How to Play Deathwatch in Warhammer 40K
Today, let’s take a look at some basics of how to play and get started with Warhammer 40k Deathwatch in 10th Edition.
The Deathwatch are the elite fighting force of the alien-hunting Ordo Xenos Inquisitors. They are composed of Space Marines tithed from all the Chapters and formed into tactically flexible Kill Teams coordinated by brilliant strategists. On the tabletop, the Deathwatch has the tools to complete any task.
So below, we offer some tips on how to play the army and get started with the army.
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Who Are The Deathwatch?
Known as the Shield that Slays, Deathwatch are the Chamber Militant of the Ordo Xenos. They are charged with protecting its search for information, containment, and ultimate destruction of all xenos species. The Deathwatch consists of Battle-Brothers drawn from many Chapters. They operate from Watch Fortresses and Watch Stations spread across the whole of the Imperium.
The Space Marines who fight for the Deathwatch are given the honor of painting their armor black. They leave one shoulder pad with the original insignia of the Chapter from which the marine came. The orders of the Deathwatch are not merely tasked with the cleansing of xenos cultures. They also recover and study alien devices and artifacts. Sometimes, it is necessary to use a weapon against the enemy who created it, although this is not taken lightly. The Deathwatch is constantly vigilant and advises if it is safe to use weapons of xenos origin.
Deathwatch teams are often led by Inquisitors, but in some circumstances, a Deathwatch Captain or Librarian may take command. Their word is law, and they can requisition anything they desire to complete their objective. Their Kill-teams are the best armed and trained units in the Imperium. They might be deployed in areas where conventional methods are insufficient or if the troops available are not properly equipped or trained for the task. The arrival of a Deathwatch Kill-team is always welcomed, though they are feared by all who know of them.
Why Play Deathwatch
The Deathwatch brings most of the strengths that traditional Space Marines possess. But they also have the ability to specialize enough to be a precision scalpel, perfectly designed to the task at hand. The best parts about collecting Deathwatch are the diverse origin Chapters of its Battle Brothers and their amazing wargear. This allows some really weird, funky, and retro Chapters to get their Marines out on the field with some great equipment.
Strengths of the Army
- Super specialization.
- Unique combinations of models and rules in Kill Teams leaves your opponent guessing..
- Fighting aliens! It may go without saying, but the Chamber Militant of the Ordo Xenos has some solid alien-killing tech.
Weakness of the Army
- Fighting aliens! It turns out there are a lot of enemies in Warhammer 40,000 or which are not, in fact, aliens.
Deathwatch Army Rules
- Kill Teams: These rules handle how Deathwatch handle units that are composed of Terminators, Bikes, Jump Packs, and Infantry in combination.
Deathwatch Detachment Rules- Black Spear Task Force
- Rules: The Mission Tactics rule is similar to Combat Doctrines- it is a list of three bonuses, activated in the Command phase, which can be used once per battle.
- Enhancements: The Beacon Angelis can be used to give any unit the Deep Strike ability (which is pretty good).
- Stratagems: Stratagems is where the Deathwatch Special ammo comes in, which unique ones for Hellfire, Kraken, and Dragonfire rounds.
Key Deathwatch Units To Know
The army has a small supplemental unit roster on top of the immense Space Marine one. Knowing what units to take can be tricky. Here are some suggestions to get you off on the right track.
Leaders
Watchmaster
The powerful Commander of a Deathwatch force. A Watchmaster allows the player to improve multiple nearby units; the true definition of a force multiplier.
Watch Captain Artemis
This named Deathwatch Captain is a nice and affordable buff character with Tactical Instincts.
Battleline
Deathwatch Veterans
Deathwatch Veterans are your main Battleline option, and they are extremely versatile in how they are outfitted.
Other Units
Fortis Kill Team
Fortis Kill Teams consist of Primaris Marines. Though the picture only shows Intercessors, this unit can have Assault Intercessors, Outriders, and Hellblasters join as well.
Deathwatch Terminators
Slow but heavy infantry. The Terminators can be armed to the teeth for either assault, shooting, or both. They have teleporting tricks to get around with their Homer but are slow once they start walking. They are extremely tough infantry and hard to shift.
Corvus Blackstar
The flying support and transport of the Deathwatch. Its extremely versatile transport capacity can hold a Biker or a Terminator, or anything else.
Spectrus Kill Team
A special Kill Team composed of Primaris ‘Scout’ type Marines, including Infiltrators, Incursors, Reivers, and Eliminators. Obviously, these Teams specialize in stealth and infiltration.
Veteran Bike Squad
A nice mobile and tough unit composed entirely of Deathwatch Bikers, who can all have Long Vigil melee weapon. Like the Terminators, these can also be part of the Proteus Kill Team.
Sample Starter Warhammer 40k Deathwatch Army
- Primaris Lieutenant. 1 Model. He is equipped with: 1 bolt pistol and 1 master-crafted power sword
- Primaris Apothecary. 1 Model. He is equipped with: absolvor bolt pistol; reductor pistol
- Aggressor Squad. 6 Models. Every model is equipped with: 2 flamestorm gauntlets
- Fortis Kill Team. Ten Intercessors. Every model is equipped with: bolt pistol; bolt rifle
- Fortis Kill Team. Ten Intercessors. Every model is equipped with: bolt pistol; bolt rifle
- Eradicators. 6 Models. Every model is equipped with: bolt pistol; heavy melta rifle
How to Play Deathwatch
Deathwatch is a highly specialized, elite, and point-intensive version of Marines. This means that even more than normal Marines or most other armies, every loss really hurts. On top of numerical inferiority, there is nothing about that added cost that goes to improving their resilience- they die just like Marines. This means they have to pick fights carefully and use their synergistic, overlapping buffs to make sure they win those fights.
Purge the Xenos!
