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So I am just getting into this hobby scene and have some questions about building my first army. I have been reading forums and stuff for quite some time and I own the newest DA Codex...I feel I am ready to start building...MAYBE...

Ultimately I wanna put together a 2000 Point Army (is this your standard size or is that considered on the high end?).

Obviously I am not about to drop $750 on a full army immediately and have 50ish models right off the bat laying around so I wanna put a smaller 500 point list together to ease myself into everything.

I want to build a DW Heavy army, augmented by a smaller RW Task Force. Where would you guys recommend I start?

Again I am brand new to this hobby and I probably don't even have all the rules down pat...but this is what I threw together real fast...this could then be added to over time to create my final Army list...

HQ

Interrogator Chaplain – Space Marine Bike – Bolt Pistol - 130 Points
Ravenwing Command Squad – Company Banner – Ravenwing Champion – Blade of Caliban - 145 Points


TROOPS

Ravenwing Biker Squad – 2x Bolt Pistol – Ravenwing Sergeant – Chain Sword and Storm Bolter - 80 Points

Ravenwing Black Knights – 2x Plasma Talon, 1x Grenade Launcher - Ravenwing Huntmaster – Power Weapon, Melta Bombs - 137 Points


TOTAL: 492 Points

Ravenwing, especially Black Knights, are the most competitive third of the DA codex, and Deathwing the least. That's unfortunate because Deathwing look awesome and bikes are a pain to build.

A three model Black Knight unit doesn't need a grenade launcher. Those are most often used to knock things like wraithknights initiative down. Similarly, the Ravenwing banner is too costly for a small unit in a small game. Save the grenade launcher for when you build a five or six model command squad (and you should) and save banner for when you combine with two or more HQ. Champion is fine because he's cheap and always useful.

Storm bolter has no value on bikers. Do add at least one special weapon to the bikes, prolly grav.

This is an elite army with low model count. Identify the few units that actually threaten your models and mission, throw everything at them first, then go claim objectives. That's anything with Ignores Cover or any powerful AND mobile assault unit.

First listen to the guy above me, he knows his gak.

Second, what you are running here is effectively a death star army at 500 points.

I would run it as such

HQ
Chaplin on a bike, dont take the interrogator.

Elite
RW command squad with champion, and apoth, its expensive for the apoth but so worth it.

Troops
Rw black knights
Ravenwing Dark shroud

the dark shroud is cheap, 85 points, and gives all your units with in 6 inches stealth so they then have a 2+ rerollable jink, on top of that, if you assault, stating with in 6 inches of the speeder, you ignore over watch.

Thanks for the advice! This is exactly what I need!

Since I haven't actually played a game or anything, I am not familiar with the mechanics yet, just kind of threw something together blindly...once I start learning mechanics, strengths and weaknesses, I will stop stumbling blindly in the dark...THANKS AGAIN!

Tiny correction - the bikes aren't Troops, they remain as Fast Attack, it's just that the Ravenwing Strike Force (page 159 of the DA Codex) doesn't need any Troops (and indeed, doesn't allow any), but has 2-12 Fast Attack slots instead.

This doesn't make any difference to the list (it's a legal list using the Strike Force), but is important to remember for The Scouring mission (Eternal War mission in the main rulebook) and for things like fighting Deathwatch.

It'd be helpful to know what you intend to build up to. Do you want a balanced mix of a little bit of everything? Are you looking to run an army that can hold its own in an ITC tournament?

You'll certainly want the Black Knights and the RWCS down the road, but starting off at 500pts you have just two actual fighting units, and they won't be very big. You might be better off using regular Ravenwing Bike Squads to start with.

Ravenwing Strike Force
HQ
Librarian (ML1) on bike

Fast Attack
Ravenwing BIke Squad: 2 Bikers+Sergeant: 2x grav gun
Ravenwing Bike Squad: 2 Bikers+Sergeant: 2xflamer
Ravenwing Bike Squad: 2 Bikers+Sergeant: meltagun, meltabombs for the sergeant
Ravenwing Attack Bike Squad: 1 Attack Bike: multimelta
Dark Shroud

The Librarian on a bike is a good cheap HQ choice, and the Bike Squads give you good workhorse units to build off of. They also feed into Auxiliary choices for the Lion's Blade detachment, which the Black Knights don't do.

Speaking of the Lion's Blade, a good old fashioned CAD gives you a good start on that.

HQ
Company Master: Mace of Redemption

Troops:
Tac Squad: Sergeant: combi-grav, 4 Marines: grav gun
Rhino
Tac Squad: Sergeant: combi-flamer, 4 Marines: flamer
Rhino
Tac Squad: Sergeant: combi-melta, meltabombs, 4 Marines: meltagun

The Company Master with the Mace of Redemption is one of the go-to HQ choices for the Lion's Blade, and the Tac Squads are building blocks towards it.

As a new player, look for ways to get the most out of your purchases. For instance, buy Razorback kits instead of Rhino kits. If you don't glue the top hatch in place, you can use the hulls as either of them by swapping out the top hatch pieces and cupola bitz. Magnetizing parts on minis is also helpful. If you magnetize the special weapon upgrades, they can be swapped out as you see fit. I also have a magnetized Company Master, so I can swap out between a bolt pistol and a storm shield, and a regular backpack or a jump pack (his Mace of Redemption arm is glued on).