The Storm Raven is the second of the two Grey Knight fast attack choices. It is a fast skimmer with transport capability. It is also very similar to the Blood Angels version in rules, options and cost.
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| What the Eldar desperately want their Falcons to be |
The Storm Raven has an all around armor value of 12. It is fast and a skimmer. It can carry 12 infantry models (or six jump infantry models) and one Dreadnought. It can deep strike, has the Power of the Machine Spirit, Ceramite Plating, the Aegis, a Psychic Pilot, is an assault vehicle and has the Shadow Skies rule. It comes armed with: BS 4, a hull mounted twin linked heavy bolter, 4 mindstrike missiles and turret mounted twin linked assault cannon. It costs only five more points than the Blood Angles counterpart (think two centuries in points) and is probably the best fast attack option, although that isn’t saying much given that slot’s competition.
Power of the Machine Spirit- works the same as it does for a Land Raider. You can fire one more weapon than usual and at a different target if you want.
Ceramite Plating- never gives melta weapons their extra D6 for armor penetration rolls. This is great given the heavy melta world we live in.
Psychic Pilot- gives a leadership stat of 10 and the power Fortitude. It also opens the vehicle to Perils tests which will cause a glance if it suffers such an attack.
Fortitude- is a movement phase power. If successful then any Shaken or Stunned result is removed from the Storm Raven. It can then go about its business.
The Aegis -works like it does for all Grey Knights.
Shadow Skies- lets embarked units get out when if the Storm Raven has moved flat out. Any unit doing this must pick a point that the vehicle flew over. Then they roll for scatter. If they hit, then coolness prevails. If they scatter, well, then the unit tests for dangerous terrain. If they cannot all be placed on the drop location, then they suffer an automatic 1-2 on the Deep Strike Mishap Table. Now if the unit is jump infantry they can make a controlled descent and do not roll for scatter. A unit doing this may not assault after, they can run or shoot though.
Assault Vehicle and transport are fairly well known rules, or should be. The big thing here is the ability to carry a Dreadnought. It can jump out via Shadow Skies, it can disembark and assault like it was in a Land Raider, it can also suffer damage if the vehicle explodes. It will take a S4 glancing hit on the rear armor, so it really isn’t that terrible. Just don't have a deep strike 1-2 with infantry and/or a dreadnought aboard. To quote Dr Egon Spengler: "It would be bad."
Mindstrike Missiles- are a one shot, heavy 1 blast weapon. They have a 72” range are S4 AP5 and cause Psi Shock. Psi Shock means any psyker hit will suffer a Perils from the Warp attack and as well as any other damage from the weapon. Alone that might cause a psyker some problems, but in a squad they look to be safe. Why? Well…because, it is the squad that is hit and not the psyker. Right? Then again if the psyker is under the template is he considered hit for the Psi Shock ability? A silly discussion for another time.
Ok then….let’s look at what upgrades we can throw on this thing.
First the twin-linked heavy bolter can be replaced with a twin-linked multi-melta for free. Yup free! It can also be replaced with a Typhoon Missile launcher for 25 points.
The twin-linked assault cannon can be swapped for a twin-linked plasma cannon or a twin-linked lascannon. These are also free upgrades as well. Damn! Free?!?!
Now it can also have sponsons of Hurricane Bolters for 30 points. These are three twin linked bolt guns per sponson. A nice anti-troop defensive weapon.
Then we have the extra gear; searchlights (+1 point), extra armor (+15 points), teleport homer (+15 points), psybolt ammo (+20 points), warp stabilization fields (+ 5 points) and truesilver armor (+10 points). Now the last two options are the Grey Knight exclusives. We all should know what the other bits of gear do by now.
Warp Stabilization Fields- give the Storm Raven the ability to be the target of a Librarian’s Summoning power. He can only pull non-vehicles to him, but with this upgrade he can teleport a vehicle to him. Let us just hope it doesn’t land atop Mr. Librarian though.
Truesilver Armor-is an anti-demon/psyker defense. If a demon/psyker goes all close combat with this upgrade they will take a S 6 hit for every hit they cause. This damage is rolled for after damage has been applied to the vehicle. Sure the Storm Raven is destroyed, but the demon/psyker has to a few S 6 hits. Maybe they’ll go down with the ship.
I think this is a great unit to have in a Grey Knight force. It can give them ample anti-vehicle with a multi-melta, lascannon and that machine spirit firing at two targets. It should have a fair chance to slag armor even after moving 12”.
It can also be a descent anti-horde vehicle with hurricane bolter sponsons, assault cannon, mindstrikes and heavy bolter to fire into any gibbering, green or guardsman horde. It should be able to pulp many low armor models with that amount of fire power. Then again if the army is more Marine-ish then a typhoon launcher krak missiles and plasma cannon can help put a hurt on those pockets of Marine resistance.
Then there is the ability to taxi units a bit more safely than Rhinos/Razorbacks along with being able to assault after moving. Need some Death Cult or Purifiers over that terrain/ unit to assault? The Storm Raven can get them there and put some hurt out before the assault.
The twin-linking of the main weapons and the Machine Spirit only help to make it a good choice for a Grey Knight force. The options to make it anti-tank/troop seem to only push it into must have/no brainer army list territory.
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