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Hi all,

I am looking for a flying transport to use in my large W40K/Apocalypse games. I am thinking about Caestus Assault Ram or Storm Eagle Assault gunship.
Caestus is faster and tougher (13/13/11, 36" flat out).

Storm eagle has 4 HP and better shooting.
What are Your opinions?

All best,

I'd go with the Eagle. Better shooting means it can still perform well after it's delivered the cargo. Speed is hardly an issue, you should still be able to get in good position within a couple of turns of arriving, and again, the firepower alone is worth a significant amount.

Ram for actual use. 36" ramming speed with an invul save

Eagle for actual transport and with lascannons makes it somewhat useful against other flyers

Ram, no one is ready for AV13 fliers, thus it WILL deliver it's cargo.

Get both!

The Ram is certainly tougher, and the magnamelta can be fun. The AV13 is tough to beat, too.
I also like the Storm Eagle for its variety of weapons, and the ability to carry up to 20 power armor dudes. I guess the biggest question is, what do you plan to transport? If it will always be 10 models or less, then the Ram may be the better choice for you.

Nobody_Holme wrote:
Ram, no one is ready for AV13 fliers, thus it WILL deliver it's cargo.

I'm not sure if its been fixed in later editions of its rules, but last I saw the Ram doesn't have a Hover mode. Since afaik it doesn't have a Skys of Blood type rule either its literally impossible to disembark from it. You basically just zoom around ramming things and wait until a ram backfires or you get shot down so you can drop 10 TH/SS Terminators (which hopefully live).

Powerguy wrote:

Nobody_Holme wrote:
Ram, no one is ready for AV13 fliers, thus it WILL deliver it's cargo.

I'm not sure if its been fixed in later editions of its rules, but last I saw the Ram doesn't have a Hover mode. Since afaik it doesn't have a Skys of Blood type rule either its literally impossible to disembark from it. You basically just zoom around ramming things and wait until a ram backfires or you get shot down so you can drop 10 TH/SS Terminators (which hopefully live).

It has Hover in the latest IA. Pre-hover is pre-6th.

Caestus is super fun, Storm Eagle is a pain to put together and might as well get a Storm Raven/ Fire Raptor if you want fire support.

The Caestus Assault Ram is a terrifying omen of death it can and will kill anything and everything, looks awesome and is insanely well armored and armed for a flyer. Definitely get the Caestus Assault Ram

If you have something you really want to get to close combat then the ram.

The storm eagle is a gunboat with a huge transport capacity. It is however not as good at delivering it's cargo.

 ansacs wrote:
The storm eagle is a gunboat with a huge transport capacity.

I've been wondering about the point of the Forgeworld fliers having such large transport capacities. Is there some Forgeworld rule that means you can embark 2 different units in the one transport or is capacity only usable for the 3-4 units with large numbers? I'm thinking Death Company, Bloodclaws with lots of attached characters or large units of terminators........ any other point to it?

As far as I can tell it is to allow big units from legion, CSM, and astral claws. These units can get to 20 models of astartes. The other reason is that bulky models will eat away at your transport capacity. A good example is a unit of 10 termies which takes 20 transport capacity.

20 model transport capacity...?

I gots to get me one of them Storm Eagles.

Thunderhawks have transport 30, and they've been around way longer than The Horus Heresy book series.... for that matter Storm Eagles have been around a while too, haven't they?


Automatically Appended Next Post:
But I guess the answer seems that no - you can't put two squads in the one big flier.

.....

I guess if I got one I could transport a squad of 9 Swiftclaws and Wolf Priest close enough to assault without being killed first.... or a massive squad of Wolf Guard terminators

Out of curiousity, do CSM have access to Thunderhawks?

I had a unfinished Storm Raven at home when I decided I wanted to go DA instead of C:SM, you can imagine my joy when I learned of the Storm Eagle. I still have lascannons from my Storm Raven and Storm Talon and spare typhoon missles from my Ravenwing Battleforce giving me all the parts to convert my Raven into an Eagle.

For 300 points I will get a total beast that can transport all my goodies. I will use it to drop 5 or 10 terminators.

Just so you are aware you will have a different dimensions with a stormraven than a storm eagle.

Hmm, does this matter or to rephrase, is my idea legal?

 Barnie25 wrote:
Hmm, does this matter or to rephrase, is my idea legal?

It matters because 40k is a game with TLOS, and the Stormraven and Storm Eagle are different sizes. A Stormraven with Storm Eagle weapons glued onto it is not a Storm Eagle according to the rules. Whether or not an individual player will accept your conversion idea as "good enough" and overlook the size/shape issue is entirely up to their personal preference.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 BrotherHaraldus wrote:
Out of curiousity, do CSM have access to Thunderhawks?

Yes, though obviously only in Apocalypse games.

You have the option for a flying death ram and you consider not taking it?

The Rams are unique models that look great when completed and weathered in a fashion that fits the flyer. I'd say go with that.

Just out of curiosity, how does a storm raven with the chapterhouse fuselage extension look next to a storm eagle?

As to the why do Storm Eagles have 20 spaces. Its a Heresy era aircraft and Heresy tactical squads can have up to 20 guys relatively cheaply, throw in ICs and an apothecary and your space fills up quickly. Same reasoning behind Spartans with 25 spaces.
Oh and I don't know if its been mentioned but the Ram has room for ten guys period, meaning ten termies, ten power armored guys or I think ten assault marines.