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Is it possible to use Raveners successfully? Im making a mainly CC army and they look like they could be nasty. Any tips on using them?

A very simple pointer. Remember what they are and what they can do.

They are beasts and they have the "Move through Cover" USR.

Combining the rules for beasts with the rules presented in the codex you have the following:

Move 6"
Fleet 6"
Assault 12"

When moving through cover, you roll 3d6 and pick the highest. When assaulting through cover, you roll 3d6 and double the highest result.

Give them guns, so they can shoot when they arrive via Deep Strike.

I wouldn't give them guns, since they just aren't very good with them. Maybe spinefists, for lots of TL shots? If you think you can get in range, at least. But really, the only upgrade I would consider is Rending Claws.

I'd say either have them deepstriking in a list with a lot of similar forces coming in from reserve (Trygons, Spore Pods, outflankers, etc), or don't worry about it and just run them alongside your army - possibly as part of a fast flank with gargoyles and something synapse to keep everything in line. (Flyrant, Shrikes, Parasite, etc).

The lack of combat upgrades - especially Toxin Sacs - really hinders their potency compared to other tyranid CC units. What they get instead is a lot of attacks, and speed. 5 attacks on the charge, at WS 5, I5, rerolling misses... that still isn't terrible even against MEQ, and will do serious damage to more lightly armored troops. Rending Claws can give them a bit more bite vs armored troops and vehicles, but even just running them plain isn't bad - they have an assault radius beyond anything else in the Tyranid codex, and that can be very valuable. They also have Instinctive Behavior - Feed, which can make them more valuable than, say, Lurking Gargoyles - if you get deprived of Synapse, but have positioned well, they can still do exactly what you want them to.

So there is a place for them. I tend to face a lot of marines, so would tend towards buffed Gargoyles for my fast attack role (who dish out about twice as many wounds to marines, point for point.) But Raveners do have the advantage of versatility - with Rending Claws, they can threaten transports as well as troops, and can be quickly deployed across the field to go wherever you need.

But I'd avoid guns. I don't think they do very good with them, and you are basically paying points to reduce their close combat ability, without getting much in return.

I'm pretty sure that Ravener guns don't replace their Scything Talons, which means you aren't paying points to reduce their close combat ability, and enabling them to get rear shots on enemy vehicles if they enter using their Deep Strike rule.

Correct, the guns do not replace any of the CC weapons of options. Behold the awesome power that is the Chestgina!

Yeah, I think I blanked that picture in the codex from my mind... >_>

But that does definitely make a better argument for the guns. I'm still not sure it is worth the cost, since any turn you shoot means you won't be using fleet. (Though 6" move + 12" assault can admittedly often get you into combat anyway.) I think the Spinefists are the most efficient option (since if you are within 12, you know you can both fire and assault, and 4 shots TL will do as much damage to most infantry as any of the other options, even at S3. The Deathspitters are only really better for having the chance to glance vehicles (or pen the back armor of rhinos), or deep strike slightly further away... I just don't know if the price is worth that 1 round of shooting.

Given that you can't use Fleet to assault the turn that they arrive via Deep Strike, then guns are good value for giving them something to do before they start getting shot at. Anything that starts knocking out enemy vehicles can only be good: not just enemy transports, but stuff like Leman Russes, Hammerheads, and so on.

Regarding a Deep Strike further away from their intended victims, that's only a good thing - they have a 19" charge radius so they don't have to be close.

Spinefists don't seem worth it because they're S3, which is nice given the number of shots and the Twin-Linked, but I'd bet a dollar that there isn't much Spinefists can hurt that Deathspitters and Devourers can't, while the reverse is not true.

I have 8 armed with Rending Claws and Deathspitters.

Popped them up in a large game on Saturday, right behind a Dreadnought. 24 S5 shots disarmed, disabled and finally detonated the stompy Horror, and when the inevitable counterattack happened, they happily minced their way through a Tactical Squad and a Bike Squad in a single round of combat.

I really do rate them! But like all Tyranids nowadays, they need support. Perhaps a Trygon Prime, not only for it's extra muscle and Synpase, but also because hopefully your opponent will panic and pick on that instead of the gribbly Raveners!

Oh, certainly - from what I can tell, the Spinefists and the Deathspitter do pretty much exactly the same amount of damage (from the Raveners) against any sort of infantry, with the Spinefists doing a bit of extra against lightly armored infantry. But the Deathspitters have a chance at hurting vehicles, and a longer range - and are more points. That's the big question - is it worth 40 points to buy one penetrating hit each game? (Assuming the raveners land where you want them, and the target doesn't have cover.) It certainly could be - but I can see a lot of use for those 40 points elsewhere.

Also of note - you can't Fleet/assault when you arrive, but you can Run to spread out, which can be invaluable to avoid a Battlecannon taking out the whole brood. Again, it isn't that the guns are a bad option, just that they seem a poor use of points on something that will have very few shooting phases, and has other options on the table during most of those.

Also of note - You can never "Fleet", you can only ever "Run". Fleet just allows you to Assault after you Run (unless otherwise prevented such as after deepstriking).