Storm Eagles, Fire Raptors 9th edition

[CCE1981]

Are Storm Eagles or Fore Raptors any good this edition?

[BloodyB]

The fire raptor looks good for Anti meq work. An awful lot of D2 fire coming from that thing. I doubt it will make it's points back, but tearing apart a few squads in preparation for your own infantry to finish up isn't a bad idea.

 

The Storm Eagle has good anti horde shooting, and can bring 2 squads along for the ride. It can take Las and Meltas, but I doubt they will help in most cases. I guess it could make for a fun objective snatching combo around turn 3. Having thought of that, I quite like the idea of a Tac squad and a sternguard squad leaping from their flying steed onto the battlements of traitors, landing just as the fires of the storm eagle gunship rips apart a coven of mutants, before the Ceramite clad warriors enter deeper into the fortifications, sweeping them clear of heretical filth.

 

Sadly, crunch doesn't really reach fluff. The storm eagle is heavily overcosted, and requires a hefty investment in the unit, or units, being transported to be worth the price. If you only need space for ten regular marines, take the raven and bring a dreadnought as well.

 

Both versions have an option for good AA. My own meta doesn't call for that, but it is free, and okay to help shift armour and monsters. Four D3 shots isn't bad at all. Of course, if you just need AA, a Storm hawk, hunter or stalker are all cheaper, but none of the units I've used for comparison can do ALL of these things, so it could work well for you.

 

If you use a Storm Eagle in battle, tell us how it does, mine is still looking for an excuse for a paint job.

[Tokugawa]

Iron hands could do something with these expensive isv-less vehicles. Other chapters…

[CCE1981]

I am not fond of the look of the Storm Raven, though I do like the look of the Storm Eagle.  I think that I will magnetize up a Storm Eagle including a spot to put the top turret on to swap them out.

[Sword Brother Adelard]

I am not fond of the look of the Storm Raven, though I do like the look of the Storm Eagle.  I think that I will magnetize up a Storm Eagle including a spot to put the top turret on to swap them out.

I took the turret off my Storm Raven and used a Stormtalon chin gun on the underside for the assault cannons, Much neater and a more useful place to have it. (I also stretched the fuselage using Captain Magpie's tutorial, but you can do the turret swap on any Raven.)

[CCE1981]

Can you post a picture of the chin turret?

[Sword Brother Adelard]

Here it is: I put it there as I reasoned that if the landing gear was down, it could just about land on the turret. (It has landing claws)

It rotates around too if you match the hole on the Storm Talon.

[War of the Eagle]

I have used my FireRaptor a couple times in 9th since the points drop, but unless fighting 2W enemys It volume of fire can be found elsewhere in the codex for cheeper. Its a pretty nice centerpiece model tho. A model that's around 400pts just needs to do a bit more or be a bit more survivable.

[ADragonuFear]

There was a competitive iron hands list that used a fire raptor and techmarine (or was it feirros?) As a deathstar with Ironstone. I used one in a casual game a couple days ago and enjoyed it, using Ironstone and psychic Fortress. It's a fun model to use as your one big buffed vehicle as iron hands for 1cp dev doctrine, and it's one of the bigger sources of single firepower that isn't a lord of war, so if you want a big forgesorld monster on the battlefield it's a fun choice. It will suffer against death guard however, only has 18 wounds with T7, and is actually currently bugged so to speak. Per the rules the twin avenger cannon only has as many shots as a single one, so it's missing 10 big shots.

I wouldn't take one competitively as anything besides iron hands and even that's pretty suspect without the right list around it.

[Leonaides]

Hmmm, if they up the avenger shots to 20, but keep the cost same - does it become a new fw op unit?

[CCE1981]

Since it should be able to one shot a Drulhari raider for only four times the points, definitely.