Chapter Organization

It seems only fitting to start my journey on the new platform with laying down a lot of the ground rules and getting to know how my mind works in regards to my 40K army, the Raven Guard Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes. Space Marines. Now I’ll likely talk about lore about things other than Space Marines, and I’ll definitely have plenty of commentary about the gameplay from time to time. But first, my army, so we’re all on the same page.

This is basically a copy/paste of the Google Doc, orginally an iPhone Note, I use to track my total army and painting progress. Then I couldn’t help but organize them according to the strictures of the Codex Astartes. And from there, my Chapter was born. Or at least some presence in 7 of the Companies, as well as members of all the Specialist Branches of the Chapter.

This list includes every model I own, unbuilt, built, and painted to my parade-ready standard as the Captain above can represent, as well as my thoughts in regard to each Company as presented in the lore of the Raven Guard within several Codex Space Marines and the Raven Guard Supplement. My hope is that, even if my specific army may not interest you, the organizational structure may be of use in tracking and organizing your own army or be of inspiration in finding your own way of tracking your growth as a collector and a painter.

Also, super basics for those that may not know:

1st Company: Veterans, usually dispersed as elite support for other Companies and Strike Forces.

2nd-5th Companies; Battle Companies made up of a Captain, 2 Lieutenants, a Command Squad typically made up of an Ancient, an Apothecary, Company Champion, and Company Veterans, then 6 Battleline Squads (Squads 1-6), 2 Close Support Squads (Squads 7-8), and 2 Fire Support Squads (Squads 9-10). These can be expanded to include further squads 11+ and of any role as long as the total number of Battle Brothers of all Squads in a Company does not exceed 100. This does not include those in the Command Squad.

6-7th Companies: Reserve Companies (Battleline) these companies follow the same guidelines of the Battle Companies except every Squad is a Battleline Squad, and their purpose is to replenish the battlefield losses of the Battle Companies as required. Even so, they are still a fully capable force on the battlefield.

8th Company: Reserve Company (Close Support). Same as before except all squads are Close Support types.

9th Company: Reserve Company (Fire Support). Same as before except all squads are Fire Support types.

10th Company: Scout Company. Here do all the Scouts of a Chapter see ‘hands on’ training on the battlefield. These do not effect the limit of 1000 Battle-Brothers on a Chapter as they are not full Battle Brothers, and fluctuate with recruitment and battlefield losses.

Vanguard Company: A new addition to the order of battle as Guilliman thought it prudent for all Chapters to have a standing force of the new Vanguard elemtns of the new Primaris Space Marines, and thus all Chapters will have access to a full Companies worth of expert scouts, infiltrators, marksmen, assassins, sabotuers, and terror troops as the Chapter requires at a moment’s notice. This does not meen you may not see the standing forces of the other Companies take up the same unit types as their standard equipment.

For example, as mentioned below, the Raven Guard, whose tactics already heavily favoured the new Vanguard Space Marines, 2nd Company Captain decided he liked the Vanguard so much that he set out to eventually transform his company into effectively a second standing Vanguard Company.

With those basics out of the way.

Raven Guard Chapter Structure:

Check = Fully painted, Dot = Built/fieldable, Dash = Unbuilt

{Unit}(Squad number)[Squad Size]<Weapons>

A universal doctrine I hold to while painting my army is holding to the reference that all Battle-brothers have one trim painted black to denote the Raven Guard.

Chapter Command:

Chapter Command is fairly straight forward. Shrike and the Chapter equivalents of the Command Squad. I intend on heavily converting all of which, and a heavily ornamented Vanguard Veteran Squad at some point to run as Shrike’s Wing, his one-time specialist squad, now considered his Honor Guard as far as I’m concerned. Will ensure they bear trophies of both Orks and Tau to represent Shrike’s most prominent moments.

✓ Kayvaan Shrike

- Chapter {Bladeguard} Ancient

Librarius

- Chief Librarian in Terminator Armor

◦ Librarian

✓ Phobos Librarian

Reclusium

✓ Master of Sanctity {Chaplain with Jump Pack} Jolaran Tael <Boltgun/Crozius/Jump Pack>

- Chaplain in Terminator Armor

◦ Primaris Chaplain

- Primaris Chaplain

◦ Judiciar

- Judiciar

Armory

My thoughts on the armory was any Relic type or particularly large Vehicle or Dreadnought would be assigned to the Chapter Armory, while any vehicles based upon the Rhino, Land Speeder, Land Raider, Impulsor, or Repulsor chassis, as well as regular Line Dreadnoughts, would be assigned to Companies. I intend on a heavily converted Primaris Techmarine to be the Master of the Forge when I get the model.

✓ Techmarine Korophae Keskyl <Boltgun/Power Axe/Servo-Harness>

◦ Relic Contemptor Dreadnought Tykhor <Twin Lascannons/Cyclone Missile Launcher>

✓ Relic Leviathan Siege Dreadnought

◦ Relic Sicaran Venator

◦ Drop Pod “Falling Shade” <Storm Bolter>

1st Company

The 1st Company has probably my biggest design quandry. As before the release of the Bladeguard I had the idea to convert an entire Command Squad in Tartaros Terminator Plate, which seemed the Terminator type favored by the Raven Guard, basing upon pre-9th rules. However, the Bladeguard are very good, and are made much better by the Bladeguard Ancient, which I have two of. As I currently own the models and not the spare Tartaros, for now the 1st Company Ancient is a Bladeguard, as are all of the current officers. I am tossing around the idea of going forward with the Tartaros project and making that Ancient with a Bladeguard Standard and play it as such. The rest is as expected, Veterans and Terminators go here, as well as the only Land Raider in my collection.

- Bladeguard Captain

- Bladeguard Lieutenant

- Bladeguard Ancient

✓ Veteran Intercessor Squad Aajz “The Ashen” (1)[5] <Power Fist/Hand Flamer/Bolt Rifles>

◦ Tartaros Terminator Squad (2)[5]

◦ Terminator Squad (3)[5]

◦ Bladeguard Veterans (4)[3]

◦ Bladeguard Veterans (5)[3]

◦ Land Raider Redeemer/Crusader

2nd Company

I’m going to open the 2nd Company as my proper Vanguard overflow, as it seems the actual 2nd Captain loved the Vanguard and set out to make the 2nd close to a second Vanguard company. It will likely be a long time however before any of these models get their new trims or squad numbers, however.

✓ Phobos Captain

✓ Phobos Lt

✓ Eliminators Squad (9)[3]

3rd Company

The 3rd, the GhostStalkers. These are the core of my collection and the core of my current Crusade. Thus they are the most (once all built, fully) complete Company. It’s also designed to be fairly balanced within the basic structure of 6 Battle-Line, 2 Close Support, 2 Heavy Support. My current long term goal is to have the entire Company painted and presentable as Parade-Ready and potentially build a diorama for them. Their unit composition is also built around two fundamentals: 1. They were decimated under Shrike during the Damoclese Crusade, so most of the Vets and premiere squads are Firstborn but most of the Company is Primaris, and 2. Ambush, as is the 3rd’s way. Who represents the best units to both set up and execute a telling ambush. The 1st Squad, Tactical Squad Shaevac at full 10 with Meltas in their Rhino, the “Tyrants’ Fall” and a solid line of Intercessors geared for short range rushes and Infiltrators revealing themselves among the ruins while the Captain with sword and board leads Aggressors and Eradicators into a heavy rush from the shadows on one side while the “Falling Shade” Drop Pod falls upon the other side, disgorging the full Command Squad with a phalanx of Storm Shield Veterans. All while the flanks and outliers set upon by Outriders and Inceptors. If you notice I put a 6-man Outrider Squad that’s because I couldn’t see a full company not having more because of gameplay balance reasons. I also moved some of my Vanguard forces I currently use in my Crusade into the 3rd as add-ons as I learned how squad numbers go beyond 10 and how to apply them. Really you can just keep going as long as you’re under 100 Battle-Brothers.

✓ {Primaris Captain} Shadow Captain Vordyn Krayn <MC Power Sword/Relic Shield>

✓ {Primaris Lt.} Shade Lt. Kraephen Trasyr <Power Sword/Bolt Pistol>

◦ {Primaris Lt.} <Neo-Volkite Pistol/Power Sword/Storm Shield>

✓ Company Ancient Phryn Klyvorn <Combi-Grav>

✓ Apothecary Vorys Kylo <Bolt Pistol/Chainsword>

◦ Company Vets “Red Raven” Kyorn [5] <Combi-Gravs/Storm Shields/Grav-cannon>

- Company Champion

◦ Tactical Squad Shaevac (1)[10] <Combi-Grav/Gravgun/Multi-Melta>

- Infiltrators Squad (2)[5]

✓ Infiltrators Squad Vorys (3)[5] <Helix Gauntlet>

◦ Intercessors Squad Shaertek (4)[5] <Auto Bolt Rifle/Grenade Launcher>

◦ Intercessors Squad (5)[5] <Auto Bolt Rifle/Grenade Launcher>

◦ Intercessors Squad (6)[5] <Bolt Rifles>

- Inceptors Squad (7)[3] <Assault Bolters>

◦ Outriders Squad (8)[6]

◦ Eradicators Squad (9)[6] <Melta-Rifles>

✓ Aggressors Squad Shykos (10)[3] <Auto Boltstorm Gauntlets>

✓ Eliminators Squad Solari (11)[3] <Bolt Sniper Rifles>

✓ Suppressors Squad Orlos (12)[3]

◦ Venerable Dreadnought (1)

◦ Dreadnought Korvaedyn <Dreadnought Fist/Storm Bolter/Multi-Melta>

◦ Rhino “Tyrants’ Fall” <Storm Bolter/Hunter-Killer Missile Launcher>

5th Company

The 5th Company is my Heavy Company. In time I intend that this Company be almost exclusively Gravis armored. Where is my Gravis Lt.? Also any heavier vehicles like Vindicators or Predator Annihilators are likely to go here rather than to the 3rd Company.

◦ Gravis Captain

◦ Primaris Lt

◦ Primaris Ancient

◦ Eradicators Squad (9)[3]

◦ Hellblasters Squad (10)[10]

8th Company

Right now the 8 is my overflow for Close Support units and the resting place of my 8th Edition 1.0 missile Captain.

◦ Captain on Bike

◦ Reiver Squad (1)[5]

◦ Reiver Squad (2)[5]

- Bike Squad (3)[3]

- Incursors Squad (4)[5]

- Incursors Squad (5)[5]

9th Company

So at one point the 9th was my Heavy Company, then I learned that 9th’s Captain was extremely anti-Primaris so it was a good place for my Solaq Captain as Solaq is now dead and he’s my only Firstborn Captain. This is where all my Heavy Support Firstborn, Ironclad and Mortis Dreadnoughts, as well as Flyers will initially go.

✓ Shadow Captain <MC Power Sword/Plasma Pistol>

10th Company

10th is obviously Scouts, and any of their related units will be assigned here.

◦ Sniper Scout Squad (1)[5]

And that is my army as of the beginning of December, 2020.

For those wishing to copy the format, consider how loyal to the lore you wish to be in your own Chapter. Then read up on anything you can on the personality of the individual Companies and Captains of them in each Chapter. The Supplements for the First Founding Chapters, and I recommend Lexicanum and Wikidom for 40k to find out more on your own Chapters if any exist.

If they don’t then feel free to let your imagination run wild.