I've been feeling like there has to be some way to make decent use of the Raven Guard chapter tactics seein' as how the Raptors are RG successors. Here is a quick review since I'm sure you (like me and everyone else) looked at their tactics when the book came out and said "blah!"
Strike from the Shadows: Models in this detachment have the Scout special rule. In addition, on the first game turn, models in this detachment have the Stealth special rule. Note that units with the Bulky or Very Bulky special rules do not benefit from either rule.
Winged Deliverance: Jump Infantry models in this detachment may use their jump packs in both the Movement and Assault phases of the same turn. Furthermore, they must re-roll failed To Wound rolls caused by their Hammer of Wrath hits.
So when you first read it with RG fluff in mind, you start out all excited- "Ah yeah, scouting stealthing jump packers!" only to have the hope dangled in front of you and snatched away ala this guy:
Since Assault Marines are out, you can also ignore the second part of their chapter tactics. No great loss here as it's pretty underwhelming as well, keeping with tradition of Assault Marines just being overly meh in just about every way (can't get OS or melta and aren't very good at assault against anyone).
I figure you need to look at the book and see what units that don't have Bulky/Very Bulky and would benefit from a free 6 or 12 inch move and Stealth on turn 1. The obvious choice would be Tactical Marines in Rhinos or Razorbacks- OS, combat squads and getting melta/plasma/flamer weapons into mid field quickly. Any scouting transport wants a dozer blade to keep it from getting stranded in the cover you will inevitably want to drive into over the course of the game.
Sternguard in a Rhino could also benefit from the Scout move, getting their combi weapons where they want to go.
Land Speeders can scoot forward to get in HF/MM range or redeploy for side shots with Typhoon launchers. Hovering them in cover/ruins would give them a hefty save with Scout on the first turn should they attract attention.
A Land Raider Crusader/Redeemer loaded with some Assault Terminators or Honor Guard sounds tasty. Even though you won't be able to charge turn 1, you'll definitely charge whatever you feel like turn 2. You may even be able to fire both Flamestorm cannons this way.
The less obvious choice would be walking Dreadnaughts. Basic shooty Dreads are cheap enough to spam and can deliver some reasonably accurate mobile heavy weapons fire while threatening just about everything else with DCCW.
Naturally this is all predicated on being able to Scout properly and enemy Scouts and Infiltrators could potentially ruin your day, so an Inquisitor with some Servo Skulls is a must. Adding in some blast weapons to benefit from the Skulls as well couldn't hurt either. Here is a list I cobbled together with some of these thoughts in mind:
Master of the Forge: Space Marine bike; conversion beamer 130
Dreadnought: twin-linked autocannon; twin-linked autocannon 120
Dreadnought: twin-linked autocannon; twin-linked autocannon 120
Ironclad Dreadnought: power fist (built-in heavy flamer); chainfist 145
• Drop Pod 35
10 Tactical Marines: meltagun; multi-melta 160
• Rhino: dozer blade 40
10 Tactical Marines: meltagun; multi-melta 160
• Rhino: dozer blade 40
5 Tactical Marines: flamer; Space Marine Sergeant (combi-flamer) 85
• Razorback: lascannon; twin-linked plasma gun; dozer blade 80
Lord of the Armoury Dreadnought: power fist (built-in heavy flamer); plasma cannon 120
Lord of the Armoury Dreadnought: power fist (built-in heavy flamer); plasma cannon 120
Thunderfire Cannon 100
Here is a shot of the army before I played my constant enemy Clint. I had to borrow a pod from him for my Ironclad as I am still working on my pods.
Said Ironclad, Inquisitor with Skulls, Tactical Squad in LasPlas Razorback.
Close up of the Inquisitorial Gun Show. This guy cracks me up, SLEEVES ARE FOR COWARDS!
Flamey Tac squad.
Master of the Forge with his beamer.
Tactical Marines.
The game wound up tied (spoiler! lolz ...report coming soonish). I think the list has potential, I have a tweaked version giving the plasma cannon Dreads multimeltas instead and repurposing the Rhino squads to plasma/missile launcher. I'm on the fence about the Ironclad, I kinda think he needs twin hunter killer missiles to give him a bit more versatility, but I dunno where to scrounge up the points for them. He costs almost as much as another full Tactical Squad, but the idea of an av13 double heavy flamer monster rampaging in the enemy backfield delights me greatly.
Strike from the Shadows: Models in this detachment have the Scout special rule. In addition, on the first game turn, models in this detachment have the Stealth special rule. Note that units with the Bulky or Very Bulky special rules do not benefit from either rule.
Winged Deliverance: Jump Infantry models in this detachment may use their jump packs in both the Movement and Assault phases of the same turn. Furthermore, they must re-roll failed To Wound rolls caused by their Hammer of Wrath hits.
So when you first read it with RG fluff in mind, you start out all excited- "Ah yeah, scouting stealthing jump packers!" only to have the hope dangled in front of you and snatched away ala this guy:
Since Assault Marines are out, you can also ignore the second part of their chapter tactics. No great loss here as it's pretty underwhelming as well, keeping with tradition of Assault Marines just being overly meh in just about every way (can't get OS or melta and aren't very good at assault against anyone).
I figure you need to look at the book and see what units that don't have Bulky/Very Bulky and would benefit from a free 6 or 12 inch move and Stealth on turn 1. The obvious choice would be Tactical Marines in Rhinos or Razorbacks- OS, combat squads and getting melta/plasma/flamer weapons into mid field quickly. Any scouting transport wants a dozer blade to keep it from getting stranded in the cover you will inevitably want to drive into over the course of the game.
Sternguard in a Rhino could also benefit from the Scout move, getting their combi weapons where they want to go.
Land Speeders can scoot forward to get in HF/MM range or redeploy for side shots with Typhoon launchers. Hovering them in cover/ruins would give them a hefty save with Scout on the first turn should they attract attention.
A Land Raider Crusader/Redeemer loaded with some Assault Terminators or Honor Guard sounds tasty. Even though you won't be able to charge turn 1, you'll definitely charge whatever you feel like turn 2. You may even be able to fire both Flamestorm cannons this way.
The less obvious choice would be walking Dreadnaughts. Basic shooty Dreads are cheap enough to spam and can deliver some reasonably accurate mobile heavy weapons fire while threatening just about everything else with DCCW.
Naturally this is all predicated on being able to Scout properly and enemy Scouts and Infiltrators could potentially ruin your day, so an Inquisitor with some Servo Skulls is a must. Adding in some blast weapons to benefit from the Skulls as well couldn't hurt either. Here is a list I cobbled together with some of these thoughts in mind:
Master of the Forge: Space Marine bike; conversion beamer 130
Dreadnought: twin-linked autocannon; twin-linked autocannon 120
Dreadnought: twin-linked autocannon; twin-linked autocannon 120
Ironclad Dreadnought: power fist (built-in heavy flamer); chainfist 145
• Drop Pod 35
10 Tactical Marines: meltagun; multi-melta 160
• Rhino: dozer blade 40
10 Tactical Marines: meltagun; multi-melta 160
• Rhino: dozer blade 40
5 Tactical Marines: flamer; Space Marine Sergeant (combi-flamer) 85
• Razorback: lascannon; twin-linked plasma gun; dozer blade 80
Lord of the Armoury Dreadnought: power fist (built-in heavy flamer); plasma cannon 120
Lord of the Armoury Dreadnought: power fist (built-in heavy flamer); plasma cannon 120
Thunderfire Cannon 100
Ordo Malleus Inquisitor: combi-flamer; 3× servo-skull 44
1,499 pointsHere is a shot of the army before I played my constant enemy Clint. I had to borrow a pod from him for my Ironclad as I am still working on my pods.
Said Ironclad, Inquisitor with Skulls, Tactical Squad in LasPlas Razorback.
Close up of the Inquisitorial Gun Show. This guy cracks me up, SLEEVES ARE FOR COWARDS!
Flamey Tac squad.
Master of the Forge with his beamer.
Tactical Marines.
The game wound up tied (spoiler! lolz ...report coming soonish). I think the list has potential, I have a tweaked version giving the plasma cannon Dreads multimeltas instead and repurposing the Rhino squads to plasma/missile launcher. I'm on the fence about the Ironclad, I kinda think he needs twin hunter killer missiles to give him a bit more versatility, but I dunno where to scrounge up the points for them. He costs almost as much as another full Tactical Squad, but the idea of an av13 double heavy flamer monster rampaging in the enemy backfield delights me greatly.
