Raven Guard - Chapter Combat Doctrine: The Raven Guard generally follows the dictates of the Codex Astartes, though there are some differences in how it chooses to carry out tactical deployments due to their limited numbers and the preference for covert shadow warfare that dictates the deployment of their forces.The Chapter specialises in guerilla tactics behind enemy lines, using precisely coordinated attacks and refraining from frontal attacks or protracted attrition warfare. The Raven Guard is known for hitting weak points in enemy defences hard and performing lightning strikes upon locations of tactical importance to cripple its enemy.The Raven Guard disdains the notion of recklessly charging into the enemy's ranks. This differentiates the Chapter's tactics particularly from those of the Blood Angels. The Chapter also relies heavily on their Scout Marines for pinpointing enemy positions and for reconnaissance to identify good drop sites for the rest of the Chapter's deployed forces.Raven Guard companies and their captains are often fiercely independent from one another and it is rare for the Chapter to deploy as a whole. Raven Guard companies often operate completely autonomously from one another and will move to support Imperial Commanders who request their assistance wherever they are in the galaxy with or without the Raven Guard Chapter Master's permission.This behaviour leads some Imperial observers to question the tactical utility of the Chapter since its officers seem to lack a unified respect for command and are thus prone to dilute their efforts, but in fact this method of operation displays the extraordinary discipline of the Raven Guard's captains and the trust that the Chapter places in them, not the lack of these qualities.The Chapter's typical tactical doctrine consists of rapid maneuver engagements consisting of the deployment of Assault Marines, Inceptors, Land Speeders, and Attack Bikes aimed at harassment, sabotage and the destruction of key strategic targets over the frontal engagement of enemy forces at large. The Raven Guard's battleline squads are deployed via Thunderhawk gunship insertions, supported by Drop Pod-deployed Dreadnoughts.The Chapter maintains few and fields even fewer armoured fire support vehicles such as Predators and Land Raiders, preferring to make use of an infantry-heavy force. The Raven Guard relies heavily on its Scout Marine elements, which operate without support for extended amounts of time, even by Space Marine standards. The Chapter rarely goes to battle without heavy aerial assets such as Drop Pods and wings of gunships to support operations in the field and respond swiftly to developing threats.The Raven Guard frequently deploy entire strike forces of Vanguard Marines, warriors from the 1st Company to the 10th donning their Mark X Phobos Power Armour and striking deep behind enemy lines. The Chapter, by and large, operates as something of a cross between mechanised infantry and a series of special forces units, combining small unit tactics with their preference for covert operations behind enemy lines.The favorite weapons of Raven Guard Force Commanders are Lightning Claws and it is a common sight for their Command Squads to also be equipped with these weapons in addition to their Jump Packs.Kill-team deployments are well-suited to the Raven Guard. Their Chapter has a proud, if shrouded, tradition of forming squads of hand-picked specialists, whose strikes alter the course of entire wars. Deploying in this fashion and employing every iota of their strategic nous allows the Raven Guard to offset their numerical disadvantages, and many an alien despot or Heretic communications relay has fallen to shadowed killers in black power armour with their talons unsheathed.