New Stormraven and my dastardly plans!

When any new codex comes out a lot of us games seek so hard to try to "unlock," the codex.  We look at combs like FNP/ FC Lightning claw and TH/SS termies and think about how that is the endgame for everything.  We see spamming Dark Lances everywhere and think that Mech is dead.  But every so often there is something neat in the codex that doesn't get its fair shake and is left by the wayside.  In the Blood Angel dex I feel that unit is the Storm Raven.



Mostly I don't think the Raven got any love simply because it cost something like $90 to convert one up using a land-raider and Valk.  But looking at this new model said to be out in Feb gets me thinking about the little Thunderhawk that could.

Lets look over the rules: Stock comes with 4 st 8 AP 1 Missles.  That in and of itself is pretty slick, come on from dawn of war or straight reserves and have at it with those bad boys.  Then next turn move fast/flat out and then activate the machine spirit to blast of a multi-melta shot at close range.  Not to mention that TL Lascannon your packing as well.

Lets look at the math...

VS: AV 14
Each missle has a 1.8% chance of wrecking the thing outright (Thank you AP1) x4 = 8% chance
Each melta shot has a 10.6% chance of exploding it and a 10.6% chance of wrecking it so = 21% chance
Each Lascannon shot has a 2.5% chance of wrecking and exploding. so = 5% chance
Add it all together and that makes 34% chance of wrecking a Land Raider.  Not that great, but acceptable.  That essentially means it would take 3 turns of full firing to pay for itself (including losing the missiles after first shot round)

VS AV 13
4 missles = 3.7% per missle, so about 16% for all four
Melta = 33% chance of destroying
Lascannon = 10% chance of destroying

Total if all shots fired in one round: 59%
Which means it would take four rounds to pay for itself if shooting at a 135 point Predator or 145 point Vindicator.

VS AV 12
4 missles = 13% x 4 = 52% chance of destroying
melta=  37% chance
Lascannon = 15% chance
Total = 104% chance of destroying a Chimera
This would mean about four turns of firing to pay for itself  to destroy 4 chimeras

VS AV 11
4 missles= 18% each x 4= 72%
Melta= 41%
Lascannon= 20%
Total= 133% chance of destroying a Rhino
This would mean 3 turns of full shooting to pay for itself.

No matter how we cut the cake we can see that the Storm raven isn't a gun ship. This is why i think people havent made much use of the storm raven. It seems expensive.  The Las/Auto predator does better for the straight points. But what we aren't considering is this transport abilities and the abilities of: teleport homer, fast, deep strike, assault vehicle and skies of blood and most importantly the armor plating not allowing extra dice to pen. All of these abilities make the storm raven a very flexible unit.

In essence, don't sit back and fire away with your raven!!! First turn should be spent moving 6 and firing its missiles. Peferably at enou distance to avoid return fire, then come screaming in and fire off the melt a with machine spirit and deploy your troops in the mouth of the enemy.

In essence I think the storm raven would be the best units in the game if terrain was better than the 4th Ed junk most tables play with.

As I conclude I see that even I am confused about the raven. In one breath it sounnds great and in another it sounds crappy. The only way to find out? Well like levar Burton said on reading rainbow... "don't take my word for it..." try it yourself!

What are your experiences/opinions on the storm raven? Would it be better if we Ll updated our terrain to be more Los blocking 5th stuff?

Duke