Corsair Reavers Load-out

Any chance you could sell some to Commorragh?

Count Adhemar wrote:

Any chance you could sell some to Commorragh?

I'm sure we could come to an arrangement.

Sad thing is that tangelfoot grenades are only really effective against high initiative/Weapon skill, low strength melee units (also known as the dark eldar).  This must be because we needed more ways to make corsairs superior to the dark kin .  Want to hit wyches and incubi on a 3+? and make either strike last?  That'll be 10 points please.

I guess it would work on craftworlders and some deamons too, so there is that.

These could also be combined with the defensive grenades on most corsairs to more easily blind anything within 8".  Sounds pretty useless until you remember just how far we can move after firing from that close.

Bonus points though for blinding anything that can fire overwatch at >1 BS, then charging it.

You would however need 2 grenade throwers for this, so either 2 units, or a HQ you can split off during the movement phase to toss that blind grenade.

I'm thinking I like the option of 5 corsair reavers with 2 blasters in scouting venoms. Running 3 or 4 of those puts a reasonable number of lance shots into the enemy in the first turn and it's fairly inexpensive.

The only unit I see me throwing jetpacks on much are the balestrikes, but most of their options are surpassed by cloud dancers. Just seems like a lot to pay per model since they come out more expensive than marines with less durability and only comparable weapon options. I guess I generally favor good and cheap (disposable) infantry.

Thought I would update the reavers' performance in my first battle here.

Tried a unit of each with the scatter jetbikes and 6 (fusion) in a falcon (scatter) performing quite well.

Unfortunately the jetpack unit came up short. Perhaps it was my own inexperience though.

All in all a fun 1000pt game.

lessthanjeff wrote:

I'm thinking I like the option of 5 corsair reavers with 2 blasters in scouting venoms.  Running 3 or 4 of those puts a reasonable number of lance shots into the enemy in the first turn and it's fairly inexpensive.  

How would you run the Venoms themselves? I've been struggling with which gun(s) to take on them.

Also, do you think it would be worth running some of those units with Fusion Guns?

lessthanjeff wrote:

The only unit I see me throwing jetpacks on much are the balestrikes, but most of their options are surpassed by cloud dancers.

Might depend partially on which option. The prices are all over the place and inconsistent between the two units. For what it's worth, Balestrikes do pay 5pts less for their Dark Lances. You end up paying 150pts for 5 Balestrikes with Jetpacks and Dark Lances, compared to 200 for 5 Cloud Dancers with Dark Lances. Is it worth paying 50pts more (per 5 models) for T4, a 3+ save, a 12" move, Jink and ObjSec?

You know, even as I ask, I think the answer is probably 'yes'. But, Dark Lance Balestrikes are at least more efficient in terms of shots-per-point than Jetbikes.

With every other weapon, there's no point even doing the comparison (since the Bikes pay the same or less), and are vastly better.

lessthanjeff wrote:

Just seems like a lot to pay per model since they come out more expensive than marines with less durability and only comparable weapon options.  I guess I generally favor good and cheap (disposable) infantry.

My biggest concern with them (though this applies just as much to bikes), is stuff like Dreadknights (S6 AP4 torrent flamers that can hit you on turn 1), and barrage weapons.

Yeah I think bikes with lances are better than Baelstrikes with lances.  The survivability, extra speed (which to me makes them more points efficient), and objective secured makes them better. And out flank if kind of awesome on these guys.  

Baelstrikes are still good and I may take a unit regardless. I can see a unit of Baelstrikes with jetpacks and shuriken cannons being solid though.  



As for corsair venoms.  I would give them the scatter laser on top and keep it at that.  Although adding a Splinter cannon to the bottom could be solid.
A kinetic shroud could be useful, but I would only take that if you plan on deep striking the venoms. And in that case I would not add the Splinter cannon as the venom is getting too expensive for my taste.
For the reaver band inside the venom I would probably stick with blasters as I prefer to stay further back. That and corsairs are more support units and want to survive to get objectives.  If I did take them with fusion gun it would be in a deep striking venom in the sky burners coterie.  It is much easier to get within melta range then.  Drop 7" away from you opponent and you can scatter 5" directly away and still be in melta range.  I would drop 7" away because nobody like deep strike mishaps

colinsherlow wrote:

Yeah I think bikes with lances are better than Baelstrikes with lances.  The survivability, extra speed (which to me makes them more points efficient), and objective secured makes them better. And out flank if kind of awesome on these guys.  

Baelstrikes are still good and I may take a unit regardless. I can see a unit of Baelstrikes with jetpacks and shuriken cannons being solid though.  

As a question, why Shuriken Cannons? I mean, wouldn't those still better on bikes - who have the speed to get into 24" range of their target, and the survivability to (hopefully) keep them alive closer to the front lines? Also, unlike with Dark Lances, you're not even getting a cost reduction by taking them on the Balestrikes.

colinsherlow wrote:

As for corsair venoms.  I would give them the scatter laser on top and keep it at that.  Although adding a Splinter cannon to the bottom could be solid.

Expensive though. 70pts.

colinsherlow wrote:

A kinetic shroud could be useful, but I would only take that if you plan on deep striking the venoms. And in that case I would not add the Splinter cannon as the venom is getting too expensive for my taste.
For the reaver band inside the venom I would probably stick with blasters as I prefer to stay further back. That and corsairs are more support units and want to survive to get objectives.  If I did take them with fusion gun it would be in a deep striking venom in the sky burners coterie.  It is much easier to get within melta range then.  Drop 7" away from you opponent and you can scatter 5" directly away and still be in melta range.  I would drop 7" away because nobody like deep strike mishaps

A lot of good points there.

Oh, one other thing, what are you doing with your Barons or such when your troops are all in Venoms?

50pts for scatter venom plus 10 for cannon if you choose that rout.

Bike are in most if not all cases. But having 15 st6 bladestorm is super nice.

colinsherlow wrote:

50pts for scatter venom plus 10 for cannon if you choose that rout. 

For some reason, I keep reading Splinter Cannon as Shuriken Cannon, and vice versa.

Imagine a guy wielding a shuriken cannon and a splinter cannon

Lord_Alino wrote:

Imagine a guy wielding a shuriken cannon and a splinter cannon

Well, considering that stuff like Corsair venoms can take both, you could probably model this.

The Shredder wrote:

Lord_Alino wrote:

Imagine a guy wielding a shuriken cannon and a splinter cannon

Well, considering that stuff like Corsair venoms can take both, you could probably model this.

Oh gosh that'd be beautiful

I'm kind of leaning towards going scatter laser and splinter cannon on my venoms. The scatter laser averages out pretty comparably to the splinter cannon against most infantry units, but it gives you the option of getting into some rear armor facings and doing damage there when you really need to. That way, you don't really lose your anti-infantry role, but you have an option to help out against other targets when you really need to.

For the balestrikes, I'll probably try dark lances but I don't see me running any other weapon options on them. I'll try them on bikes too, but I suspect I'll have those using more splinter cannons and scatter lasers. The survivability is definitely lower on a model per model basis, but saving 100-150 points on a few units of them means putting more models on the table which leads to much more output (and in a way more defense since you have more units on the table and kill more threatening targets).