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I'm trying to field a dark angels army and I have the right units to put out a ravenwing attack squadron. However my friend says that I need to also field the lions blade strike force to gain the benefits that come with the attack squadron. I'm new to the game but that doesn't sound right to me and I can't seem to find anything in the codex that says I NEED the lions blade to use the other formations listed in the book.

Can anyone point me in the right direction or give me references so I can know definitively what I'm allowed to do?

Let's start at the beginning.

You need to satisfy the requirements in a formation, for your units to be in that formation. For example, a "Combined Arms Detachment" is 1HQ, 2Troop selections, minimum. There are restrictions on the maximum other types of units you can have, as well (for instance, 3 fast attack).

A strike force is a set of formations. In order to create a strike force, you have to satisfy the conditions of each formation within the strike force. Units cannot belong to multiple formations.

The formations you use do not have to form a strike force. For example, you can take a combined arms detachment, and also an allied detachment, to create your army. This is legal and does not create a strike force.

You ultimately need all of your units to be part of a formation, legally, or you're "unbound," or in most cases, "illegal."

Some formations mention that if you take it, AND another formation, you get additional benefits. So, you might need to take both formations to get ALL of the benefits, but you are not required to take multiple formations.

So let's say I have an HQ unit, 2 elites, and 1 infantry. I think that meets the requirement for a CAD.
Can I then have my land speeder vengeance and RW bikes (a ravenwing attack squadron) as a seperate formation as part of the same army and still get the associated benefits. I don't see anything in the codex that says the benefits only come with being attached to a strike force and it seems all units are accounted for as part of being in designated formations

BigBadBillyD wrote:
So let's say I have an HQ unit, 2 elites, and 1 infantry. I think that meets the requirement for a CAD.
Can I then have my land speeder vengeance and RW bikes (a ravenwing attack squadron) as a seperate formation as part of the same army and still get the associated benefits. I don't see anything in the codex that says the benefits only come with being attached to a strike force and it seems all units are accounted for as part of being in designated formations

well first of all, an HQ unit, 2 elites and 1 infantry doesn't complete a CAD, assuming "1 infantry" you mean 1 tatical squad, you'll need a second one to make a CAD.

the ravenwing attack squadron is a actual formation so can be taken by itself. it does NOT need to be taken as part of a greater "Lion's blade strike force"


So you could in a completely legal army take 1 HQ, 2 troops (perhaps 2 5 man tatical squads?) and 2 elites as part of a CAD, and then take the ravenwing strike force.

But do I also get the benefits that come with that formation? For example one of the benefits for a RW attack squadron is the ability to deep strike terminators within 12inches of your unit without having to roll for scatter.

So would I still get that benefit if I deployed that formation on its own?

BigBadBillyD wrote:
But do I also get the benefits that come with that formation? For example one of the benefits for a RW attack squadron is the ability to deep strike terminators within 12inches of your unit without having to roll for scatter.

So would I still get that benefit if I deployed that formation on its own?

yes, but you'd not get the benifits for using the Lion's blade task force

I think this is exactly what I needed to hear. Is there anywhere in the rule book I could cite or can I find that in the codex?

BigBadBillyD wrote:
I think this is exactly what I needed to hear. Is there anywhere in the rule book I could cite or can I find that in the codex?

Command Benefits. These are the bonuses for each individual formation/detachment. Look up Ravenwing Strike Force in your BA codex, it'll have Restrictions, Command Benefits and thrn the unit requirements to make/take a Ravenwing Strike Force.