Editing Warhammer 40,000/7th Edition Tactics/Space Marines (section)

=====Raven Guard=====
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Tricksy Space Marines that rely on lightning fast troops and Hit & Run style attacks with a reliance on cover-hopping. Strike before the enemy has a chance to react!
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*'''Requirements:''' Only named character allowed is Chapter Master Shrike. 
*'''Chapter Tactics:''' Non-vehicle models that do not begin the game in a Transport vehicle get Shrouded on the first turn. Plus, when rolling for Night Fighting, you can add +1 to the roll if your army contains at least one Raven Guard unit. Jump units can use their packs for movement AND assault, and ALL Raven Guard units may reroll To-Wound rolls on their HoW attacks.
**This is a lot fluffier than the previous rules, as it favors a force with lots of Scouts (which gain the most from Shrouded and the Stealth from Night Fighting), with not many vehicles, followed by some fast units, who also gain Shrouded on the first turn to shrug off fire, to rapidly reach the first wave and deliver the decisive strike. Also, now the whole tactic synergizes really well with Shrike (about fucking time) and thanks to buffed Scouts and Vanguard Veterans it can also be competitive.
**Because ALL RG units get Shred on their HoW attacks, don't forget that your Dreadnoughts and Bikers get the buff as well.


*'''Warlord Traits:'''
#'''Vanish into the Gloom''' - When targeted for shooting and not falling back or charging, the Warlord and his unit can move d6". Models from the Vanishing unit that move into or stay in cover get +1 to their cover saves. With careful positioning and some luck, you can get out of the attack's range or escape LoS, wasting the enemy unit's shooting attack.  This is key to foiling the Hunter Cadre's all-in shooting attack, but it only works once per turn for your Warlord's unit.
#'''Concentrated Attack''' - At the start of your Charge phase, pick an enemy unit in your Warlord's line of sight. Raven Guard units can re-roll their charges against that unit for the rest of that phase.
#'''Master of Shadows''' - Once per game, if your Warlord is on the field, during your Movement phase you can automatically make Night Fighting active until the start of your next turn. With all the Ignores Cover that tends to fly around, it's not too useful.
#'''Silent Stalker''' - Enemies trying to Overwatch against your Warlord/his unit must first take a Leadership test (-2 if you charge through cover). Great against units with otherwise strong Overwatch (DA, Tau).
#'''Exit Strategy''' - If your Warlord is on the battlefield, you can add '''or''' subtract 1 when rolling to determine the game's end.
#'''Swift and Deadly''' - Once per game, your warlord and his unit can Charge after running.


*'''Relics of the Ravenspire:'''
Raven Guard relics (RG, their successors, anyone else using their Tactics). Like the White Scars relics, they can be mixed-and-matched.
**'''Armour of Shadows (35 points)''' - Artificer armor that adds Stealth (or Shrouded if you don't move/run/charge). Since Shrouded applies to the entire squad while the bearer is alive, this item is best suited to making a Buffmander. Stick this on a Librarian rolling on Divination, and put said librarian in a 10-man Devastator squad with lascannons to anchor half the entire table. Your opponent will struggle turn after turn to try to dislodge the Devastators rolling with 2+ cover saves. 
**'''Ex Tenebris (10 points)''' - Assault 3 bolter with Rending and Precision Shots. Very cheap, so snag it if you have the points and weapon spot to spare.
**'''Nihilus (15 points)''' - Vet Scout Sarge only. An AP3 Armorbane Sniper Rifle that hits vehicles at S6 and can shoot at a different target than his squadmates. Pretty cool, but effectively 25 points since you need a Veteran Scout Sarge.
**'''Raven Skull of Korvaad (15 points)''' - Adds +1 WS/Ld to its wearer. However, if they die, friendly RG models get Hatred and Rage while they are within 6" of the wearer's last position. Fairly cheap, fluffy, and the bonuses are nice.
**'''Raven's Fury (15 points)''' - A Jump Pack that gives HoW attacks +2 Strength and [[derp|Strikedown]] (same cost as a normal jump pack, no reason to not take this instead).
**'''[[MURDERWINGS|Swiftstrike and Murder]] (35 points)''' - Replaces both the bolt pistol and melee weapon. A pair of Lightning Claws that grant a bonus attack for each hit (the bonus attacks hitting don't cause further bonus attacks). The unique effect is definitely worth 5 points, especially against the hordes or MEQ that lightning claws are already good against. Unfortunately won't be combinable with Raven's Fury per the FAQ.


*'''Raven Guard Tactical Objectives:'''
These Chapter tactics will be a part of the Warzone Damocles - Kauyon.

;11 - Strike From the Skies
: 1 VP if you killed with a unit that's either Jump type or a unit that disembarked from a drop pod.
;12 - Keep to the Shadows
: 1 VP if every non-vehicle unit's either in a transport, in a building, or within 1" of cover.  Fluffy AND practical!
;13 - Let them Know Fear
: 1 VP if an enemy unit failed either Fear, Morale, or Pinning.
;14 - Prioritise and Destroy
: d3 VP if you killed a Warlord, Superheavy or GC.
;15 - Highly Mobile Assault
: You win a VP if you charge and demolish an enemy unit. Repeat this three times and you win d3 VP.
;16 - Cripple the Enemy
: 1 VP if you kill an enemy Transport/FA unit.  d3 VP if you kill between 3-5.  d3+3 VP if you kill more than 5.

*'''Raven Guard Tactics'''

*'''Talon Strike Force:'''
A Raven Guard-themed Gladius.  It allows a re-roll for mission type, table side to deploy from, and your dice on the roll-off for who goes first IF your Warlord is in the TSF. Units in the TSF can choose to auto-fail Morale checks, and can roll for reserves on the first turn, passing on a 4+ (roll normally on other turns). Similar to Scarblade, only Raven Guard can use the Talon Strike Force FOC (unless FW okays the Raptors or other successors' use), but any Chapter can use the new formations that the Kauyon book added.

*'''Core (1-2)'''
**'''Battle Demi-Company''' - Same as Gladius Strike Force.
**'''Pinion Battle Demi-Company''' - A Captain/Chaplain (replaced by a named HQ if you want) takes an optional Command Squad, 3 Tacs, 1 Dev and 1 Assault squad, and 1-5 Scout squads, either on bike or on foot.  During shooting, a Scout Sarge can spot for another unit from the Company within 9", giving that unit Ignores Cover. In addition, each Scout squad can lead another unit out of reserve (but not Deep Strike Reserve), and you use one roll for both the Scout unit and the other unit. If the Scouts outflank, the following unit arrives from the same table edge even if they can't normally outflank. When the two units arrive in this way, the unit being led gets Stealth until their next turn if they were within 9" of the Scouts leading them.
*** If you use this, definitely set up a unit of Scouts near your Devastators. Ignores Cover Missile Launchers, or Lascannons? Yeah, that would be pretty brutal.
*'''Command (0-2)'''
**'''Reclusiam Command Squad'''
**'''Strike Force Command'''
***Sadly, you can't take the Librarius Conclave as part of the Talon Strike Force, so they won't get 1st-turn reserves or auto-fail Morale checks.
*'''Auxiliary (1+)'''
**'''1st Company Task Force'''
**'''10th Company Task Force'''
**'''Storm Wing'''
**'''Anti-Air Defense Force'''
**'''Suppression Force'''
**'''Shadowstrike Kill Team''' - 2-4 Scout squads and 1-3 Vanguard Veteran squads with jump packs. The Vanguards can choose to auto-pass or auto-fail their Reserve roll (which combines very nicely with the TSF ability to roll for reserve on Turn 1). They can also charge on the turn they Deep Strike, and if they arrive within 9" of at least two Scout squads from this formation, they don't scatter. The Scout squads' Scout and Infiltrate moves almost guarantee a precision Vanguard Vet turn 1 alpha strike in TSF, as long as you got the first turn or don't get the Scouts shot off the table before the Vanguards can show up. Non-Raven Guard can still use this formation very effectively - in particular, you can put a Locator Beacon in a Drop Pod to Deep Strike the Vanguard Vets in a perfect spot to reinforce your alpha strike.
**'''Bladewing Assault Brotherhood''' - A jump pack Captain/Chaplain (or Shrike) with 1-3 Vanguards and 2-4 Assault squads, all with jump packs and numbering no more than 30 models. Once per game, in your Movement phase, you can make every unit here disengage and jump back into reserves (even if they were locked in close combat!). They arrive from reserves as a single unit - when Deep Striking, draw a straight line from table one edge to another. You must aim your Deep Strike on a point along that line, and can re-roll the scatter.
***This is as close as any bound army can get right now to an Assault Reserve Company, and not limited to just Raven Guard. Worth a look if you like assault marines.
**'''Skyhammer Orbital Strike Force''' - 3 Tacs in Drop Pods and 1-3 Land Speeders. Pick a point on the board before any Turn 1 Drop Pods land - Drop Pods landing within 12" of that point only scatter d6", and anyone that targets an enemy within 12" of this spot can re-roll hit and wound rolls of 1.  On top of that, the Tacs can run '''and''' shoot the turn they disembark.
**'''Ravenhawk Assault Group''' - A Stormraven joins a Dread of any type and a Sternguard squad. The Stormraven can Deep Strike, but must Hover the turn it arrives - its size makes it risky to DS successfully, never mind that it can be shot at normally, just have it arrive normally. When the first unit from this formation deploys or arrives from reserve, nominate an enemy unit as the formation's target - the Assault Group re-rolls all misses against that unit for the rest of the battle.
**'''Raptor Wing''' - A squad of Land Speeders and 2 Stormtalons. The Talons automatically arrive on your Turn 2 if they were in reserve. Also, once per turn, the Land Speeder designates an enemy unit within 18" and in line of sight as a priority target, giving the Stormtalons re-rolls to Wound and Armor Penetration, and can even re-roll glances to try for penetrating hits instead.
**'''Shadow Force''' - A Captain (replaceable by named guys) joins a Sternguard Squad, Vanguard Squad, and a Land Speeder, nobody with Termie Armor. Everyone gets Acute Senses, Move Through Cover, and Scout, while everyone can re-roll runs (vehicles add 6" to Flat-Out instead). This matches the contents of Strike Force Solaq from the box set.

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