Editing Warhammer 40,000/9th Edition Tactics/Dark Angels (section)

==Unit Analysis==

===HQ===
*'''Primaris Captain:''' Unique to the Dark Angels, your Primaris Captain has the option to swap their master-crafted auto bolt rifle for a special issue carbine (24", assault 2, S4, AP-2, D2), which is a great in-between of the MC auto bolter and the MC stalker bolter. You lose the optional master-crafted power sword, (no you don’t) but you can take a regular powerfist instead if you like. 

*'''Terminator Captain:''' Gains the Deathwing keyword. 

*'''Captain on Bike:''' Gains the Ravenwing keyword. 

*'''Primaris Lieutenant:''' Another Dark Angel specific weapon option, you can replace his stock bolt pistol for a plasma pistol. Give you a bit more oomph if you're going for the sword and sidearm gear, but why haven't you taken the MC power sword, storm shield, and volkite pistol?

*'''Librarian:''' All flavours of Librarian gain the Deathwing keyword. Doesn't matter if they're the sneaky beaky Phobos or the curb-stomping Terminator. 

*'''Terminator Chaplain:''' Gains the Deathwing keyword. 

*'''Primaris Chaplain on Bike:''' Gains the Ravenwing keyword. This can be used for some real neat tricks, namely using the +1 BS modifier on Black Knights to make full use of their Plasma Talons and the Stasis Shell strategy, or making sure your charges go off as planned with the Canticle of Hate. The Jink rule is rather useless on him, sadly. Make him the Master of Sanctity, have him know Canticle of Hate and either Mantra of Strength or Exhortation of Rage - Recitation of Focus is also viable. Very good with Outriders if you're able to charge with the Exhortation of Rage, and even stronger with Litany of Hate on top of that - who doesn't want 16 attacks rerolling to hit and adding +1 to their to wound? With a bunch of Black Knights with Corvus Hammers, those rerolls to hit will help maximize the amount of MEQ you mulch on the charge. 

*'''[[Interrogator-Chaplain]]:''' Has all the usual Chaplain things; Rosarius, Crozius, Spiritual Leader, and Litanies. Costs 5pts more, but that gets you the Inner Circle rule and Keyword, the Deathwing Keyword, A4, W5, and Aura of Dread (enemy units within 6" count as being below half strength). 
<tabs>
<tab name="Interrogator-Chaplain"> 
Wargear-wise, you can swap your bolt pistol for a weapon on the pistol, combi-weapon, or melee weapon lists, AND take an additional powerfist. This really only sees merit if you're taking a relic (Teeth or Terra + Mantra of Strength). He can still take a Jump Pack, to give him a chance of keeping up with Ravenwing if you're in a game that doesn't allow Legends units for the Biker. 
</tab>
<tab name="Terminator"> 
As above, but with Deep Strike, M5", W6, and Sv2+. Some of the rules-writers dribble got past their bib and their datasheet lists them as an Elites choice instead of a HQ like their points has them. This will be FAQ'd, so the rules are here to save them being copy-pasted from the Elite section at a later date. 
* Legends does allow this model to swap their storm bolter for a powerfist, lightning claw, thunder hammer, or storm shield. With storm shields now being +1 to armour saves and a 4++ invulnerable, this option is of dubious use considering you already have a 4++. Consider if the points cost are worth losing four bolter shots per turn for +1 to armour saves only. 
* Debatably the worst of all the chaplains, as with the new Litanies not working out of Deep Strike (for whatever stupid reason, why he can't just chant to the guys in the teleportarium next to him is anyone's guess) means that he can't do anything until round 3 by which point the guys you dropped him with have either charged or taken casualties making him much less effective than a power-armoured Jump Pack/Bike/Drop Pod version who can get into position turn 1 (or 2 at the latest) and still chant.
</tab>
<tab name="Biker (Legends)"> 
A beefy Biker Chaplain, and most useful if you want a Biker Deathwing Character. Standard fare is a twin boltgun, crozius, and bolt pistol. the bolt pistol can be swapped for a boltgun, combi-weapon, pistol, or melee weapon. They can also grab an additional powerfist; ''additional'', it does not replace one of their stock weapons. He doesn't have the 8.5 edition Litanies, and instead has the old Litany of Hate Aura, allowing Dark Angels within 6" to re-roll failed hit rolls with melee weapons. His Aura of Dread also makes enemy units within 6" suffer -1Ld.
</tab>
</tabs>

*'''Deathwing Strikemaster:''' Deathwing Lieutenants, equipped with Terminator armour. Inner Circle, Tactical Precision (6" re-roll wound rolls of 1 aura), and Company Heroes as per the usual Lieutenant fare. Crux Terminatus gives them a 5++ invulnerable, making them one of the few Lieutenants with a built-in invulnerable. Weapons are a plain storm bolter and power sword (neither are master-crafted). Both are swappable for twin lightning claws, the bolter can be swapped for a master-crafted power sword, thunder hammer, or mace of absolution (Sx2, AP-2, D3, pretty much renders the thunder hammer pointless), and the sword can be swapped for a storm shield (4++ invulnerable and +1 to armour saves), chainfist, or storm bolter (one per model)... It's such a retarded way of wording the options. 
** The master-crafted power sword should be the MINIMUM upgrade if you're not swapping for a Relic sword. The storm shield is not a bad choice for this model either, effectively negating AP-1 and boosting the 5++ to a 4++. 

*'''Ravenwing Talonmaster:''' Ravenwing Lieutenants, equipped with a Land Speeder. Heavily-armed with a power sword, twin assault cannon, and twin heavy bolter. T6, W8, Sv3+, and Jink gives them good staying power. As for special rules, they have the Inner Circle keyword and rules, and have the typical Lieutenant friendly-<Chapter>-Core-units-within-6"-re-oll-hit-rolls-of-1 aura and Company Heroes to allow any two Lieutenants in one HQ slot. They also have the No Escape Aura, allowing you to pick one visible enemy unit and friendly Ravenwing '''Core''' units within 6" gain Ignores Cover against that unit. 
** Eighteen shots with BS2+ and AP-1 will put down most GEQ and MEQ squads in one turn. Heavy bolters being bumped to D2 makes them far more effective against Marines and Bikers, as well as light Vehicles and Monsters. 
** Warlord Traits: A lot of good candidates. From the 9th edition Index, Impeccable Mobility lets your Ravenwing units within 6" advance and shoot assault weapons, Tactically Flexible lets your Ravenwing units within 6" choose which Doctrine to be in, and Outrider even has use in smaller games to let this model and one Ravenwing unit move 12" after deployment and before the first turn. 
** Relics: As a Vehicle, you've only got a limited selection of Relics available to you. Heavenfall Blade and Arbiter's Gaze are your best two bets. 

====Special Characters====

'''Note''' Successor chapters (including custom successor chapters) lack access to special characters as explained on page 74 of the DA codex. 
Interestingly though, if you include Belial and Sammael in their own supreme command detachment (with say, a jump pack Librarian or beat stick Master) then their Grandmaster abilities still affect the custom chapters Deathwing and Ravenwing as you only replace the Dark Angels keyword in creating successors. This means you can use them to boss around their successors first and second companies at the chapter master level as well as having their fighting prowess (assuming there's been no FaQ), very fluffy.

*'''[[Azrael]]:''' Azzy is no slouch in melee and with Sv2+/4++ can slug it out with all but the best of the enemy combatants. WS2+ and 5A base with his Sword of Secrets (S+2, AP-4, D2, wound rolls of unmodified 6 inflict an additional MW) will put down a lot of Characters. Lions Wrath is a master-crafted boltgun (24", rapid fire 1, S4, AP-1, D2) welded to a master-crafted plasma gun (24", rapid fire 1, S8, AP-3, D2, no overcharge). For support, he has the Captain's Rites of Battle aura (Dark Angel Core units within 6" re-roll hit rolls of 1) and the Chapter Masters rule (one Dark Angel Core or Character unit can re-roll all failed hit rolls). Supreme Tactician gives you +2CP if he's your Warlord and Watcher in the Dark means you can attempt to deny one enemy psychic power per game and you can re-roll the dice if it was a Chaos model. His most useful rule is the Lion Helm, which gives Dark Angel Infantry and Biker units within 6" a 4++ invulnerable save against ranged attacks.
** He can't Deep Strike with Deathwing or keep up with Ravenwing. He either pulls babysitting duty with Infantry gunlines (Eradicators and Hellblasters with their heavy versions of their guns are excellent ranged choices, otherwise their assault versions make for a good mobile death star), or pile him into a Drop Pod or Land Raider with an appropriate retinue. 
**'''Azrael (Primaris)''': As mentioned above, Azrael was always an awkward fit for both the Deathwing and Ravenwing. But as a Primaris, he's perfect for accompanying a squad of Hellblasters or Desolators on a Repulsor. Along with the standard Primaris stat boosts, the Sword of Secrets has been bumped up to S+3 AP-4 and the plasma component of the Lion's Wrath has gotten the same AP enhancement, making him a force to be reckoned with against TEQs. 

*'''[[Belial]]:''' The Captain of the Deathwing still an excellent duellist; enemy melee attacks suffer -1 to their hit rolls against him and the Sword of Silence is S+2, AP-4, D3, and always wounds non-Vehicles on a 2+ (the non-Vehicle part is not a huge deal, as you wound T7 Vehicles on a 5+ anyway). He also comes with a master-crafted storm bolter (24", rapid fire 2, S4, AP-1, D2) which fires four shots at all ranges due to the Terminator and Bolter Discipline combination and a more specific Chapter Master ability that only affects Deathwing. To top him off, he also has Rites of Battle and an Iron Halo. 
** His diet Chapter Master ability isn't limited to Dark Angel Deathwing units, only Deathwing. RAW, it also affects Dark Angel Successors as long as they're Deathwing. This is awesome and very fluffy. 
** Legends gives Belial the option to swap his Sword of Silence and storm bolter for two lightning claws or a thunder hammer and storm shield. You should really only choose the lightning claws if he has no intention of fighting Characters and needs to focus on large groups, while the thunder hammer should be taken if you really need the +1Sv from the storm shield, since it even the sword beats the hammer for damage output. 

*'''[[Sammael]]:''' Worryingly only has one profile in the 9th ed. Index. One of the fastest and shootiest Characters in the Imperium, and a very comfortable melee combatant too. A plasma cannon and twin storm bolters (which always fire eight shots due to Biker + Bolter Discipline) means he can throw out the same firepower as a five man tactical squad all by himself. In melee, he gets A5 with the Raven Sword; S+2 (Sx2 if he charged), AP-4, D2. He gets an Iron Halo, Rites of Battle, and Turbo-Boost, on top of a Ravenwing-specific Chapter Master ability. T5, W8, Sv3+/4++ makes him very hardy as a cherry on top. 
** Similar to Belial, his diet Chapter Master ability isn't limited to Dark Angel Ravenwing units, only Ravenwing. RAW, it also affects Dark Angel Successors as long as they're Ravenwing. Again, this is awesome and very fluffy. 

*'''Sammael on Sableclaw:''' 8th ed. Codex only. A bit more expensive than the Jetbike, but comes with a lot more dakka: a twin heavy bolter and twin assault cannon for 6/12 shots respectively. He also still fights just as well with the Raven Sword if he gets engaged. Enemies can no longer shoot at him even if he is not the closest target, as he has 7 wounds now, and still has the 4++ invulnerable save to protect himself with. The primary issue he has is that the weapons he fires are all Heavy, so if he moves he drops down to hitting on a re-rollable 3+ ''(and with the FAQ to re-rolls, he can't re-roll 2's to hit when moving)'', and he ''cannot'' advance and shoot (unless you use the Strategem), so he doesn't have the same reach as Corvex.
**Sammael in either form grants a re-roll failed to-hit aura to any {{W40Kkeyword|RAVENWING}} unit within 6", and grants the ability to re-roll 1s to regular {{W40Kkeyword|DARK ANGELS}} within 6", too. Even if you don't take much Ravenwing, he puts out so much hurt by himself and is so comparatively resilient that it might be worth taking him in any army.
**When compared to Kor'sarro Khan, Sammael is now ''slightly'' inferior in a straight up fight, due to Khan's double strength modifier allowing him to wound Sammael on a 3+, but Sammy's extra attack pulls him back up, so the difference between them adds up to a 0.16 wound/turn difference, assuming Khan rolls average damage. This is not a true test though, since Sammael has more than twice the shooting potential of Khan ''(and pretty much any other character in the game too)'', does better against the "average" mook, and can {{W40Kkeyword|FLY}}.
** Often overlooked but stated above, Sammael has the {{W40Kkeyword|FLY}} keyword, meaning he can cruise over enemy units and to get to weaker units and fuck up enemy flyers as nearly almost all of them are T7 and below. Not to mention to fall back and unload his range arsenal on some heretics. Thanks to him flying he has some great utility that is nearly always forgotten. 

*'''[[Asmodai]]:''' As an individual, the Master of Repentance still has problems finding his place.  The Blades of Reason are still meh, making only one additional hit roll at SU, SP-1, D2d3. Rosarius, Crozius, and Spiritual Leader are his leftovers as a Chaplain, and he retains Aura of Dread, Inner Circle, and Deathwing from being an Interrogator-Chaplain. Exemplar of Hate turbo-boosts his Litany of Hate, being able to cast it on a 2+ and with a 9" range. 

*'''[[Ezekiel]]:''' The Dark Angels Chief Librarian now gains the Chief Librarian Keyword, with the ability to cast and deny two powers per turn and knows smite and three Interromancy powers. He also comes with the Deathwing and Inner Circle Keywords, a Psychic Hood (+1 to Deny the Witch tests against powers cast within 12"), and +1 when casting an Interromancy power. His best ability is the Book of Salvation Aura, which grants Dark Angel Characters and Core units within 6" +1A; note that this explicitly does NOT stack with Shock Assault. Unlike other Librarians, he's more than happy to get stuck in with WS2+, BS2+, A3, and Sv2+/4++. For weapons, he has the bolt pistol The Deliverer (12", pistol 1, S4, AP-1, D2) and the force sword Traitors Bane (S+2, AP-3, Dd3, becomes D3 against Fallen or Heretic Astartes). 

*'''Master [[Lazarus]]:''' While his fluff is complete dog shite, his model is good and his rules are great against Psyker-heavy armies. Inner Circle, Iron Halo, and Rites of Battle are the standard affair. The Spiritshield Helm gives Dark Angel units within 6" a 5+ save against ''mortal wounds'' (it gives him a 4+ save) and Intractable Will lets him fight after he's been killed (does not stack with the Astartes Banner ability or Only In Death Stratagem). For weapons, he has a bolt pistol and Enmity's Edge (S+2, AP-4, D2, becomes D4 against Psykers). Obviously he sucks at ranged combat, so you should buy him a transport and a retinue of Choppy/Smashy Primaris to get the best out of his five attacks.

===Troops===

The Dark Angels don't have any unique Troop choices or anything that particularly stands out in 9th. What does matter is ''how'' you use your Troop units with their Chapter Tactics. 
* You gain +1 to hit rolls with units that have not moved, very much encouraging you to squat your units on an objective or in cover. 
* You automatically pass Combat Attrition Tests, so taking maximum-sized units isn't a huge deal with regards to morale.
* Fire Discipline means that if you survive the charge, you can make the enemy pay dearly when you have Tactical Doctrine active - You can shoot back at the enemy in the shooting phase with your rapid fire or assault weapons, hitting on a 5+. Quite funny when your dice are hot and you wipe an enemy unit off the board and off your objective - or when you charge on in and are stuck in combat with a big tarpit of a unit.

The best Troops depends on how well they synchronize with Grim Resolve. Which means their best use besides camping objectives is long range shooting. 
It's important to remember that Terminators and Bikes can gain Objective Secured, limiting the uses of troops if you just wanted them for taking the objective. 
So rather than a full tactical section for each, troops are ranked for their usefulness instead.

# Heavy Intercessors: Heavy Intercessors benefit from Grim Resolve and Bolter Discipline the most out any of the troop options. So unlike Codex Marines and supplements DA Heavy Intercessors are best used with the vanilla loadout of Heavy Bolt Rifles and good old Heavy Bolters. Arguments could be made though for the heavy options if you REALLY want your 42" shots.
# Intercessors: Stalker Bolter Intercessors have enough firepower sit on the objective and table what they shoot at. Grim Resolve allows them to shoot from the backline with little fear of retaliation. Also the only Primaris troops that benefit from a Repulser & should also be kitted out for long range sniping. Alternately, both the standard bolt rifle and auto-bolt rifle are viable options, allowing you to make Bolter Discipline and Grim Resolve, or maximize your Fire Discipline ability to allow you to be surprisingly decent on the assault and combines nicely with some stratagems. 
# Tactical Marines: The best use of Tacticals is giving them a heavy weapon. Take a Razorback instead of a Rhino and pick a Multi-Melta or another weapon that has a longer range. The Sergeant's Combi-Bolter should either be a Combi-Flamer or Combi-Plasma .
# Infiltrator Squad: The closest thing to the old Scouts. However since Grim Resolve and Bolter Discipline stack. Infiltrators end up being redundant. If for whatever reason you're running a Phobos heavy list, these guys can actually get rather nasty. Fire Discipline applies to them, and Marksman Bolt Carbines autowound on sixes. Combine that with the comms array for rerolling 1's, and anything within 24" is going to be eating a lot of bolter shots every turn.
# Incursor Squad: Has the same problem as Infiltrators. While Occulus bolt carbines stack with both Grim Resolve and Bolter Discipline and get rerolls with their Paired Combat Blades. They are still inferior to both Deathwing Knights, Ravenwing Black Knights and DW Terminators with Thunder Hammer & Storm Shield Combos. Alternate take, they're ideal for taking objectives and being hard to shift. Fire Discipline applies to them!
# Assault Intercessors: Same problem as Infiltrator and Incursor as they are lacking compared to Objective Secured Termis and Ravenwing. They may get more chances to reroll however Chainswords are not that great compared to Power Fist variants and the pain Deathwing Knights can inflict. Don't take them.

===Elites===
In addition to the Death and Ravenwings. Dark Angels can any take elites with the exception of Sternguard and Vanguard Veterans. Honor Guard are now Ultramarine exclusive, while non RW Biker ICs and Biker Vets can't be given the ''Inner Circle'' rule.

The best Greenwing options are Company Vets for more Plasma or situational Combi-Weapons, more dakka from Aggressor Squads (according to White Dwarf fluff they should have the "Deathwing" keyword), or all out destruction from Invector Warsuits and Dreadnoughts. Ignore the reguler Contemptor in favor of the Relic version with more options.
With Rites of Initiation you can upgrade near death Space Marines to be members of the Deathwing. Now don't you have to repaint or keep your old Venerable Dreads on the shelf.

====Deathwing====
Your Deathwing Characters have the Command Squad rule as well, meaning they don't take up a Battlefield Role (Force Organisation) Slot if you have at least one unit of Deathwing Command Squad. 

*'''Bladeguard Ancient:''' Gains the Deathwing keyword. 

*'''Bladeguard Veteran Squad:''' Gains the Deathwing Keyword. Anti-MEQ and below only, as their lack of upgrade options and Sx2 makes them inferior to other Deathwing. Decent space filler if you need to complete a Vanguard Detachment but that's about it.

*'''Terminator Ancient:''' Gains the Deathwing keyword. He has unique wargear options; He comes standard with a storm bolter and powerfist, but the powerfist can be swapped for a chainfist or both weapons can be swapped for two lightning claws or a thunder hammer and storm shield so he can pull his weight in a fight. 

*'''Terminator Squad:''' Gains the Deathwing Keyword. Though they lack the flexible loadout of the exclusive Deathwing Termies, you keep the Teleport Homer, allowing you to suddenly-grab objectives if you run a mono-DW detachment. Though they lack plasma cannons, you can still park them somewhere for a sudden snag.

*'''Terminator Assault Squad:''' Gains the Deathwing Keyword. Though they lack the flexible loadout of the exclusive Deathwing Termies, you keep the Teleport Homer, allowing you to suddenly-grab objectives if you run a mono-DW detachment. Unless you really need the Homer, just use the Deathwing Knights instead to be honest.

*'''Relic Terminator Squad:''' Gains the Deathwing Keyword. Grim Resolve, Inner Circle, and Objective Secured makes them competitive to the DW termies, with the addition of holding equipment that you can't replicate elsewhere.

*'''[[Deathwing]] Terminators:''' Elite Terminators with Inner Circle and the ability to customize their loadout to suit your needs, all while being as expensive as assaults. Starts off with the standard Terminator wargear (Storm Bolter and sword for the Sergeant, fists for the Terminators). Any Powerfist can be replaced with a Chainfist (Sx2, AP-4, Dd3, becomes D3 against Vehicles), and 1 in 5 Terminators can swap their storm bolter for an Assault Cannon, Heavy Flamer, or Plasma Cannon, or take a cyclone missile launcher. Where they differ from the regular Terminator Squad is the ability for ANY number of models to swap their Bolter and melee weapon for two Lightning Claws or a Thunder Hammer and Storm Shield. Finally, they can take a Watcher in the Dark to gain a once-per-battle Deny the Witch chance as if they were a Psyker. They do not have the Teleporter Homer available to vanilla Terminators, but their cost makes them an ideal competitor for troops. 
** Starting with a ten-man squad, you can then combat squad them into a five-man Assault Squad and a Five-man Terminator Squad with two heavy weapons. 
**Assault Cannon vs Plasma Cannon vs Cyclone Missile Launcher: Both Cannons now cost the same for Deathwing Termis. While Cyclones are the most expensive option, their versatility makes them the better choice. Assault Cannons will always have the same damage output regardless of how many targets their shooting at. While Plasma Cannons get their full amount of shots if they're used against squads of 6 or more. Frankly,  Plasma Cannons are better used elsewhere in the army when you needn't spend CP to make them hit at full BS. Cyclones with their two profiles get the best of both. Krak Missiles are close enough to overcharged Plasma Cannons that you will hardly miss them. Nor do you lose out on Bolter Discipline as they get to keep their Storm Bolters.

*'''Deathwing Command Squad:''' Those same dudes written above, but with three main differences; unit size of one Sergeant and 1-4 Terminators, one squad can be taken without using an Elite slot if the detachment also has a Dark Angels Captain, and Dark Angel Characters with nine or less wounds (i.e. all of them) within 3" cannot be targeted by ranged attacks. 
**This is a quite interesting unit, that with the new way of how Look Out, Sir! and Bodyguard work, they can help you characters to survive longer, even just one single model of this squad can protect them in any possible case. And if you do not use Characters near them, it is still a possibility to add a small number of Terminators (they cost a little more, but obviously even a 4 men squad is cheaper than a 5 man squad, with a difference of just 2ppm).

*'''Deathwing Knights:''' The premiere Terminator Assault Squad. One Master and 4-9 Knights all with storm shields and WS2+. The Master has the unique flail of the unforgiven, striking at S+2, AP-3, D2, and any excess damage is carried over between models in the target unit. So rather than killing three W1 models at most, you can now go up to six. The Knights mace of absolution is also brilliant, Sx2, AP-2, D3. That's it. It's a thunder hammer sacrificing a point of AP in order to avoid the hit roll penalty. The unit can also take a Watcher in the Dark, allowing you to attempt to deny a psychic power once per battle, and re-roll the deny the witch test if the caster is a Chaos model. 
** These guys are great but do need some support from Characters. An Interrogator-Chaplain will make them even more deadly with his rerolls and if you don't mind the investment, you could get a Deathwing Ancient to follow them too. All of the above can teleport in together, or you could fit them in a Land Raider Crusader/Redeemer or a Storm Raven for more mobility and firepower support. Once they're in combat, they're almost certain to kill anything in front of them but getting there first can be a tad difficult by themselves.
** Consider running a Librarian with the knights. Righteous Repugnance gives you re-roll to hit AND to wound, which is actually better than the chaplain's aura! Just remember, casting isn't guaranteed to succeed (unlike the aura, which is always on) and even if you pass, your opponent can attempt to deny the power with a psyker of their own.

*'''Deathwing Champion:''' The 1st Company Champion is still here, but a wee bit schizophrenic. The typical Martial Superiority (fights first against Characters) and Honour or Death (6" heroic intervention towards Characters) is well and good, but their unique halberd of Caliban wants to fight blobs; S+3, AP-3, D2. The Halberd gives the champ 3 extra attacks as long as an enemy unit with 10+ models is in engagement range- those attacks must target that unit of 10+ models. Still, as a Company Champion, he has WS2+, A4,  a 0-1 per-army limit, and he can still have the Chapter Champion upgrade but cannot have the Blade of Triumph. 
**In terms of close combat damage against lone characters, the three Champions fall pretty close to each other. The Deathwing Champion has one higher AP, but often a character has some form of invulnerable save, that will make AP less of a concern beyond 3+. The deciding factor will be mainly their prices and the rest of the army; you can field almost 2 Company champs for the price of a single RW/DW champion. However, it would be a waste of a Rhino/Razorback trying to keep up with a RW HQ and pairing the Greenwing champion in with guys in Termi-armor would just look ridiculous.
**If for some reason you really want his 2+ to wound against MEQs again, pair him with a Chaplain Dreadnought. Be mindful of the cost, though.
**Does face a bit of competition from other Deathwing characters (despite being a similar point price) and without actually being an HQ. The lack of any shooty weapon also hurts (admittedly shooting isn't the Deathwing's main job but a Storm Bolter couldn't have hurt to have).

*'''Deathwing Apothecary:''' It's an Apothecary in Terminator armour, need more be said? Yes? Fine. Combat Restoratives heals one friendly Dark Angel Infantry or Biker unit up to d3 lost wounds and the Narthecium gives you a 6" ignores-lost-wounds-on-a-6 aura. Reviving one fallen model has been shunted to a stratagem, but he's still an Apothecary model and the Chief Apothecary upgrade is rather excellent. He comes with a storm bolter for four bolter shots at 24" range, but has no melee weapon meaning he really doesn't want to be there. 
**The challenge to viability is that he doesn't heal anymore than a regular Apothecary, yet costs more, and since the cost of the Apothecary limits your inclusion of other models (because you could buy them instead), he has to heal a lot more to justify himself. That cost does buy him more durability though since the 2+/5++ is way better than what a standard apothecary has in addition to more wounds. 
**The problem for this chap is that the Ravenwing Apothecary is just better, it's faster, more shooty and is arguably more durable. He also has Inner Circle, so you can take him in a DW Vanguard detachment with no penalty.

====Ravenwing====

For main guns, plasma talons will be the standard, with a profile of 18", assault 2, S7, AP-3, D1, may gain +1S and +1D but hit rolls of unmodified 1 kill the user. All of the Characters and 1 in 3 Black Knights can swap for a Ravenwing grenade launcher. Frag profile is 30", assault d6, S3, AP0, D1, blast, and krak profile is 30", assault 1, S6, AP-1, Dd3. It may be worth taking one model with a grenade launcher for the Stasis Shell stratagem, but otherwise the plasma talon will be your best weapon as the mid-range is offset by the long move and advance distance afforded to the Ravenwing.

Your Ravenwing Characters have the Command Squad rule as well, meaning they don't take up a Battlefield Role (Force Organisation) Slot if you have at least one unit of Ravenwing Black Knights. 

*'''Ravenwing Apothecary:''' Hands down the best Apothecary available to any Space Marine army. M14" and an advance of 6" ensures he's always where he needs to be, and not being limited to one-per-army like the Champion means you can have plenty of these guys zipping around the field. T5, W5, Sv3+/5++ (4++ if he advanced), gives him plenty of staying power as well. New Narthecium rules provide an ignore-lost-wounds-on-a-6 aura (which for him is 6" and not 3" like all other Marine Apothecaries) and Combat Restoratives heals d3 lost wounds to one model (very useful to your W3 Ravenwing and Deathwing). Reviving a model has been moved to stratagem though. Being an Apothecary, they can still be upgraded to the awesome Chief Apothecary rules. He has no melee weapon though, so don't get fooled into getting him stuck in. 

*'''Ravenwing Champion:''' The do-it-all Champion. No longer gets a Blade of Caliban, instead having a master-crafted power sword (S+1, AP-3, D2) like all regular Champions get. No combat shield for a 2+/5++ though, so enjoy your 5++/4++ from moving/advancing while you can. Unlike your other Ravenwing Characters, he has WS2+ and A4. Like other Champions, he has Martial Superiority (always fights first against Characters) and Honour or Death (Heroically Intervene up to 6" towards Characters). The Chapter Champion upgrade has very good abilities, Warlord Trait, and Relic available to them. 

*'''Ravenwing Ancient:''' The Ravenwing version of the Deathwing Ancient. Astartes Banner gives Dark Angel Core models within 6" gain +1Ld and can make one shooting attack or one melee attack on a 4+ when they die. He has no melee weapon though, so don't get fooled into getting him stuck in. 

*'''Ravenwing Black Knights:''' Competes with Hellblasters for best Imperial plasma spammer. Moved to the Elites slot as of the 9th ed. Dark Angel Index. A maximum of ten T5, W3, Sv3+/5++ (or 4++ but suffer -1 to hit rolls) models with two plasma shots each are going to ruin someone's day. They have no special rules of their own, aside from Inner Circle, Jink, and Turbo-Boost. For 5pts each, they can all be equipped with corvus hammers (S+1, AP-1, D2) for beating in the now-W2 Fallen. The Huntmaster (Sergeant) also has the option for a power sword or power maul for the same points. Each of them also comes with a bolt pistol that can be fired in melee. They also have the Melta Bomb Keyword for some surprise mortal wounds.
**While Inceptors might seem better than these guys due to their 2D3 blast plasma, The 4++ invuln you get from advancing and an actual melee weapon make these guy more likely to survive in the short ranges that their guns have.

===Flyer===
9th Edition brings our vehicles in line with the other Codex-adherent armies.
*'''[[Nephilim Jetfighter]]:''' The Nephilim is still flying high after its much-needed buffs last edition, keeping most of its damage output against ground targets while gaining even more against enemy aircraft. Blacksword Missile Launchers fire a pair of S7 AP-3 D2 shots each turn, and count as D4 against enemy '''Aircraft'''. It swapped Strafing Run for Air Superiority, giving it +1 against aircraft. Of course as a member of the '''Ravenwing''' it has the ability to Jink, giving it a [[Awesome|5+ invuln every time it moves (it must always move)]] or 4+ if it advances. The Avenger Mega Bolter still chews up things with Heavy10 S5 AP-1 D2, or you could swap that for a Twin Lascannon for some vehicle hunting. Also another unit that appreciates the extra damage point for Heavy Bolters. All of this wrapped in a solid flyer statline with T6 and 11W with a 3+ save and Hard to Hit, which forces enemies to shoot with -1 to hit, means that the Nephilim is still a fine support unit with plenty of reach on the battlefield.
**Additional Note: The Darkshroud can add a further -1 to hit, too bad those don't stack in 9th edition anymore. 

*'''[[Dark Talon]]:''' The Dark Talon has been tweaked once again, and is still a great source of mortal wounds. Rift Cannon is now a Heavy D3 Blast S12 weapon. It has no AP or Damage, because the target instantly takes 3 mortal wounds per successful to-wound roll, making it somewhat more reliable than the jankiness of the old Rift Vortex chart. Stasis Bomb has its damage nerfed to d3 mortal wounds, but prevents anything (except '''Vehicles''' or '''Monsters''') from falling back during its next turn. Great for screwing up T'au plans. The Dark Talon also has two [[Hurricane Bolters]] which means [[Awesome|24 SHOTS at close range]]!!! While just the standard Bolter profile they are still excellent for clearing out light infantry units, and are no longer useless against the vehicles the [[Dark Talon]] often hunts. The Hover Jet special rule will prevent the Dark Talon from flying off the board and entering reserves, allowing you to bring it back into the fight after flying off away from the fight. Now a total 210 points.

===Fast Attack===

*'''Bike Squad:''' Gains the Ravenwing keyword. Gains objective secured with an all-Ravenwing Outrider Detachment, as well as benefiting from the Speed of the Raven doctrine, allowing for a Squad of these to threaten mid-field objectives. Equipping these guys with Flamers allows for very respectable Horde clearing with a 35' threat range. Meltaguns also make a fairly deadly alpha strike option, especially with a squad with a multi-melta attack bike. Plasma guns will cost you the same as a Black Knight without the Corvus Hammer, trading the Black Knight's assault plasma talons for a bit of range and the bike's boltguns. However, you'll almost always want to advance for that 4++ jink save. 

*'''Attack Bike Squad:''' Gains the Ravenwing keyword. 

*'''Land Speeders (all flavours):''' Gains the Ravenwing keyword. 

*'''Primaris Outrider Squad:''' Gains the Ravenwing keyword. Gains objective secured in an all-Ravenwing Outrider Detachment. Since these guys lack any other weapons but carry chainswords and deal extra hits on the charge as well as being tougher than the firstborn bikers, you'll be needing them to lead the way. They may only be able to charge on turn two, pulling Full Throttle on turn one will guarantee that you'll clear that distance quickly - especially if you have a warlord that can keep up use Brilliant Tactician or Tactical Appraisal to maintain Devastator doctrine for a bit longer.

*'''Invader ATV Squad:''' Gains the Ravenwing keyword. 

*'''Storm Speeders (all flavours):''' Gains the Ravenwing keyword. 

*'''Ravenwing Darkshroud:''' A souped-up Land Speeder, having +1T and +3W over the regular ones. Its main shlick is the Icon of old Caliban rule, that provides a -1 to-hit aura for Dark Angel units within 6" against shooting - including the Darkshroud itself. You'll pay minimum 138 points to get almost the same defensive bonus that several sub-factions get by default, but hey, it's still better than nothing. Plus it's damn fluffy. Not much in the way of offensive potential though; it comes with a stock heavy bolter, which is almost never worth to upgrade to an assault cannon. Most of the time you'll want to advance for the 4++ save anyway, and since its 12" speed makes it a tad bit slower than the RW bikers, Knights and Land Speeders it supposed to protect. Unfortunately thanks to 9th edition, it no longer stacks with other -1 to hit penalties such as the Shroud of Heroes, Aversion or Hard to Hit as examples, in addition to itself, meaning that you'd still only be -1 to hit with multipple of them. Additionally, watch out for long range guns that hit on fix numbers (Dark Reapers), or those who get bonus against models with the FLY keyword (Onager Dunecrawlers with the Icarus array)- your Darkshroud will be a primary target for them, or any number of shooting weapons, especially if the -1 to hit bubble is being abused a lot. Still worth taking one though for anti-shooting, even with the nerfs to stacking the debuffs.

*'''Ravenwing [[Land Speeder Vengeance]]:'''This is Fast Attack now. At T6 and 9 wounds this is more survivable than the basic land speeder, as anti-infantry weapons only wound it on a 5+/6+. The Plasma storm battery is a Heavy 2D3 at S8 -3AP 2D standard and S9 -3AP 3D supercharge with Blast and  1 mortal wound per overheat. So now you only take a small penalty for a failed overcharge as opposed to having a near useless flying rock with only 2/3 of its base wounds. This is probably the one plasma weapon you want to overcharge regularly, but all easily accessible sources of re-rolls don't work on it anymore since it lacks the core keyword, grab a Techmarine or Master of the Forge for +1 to hit on the move and maybe spare a command point for a re-roll. Very good for hurting big multi-wound models. Although tempting, not the best target for WoTDA due to the random number of shots and having to declare you're using the stratagem before you fire, however 6 S9 -3AP D4 shots if you roll well is sure to ruin anyone's day.

===Lords of War===
*'''Solemnus Aggressor (Open Play Only):''' Because the Land Raider Crusader still isn't enough dakka, your Angels slapped a couple of Heavy Bolters on for good measure. Still has enough room to transport a single 10 man Squad of your choice plus a character to escort, and it will brutally punish anyone who dares to deploy light infantry against you.