1850 Raptors Battle Company

[IW Raptors]

So I was thinking of scaling up my Raptors CAD to a Battle Company over the year, for a bit of variety and an eye on competitive. I have all the models bar the transports anyways. 

 

It's a bit off kilter, not White Scars, and neither Razorback/Rhino based, which seem to be more common. No Lias Issodon due to RAW :-(

 

It might seem strange to run Raptors with Pods, but my logic is: Raptors come with Scout, so the list would have allot of flexibility, as near everything on foot has the option of outflanking and deep strike. So I could commit to an alpha strike if going 1st (Rhinos scout up/Drop podders), or play a mix of outflanking and deep striking,e.g. drop just empty pods turn one, hoping to land them on objectives, outflank/deepstrike the army itself starting turn 2. 

 

I like the idea of that flexibility as i'm more of a reactive type player, but I don't know if that added layer of options really compares to the sheer power of the typical battle companies. We have a few marine players knocking about (mostly running razorback battle companies or Skyhammer now days!), so I may borrow some transports to test it out. Let me know if yous think the idea itself is viable though?

 

Btw regarding the tactical marines, it came down somewhat to models available, I can arm them with everything bar Grav-Cannons as alternatives. I was considering the merits of Plasma/Combi-Plasma vs Grav, but I roll one's like a boss it seems when it comes to get hot, so hence my inclination towards Grav.  

 

Raptors Battle Company

 

Captain (Power fist, Auspex, Shield Eternal, Artificer Armour)

Chaplain (Auspex)

 

 

Command Squad (5 Meltaguns), Drop Pod
Command Squad (5 Meltaguns), Drop Pod

 

5 Tactical Marines (Grav-Gun, Combi-Grav), Drop Pod
5 Tactical Marines (Grav-Gun, Combi-Grav), Drop Pod
5 Tactical Marines (Grav-Gun, Combi-Grav), Drop Pod
5 Tactical Marines (Grav-Gun, Combi-Grav), Drop Pod
5 Tactical Marines (Grav-Gun, Combi-Grav), Drop Pod
5 Tactical Marines (Grav-Gun, Combi-Grav), Drop Pod

 

5 Assault Marines (2 Flamers), Drop Pod
5 Assault Marines (2 Flamers), Drop Pod

 

5 Devastator Marines (2 Grav-Cannons, Cherub), Rhino (Dozer Blades)
5 Devastator Marines (2 Grav-Cannons, Cherub), Rhino (Dozer Blades)

 

10th Company

 

5 Scouts (Combi-Melta, Meltabombs)
5 Scouts (Combi-Melta, Meltabombs)
5 Scouts (Combi-Melta, Meltabombs)

 

Inquisitorial Detachment

Inquisitor (3 Servo-Skulls, Combi-Melta)

[Lord Hanaur]

Yip.  pretty much...a Battle Company.  Won't it be fun to see another one?

 

90 models, 16 Meltaguns, 4 Grav Cannons, 12 Grav Guns all in a Space Marine army at 1850.

 

THIRTY scoring units.

 

Thirty.

 

So...

[IW Raptors]

Yup yup, although allot of them weapons you listed are combi's really ! ;-)

 

Majority of battle companies I face tend to be razorback born and have more raw firepower. Or you have the ever popular white scars Grav in a rhino box army.The way the game is going, these formations seem to becoming the norm. I think this list is different enough in terms of trying to make a raptors one, that isn't just a poor mans white scars (or..maybe it is..and I'd appreciate hearing that sooner then later!) :)

[Lord Hanaur]

Comb-weapons hardly matters in min maxed squads.  they just end up being "First casualties" anyways.  if it were ten man squads then yeah, I'd see your point then.

 

Well...  I am just going to say what i am thinking i guess:  it's a big pile of Not-fun to play against a Battle Company.  I've had some opportunities to do it.  None of my opponents were TFG's or anything (quite the opposite in all cases).  It didn't FEEL remotely fair to me (yes I've defeated them so that itsn't the thing).  

 

In a game that favors objectives so much, it just wasn't fun.  You're sitting there with 14 KP's against 30 obsec ones and it doesn't take a genius at math to figure out what the problem is.  Just that element would be enough on its own.  I ended up in an ITC mission with a 1001 point ITC victory (Meaning a victory in which it was a dead tie other than one secondary, barely eaking me out the win)

 

So if you are dead set on playing a Battle Company, It is what it is.  It generates a FEELING that you're forced to play against soemthing that is inherently unfair.  Not just unbalanced or a single unit with shenanigans.  An entire army that simply gets more points than you do.  A lot more.

 

I have no doubt that you yourself are a fine fellow indeed, as my Battle Company opponents have been!  So this has zero to do with you.  Just an observation you may want to take into account.

 

I know it's competitive so if that's the goal, then mission accomplished on that end.  Hard to argue that.  Careful timing will avail you much with this army.

[WestRider]

I couldn't disagree more. I love playing against Battle Companies. I'll take that over a matchup with a DeathStar or Super-Heavies or sneaky Eldar shenanigans any day. It's an incredibly fluffy build, and because it's just made out of greater than normal numbers of OK but not amazing Units, there's always something I can do. I'm not just sitting there bouncing off 2++ re-rollables or pulling handfuls of Models off from D and Stomps, or not even able to draw a bead on anything because they JSJ out of LoS/range constantly.

[fluger]

Why Raptors for this?  Just for Scout as well?  

[WestRider]

I think just because Raptors are the Chapter he grooves on. I mean, look at the username and all.

[IW Raptors]

Well Raptors have generic scout, unlike white scars who have to be mounted in some form, plus take Khan. I like the idea of the flexibility the former brings when combined with free drop pods. Aside from that, yeah I dig the raptors, although in my current list which is a CAD, it is really Lias issodon that makes it tick. I love the tricks he brings, aside from that, raptors chapter tactic wise is probably fairly middle of the pack.

 

I enjoy playing against battle company, although it is an uphill slog with a CAD, if you aren't doing something saucy like Grav cents or sicarians. I don't think many other SM players around me are running non formation armies (skyhammer/battle company etc), just the way things are going in the game I guess. If your army has nice formations with free benefits over taking those units in a cad, people generally avail of that.

 

Bar the transports, I have the modals mostly to run the above, so you can see I like my tactical marines, even in a CAD! Im doing okay and really like playing my current list, even vs the likes of battle companies/new Tau/Eldar. But battle company seems like a fun list to run, in an environment where such things are becoming the norm.

[Xavier319]

It looks like a very generic battle company. I honestly dont feel like it takes advantage of many of the unique tools of the raptors, nor is it very fluffy. effective? certainly. I hate to be negative nancy. maybe rhinos or razorbacks would work better for fluff reasons. utilize their scouting and stealth. Dont just mass boltguns and free transports. If you wanna do drop pods, do fists or sentinels of terra, or someone who's stuff synergizes better with raptors. I ran into that problem trying to make Iron hands into raptors, so i just have two marine armies now.

[IW Raptors]

Appreciate the input lad! The only reason I was thinking of pods was because of the flexibility of the option between outflank/deepstrike. I kinda feel in Rhinos/Razorbacks Battle Company, Raptors would make a slightly poorer mans White Scars. Fluff wise, they probably don't lend themselves to mass transports either way (imo). 

 

I haven't faced a Drop Pod based B.Company myself, Razorbacks/Rhinos are in vogue! :D

[VonVilkee]

I've played as the drop pod battle company and it gives board control at the loss of survivability and late game mobility.

 

The biggest challenge is the late game mobility and the isolation of your forces. You need to be aware that sometimes scatter happens and not to reinforce failure.