Dark Angels

How Dark Angels play

Dark Angels are the Space Marine chapter with two armies inside it. The Deathwing are elite Terminator infantry, slow and extremely durable; the Ravenwing are fast bikes and speeders. Most Dark Angels lists commit to one of the two, and the ones that try to do both usually do neither well.

The Deathwing route plays as an immovable object: teleport in, hold the middle, and refuse to be shifted. The Ravenwing route is the opposite — outmanoeuvre, take objectives your opponent cannot reach, and never sit still. They want different missions, different terrain and different opponents.

The chapter's tone is defensive and methodical, and its detachment rules generally reward holding ground rather than taking risks.

Building a Dark Angels army list

Decide Deathwing or Ravenwing before you pick a single unit. The detachments support one identity each, and building a balanced list across both means neither army rule applies to most of your models.

Terminators are two-slot models in most transports and often cannot embark at all — check the prohibition list on the transport's ability text rather than assuming.

Dark Angels FAQ

What is the difference between Deathwing and Ravenwing?

Deathwing are Terminator-armoured elite infantry: slow, durable, close-ranged. Ravenwing are bikes and fast attack: mobile, fragile, built to control space. They are supported by different detachments and want different games.

Can I mix Deathwing and Ravenwing in one list?

You can, but detachment rules generally favour one identity, so a mixed list leaves much of the army outside its own army rule. Most competitive Dark Angels lists commit to one.

Are Dark Angels harder to play than generic Space Marines?

Slightly. The core Marine durability is the same, but choosing and committing to a wing is a real list-building decision that generic Marines do not have to make.