Who are the Raven Guard?
The Raven Guard are the ghosts of the Space Marines: gene-sons of Corvus Corax who win wars by never being where you swing. They infiltrate, they strike a weak point, and they are gone before the smoke clears. If you fancy an army that outmanoeuvres rather than out-slugs, browse the Raven Guard collection and the wider Warhammer 40k Space Marines range to start plotting your ambushes.
The Core Fantasy
This is guerrilla warfare in power armour. The Raven Guard do not form a battle line and grind; they melt out of shadow, gut the enemy plan, and vanish into cover before the counter-punch lands. It is the joy of the perfect ambush, over and over, and it rewards a sneaky, patient sort of player.
Expect:
- Infiltration: units that begin the game already up the board, breathing down the enemy's neck.
- Deep strike and jump troops: assault elements that drop in exactly where they will hurt most.
- Hit-and-run: lightning strikes on a weak point, then a clean withdrawal instead of a slugging match.
- A stark, striking look: black armour with white markings that photographs beautifully on the table.
How They Play on the Tabletop
Under Codex: Space Marines, the Raven Guard lean into a fast-strike, stealth flavour. You are not trying to hold the centre with a wall of bodies; you are threatening the whole board at once, forcing your opponent to defend everywhere and commit nowhere. Screen, scout, infiltrate, then strike the one unit that props up their game. Then do it again somewhere else.
It is a thinking player's army. The pay-off is enormous when it clicks, and genuinely painful when you misjudge a charge and leave a squad hanging in the open.
What you'll love:
- Board control from turn one: pre-game moves and infiltrate mean you often dictate where the fight happens.
- Alpha-strike potential: jump and deep-strike units can remove a key threat before it acts.
- Objective flexibility: fast, mobile units grab and contest points a slower army simply cannot reach.
What can bite you:
- Fragility: elite, low-model-count forces feel every casualty. Overextend and you get punished.
- Timing pressure: mistime a strike and your ambushers become target practice.
- Positioning tax: the army demands you think two turns ahead; sloppy movement costs you games.
Shadow War: Speed Versus the Gunline
The Raven Guard are the anti-attrition army, and the cleanest way to understand them is to hold them up against a sibling Chapter that plays the exact opposite game. Where a fortress-minded force digs in and dares you to come and die on its guns, the Raven Guard refuse to give it a target. They win the game the gunline wanted to play by simply not turning up to it.
If you like the idea of a stubborn, dug-in shooting army instead, our Imperial Fists army analysis is the mirror image: bolter discipline and siege warfare versus shadow and speed. Reading both side by side is the quickest way to work out which sort of Space Marine player you actually are.
Key Unit Roles (What You'll Commonly Need)
1) The Screens and Scouts (control the board): Scouts and Phobos infiltrators like Infiltrators and Incursors push up early, deny deep strike, and shape where the enemy can go.
2) The Ambushers (deal the damage): Reivers and jump-pack Assault Intercessors drop or leap in, hit a soft target hard, and open a hole in the enemy line.
3) The Snipers (kill the characters): Eliminators pick off enemy leaders and key models from concealment, the perfect Raven Guard tool.
4) The Fast Movers (grab the board): speeders and bikes race for objectives, harass flanks, and keep the enemy reacting instead of acting.
5) The Leadership (tie it together): Phobos and Vanguard characters buff your stealthy core, and Kayvaan Shrike himself is the beating heart of a hit-and-run list.
Getting Started the Smart Way
Step 1 — Build a mobile core.
- Start with a Phobos or Scout squad plus a unit of Assault Intercessors so you learn both halves of the army: control and strike.
Step 2 — Add a striker and a sniper.
- A unit of Reivers or Eliminators teaches you the ambush timing that defines the Chapter.
Step 3 — Nail the paint scheme early.
- Black base, sharp edge highlight, crisp white raven markings. It is fast, high-contrast and forgiving. Our beginner painting guide walks you through it, and the Warhammer Colour paints cover everything you need for the look.
Step 4 — Practise the movement.
- Play a few games focusing only on positioning and withdrawal. Master that and the wins follow.
Common Beginner Mistakes (Avoid These)
- Committing everything turn one: Raven Guard reward patience. Do not blow your whole hand on the first ambush.
- Standing still: a stationary stealth army is just an expensive, fragile gunline. Keep moving.
- Ignoring objectives: killing things is fun, but you win on points. Use your speed to score.
- Over-extending strikers: if a unit cannot fall back or survive the return blow, it is not an ambush, it is a donation.
- Forgetting screens: without scouts up front, faster enemies get the drop on you first.
Who the Raven Guard Are For
“Choose the Raven Guard if you love the perfect ambush, thrive on outsmarting your opponent, and want a small, elite, fast collection with a striking black-and-white look. Give them a miss if you prefer a resilient gunline that stands its ground and trades blows.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Are the Raven Guard good for beginners?
They are a rewarding but demanding first army. The models are striking and the collection stays small, but the hit-and-run playstyle punishes sloppy movement, so expect a learning curve on positioning.
What makes the Raven Guard different from other Space Marines?
They specialise in stealth, infiltration and mobility. Rather than standing and trading fire, they use Phobos units, jump troops and deep strike to hit a weak point and withdraw, playing Codex: Space Marines with a fast-strike, guerrilla flavour.
Is the Raven Guard paint scheme hard to do?
Quite the opposite. Black armour with a sharp edge highlight and crisp white raven markings is high-contrast, fast to paint and forgiving, which makes it ideal for a smaller, elite force that still looks superb on the table.
Who is the main Raven Guard character?
Kayvaan Shrike, the Master of Shadows, is the Chapter's iconic hero and a natural centrepiece for any hit-and-run list built around jump and Phobos units.
Final thought: the Raven Guard do not win the fight you expect. They win the one you never saw coming, and they are already gone by the time you notice.
Further reading: dig into the lore in our Raven Guard Faction Files, or get the lay of the land with the Warhammer 40k Factions Hub.
