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Stormtalon Digest- Primarch Battlewagon

Started by Rarity Declis, June 14, 2012, 02:46:36 PM

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Rarity Declis

Well, GW has given the generic Space Marines a lovely new flier, and I like it. However, we're not here to discuss it's aesthetics nor fluff, we're here to discuss how it can be used on the battlefield! On a personal note, I would have liked it to transport even 5 men, but what can you do?

Overview:

The Stormtalon is a Fast Skimmer, with Armour values comparable to a Rhino. Ballistic Skill is average, and it comes in at slightly more than a Sternguard unit.

Wargear:

Ceramite Plating: With it's Armour value, Melta poses a risk, as a Meltagun is penetrating half of the time. However, this will ignore the other d6, which means that some weaker Melta weapons (such as the Heat Lance) become useless, and makes the Meltagun spam that is so popular a bit less effective, as getting close gives you certain penetrate (even a Land Raider within 6" of a Meltagun is more likely to be penetrated than not) and your speed shall help keep you away anyway. So, a bit of a counter to Melta, I'd say.

Twin-Linked Heavy Bolter; Twin-Linked Assault Cannon: The Assault Cannon provides a good mix of anti-infantry, anti-tank and anti-elite infantry, although not quite anti-MC material. I hope you like it, because it's non-negotiable. The Heavy Bolter, however, is firmly for the anti-infantry role. This can be changed or improved upon, but there is little else to say.

Special Rules:

Aerial Assault: Moving at Cruising Speed in the preceding Movement phase will let you fire all guns. A hint towards 6th, perhaps? For now, it's a generic flier rule which allows you mobility whilst letting you fire your weapons. The point? If used correctly, you should be able to always be behind some sort of cover, or fly out and always get a shot at a weak point. With this armour value, but this much firepower, you need to think sneaky. Ambushy. Like a Dark Eldar player.

Supersonic: Allows you to move 36", flat out. This will let you get to where it is needed, perhaps reinforce a unit which is sorely in need of it, a gung-ho attack behind the enemy lines so next turn you can start hurting them in the rear, allow you to try a refused flank by putting this on the "false" flank and then zooming it away into the night, or simply get the hell away. Not only that, but you can always try for a sneaky last-turn objective contest to win the game. Remember, sneaky.

Escort Updates: This is one of the things that is unique about the Stormtalon. The ability for a single Stormtalon to join any other unit arriving from Reserve (but not Deep Strike!) as they come on. Why is this useful? Well, other than generic units coming on from your table edge, here are some more interesting units:

Scouts
Land Speeder Storm
Scout Bikers
Entire Army led by Khan and his Outflank rule
Squad led by Shrike

All of the above can Outflank, and be 'Escorted' by the Stormtalon. Why is this good, you (I assume) ask? Because you have a unit which is instantly and definitely supported by a big, shooty thing. The largest current problem with Reserves is that fact you can never be sure of what is coming on when. It's why re-rolls for them, Positional Relays, Drop-Pod Assault, Deathwing Assault, etc, are such a big thing, because they allow you control of when it will happen, and often who it will happen to.

The Stormtalon will always come on with this unit, everytime. Does it need to be a support unit? No. It may have a completely different role. But you can rest assured that neither unit is coming on alone, a single thing easily blown up. Now there are TWO small things to blow up (or large, perhaps an Outflanking Land Raider?) and that makes the task more difficult and the Outflanking Force more of a threat.

Combine it with an anti-tank unit (perhaps a Multi-Melta Land Speeder Storm and a Scout unit with Combi-Melta), and an anti-infantry Stormtalon, and you can ambush a tank near an objective, blow it up, shot the bugger out of the enemy unit in it, and then charge them with Scouts after that softening up OR move to capture the now bloody but free objective. There are a huge amount of combinations, especially with Khan or Shrike.

Hover Strike: Declare you're not moving and you're going to Hover, and you have a new bonus to shooting. Think of it as being similar to an Apache. What are the bonuses? Well, you're now Ballistic Skill 5, so when combined with some weapons which aren't Twin-Linked can help those rolls of 2, 1 and 2 being a complete failure to a mostly success. Basically, it cuts your chances of failure to hit by half, which can only be good for when you MUST hit.

Also, your shooting is now Pinning, which won't help much regarding vehicles, but if your Stormtalon is kitted out as anti-infantry, you can potentially stop them for a turn. More useful against some armies and targets than others. For example, against a Dark Eldar army, or Ork Lootas, this would be a killing blow, as Ld isn't very high and you shut down a vital part of the enemy army for a turn if you score even a single casualty. Combine this with the fact that you can come on near the back the previous turn thanks to Escort, and you can shut down those Support Elements from shooting other things, like your army.

Alternate Equipment:

Twin-Linked Lascannons:
The cheapest option here, making your Stormtalon as expensive as a naked Epistolary, provides the Stormtalon with the capabilities of better anti-tank and anti-MC, with respectable range to boot. Combined with the Assault Cannon can help make a transport hunter, a MC hunter, with the ability to still realistically hurt a Armour 13 or potentially an Armour 14 vehicle, but still with the 4 shots from the Assault Cannon helping with the infantry and keeping the vehicle flexible. The Twin-Linking makes it reliable to hit without needing to slow down the vehicle with Hover Strike.

Typhoon Missile Launcher: No Twin-Linking here, so you will miss a third of your shots unless you Hover Strike. Also, one of the more expensive making your Stormtalon the same price as a Legion of the Dead squad.
However, you create an extremely flexible craft, with the Assault Cannon, and either 2 Frag Missiles or 2 Krak Missiles. The Frag Missiles and Assault Cannon mean that you can rip unarmoured infantry hordes (such as Nids, Guard or Orks) in the open (and perhaps not) to pieces.
The 2 Krak Missiles, combined with the Assault Cannon, means that you can rip light vehicles to pieces as well as hitting that rear-armour and destroying some larger craft. Not only that, but you can use the AP3 of the Krak to try and use Hover Strike to force a Ld check on even Marine units, and you may get lucky and pin, for example, that Long Fang squad. Also, the Rending on the Assault Cannon will help against those armour saves. They also give you decent anti-MC missiles, but will have trouble hurting above Armour 12 often, unless you use your speed to get to the weak spot.

Skyhammer Missile Launcher: Same price as the Typhoon Missile Launcher, you trade a pip of AP and Strength for an extra shot and range of being able to hit from nearly anywhere on the battlefield. The Strength 7 of the Missiles, and the fact they are 3 shots, and you can remain out of danger when combined with your speed, means you can make a hit and run craft that snipes out of reach, and you can put decent wounds on MCs... however, the REAL treat for this is the soft transport vehicles and units of vehicles such as Killa Kans where the number of attacks can truly tear through them. If you're thinking Leman Russ squads, then Outflank, get behind them, and potentially hurt ALL 3 with up to 7 Penetrating Hits (using your Assault Cannon as well) and wreck them!

Simply put, the Stormtalon has provided us with a new, different and extremely effective counter against a lot of the problem we encounter, and keeps with the reliability and teamwork the Space Marine Codex does so well already. A worthy addition indeed.

El ShasOcho

Well that was a nice read.

For some reason even though I play marines I haven't even considered getting one, likely because it isn't the most attractive models and the ork bommer has grabbed all my attention. But it certainly seems quite useful, especially if it becomes more survivable with 6th edition flyer rules.

Certainly seems like a very viable choice, a good amount of fire power at a decent price. Could use it with my scouts to bite enemies in the back, clear objectives late game for a grab. I use more deepstrike than outflank in my army, although I am sure I could find a use for it. Thanks for the writeup!

Quote from: Lee Lee Declis on August 06, 2010, 03:14:38 AM
Although, it must be said, one should always have a Fantasy in

Vyper

I would consider getting one, but then from what I understand, Blood Angels cannot use them.  :-\

Wargamer

I wouldn't use one if it was given to me for free. I hate the thing. >:(
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JimmyWolf

As a Space Wolf player it's unavailable to me, which is why I bought the Storm Eagle from Forgeworld. I can see flyers becoming either essential or dirty in the next edition of the rules and it's nice to have the option.

But it is an excellent unit nonetheless, and despite Marines being a little unbalanced it's nice to see the other chapters getting a little love after updates to the others.
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