Corvus post-CA

[superwill]

Hey guys,

 

Now i realise it’s probably not quite what people were hoping for, but even so, the Corvus did get a little bit of a price reduction. At min spec it’s now 205, 70 points less than a min spec Stormraven but with the same T7 W14 3+. Firepower’s not as good, but if you’re running them as a transport that’s not as much of a priority anyway.

 

The obvious answer is “nah they’re still trash”. But would love to hear if anyone’s given them any more thought or use or is keen to give them another crack.

[IronDreddKnight]

I don’t have any experience with the corvus. Hoping to get one in the not too distant future.

But I would like to mention that while the corvus’s price hasn’t gone down very much. We are saving a great deal of points elsewhere, which allows more room for the corvus.

[Moostick]

I'd rather take a dual chainfist contemptor over the Corvus against a flyer heavy opponent.

 

And I did just that. "Are you going to hover?!"

 

He did not hover.

[Prot]

Honestly I take the Corvus as a fun unit. Even two works in some environments. It's really a shame how they left it, but with Ork Tractors, and the apparent lack of use from Flyers generally speaking we really can compare this unit to a flying, fancy razorback. It's just too expensive without rules tweaks.

 

That said you can probably slash a lot of codexes in half with truly competitive units so I still use it in fun games. I look at it as a challenge and an 'okay' unit to take to most games. If you get a bit lucky with that -1 to hit, sometimes you can find them absorbing a lot of firepower. But the nature of the vehicle is a transport, so it's really hard to keep it alive. 

[Xisor]

Can someone walk me through the general strategy in how you're using the Corvus on the table?

 

As Prot said, my thinking on it is just "fancy Razorback" - but that doesn't quite cover the notion of how it gels with who it's transporting.

 

My gut is to go bolter/melee and frag cannon/up-close, but is there perhaps value in using it relatively bare bones? A cheap and cheerful squad of Bolter vets (or barely more expensive [these days] storm^2 squad)?

 

Use the Corvus to plant them somewhere sortof useful (but beyond walking distance, or in a dangerous killzone having dodged a round of fire aboardship) for shooting in Turn 2, then walking them where they need to go?

 

I guess I can devise a few things, but 'fancy Razorback' feels a bit less crafty than a more specific 'cunning plan'.

 

Planting down on an objective turn 2 is still sorta cunning though, and if the missions are a bit less predictable, that flexibility is a strength...?

[Lemondish]

I always found the thing that really made the Corvus gel as a DW transport was the 12 marine capacity. Those mixed teams with a Terminator and Vanguard Vet can ride in it just fine.

[spacewatch]

I'm sure these aren't the best ways to use Corvus but here's what I have done with it pre and post CA.

 

Gunship (Twin-LC, Stormstike, Hurricane, Infernum halo launcher). Vanilla/SB Kill-Team (everyone SS's) with Terminator and VVet. Turn 1 Corvus flies from corner next to Watch Master. This gives 1.5 hits per weapon and is almost the same than what PoTMS+Auspex would give (1.556 hits). Turn 2, depending on the situation, Corvus hovers and shots again (and is then shot down) or rushes up to deliver it's cargo. Kill-Team inside is just for objective holding after my heavier DS units have done actual objective capturing.

 

Anti-infantry raid/screen clearing (Twin-AC, Rockets, Hurricane, Auspex). SB/FC/even combi-flamer Kill-Team (everyone SS's) with Terminator and VVet inside. Have to plan carefully where Corvus goes because it will be shot down turn 1. So I park it near screens or where I plan to use my DW units. In this tactic my DS teams are usually plasma heavy so I kind of trust that Corvus is enemys' primary target. Turn 2 using Corvus and kill team inside clear screen and then use DS plasma teams to kill what screen was set to protect.

 

Mission: scalpel&fire (Twin-AC, Rockets, Hurricane, Infernum halo launcher). Devastator type of kill team inside so stalkers, heavy bolters and infernus heavy bolters and Terminator or two. SS's on stalker Vets. Sometimes cheap captain for re-rolls and melee protection. Turn 1 rush up and kill enemy backfield long range shooting unit textbook example beeing Orc Lootas in cover. Use Hurricane and Dracos warheads and even re-roll strat to get good amount of shots. Next turn replace enemy backfield long range unit with your firebase unit. Use Corvus to tie something big for a turn. Support your new firebase with some juicy DS unit and take care that you hit heavily also to the flank too. Now enemy has multiple problems to solve. I use this tactic a lot against the Orcs to eliminate Lootas and/or other units capable of long range indirect fire. And yes even Orcs have (especially now when they have very good and nice dex that improves shooting signifigantly) can solve all this ...if they disembark units from vehices which in turn cuts army's momentum and buys Venerable Dreadnoughts extra shooting round, haha.

 

All in all I also like to think that Corvus is flying Razorback and not gunship. But with some good coordination and positioning it's ok as a gunship too, at least first 2-3 rounds. Just place it near Watch Master for better re-rolls and Jump Libby for better durability. Infernum halo launcher combined with Might of heroes may sometimes surprise your enemy gunships. My 2c.

[Brother_Doom]

Was going to ask this in a separate thread, but seems fitting here... Any thoughts on this as a anti-knight/superheavy?

 

Corvus (Lascannon/Stormstrike/Auspex), carting around 5x VV with dual inferno pistols (now that they're 7pts each post-CA) and a Jump Librarian with Null Zone, Bolt Pistol (tempest shell/last resort), and a bad attitude.

 

10x Melta shots, with potentially no invulnerable, along with the mortal wounds from the librarian, and the Corvus providing coverfire seems like it'd be a helluva lot of fun! Or a 500 point distraction... Either way, I'm tempted to try it for the fun of it

[Lemondish]

Was going to ask this in a separate thread, but seems fitting here... Any thoughts on this as a anti-knight/superheavy?

 

Corvus (Lascannon/Stormstrike/Auspex), carting around 5x VV with dual inferno pistols (now that they're 7pts each post-CA) and a Jump Librarian with Null Zone, Bolt Pistol (tempest shell/last resort), and a bad attitude.

 

10x Melta shots, with potentially no invulnerable, along with the mortal wounds from the librarian, and the Corvus providing coverfire seems like it'd be a helluva lot of fun! Or a 500 point distraction... Either way, I'm tempted to try it for the fun of it

Could be a great distraction, but the Corvus is only really buying you token protection and delivery that could (potentially) get you into melta range turn 2 if they aren't grounded quickly.

 

The alternative being deep strike, which ENSURES their protection turn 1, arrives at the same time, costs less in points...but you give up the chance to get in melta range. Still, could work without the Corvus.

 

But consider a 10 man Terminator squad with storm bolters and the combo melta fist deep striking in for the same 500 point cost. 4 times the wounds of the VV, better baseline save, 40 SIA storm bolter shots on top of the same number of melta shots, and you'll guarantee their protection turn 1 by being off the board.

[TheBigAristotle]

Was going to ask this in a separate thread, but seems fitting here... Any thoughts on this as a anti-knight/superheavy?

 

Corvus (Lascannon/Stormstrike/Auspex), carting around 5x VV with dual inferno pistols (now that they're 7pts each post-CA) and a Jump Librarian with Null Zone, Bolt Pistol (tempest shell/last resort), and a bad attitude.

 

10x Melta shots, with potentially no invulnerable, along with the mortal wounds from the librarian, and the Corvus providing coverfire seems like it'd be a helluva lot of fun! Or a 500 point distraction... Either way, I'm tempted to try it for the fun of it

 

Big model investment for a short-range gimmick.  Would be fun to pull off

[Xisor]

Depending on how intensive the rest of the points are, that's not a terrible gimmick.

 

E.g. If you've got the benefit of that 500pts assemblage being low target priority, then it could be used rather neatly?

[vigitant]

I'd say the best use I could think of for the Corvus in the current meta would be to reduce drops and add movement. 

throw a MSU vet squad in with 4-5 characters from a double battallion.  Deploy bird right on the edge of your deployment zone.  Pile them out turn1.
Gives the squad and characters ~3.5" of extra movement.  (especially good, since we can do this with Jump characters.  throw in a jump libby or captain with beacon.  disembark within 3", advance 12+d6", then beacon a full 10m squad within 3".  effectively 20" of movement turn 1 for a Stormbolter squad.)

And with the occasional list popping up spamming sniper scouts or trying to get value out of primaris crusade strategems, protecting your characters for a turn isnt bad.

And its turning about 6-7 drops into 1 drop, helping you get that +1 to 1st turn.  Every slight edge helps.

 

Might even be worth strapping lascannons on it with the point drop, just to add a little more AT.  Maybe put a couple vendreads next to it and WotA the whole grouping.

I still dont think its optimal, but if you really want to use the gorgeous DW bird, especially for FLGS games, its not as terrible as it was.

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

My issue with the Corvus is no PotMS. Obviously it’s not an oversight since GW had multiple opportunities to address this shortcoming for such an elite flyer.

[Lemondish]

I'd say the best use I could think of for the Corvus in the current meta would be to reduce drops and add movement. 

 

throw a MSU vet squad in with 4-5 characters from a double battallion.  Deploy bird right on the edge of your deployment zone.  Pile them out turn1.

Gives the squad and characters ~3.5" of extra movement.  (especially good, since we can do this with Jump characters.  throw in a jump libby or captain with beacon.  disembark within 3", advance 12+d6", then beacon a full 10m squad within 3".  effectively 20" of movement turn 1 for a Stormbolter squad.)

 

And with the occasional list popping up spamming sniper scouts or trying to get value out of primaris crusade strategems, protecting your characters for a turn isnt bad.

 

And its turning about 6-7 drops into 1 drop, helping you get that +1 to 1st turn.  Every slight edge helps.

 

Might even be worth strapping lascannons on it with the point drop, just to add a little more AT.  Maybe put a couple vendreads next to it and WotA the whole grouping.

 

I still dont think its optimal, but if you really want to use the gorgeous DW bird, especially for FLGS games, its not as terrible as it was.

 

Well, I think that depends on the meta. After all, if you're using the new (and absolutely fantastic) CA missions, you don't have to worry about number of drops since the deployment rules are different. I highly suggest people play the new Eternal War missions - they're fantastic. 

 

If you don't care about number of drops, I think the value here diminishes a bit. 

 

Honestly, the Corvus needs better profiles on its special missiles, PotMS, mission tactics, and SIA on the Hurricane Bolters to really get the stamp of approval. 

[vigitant]

 

Well, I think that depends on the meta. After all, if you're using the new (and absolutely fantastic) CA missions, you don't have to worry about number of drops since the deployment rules are different. I highly suggest people play the new Eternal War missions - they're fantastic. 

 

If you don't care about number of drops, I think the value here diminishes a bit. 

 

Honestly, the Corvus needs better profiles on its special missiles, PotMS, mission tactics, and SIA on the Hurricane Bolters to really get the stamp of approval. 

 

 

Yeah, i dont think its a good unit. 

but i still think the best thing it can do is enable extra inches with beacon shenanigans.  And if you're taking it, might as well take vendreads or similar to make your enemy choose where theyre putting AT.

 

# of drops is a minor advantage.  Movement is super important in the game right now.  an extra 3.5" turn 1 is nothing to sneeze at.  I dont think its worth the points investment on a corvus, but its definitely something that can be built around, and something that can get value if played well.

[Lemondish]

# of drops is a minor advantage.  Movement is super important in the game right now.  an extra 3.5" turn 1 is nothing to sneeze at.  I dont think its worth the points investment on a corvus, but its definitely something that can be built around, and something that can get value if played well.

 

You make a good case here largely because I sometimes find value in that for my other transports when they aren't as needed to protect a unit. The Corvus just lets you do it with good mixed Kill Team :D