Blood Angels Unit of the Week series Unit of the Week: Land Speeder Storm

[Jolemai]

 

Welcome to part two of the Blood Angels Unit of the Week Series!

Following the release of the 9^th edition Supplement, there is no better time to discuss all the units we have access to. Each week a different unit will appear, with the idea being that we discuss how best to use that model on the battlefield. Where part one will focus on the unique BA units and part two will focus on BA units that are new to this edition of the Codex, part three will discuss how to get the best use the generic units from the past that are still with us (and that many of us have in our armies still), and part four will discuss the Legends units that we still own and love. Forge World and Forge World Legends comprise parts five and six.

Note, this isn't to lament any nerfs, etc, from previous editions; the rules are as they are so try to unlock its potential for those who wish to use them all the same. Similarly, this thread is only for using the option being discussed; it matters not if you feel something is a better choice as such comments aren't constructive to the topic and shall be removed.

Without further ado, here's this week's entry:

Land Speeder Storm

What are you thoughts here folks? How best would you use a Land Speeder Storm (LSS)?

 

• To compliment a list, or to build a list around? Will the Chapter Approved and current Warzone changes affect your list(s)?
• Will you be running multiples? Are you making use of the Assault Vehicle rules?
• If you're transporting Scouts what weapon choices should they have to benefit from Open-topped?
• How are you buffing this unit? If so, how?
• Stratagems of note?

 

Over to you

Edited October 6, 2022 by Jolemai
Updated!

[Jolemai]

Should you want your model on display here (or on another thread from the series), then submit a photo here please.

[Kierdale]

I’m no BA player but I do love scouts and LSSs.

 

18” Fly

Cerberus launcher: D6 18” BS4+ bolter shots

Choice of multi melta, heavy bolter, heavy flamer or assault cannon

Five guys in the back

 

...I think it’s good.

With just a basic bolter squad in there you can zoom over into close range and fire off 10+D6 bolter shots plus whatever heavy weapon you took. Good for getting unprotected characters or units behind the front line. Or at least the threat it presents must be taken into consideration by the opponent and could affect their deployment/movement.

 

Reasonable for rapid response across your own line.

 

On the downside it just takes a bit of enemy dakka to down it (T5 W7).

[Jolemai]

Sadly, it can only have a heavy bolter and cerberus launcher these days. Would that affect how it plays on the field to any large degree?

[Kierdale]

You can still use the options from the Index, as I understand it.

If you did limit yourself to the heavy bolter then it’s still a lot of dakka jetting about.

 

I do wonder how it would compare to scout bikers? They’d be a little slower and not able to fly, but do have twin bolters, shotguns and the cluster mine strategem.

Let me check the points....

 

LSS with Cerberus and heavy bolter = 85 points

5 scouts: 4x bolter, 1x heavy bolter = 65 points

That’s 150 points for 8+D6 BS3+ bolter rounds and 6 BS4+ heavy bolter rounds at 12” or less.

 

Scout biker: shotgun and twin bolter = 25 points (6 BS3+ bolter shots at 12” or less)

[Jolemai]

Good catch with the Index options :tu:

[Kierdale]

150 points for the squad and LSS...but 150 points would get you 6 bikers and essentially 36 shots at 12”. Or for 154 points 2x3 bikers, storm bolters on the sergeants for 40 shots.

Perhaps the LSS is not the choice for quick moving dakka.

 

But I’m loathe to put a multi melta on it, hitting on a 4+ and hoping to crack something for the squad to then shoot the contents of. Or charge in the next turn...

[Kaese]

Scouts in LSS are excellent at stealing remote objectives. LSS is resilient enough to handle shooting from isolated enemy units, or at least offer the scouts some protection. Combined shooting from LSS + the unit of scouts to soften the unit first and then next turn disembarking, shooting and possibly assault to get that remote objective. Probably not the most reliable tactic, but a good way to get something extra out of the LSS.

 

Price is a bit steep if you compare to a razorback that is only 2 points more with twin-heavybolters. Shooting is tough if you are zooming around, it will drop down the instant that the opponent sees it as a treath. So there are plenty of better ways to spend 85 points.

 

I really like to play with units that don’t have so clear role. LSS is fast enough to relocate a unit of scouts, and packs decent amount of fire to support the unit at the same time. So you can definitely have some fun with it in a less competitive game. Also the model really looks awesome, so I will probably be using it a lot just because of the looks.

[Indefragable]

 Good for getting unprotected characters or units behind the front line. Or at least the threat it presents must be taken into consideration by the opponent and could affect their deployment/movement.

 

 

Not sure if you misspoke above, but as a matter of clarification, the Codex says:

Hidden Content

"This model can transport 5 BLOOD ANGELS SCOUT INFANTRY models."

.

 

Index Imperium 1 says:

Hidden Content

"This model can transport 5 <CHAPTER> SCOUT INFANTRY models."

 

...so no hiding characters. I suppose Ultramarines can since they have the only Scout character in the game with Telion (sp?).

 

*****

As for BA use of Land Speeder Storms, 2 main use cases I can think of for them:

 

Speed: zip them around to capture objectives and/or drop off Scouts on objectives. duh.

 

Bunker: abuse the :cuss out of the Open-Topped rule and put 4x sniper rifles and a heavy bolter or missile launcher in there. Not necessarily competitive since you're dumping even more points into a marginally effective unit (sniper scouts) already, but it's a possible use. If you don't pay for camo cloaks, you essentially just gave yourself armored snipers, although it's still a Land Speeder, not a Land Raider, so don't expect much. One benefit to this is that you can sit and plink things with sniper/hb/ml, then zip to a new position for a better angle to fire or drop off the scouts on an obj and send the LSS at another one.

 

The 2nd one is more of a fun idea, me thinks, while the first one could maybe work if you're already bringing scouts for some reason and you're looking for even more mobility. The question is why dump more points into scouts when you could bring Scout Bikes or use UWoF jump units for the same purpose?

[Kierdale]

Sorry, I meant ‘getting’ as in ‘killing’, and was referring to the enemy characters/units :D

 

If an enemy screened one of their characters to the front you might be able to zip the LSS over and make the enemy character the closest target. Or get to enemy’s backfield units.

[Jolemai]

On 7/24/2018 at 1:22 PM, Jolemai said:

 

Welcome to part two of the Blood Angels Unit of the Week Series!

Following the release of the 9^th edition Supplement, there is no better time to discuss all the units we have access to. Each week a different unit will appear, with the idea being that we discuss how best to use that model on the battlefield. Where part one will focus on the unique BA units and part two will focus on BA units that are new to this edition of the Codex, part three will discuss how to get the best use the generic units from the past that are still with us (and that many of us have in our armies still), and part four will discuss the Legends units that we still own and love. Forge World and Forge World Legends comprise parts five and six.

Note, this isn't to lament any nerfs, etc, from previous editions; the rules are as they are so try to unlock its potential for those who wish to use them all the same. Similarly, this thread is only for using the option being discussed; it matters not if you feel something is a better choice as such comments aren't constructive to the topic and shall be removed.

Without further ado, here's this week's entry:

Land Speeder Storm

What are you thoughts here folks? How best would you use a Land Speeder Storm (LSS)?

 

• To compliment a list, or to build a list around? Will the Chapter Approved and current Warzone changes affect your list(s)?
• Will you be running multiples? Are you making use of the Assault Vehicle rules?
• If you're transporting Scouts what weapon choices should they have to benefit from Open-topped?
• How are you buffing this unit? If so, how?
• Stratagems of note?

 

Over to you

Updated for 9th post Nephilim.

Another unit that has seen ups and downs this edition and one which in theory, should benefit well in Nephilim albeit with a slightly different role. How are you using yours right now?

[Karhedron]

Having to have a squad deployed inside this baby is a pain. Scouts are a mediocre unit, take up an Elite slot and more than double the effective price of the LSS.

One option is to take a 5-man unit of Voidsmen-at-arms to fill the LSS. They are cheaper at only 40 points and do not break faction bonuses. To be honest the move of Scouts from Troops > Elites combined with the changes to Transports in Nephilim have made LSSs a bit less appealing.

[Jolemai]

You only have to deploy inside the vehicle in Nephilim games. Any other version of 40k, or indeed other Matched play warzones, etc, you do not - which means you can purchase them for your army without a need to buy any cargo.

The choices are Voidsmen, a Rogue Trader, an Inquisitor, or Scouts for cargo. Each has their own pro and cons, but there's no point holding a grudge about a change from three years ago and it's certainly no help in a tactica on how to best use a Datasheet.

In Nephilim they remain a strong choice for either Behind Enemy Lines or Relentless Assault secondaries, and with Assault Vehicle, the cargo can they go on to perform an additional secondary such as Retrieve Nephilim Data (18" move, 3" deployment, 6" move plus and Advance of 2-7" if BA), which is a good haul in the first turn.