Pre-Heresy Raven Guard

[Black Mage 257]

Howdy, I've recently read Deliverance Lost and loved it, amazing book about one of my favourite legions.

 

As usual however it's peaked my creative interest and I now intend to finally get around to creating a Raven Guard army, but I'd always promised myself I'd do a Pre-Heresy army as I've always wanted to do one, especially after some of the amazing armies I've seen through this site, I'd initially toyed with the idea of World Eaters (absolute favourite legion :P) but I cannot master the white paint job and I'm very poor at representing gore on models.

 

Just as an opening note I'm aiming for this to be fluffy/fun rather than competitive and to make the army to roughly 2000-2500pts, but in that regard I don't want to be losing all the time either. The army is going to be based on Deliverance Lost, the Raven Guard have been pretty decimated and are beginning to re-arm themselves and I intend to include some of the Raptors in my army.

but represented by Legion of the Damned, as I'll be modelling the Raptors after they've mutated.

I also intend to use a lot of the Raven Guard accessories from Forgeworld as well as a lot of the Pre-Heresy models.

 

So I've decided to cross 2 things from my list at once Raven Guard and Pre-heresy theme, but I am now trying to work out the kinks on how to do so. I've a few points and questions I'd like to sort out if possible and I know that you guys are the best for the job :)

 

1. I know that during this time the Raven Guard were using mix-match armours between Mk.IV - Mk.V, and the Raptors were equipped with the Mk.VI Corvus armour, but what were the Assualt Troops equipped with at this time, were they still equipped with the old type cylindrical thrusters or are they more like the Mk.VI Assualt packs that come as standard in the plastic kits now?

 

2. Also I know that the Codex was only being written around this time, so I was wondering if anyone could give me information on how to mark up my squads/company?

 

3. I don't intend to include a lot of vehicles to this army it will be more of an Alpha Strike list, lots of things in drop pods, scouts and assault squads, but there are some vehicles I will want to make the army playable, my question really is, at this point in the heresy, were the vehicles and drop pods much different than the kits currently available? I understand Rhino's used to have circular doors, which I can easily do but are there any other significant differences, especially when it comes to the drop pods?

 

*SPOILER QUESTION*

 

4. I'd like to have a few 'Alpharius'es' in amongst my army but I was wondering how I could represent this without making it strikingly obvious? any suggestions would be awesome, this is more of a fun thing to add and as such isn't massively important but I would like to do it :blush:

 

 

5. If I'm to go ahead with this I need to decide on a Codex to use. I'm leaning more to using the Codex: Space Marines rather than Codex: Blood Angels, as I'd like to use Shrike (to represent a character not as shrike), but according to a lot of my mates I'd be better using the Blood Angels book for the obvious more assault based theme, would I be better off? I don't think I'd want to though but any points on this would be awesome.

 

6. Also If I do use Shrike, do you think it would be unfair to keep Combat Tactics and not trade it in for fleet. As I find that combat tactics would be more fluffy than fleet, it makes sense that we attack, fall back and attack again, rather than just fleeting across the board?

 

7. I've also noticed the character Korvydae from the Imperial Armour books, would he be useful at all in this project, rules or model wise?

 

I probably have more questions but these are my bigger concerns right now. As I say I don't expect my project to turn out perfectly but I really want this to work and look good, I don't really care if it plays well I just want a good looking army I can be proud of :P

 

Thanks for any assistance.

BM257

[Haranin]

Perhaps seed a few different armor marks in your units, and subtly paint them different. Different shading, perhaps a greek alpha or omega painted in an nook or cranny. So if someone is really looking, they will see it... but most will not. At a tournament, you can always point it out to the judges or mention it in a write up.

[Black Mage 257]

That was my initial thought, I thought I might try and place small hydra's where I can, (like their human operatives tend to), but I also thought of putting the symbol underneath some of the bases, as most people wouldn't notice this, but at the end of the day I'd like people to see it when they are on the table ;)

[Praetor of Calth]

Shadow Captain Corvydae would be a good choice rules wise at the least. With him you have to take one scout squad however one Assault Squad becomes a troops choice rather than a Fast Attack choice, and any unit that has jump packs which he joins gains the Hit and Run Special Rule.

 

Praetor

[Black Mage 257]

Shadow Captain Corvydae would be a good choice rules wise at the least. With him you have to take one scout squad however one Assault Squad becomes a troops choice rather than a Fast Attack choice, and any unit that has jump packs which he joins gains the Hit and Run Special Rule.

 

Praetor

 

Thanks for that Praetor, sounds like just the thing I need, I just asked because I've only ever seen his model, I've not seen his rules. Although it sounds like something that would be pretty awesome. :)

[Praetor of Calth]

No problem just glad to help. On the topic of Hydra's you could paint a shoulderpad lets say in Alpha Legion Heraldry, and using using the hairspray method paint over it in Raven Guard colours but slightly chip the armour so the hydra shows through.

 

Like Migsula has done here for eg; http://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/94437-.html Only more obscured. (look at the pad with the Ultra symbol)

 

Praetor