Unit of the Week: Stormraven Gunship

[Jolemai]

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

Following the release of the 8^th edition Codex, 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).

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:

Stormraven Gunship

What are you thoughts here folks? How best would you use a Stormraven?

• To compliment a list, or to build a list around? Will the beta rules affect your list(s)?
• Will you be running multiple units?
• What units (if any) will you be transporting and how will they be equipped?
• How are you making use of Hover Jet?
• What optional weapons choices are you taking and does the above affect how you run them?
• Are you buffing this unit? If so, how?
• Stratagems of note?

Over to you.

[Jolemai]

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

[tychobi]

I wrote this for an other thread but I think it fits.

 

Two schools of thought.

 

Classic is load it up and fly into the teeth of the enemy to disgorge hitty melee passengers. Arm with assault cannon and heavy bolters or multi meltas and hurricanes.

 

Pros: aggressive power play.

 

Cons: you are going to get shot down in a hurry

 

Sniper load out is typhoon and lascannon. Hug your rear and use range to keep yourself alive while pouring high str firepower downfield. Only close when threats are thinned with incidental passengers.

 

Pros: raven might survive until late game

 

Cons: will not help with map control early on. Still fragile

 

Either way Stormraven is a pricey platform for some serious firepower. I have personally had more success with the long range set up with hurricanes. Full utility of the models versatility is needed to get great value out of the Stormraven. Charge block terrestrial models, hover and charge enemy armor to quiet their guns, fly over advancing characters to maintain aura buffs, drop next to enemy characters and assassinate with brutal efficiency, there are so many slick moves you can make. GOOD LUCK!

[t-dog1996]

The problem with the Stormraven is that it is a Land Raider without two of the biggest reasons to take a Land Raider: 2+ armour save and T8. The fact that it is a flyer is small comfort in that regard. Its huge size makes it easy to draw LOS and most factions, marines especially, have numerous ways of mitigating or even eliminating entirely the effect of that -1 to hit when it's airborne. Therefore despite having 14 wounds it is very vulnerable, not only to enemy shooting but also in melee with the number of smash captains of all flavours flying around. Its vulnerability, combined with its high points cost, is a problem to say the least.

 

Then there's its transport capacity, which combined with its mobility has long been a plus point. The difficulty there is that most of our most dangerous units don't actually need a delivery system. Slamguinius, Librarian Dreadnoughts, Mephiston, Astorath, Lemartes, Death Company and Sanguinary Guard all have ways to get themselves into melee without the help of a 300+ point vehicle, especially since Blood of Baal came out. By putting a powerful melee unit, or even a Dreadnought, in your Stormraven, you're basically painting a large sign on the fuselage saying, "WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? SHOOT ME DOWN". As discussed above, that's not going to be very hard.

 

With these issues in mind, I think the best use for the Stormraven is horde clearance. One thing the Stormraven can give you is dakka. Lots and lots of dakka. Against opponents like Guard, Tyranids, Eldar, or even Chaos Marines (basically any army that rocks up with lots of low/mid toughness 1 wound minis) a Stormraven with a twin assault cannon, typhoon missile launcher and two hurricane bolters is going to chew through them like no tomorrow.

 

Against loyalist marines, especially Primaris-heavy lists, you're probably better off taking the twin plasma cannon/twin lascannon and twin multi-melta. That way you can deal with Primaris guys as well as threaten all the dreadnoughts/repulsors they can bring to the party.

 

Despite everything I've said, I do actually quite like the Stormraven and I think it is capable of doing a good job in the right hands. It's just very difficult to justify its point cost given how vulnerable it is in the game right now.

[Xenith]

 

Then there's its transport capacity, which combined with its mobility has long been a plus point. The difficulty there is that most of our most dangerous units don't actually need a delivery system. Slamguinius, Librarian Dreadnoughts, Mephiston, Astorath, Lemartes, Death Company and Sanguinary Guard all have ways to get themselves into melee without the help of a 300+ point vehicle, especially since Blood of Baal came out. By putting a powerful melee unit, or even a Dreadnought, in your Stormraven, you're basically painting a large sign on the fuselage saying, "WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? SHOOT ME DOWN". As discussed above, that's not going to be very hard.

 

 

 

 

Scouts are a great option for the raven for threat saturation. 3x5 scouts can happily go inside and throw out 66 attacks on the charge in turn 3 with bp+combat blade, combat blade+chainsword on the serge. They're also super cheap, hopefully lowering their threat level. BA scouts can be brutal. 

 

 

With these issues in mind, I think the best use for the Stormraven is horde clearance. One thing the Stormraven can give you is dakka. Lots and lots of dakka. Against opponents like Guard, Tyranids, Eldar, or even Chaos Marines (basically any army that rocks up with lots of low/mid toughness 1 wound minis) a Stormraven with a twin assault cannon, typhoon missile launcher and two hurricane bolters is going to chew through them like no tomorrow.

 

I'd actually favour the Heavy Bolters over the typhoon for hordes. Typhoon averages 7 shots at S4 AP0, while the heavy bolters guarantee 6 shots at S5AP-1, and for half the points. 

 

Typhoon, lascannons, bloodmissiles are a nice option for taking out threats at range, and you can combine this with 5 scouts for a lower threat level, last turn objective clearing/stealing, countercharge. 

 

I'd favour asscans, hurricanes, heavy bolters for 30 shots of dakka + missiles, and then make sure I have other threats on the board.

 

As tychobi mentions, hovering flyers with large movements are incredible for catching characters out, I've pounced on a farseer or two that thought they were safe at the back of the board. 

[Jolemai]

I still struggle with it and I think it's because I play it too aggressively. With doctrines how they are, perhaps I should sit back T1 and then move up (if hurricanes) in T2/3 - but I suppose it depends on the loadout and if I have screens to clear.

 

I rarely put anything more interesting than Scouts inside (for objectives late on) and the only Dreadnoughts that ever hitch a ride are the Death Company Dreadnought or a Fragioso (I like to brush the dust off it occasionally) as I seem to have no success with foodslogging them.

[Karhedron]

DC Dread and some cheap infantry seem the only realistic passengers.

 

I am wondering if the humble tactical squad might actually be the best cargo. Cheap so don't really increase the target priority of the Raven. It helps get them into the centre ground and provides them cover on T1. They can deploy on T2 just as the Tactical doctrine kicks in to provide a little extra kick to their bolters.

 

I like the idea of shifting from long range to close range support as we cycle through the Doctrines.

[Panzer]

Well it's basically a Landraider with less toughness and armour but more mobility/FLY and a -1 to hit. You can't hide it because it's so big and it has a lot of firepower so the enemy will shoot at it no matter what. If it has some valuable cargo even more so.

Its best chance to survive is to outrange the enemy but then it can't really act as transport or utilise the -1 to hit for more than a turn because you either have to go into hover mode or move closer to the enemy.

 

These days it gets somewhat outclassed as gunboat by the Repulsor Executioner and outclassed as fast transport with FLY by the Impulsor (which ideally has a 4++ instead of the -1 to hit).

 

If you want to use the Stormraven though, you better put something into it that's not super valuable. Some late game objective grabber like Scouts or Tacticals perhaps. Or nothing at all and use it for its raw mobile firepower.

One neat little thing, if it actually survives long enough, is that you can put it into hover mode and charge an enemy unit to soak overwatch for your melee unit. You just have to live with the fact that it'll die as fast as a Rhino if you do that, so you better make it count.

Another is that if you time it right you can screen your units by an unchargeable (unless the enemy unit has FLY) roadblock for a turn.

[Bonzi]

In the past, before drop pods were allowed on turn 1, I would fill a Raven with MSU tactical squads and a regular dred and paired with the FW fighter jet as part of a minimum drop army to increase the chances of going first. I would always race it to the enemies deployment zone and start shooting. Usually in my opponents turn they would shoot the Raven down and the Tacticals and dred would run amok. They were never a target priority with death company and sanguinary Guard charging up the board, and yet there's no end of trouble those units could cause once they were in the enemies back lines.

 

It was a big tool in managing my opponents threat and target priority. I'm of the opinion you must use the transport function to make a Raven worth it, but you can't mount beatstick units because they will likely underperform from the Raven. You have to balance the threat and the utility of the model with the rest of your army.

[Indefragable]

The flow chart of use is: do you want to slingshot a dreadnought* up the board? If yes, then take one. For me, that is its niche use that nothing outside of 2000pt Sokar Stormbirds can do. Sure, you can take pod, but a SR gives you a bit more protection And mobility. I’ve had a ton of fun launching Mongo** 11” out of mine with a re-rollable charge at the end.

 

The 3” disembark is so ripe for abuse clever tactical thinking...sure you can get Scouts to move 9”, but why not catapult a jump unit 15”? Operation Springboard is a go!

 

@tychobi mention the two “best” load outs for it and I agree, though I have far more experience going dakka (TLHB, TLAC, hurricanes). 
 

As others have pointed out, it can be quite useful with cheap cargo like CQC Scouts inside: gives them great mobility but also does not hurt so bad if they go down with the ship.

 

I think more than any other unit in our arsenal, the SR’s effectiveness really depends on what else is in your army. If it’s the obvious target, then it will go down fast. If you have other scary things or play it just cautiously enough to make it not the immediate priority threat, it can do wonders, 

 

Its actually one of my favorite units in our book, I just don’t get to use it as often since I either want to bring two Xiphons with it or it’s often the only vehicle in my list due to our current crop of units, with Incursors et al. The number f dirty tricks you can pull with it is amazing. 

 

 

*excluding leviathans 

**the name of my DC Dread