Morning everyone,
glad to see the forum up and running again, CS!  (nice new emoticons, btw)
I finally had another match and was able to playtest the Land speeder Storm Detachment.
We played 4k points, Space Wolves vs. Imperial Guard. Wolves won in Turn 3, but it was a close call (49 vs. 39 VP).
I had one Land Speeder Storm detachment at 400 points (6 LS loaded with 6 Scouts), and since I was playing Space Wolves, the Wolf Scouts in the Det. had a CAF of +2.
The unit performed nicely and more or less behaved as I had hoped it would:
I put it on a flank with meagre enemy resistance and charged an objective on the enemies' side with them, where an IG Assault Platoon was stationed. I was countercharged by the IG colonel and his bodyguard in Chimeras. The fight was quick and bloody and resulted in both original units broken. I failed my morale roll (IG didn't) and so I had to retreat. In turn 2 I send in a Thunderhawk loaded with Blood Claws to clear up the rest. (most of the battlefield covered by those pesky Hydras anyway, so there was nowhere else to go...). In Turn 3 the LS Storm Det. routed and was therefore able to get back the objective on my side, where a lonesome Commissar on his bike had taken his post.
The best part of the whole operation was that the IG commander got nervous about this flank and sent in his Marauder Destroyers to clear it. I guess that was his big mistake, since as a Marine player (and moreso Space Wolves player, nothing has more than 50cm range) you cannot really do anything against these flying fortresses, and I was worried all the time to have these Monsters all over the main part of my army in the city located at the other flank ÂÂ
To sum, up:
The LS Storm Detachment with the rules we came up with here is a nice unit to draw the enemies' attention to a quiet flank; either he puts some more troops to it or it is yours. Problem for you is that it will get broken very fast, which gives the opponent 4 VP. So it is definitively something for bigger battles (4000 points or more). Both me and my friend thought it's a nice addition to the Marine army list. I am eager to hear from other Marines who would try them out!
cheers
sanjuro
