Validar

Hail Brothers If this topic has been answered please redirect me (my search-fu have been tested) Anyway: 8th edition, Stormtalon, what would you advice for weapon loadouts? Is something obviously better? What are the strengths/weaknesses of each option on this beautiful bird of prey? Thanks!

Blood Ravens - awesome! First of all, they're not 1 in 5 psykers, but the geneseed does have a tendency to awaken latent psykers and/or enhance already existing psychic potential! This means not only that the Librarians are more abjurant, but also that they are more respected and more powerful than in a traditional chapter. Symbolise this as you like! Personally I escalated the librarian rankings by using "Archivist" as a title for my main company librarian. Painting it different than the ultramarines would do is another good way to do this! Colourscheme always features black trim and bone shoulders. Veterans have bone helmets. Squad markings (crux, tactical arrow, etc.) remains the same as always. I thought about using C: BA for some games in order to have acces to librarian dreadnought, but also just for some variation when I play. Really it is up to you. C: SM represents them the best, but you can play as you like :D

here is my cheesedread http://i959.photobucket.com/albums/ae80/ninyg/Grey%20Knights/MortisPatternGK.jpg

this army is awesome!

Dragomir.... Dragomir.... *peers at signature* *peers at topic name* hmmm Awesome RG, love Sevrin, will you be doing the Honour Guard aswell? And can I by any chance ask you where you got the name from? :)

first of all I would like to urge people to remember that I am well aware that it is NOT REQUIRED for a Blood Raven Chapter, I know that. I just think the fact that the dual role of chapter master and Chief Librarian was AWESOME and made SENSE to a chapter like the Blood Ravens. Which means removing that sucks. Now that you mention Ulantus, I would like to state clearly that I am 100% on his side. In my oppinion his arguments are valid, the ones a true Space Marines should represent. That Gabriel turns out to be "right" is irrelevant to the point (and, in my oppinion, just a consquence of a bad author), in my world a real space marine argues just like Ulantus did. And concluding that BR have a history of working with Eldar from the material you present is not reliable and a bit far out in my oppinion <_<

with a straight face you're telling me that it is not unusual to work with aliens? I guess we just disagree then. In extreeme circumstances, I can see a SM commander fighting the same deamon as the eldar before he turns his blades on the eldar, instead of fighting both at the same time, but beond that is radical imo. I never mentioned that the marines revere the Emperor as a God, but I don't exactly think that is required to hate the (arguably) largest thread to humanity and the Imperium. That Gabriel isn't a psyker isn't a problem in the fluff, it just takes away a cool and characterful thing that the Blood Ravens had before. And about "linking" the fluff together: Read the description in the Index Astartes article, Gabriel is described as a command er as Cyrene is purged, aside the tittle of the box, there is no link between the Relic fluff and the article. Look how the Ravens are described in the article and how far away that is from the Marines presented in the Dawn of War games. I don't think this brings the two any closer - if anything, further away. Relic should have kept their hands from working with the chapter as a whole and kept their focus on individual companies. And please notice that I'm not saying that it isn't realistic given the world. The WH40k universe is so open that anything is possible (as intented, I figure). That the Captain (who commands just over 100 space marines) would go to war with less than a handful of marines could be considered rare, but not impossible. That a farseer choose to screw the descisions of her craftworld and help an imperial regiment in their fight vs. whatever is rare, but not unheard of. That Khorne wants to corrupt a Librarian, and a Librarian wants to join Khorne, is not impossible. Not even if he is the Cheif Librarian and Chapter Master of the "we like to write things down" chapter, which is very far away from Khorne. While it is possible that he just throws down the pen, his hundred-of-years service and dedication to the Chapter and his loyality to the Emperor to fetch skulls for the skull throne isn't exactly impossible. I mean, Khorne is a God. But give me this: It is a one-in-hundreds-of-billions story.

alright, as we have stated fairly hard that this thread contains major spoilers, I think we can drop the blackness? Either way: MAJOR spoilers beneath this, IF you have entered this thread without having played the game and will explode if the story is revealed too soon, do NOT read the following. Something from the BR omnibus aswell. I have to get it out. I died a little inside. I have only played the SM part, but everything stuck me as terrible. Playing Diomedes was a great idea, he was an awesome character. Introducing the old boys like Cyrus and that other guy was great aswell, really characterfull marines. From there the storyline begins and it runs downhill until it hits the bottom like a rock and start digging deeper. I had gotten comfortable with the idea of Kyras being corrupted by a nurgle deamon. He was under severe pressure on the space hulk (being a powerful psyker and the target subtle deamonic manipulation) and in to some degree I could accept that you can turn to nurgle if severe sickness starts to plague you and your body begins to rot away with your mind. It wasn't good, by no means, but it was acceptable (after a while of consideration)... Now, Khorne? What the...?? Kyras is a psyker and the leader of the psyker chapter out there and Khorne chooses to corrupt him? Why O why? Then there is the manipulation. Tbh I was waiting for someone to drop their big black cape and say "haha, Tzeench was behind this all along" - seriously: Corruption, subtle manipulation (of diomedes) and corruption (of kyras), it tricks you to avoid a fight (when you have to fight the eldar council) and there is the BR's psyker theme and... Something else that could suggest Tzeench's interrest in them. But no, Khorne strikes home, suddenly rampage and bloodlust runs thick in the chapter... Wait, what? The Ravens are warrior scholars, putting just as much effort into their archives and writings as they do in their fighting. Nothing screams Khorne less than a Space Marine writing in a book behind a desk - but apparantly Khorne thought they were just his things... Again, what? And the final rant goes to Mr. Angelos. Seriously, Chapter Master? What happened to the Chief Libby + Chapter Master that was part of the BR fluff? Down the drain it goes. What about the fact that the Ravens maintain secret libraries only accesable by the Librarians? Well, that just isn't considered I guess. And Gabriel. Good Gabriel proved somewhat in the first games (and ESPECIALLY in the omnibus) that he is a bloody heretic. He works with and takes advice from Eldar (Xenos) and I think we can agree that the last lines along those books aren't "pure in the eyes of the emperor". Alright, the man is either a heretic or very radical in his interpretation of the Imperial Creed, may be possible for a Captain, but a Chapter Master? rantrantrant ;)

Hey guys, dunno if this is the right place, but I'd like to hear how you would pronounce the "founder" of the Blood Ravens: Azariah Vidya Personally I'd do something like [A-zar-riah Vid-aia], what are your own thoughts? PS. I have no problem with people asking about pronounciation of other people/chapters, as long as mine remains answered :P

thank you for all the replies, guys! I like the psyker idea you're all presenting, except for two things: Practically, I can't do a conversion like that. If they're suposed to be robed psyker marines using psychic powers, they wouldn't have bolters, but lightning shooting from their fingers. That is simply too much for someone as new to this whole thing as me. Secondly, there is the fluff problem. I mean, the Blood Ravens only have two tactical squads made of librarians, why would they send it with a relatively small force? I play mostly 1500 points and then it just seems a bit strange that the chapter would send in the elite of the elite. However, as I gain more experience in converting, I'll persue your idea for sure!! Right now I think I'll use bone-white robes (not-so-shiny white) and paint the armor red and the folds red like on the dark angel veterans. I'm also inclined to go with the 1st company idea, since then I can stick all the flashy stuff on them (terminator honours etc.)

Alright, first of all I'm very new in WH40k, I've played roughly 6 months by now. I've chosen the blood ravens because of their fluff, since fluff means a lot to me in the hobby. Though I have never done any sort of convertion, nor do I consider myself good at it, I got an idea to make my own sternguard. The idea was to create something that you couldn't possibly mistake for tactical marines, so I got a box of Dark Angel Veterans and a box of Empire Flaggelants (for all the bits and pieces). The idea was to remove all the dark angel iconography and add bits and pieces to make it look mystical (like the hourglass/skill/key on chain from the flaggelant box). Now, I've got two ideas for the fluff behind the squad: 1: First company veterans. Being veterans of the chapter and they carry many of the secrets that the chapter seeks to protect. They dress differently than the rest of the 1st company. The question 'why' have never been raised. It is rumoured that they differ from the rest of their company because the squad consists of carefully selected individuals, chosen to protect the chapters greatest secrets without question or delay. As guardians of knowledge, the squad usually act as a council for the commander of the force they are a part of. It is said that the squad has used this function to make commanders heed advice they do not fully understand to protect the Chapter's secrets. 1: 5th company. Nobody truly know what happened to the fifth company, but it is known that its members bears marks of penance and redemption. This squad appears to have much to repent for. They choose to wear robes to openly show their shame. Though veterans of a thousand battles and fit for the first company, this squad refuses such an honour, thinking themself unworthy. Instead, they remain in the fifth company, seeking redemption. On the battlefield, they fight with a relentlessness rarely seen, in a constant attempt to repent for whatever grave sin they have comitted. I don't know which of the stories I like the best, which one fits the Blood Raven concept the best or which one would look the coolest (painting/conversion wise), so I would like to hear what you guys think? And to the colour question! These guys will need to get painted, ofcourse, but I am still uncertain how I should do it. Should I keep the white robes the dark angels use and paint the armor in blood raven colours? Or should the robes themself be red? What do you guys think?

oh shi- Those salamanders really look like they want to pass fiery justice around O.o