Raven Guard are the unseen predators of the Warhammer 40k universe, masters of stealth and guerrilla warfare.
Striking from the shadows with precision and speed, they overwhelm their enemies before vanishing back into the darkness. Their strengths lie in their infiltration tactics, lightning-fast strikes, and superior mobility.
First-time players will appreciate their flexibility on the battlefield. Painting them requires dark tones, subtle highlights, and techniques that emphasize their elusive, deadly nature.
Who Are Raven Guard?
Raven Guard are the Emperor’s secret hunters, the blackened specters that haunt the galaxy’s warzones.
Descended from their brooding Primarch, Corvus Corax, they are the silent, unseen hand of the Imperium. Where others charge into battle head-on, Raven Guard slip through the shadows, striking only when the time is right, their black armor blending into the void. They are masters of sabotage, infiltration, and assassination, waging war with surgical precision.
Once a proud legion, Raven Guard were decimated during the Horus Heresy, betrayed at the Dropsite Massacre. Though they have never fully recovered, they adapted, becoming the scalpel where others wield the hammer. Their strategies favor hit-and-run tactics, decapitating strikes, and battlefield manipulation. Raven Guard fight for the Emperor in the darkness, preferring stealth and deception over brute strength, forever carrying the scars of their betrayal.
What Are Raven Guard’s Army Strengths?
Raven Guard embody subtlety and precision, excelling in hit-and-run tactics and ambushes. Here’s what makes them a formidable force:
- Mastery of Stealth: The Raven Guard can slip into the shadows before the enemy even knows they are there. Their ability to infiltrate and deploy rapidly allows them to dictate the flow of battle, striking vulnerable targets with devastating effect.
- Precision Strikes: Armed with deadly accuracy, Raven Guard forces excel at eliminating key enemy units before they can even react. Their ability to outmaneuver and deploy deep behind enemy lines makes them a deadly force in the early stages of any engagement.
- High Mobility: Whether deploying via jump packs or fast-moving units, Raven Guard forces are incredibly agile. They can reposition quickly, taking advantage of weak spots in the enemy lines, and disappearing before retaliation comes.
- Psychological Warfare: The Raven Guard thrive on sowing confusion and fear. Striking swiftly and silently, they force enemies to fight on their terms, often leaving their opponents scrambling to respond to an enemy they cannot see.
- Tactical Flexibility: With access to a variety of units specializing in ambush, sabotage, and assault, the Raven Guard can adapt to any battlefield scenario. Their ability to rapidly redeploy ensures they are always one step ahead of the enemy.
Where Should Beginners Start?
For new players looking to command the Raven Guard, these models will provide a versatile, stealthy force:
- Primaris Infiltrators: These light, fast-moving troops are excellent at setting up ambushes and striking from the shadows. Their ability to deploy in enemy territory makes them perfect for a Raven Guard army.
- Primaris Phobos Captain: Leading your forces with expert tactical acumen, the Phobos Captain enhances your infiltration units, making them even deadlier. His ability to sneak behind enemy lines and disrupt their forces is invaluable.
- Vanguard Veterans: Equipped with jump packs, these fast-moving shock troops excel at blitzing enemy lines. Their speed and precision are perfect for Raven Guard hit-and-run tactics.
- Raven Guard Eliminators: These snipers are specialists in removing high-value enemy targets from a distance. Their stealth and deadly accuracy make them a perfect fit for any Raven Guard army.
- Primaris Reivers: Fearless and lethal in close-quarters combat, Reivers strike terror into enemy troops with their assault tactics. Their ability to deep strike into battle zones and cause havoc is quintessential Raven Guard.
- Suppressors: These long-ranged infantry support units can lay down suppressive fire while maintaining a mobile battlefield presence. They fit perfectly into the Raven Guard’s strategy of rapid strikes and swift retreats.
How to Paint The Raven Guard
Painting the Raven Guard requires dark tones that reflect their shadowy nature, along with subtle highlights to give depth to their black armor. The primary color scheme is a deep, matte black with striking accents of white or silver. Their stealthy, ghostly aesthetic should be reflected in the details—subtle, cold, and menacing.
Color Scheme Ideas
Shadow Stalkers
- Base Color: Abaddon Black
- Use: The primary armor color, keeping to the Raven Guard’s traditional black for maximum stealth and concealment.
- Shading: Nuln Oil
- Use: In the recesses and joints, deepening the shadows and giving the black armor an even more ominous appearance.
- Highlights: Eshin Gray
- Use: For subtle edge highlights on the armor, adding a sharp contrast while maintaining the overall stealthy look.
- Accent Colors: Leadbelcher
- Use: For metallic areas such as weapons, bionic limbs, and mechanical details, adding a cold, industrial contrast to the black armor.
- Additional Accent: Mephiston Red
- Use: On eye lenses, insignia, and small details to provide a sharp, striking contrast against the black, symbolizing their precise and lethal nature.
- Highlight for Accents: Stormhost Silver
- Use: To edge highlight metallic parts, such as weapons and bionics, giving them a polished, reflective finish.
This is the classic Raven Guard scheme, focusing on black armor and minimal, sharp contrasts to maintain the chapter’s stealthy, shadowy identity.
Midnight Talons
- Base Color: Corvus Black
- Use: A very dark gray-black for the armor, providing a slightly softer, weathered look compared to pure black.
- Shading: Drakenhof Nightshade
- Use: To add a cool blue tone to the recesses, giving the armor a subtle, eerie glow that evokes the feel of operating in the dead of night.
- Highlights: Dawnstone
- Use: For sharp edge highlights, making the armor stand out with a cold gray edge while still maintaining its stealthy appearance.
- Accent Colors: Runefang Steel
- Use: On weapons, bionics, and small armor details like chest emblems, providing a metallic contrast that complements the darker tones of the armor.
- Additional Accent: Caliban Green
- Use: For lenses, cables, and power coils, adding a cool, mysterious green glow to the model, evoking the chapter’s expertise in clandestine operations.
- Highlight for Accents: Stormhost Silver
- Use: For bright metallic highlights on weapons and armor details, adding a sharp, refined finish.
This scheme evokes the cold, tactical precision of the Raven Guard, with a slightly softer, more weathered black and cool green accents, reflecting their night-fighting expertise.
Spectral Hunters
- Base Color: Dark Reaper
- Use: For a dark, muted blue-black armor, offering a more ghostly and spectral appearance while maintaining the dark, stealthy nature of the Raven Guard.
- Shading: Nuln Oil
- Use: In the recesses and panel lines, adding deep shadows to the armor and enhancing its spectral, shadowy feel.
- Highlights: Fenrisian Gray
- Use: For bright edge highlights, creating a sharp contrast to the muted armor and adding an almost ethereal glow to the model.
- Accent Colors: Brass Scorpion
- Use: For weapon details, shoulder pad trims, and chest emblems, adding a warm metallic contrast that complements the cooler tones of the armor.
- Additional Accent: Khorne Red
- Use: On eye lenses, purity seals, and insignia, providing a vivid contrast that breaks up the dark tones and adds a sense of menace.
- Highlight for Accents: Runefang Steel
- Use: For edge highlights on metallic parts, giving a sharp, battle-ready finish.
This scheme embraces a ghostly, ethereal vibe for the Raven Guard, with dark, muted blue-black armor and sharp, cold highlights that make them appear almost spectral, reflecting their ability to appear and vanish like shadows.
Raven Guard Painting Techniques
To capture the elusive, deadly feel of the Raven Guard, specific painting techniques will help bring out the sinister, stealthy vibe of these shadowy warriors.
- Subtle Edge Highlighting: Use a dark gray or very light blue to edge highlight their black armor. Carefully highlight the sharp edges of the power armor, focusing on areas where light would naturally hit. This helps give depth to the black armor without compromising its stealthy appearance, ensuring the model looks sharp but still menacing in the darkness.
- Drybrushing for Texture: Lightly drybrush a gray or metallic paint onto certain areas like weapons, backpacks, and mechanical limbs to simulate wear and tear. Adds a rough, battle-worn texture to the model, emphasizing that the Raven Guard operate in the harshest environments, striking unseen.
- Object Source Lighting (OSL): Use a glowing red or green to create a lighting effect on the eyes, weapon barrels, or energy packs. Start with a bright spot of color and gently blend outward. Gives the models an eerie, predatory glow, as if they are watching from the shadows, ready to strike at any moment.
- Weathering and Battle Damage: Apply subtle chipping or weathering to armor edges using sponged-on metallics or a small brush. Focus on areas where the armor would be exposed to damage, like knees, elbows, or shoulder pads. Emphasizes that while the Raven Guard operate in the shadows, they are still fierce warriors who endure the chaos of battle.
- Glowing Effects for Stealth Tech: Use blue or green glazes to create glowing effects on tech panels, visors, and energy weapons. Gives the models an advanced, almost ethereal presence, highlighting their use of high-tech gear while staying true to their stealthy nature.
- Matte Finishing: After painting, apply a matte varnish to keep the armor dark and non-reflective, ensuring they look as stealthy as they fight. Matte finishes ensure the Raven Guard’s black armor stays dark and shadowy, reflecting the covert nature of their warfare.
By mastering these techniques, your Raven Guard models will exude the cold, calculated precision they embody on the battlefield. Cloaked in shadow, these warriors will look as if they’re ready to emerge from the darkness to strike with lethal precision.
