Is this crazy?

[deadangel101]

Came up with the following list last night:

 

Raven Guard Vanguard Detachment: 1388

 

104. Captain: jump pack, MC boltgun, lightning claw, armor indomitus, warlord - iron resolve

 

148. 4 Aggressors: boltstorm and fragstorm

 

148. 4 Aggressors: boltstorm and fragstorm

 

182. Ven Dreadnought: twin lascannon, DCCW w stirm bolter

 

182. Ven Dreadnought: twin lascannon, DCCW w storm bolter

 

135. 3 Inceptors: assault bolters

 

135. 3 Inceptors: assault bolters

 

354. 6 Inceptors: plasma exterminators

 

 

Raven Guard Air Wing Detachment: 612

 

204. Stormtalon: 2 lascannons

 

204. Stormtalon: 2 lascannons

 

204. Stormtalon: 2 lascannons

 

2000 points

 

 

Some thoughts: Last game I played I was running 3 squads of scouts. The whole game they only managed to score one objective despite camping on three the whole game. ($#!@ maelstrom cards!) I had 9 command points, but only used 5 of them and never felt like I needed the other 4. At the end of the game, I felt like I would have been better served by more mobility and firepower so I could go after the cards I had drawn. So I basically swapped my second HQ and scouts for two squads of 3 inceptors with assault bolters. Would this work, or am I just nuts?

[Shadow Captain Vyper]

Are you nuts? Most definitely not!

 

Will this work? That depends...

 

I think evaluating your list in a vacuum by saying that you didn't draw those maelstrom cards, thus you want to get rid of your scouts is a mistake. Against most opponents, the objectives will be split into 3 clusters. Yours, his, and neutral. Scouts excel at controlling yours and the neutral objectives - and they are cheap.

 

Inceptors will be poor at controlling your objectives (aka you paid extra for them over scouts, and they likely won't be in range of much to shoot).

Inceptors aren't obsec, so won't be able to rip objectives away from your opponent by force.

Inceptors put out decent fire power for sure, and may be able to clear GEQ equivalents or lower without issue, but they are just heavy bolters at the end of the day, and you will struggle to clear off tougher or larger groups.

When it comes to Deep Strike and picking up Maelstrom points, the new beta rules will restrict you to some degree. Inceptors will perform admirably when dropping on uncontested objectives, especially those at a safe distance from return fire, but with that said a unit of Assault Marines could perform the exact same task for 55 points less.

 

This is of course all without considering the implications of playing a list with 4 Command points. In your current list (and every Raven Guard list for that matter), using SFTS on the Aggressors is virtually mandatory, that will leave you with 2 points exiting the Deployment Phase. I would also be inclined to SFTS the Plasma Inceptors and/or the Captain as well.

 

If you feel like you only need 2 Command Points over the course of a game, I would say you aren't using your Command Points enough.

 

At the end of the day though, its all fun and games. Play what you like, and what works for you. A list chocked full of Inceptors, in my opinion, is the "future" of a fluffy Raven Guard list, and your list appears to have captured that quite well 

[deadangel101]

There are 5 command points, but the point is taken. There is plenty of stuff to take on heavier targets in the list. All of it performed well enough in the last game. I did get screwed on the objectives while my opponent had a lot of luck with his. Still, I do happen to own all the models to make the list. I could try it out to see what happens. My group is pretty competitive though, and I might get wasted...

[NiceGuyAdi]

I haven’t played enough to say whether you’re on to something with the list, but I’d love to hear how you’re faring with three Stormtalons.

 

I’ve seen them broadly written off in 8th but I love the idea of them, have one and am toying with the idea of another.

[deadangel101]

The Stormtalons performed great in the last game. Hover makes for a great option. One was reduced to one wound on the first turn. I dropped it into hover mode and fired its lascannons at targets the whole game, still hitting on 4's. My opponent even dropped a squad of swooping hawks near enough to it to get gunned down by the twin assault cannon. Over the course of the game, the three of them took down a wraith knight, a wraith lord, 15 dire avengers and 5 swooping hawks. I only lost one of them (and it wasn't the one with 1 wound left at the beginning).

[Race Bannon]

Niiice!  Especially against Eldar.

 

Either you got lucky, or the opponent didn't target prioritize well, or you swamped him with enough threats that the Stormtalons were able to do their job :P

 

It's a snapshot like these that make me continue the dream of using them.

[deadangel101]

He won on objectives by a landslide, but I won the war of attrition. By the end of the game he had 4 characters left hiding in some ruins in his back corner. My two remaining stormtalons were there and had just finished off his last few dire avengers blocking them. If I had gotten a 6th turn, I might have wiped him out for the win.