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Firstly, just wanted to say I'm pumped about the new Primaris models GW announed, they suit the Raptors perfectly! I fully intend to buy the Shadowspear battlebox and incorporate them all into the army. Vanguard Space Marines could potentially replace Scouts, and the Vanguard Librarian and Eliminators would all fit the Raptors theme.
The other thing I've been doing is converting all non-Primaris characters/units using existing Primaris models and I'll post the photos here as I finish them.
I'm trying to put a bit of a story together that justifies collecting any of the unique units from the various Space Marine armies, but painting all as one chapter - The Raptors. Whilst the green/camo colour scheme will pull them all together, the key will be to keep the different detachments visually distinct enough, so that there isn't an issue if I ever play in tournaments.
The below army list has detachments of Raven Guard, Deathwatch and Blood Angels, though I'll play with other lists that also incorporate Dark Angels and Space Wolves units I want to collect too. I'll be calling the army 'Task Force Green', after the JSOC nickname for Delta Force (and appropriate considering their Green power armour). They will be representing the Raptors 6th Company, led by Captain Kaedes.
Also known as 'Reasonable Marines', the Raptors are a Raven Guard successor that use actual camouflage, sneaking, and tactics, rather than running at the enemy painted in bright colours. As a Chapter, the Raptors have been nearly rendered extinct multiple times, but have learned to adapt to changing circumstances so well that they have flourished where other Chapters would simply have had their names added to the ranks of the fallen. They're almost always deployed as individual task forces or kill teams and the Raptors' Chapter culture is one that is very wary of the idea of martial glory or honour, instead preferring pragmatism, adaptability and completion of the mission over all other concerns.
This pragmatism and adaptability has led to the Raptors utilising multiple fighting styles that deviate from the Codex Astartes, and when combined with their natural preference for working in task forces and kill teams, has led to the adoption of many of the tactics utilised by other chapters. Returning Deathwatch veterans in particular have added to the organisational intelligence, providing proven methods of incorporating diverse tactics and specialised skillsets within small kill teams.
Likewise, the Corvus Corax gene curse of the Raven Guard has led to special formations of Shadow Killers (Moruturi/Moritats). To represent this, I plan on running as a Blood Angels detachment to represent their suicidal fighting style. The parallels between the Death Company and Moritats are definitely present and I plan on giving them an appropriate amount of grim/death related iconography (thanks ITvyper for the suggestion).
For the Raptors, the Primaris Space Marines are an evolution of the work undertaken by Primarch Corax after the drop site massacre, where he secured the original primarch DNA (for all 20 primarchs) from the emperor to try and remake his legion. The resulting Astartes, though lacking combat experience, were even more capable than typical Raven Guard Space Marines and were assigned the name "Raptors".
Unfortunately, Alpha Legion operatives within the Raven Guard stole a sample of the pure Primarch gene stock and contaminated the remainder with a virus tainted with daemonic essence. The next cadre of Raven Guard Astartes was predictably a disaster, manifesting hideous Warp-related mutations after they were implanted with their gene-seed organs, and many had to be kept imprisoned.
In the aftermath of the Horus Heresy, the Primarch Guilliman gave the Sangprimus Portum to Archmagos Dominus Cawl, after charging the Archmagos with creating the next generation of Space Marines. The Raptors eagerly took these Primaris reinforcements during the Indomitus Crusade and incorporated them fully into each of their task forces, discovering new tactics and strategies from the initial engagements with their new Battle-Brothers. As mentioned earlier, I will focus on modelling everything 'primaris' size, even if representing an older unit.
As part of their primaris reinforcements, the Raptors also received a shipment of gene stock from Mars. Little did they know that Alpha legion operatives would once again try to tamper with their gene seed. This time it was through mixing the gene seed with the highly unstable genetic material of the Wolf Lord Leman Russ. Unlike the earlier demon essence contamination, this time the differences weren't as readily apparent.. It wasn't until a century or so later that it became obvious that some of their more savage battle brothers were starting to develop wolf-like mutations. This gives me the option of running a Space Wolves detachment.
As a result of the Alpha Legion espionage operations against the Raptors (and their tampering with the Raven Guard gene stock during the Horus Heresey), the current Raptors have responded by maintaining an elite Inner Circle charged with counter intelligence, guarding the chapter against espionage and hostile intelligence operations. The Inner Circle can even launch independent military operations in response to critical intelligence they receive through a carefully built network of spies, sensors and informants. To represent this Inner Circle, I have the option of running a Dark Angels detachment.
The Raptors currently operate from a fortress-monastery they refer to only as "Prime", on a world variously named Numina, Ra or Badwater from deep within the dense stellar drifts of the Sutters Spiral Nebula on the northern border of the Segmentum Solar. However, none of the Battle-Brothers have disclosed the name or precise location of the home world, even to members of the Adeptus Administratum.
Spoiler
Edited by ambit, 15 April 2019 - 01:34 AM.
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