Ravenwing Survivability Turn 1 from shooting

[CyberC1]

I'm finding that I'm fielding Azrael a lot for the express purpose of helping my Ravenwing bikes survive past the first turn so they can get a jink save enabled.  I'm wondering what other ways folks are using to help shield their Ravenwing from getting blasted apart in the first turn?  I've usually got a Darkshroud as well to help mitigate incoming shooting.

 

Typical lists I face off against include a custodes / guard list, which comprises of the following incoming shots:

• Telemon heavy dreadnought with the twin iliastus accelerator culverins
• Knight Commander Pask 
• Another leman russ
• two warglaives

It's usually the telemon in this list that pulverizes the Ravenwing.  

 

Another one is a Dark Eldar one with a ton of flying dark-lance blaster type weapons; approximately 32 dark lance / blaster type weapons.  

 

Thoughts on surviving the turn one incoming shooting?  Appreciate your help!

 

[Hantheman]

The only way is to hide them tbh. Without line of sight blocking, Ravenwing find it hard vs heavy shooting

[Chaplain Lucifer]

Hide them, put them in cover and use denied flank tactics so only a bit of your opponents army can get a bead on your units.

Plus make sure you play in decent cover tables, not just deserts every time.

[Interrogator Stobz]

Yeah, bring terrain. ;)

[Wrath of Bruinen]

As others have said, sheltering behind LOS blocking terrain is key. The other important thing is redundancy. One big unit of black knights is just asking to be targeted, but taking two units still gives you a viable unit once the dust clears from your opppnents shooting phase. The key is to force your opponent to make difficult decisions about what to shoot first

[SnakeChisler]

I just line up under the Az Darkshroud bubble.

 

There's just no way of avoiding fast moving large stuff unless you run small squads, I try get the Dark Shroud out of LOS and work from there so 36 Dark lances at -1 gives 18 hits with 2/3 wounded so 12 get through of which 6 are saved and if there aimed at bikes maybe get a 1 in there so 5 down. Have an ancient so 3 fire back.

 

Anyways it's 250 points lost which isn't that bad as the 2 squads of Hellblaster's proceed to unload and 50% of the time you get to go first so your bikes can pop speed of the Raven moving 20"

[ValourousHeart]

Just to put a priority level to your options.

 

1. LOS blocking terrain.  Honestly, the more terrain on the table the more fun it is to play 40k.  The only reason to play with little terrain is that there is a limited time frame and someone wants to make sure that the game has a decisive winner.  This option limits how many units that can shoot your units.

 

2. Dark Shroud.  This is not a substitute for LOS blocking terrain.  This unit will give Ravenwing the most utility throughout the game, not just turn 1.  This makes it so that your units are hit less often.

 

3. Prepared Positions.  The new strategem... for 2 CP all of your units in your deployment zone count as having cover.  This improves your save.

 

4. Void Shield Generator.  This model blocks LOS, grants cover to units on it, and grants an inv save to units near it.  The inv save isn't as good as Azreal, but the bigger footprint and the other benefits make it more useful for the army.  Yes, it can be targeted and destroyed, but all of those shots are not going at your units.

 

5. Azreal.  I'm pretty sure this is the most expensive option pointwise (couldn't locate the VSG point cost).  He also has a much smaller bubble than the VSG.  And he doesn't have the speed to keep up with your RW units, so they will mostly only benefit from him turn 1.

 

Combining some or all of that with other potential benefits, like forcing your opponent to have to reposition his heavy weapons causing yet another -1 to hit penalty, means that you should be quite resilient.

[CyberC1]

All good advice - much appreciated!

 

The LOS blocking terrain one is a good one, key is hiding effectively behind the blocks of terrain.  Versus the list of with the telemon dreadnought that tends to work ok, but the Dark Eldar one the ravagers and raiders tend to be able to skirt around buildings to draw a bead (as their heavy weapons turn into assault on raiders/ravagers).

 

Will continue to press forward on terrain placement and hiding, and see how that goes.

[Hantheman]

All good advice - much appreciated!

 

The LOS blocking terrain one is a good one, key is hiding effectively behind the blocks of terrain.  Versus the list of with the telemon dreadnought that tends to work ok, but the Dark Eldar one the ravagers and raiders tend to be able to skirt around buildings to draw a bead (as their heavy weapons turn into assault on raiders/ravagers).

 

Will continue to press forward on terrain placement and hiding, and see how that goes.

 

Dark Eldar are a hard counter to Marines in every capacity. They will always be a struggle. (It's also ridioculous hat their heavy weapons a are assault and ours aren't)