Deathwatch army, codex help

[Broodingman87]

Hey everyone, I have a collection of Deathwatch models sitting on my shelf and I wanted to bust them out and play them as an army but I'm having trouble finding a codex that fits their play style.

Here is what I was thinking:

Blood Angels -> Deepstriking and fighting close to the enemy is something they both like to do. Being able to buy an Apothecary and attach it to any squad is nice.

Salamanders -> Making master crafted war gear, falls in line with being Inquisition and getting higher quality gear. The Twin-linked Flamers and Meltas goes well with the holy trinity (Bolter, Flamer, Melta).

Space Wolves -> The similarity of only sending one marine in a squad (Kill Marine = Lone Wolf). Scouts are elites, fits the Deathwatch not having Initiates and these are real marines with sniper rifles.

Which codex would you pick?

[Lord Manton]

I've been thinking the same thing! Do Sternguard still have the different ammo types? That's another Deathwatch staple, the right to for the job.

[Broodingman87]

I've been thinking the same thing! Do Sternguard still have the different ammo types? That's another Deathwatch staple, the right to for the job.

Well technically every Deathwatch Kill Marine is a Sternguard because they ALL have special ammo.

[vharing]

I made a deathwatch army once and had them all be sternguard. Went up against my friends deathwing army with it. So many dead terminators.

[Broodingman87]

I made a deathwatch army once and had them all be sternguard. Went up against my friends deathwing army with it. So many dead terminators.

Really, didn't think Terminators would care that much for 2+ poison. It's too bad the Crimson Fist don't allow you to take Sternguard as Troops anymore.

[Spy_Smasher]

I don't have enough Deathwatch for a whole army but I do have two squads I use as part of an Inquisitorial army. I run them as Blood Angel Sternguard recently because there's an Archangel Strike Force formation that lets me run them both including drop pods and the only "tax" is one HQ, which I don't mind in the least. I run him as a DW Librarian in Termie armor. It's crazy fluffy.

Edit:

The formation allows you to re-roll failed reserve rolls and more precise drops.

[This Dave]

I actually have an entire Deathwatch army and have had a lot of fun with them. Last edition I use them as Crimson Fists because I wanted to use Sternguard as Scoring units and My Pedro Cantor equivalent made them truly elite fighters.

I currently have been using them as Ultramarines. Being able to call up to three different tactics depending on the forces I have and the situation at hand plays right into the Deathwatch way of being prepared for any situation.

[ChacoStylez]

I might be mistaken, but don't Crimson Fist Sternguard count as having the Objective Secured ability, like other troop models?

[Broodingman87]

I might be mistaken, but don't Crimson Fist Sternguard count as having the Objective Secured ability, like other troop models?

Yeah it's in the FAQ, the Hold the Line! rule grants Objective Secured.

[Katharon]

I've made a codex supplement for both Iron Warriors and the Blood Pact....should I make one for Deathwatch for you?

[Broodingman87]

I've made a codex supplement for both Iron Warriors and the Blood Pact....should I make one for Deathwatch for you?

That seem like it would be hard to balance out, they take the best of all chapters. And the fluff of their artifacts are in a word "dumb", an armorbane missile launchers, a salvo plasma pistol and rifle.

[Tyrendian]

here's a strange idea - how about (opponent permitting and in small games, which is pretty much the only place where Deathwatch make any sense fluff-wise) the Survivors of Isstvaan? great for mix 'n match, lotsa cool specialists to choose from, not many restrictions on squads and such which is ideal for representing Kill-Teams... and the rules differences represent your Deathwatch-quality wargear...

[Broodingman87]

here's a strange idea - how about (opponent permitting and in small games, which is pretty much the only place where Deathwatch make any sense fluff-wise) the Survivors of Isstvaan?

Actually they were involved in some pretty big battles. They were at Macragge (of course, everyone showed up for that, new aliens no one has ever heard of). They are the militant arm of Ordo Xenos, everywhere Ordo Xenos is the Deathwatch isn't to far off. Just like with Grey Knight and the Ordo Malius. Sisters of battle and Ordo Herelius.

[Tyrendian]

Actually they were involved in some pretty big battles. They were at Macragge (of course, everyone showed up for that, new aliens no one has ever heard of). They are the militant arm of Ordo Xenos, everywhere Ordo Xenos is the Deathwatch isn't to far off. Just like with Grey Knight and the Ordo Malius. Sisters of battle and Ordo Herelius.

being in a big battle doesn't equal operating as a big strike force (which for Astartes means dozens of brothers with multiple vehicles) though - I don't recall reading anything about the Deathwatch fighting such a battle alone. Doesn't mean it's impossible for them - as you rightly say they are Inquisition, but it's far from their usual MO afaik. My "small battles" wasn't aimed at Kill-Team sized stuff either (should have made that clearer - sorry!), but to me anything much larger than say a 1000-1500pts pure Deathwatch force would feel odd.

[Broodingman87]

I don't recall reading anything about the Deathwatch fighting such a battle alone. Doesn't mean it's impossible for them - as you rightly say they are Inquisition, but it's far from their usual MO afaik. My "small battles" wasn't aimed at Kill-Team sized stuff either (should have made that clearer - sorry!), but to me anything much larger than say a 1000-1500pts pure Deathwatch force would feel odd.

Most (about 70%) of the fluff about them can be found in the Deathwatch RPG. It doesn't say if they follow the Codex Astartes, but they do organize themselves into pseudo companies called Watch Stations, with a Watch Commander (Captain), Each Watch Station is self sufficient with motor pool, Codicers, Servitors, etc. The RPG's prewritten scenario is set in Jericho Reach and like all RPGs culminates in a massive world ending battle. Keep in mind, no Astartes truly fights alone, that's not their job, taking the enemy on head to head is the IG's job. Like in real life, the SEALs, SAS, Spetsnaz, Waffens etc. don't like going against an infantry division, that's the job of the regular Army/Marine Corps, the SEALs would rather be blowing up crap that hurts the war effort as a whole. I think a Watch Station could get a 2000-2500 point strike force.

[Katharon]

That seem like it would be hard to balance out, they take the best of all chapters. And the fluff of their artifacts are in a word "dumb", an armorbane missile launchers, a salvo plasma pistol and rifle.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dlF3_U_Ldkg/UE_OwJD0sQI/AAAAAAAABlI/tXGBNrydjaA/s1600/175px-Classic_bugsbunny.png

"Eh, he don't know me very well, do he?"

Kidding aside, I'll give it a shot. I've got all the Deathwatch RPG books at home (I am both a DM and player for a local group), so I'll scrounge through that, plus the SM codicies, and see what we can't bang out.

[xTHExCLINCHERx]

I've made a codex supplement for both Iron Warriors and the Blood Pact....should I make one for Deathwatch for you?

You should take a look at the novel Deathwatch by Steve Parker for some inspiration... and maybe put some rules in there for a psyker sgt upgrade like in the book.. oh and a Dreadnought too!

[Katharon]

I pumped out seventeen pages today between breakfast and lunch. I'll probably start the wargear lists this evening.

[Katharon]

Here's what I got so far.

http://www.lounge.belloflostsouls.net/showthread.php?54242-Deathwatch-A-Space-Marine-Homebrew-Supplement-40K&p=483972