STARTING A RAVEN GUARD ARMY IN 11TH EDITION: WINGS IN THE DARK
The Raven Guard strike from shadow, and 11th edition is a fine time to raise an army that rewards patient painters and impatient generals. Where other chapters advance in proud gunlines, the sons of Corax appear behind you, finish the job, and vanish — and the collection mirrors the doctrine: lean squads of black-armoured infiltrators rather than parade-ground ranks. The scheme is one of the most forgiving in the game, jet black with white and silver accents, and the army's stealthy identity means almost every box you buy has a clear job. This is a chapter for hobbyists who like their armies elegant, their tactics sneaky, and their painting sessions mercifully finite.
The first box
Start with the current Combat Patrol-style set, and favour anything wearing Phobos armour — the lightweight reconnaissance plate is the Raven Guard's modern uniform. Infiltrators and Incursors are the core: cloaked, suppressed and sinister, they look like they were sculpted with this chapter in mind. Paint the black first and resist the urge to overwork it — a restrained edge highlight in cold grey does more for black armour than any amount of fussing. White shoulder trim and the chapter's raven icon lift the whole squad at the very end.
The second shadow
Deepen the doctrine. Eliminators bring camo-cloaked snipers to your ridgelines, Reivers add the terror-troops of chapter legend, and Vanguard Veterans supply the jump-pack tradition Corax's sons never abandoned. Then recruit the master of the shadow war himself: Kayvaan Shrike, Chapter Master, winged and clawed and permanently mid-ambush. A Phobos Librarian is the other characterful pick, whispering squads across the battlefield. Notice what you're not buying — no massed armour, no static gun batteries. The Raven Guard collection stays light on purpose, and your budget will thank the primarch for it.
Choosing your centrepiece
The Invictor Tactical Warsuit is the flavour choice: a war-engine that stalks forward alongside your infiltrators, open-cockpit pilot and all — a walker that actually suits a stealth chapter. If you want something bigger, a gunship such as the Stormraven gives the army its airborne insertion in one dramatic kit. Either becomes the black monolith at the heart of every army photo, and both paint faster than their size suggests.
Recommended: Invictor Tactical Warsuit
Reading the shadows of a new edition
Points and datasheets were refreshed for 11th edition, and starter boxes rotate with the times — so scout before you strike: check current contents and current points before building a list. Corax would never commit forces on old intelligence, and neither should you.
Purchases to defer
- Heavy tanks. Nothing ruins an ambush like bringing a parade.
- A fourth flavour of Phobos squad before the first three are painted — shadows should be black, not grey plastic.
- Jump-pack units in bulk; one squad descending is drama, three unpainted is clutter.
- Any centrepiece bought before your infantry core is finished. The raven lands last.
The raven's tally
Corax taught his sons that victory belongs to those who know exactly what they have and where it is — so keep the tally. Log each kit the day it arrives and mark it truthfully: boxed, built, or finished. A Raven Guard force is compact enough that a fully painted army is a realistic goal, not a fantasy, and watching the finished column overtake the backlog is the quiet triumph this chapter was made for. For the complete catalogue of everything the sons of Corax can field, see the Raven Guard faction page under Data. Now paint quietly, and let the finished army make the noise.