Ravenwing Command Squad + Bike Chaplain + GLADIUS

[L30n1d4s]

Some Unforgiven may have already tried this out, but recently this combo just popped up on my radar as a "hammer" unit for my Dark Angel army:

 

 

[Gladius Detachment]

-Chaplain on Bike with "Bolter Discipline" Enhancement

-Ravenwing Command Squad (Champion, Apothecary, Ancient, 3 Ravenwing Knights)

-5 man Incursor Squad

 

 

So, what does this unit do? Well, with the Gladius Detachment, I can put the army into Devastator Doctrine, allowing this unit to Advance and Shoot. That means 12" move, average 3" Advance, +1" for the Banner, for a reliable 16" move. If I start at the edge of my DZ, that puts them just 8" away from my opponent's DZ, so if he has any units deployed on the line, they are just within the 9" Rapid Fire range for the Plasma Talons (i.e. so 18 x S8 AP-3 Dmg2 shots when Overcharged). It also puts that unit within range of the Chaplain's "Catechism of Fire" ability (i.e. 12" away).

 

Now, if I want to "nuke" a selected unit, I first designate it with Oath of Moment for full rolls and then shoot it with the Incursors for +1 to Hit. Let's just say the target is something quite tough, like an Imperial/Chaos Knight (T12 3+/5++ 22+ wounds). With +1 to hit and full rerolls, as well as Sustained Hits on 5+s (thanks to the "Bolter Discipline" Enhancement and Devastator Doctrine), I can re-roll everything that is not a Critical Hit and average around 24-25 actual hits. With "Catechism of Fire," they now have Devastating Wounds on 6s to Wound, so using full rerolls from Oath of Moment, I should get about 7 Critical Wounds and another 4 AP-3 wounds. The Critical Wounds become 14 MWs and 3 unsaved regular wounds, doing a total of 20 damage to the Knight. This means my Ravenwing Command Squad just took an Imperial/Chaos Knight down to 2W left, which I can use the "Grenade" Strat to reliably finish off (this Strat gives an average of 3MW to a target within 8"). 

 

On top of this, if I lose one of my Command Squad to [Hazardous] tests, the Apothecary can bring them back next turn for free. On subsequent turns, the Squad can normal Move 12", nuke a different target (using everything described above), and then charge a third target, with the Chaplain giving the whole unit +1 to wound in melee (so their melee weapons are wounding anything on the game on at least a 5+, anything T9 and below on at least a 4+, and T3/T4 infantry on a 2+). Finally, in in terms of durability, the whole squad is T5 with a 3+/5++, can use "Armour of Contempt" to reduce enemy AP, and I can even bring along a nearby Darkshroud to get Stealth and Cover for free with the unit.

 

I am considering the possibility of running two of these squads (to make my opponent's threat calculus difficult) with Sammy leading the second squad as a more melee focused threat (since he gives free Advance and Charge). 

 

Anyway, thought I'd just share this combo, thanks for reading and hope your Unforgiven are faring well in the new world of 10th edition.

 

Cheers!

 

Edited July 8, 2023 by L30n1d4s

[Karhedron]

Everyone has been drooling over the Deathwing Command Squad but this is really nice too. Catechism of Fire is much stronger with Plasma Talons than on a regular Bike squad.

[Interrogator Stobz]

That's a cool combo...

 

Need to paint Ravenwing intensifies. 

[Cpt. Bannockburn]

I, too, have a mighty need, to build and/or convert a 6 dudes squad of Primaris bikes, even if I hate the quads. I will try to resist the urge until we get an actual codex, but this is a very interesting combo.

[Tacitus]

Even at the tail end of 9th I was thinking Ravenwing were a sleeper idea while everyone was overdosing on Deathwing.

[Grotsmasha]

On 7/8/2023 at 9:15 AM, Cpt. Bannockburn said:

I, too, have a mighty need, to build and/or convert a 6 dudes squad of Primaris bikes, even if I hate the quads. I will try to resist the urge until we get an actual codex, but this is a very interesting combo.

 

I'ma toot my own horn for a moment, but I converted my ATV and am much happier with the model, maybe you'll find some inspiration in;

https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/375224-grots-dark-angels-ravenwing-outrider-atv/?do=findComment&comment=5942309

 

Edited July 9, 2023 by Grotsmasha

[ValourousHeart]

I was starting to feel bad about running my Imperial Knights as I kept stomping players at my LGS.  So I had my first game of 10th with my Ravenwing yesterday and I tried to run a version of this.  It didn't go as well I would have hoped, but it was still fun.  The lack of Jink on what are typical Ravenwing units from the SM index is really painful.

 

I took this list.

Chaplain on Bike w/ Bolter Discipline

RWCS - 6 Models (Chaplain Attached)

Invader - MM

Invader - MM

Invader - OGC

Attack Bike Squad - 3 Models, 3 MM

Attack Bike Squad - 3 Models, 3 MM

965 Points

 

He took this list.

Watch Master w/ Thief of Secrets

Proteus Kill Team - 5 Vets, 4 Terminators, 1 Bike.  (Watch Master Attached)

Sternguard Vets - 10 Models

Corvus Blackstar - Lascannons, Stormstrike, Auspex Array  (Proteus & Watch Master)

Callidus Assassin

Exaction Squad - 5 Models.

1000 points

 

The mission had one single objective in the center of the board and on each player turn you could perform an action to place a new objective.  We both took fixed objectives, he took engage on all fronts and a second one that gave points for taking an objective that you didn't have at the start of the turn.  I took assassinate and bring it down.

 

I thought I was hidden well enough out of LOS, but he managed to get both the Sternguard and Proteus Kill Team in my grill turn one and stripped 16 of the 18 wounds off of my RWCS, Jink didn't matter because it was mostly MW.  He also killed 2 Attack Bikes.  He also placed an extra objective using the Corvus Blackstar, which put the kabash on my plan to have all of my Invaders and Attack Bikes use Outrider Escort to take it down early, they were all staged to be able to return fire on the Corvus had it targeted any of my units.

 

Before the end of the game I was able to kill all of the Sernguard, Corvus Blackstar, and 5 vets, bike and 1 terminator from the Proteus Kill Team and also knock one wound off the Callidus.  The game ended with me being tabled and a score of 11 to 3 in his favor.

 

After dropping that first objective turn one, he was able to score his take secondary by having a unit run back and forth between those two objectives.

I was barely able to get out of my deployment corner.

 

When I finally did get the chance to shoot with what was left of my RWCS at his Proteus Kill Team, I completely forgot that I got sustained hits on 5+.

 

He used the Watch Master & Callidus abilities to increase the cost of Command Reroll and Overwatch.  So Outrider Escort really helped me scratch back at him.  When my units got to use Oath of Moment, it was really effective, but since I always killed the Oath unit in my turn, Outrider Escort never got that bonus in his turn.

 

I feel like I might have picked the wrong secondaries.  But with how the match went, I'm not sure I would have been able to pull off any of the other secondaries either.  And I don't feel like having any of my units give up a turn of shooting to drop an objective would have helped.