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How to Paint Everything: Raven Guard Space Marines

This article is part of a larger series on how to paint Space Marines. To return to that series, click here.

In our How to Paint Everything series, we take a look at how to paint well, everything, with a look at different approaches and techniques. With the release of the new Codex Supplement for Raven Guard, we’re taking a look at the XIX Legion – who they are, their history and heraldry, and how to paint them. 

Although the Raven Guard are a First Founding Chapter, like several notable chapters from that founding they wouldn’t receive their first mentions in the fluff until the release of second edition, first appearing in White Dwarf #166 ahead of the release of the 2nd edition boxed set for Warhammer 40,000 when all of the First Founding chapters were finally named. This led to some interesting quirks where Crimson Fists and Raptors existed before their own founding chapters. And while Raven Guard and their Primarch Corax finally received mention in the 2nd edition release of 40k, they wouldn’t receive rules until almost a decade later in December 2002, when they finally saw rules in their own Index Astartes article in White Dwarf #276. These would essentially be replaced by the 4th edition Space Marines Codex, which released with a model for the Raven Guard’s Captain of the Third Company, Kayvaan Shrike.

As the XIX Legion, the Raven Guard were primarily used for infiltration, recon, counter-insurgency, and suppression missions on behalf of the Emperor. This changed somewhat when the legion was reunited with its primarch: Corax purged the legion’s Terran commanders and placed a greater emphasis on stealth and quick strikes over terror tactics and brutal suppression.

The Raven Guard served the Imperium faithfully during the Great Crusade, taking part in covert operations and regularly employing guerilla tactics to accomplish their goal. When Horus turned traitor, the Raven Guard were one of seven legions sent to Istvaan V, joining the Iron Hands, Salamanders, Iron Warriors, Word Bearers, Alpha Legion, and Night Lords to put an end to the Warmaster’s rebellion. There they were betrayed, as four legions turned on them, decimating the loyalist legions almost immediately. This was a blow the Raven Guard would struggle to recover from, removing them from much of the fighting of the heresy.


Covered in this Article

  • Techniques for painting the core elements of the Raven Guard, including their black armor and white accents.
  • Heraldry for the Raven Guard.
  • Schemes from different painters for the Raven Guard.

Heraldry

Raven Guard Heraldry - Click to Expand


Painting Raven Guard

Raven Guard are one of the three main Space Marine chapters which are essentially wearing all black armor (the other two being Iron Hands and Deathwatch). So when painting Raven Guard, the real things you have to consider are going to be:

  • How are you going to paint (and properly shade and highlight) the black armor?
  • How are you going to paint (and properly shade and highlight) the white parts, such as helmets, guns, arms, and shoulder pads on veterans?
  • What spot colors are you going to use to make the models “pop,” so they don’t look monochrome?

The standard Raven Guard paint scheme answers this final question by using lots of white, giving the models a very stark contrast between their black and white elements. Those can be tough to paint – you need a plan for how you’re going to do bright white, and that may mean subassemblies where prime parts white.


Alfredo's Method - Click to Expand


Dan's Method - Click to Expand


TheChirurgeon's Method - Click to Expand


Final Thoughts

The Raven Guard are a rewarding army to paint and play, overall. Painting black armor is a double-edged sword: It’s easy to paint on the whole, and requires less work than brighter colors, but it’s also difficult to make an army in black armor look good, stand out, or photograph well. That said, if you have any tips or tricks for painting Raven Guard, want to show off your own models, or have any questions, feel free to drop us a line at contact@goonhammer.com.

This article is part of a larger series on how to paint Space Marines. To return to that series, click here.

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