Detachment Focus: Renegade Raiders (2024)

Ranged weapons equipped by Heretic Astartes models from your army have the ASSAULT ability, and each time a Heretic Astartes model from your army makes an attack that targets a unit within range of an objective marker, improve the AP of that attack by 1.

Both halves of Raiders and Reavers (army-wide Assault, and army-wide +1 AP versus units on objectives) are very powerful. Combine them, and this is one of the best Detachment rules in the entire game. It’s generically powerful – unlike many of the other rules in the book it even works on DAMNED units – and this works for you whether you’re doing work in shooting or melee.

Note that the +1AP versus units on objectives isn’t locked to ranged weapons, but instead benefits both ranged and melee attacks. There are so many units in the CSM codex that have a good volume of attacks, but are held back by low AP – think units such as Venomcrawlers, Legionaries, Raptors and Havocs. This detachment takes all of those units to the next level. It’s an offensive buff that’s roughly on par with the Sustained/Lethal Hits buff from Pactbound Zealots, with an added mobility benefit in Assault and the guarantee that you can really use every Stratagem in the Detachment.

Enhancements

The Raiders and Reavers enhancements are decent, but not great overall. Mark of the Hound is the real stand-out here. They’re all about moving and getting up the table faster, which makes sense thematically.

• Despot’s Claim (15 points) – If the bearer is on the battlefield on your Command Phase, you gain 1CP on a 5+. If you bearer is wholly within 12” of the opponent’s deployment zone, add 1 to the roll.
• Dread Reaver (15 points) – Each time the bearer makes a melee attack while wholly within 12” of the opponent’s deployment zone, you can reroll Hit and Wound rolls. It’s situational but great when it works.
• Mark of the Hound (25 points) – The bearer’s unit gains Scout 6”. This is incredibly powerful and flexible, and going to go in every one of your lists.
• Tyrant’s Lash (20 points) – You can re-roll Advance rolls for the bearer’s unit, and the bearer’s unit can Fall Back and Shoot. Solid in theory, but Chosen can already fall back and shoot while Legionaries and Raptors aren’t so big on Shooting. 20 points is a bit much for this effect, given who it’ll go on.

Stratagems

Renegade Raiders have an extremely powerful suite of stratagems, and they’ll be a key part of your game plan when you play this Detachment.

• Unfailingly Obdurate (Battle Tactic, 1CP) – This is your Detachment’s Armour of Contempt effect (reduce the AP of incoming attacks by 1 for non-DAMNED units) but for spikey Marines. Getting access to this for 1CP is a big power boost, and a good defensive ability to have in this Detachment.
• Scour and Seize (Battle Tactic, 1 CP) – A Heretic Astartes unit in the Fight Phase gains PRECISION when attacking a unit on an objective. Another big effect – having access to this is so huge in key moments. It’s going to change how comfortable putting any units that rely on a squishy Leader on any objectives. It’s also just great for stealing Assassination VP if the unit is otherwise too hard to crack.
• Opportunistic Raiders (Strategic Plot, 1CP) – At the end of the Fight Phase, one Heretic Astartes unit that was eligible to Fight that phase can make a Normal Move of 6”, or 12” if it is a Mounted unit. If it’s within Engagement Rage of an enemy unit, it makes a Fall Back move instead. A unit cannot use this stratagem to re-embark in a Transport if they disembarked that turn. This is incredibly powerful, and really plays into the hit-and-run themes of the Red Corsairs. And while you can’t re-embark in the same turn you disembark, being able to get back into a transport for free otherwise is still pretty solid.
• Warpcharged Engines (Wargear, 1CP) – A Transport or Mounted unit auto-advances 6”. This is a great stratagem to have in your pocket to reach an objective or do actions late in the game. It pairs exceptionally well with the Detachment rule giving you ASSAULT, as it means you can Advance 6″ and then still do an action like Cleanse or Deploy Teleport Homers.
• Ruinous Raid (Battle Tactic, 1CP) – In the Shooting or the Fight Phase, a unit that disembarked from a Transport this turn and makes an attack versus a unit on an objective gets full Hit and Wound re-rolls. Getting +1AP, full Hit rerolls, and full Wound rerolls means any unit that disembarked from a Transport this turn is going to completely destroy opponents on objectives.
• Reavers’ Haste (Strategic Ploy, 1CP) – Advance and charge for an Infantry or Mounted unit, with the additional bonus of +1” to charge if at least one of your charge targets is on an objective. Just good clean fun, and something you’re going to use every game. Also works if you didn’t Advance, so if you need to attempt an 8″ charge out of Deep Strike, this is an option too.

Playing This Detachment

Focus on winning fights on the flanks and being able to out-skirmish other armies to drive down their Primary scoring, while you stage to deliver a big punch later in the game.

Because this Detachment has buffs for a huge variety of units, you’re going to want to include a mix of unit types in your list to take advantage of everything this detachment has to offer.

You’re definitely going to want to include a few Rhinos (or Land Raiders if you’re feeling spicy) to take advantage of the Transport based buffs in this Detachment. You’re going to want to have a lot of MSU units to take advantage of the flexibility of this ruleset, and put up a ton of points on the scoreboard. You’re also going to want a few heavy hitting units in the mix to deliver a big punch with the innate power of Dark Pacts.

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CHARACTERS

Chaos Lord
– Enhancement: Mark of the Hound

Chaos Lord

Chaos Lord (Warlord)

BATTLELINE

Legionaries x5

Legionaries x5

Cultist Mob x10

DEDICATED TRANSPORTS

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