Does anyone ever model Ravenwing with out their bikes?

[HsojVvad]

Well 2 questions here. Has anyone ever modelled RW without their bikes? I guess if they did, they would be regular PA DA then. If so how do you use them?

 

Since not having a job at the moment and going to try new things, I only have 3 bikes, do you think it would be ok to make some PA DA as RW then to use?

 

Also how are RW used in fluff? Do they stay on their bikes all the time? I see them like the cowboys of old, where they would ride their horses and jump of them tackling the enemy. Do the RW do this as well? I havn't read any RW fluff so I do not kno wif they get off their bikes or not. It would be interesting to know.

 

Is there any fluff for DA? I only have the 4th edtion codex so not shure what was said prior to it. What about the novels? Is the RW in there at all?

[he_plays_guitar]

I think it would be a little strange to imagine the RW powerless without their bikes. However, the fluff says they operate as a fast attack, scouting ahead and using their teleport homers to signal the deathwing down into battle. I would think that the RW are more than capable in battle without their bikes, but of course they specialize in using them so they wouldn't be running around on foot. However, I do paint my assault marines with jetpacks in RW colors. I think it fits a little better that way.

[JeffJedi]

I've thought about modeling a RW in Robes using the torso front from the RW sprue and using him in a Company Vets squad.

[Isiah]

Yay Dark Angel dragoons :D.

 

Tis a great idea, but as he_plays_guitar says they'd lose a great deal of their mobility so the question would be 'why?'. Fluff-wise I can think of no example where they've fought dismounted unless of course an indivduals bike/speeder has become damaged - but that's a slightly different thing.

 

My guess is HsojVvad that you want to use standard marines on foot (using tactical/veteran/command squad unit rules) but painted to represent RW as an element in an army? In which case go for it.

 

Cheers

I

[Tanhausen]

Maybe all the bikes are in the mechanic for the jet bike upgrade... you know, for when the new codex gives all RWs their new transports xDD

 

I'd say that's a feasible scenario :)

[FerociousBeast]

Current codex says that Ravenwing are tasked with actually apprehending and capturing the Fallen and witnesses to the Fallen if they can handle it. (If not, they bring in the Deathwing.) I would imagine many of these missions would involve riding to the lair of the enemy, dismounting to grab the target, then mounting back up to flee like the wind from the counterattack. Otherwise...

 

Ravenwing Sergeant: "Damn it all! Fallen 871 just fled into the building!"

Ravenwing Biker 3: "Well, let's dismount and chase him down!"

Ravenwing Sergeant: "Nay, never, avast! Master Sammael hath commanded us never to leave the seat of our mounts! Ever!"

Ravenwing Bikers: "Oh yeah" "Bummer" "Dude, that sucks" "Praise the Emperor!"

Ravenwing Sergeant: "So I guess we just need to sit here and wait until he comes back out."

Ravenwing Biker 2: "Let's build a fire and roast marshmallows!"

[Tanhausen]

If only they were skilled riders, they'd be able to carry on the chase in the building! :)

[jaxom]

Warhammer Monthly had a Ravenwing strip and yes, they did indeed dismount. Why? They were on a massive frozen ocean and being chased by most of a Waaaagh. Dismount, shoot ice, watch Orks drown and freeze.

[EPK]

Simply painting tactical marine models as Ravenwing is one method you could do to make them "dismounted". However, you could also use some in this manner -

 

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/index.p...amp;&st=130

 

You could probably even fit the bolter marine ON the main base if you have the room (OMG used two bases kind of spliced together).

 

I've also seen some model a biker in a manner where it looks like he is stopped and aiming with a special weapon. It's a combination of tac marine and biker models to have one foot on the group. Gives the impression as if they just ruled up behind your armor and are about to blast away point blank with a melta shot.

[Master Toddius]

Its interesting because this is exactly the subject matter I brought up in my thread:

 

+Ravenwing Scout bike inductees. I'd like to see a way to have our scouts work within the RW in a more closely supported fashion. It only makes sense based on thier tactics and methods. Forward observers are just that and RW perform it well. Maybe the scouts act in ways the RW simply can't with stealth in mind but that isn't to say that the similarities can't be developed into a more cohesive unit. Maybe scout bikes can join RW bikes during a battle? It seems like the Storm works within a DA force really well, or our version of one. Maybe a RW operated storm with special RW kill teams on foot that are essentially scouts with some added rules? Maybe they act as fallen hunters as well. Which is a great way to train future members of the DW if you think about the similarities. **EDIT: I just saw Vansan's RW Storm just now... LOL! It looks awesome. Ah well, I guess i'm not the only one thinking of that idea...

 

There should be a more lighly armored and stealthy portion to the RW or a better cohesion between the DA scouts when it comes to target aquisition and enemy movement. In essence -- behind every good RW attack are excellent Dark Angel scouts gathering enemy intel. So would a RW be caught off his bike in other roles during a battle? I can't even answer that with any real assurance. They are said to practically live on thier bikes and speeders. Could you model RW as an assault squad counter part with jump packs, or part of a rhino/razorback mounted troop attack group? It wouldn't hold true to thier chapter doctrine of operations. You'd have to come up a backstory for the why and how you would do this.

[Alys Dwr]

I think that in the thick of battle it would be easy to find a ravenwing biker swinging a chainsword around on foot. Think of any film you've seen where there's a cavalry charge against mass infantry, this is the ravenwing ploughing into a horde of orks/tyranids etc. Some of them will undoubtably get knocked from their mount and continue fighting - i don't think they'd just panic and freeze up until they got back in the saddle.

 

Granted this doesn' provide for ravenwing fighting an entire battle on foot, so with a bit of imagination...

 

As they are rapid strike units, i like the idea of 6 men being able to swap their bikes for an over-charge, open topped rhino with pintle mounted heavy weapon. A fallen extraction vehicle if you will; it's got to be easier to restrain an unco-operative marine in a rhino chassis than tied to the back of a bike.

 

Al

 

[edit] gah, Mater Toddius posted whilst i was writing this "part of a rhino/razorback mounted troop attack group?" was my idea first grumble gumble :)[edit]

[EPK]

Could you model RW as an assault squad counter part with jump packs, or part of a rhino/razorback mounted troop attack group? It wouldn't hold true to thier chapter doctrine of operations. You'd have to come up a backstory for the why and how you would do this.

 

A backstory wouldn't be so hard though. It's easy to say that if the terrain did not allow for optimal movement of bikes and/or speeders that they could don jump packs to still fit within their rapid strike doctrine.

 

I also agree with you on the scouts. That would be a nice addition to break DA away from the standard codex chapters. They could even be simply full fledged battle brothers who equip scout armor for stealth not unlike Wolf Scouts (you probably covered that in your thread).

[FerociousBeast]

You'd have to come up a backstory for the why and how you would do this.

Interestingly enough, I did this almost exactly a year ago:

 

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/index.p...howtopic=176041

[con-fusion]

FB, I like your new fluff from that old thread, and particularly concur with your direction in post #5. Looking at the DA and DA successor chapters as "The DA" allows for some great possibilities, including unmounted RW specialists, RW who operate alone as spy masters, etc. I'm all for "The DA" acting like they've split into pseudo-codex chapters but actually still being one legion. Bravo!

[Master Toddius]

You'd have to come up a backstory for the why and how you would do this.

Interestingly enough, I did this almost exactly a year ago:

 

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/index.p...howtopic=176041

 

:) I tend to ask questions to nudge people into telling me Thier version as to why... ;)

 

I read your revamp back when you were working on it, FB, and there were some tweaks there I didn't go for, I didn't want to step in and start pushing my ideas on your thread because I believe that its good to have a member roll out something to its conclusion first. It was a great write up and I'm sure alot of people would be happy with it. :) Maybe after I'm done doing a version up with you and a few others we can see things from another angle as well, not that either would be wrong but just another fun exercise on our favorite subject -- The Dark Angels. :)

[HsojVvad]

You'd have to come up a backstory for the why and how you would do this.

Interestingly enough, I did this almost exactly a year ago:

 

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/index.p...howtopic=176041

Thank you for sharing. I could only read it quickly, and skimmed through it. I have to go out, and I will read it when I come back. I love what I have read so far.

 

Just a quick question. Someone mentioned about the DW going after the Fallen. I always thought it was the RW who hunt the Fallen and the DW is only called in when the RW can't do it. Why they can't do it, I could never understand, so can someone give examples why Terminators who are alot slower than RW would hunt the Fallen while RW can't?

 

Reading the little fluff you made wants me to make some RW PA DA now. Thanks for sharing FB, it is greatly appreciated. Helps to motivate me, while my depression is coming back.

[ValourousHeart]

It isn't that the ravenwing can't hunt this or that particular fallen... it is just that they are not able to capture them (too strong, too cunning, dug in like a tick, what ever).

 

To me it would seem more situational on which would be best suited to handle the job. If the fallen had established themselves a fortress, that was well defended, then teleporting into the throne room would be better than crashing the front gate. However if the fallen was in a convoy trying to reach that fortress, then ravenwing would be much more efficient at capturing him.

[Hemal]

I echo the Dragoons concept - a RW unit with close ranged heavy firefight bent, that, I would presume, shoot in, dismount, cut up their opponents and shoot off again

[FerociousBeast]

Just a quick question. Someone mentioned about the DW going after the Fallen. I always thought it was the RW who hunt the Fallen and the DW is only called in when the RW can't do it. Why they can't do it, I could never understand, so can someone give examples why Terminators who are alot slower than RW would hunt the Fallen while RW can't?

The current codex states that it is the Ravenwing who are usually called upon to apprehend the Fallen, but the Deathwing will enter the fray when some targets are just too hard.

 

I'd imagine a full Ravenwing squadron could apprehend a single, unsupported Fallen Angel without too much difficulty (though a casualty or three may be expected), but as the codex states, some Fallen are just very hard targets. Some Fallen have created empires for themselves which require the efforts of a fleet and joint task force to assail. Some are very powerful targets on their own terms, fully capable of giving even a Deathwing Squad a stiff challenge.