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Title is quite self-explanatory, I'd like to know what you give your raveners, how you use them and how succesful they are, thanks!

Whats a Ravener? What codex do they come from?

 Jayden63 wrote:
Whats a Ravener? What codex do they come from?

I'm presuming you're being serious, so a Ravener is basically a Tyranid Warrior-esque unit with a snake like body instead of having legs and can burrow underground (therefore it can deep strike) with similar stats to a Warrior except it doesn't have synapse and counts as beasts so they move a lot faster. More or less a disruption unit.

Here's a pic
[url][
http://www.games-workshop.com/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m730070a_99120106016_TyranidRavenorBrood4_873x627.jpg[/url]

Ok thanks. No idea. I thought maybe you meant the DE Ravager and just misspelled it. It happens a lot with translated or when English is not a first language. Some names are so similar. This is why I asked, I hope I didn't offend.

So to answer your question, I have no idea. If it was Ravager I could have told you lots.

 Jayden63 wrote:
Ok thanks. No idea. I thought maybe you meant the DE Ravager and just misspelled it. It happens a lot with translated or when English is not a first language. Some names are so similar. This is why I asked, I hope I didn't offend.

So to answer your question, I have no idea. If it was Ravager I could have told you lots.

Lol, don't worry I'm not even the OP. I just didn't know if you were teasing very hard to tell tone on the interwebz. In any case looks like we're both unable to answer the OP since I don't play nids, only Orks. Bunch of useful grots we are!

There are a lot of things that separate the ravener from the other warrior based FA choice the shrike and you REALLY need to know when you need to use one or the other.

The first big thing is that the ravener can not get biomorphs. No Toxin or AG or anything.

The next is that the ravener is the only Tyranid that does not need to trade in its second set of CC weapons to get a gun. That puts it one attach higher than the shrike.

The last big thing is the raveners are I5. That means they strike before marines. That is a big boost for a glass hammer unit.

As for how do you use them? Generally they are basic flanking units. Give them rending claws and they are really good against light mech and light-med infantry. On the charge they have 5 attacks each so they can often wipe out large units of Sv5 troops now before they get to strike back.

You can also give them a gun and shoot a ton of shots into a unit off of DS before rushing them next turn. The T4 makes them a little squishy, but they can take light arms fire pretty well.

They are fast, strike first in most cases and put out a ton of attacks. They are IB:feed (so that is bad), but they are generally in CC (and that is good) is it isn't a big issue. Just keep them out of the line of fire from S8+ weapons and they are fairly durable too.

Ok, summary time from what has been read and seen...

Unless you have a saturation of DSing units and outflankers, run the Raveners on foot. Otherwise they become prime targets to nuke and wipe out with their low armour save.

They are, currently, competing with shrikes and as mentioned though they cannot purchase biomorphs they already get a rather lot of nice things included with their unit type (fleet by default, move through cover by default). Though Shrikes can purchase upgrades and biomorphs this makes them pricy, fast.

The other, as of yet unmentioned gem of raveners is The Red Terror - several attacks, the completely optional choice of swallow whole and the fact it only allows a single invulnerable save to prevent it - the Red Terror can take out Eternal Warriors. Others have found that a nice big unit of Raveners with the Red Terror becomes an unholy terror - they're fast enough to get there and when you do hit units the Red Terror should be calling challenges for everything he can.

Not to mention he's T5 so can take a few Powerfist hits.

Edit away.

What is unclear to me is, Raveners were essentially unchanged by the codex update. In the old codex, they were rare, and generally uncompetitive because they were overcosted for what they do (useful with the right matchups). What has changed in the new codex that makes them more valuable? Is there some synergy that I'm missing?

tag8833 wrote:
What is unclear to me is, Raveners were essentially unchanged by the codex update. In the old codex, they were rare, and generally uncompetitive because they were overcosted for what they do (useful with the right matchups). What has changed in the new codex that makes them more valuable? Is there some synergy that I'm missing?

New players...a fresh 6th edition look...where s8 is rare...and the red terror.

Most players tended to build in accordance with 5th ed metas...many of us have always known that multiple wound t4 is a solid buy in 6th

 ductvader wrote:

tag8833 wrote:
What is unclear to me is, Raveners were essentially unchanged by the codex update. In the old codex, they were rare, and generally uncompetitive because they were overcosted for what they do (useful with the right matchups). What has changed in the new codex that makes them more valuable? Is there some synergy that I'm missing?

New players...a fresh 6th edition look...where s8 is rare...and the red terror.

Most players tended to build in accordance with 5th ed metas...many of us have always known that multiple wound t4 is a solid buy in 6th

And the nerfs taken else were in the codex, have made the points and open slots in the FA more useable. With synapse being more important, the basic speed of a ravener unit makes them able to keep up with Flyrants for a turn or 2, after that you should have them in assault or dead. Since 6e dropped Raveners have been decent units. Being beasts that DS, you can DS them in to terrain and not worry about DTs to survive that first turn of shooting then they still get the nice 12".

Also, the cost of units that people are likely to field (apart from the Tervigon) have gone down, which allows for a few "other" units to be added that were consistantly shelved in the past codex. I'm not saying Raveners are going to be commonplace now, but they will make their way into some lists here and there.

From what I understand in my own experiences, Raveners should have been commonplace before this update of them.

The Instinctive behaviour defaulting to Rage was stupidly good for the little guys when coupled with the fact they could fly across the board so to speak.

I do not know what has changed, but I believe Raveners will be taken in new light if they have lost Rage. As can be seen from the post up above a few who kindly offers Deepstriking the things.

 Da Kommizzar wrote:
From what I understand in my own experiences, Raveners should have been commonplace before this update of them.

The Instinctive behaviour defaulting to Rage was stupidly good for the little guys when coupled with the fact they could fly across the board so to speak.

I do not know what has changed, but I believe Raveners will be taken in new light if they have lost Rage. As can be seen from the post up above a few who kindly offers Deepstriking the things.

One of the OP armies in 5th was Space Wolves, with long fang missile spam at S8

 ZebioLizard2 wrote:

 Da Kommizzar wrote:
From what I understand in my own experiences, Raveners should have been commonplace before this update of them.

The Instinctive behaviour defaulting to Rage was stupidly good for the little guys when coupled with the fact they could fly across the board so to speak.

I do not know what has changed, but I believe Raveners will be taken in new light if they have lost Rage. As can be seen from the post up above a few who kindly offers Deepstriking the things.

One of the OP armies in 5th was Space Wolves, with long fang missile spam at S8

This.

6th edition has pretty much killed off vehicle spam (apart from flyers) and as such we've seen a decline in high strength, single shot weapons and an increase of mid-strength multi shot weapons to deal with the flyer spam/troop spam that has emerged. This is only proving beneficial to the mid-sized 'nids (Warriors and Raveners) as it means the most common sources of ID (Krak Missile Spam, Meltaspam) have started to fade out in favour of things they are more than designed to deal with (Autocannon Spam and Plasma spam). The 5th ed meta (anti-vehicle) destroyed mid-sized nids for free - the loss of EW with synapse punished them there. But now the multi-wound blobs are coming back into style - sure, the anti-flyer meta is death for our actual flyers but the new book seems to have also opened back up a new branch we all forgot about a long while back as well. Nidzilla.

So yeah, Raveners and Warriors are unchanged - yet the change in the meta benefited them hugely
Carnifexes got a point drop - suddenly they are becoming more viable, especially with AG now giving Fleet.

Sure, some armies can afford to spam S8-S10 without caring - IG and Tau...but that is where Nidzilla starts to shine again.

I've been toying with the idea of running a bunch of them in 3 squads. I personally like the idea of throwing other high priority targets on the board or in front of them (lictors and genestealers) to distract the enemy from shooting them for a turn. Stick to cover where possible.I don't like the idea of deepstriking them. Too expensive to shoot, and have to wait a turn to charge.

I wish I had a meta with no strength 8, I love the Ravener model, it's my favourite non-MC, but they would just melt against my usual opponents.

I like Raveners.
While I haven't gotten a chance to use any yet, I would very much like to run three full broods with a Red Terror.
I wouldn't deep strike them, I'd run them up the board, from cover to cover till they're in CC.

Raveners have a lot of potential.
If I were to Deep Strike with them I would upgrade them with Devourers so they could wreck squads straight away.

I've never liked the you can't assualt after you Deep Strike rule, but you can shoot.

The meta I play in is pretty brutal. I have proxied them a few times and tried to use them to come up a flank with a flyrant but they are just getting shot up. I likely need them in more numbers which just eats up to much in points.

Red terror is pretty useless given his cost.. You're better off using a full squad of raveners for his cost, since he doesn't do much of anything.

Honestly I haven't seen ravener's used in like a decade and doubtful that'll change.

 DarkStarSabre wrote:


So yeah, Raveners and Warriors are unchanged - yet the change in the meta benefited them hugely

I wouldn't say they're unchanged. Warriors can mix and match weapons now, can no longer trade their devourers out for rending claws, and can get flash hooks again. The Raveners' stat line hasn't changed, but their instinctive behavior has, making them less effective out of synapse. Instead of having to assault (5th) or getting 2 bonus attacks on the charge (early 6th) they now stand around nibbling on each other.


I've run them occasionally with rending claws and devourers. They do OK, but generally they'll fail because I can't keep them in synapse. One powerfist wound is usually enough for them to lose combat and even with I5 they'll get swept.

 Kirasu wrote:
Red terror is pretty useless given his cost.. You're better off using a full squad of raveners for his cost, since he doesn't do much of anything.

Honestly I haven't seen ravener's used in like a decade and doubtful that'll change.

Red is far from useless. He now has the mantle of best challenger the Nid codex has.

1) You can blow off the T5, but it does mean he can take the hits for S8 weapons. It also means that he is less likely to take a wound.

2) He has more attacks then you think and that helps with his special ability. On the charge he has 6 attacks (minus his tail) and he only has to hit with 4 of those to use his rule.

3) His special attack is one of the few attacks in all of 40K that ignores EW. It also ignores toughness, regular armour and FNP. So if your up against someone in terminator armor with T6 W4 EW and FNP, he is gone on unless he makes that 5+ save. In a lot of cases people are declining the challenge because it is not worth risking a 200pt+ model to kill a 80pt model. They also remove that guy with the powerfist worry from your unit.

So he is pricey, but he is far from useless. Still trying my raveners out and they are doing ok so far. They help make up for losing spore pods.

EDIT: Warriors can swap out thier devourer for scytal and those scytal for anouther CC weapon like rending claws just so you know.

 Arschbombe wrote:

can no longer trade their devourers out for rending claws

Actually, they still can. You just have to go about it a more complicated way. Read the armoury - particularly the bits about swapping the devourer out of another set of scything talons (for free) and then the melee bio weapons entry of any pair of scything talons for rending claws.

Actually meant at no cost. It used to be free. An RC/ST warrior was 30 points. It now costs them 5 points because of the round about way. So RC/ST warriors cost 35 now.