Raptors in a Shock Assault World, Yay or Nay?

[dreadmad]

Has anyone tried Raptors since Shock Assault has been added? I'm curious as to how well a couple of small Raptor units would work in ITC as harassment/Recon grabbing units.

 

Worth a shot, or should I just resign myself to a Bloodletter/Tzaangors bomb?

[Sonoftherubric21]

I personally vote yes, though it will *REQUIRE* the Raptor Formation from Vigilus Ablaze if you want to make it work with substantial numbers. I run 25 raptors, often in 15/10 or 10/10/5 builds. Units Leaders with melee weapon and duel plasma per squad with a +2 inch warlord trait right behind them. Its a design that requires support but it does work pretty well on any non-competitive tables. 

Though against competitive lists it doesn't wilt either given it lands turn 2 and slams into targets that may be important. Shock Assault just ramped it up a bit in output department. 

If not formation + large squads to abuse buffs, the best use for Raptors is a pop+drop trip-plasma squad. Decent for their points though not great, better given the new influx of Primaris units due to new dex. 

[Kain Mor]

I continually run raptors because of fluff in my Night Lords, and they are continually a waste of points even in Hateful assault.

 

Here’s the thing people don’t understand about hateful assault imo: a blanket buff to 90% of our units does not make a crap unit good, because it buffed our already good units as well.

 

I’d rather take chosen or zerkers in a transport than raptors any day of the week.

[Tyriks]

Hateful Assault probably helps Warp Talons more than Raptors, to be honest. Talons still had too few attacks but at least theirs have a chance of doing something.

[Closet Skeleton]

Here’s the thing people don’t understand about hateful assault imo: a blanket buff to 90% of our units does not make a crap unit good, because it buffed our already good units as well.

 

You take Raptors for their deepstrike or speed and the only thing in the book that mirrors that are the too expensive warp talons or bikes for the speed part.

Edited September 30, 2019 by Closet Skeleton