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Sorry for the two-year bump, but since this is a toy of mine and not a general topic, I figured this was better than opening a new thread.

I've been tinkering with my ideas for the chapter organization a bit. While the Revenants chapter is non-codex in company organization, I am trying to balance it in manpower and tech strength with a codex chapter - obviously with a plus to the fast stuff and a balancing minus to armor. I'm also trying to use TT 'dex models for the squads, as a general reference point and as a check on unintentional Mary-Sue-ism (or, perhaps, Ultramarine-ism.) It seems that just to get within 5% of codex manpower, I need to add a squad to each company because I don't have a 10th Company. I think I'm going to add a Land Speeder squad to each company, because as it is I have a lot fewer speeders than a typical chapter, which doesn't make much sense based on these guys' philosophy and style. I will also probably have to add a few bikers to each bike squad.

I had considered adding more tactical squads, because I am VERY light on them compared to a codex chapter, but I don't think I will: while tactical squads may be the most flexible, they are also the most "vanilla" when considering them for a chapter with personality as well as the most indecisive for a chapter with a very specific "hit-and-run" style. In addition, rules-wise the bike squads count as troops rather than fast attack when your captains are on bikes, and fluff-wise a biker can get off his bike and voila!... he's a tactical marine. Further, five out of every ten devastator marines are... guess what? Tactical marines.

I'm still tweaking exact percent increases over codex in bikes and speeders and decreases in armor, as well as the kit upgrades for squads so as not to seem to overloaded, but I'll listen to any thoughts here.

I like that you're looking to try and keep the equipment "vanilla". That being said, don't be afraid to just leave yourself a Squad short per-company and just be listed as an under strength Chapter. My Sadus Chapter is way over in the numbers, but I balanced it by them having no vehicles because a land speeder is useless in space which is where they operate. Find your balance in the overall, not just the squad numbers, and I think you'll be a lot happier with the turn out.

I'm not trying to keep the gear "vanilla" so much as not letting get to the point of "Codex: You Don't Stand a Chance Against Me." I guess I could let it stand under strength, I'd probably just need to see where they stand with recent engagements. Obviously they wouldn't be founded under strength, but a hard-fought campaing or two could certainly leave them that way.

Its not so much of a "Codex Chapters can't beat you" as in "Codex Chapters can't beat you in your specialty but would kick your ass elsewhere".

The Sadus, my second chapter, is unbeatable by a Codex Chapter in boarding actions or in confined urban conflicts. Simply because that's where they focus themselves. However, they would just be a long wall of walking targets in an open battle field facing horde or Armor Heavy enemies.

Find your specialty and put your efforts there and then if you're being honest with your numbers and abilities you'll find that you aren't OP'd elsewhere.

I suppose. That's also one of the reasons I wanted to beef up the speeder and bike numbers; for these guys, it would be a little crazy to have fewer speeders than a codex chapter, and in this case fluff would really follow TT in that bikers really would be considered "troops" choices rather than a specialty.

This would be easier to figure out if there was a Raven Guard 'dex.

Then do just that, treat your bikes as troops or give each company a +1 fast attack option and -1 heavy support.