Storm Raven Passengers

[casb1965]

OK, I'm in need of a little advice. I have a Storm Raven and want something hard-hitting to drop from them. I have a Cataphractii Captain (for reasons) and can't decide whether to go for some more Cataphractii, other assault terminators or Vanguard Vets to fight alongside him.

 

Any recommendations would be appreciated.

[Imren]

Hammernators (terminators with storm shield and thunder hammers) is the classic loadout for hard hitting cargo for stormravens

[Logiter]

I’ve had great success with 3 assault centurions, a LT. and two bare-bones company veterans, just to help out if the stormraven goes down before it delivers the payload

[Sword Brother Adelard]

Take a dread?

[casb1965]

Dreadnought will be underslung :)

 

I did think about Hammernators but don't like the models (if there was an alternative I'd probably go for them)

 

Hadn't thought about Assault Centurions that could work, add a Lieutenant and my Cataphractii captain and that'd fill the Raven and give everyone a reroll of 1s to hit and wound.

[Mandragola]

Definitely the assault centurions I think.

 

There's a lot to be said for something cheap like the company vets, because if it dies and you lose models you want to be taking off something that costs <50 points. Losing an assault centurion or character in this way isn't cool!

[casb1965]

I think with the Raven's movement I can get in to position to drop off the troops before that happens. I tend to leave it until near last to deploy and then in a 1st turn range of where I want it to get to.

[Mandragola]

I don't think that's true. Any army with decent firepower can kill a storm raven on turn one. Even if you go first your guys can't get out of the storm raven until turn 2, unless they disembark before it moves. Moving it to drop off passengers inevitably means going close to the enemy, and that tends to be particularly dangerous.

 

There is a pretty strong argument for putting nobody inside a storm raven, or for just having something really cheap like a scout squad. It's already very expensive, so filling it up with ~300 points worth of characters and other stuff paints a huge bullseye on it.

[MARK0SIAN]

The thing I would say is that a lot of what you’re thinking of taking (Terminators, Vanguard Vets) already have a built in delivery system that you’ve paid points for. I’d use the Stormraven to transport something that doesn’t have that readily available like the centurions.

[Son of Sacrifice]

I've considered 10 assault marines actually, all with chainswords but sergeant with a power fist. It's a good number of attacks but shouldn't bump the stormraven up to a priority target.

[Cap'm Heckus]

Slap a double-flamer double-fist Ironclad underneath and you’re good to go with whatever you put inside.

[The Unseen]

Sternguard also make good use of the Raven if your wanting them to get in close.

They can clear infantry off objectives pretty well with their AP-2 (or -3 in Tactical doctrine) bolters and then charge with 3 attacks each.

And they're individually cheap enough that rolling 1s when the raven dies doesn't hurt too bad.

[emperorpants]

I've had great fun and luck with 3 assault cents with hurricane bolters and an iron clad dread with a hurricane bolter.  I play ultras so they are in the tactical doctrine on turn 2, which is when they can first get out obviously, so that's 4 hurricane bolters with 6 flamers at ap 1.  You can also pop wisdom of the ancients with your dread to get those sweet re-roll 1's for the hurricane bolters.  Tasty.  Follow that up with some charges as both assault cents and iron clads are good in melee and you are putting a serious hurting on your opponent.  

 

Of course, as others have said, that paints a big bullseye on the storm raven.  So i'm also an advocate of just not putting anything in the storm ravenl, or just not taking a storm raven period.  lol. 

Edited December 5, 2019 by emperorpants

[casb1965]

I've found that having the -1 to hit and a 6+++FNP (I've been playing using IH CT recently) the Storm Raven has survived past T2 every game. It's just working out what to put in there that has been the pain, I think I'm settled on a dread of some sort and probably 5 Cataphractii to go with the Cataphractii captain seeing as their short movement is unaffected by the disembarking and charging rules.