Raven Guard Mech ideas

[SyNidus]

Alright gents,

 

I've been happily playing my Air Cav list for awhile now and i'm satisfied with it. What i'd like to do is expand my RG collection, rather than collecting a new army entirely, i'm thinking of building a different style.

 

The other thing that interested me is a mech list and what better way to check out mech lists than to go Repulsors!

 

So here's a list idea that i want to run by you folks:

Raven Guard Mech Primaris

Battalion:

Shrike - 150

Lt - Jump Pack, TH, MCboltgun, Melta bomb - 107

Intercessors - 5 man - Aux GL, PSword - 109

Intercessors - 5 man - Aux GL, PSword - 109

Intercessors - 5 man - Aux GL, PSword - 109

Repulsor - THB, HOGC, GC, 2 FSL, 2 KSL, IRP, Autolaunchers - 301

Repulsor - THB, HOGC, GC, 2 FSL, 2 KSL, IRP, Autolaunchers - 301

Repulsor - TLC, HOGC, GC, 2 FSL, 2 KSL, IRP, Autolaunchers - 334

Predator - TLC, 2 HB - 160

Predator - TLC, 2 HB - 160

Predator - TLC, 2 HB - 160

 

Total: 2000

Model Count: 23

CP: 6

 

A couple of things to note:

- I went with shrike and a jump Lieutenant because they can keep up with the tanks as they make their way up the field. That way, the tanks' already formidable firepower will be supplemented by re-rolls to hit & wound. They can also help with assaulting targets that are dug-in in buildings.

 

- Gone with three preds because they can keep up but also they have access to the excellent kill-shot stratagem. I would've gone pred autocannon with 2 lascannon sponsons but i don't have the points

 

- The intercessors are not the main damage dealers. I foresee opponents trying to come close to get to grips with the repulsors (even if they don't i might just advance and charge with them anyway). Here the Intercessors serve the dual purpose of being good objective grabbers and also deceptively tough anvil units with good guns. Their guns being able to rapid fire at 15" range synergizes with our chapter tactics quite well.

 

- Strategy is to push with an armoured spearhead up the flank and then roll the opponent from there.

 

A couple of concerns i have:

 

- I feel like i lack CC punch. I know this is a shooty list, but i always have some CC power in my armies and i'm not sure if i can fit it in, and if so, how?!

 

- Should i drop the predators altogether? Replace them with vanguard squads that can keep up behind the repulsors and take advantage of the cover.

 

- I know repulsors are expensive, so 3 seems like overkill but i'm worried that 2 would be too vulnerable

 

Would love to hear your thoughts!

 

Also, when i envisioned this list i had the tune of 50 Cent's "In Da Club" playing with slow-mo shots of the repulsors drifting in the desert.

[duz_]

Yes! RB is gonna flip when he sees all these tanks!

 

Heavy fire power mop up crew for RG.

It will certainly be tough to deal with if they're not ready for it!

I have images of the Humvee columns from Black Hawk down busting through Mogadishu with this list! :D

[Race Bannon]

That's a.l.o.t of tank! I mean Shrike is almost a tax :lol:

 

I'm guessing you don't own these models yet?

 

Using the Brigand variant Predator gets a huge :tu: from me. Keep em and shoot down the enemy before they get to you.

[SyNidus]

Thanks guys, i don't have the models yet but i'm going to proxy it this weekend to see how it works out.

In any case, i've been doing some tweaking and come up with a second variant:

Variant 1

Raven Guard Mech Primaris
Battalion:
Shrike - 150
Lt - Jump Pack, TH, MCboltgun, Melta bomb - 107
Intercessors - 5 man - Aux GL, PSword - 109
Intercessors - 5 man - Aux GL, PSword - 109
Intercessors - 5 man - Aux GL, PSword - 109
Repulsor - THB, HOGC, GC, 2 FSL, 2 KSL, IRP, Autolaunchers - 301
Repulsor - THB, HOGC, GC, 2 FSL, 2 KSL, IRP, Autolaunchers - 301
Repulsor - TLC, HOGC, GC, 2 FSL, 2 KSL, IRP, Autolaunchers - 334
Predator - TLC, 2 HB - 160
Predator - TLC, 2 HB - 160
Predator - TLC, 2 HB - 160

Total: 2000
Model Count: 23
CP: 6

 

This list works by keeping everything in range of Shrike & the Lt to advance forward in a death ball. Thinking about it i realised it's rather similar to the Roboute Guilliman Razorback spam. But this is cooler, because everything is in a sleek black.

Variant 2

Raven Guard Mech Primaris
Battalion:
Shrike - 150
Lt - Jump Pack, TH, MCboltgun - 102

Vanguard Squad - 8 man - 3 Thunder Hammers, 5 Shields & Chainswords - 217

Reiver Squad - 10 man - Grapnel Launchers, Carbines - 200 
Intercessors - 5 man - Aux GL, PSword - 109
Intercessors - 5 man - Aux GL, PSword - 109
Intercessors - 5 man - Aux GL, PSword - 109
Repulsor - TLC, HOGC, GC, 2 FSL, 2 KSL, IRP, Autolaunchers - 334

Repulsor - TLC, HOGC, GC, 2 FSL, 2 KSL, IRP, Autolaunchers - 334
Repulsor - TLC, HOGC, GC, 2 FSL, 2 KSL, IRP, Autolaunchers - 334

Total: 1998
Model Count: 38
CP: 6

 

This list has two ways to play - Either infiltrate the Vanguard & Reivers to tie up a fire base and i push my Repulsors forward with less firepower. Or i can have the Vanguard advance behind the wall of Repulsors. This second style is a better approach against an assault style army.
​

 

Which do you guys prefer?

[Race Bannon]

Tanks yo. Show tread some love.

 

Heck, play both!

[duz_]

First one!

VVs and Reivers are bully units so wont last too long especially if they fail their charges

Invest in treads! :)

[SyNidus]

Alright gents, thanks for the feedback.

Looks like i'm going Variant 1. I'll be proxying this list tomorrow night, we'll see how well it turns out.

[thewarriorhunter]

I'm curious to know how it runs! I'll probably never have that many vehicles but I think it will be neat to hear how it performs.

[TrexPushups]

You are paying 4 points too much per intecessor squad.

 

That load out should only cost 105 points. So that is 12 points to use elsewhere.

[TrexPushups]

You are paying 4 points too much per intecessor squad.

 

That load out should only cost 105 points. So that is 12 points to use elsewhere.

That could be a hunter killer missile for 2 of the predators which would work great on the first turn using the stratagem.

[thewarriorhunter]

what stratagem affects hunter killer missiles?

[TrexPushups]

what stratagem affects hunter killer missiles?

Nothing targets them specifically but when he uses the predator stratagem they would get all the benefits the other guns get. So it makes that first shooting attack that much deadlier.

[thewarriorhunter]

ah, i see. Thanks for the clarification.

[SyNidus]

So i tested Variant 1 this weekend, at least in pinciple.

 

I say this because i couldn't finish the game because i was ill and i needed to get some rest. Faced off against IG air cav army with 6 valkyries, loaded with melta vets & 3 sentinels. As i mentioned we couldn't finish that game, also my rolls seemed to be unusually bad.

Nonetheless, a few points of note did emerge immediately:

 

- The repulsors are pretty good! They're a decent balance of durability, firepower and mobility.

- My army needed a counter-assault option, something strong that would be able to kill anything that moved in to assault my tanks.

- Preds are generally less mobile because the -1 to hit is a bummer. But i think i need to give them another try

- Generally, i'm not impressed by the primaris infantry. But perhaps the way i think of them and their role needs a rethink. Currently, i don't really know what to do with them honestly. Their shooting is not good enough to really make me go wow.

- i don't really need many CPs. I might consider dropping the battalion detachment for other options.

 

So i've tweaked the list a little and come up with this:

 

 

Raven Guard Mech Primaris

Battalion:

Shrike - 150

Lt - Jump Pack, TH, MCboltgun - 102

Vanguard Squad - 7 man - 7 TH/SS - 278

Intercessors - 5 man - Aux GL, PSword - 105

Intercessors - 5 man - Aux GL, PSword - 105

Intercessors - 5 man - Aux GL, PSword - 105

Repulsor - TLC, HOGC, GC, 2 FSL, 2 KSL, IRP, Autolaunchers - 334

Repulsor - TLC, HOGC, GC, 2 FSL, 2 KSL, IRP, Autolaunchers - 334

Predator - TLC, 2 HB - 160

Predator - TLC, 2 HB - 160

Predator - TLC, 2 HB - 160

 

Total: 1993

Model Count: 29

CP: 6

 

I think next game, i'm going to force myself to move those preds more. I'm keeping the intercessors for now because maybe they might be useful.

[SyNidus]

That being said, i've also come up with a new variant based on the points i noted above:

 

The new list replaces intercessors with aggressors because now the repulsors will actually have something dangerous to transport:

 

Raven Guard Mech Primaris v3

Vanguard Detachment:

Shrike - 150

Vanguard Squad - 7 man - 7 TH/SS - 273

Aggressor - 3 man - Boltstorm, Fragstorm - 129

Aggressor - 3 man - Boltstorm, Fragstorm - 129

Primaris Apothecary - 68

Repulsor - TLC, HOGC, GC, 2 FSL, 2 KSL, IRP, Autolaunchers - 334

Repulsor - TLC, HOGC, GC, 2 FSL, 2 KSL, IRP, Autolaunchers - 334

1417

 

Spearhead Detachment:

Lt - Jump Pack, TH, MCboltgun - 102

Predator - TLC, 2 HB - 160

Predator - TLC, 2 HB - 160

Predator - TLC, 2 HB - 160

- 582

 

Total: 1999

Model Count: 21

CP: 5

[duz_]

You do reduce your model count significantly though and they're quite short range

Id keep the intercessors personally

[Cordova]

Just my opinion but I feel the VV aren't really overly useful here. I know they're in place as a counter assault if anything comes to punch tanks, but that's a big chunk of points in a shooty list for things that aren't shooty.

 

Intercessors are nice for the onjective holding, but if you lost the VV, you could take a squad of Terminators or Aggressors - that gives your opponent somehting to think about other than just tanks. Especially if you StfS some things about, they have to go after one thing, leaving you more time to take something apart.

[SyNidus]

You do reduce your model count significantly though and they're quite short range

Id keep the intercessors personally

 

Yeah, that is definitely an issue. I'll give it a try with the Intercessors because i realise i don't have anything for objective capturing.

 

 

Just my opinion but I feel the VV aren't really overly useful here. I know they're in place as a counter assault if anything comes to punch tanks, but that's a big chunk of points in a shooty list for things that aren't shooty.

 

Intercessors are nice for the onjective holding, but if you lost the VV, you could take a squad of Terminators or Aggressors - that gives your opponent somehting to think about other than just tanks. Especially if you StfS some things about, they have to go after one thing, leaving you more time to take something apart.

I gotta disagree here, the vanguard squad has proven useful (in my other army builds) because of their mobility. In this case, i think they are more useful because i can either SftS them if i think it would help, or keep them screened behind my repulsors as they advance. They can then leap over the repulsors to assault things.

 

That being said, the idea of using SftS to infiltrate units else where is an idea i could use. Perhaps the intercessor squads will serve well here as objective grabbers.

[GreyCrow]

Sounds fun ! :D

 

Don't see anything wrong with this list with enough AV hp, although you have a very low model count that would hurt a lot.

 

Might have trouble handling large infantry armies, perhaps.

[Cordova]

I gotta disagree here, the vanguard squad has proven useful (in my other army builds) because of their mobility. In this case, i think they are more useful because i can either SftS them if i think it would help, or keep them screened behind my repulsors as they advance. They can then leap over the repulsors to assault things.

 

That being said, the idea of using SftS to infiltrate units else where is an idea i could use. Perhaps the intercessor squads will serve well here as objective grabbers.

 

 

Fair enough, I just thought that was something I could see on first glance. But if it ain't broke...

[SyNidus]

Alright, so i have not gotten back to you folks because after further experimentation i've found it to be just too inefficient. The Repulsor, while cool, is more expensive than the stormraven. It's only marginally more survivable and the firepower is not nearly as powerful (unless it gets very expensive). It's got fly, but it's not nearly fast enough. So i've decided to scrap this idea.

 

On a related note, further experimentation has also shown me the biggest weakness of my Air Cavalry list that i've put too many of my points in the stormravens. So i've been thinking of how to go forward in a more competitive manner.

 

After much thought, here is the latest draft of a Mech list:

Battalion Detachment:
Shrike - 150

Chaplain - Raven's Fury, Crozius, PFist - 102
Vanguard Squad - 10 man - JP, TH/SS - 312

Vanguard Squad - 10 man - JP, TH/SS - 312

Tac Squad - 5 man - Lascannon - 90

Tac Squad - 5 man - Lascannon - 90

Tac Squad - 5 man - Lascannon - 90

Devastator Squad - 5 man - 2 Lascannons, Cherub - 120

Devastator Squad - 5 man - 2 Lascannons, Cherub - 120

Razorback - Twin Assault Cannon - 100

Razorback - Twin Assault Cannon - 100

Razorback - Twin Assault Cannon - 100

Stormraven Gunship - TAsscannon, TMultiMelta, 2 Stormstrikes, 2 Hurricane Bolters - 311

Total: 1997
Model Count: 47

CPs: 6

So i've got a solid spread of anti-tank and anti-infantry vehicles, whilst having the mobility in the form of razorbacks and vanguard squads.

I can either go hyper-aggressive and SftS the vanguard squads with the chaplain, tying up the opponent so that my razorbacks and tacticals can move into better positions freely.

Or i can take a more cautious approach, using the razorbacks to screen the vanguard squads as they advance forward. I realise this is neither a pure mechanised list, nor a pure air cav.

What do you guys think? 

[Race Bannon]

I think going either/or boxes you into that style, which is patently against the Chapter Schtick. Having combined forces allows the flexibility needed for an all-comer list.