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I'm trying to get a feel on the community's opinion of the Blood Ravens, I've been stalking all the fluff on the internet about this chapter. I was wondering what everyone's opinion is on them. Things that are attracting me to this chapter:

1.) Lots of Librarians! As a fan of the old chaos codex of the Thousand Sons, back where pyshic powers meant something, I find this chapter because of their high volume of Librarians attractive. I like pyshic powers, they are fun and hey lets face we all like seeing a pyshers head explode when things go wrong!
2.) Lots of fluff to shift through and explore. Tons of information on these guys! It was a lot of fun reading about them online and through the DOW games. It's kind of like growing up with this chapter through the series, aside from the game mechanics, I liked the storylines. I think that the DOW 2 series made the Campaigns worth while because you leveled the guys you used. It also let you in to how the characters think, which I liked. A little mystery in there like having no idea who they are and where they started is a sweet open-ended story. Deleted chapter history? Chaos? True loyalist? Only the Emperor and Inquistion truly knows. Having a strong connection to Mars always helps too, plenty of bullets and vehicles to go around never hurts!
3.) I like their tactics from the fluff, observe the enemy and learn how to strike where it's weak to win. Make good use of scouts and call in the heavy support, that's my take on how they do business! Once they know how you operate you should just give up because you're done!
4.) Their paint scheme is easy and could be fun to paint! I find it a very effective scheme to do, especially with foundation paints and the like. If I do them then it's going to be battle worn and not the pretty and clean!
5.) I love the little hint that they are the lost brothers to the Thousand Sons! I'm a huge fan of the Thousand Sons and I think that they got screwed by Horus big time! You are to blame too youo ditry Space Wolves! I digress... I believe that the link between the Thousand Sons and Blood Ravens is a very compelling one and is solid. If you haven't read it it's on the wiki page http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Blood_Ravens and elsewhere. So the ability to play a Thousand Sons loyalist chapter has been almost a dream for me, but I really don't like doing DIY chapter.
6.) Chapter Master and Chief Librarian?!? Hells to the yes!!! Enough said here...

So what does everyone think about these guys?

Well, they're pretty messed up after the Retribution campaign, although they do have some pretty awesome characters. Gabriel Angelos, Davian Thule, and Tarkus. Oddly enough, I haven't liked any of their librarian characters.

Personally, I don't believe the link to the Thousand Sons to be true, but we'll just have to wait and see I guess.

Well, keep in mind that there are basicaly three Bloodravens chapter variants you could create.

- The standard, pre Aurelia version with lots of librarians, a healthy chapter and the chief librarian as chapter master thing.
- The followers of *deleted by the Inquisition* which are basicaly chaos marines ( which allows you to add some nice extra touch )
- post Aurelia, where the chapter is greatly weakened but "redeemed" and no longer has a chief librarian who also acts as chaptermaster ( and seems to have lost many of it's psykers ).

Awhile back I knew a guy who modeled a Blood Ravens army, by modeling all the Sergeants to LOOK like librarians. It was pretty impressive, too bad I don't have any pics . . but its a half-decent idea.

AchillesFTW wrote:Awhile back I knew a guy who modeled a Blood Ravens army, by modeling all the Sergeants to LOOK like librarians. It was pretty impressive, too bad I don't have any pics . . but its a half-decent idea.

That would be cool, but useless in the game. Having 2 Librarians for a HQ slot would be funny, and a lot of fun!

My most favorite chapter...
And they are not so easy to paint... chapter symbol is hard to get right...
They have the most bad-ass captain ( chapter master now ) and one of the most amazing fluff I have seen ( excluding the C.S.Goto part... ).

Well there is this.

http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Warhammer-40000/Space_Marines/Space_Marine-Infantry-Accessories/BLOOD-RAVENS-TRANSFER-SHEET.html

Zakiriel wrote:Well there is this.

http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Warhammer-40000/Space_Marines/Space_Marine-Infantry-Accessories/BLOOD-RAVENS-TRANSFER-SHEET.html

+1

I've slowly come full circle on the usage of transfers (especially now that I have wife and kids, so sometimes good enough is good enough)

Well atleast Gabriel Angelos is chapter master. i would follow him into battle anytime.

So I think that I'm going with these guys for all the right reasons. Unfortunately it means I'm going to have some issues turning my other space marines into Blood Ravens. I just purchase BT bits a while ago and a lot of my Space Marines already have Black Templar bits on them. It's going to take a lot of work to make everything work. Also, I can't find anywhere that says if the Blood Ravens follow the codex colors for companies or not. Anyone have any insight on this?

Don't understand all the love for Angelos.

I disagree with #5...
Also i'm with Omegus, i don't understand all of the love for Angelos?

He looks cool in the Retribution video, but he's just another Chapter Master with a Daemon Hammer I think...

Angelos is ok I guess, he was a great character in the first Dawn of War

KingDeath wrote: post Aurelia, where the chapter is greatly weakened but "redeemed" and no longer has a chief librarian who also acts as chaptermaster

My own nilla marines army.I use Calgar as chapter master.He goes by the name Raphael Xiorphian,also acting captain of 1st company.It isn't really a company,just 5 Terminators.

What do you think would be best for the HQ choice? Tigirus(sp?) and just use him as the Chapter Master/ Chief Librarian or another special character?

Here is my Chapter Command

Chapter Master-Calgar-Raphael Xiorphion


Chief Librarian Niven(Tiguirius)


Master Chaplain Palmarius(Cassius)

Captain of 1st company-Decieced-
Chapter Master acting as stand-in captain(Lysander will take over,under the name Zacheriah Mebetherian,once I buy him
)
Captain of 2nd company-Sicarius-Gabriel Angelos-
Promoted to 2nd company command after the death of the former,approximatly 12 Terran yrs after the Tyranid incursion into the Aurelia Sub-sector


Captain of 3rd Company-Kantor-Castiel Nesitoge

Captain of 4th company-Vulkan-Vehed Yuta'kesdo
Captain Vehed was recruited from the Forge world of Taren XXI.While not having the skill to be sent to Mars,Captain Vehed has great crafting skill,and wields a spear,hand crafted himself,and his left gauntlet has been extensivly modified to allow it to spew out burniong promethium in the same volume as the blessed heavy flamer.Vehed wears a cloak into battle,made from the skin of a Lyndwyrm,a creature he bested on the Death World of Henirel.The indestructable scales have saved him more than once.

5th company-Captain Aramus-Regular captain with combi melta,relic blade,hellfire rounds,digital weapons,articer armour
Captain Aramus was promoted to Captaincy after the Tyranid Incursion in the Aurelia subsector.He had his bloter modified to include a one-shot melta gun,following his return to the Omnis Arcanum.he still wields the ancient relic blade known as Wisdom.He is relativily new,but the Dreadnought that was the former captain Davian Thule,aids him in command.
Note on the Thule Dreadnought/Davian Thule:After damage to his Dreadnoght armour,Davian Thule was moved to another Dereadnought assembly,the first in history to have been.He now resides within an Ironclad assembly,commonly carrying a Seismic hammer and Powerfist,but has been known to wield Chainfists and Hurricaine bolters.

6th captain-Korsarro Khan-Lithenus Mactieran

Captain of 7th-deceased

Captain of 8th-Shrike-Teoris Quinsan
Captain Quinsan is known as the "Ninja" by his brothers,for his stealth and hit and run tactics.He carries a pair of ancient and deadly lighning claws,superior to any other of the same age.

Captain of 9th-deceased

Captain of 10th-deceased-scout sergeant Cyrus performing active commander.

I really like the Blood Ravens and wish more fluff was written about them. Especially from the point of view that they are loyalist descendants of the 1k Sons.

The problem is that all my hopes and dreams for the Chapter will be destroyed by some turd who thinks he can write...

Uhlan wrote:I really like the Blood Ravens and wish more fluff was written about them.

So you are ignoring the fact that they have a massive amout of fluff about they that actaully outstips some of the first founding combined.

They have a massive amount of materiel written about them.They even have their own computer game based on them,IIRC.

Still,the more the merrier,especially when it brings one mopre player away from the Ultrasmurf.

Uhlan wrote:I really like the Blood Ravens and wish more fluff was written about them. Especially from the point of view that they are loyalist descendants of the 1k Sons.

The problem is that all my hopes and dreams for the Chapter will be destroyed by some turd who thinks he can write...

This made me laugh! I would like that too! Thanks Deadshot for that Chapter breakdown, did you kitbash Calgar or are you using his true model?

Using the true modal*.I just am no good with kitbashing or coversions.Best I ever doen was build a HK,using the Missile Launcher from the Devastators.Basically I built the top half and the Launcher,and put it on the cupola-legs,gunner thing.

*The Terminator one.The PA is aweful,plus I can't find a PA one.Besides,you get a banner and 3 honour guard with the termy armour.

you would have to have something about "The Fated"

You mean the 5th company?What about it?

well something about the captian that took them into the eye or somthing

You mean Sg Telion,the most flukey in history,hitting Old One WEye's eye socket?He and his men got pummelled,he got in a flukey shot,and still didn't kill it.

Deadshot wrote:You mean Sg Telion,the most flukey in history,hitting Old One WEye's eye socket?He and his men got pummelled,he got in a flukey shot,and still didn't kill it.

Did you just make that up?

Nope.That is the actual story of OOE.Ptg 57 of Nids codex,5th ed.

Deadshot wrote:Nope.That is the actual story of OOE.Ptg 57 of Nids codex,5th ed.

Never mind that.
I think he meant the captain of the 5th company who took the company int eh EoT (I think) and not Sergeant Telion who gave OOE his name...

Well,then I have no clue what you're on about.

And OOE lost his eye to a plasma pistol,fired though it into his brain during the invasion of Ultramar.