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After seeing some interesting builds in the Tactics section, the following list more or less formed in my head. Please see what you think and - barring blatant list tailoring - pick it apart with something you could reasonably expect to face in a game against an unknown opponent.

The list:
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HQ
Astorath the Grim - 220

Elites
Chaplain - 100
5x Sternguard, 2x meltaguns, 3x combi-meltas - Drop Pod - 185
5x Sternguard, 2x heavy flamer - Drop Pod - 180

Troops
10x Death Company, 2x power fists, Drop Pod - 285
10x Death Company, 2x power fists - 250
5x Assault Marines, flamer - Razorback, heavy bolter - 125
5x Assault Marines, flamer - Razorback, heavy bolter - 125
5x Assault Marines, flamer - Razorback, heavy bolter - 125

Heavy Support
Stormraven, multimelta and lascannons - 200
Stormraven, multimelta and lascannons - 200

Total - 1995
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The basic plan is this. Razorbacks with Assault Marines all start on the board, but as much out of line of sight as possible, and far back into the deployment zone, not on the forward line. Out to one flank if it suits. The DC go with Astorath in one Stormraven, with the Chaplain in the other (because duh). Sternguard sit in their pods.

Turn 1 - 2 pods with Sternguard drop down. Their targets are any anti-AA - the flamer unit goes after anything on an ADL, the melta unit goes after any armour like Hunters, Stalkers or Hydras. I fully expect both of these to die in short order, but hopefully not before scoring First Blood. Razorbacks stay where they are, maybe popping out if an opportune shot presents itself without posing much risk. The idea is to goad the opponent into coming forward.
Turn 2 - the last pod comes down whenever. More importantly, Stormravens get rolled for, coming on with any AA threats hopefully neutralised. Razorbacks move forward a bit, but not as far forward as Stormravens.
Turn 3+ - Stormravens switch to hover, Death Company get out and break all kinds of face. Disordered charges if possible - 10 DC with rerolls is enough to cause major damage even without the Rage bonus and it'll tie up more enemy units while adding a better chance of staying in combat during the enemy turn too.
Turn 4+ - Assault Marines push up and go for objectives. Flamers will help both pushing off any troops already sitting on them and providing Wall of Death should something try charging them off in turn.

My only regret with the build is not being able to squeeze a Priest in there but I daren't wrap the two Sternguard units into one as they'd have to come down in one pod - that would cause issues if the enemy brings more than just token AA. The only thing that I can see posing a real threat are decent flyers that could come on and blast a Stormraven out of the sky as it arrives.

So - thoughts, people? What have I missed? Would you swap Astorath out to save points and put a different unit in the second Stormraven?

I would drop Astorath and a death co squad saving 470pts and replace with Librarian, corbulo and 4 th/ss termis with a sergeant with claws. Mainly for 4 reasons. 1. The termis get a 3++ if raven is shot down. 2. With corbulo they are a sick death star especially if you give the lib presience for re-rolls to hit. 3. Corbulos re-roll can be a huge game changer. And 4. Im just ocd about astorath having a jp and not being able to use it! Altogether this will come to 425pts. With the 45pts spared i would buy another sternguard for the flamer unit and give the 4 non equiped sternguard combi-flamers for a fearsome unit.

The only other thing i would change is the lasconnons on the ravens for assault cannons because mathmatically, against anything apart from av 10 and av 11 the assault cannon wins out (that doesnt just include vehicles).

Even without the changes its a nice list!

What Poly said.

Although I will say that a dual Stormraven list without a comm link built from the BA codex is a bit risky.

The entire reason I'm eyeballing dual Stormraven lists now is the price reduction on all the other marine stuff.

Well, the reason for keeping the Stormravens with MM/LC is to have them as defined anti-tank units. The rest of the army is more than capable of taking on big mobs and there's a lot of krak grenades floating around for AV10/11. If I took the lascannons out I feel like I'd need something else in its place instead.

I like the Librarian/Corbulo/Termies idea.

Martel - where's the comm-link coming from? You don't mean the IG Officer one do you?

No probs, hope it helps! I know it sounds the wrong way around but because of rending and 4 shots, the assault cannon is mathmatically better than the lascannon against av 12 13 and 14.
Martel is talking about the comlink with an agis defence line which helps with reserve rolls i think. Or is that called a sensor array? My memory fails me.

I believe you can combat squad the stern guard as soon as they are deployed from the drop pod. Now the only bad thing is if you wanted them in two diff spots

if your keeping your assualt marines in the backfield then you should just take the flamer off them honestly it would be better if you could come up with point to give them a sang priest w/jump pack. and move them up the field also.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
also your drop pod DC. i believe the Drop pod can only hold 10 troops... so i don't think your Chappy can go into the DP.

I think the 3rd drop pod is being used as empty so he gets both sternguard pods on turn 1.

Poly Ranger wrote:
I think the 3rd drop pod is being used as empty so he gets both sternguard pods on turn 1.

Yup, exactly. And I would definitely want them in two sets of five in case of having different targets. Hell, even if there's only one anti-AA target the other unit will be able to find *something* juicy.

Taking off the flamers wouldn't give me enough for a Priest, sadly. Even one without jump pack (which would be better to fit in one of the Razorbacks). But also, I want there to be some deterrent to charging my objective-takers so I would need to keep 1 of them, at least.
The rest of the unit only has pistols so it's not like I'm depending on them for lots of firepower, anyway. That's what the Razorback heavy bolters are for - being Fast, they can fire with full effect at cruising speed.

I would drop the Razorbacks and probably the Chaplain, up the Pods to 7, drop two DC and two Sternguard first turn. Then Bring the Ravens on with the Marines.

I love Astorath to pieces but the guy really isn't worth the points (then again, you could have better luck with him than I do.).


Libby and some priests running around with the ASMs or DC would make them hilariously devastating.

I would drop all the DC(non scoring) and their pod. You can't go wrong with a Blood Talon dread in one of the Stormravens. Fly it up and get behind some cover so that in your next turn whatever is in that Stormraven can unleash hell.

I agree about getting Astorath out of there. I use Mephiston with a priest to follow him around.

Just having 3 five man squads for objectives is risky(they can't have heavy weapons btw). I would target those in objective games so you wouldn't have a chance to score. One Helrake on the board targeting them would ruin your day. Kicking out the DC and taking just a tact squad to sit on objectives would work and they are cheaper.

Hope some of this helps.

PM me if you want to see my 1850 BA list.