Best way to represent a Raptors army?

[Brother Clavero]

  With the 8th edition upon us, I've decided to start a new army. I have decided on the Raptors, mainly because I like their fluff and gorilla warfare style of fighting.  My question is how would be the best way to represent a fluffy, hit-and-run type of army on the tabletop but is also effective game wise?

[leth]

I would wait and see what forgewprld does in its index for raptors. Lias is getting new rules and that might be a good jumping point.

 

However for hit and run it would probably be a combination of vanguard veterans with scouts in land speeder storms and other stuff like that. Probably storm talons as flier support,

[Race Bannon]

FW fluff currently suggests they use tactics similar to the Raven Guard: fast strike units like Land Speeders. Yet, over time they have not only embraced the stealth of their primogenitors, they have learned the value of ranged kill. There is a reason Lias' previous rules augmented ranged capacities of the humble bolter.

 

Yet, the goals of the Chapter is not what tools get the job done, but that the job is done. Ro that end, really, use whatever you want, because the Raptors will use whatever is needed. They are a Codex Chapter after all ^_^

[WAR]

Mine are still in the building phase but I went scout heavy with land speeders, predators, a dreadnought and stern guard to support them. Mainly cause it will look cool and having a large scout army. Game wise who knows how will do besides look cool and annoy my friends when I put them out almost anywhere I want.

[Brother Clavero]

 Thanks for all of the great replies!  Now I have a direction to go in!  Could anyone tell me which FW books feature the Raptors in them?

[leth]

Believe it was the badab war, however I would wait for the new index coming out on the 17th

[WAR]

Leth is correct on both points

[Brother Clavero]

  Good point. Is there any guide(s) for markings, etc. to be found?

[WAR]

I believe there is no guide besides standard tactical/assault/ devastator squad (white markings) no shoulder pad trim color, sgts have yellow or black stripes on them some where. Some images show squad or company number markings but not explained.

 

My sgts have a black stripe on their shoulder pad and white squad number while there squad members have just white marking. My veterans have a yellow helmet stripe or in the case of the dreadnought down his sarcophagus. Vehicles get a black stripe/ chevron where I place the chapter logo.

This is all just personal preference tho

[Race Bannon]

No guides. Yet, the Badab books did give hints and it's inconsistent. Also, it showed a camo scheme.

 

Because the Raptors also have a historically bright heraldry, it is suggested that the Chapter can, and does, use camouflage readily. This follows from being highly practical with their wargear selection.

 

Having said that, the green we associate as the primary color is expected ... But not the rule, I think.

Edited June 11, 2017 by Race Bannon

[Claws and Effect]

The Raptors repaint their armor more than any other Chapter.

 

They will frequently do a camo pattern to match the planet they will be fighting on. I actually had an idea to do a few squads in a winter camo pattern.

 

Or you could always be snarky and just play with empty bases to represent what the enemy sees. :D

[Brother Clavero]

Thanks for all of the great replies!

[The Yak]

Brother Clavero welcome to the Best Chapter in the universe!!!

 

My advice would be do whatever you want and own it!

 

I think of all Chapters, the Raptors can be represented by any force you wish as like Race says, we fight in anyway to achieve victory. Therefore whatever you do there will be a valid fluff explanation.

 

A full bike army? Obviously a force picked needed for a fast campaign ending flank assault.

 

An assault marine heavy force? We've decided to drop on top of someone to eliminate and destroy their command centre.

 

Heavy breachers or vanguard assault? Were going in deep to break a whole in a siege or attacking a flagship to sever the head of an invasion force.

 

Scout heavy? See war009

 

Armoured Assualt? Second founding Chapter so some sweet relics hiding in our armoury. We have the tools to get the Job done.

 

The choice Brother, is yours!

 

Looking forward to seeing what you go for

[WAR]

Brother Clavero welcome to the Best Chapter in the universe!!!

 

Scout heavy? See war009

 

 

 

 

[Brother Clavero]

  Thanks for the reply Yack! Actually, your Raptors thread was also one of the things that inspired me to get started with them. I really like the used, dirty power armour look that you've achieved.   

[Firenze]

Welcome to the Raptors! My reading recommendations would personally be BOTH IA books the Raptors featured in. Taros Campaign and Badab War. Badab war has a little more in the way of chapter fluff but a lot of colour schemes are in the Taros Campaign book.

 

In terms of army build, my Raptors are primarily a combined arms mechanised force, lots of armour and air power, but no scouts (I like my power armour :3). Lots of solid shots too actually, it seems super fitting for the chapter of sniper bolters XD

 

Modelling wise and painting wise, I HONESTLY would paint them in a camoflauge scheme befitting the battlefield you want to play them on mainly. Also equipment packs .etc. all over the shop. Because yes.

 

Just remeber, Adapt and Survive is the mantra of the day

 

Oh also a thing to remember, the chapter has a lot of mk7 armour due to our... heavy casulties, so you can potentially make this army rather cheap for a FW chapter!

Edited June 12, 2017 by Firenze

[MajorNese]

Hello, and welcome to the best green guys the 40k universe has to offer.

 

As far as army composition goes, yes, any unit can be explained up to a certain number. The fluff describes ambush tactics, which would rely on a solid firebase and flanking elements. Heavy support like devastators or predators engage from a distance to take out key elements of the enemy army, while fast units like bikes and assault marines create pressure. Heavier vehicles like LandRaiders may not look sneaky, but fit when modeled as a command tank.

 

Units that were clearly noted in the FW sources as an above average number are land speeders, bikes and scouts. Entire companies trekking across no man's land, which would be viable, as transports are expensive now, while tacs got a lot better. The fluff also states how the Raptors got decimated regularly, that way grizzly veterans would be a fluffy choice instead of blank regular tacs. The losses would too explain why primaris marines are accepted, considering the regular primaris are essentially sternguard (just better stats-points-wise) makes them a good choice. Relics are considered rare, as the homeworld (along with every relic not currently fielded elsewhere) blew up, and the Raptors in the field were decimated so hard, they got declared dead almost as often as Ciaphas Cain. A few relics are of course okay, considering their ties to a first founding chapter and their own forge world, but fielding half a dozen relic vehicles, dreads and cheap MK4 marines, stretches this a bit far.

 

As far as markings go, the artwork from the Taros book shows next to no markings. Follows real life logic, the more flashy a guy looks, the more bullets he will attract, and losing the commander sucks. In my case, I went for light grey as secondary color, to not be too flashy, but provide some contrast to make it look interesting. Model wise, every bit of spare gear is good, while ornamentation should be kept at a minimum. Ammo pouches and grenades always fit, and every marine player has leftovers of those. Looted weapons are too mentioned in the fluff, grabbing whatever they can to extend a campaign (mentioned were Ork depots, who loot everything anyway), especially mass-produced stuff like IG weaponry should be spread widely. Quite a few of my guys have laspistols as sidearms (or secondary sidearms), just to conserve ammo of their bolters. Why loudly overkill cultists and renegades with valuable high precision, armour-piercing mass-reactives, when you can drop them more quietly with a gun you can recharge at every backpack, sunlight or camp fire.

[WAR]

 few relics are of course okay, considering their ties to a first founding chapter and their own forge world, but fielding half a dozen relic vehicles, dreads and cheap MK4 marines, stretches this a bit far.

 

 

 

This  is the reason my HQs and sternguard are in MKIV to show they are veterans and earned the armor. Plus it furthers the images from the scouts

[Brother Clavero]

  I'm definitely leaning towards an urban camouflage scheme since its one that's rarely seen on power armour and most of my games are played in that setting.  I would like to go with something like this:

 

 

 

Does any one have an idea on how to paint this? It looks like a lot of drybrushing (that wouldn't hurt my feelings) with a very limited palate.

[WAR]

Looks like Ulthuan Grey as the main color, maybe Fenrisian Grey for the camo stripes and drybrushing with slannesh grey, dawnstone, longbeard, and praxeti white

[Brother Clavero]

war009:  Sounds about right. This seems to be a paint scheme that the "dusty look"  drybrushing gives would be a benefit.

[jpwyrm]

Welcome to the Raptors Brother Clavero!

 

I don't have much to add to what has already been said except that I also think you can manage pretty much any kind of force and make it work with the fluff.

 

As for the paint scheme, that is nice change from the classic olive/camo green, so props to you to attempt something new! I'm pretty sure you can get an idea of the paints used if you skim through the XX Legion painting challenge in the Horus Heresy part of this Forum. I don't know if the original poster is still active here though...

[Claws and Effect]

If I ever do a Raptors force, pne thing I thought would be cool is to do a single kneepad in blue and yellow on Veterans.

 

It seems fitting that a Veteran might honor the chapter's original heraldry in such a way that it could be easily concealed on the battlefield.

[leth]

Well, the rules for Lias are BOSS.  You lucky Raptors player you