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From Warhammer 40k - Lexicanum
m
clean up, replaced: honor → honour (2)
Originally founded as the '''XIXth Legion''', the Legion was used by the [[Emperor]] as his hidden hand in its early years during the [[Unification Wars]] on [[Terra]]. The original recruits of the Legion were firstborn sons drawn from tribes of savage yet technologically adept [[Xeric warriors]] of the [[Asiatic Dustfields]], which regularly battled with the much larger [[Yndonesic Bloc]].{{Fn|30a}}
In its earliest days, the XIXth Legion was used for infiltration, reconnaissance, and target identification operations. The Legion was covertly used to quickly annihilate any faction which refused to submit to the new [[Imperium]], striking from the shadows without warning. The XIXth used terror tactics similar to the [[Night Lord]]s.{{Fn|13}} One of the earliest known campaigns by the Legion was the conquest of the central Asiatic region, which was ruled by a tyrant known as [[Kalagann of Ursh]]. They won many battle honors honours on Terra, and later took part in the expansion of the Imperium into the rest of the [[Sol System]], liberating [[Jupiter]]'s moon of [[Lysithea]] from [[xenos]]. The battle on Lysithea proved costly for the Legion and veterans of the battle wore Jovian runes in its commemoration for many years after.{{Fn|30a}}
In the early days of the Great Crusade, the Legion found itself in the shadow of [[Horus]] and his [[Luna Wolves]]. While Horus valued the XIXth greatly, the Legions forces were largely serving as support troops for the Wolves.{{Fn|30a}}
The Raven Guard legion was one of the smallest legions during the [[Great Crusade]], numbering 80,000 Astartes as well as an [[Imperial Army]] [[Regiment]] known as the [[Therion Cohort]] attached to the legion's expeditionary force.{{Fn|30a}} As a legion they were a fierce enemy for anyone who opposed the [[Imperium of Man]], using time honoured tactics of guerrilla warfare which Corax himself had learnt during the Revolution he himself had commanded to free his people from the merciless [[slavery]] forced upon them by the Tech Guilds of [[Kiavahr]].{{Fn|2}} Extremely efficient and trained, the Raven Guard would engage in acts of mass sabotage along with infiltration, blink-of-an-eye Strikes, and expert covert operations, all of which they had perfected into what would look like ease to any other warrior.{{Fn|2}}
The [[Raven Guard]] was one of seven legions to be sent to the Istvaan system (Others present were the [[Iron Hands]], [[Salamanders]], [[Alpha Legion]], [[Iron Warriors]], [[Night Lords]] and [[Word Bearers]]) to quell a rebellion lead by the former [[Warmaster]], [[Horus]] — [[Primarch]] of the [[Sons of Horus]] Legion (Formerly the [[Luna Wolves]]). Horus and his other three traitor primarchs ([[Fulgrim]], [[Angron]] and [[Mortarion]]) had entrenched themselves on the planet of [[Istvaan V]], and lay in wait for the Loyalist forces to land and engage. The fighting once joined was fierce and hot-blooded, brother versus brother, and no quarter was given on either side. Mid way into the fighting, Horus and his allies retreated back into their fortifications for no reason that could be grasped by the loyalist factions. The Raven Guard were in the thick of the fighting from the start, though out of their element due to the lack of tactical planning and the close-up-and-personal combat spreading like wildfire across the plains of Istvaan V. They fought both with as much honour and as much skill as any other legion would in the circumstances. When the traitors made a surprise withdrawal back to their fortifications, the Raven Guard used this cease in the fighting to regroup and re-arm.{{Fn|2}}{{Fn|12a}}
However, when they neared the "loyalist" defences (which were tenfold reinforced by the expert siege engineers of the Iron Warriors legion under their [[Primarch]] [[Perturabo]]'s direction, they were fired upon by the very guns meant to protect them. Hundreds were gunned down in the first few minutes of the betrayal before they even realised that there were traitors in their midst. Four of the seven loyalist [[legions]] sent to Istvaan V had thrown off the colours and pretenses of the [[Imperium]], and set their betrayal into motion.The [[Iron Warriors]], [[Night Lords]], [[Alpha Legion]], and [[Word Bearers]] turned on their brethren in a bloody thunderstorm of [[bolter]]s and blades, decimating their numbers in a multitude of seemingly never ending skirmishes and drudging battles for ground that cost lives for every metre gained or lost.{{Fn|2}} [[Corax]] and his legion were reduced from their mighty 80,000 warriors to a meager 3,000 battle hardened veterans.{{Fn|12a}}
*[[File:Death Eagles Livery.jpg|35px]] [[Death Eagles]] <small>(Allegedly)</small>
*[[File:Flame Eagles Livery.jpg|35px]] [[Flame Eagles]] <small>(Allegedly)</small>
*[[File:Hawk Lords badge.jpg|35px]] [[Hawk Lords]] <small>([[Hawk Lords#Conflicting sources |conflicting sources]])</small>
*[[File:Imperial Talons Livery.jpg|35px]] [[Imperial Talons]] <small>(Allegedly)</small>
*[[File:Knights Of The Raven Livery.jpg|35px]] [[Knights of the Raven]]
During the Great Crusade the Raven Guard Legion followed the basic organizational doctrine. The Legion was divided into chapters, chapters were divided into battalions, battalions into companies, and companies into squads. However companies were preferred for most independent operations. Legion officers devolved command responsibility to sub-commanders, allowing them to make tactical decisions and to seek the initiative without interfering with the command chain. The influence of Terran recruits from the Xeric tribes was the cause of this.{{Fn|30a}}
During Corax's restructuring of the Raven Guard, he was able to commission several innovations for his own use from [[Mars]]. These were all then modified further by the Legion itself to maximize stealth and speed. Unique combat vehicles included the [[Whispercutter]]{{Fn|30a}} - an open-topped airframe flyer that was capable of dropping 10 Space Marines into a war zone in utter silence and with practically no chance of detection. Other unique variants included the stealthy [[Thunderhawk]] variant known as the [[Shadowhawk]] and the similar [[Storm eagle]] pattern dubbed the [[Storm Eagle Assault Gunship_Gunship#Darkwing|Dark Wing]].{{Fn|61}}
After the Dropsite Massacre, Corax was left with a tattered Legion and had to reorganize them. They were combined into divisions based on combat specializations. The [[Tactical Squad|tactical companies]] became the '''Talons''', the [[Assault Squad|assault companies]] became the '''Falcons''', and light vehicle squadrons and air support were renamed the '''Hawks'''. Another unit of genetically enhanced Astartes dubbed the [[Raptors (Raven Guard)|Raptors]] were later added as well.{{Fn|30a}}
Owing to the instability of the Raven Guard gene-seed and the experiments of Corax, much of the chapter's genetic stock has been irreparably damaged. Now, much of their genetic material comes from supplies held on [[Terra]]. This means the cycle of recruitment for the Raven Guard is much slower than other Chapters and fewer Raven Guard candidates for the Chapter prove able to survive their training and genetic modification. This means the chapter is constantly short-handed.{{Fn|2}}
The Raven Guard's chapter planet [[Deliverance]] is said to lack the population resources available on other chapter's homeworlds. By the time of the Horus Heresy only a few thousand marines in the Raven Guard's number were recruited from Deliverance, the rest made up of the original [[Terra|Terran]] n forces inducted before the [[Great Crusade]].{{Fn|1}}
Today, [[Aspirant]]s are considered to be given a high honor honour of receiving the rare and unstable Gene-seed of the Chapter. They are thus subjected to harsh training in the force-domes of [[Deliverance]] and [[Kiavahr]]. They face lethal conditions with little food, water, or sleep, and are required to evade or kill monsters and [[Mutant]]s and must learn patience, stealth, and the art of the hunt in order to survive. In the Trial of the Watcher, an Aspirant is required to navigate the ganglands of Kiavahr and undertake missions with only the most minimal of visual clues to guide them to their objective.{{Fn|43a}}
In the Trial of Justice, they are tested to see if they can uphold to the ideals of Corax. In this challenge, Aspirants are strapped to a chair in near total darkness and has their mind examined by Chapter [[Librarian]]s as they are given questions by [[Chaplain]]s on questions relating to loyalty, courage, freedom, and justice. They are often given hypothetical scenarios and complex moral dilemmas and forced to give solutions. There are no true right or wrong answers to these questions, though due to the presence of Librarians an Aspirant can not lie and give responses he knows will please his overseers. A mere attempt at dishonesty sees one killed on the spot or made into a [[Servitor]].{{Fn|43a}}
*{{Endn|49}}: [https://www.warhammer-community.com/2021/10/18/thunderhawks-from-12-chapters-rule-the-skies-in-this-epic-aeronautica-imperialis-showcase/ Warhammer Community: Thunderhawks From 12 Chapters Rule The Skies in This Epic Aeronautica Imperialis Showcase (Posted on 18/10/2021)] (Last accessed on 18 October 2021)
*{{Endn|50}}: [[Haemonculus Covens - A Codex: Dark Eldar Supplement]] (E-Book) — A Murder of Ravens
*{{Endn|51}}: [[ Clan Raukaan - A Codex: Space Marines Supplement]] (E-Book) – The Battle for Columnus
*{{Endn|52}}: [[Blood Oath (Novella)]] – Part 1
*{{Endn|53}}: [[ War Zone Damocles: Mont'ka]] (E-Book) - The Hammer of Imperial Justice Falls
*{{Endn|54}}: [[Gathering Storm: Rise of the Primarch]] (E-Book) – War Zone Ultramar
*{{Endn|55}}: [[Codex: Space Marines (10th Edition)]], pg. 52
