Thoughts on the Blood Angels Stormraven

Fuck yeah!!

Recently I was gifted with two Stormravens as part of a prize package. I plan to incorporate them into my Blood Angels forces. I have a few questions. How do I use them? What options should I give them?

Let us first brainstorm how they can be used. To me, it feels that if I put ANY unit inside of one, the Stormravens become an instant target. The lure of killing a 200+ point model and making a (probable) 200+ point unit walk is too good a choice to pass up for any opponent. I cannot, in good conscience, use them as transport vehicles, especially not for expensive, ass-kicking units.
My other option, and one that appeals to me, is to use them as their full name suggests, as a Stormraven Gunship.

So, what are the best options for a gunship?
Let's start by listing what it is already equipped with.
Twin-Linked Heavy Bolter (36" S5 AP4 Heavy 3)
Twin-Linked Assault Cannon (24" S6 AP4 Heavy 4, Rending)
Four Bloodstrike Missiles (72" S8 AP1 Heavy 1, One-shot)
It has power of the Machine Spirit

And now the options.

• Replace Twin-Linked Heavy Bolter with Twin-Linked Multi-Melta (free) or Typhoon Missile Launcher (moderate cost)
• Replace Twin-Linked Assault Cannon with Twin-Linked Plasma Cannon (free) or Twin-Linked Lascannon (free)
• Take Side sponsons with Hurricane Bolters (moderate cost)
  

So, it looks like we have two armament options.

1. Typhoon Missile Launcher, Twin-Linked Lascannon (225 points)
2. Twin-Linked Assault Cannon, Twin-Linked Multi-Melta, and Hurricane Bolters (230)

The first option is used as a standoff anti-tank platform. It can put out 2 S8 AP3 and 1 TL S9 AP2 shots a turn at different targets when moving 12 or less. If it moves less than 12, it can also add Bloodstrike missiles.

The second option is used as a close range platform that can engage Vehicles, Monstrous Creatures, or Infantry. It can put out 6-12 TL S4 AP5, 4 TL S6 AP4 rending, and a TL S8 AP1 melta shot a turn at two targets when moving 12 or less. If it moves less than 12, it can also add Bloodstrike missiles.

Which of these I decide upon will be based on the lists that I include them in. I will crack the boxes open sometime to see if full magnetization is possible.

-Mike

The Infantry: Painted

I have finished all of the Infantry for my 1500 point Imperial Guard army.
Pictured: 20 Conscripts, Company Command with 3 Plasma Guns, 10 Veterans with 3 Meltaguns, a Platoon Command with 3 flamers, two Infantry squads with Autocannon and Flamer, and a Special Weapons Squad with 3 Meltaguns.





All I have left are 5 Chimeras, 2 Manticores, and 2 Vendettas. Updates of my progress will follow.


-Mike

The Valkyrie: Painted

Today, I finished painting the Imperial Guard Valkyrie. I still need to apply transfers to it, but am putting that off until I finish the Vendettas.




I will continue painting most if not all of the weekend. I will hopefully post more pictures of what I accomplish.

-Mike

Getting Tactical: Issues with Assault Marines

When I am not playing 40k, painting, modeling, etc; I am thinking about 40k.
Always thinking.

I don't think I am going to use Assault Marines anymore in a Mechanized Blood Angels army.
Hear me out. First a nice image by a guy named Scarecrovv.


The Tactical Marine has been a battlefield staple of mine ever since Codex: Angels of Death (Second Edition for you younger folks).
Why am I making this switch? Simple answer, the Tactical Marine gives me Tactical Options.
This is why Grey Hunters, Plague Marines, and Grey Knights are such good Troops choices, they give you flexibility.
All too often have I faced an enemy unit with my Assault Marines and knew I only had one option, to assault. Granted Bolt Pistols are nice, but they are not what I would consider to be a strong shooting attack. What happens if my enemy is better in assault than I am? I either run away or I lose a unit. This led me to an obvious truth.

"Assault Marines are useful IF you can kill your enemies in assault."
"Tactical Marines are useful if you can either kill your enemy with shooting OR in assault."

With Tactical Marines, I always have a choice. I made a 1500 List that focuses on the Tactical Marine. I will try to post it and get some games in with it.

-Mike

Thoughts on Bubblewrapping Imperial Guard

In my quest to playtest the hell out of my imperial guard list, I find that there are some issues with the list.
I was always worried about armies that Deep Strike MEQ infantry right into me. When I played this list at 2k, it was back before Grey Knights when I still had access to cheap, awesome, Deep Strike defense. I have since lost that particular form of defense (I am talking about Mystics, of course). I has assumed that I could instead reserve everything and come out blazing in firepower. After some practice games, I found out that reserving was not a viable option.

I need to find an in-game alternative. The alternative needs to fulfill the following goals.

• Keep enough distance so that meltaguns do not get 2d6 pen versus my tanks.
• Be able to cover a good distance
• Be able to take an assault and lose gracefully. (i.e. lose consistently)

I though hard about this and decided that I am going to take a stab at a 20-man conscript squad for bubble-wrapping my vulnerable tanks. (Vulnerable to assault and short ranged melta)

This squad (at 80 points) is cheap, they can cover 58 inches of the board and their woeful ld5 means that they will likely break from combat, even if they lose by 1.

I am going to try some different deployment options with these guys and hopefully post what I have accomplished.

-Mike

Battle Report: Imperial Guard v Grey Knights

The second game I played on Saturday saw me face off against Grey Knights. I am still using Vegas List 6. I may be kind of drunk in this video, sorry in advance.



-Mike

Battle Report: Imperial Guard v Blood Angels

Over the weekend, I met up with a couple guys and played two games. Here is the first. I am using Vegas List 6. (Mech Imperial Guard)



-Mike

Analysis of Razorspam

As you can undoubtedly tell by Battle Report 3 (BR3), I am kind of a n00b when it comes to playing Razorspam. I have been using Rhinos since they were extremely effective in 3rd edition. I love the Rhino, but the Razorback is a foreign tank to me. I definitely did not use it well in BR3.

The game was a Spearhead Annihilation against psycannon heavy Grey Knights, an army that is excellent in hanging out at midfield and kicking ass. I tried to rely on three things to win this game, 1)The range of my predators and Las/Plas Razors to kill terminators, 2) my assault cannons to open up the Rhinos, and 3) My flamestorm cannons to roast Power Armored Infantry.

This, obvious to me now, did not work out. The reasons are as follows.

• The Grey Knights began the game at midfield, where they are the strongest.
• Every Infantry squad outmatches me in killing power. Psycannons are better at killing Razors than Assault Cannons are at killing Terminators.
• I actually could not out shoot the Grey Knights, nor would I ever be able to out-assault them.

So, the above factors left me in kind of a bind. Many of my Razorbacks spent the game unable to shoot before they were finally killed. The Baal predators became sacrificial units (albeit VERY expensive ones, compared to what they killed).

Tactically, I could have done a few things differently. I could have put my predators in the front to screen my razorbacks, the psycannon is not nearly as effective against the front armor of a predator as it was against the razors. This might have given my Razorbacks more chances to fire. The predators did not perform greatly, perhaps I was too static with them. I do not think it would have been enough though. I think I need a modify my list a bit.

The flamestorm cannons need to go. I need TLAC/HB Baals. I need the ranged anti-Infantry firepower. I decided to drop the Melta squad in TLAC razorback. With the points I save I am able to convert both Baals to TLAC/HB and get another Flamestorm Baal.

I will try to playtest this configuration over the weekend to see how it fares.

-Mike

Battle Report Blood Angels v Grey Knights

Another Battle Report!! I took the BA Razorspam against Tim and his Grey Knights!




-Mike

Battle Report: Imperial Guard v Blood Angels

Ok, so this is my second attempt. This was recorded in my basement, so the lighting is a bit poor in some places. I will work to rectify that in the future. I have also received a lot of feedback from the first video which I have NOT had a chance to incorporate.

I also rendered this one in HD. Vegas list 2 versus Vegas list 5.



-Mike