Storm Talon Loadout

[ElectricPaladin]

I'm beginning to think about getting a stormguppie for my Blood Ravens (my Blood Angels have a stormraven, and my Tau are... out of luck, for the moment). The model is... growing on me, gradually, and it seems increasingly apparent that every army will need either at least one of its flyers or some strong anti-aircraft elements to participate in 6th Edition.

I want to start a conversation about loadouts. The Storm Talon comes standard with a twin-linked assault cannon and twin-linked heavy bolters, but you can trade the heavy bolters for lascannons, a typhoon missile launcher, and a new-fangled skyhammer missile launcher (basically an autocannon that shoots three times instead of two). All these upgrades cost the same amount - about half as much as a Terminator (see what I did there IP-worriers?).

I don't think the conversation is as simple as "which is the best upgrade?" However, what do you see as the role of each upgrade, and their relative values in most lists? For context again, our options are:

'Nilla Talon (Bolters)
LasTalon (Lascannons)
Typhoon Talon (ML)
Hammer Talon (Skyhammer)

I have my own thoughts, but I'm not interested in just trumpeting my opinions, so I'll wait until there have been some more contributions before I type up.

[Pendragon38]

I run with 2 of them one with las and the other with typhoon. And it works good for me

[Aegwymourn]

i think the skyhammer is my personal fav. keeps the str and ap similar so you dont feel like your wasting any shots.

[Cap'nSmurfs]

I run with a Skyhammer, it hasn't let me down yet (apart from when it got shot down by antiair emplacements, that's not its fault). You can put a lot of hurt on medium-heavy infantry, or monstrous creatures, or light vehicles and zoom away. Also decent against those flyers that are already in the game. It's a versatile loadout.

Heavy Bolters keep it relatively cheap and can do similar things. You get twinlinked, which is nice. It's unspectacular, but useful. Less able to damage tough fliers (Stormraven, Heldrake) though.

Lascannon mean you should be using its speed and maneuverability to get shots on the flanks or rear of heavy vehicles for hassle-free tankhunting. Also probably very nasty against fliers. Means it isn't quite so multipurpose, but if you need air supremacy or antitank, you can do worse. Means the assault cannon jars a bit, though.

Typhoon missile launchers are always a good shout. Keeps it very versatile.

[ElectricPaladin]

I'm surprised that people are recommending the skyhammer over the typhoon. I'd think that with its higher strength (krakk) or blast (frag) it would compliment the stormtalon's speed and maneuverability making it useable as a multi-purpose gunboat kind of like a land speeder typhoon.

[Cap'nSmurfs]

Typhoon is my second favourite loadout option, but I went for longer range and more shots.

[DWest]

I have a Storm Talon for whenever I get back to Codex Marines, and while I magnetized the weapon heads, I expect it will almost always be locked into TLLas or Typhoons, probably Las if the dreaded Necron Airforce ever shows up on the local tables. Keep in mind that for AV 13-14, T-L Assault Cannon is more likely to penetrate than T-L Lascannon.

[olberon]

ive been running a typhoon talon for the last 2 games but switched to las talon seems like a better role for the talon to do some tankbusting since the latest games for me are all against tank heavy armies. on a side note the typhoon talon version isnt that bad and when i "upgrade" my current 2500points list to 5k -which is the plan- a few more will make their appearance.

My current list has a landspeeder with typhoon launcher so i thought it was not really needed to get a second one in my list.

[Simon Hodgson]

i love my 2 las birds 5 twin linked shots the las and assault cannons are great against armour and they really do a great job on terms as well as anything else they come across