Squad Numbering

[INKS]

Not sure how many of you do this but right now I have squads 2 and 3 for normal bikes with an attack bike and a landspeeder

 

I am starting to work on my Landspeeder unit and I am not sure if I should number it 4 or something else. Anyone have thoughts on this. Are there proper ways to label each of these or how do you personally go about labeling your different squads.

 

When I get around to my HQ squad it will be #1

[Grotsmasha]

This not going to help, but my head canon says a Ravenwing squad is 6 bikes, an attack bike, and a speeder (10 men), which means my marking would be three different squad markings for a unit of three speeders or attack bikes. 

Edited November 4, 2020 by Grotsmasha

[Zustiur]

I think in lore it's largely a case of arranging the units as suits the mission.

However, in my head canon, it's something like this:

 

No number, company command (+ black knight body guards)

1 black knights

2-6 Ravenwing attack squads (6 bikes, 1 attack bike, 1 speeder)

7-8 land speeder squadrons (5 speeders in each)

9-10 vengeance and dark shrouds, with the spare brothers piloting aircraft

[INKS]

ok this is helpful gang thank you.

[Zustiur]

On the same general topic, can someone remind me what the symbol is for company command? I've got a feeling it's a skull but for some reason a knife seems familiar too.

[INKS]

Wondering if I should paint the black knights differently from the other normal bikers or even primaris bikers when I get there.

[WrathOfTheLion]

The 7E codex has a breakdown of the Ravenwing structure on page 15. So prior to the addition of Primaris, it was organized with

 

Chapter Command and elites

• Grand Master of the Ravenwing
• Ravenwing Chaplain
• Ravenwing Command Squad (Champion, Ancient, Apothecary)
• Ravenwing black knights

1-6th Squadrons - Attack Squadrons

• Sergeant, 5 bikers
• Attack bike
• Land Speeder/Land Speeder Vengeance

7-10th Squadrons - Support Squadrons

• All land speeders, not certain how many. Probably 5?

Support Elements

• Darkshrouds
• Land speeder vengeance

So for the 3rd squad for example, 6 bikers, an attack bike and a speeder or LSV would all have the squad number '3'

 

For your landspeeder-only unit, I think you should start at squad 7.

Edited November 5, 2020 by WrathOfTheLion

[Master Sheol]

The problem is that this structure doesn't recognize the attack bikes squads into the number

The 6th edition codex clearly stated "unknown number of bikes, land speeders, flyers" while other iterations of the codex gave us different numbers and organisations for the squadrons

So i usually stick to the 6th edition codex and i put the numbers i want to my RW squads and flyers cause there is no consistency in codexes about RW organisation and you can do what you want basically

[INKS]

Yeah I think I am going to start with 7th for the Landspeeder only units and go from there.

Whenever I get around to command I'll keep it un numbered as well as black knights. I want to do something special with the black knight to make them stand out paint wise. not sure on that yet.

 

I'll probably do one more complete normal squad to fill in the 1 since I have squads 2 and 3 complete already. Even though most players seem to only ever take black knights and almost no regular bikers.

 

Primaris and ATVs, I don't know what to do with yet and those are still off in the distance for me.

[Berzul]

For what it's worth, in the structure I have applied for my army, the squads are organized as follows:

Sammael in Sableclaw (the gunner for the Landspeeder is the 1st Lieutenant)

Talonmaster (the gunner for the Landspeeder is one of the members of the 1st Company Squad, the pilot is the 2nd Lieutenant)

 

Company Champion

Company Apothecary

Company Ancient

 

1st Squad, being 6 Black Knights + 3 battle brothers on a Landspeeder Vengeance or a Darkshroud as a support vehicle (9 battle brothers in total)

2nd to 6th Squads, each being either 6 Bikers + Attack Bike + Landspeeder (10 battle brothers in total), or 5 Bikers + Attack Bike + Landspeeder Vengeance or a Darkshroud (10 battle brothers in total)

7th and 8th Squads, each being 3 Attack Bikes + 2 Landspeeders (10 battle brothers in total)

9th and 10th Squads, each being 5 Landspeeders (10 battle brothers in total)

[WARMASTER_]

For what it’s worth it’s been strongly hinted at that the Ravenwing (also Deathwing) are far larger than 100 strong but because they’re spread out through the galaxy in strike forces coupled with the dark angels tendency to secretly, no one trying to ascertain the real numbers would ever be able to determine it’s true size Edited November 5, 2020 by BladeOfVengeance

[Master Sheol]

I think that numbering the squads in DW or RW is hard cause the members are not covering always the same role but changing it as the mission requires

I think that in RW there are only two groups of marines: the "wingers" and the Black Knights

The RW contains a certain unknown number of marines and bikes/speeders/flyers and it's Sammael that makes the squad composition as needed so the marines paint the squadron number on the right shoulder pad when the squad is put together (or more probably the wear the appropriate numbered pads when needed)

Edited November 5, 2020 by Master Sheol

[bigtrouble]

IMO, Black Knights and company HQ would not carry a squad designation. I do like the idea of the combined squad of bikes and speeders separate from the support squads of only speeders. I would start with number 9 because it looks cool.

[WARMASTER_]

You’re right the black knights don’t :)

[Master Sheol]

In GW official images black knights just all have a 2 on the right pads not as squad number but as company number

BK pads all bear a vertical stripe (a vertical bone stripe on black base is the 2nd company badge it seems) and a roundel on each right pad

If you don't want to put a number on that roundel you can always put a veteran/command marking inside that roundel (veterans in greenwing companies are identified by a red sword on green pad and command by a red skull on green pad)

A nice approach could be to paint that roundel in green with white or red veteran/command markings or in bone white with red veteran/command markings

Edited November 6, 2020 by Master Sheol

[Brother Ramael]

Based on my recollection on lore, I believe all the confusion about squad numbering in RW stems from the same root of the one about DW: Dark Angels, like with the DW, deliberately obfuscate the numbers of the RW members, for all we know there could be 3 squad n°4 running around at the same time in a certain campaign.

As numbers in the previous posts hint, there would be no way to man all the speeders ( firstborn and primaris), bikes, black knights, vengeance speeders, darkshrouds, attack bikes, outriders and don't forget the aircrafts (!) and I believe GW knows that very well ( so they come up with the "obfuscated numers" thing).

Edited November 6, 2020 by Brother Ramael

[Master Sheol]

Based on my recollection on lore, I believe all the confusion about squad numbering in RW stems from the same root of the one about DW: Dark Angels, like with the DW, deliberately obfuscate the numbers of the RW members, for all we know there could be 3 squad n°4 running around at the same time in a certain campaign.

As numbers in the previous posts hint, there would be no way to man all the speeders ( firstborn and primaris), bikes, black knights, vengeance speeders, darkshrouds, attack bikes, outriders and don't forget the aircrafts (!) and I believe GW knows that very well ( so they come up with the "obfuscated numers" thing).

I don't think DA have 3 squads 4 of the RW in the same theather of operations

It would not be smart to not know to wich squad you are giving orders and DA are know for the superior strategies

 

I believe more that usually memmebers of the RW don't wear a fixed squad number but instead they take one when they are arranged for a battle 

 

Like before the battle the officier in charge says " brother Alyus, Sanoval, Egrettus, Mirael under Brother Sergeant  sarpedon in bike squad number 2 and brother Ismael, Belaser and Vanius on land Speeder vengenace number 4" and the battle after they could arrange them differently maybe using attack bikes squads and  regular land Speeders maybe maybe with different numbers too

ANd in another campaign you could find another bike squad number 1 but no confusion here cause they are operating on different planets thusand of light years apart

[WARMASTER_]

 

 

Based on my recollection on lore, I believe all the confusion about squad numbering in RW stems from the same root of the one about DW: Dark Angels, like with the DW, deliberately obfuscate the numbers of the RW members, for all we know there could be 3 squad n°4 running around at the same time in a certain campaign.

As numbers in the previous posts hint, there would be no way to man all the speeders ( firstborn and primaris), bikes, black knights, vengeance speeders, darkshrouds, attack bikes, outriders and don't forget the aircrafts (!) and I believe GW knows that very well ( so they come up with the "obfuscated numers" thing).

I don't think DA have 3 squads 4 of the RW in the same theather of operations

It would not be smart to not know to wich squad you are giving orders and DA are know for the superior strategies

I think he’s saying around the galaxy on different campaigns there might currently be say 3 4th squads biking around, I believe anyway, but yeh we all have the same idea Edited November 6, 2020 by BladeOfVengeance

[Brother Ramael]

 

 

Based on my recollection on lore, I believe all the confusion about squad numbering in RW stems from the same root of the one about DW: Dark Angels, like with the DW, deliberately obfuscate the numbers of the RW members, for all we know there could be 3 squad n°4 running around at the same time in a certain campaign.

As numbers in the previous posts hint, there would be no way to man all the speeders ( firstborn and primaris), bikes, black knights, vengeance speeders, darkshrouds, attack bikes, outriders and don't forget the aircrafts (!) and I believe GW knows that very well ( so they come up with the "obfuscated numers" thing).

I don't think DA have 3 squads 4 of the RW in the same theather of operations

It would not be smart to not know to wich squad you are giving orders and DA are know for the superior strategies

I think he’s saying around the galaxy on different campaigns there might currently be say 3 4th squads biking around, I believe anyway, but yeh we all have the same idea

 

This.

The point is, it is pointless (imho) to obsess over how to number squadrons in the DW, when 1) they swap roles all the time  2) they could have 100 members on roster and, say, 200 in the field.

Just number them as you like;)