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I just traded a sealed-new LRC for a sealed-new Stormraven. The LRC didn't fit my RG army at all but the StormRAVEN sure as hell fits! I'm trying to figure out what's the best usage of the it's transportation ability. Here's the few options I think would work.

-5-man Vanguard Veteran squad lead by 1 HQ with a jump pack
-5-man Assualt Terminator Squad lead by 1 HQ with terminator armor
-4-man Centurion Assault Squad

Each of these could be paired with an Ironclad Dreadnought too, pointed allowing.

What do you feel the advantages and/or disadvantages for taking any of those opitons? Did I miss something else maybe tactics wise with the Stormraven?

No one.

Fly it empty.

I’m not a huge fan of assault units in reserve. Particularly in flyers. Best case scenario, you are looking at a 3rd turn charge. So you have a huge chunk of your army loitering off-table while the rest gets shot up.

If you want to put something in it, I’d go with a 5 man scout squad. Hop out late game and grab an objective. If the raven does get blown out of the sky with them aboard, not big loss.

If you want to put something meatier in there, look into shooty units. They can deploy and impact the battle without standing around for a turn, or forcing the raven to hover (and get shot down)

Of the options you list, either the VV or the cents. VV because they are the cheapest option, Cents because they actually have some shooting.

Stir Ravens make better gunboats than transports, especially with escorting Stormtalons. The only unit I would put inside a Stormraven is a Culexus Assassin.

SJ

Normally I shove a tactical squad with melts gun, combi melta and an ironclad. Just drop them down behind a tank that's causing you trouble.

The squad will probably die but then you have an empty storm raven and an ironclad reaping havoc behind enemy lines

What about a Techmarine nominated as warlord? Keep it hidden.

A friend of mine puts Death Company in his. Often it's just a deathtrap for the occupants. S10 AP2 hits to the occupants when it goes down.

Perhaps a barebones scout squad could go in it. If the bird survives to near the end, they can hope out and grab an objective.

 ColonelFazackerley wrote:
A friend of mine puts Death Company in his. Often it's just a deathtrap for the occupants. S10 AP2 hits to the occupants when it goes down.

Perhaps a barebones scout squad could go in it. If the bird survives to near the end, they can hope out and grab an objective.

That scout squad could be assaulting someone on turn 1 or 2, though, and contributing if it weren't in the Raven.

What would you guys suggest doing with a Stormraven in a GK army?

I know they aren't considered great units anymore, but I feel like it'll fun to use one so I'm fishing for suggestions.

 GangstaMuffin24 wrote:
What would you guys suggest doing with a Stormraven in a GK army?

I know they aren't considered great units anymore, but I feel like it'll fun to use one so I'm fishing for suggestions.

Drop a shooty unit with bad range close to a target.

Martel732 wrote:

 GangstaMuffin24 wrote:
What would you guys suggest doing with a Stormraven in a GK army?

I know they aren't considered great units anymore, but I feel like it'll fun to use one so I'm fishing for suggestions.

Drop a shooty unit with bad range close to a target.

As much as the Stormraven is an assault vehicle I've also been suggested to take a shooty unit over an assault unit. That way you can place them right where you need them.

Going to hover mode with AV 12 is basically a death sentence.

I stopped using my GK Stormraven, it dies too fast for something that costs that much. Now, in a Stormwing formation, you have three targets arriving at the same time, which makes taking a Stormraven worth it. Just not with GK.

SJ

Dropping 12 arcoflagallants/deathcult assassins and a dreadnought right on top of the enemy is always a hoot.

Scouts have a much cheaper assault transport.

If you are allying IG anyway, you could put some Guardsmen in it if you don't have a Valkyrie or Vendetta. Oftentimes people will put their PCS in a Vendetta for the purpose of capturing late game objectives, because they are basically a throw away unit that you paid 10-20 points for.

I some times like to take a DC dread in a SR.

If there's a good chance it'll get shot down I disembark whilst zooming, aiming for cover, the magna grapple gives ignore cover so you don't have to worry about the dangerous terrain test. Then I use it for board control harassing something that won't like S10 ap2, like high av vehicles.

Alteratively I hover late game and charge a similar target.

But generally I'd avoid putting anything valuable in a SR.

D

Well if your like some of these guys and your whole world is scatbikes and super heavies and such then everything not one of the above is invalid and you should just quit.

Now otoh If like it appears your just looking for something fun that can be effective in a little more casual setting then ya the raven is fine. As stated above you usually won't want assault troops inside it because of turn 3 assault at the earliest and potential for S10 damage if it crashes.

However a skyshield landing pad was recently suggested to me (I had forgotten it existed) which changes that. For 280 including the pads cost you can start the raven on the board with a 4++ invuln full of any one of those three above plus a dread.

Out of those 3 I'd say the VV's are the most flexible and mobile due to JPs, plus they are also the cheaper option. Another idea would be a command squad with apoth, special weapons and storm shields to confer FNP and some protection to an IC of some variety. That way they have something to do on arrival besides assault.

comedy option: Skitarii Rustalkers

dominuschao wrote:
Well if your like some of these guys and your whole world is scatbikes and super heavies and such then everything not one of the above is invalid and you should just quit.

Now otoh If like it appears your just looking for something fun that can be effective in a little more casual setting then ya the raven is fine. As stated above you usually won't want assault troops inside it because of turn 3 assault at the earliest and potential for S10 damage if it crashes.

However a skyshield landing pad was recently suggested to me (I had forgotten it existed) which changes that. For 280 including the pads cost you can start the raven on the board with a 4++ invuln full of any one of those three above plus a dread.

Out of those 3 I'd say the VV's are the most flexible and mobile due to JPs, plus they are also the cheaper option. Another idea would be a command squad with apoth, special weapons and storm shields to confer FNP and some protection to an IC of some variety. That way they have something to do on arrival besides assault.

While I generally advocate and recommend flying empty, I don’t always do so myself. A few months ago I did a null-deployment dread spam list to celebrate painting my 4th dreadnought. 3 in pods, one (TLLC/ML) hanging off the back of the raven. The rest of the SR’s cargo was a full tac squad and a MotF, as I was out of pods and needed a place to stash some troops. The dread got dropped off next to a pod with a beacon as I flew on the table. As I had focused on taking out my opponent’s AV fire for the first 2 turns, I was safely able to hover on 3 to swing around and drop the tacs off where they could double tap some traitors. A CC squad could have been used there to good effect. Now this was a high risk/high reward tactic, and could have gone very poorly if my opponent had more AV or solid AA that could have downed the SR. But a combination of aggressive drops and armor saturation made it work. Not something I’d try in a more competitive environment, but it was a fun game, so I had more room to try odd things out.

While I generally advocate and recommend flying empty, I don’t always do so myself. A few months ago I did a null-deployment dread spam list to celebrate painting my 4th dreadnought. 3 in pods, one (TLLC/ML) hanging off the back of the raven. The rest of the SR’s cargo was a full tac squad and a MotF, as I was out of pods and needed a place to stash some troops. The dread got dropped off next to a pod with a beacon as I flew on the table. As I had focused on taking out my opponent’s AV fire for the first 2 turns, I was safely able to hover on 3 to swing around and drop the tacs off where they could double tap some traitors. A CC squad could have been used there to good effect. Now this was a high risk/high reward tactic, and could have gone very poorly if my opponent had more AV or solid AA that could have downed the SR. But a combination of aggressive drops and armor saturation made it work. Not something I’d try in a more competitive environment, but it was a fun game, so I had more room to try odd things out.

Nice! I used to see double ravens from BAs prior to the change to flyers and it was a great deal of pressure applied in one area. av12 isn't what it used to be but its still pretty durable except in certain instances or as you say more competitive scenes. I kinda wish they would return the raven to a skimmer honestly since marine assault transport options are so shoddy.

Mavnas wrote:
Scouts have a much cheaper assault transport.

No where near as effective though.

The cheapest thing you can get in there.

I do like seeing dreads being dropped from it.

Scouts, they can Drop shoot with no Dangerous Terrain test with Move Through Cover, cheap enough so you don't really care if they go splat, and seems fluffy.