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So, I'm considering adding a phalanx of Space Marines to my army, mainly to give my Space Wolves anti air. However, before jumping the gun, I wanted to get opinions on the Hunter, Stalker, and Stormraven.
(My plan, when I really really need AA, is to take a primary detachment of Marines, with 2 minimal troops and HQ, then one of each above listed AA option. The rest of my points go into wolves who, despite bring allies, will get more models and points.)
On a side-note, is a properly equipped Chapter Master on a bike better or worse than a Thunderwolf Wolf lord?

Im not impressed with the new tanks ability to take out aircrafts, although i have not looked too close at them.

As a spacewolf player i suggest you instead get something from stronghold assault. The heavy anchor bastion style fit SW great in my oppinion and can bring some great anti aircraft guns.
The firestorm redoubt is brutal against flyers, but has some crappy rules if you dont have flyers close by.

I like the stalker. Put it in reserve for a good beta strike. It's cheap and AV12 and works against skimmers if you have no flyer enemies.

I'm not a fan of either the stalker OR the hunter. Mostly this is based on the lack of interceptor, and the fact that they compete for HS slots with the TFC and Stormraven.

So is the Stormraven good, then? (Or, at least particularly adequate?) I don't want to get caught with my pants down against Helldrake spam or Necron flyers.

For Helldrakes or Necron flyers, you need lots of ground-based S7 or your own air power.

The Stormraven is adequate. Not good, or even above average. So is the Stormtalon. Maybe talon is above average for value. But it is fragile.

Neither are as brutally efficient as the Vendetta, Night Scythe, or Helldrake, though.

I like the Stormraven, it's more expensive, but also much more flexible. If you opponent's flyers come in first and they are on your side of the board you can fly past and use the turret assault cannon to get rear shots. Load out I use is pretty much the stock version: TL AC turret and TL MM nose mount

I also like Stormtalons for much the same reason

The Stormtalon is better at the above tactic, as its turret is 360. The Stormraven basically just shoots through whatever side it can get with MM and missiles.

I posted a similar question back when the Space Marine Codex first came out. Here's the link http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/551782.page

Fire Raptor has made Stormraven obsolete for everything but fishing for lascannon pens and taking multiple Stormravens.

 Tyberos the Red Wake wrote:
Fire Raptor has made Stormraven obsolete for everything but fishing for lascannon pens and taking multiple Stormravens.

Lol no.

The Fire Raptor doesn't have any decent anti tank weapons for a start, at best you've got a pair of TL autocannons which are worthless against Taudar for the most part and are naff at taking on even AV12. The Hellstrikes (read: NOT Storm strikes) force everything else to snap fire and still suck.

The Raven loadout is typically TL MM (so already a million miles better at AT) and TL Assault Cannon.

Its also a far better MC tackler- the missiles are heavy, AP2, concussive. So you don't force snap firing on all other shots, and you nerf CC MC's. The TL MM and AC add additional AP2.

OK, against some garbage T6 3+ Sv MC its going to possibly more damage, but let's face it; you're screwed against Wraithknights, Riptides, Wraithlords, Tyrannofexxes, etc.

Also, it has no carry capacity at all, so it can't facilitate last minute objective grabbing.

Literally the only thing it does considerably better is anti-infantry, but honestly I'd rather take two Storm Talons and not have my entire air fleet wrecked in one go by interceptor platforms or enemy flyers moving to intercept. The AP3 is a nice gimmick but unneeded.

As someone else mentioned, its best to hold the AA tanks in reserve and fire as you move on after them. The Stalker is a reasonable counter to Wave Serpents and marginally better than the Hunter.

 Mr.Omega wrote:

 Tyberos the Red Wake wrote:
Fire Raptor has made Stormraven obsolete for everything but fishing for lascannon pens and taking multiple Stormravens.

Lol no.

The Fire Raptor doesn't have any decent anti tank weapons for a start, at best you've got a pair of TL autocannons which are worthless against Taudar for the most part and are naff at taking on even AV12. The Hellstrikes (read: NOT Storm strikes) force everything else to snap fire and still suck.

The Raven loadout is typically TL MM (so already a million miles better at AT) and TL Assault Cannon.

Its also a far better MC tackler- the missiles are heavy, AP2, concussive. So you don't force snap firing on all other shots, and you nerf CC MC's. The TL MM and AC add additional AP2.

OK, against some garbage T6 3+ Sv MC its going to possibly more damage, but let's face it; you're screwed against Wraithknights, Riptides, Wraithlords, Tyrannofexxes, etc.

Also, it has no carry capacity at all, so it can't facilitate last minute objective grabbing.

Literally the only thing it does considerably better is anti-infantry, but honestly I'd rather take two Storm Talons and not have my entire air fleet wrecked in one go by interceptor platforms or enemy flyers moving to intercept. The AP3 is a nice gimmick but unneeded.

As someone else mentioned, its best to hold the AA tanks in reserve and fire as you move on after them. The Stalker is a reasonable counter to Wave Serpents and marginally better than the Hunter.

Pretty much. If you know you aren't going to be taking on too many AV12 flyers, I would recommend the Fire Raptor simply because it has so many weapons. But the Stormraven is simply better against most flyers, and sometimes tanks, if you're taking the TL MM and TL AC/LC. There are also the Sentry guns, which are BS3 Skyfire/Interceptor, but also have Heat Seeker, which I think gives re-rolls to hit against Flyers and Skimmers (not FMCs).

However, I also support some of the stronghold assault fortifications. The Vengeance Weapon batteries are BS2, but you can put a quad Icarus LC on them, so 2 BS2 twin-linked lascannon shots. You can have two batteries in a single fortification slot, so you're bound to kill at least something.

 McNinja wrote:

 Mr.Omega wrote:

 Tyberos the Red Wake wrote:
Fire Raptor has made Stormraven obsolete for everything but fishing for lascannon pens and taking multiple Stormravens.

Lol no.

The Fire Raptor doesn't have any decent anti tank weapons for a start, at best you've got a pair of TL autocannons which are worthless against Taudar for the most part and are naff at taking on even AV12. The Hellstrikes (read: NOT Storm strikes) force everything else to snap fire and still suck.

The Raven loadout is typically TL MM (so already a million miles better at AT) and TL Assault Cannon.

Its also a far better MC tackler- the missiles are heavy, AP2, concussive. So you don't force snap firing on all other shots, and you nerf CC MC's. The TL MM and AC add additional AP2.

OK, against some garbage T6 3+ Sv MC its going to possibly more damage, but let's face it; you're screwed against Wraithknights, Riptides, Wraithlords, Tyrannofexxes, etc.

Also, it has no carry capacity at all, so it can't facilitate last minute objective grabbing.

Literally the only thing it does considerably better is anti-infantry, but honestly I'd rather take two Storm Talons and not have my entire air fleet wrecked in one go by interceptor platforms or enemy flyers moving to intercept. The AP3 is a nice gimmick but unneeded.

As someone else mentioned, its best to hold the AA tanks in reserve and fire as you move on after them. The Stalker is a reasonable counter to Wave Serpents and marginally better than the Hunter.

Pretty much. If you know you aren't going to be taking on too many AV12 flyers, I would recommend the Fire Raptor simply because it has so many weapons. But the Stormraven is simply better against most flyers, and sometimes tanks, if you're taking the TL MM and TL AC/LC. There are also the Sentry guns, which are BS3 Skyfire/Interceptor, but also have Heat Seeker, which I think gives re-rolls to hit against Flyers and Skimmers (not FMCs).

However, I also support some of the stronghold assault fortifications. The Vengeance Weapon batteries are BS2, but you can put a quad Icarus LC on them, so 2 BS2 twin-linked lascannon shots. You can have two batteries in a single fortification slot, so you're bound to kill at least something.

I'm pretty sure you can have men man the Vengeance weapon batteries as well for BS4 hilarity.

No vengeance weapon batteries can not be manned since you need to be in the building to fire an emplaced weapon and you cant get in to vengeance batteries :( .

I suggest the stormwing formation as an option for spacewolf. Will provied a decent anti-air and air to ground support , it might be expensive point wise but you ware spending the hq+troop tax into more air units.

 Mr.Omega wrote:

 Tyberos the Red Wake wrote:
Fire Raptor has made Stormraven obsolete for everything but fishing for lascannon pens and taking multiple Stormravens.

The Fire Raptor doesn't have any decent anti tank weapons for a start

I don't consider the Stormraven a reliable transport.

I haven't tried it yet, but I am giving serious thought to test running a Stalker (proxy) with my Black Templars. Four TL shots vs one armourbane shot from the Hunter is an easy call. Hunter can really make sure that you kill AV flyers eventually with Savant Lock, but the Stalker has more shots up front which is good against FMC ('nids are going to always bring them now).

An added bonus, the Stalker can "split fire" in a sense by firing at two targets with a non-TL profile at BS 2. I see this being handy when you see a 1 wound FMC and another target that needs hitting. This way you don't waste a full turn shooting just to bring down that last wound.