Well, it is official, Black Templars not only get the Stormraven with S8 AP2 missiles, but we get the new and improved Stormtalon.  Now, IMO, the Stormtalon was a better, although marginal, buy than the Stormraven before, but with the new rules, the ST is now the flyer of choice.  At 110 points (-20 from before) with TL Ass Can & TL HB, the new 15 point Skyhammer ML (-10 from before, 60" S7 AP4, Heavy3, replaces HB) is almost a mandatory pick.  Yes, you can get the TLLC or Typhoon ML and still come off cheaper than before even though the price on both of those went up by 10 points.   It keeps Escort and adds Strafing Run to its special rules.  So, a small profile flyer at 125 points that can do defensive AA fire and shoot up a lot of stuff on the ground at BS5 with Pinning added...what's not to like?  AV11 & 2HP?  It can hurt, but I've been running Necron flyers with the same AV11 and while it isn't all that hard to take one down, you still need to commit to it.  All, I can say to that...try and park it near enemy formations...

Yeah, the most likely flying targets are AV12, but so what?  It averages at least 1HP of damage each turn in the Ass Can + Skyhammer configuration and is >90% likely to score a penetrating hit (go, go, Rending).  Nope, not the greatest flyer out there, but if I didn't have to pay the HQ tax and AACNMTO hadn't gotten nerfed, I'd be BT primary with three of these bad boys.  As it is, I'll just pair it with a Valkyrie and see how it goes.

Yep, time to start figuring out what I want to practice with.  I've got two variations of IG main with BT allies, mostly around whether I want a plasma bike squad or a pair of Typhoon speeders.  These are not my only options, just the first ones up in the slot.

Faeit 212 is calling it official now, Death From the Skies, a rules "compendium" (read rehash) of current flyers and supposedly gives C:SM and BT access to the Stormraven transport.  So, we want the advertised "LR of the skies" available to us?  At pretty much the same cost as a LR?  Or more depending on the load out.  You know, that costs enough points to buy two (2), count them two (2) Valkyries.  Anyway, depending on the status of this book as far as "official" (IOW, do they update the FAQs to reflect the changes in the units?), it may or may not matter.

OTOH, a Stormtalon would probably be interesting, the price point is a lot lower with pretty much the same loadout of antiair weaponry, the biggest difference being the ability to swap out the assault cannon on the SR plus the ability to pay for hurricane bolter sponsons.  The ST gets stuck with its assault cannon, but can get the same Typhoon ML for its heavy bolters as the SR.

My big question...If we cannot afford LRCs, then can we afford its flying equivalent?

Well, it seems like their checkout system isn't working.  Since I still cannot post at Whiskey & 40K, no idea how this is going to affect trying to order stuff.