would surge up the board do essentially do a beta strike where everything would pile out in my opponent's face turn two. 

 

I haven't been able to successfully pull this off since Chapter Approved came out making everyone pay the guilliman tax for their twin assault cannons and hurricane bolters. The cost of the Raven and the LRC went up so significantly, and other armies got so points efficient with their new codexes that the power balance didn't even out, it did a complete flip in the other direction where I have been on the back foot for the past 10 times I've played. I've even been struggling to find a strategy that sticks against Index armies like Tau and Dark Eldar. Every army with a codex has gotten point cost decreases. Marines? Nope. We got increases in chapter approved. Thanks GW. *middle finger*

[tychobi]

March faq coming up. . . Cross your fingers!

[Karhedron]

How do you get anything out of your storm raven? You go first. You don't go first your storm raven WILL die. Every other army has enough firepower these days to down one in a single turn. If you don't go first it is dead. Hope you have something else that will pull its weight, the storm raven isn't worth it anymore if you're not playing a pure fluff game.

I have played a variety of flyers in 8th and I have to say that I haven't lost any to an alpha yet. The 60" move is its biggest defense as I normally place my flyers as far back as possible. Unless you are playing Dawn of War deployment, it is normally possible to deploy out of range of the bulk of your opponent's forces. Also terrain is your friend, just like normal units. I don't know what your terrain is like but my club has a few ruins per table than are tall enough to block LOS to flyers. Deploy in a corner and add a screen of tacs or Scouts to protect from deep strike and you should normally get at least one turn of use out of the Raven.

 

I acknowledge Tau are more problematic than most due to their long range but even here you have some advantages. Deploy well back and you will be out of markerlight range meaning that most Tau units will be hitting your Raven on a 5+ thanks to Supersonic. If you manage to position it so they cannot shoot it without moving first, that then becomes a 6+ for a lot of heavy weapons. Screening will stop suits dropping in and fusioning it to death. Missile pods are a threat due to their range but with S7, AP-1 and D3 damage, it will take an average of 84 missile pods shooting at a raven to bring it down in one turn (I think).

[Panzer]

 

I acknowledge Tau are more problematic than most due to their long range but even here you have some advantages. Deploy well back and you will be out of markerlight range meaning that most Tau units will be hitting your Raven on a 5+ thanks to Supersonic. If you manage to position it so they cannot shoot it without moving first, that then becomes a 6+ for a lot of heavy weapons. Screening will stop suits dropping in and fusioning it to death. Missile pods are a threat due to their range but with S7, AP-1 and D3 damage, it will take an average of 84 missile pods shooting at a raven to bring it down in one turn (I think).

 

Uhm don't worry too much about Markerlights...or T'au long ranged shooting in general. At least not before their Codex drops. They would have to hit with 5 Markerlights to get the +1 to-hit bonus and those hit on 5+ as well so on average 15 Markerlight shots needed.

And generally the T'au anti-tank is in form of Fusion Commander which would simply drop near the Stormraven anyway since screening isn't that easy for Marines, especially since you already put so many points into the Stormraven.

 

If you manage to deny Commander drops then T'au are actually the less problematic ones lol

[Karhedron]

Weapon loadout depends on expected targets (duh).

I tend to favour short-ranged weapons and take Multi-melta and Assault cannons (magnets are your friend though). My reasoning is that long-ranged weapons can often be parked and left to fire at normal BS. Short-ranged weapons require more movement to bring suitable targets into range so it makes sense to mount them on a platforms that ignores the penalty for moving (thanks to POTMS). This also synergises well with using it as a transport. It is a very aggressive style of play but it puts on the enemy quickly.

 

I like to move up the Raven and then drop some Inceptors nearby. Between them, they can normally take out some of the threats to the Raven and clear a landing zone for the embarked units.

[Kaese]

 

I acknowledge Tau are more problematic than most due to their long range but even here you have some advantages. Deploy well back and you will be out of markerlight range meaning that most Tau units will be hitting your Raven on a 5+ thanks to Supersonic. If you manage to position it so they cannot shoot it without moving first, that then becomes a 6+ for a lot of heavy weapons. Screening will stop suits dropping in and fusioning it to death. Missile pods are a threat due to their range but with S7, AP-1 and D3 damage, it will take an average of 84 missile pods shooting at a raven to bring it down in one turn (I think).

 

Uhm don't worry too much about Markerlights...or T'au long ranged shooting in general. At least not before their Codex drops. They would have to hit with 5 Markerlights to get the +1 to-hit bonus and those hit on 5+ as well so on average 15 Markerlight shots needed.

And generally the T'au anti-tank is in form of Fusion Commander which would simply drop near the Stormraven anyway since screening isn't that easy for Marines, especially since you already put so many points into the Stormraven.

 

If you manage to deny Commander drops then T'au are actually the less problematic ones lol

Screening isn’t that difficult if you use the stormraven as a transport. You can deploy the transported units on the board, close enough to embark after movement on the first turn. Storm raven, dreadnought, infantry unit and maybe a character or two should create quite big denial zone on the back of your deployement zone.

[Karhedron]

 

And generally the T'au anti-tank is in form of Fusion Commander which would simply drop near the Stormraven anyway since screening isn't that easy for Marines, especially since you already put so many points into the Stormraven.

 

If you manage to deny Commander drops then T'au are actually the less problematic ones lol

Screening isn’t that difficult if you use the stormraven as a transport. You can deploy the transported units on the board, close enough to embark after movement on the first turn. Storm raven, dreadnought, infantry unit and maybe a character or two should create quite big denial zone on the back of your deployement zone.

 

Screening isn't that hard for Marines in general. If you deploy a Storm Raven in one corner then 55 points of Scouts can happily screen it from Fusion Commanders. Just deploy them in a loose arc slightly more than 9" from the base of the Raven and with both ends of the arc within 9" of a table edge. The Commanders won't be able to drop in within 18" of the Raven.

 

Granted you probably won't want to keep the Raven there indefinitely (unless you go for the LC/TML build) but 55 points to ensure you get at least 1 turn's use out of your Raven isn't too shabby and the Scouts may survive long enough to scoot onto an objective once their screening is finished.

Edited March 5, 2018 by Karhedronuk

[Diagramdude]

I was musing yesterday that a Stormraven would be a great way to get mileage out of the Strike of the Archangels stratagem. This stratagem was discounted at codex launch because you have to teleport in >9" away and can't reliably get into melee on the turn you "set up."

 

But if you load up six Terminators into a Stormraven, the disembark rules state that you "set up" the unit within 3" of the transport and then move. Therefore you can pop the stratagem on a disembarking unit of Terminators and get them into the thick of it, rerolling failed hits during your turn and your opponents turn.

Keeping in mind the free teleport homer that the Tactical and Assault Terminator units have free access to, you could perform this aerial assault and then have any survivors teleport out to safety, possibly coordinating the Stormraven rendezvous for a pickup at the homer! Very fluffy and fun IMO.

 

Alternatively, you could fit five TH/SS assault termis and the Sanguinary Ancient with Standard of Sacrifice into the raven. Do the same as above, except when you charge in you can get the terminators in a protective ring around the Ancient. Now they are rerolling failed hits with Strike of the Archangels, rerolling 1's to wound (while wounding most targets on 2's) and have a 2+/3++/5+++. And if you have a Company or Primaris Ancient out there somewhere, they also can have the 4+ one swing on death. 

The Sanguinary Ancient could also arrive to this party via Deep Stike + Descent of Angels or Wings of Fire + Descent of Angels, but I find that jump pack units disembarking from transports have tremendous flexibility with the 3" disembark + 12" move.

Edited March 8, 2018 by Diagramdude

[Calistarius]

It’s been stated numerous times, but I also don’t see the need to use them as transports. I like using Stormravens as an alternative to Predators. I don’t really like tanks of any kind. That could be the Infantryman in me.

 

I’ve been looking at running two here lately. I think that’d be a good amount of redundancy, and mobile lascannons never hurt. Especially, with PotMS. Hurricane bolters are an automatic addition for me as well. Just last week I wiped out 5 Wulfen with a barrage from hurricane bolters. The dice were with me that day.

 

I always go lascannons and hurricane bolters. As for the nose weapon it’s a toss up for me. The multi melta is nice but I also like the heavy bolters. Now that the missiles are no longer one use only I don’t feel as confine to the melta.

 

I get the most out of mine for splitting fire and blowing holes in screeners/vehicles. I can’t say enough about this bird. They’re awesome.

[Diagramdude]

Do you run forgeworld? If you aren't going to use the transport capacity of the stormraven, there is really no reason not to replace it with a fire raptor after the CA point adjustments.