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Title says it all. I want some but I want a unit that is useful.

They aren't particularly bad on their own merits but fall down when compared against Bikers.
They are essentially weaker Assault Marines that lose ATSKNF and Chapter Tactics, in exchange for the potential to 'buy back' that missing utility through Marks (And Fear, whoopee). They have some utility as a fast flanking unit and can generally be applied to all of the problems that an Assault Marine could solve.

The problem arises when for just 3pts more per model, you could take Bikers from the same slot who provide the same number of attacks, a different style of speed, but then throw T5/Jink/TL Bolters into the mix for a negligible cost increase. They fulfil the same role and the only real loss is that you cannot Jump over terrain, instead relying on a better Turbo-boost to get your kicks.

They are a good unit, but the other fast attack choices just outshine them. that being said, I use a squad of slaanesh raptors armed with flamers and a combi-flamer to escort my jump sorcerer.

I have two squads of meltaraptors that I occasionally use.

They do not replace CCWs with special weapons, they just get them, which is great.

They commonly drop down, hopefully bust a tank with 3 melta shots (2 meltaguns and a combimelta), before either being assaulted by something hard and wrecked or surviving to the next turn to assault.

The key to use them, I find, is target saturation. Those Khorne raptors are a much less lucrative target if other units are closing in as well.

I give mine two plasma guns and use them as a harassment unit that can threaten most vehicles and heavy infantry, and reliably assault light infantry. Units of 5 have a small footprint so can use cover pretty easily.

Every time I've fielded raptors, my Raptor Champion with Power Sword has been the MVP of the game.

I like them, their only problem as people will point out is that they compete in the Fast slot, and for a few points more you get a +T bonus by taking Bikers instead.

I'm thinking about getting into Kill Team, and think Raptors would do nicely there.

I like if not because they are totally badasses. I liked the old metal models and I like the new plastic ones too! As far as useful I still like em. They are some what different than bikers, the smaller foot print allows better use of cover and in heavy terrain boards with lots of buildings and stuff jumping 12" can be very different than scooting 12". I like melta or flamers and if I got the points MoK and even the Icon. I find I rarely get to use the fleet from jump pack rules, they need that 12" move.

I like to use the following

10-20 raptors, either nurgle or slaanesh depending on the matchup. (FNP or +1T)

Sorcerer with spell familiar and last memory of yuthanos (Black Legion artifact) and ML3 directly into the middle of an enemy army. Do an 18 inch nova. Do about 30 wounds. Laugh.

My Word Bearers always run with a 10 strong unit of raptors with Mark of Khorne, 2 Meltaguns, the Khornate standard, and a champion with the Powerfist/Lightning claw combo. They make it to combat about 80%, but once there have yet to be beaten, even when pitched against my friends unit of Incubi w/ Archon (admittedly he rolled rather poorly). It's ridiculous the amount of hurt they can put out.

I run a 5-man team of PlasmaRaptors in my primary list. There's loads of terrain on my usual gaming board, and their ability to simply jump over a hill that can completely hide a Trygon is invaluable. 12" movement and I can get their 4 S7 AP2 shots where I need them.

Last time I played with my best friend they finished off a downed Flyrant who had 2 wounds left. I felt so proud of them.

Absolutely, and to great effect. 5-man melta drop. They only ever failed to blow up their intended target once, vs Orks. The ork player then targeted them with a boom gun from a looted wagon and blew up my intended target for me.
Win-win.

I use squads of 5, either 2 meltas or 2 flamers.
I almost never DS them, just deploy into cover and jump from ruins to ruins.

Most of the time MoK, but I used unmarked/MoT ones to escort a JP/disk sorcerer.

The biggest strength of Raptors compared to Assault Marines is they still get Melta Guns. Melta gun raptors are great, one of the more cost efficient anti-tank units out there.

Losing ATSKNF kind of hurts, but that can be mitigated in a number of ways. Jump pack chaos lord comes to mind, or going MON/Fearless standard. Always depends on what the rest of your army is wanting to do.

Mozzamanx wrote:
They aren't particularly bad on their own merits but fall down when compared against Bikers.
They are essentially weaker Assault Marines that lose ATSKNF and Chapter Tactics, in exchange for the potential to 'buy back' that missing utility through Marks (And Fear, whoopee). They have some utility as a fast flanking unit and can generally be applied to all of the problems that an Assault Marine could solve.

The problem arises when for just 3pts more per model, you could take Bikers from the same slot who provide the same number of attacks, a different style of speed, but then throw T5/Jink/TL Bolters into the mix for a negligible cost increase. They fulfil the same role and the only real loss is that you cannot Jump over terrain, instead relying on a better Turbo-boost to get your kicks.

A raptor can get MoN for 3pts to have t5 but no tl-bolter or jinx.

They're generally compared with bikers. Note that on a map without much blos and trenches and other stuff that hurts ground movement bikers are plain better. However, when it comes to assaulting someone sitting on a roof or behind impassible terrain - raptors have something you just can't get with bikers. Besides, raptors can have an option to deepstrike which is relatively good if you take 2 meltas/flamers+combi-weapon. However, terminators feel better in this role either.

Usually, bikers are better than raptors just like sm bikers are better than asm. Current ruleset made it like this. But raptors can still be good from time to time if you use the map as your advantage.

Turock wrote:Title says it all. I want some but I want a unit that is useful.

Well, certainly they can be useful, even if they're not the absolute best thing in the FO slot.

As people are saying, melticide is pretty nifty, and they can act as a retinue to a jump pack lord or sorcerer, which is nice as well. I'd note, though, that for 5 points cheaper than a raptor squad with 2 meltaguns, you can take a terminator squad with 3 combi-meltas. Of course, they don't get to fly around after the drop, but they're not strictly the best melticide squad (they also run up against the more expensive, but better pair of obliterators for the same role).

Bikes are a bit better, but the main way to see bikes vs. raptors is if you want more speed and durability, or if you want more flexibility. You don't turbo-boost with raptors, and they don't get +T or free cover saves, but raptors can deepstrike, and don't crash in terrain while going somewhere, and can cross impassable terrain, and can enter ruins, so aren't just completely hosed when there are objectives up on the second floor. It's sort of a classic does one thing well vs. more balanced approach.

Also, I'd note that raptors are better against hordes because they come with fear, while bikes don't. Not that that's THAT big of a deal in codex: chainswords, but, you know...

 Turock wrote:
Title says it all. I want some but I want a unit that is useful.

This is my current list, featuring Raptors. The list is very good and battle tested. A few mods are coming but they are minor and don't involve the Raptors. I am considering using just three troops choices for this list, but am torn and haven't formally committed to doing so.

Obliterator
Obliterator
Mutilator
Mutilator
Mutilator
5 Black Legion Chaos Marines(Veterans of the Long War)
Rhino (Dirge Caster)
5 Black Legion Chaos Marines (Veterans of the Long War)
Rhino (Dirge Caster)
5 Chaos Marines
Rhino (Dirge Caster)
5 Chaos Marines
Rhino (Dirge Caster)
Sorcerer (Meltabomb, Aura of Dark Glory, Mark of Nurgle)
Black Legion Chaos Lord "Cruise Missile Bob" (Chaos Bike, Blight Grenades, Veteran of the Long War, Hand of Darkness, Combi-Melta, Mark of Nurgle, Sigil of Corruption, Eye of Night)
14 Nurgle Raptors (2 x Meltaguns, Power Axe+Meltabomb)
14 Nurgle Raptors (2 x Meltaguns, Power Axe + Meltabomb)
Heldrake w Baleflamer

They work pretty well in a Huron's Power Horde army as well. Here they can be the hammer that breaks people over the horde of footmen, or distraction gambit which buys you the rest of the field.