To be clear, I had already re-painted a few IG squads in anticipation of Bugeater - I wasn't lying about taking them.
Read on for info on the list I'll be taking, general Storm Raven thoughts, and an intriguing email that made me change my mind...
A few weeks ago I received the following email:
Hi Xaereth,
Love your site and especially the batreps. I recently got my hands on four really cheap storm ravens, and dont know what to do with them. I love your batreps, and if your going to the Bugeater GT, I had an idea. What if I gave you two storm ravens, and in return you did some really great batreps using them at the Bugeater, so I know if I should just resell the other two or use them with gks? I got them all for cheap enough i'll still make money off two.
-(Anon)
My Response (abridged):
Sure! Send 'em over!
...
So, now I own two Storm Ravens I hadn't owned before (and never really sought to own, if I'm being honest) and will be taking them to the Bugeater. Why? Because hey - free models :)
I've spent around 20 hours painting/gluing them to a standard I'm alright with, though they sadly don't look good enough to warrant 20 full hours. Mostly, 5 or 6 of those hours were spent gluing, which is the worst part of this hobby haha.
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| My only other picture of them, lol |
Storm Raven Thoughts, real quick
I kind of like the Storm Raven at second glance. I'm taking the Grey Knight one of course, and kind of just overdoing it - Multi-melta, Assault Cannon, Hurricane Bolters, Psybolt Ammo, which puts out a pretty withering barrage of firepower. It's got:
12 TL S5 shots
4 TL S7 Rending shots
1 TL S8 Melta shot
4 S4 blasts that make every psyker clinch when they see them coming
I get all that plus free skyfire, transport capacity if I want it, and reserves shenanigans options, all for a somewhat disheartening 255 points.
However, the kind of firepower and mobility I'm getting makes the Storm Raven pretty similar to a GK Strike Squad in sheer damage output, for a similar price (Strike Squads I run are 250 points). The difference, of course, is that the Strike Squad won't usually all die in a single shot, and the Raven isn't scoring.
It's a trade-off, and as a result in this sudden change in plans, my own ability to score is going to be at an all-time low. Good thing the missions let me win other ways than just objective grabbing, haha.
They do kind of force me to have air superiority - not many air forces can withstand this army now, which is nice. I won't have to worry nearly as much about Helldrakes dominating me, and the Ravens will pretty reliably kill 2-3 Nightscythes/turn.
The real question is whether it's smart to have 2 models which comprise 1/3 of my forces in reserve, which can die to 2 shots if unlucky.
My 2013 Bugeater List, 1850 points:
Ordo Malleus Inquisitor w/ Terminator Armor, Psycannon, Psyker
Ordo Malleus Inquisitor w/ Terminator Armor, Psycannon, Psyker
10x Strike Marines w/ Daemonhammer, 2x Psycannons, Psybolt Ammo
10x Strike Marines w/ Daemonhammer, 2x Psycannons, Psybolt Ammo
6x Strike Marines w/ Daemonhammer, Psycannon
Nemesis Dreadknight w/ Heavy Incinerator
Nemesis Dreadknight w/ Heavy Incinerator
Nemesis Dreadknight w/ Heavy Incinerator
Storm Raven Gunship w/ TL Multi-Melta, TL Assault Cannon, 2x TL Hurricane Bolters, Psybolt Ammo
Storm Raven Gunship w/ TL Multi-Melta, TL Assault Cannon, 2x TL Hurricane Bolters, Psybolt Ammo
Man... gonna be a very small force. 33 total models is all I'll have. And here I thought that 45 was small :)
Still, it's going to be a great event, and I'm looking forward to it. Bugeater is always a highlight in my year, and I can't wait to meet new people and see people I already know. Come say hi to me! I'll be wearing my 'Let the Wookie Win' tournament shirt :)
See you on the other side, with a big old battle report showing off just how good (or terrible?) Storm Ravens are in the context of my list!
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