Editing Warhammer 40,000/8th Edition Tactics/Deathwatch (section)

===Elites===
*'''Primaris Apothecary:''' This is (currently) the only source of healing in the entire army and he is stuck with a Reductor Pistol (3" S4 AP-3 D2) and an Absolver Pistol, the same weapon as the Primaris Chaplain gets. He heals D3 wounds for a wounded unit, and on a 4+, he can revive a friendly Biker or Infantry unit. He's got 5 wounds and 3 Attacks with the default CCW (S:User, AP:0, D:1). Protect this guy if you want some good healing, same as you would a normal Apothecary.
*'''Deathwatch Terminators:''' Sitting at 23 points per model, like Assault terminators, yet they are equipped like a standard. However, they have equipment options like both, making the squad very adaptable. Starts at 5 models, but up to three models can take an option from the Heavy Weapon list, including the assault cannon, heavy flamer, or cyclone missile launcher and storm bolter, the last of which is especially attractive as it lets you keep your Storm bolter with SIA. Also of particular note is the power fist & meltagun combo, which leaves room for a heavy weapon while also giving you yet another gun to split fire with. They can also rock TH&SS, which is something to consider, even in mixed units, as a damage sponge.
** Special issue ammo makes normal termies decent all-'rounders.
** Also note you can tinker around with normal power weapons to save on points or focus on hordes.
** Deathwatch Terminators can become one of the most versatile units, even by Deathwatch standards. A 5 man squad can be, for example, 1 TH/SS, 1 Assault Cannon, 1 Heavy Flamer, 1 Storm Bolter and Cyclone Missile Launcher, 1 Sergeant with Storm Bolter and close combat weapon of choice. And if you have the points left, all of the last 4 guys can take an additional Melta on their Power Fists. This gives them many different weapons and options for their Storm Bolters due to SIA, and they are no slouches in close combat. They simply do everything.
** Stick to the basics, much like veterans. Take storm bolters and power swords for a cheaper unit that can hurt hordes at both range and melee, fists if you plan to fight multi-wound units. 
** <s>One of the biggest gainers to the potential Beta Bolter rules. They can move and fire at full range with maximum shots which combined with SIA makes them a decent threat at far range. They can now Deep Strike and pump people full of Vengeance Rounds!</s> No more after the 2019 Big FAQ 
*'''Deathwatch Vanguard Veterans:''' Vanguard vets, but with new toys, including the always hilarious and pricy heavy thunder hammer. These guys can be very dangerous. Additions like the inferno pistol make them all the more deadly. Remember that their stock bolt pistols get special issue ammo, making them a better free option than their vanilla counterparts.
*'''Reiver Squad''' Aside from the lack of Jump Packs and options, Reivers make a great alternative to Vanguard Veterans, being pretty much chainsword-armed Vets with an additional wound, for not that much higher a cost. One or two small squads dropping down with Grav Chutes can tie up enemy units with some reliability and provide some not-too-bad melee against lightly armored enemy units.
** Reivers profit greatly from the SIA in their Heavy Bolt Pistols because they can get AP-3 with them and can, of course, fire them in close combat.
*'''Dreadnought:''' The Dreadnought is one of the best non HQ units, but the Deathwatch variant has some strange restrictions. It can only choose from a Twin Lascannon, Assault Cannon, or a heavy plasma cannon (Errata updated). For 177 you could have a Dreadnought with twin lascannons and the CCW w/Heavy Flamer. It comes stock with a Dreadnought CCW, with either a heavy flamer or storm bolter built into it. You can switch the CCW for a Missile Launcher. The unit is buffed by HQs and provides the same security any other bubble wrap could. If this bad boy doesn't float your boat, look to the Siege and Mortis Dreadnoughts - newly available to the Deathwatch. 
*'''Venerable Dreadnought:''' Shares the restrictions with its younger version. A Venerable Dreadnought has a slightly better WS and BS vs a regular Dreadnought, as well as the ability to negate received wounds on a 6+. Notably, the 2+ BS lets you move and still shoot heavy weapons with a better than 50/50 chance to hit. You cost 28.6% more and are about 25% more accurate and 20% more durable than a normal dread, the utility will depend on whether you're intending to buff it with an HQ.
*'''Redemptor Dreadnought:''' The vanilla dread's Jock roommate. With nearly twice the wounds of a vanilla dreadnought (and degrading stats to accompany the increased durability), the Redemptor dreadnought is a solid heavy weapons platform, capable of holding the anti-horde Onslaught Gatling Cannon or the armor-melting Macro Plasma Incinerator, ''and'' the anti-air Icarus Rocket Pod as well as a pair of storm bolters or fragstorm grenade launchers. However, it is a heavy points investment, and much of its anti-armor potential might be better handled by specialized units like Hellblastors. Instead, anti-horde fire support appears to be its most effective niche, potentially able to put out a withering volley of mid-strength shooting that will take a significant chunk out of GEQ or weaker units and then follow up with a smack from its CCW, which is d6 damage compared to the normal Dreadnought CCW's D3. But even if it takes the Macro plasma Incinerator, the CCW can still swap its heavy flamer for an Onslaught Gatling Cannon to retain effectiveness against hordes. 
*'''Aggressor Squad:''' The better-looking lovechild of a Terminator and a Centurion. Cant use SIA, but that would be awfully broken. They come stock with auto boltstorm gauntlets (so assault instead of pistol) and a frag grenade launcher or you can trade all that in for Firebat pattern flamestorm gauntlets, which is a pair of flamers. Either you're going for 18 inches of 6+D6 (average: 9.5 shots, 6.33 of which hit) S4 or 8 inches of 2D6 (average: 7) auto-hitting S4, and either way it allows them to put out a lot of short-ranged firepowers, with power fists in melee. They've got Gravis armor, which makes them T5, move 5", and take up two slots in a Repulsor. Then there are the special rules: Fire Storm, which lets you shoot twice if you don't move (including in Overwatch, which is just plain scary when combined with the flamestorm gauntlets), and Relentless Advance, which lets you advance and fire assault weapons without penalty. This makes them surprisingly fast since all their guns are assault. Run and gun for the Emperor!
** let us face it, the Xenos monstrosity will eventually bear down on your position. Might as well have them show up right in front of 6 flamers firing twice!! With perhaps some hammernators and the largest dreadnought you own. Flame aggressors backed by an apothecary make for an astounding front line, followed up by your slightly more vulnerable but far more killy squads. 
** Alternate take: never go flamers in a standalone squad. On average the bolt + frag loadout will get less than one S4 hit, at more than double the range, and that's before you start factoring in all the ways you can boost your shooting. Flamers should only be considered for an Aggressor being attached to Intercessors to serve as a charge deterrent.
** Auto Boltstorm Gauntlet Math (aka why you should take ABGs 90% of the time): A squad of 6 puts out 36 + 6d6 shots (72 + 12d6 if they don't move) for an average total of 57 (or 114) vs a Flamer squad's 42 (or 84).  Assuming rerolling to hit (which is easy to do because you always take a watch master), here are the results against various toughness (single fire.  Just double the numbers if you get to fire twice): T3 = 33 wounds. T4 = 25 wounds. T5-7 = 17 wounds. T8+ = 8 wounds.  Flamestorm Gauntlets produce: T3 = 28 wounds. T4 = 21 wounds. T5-7 = 14 wounds. T8+ = 7 wounds.  And then remember that you get to fire twice as far with the AGBs vs the Flamerstorms.

====Forge World====

Thanks to the latest FAQ (1.1) for Imperial Armour Index: Forces of the Adeptus Astartes, Deathwatch can now field a crazy variety of tanks and dreadnoughts which were formerly unavailable to them. They ARE one of the best-equipped Space Marine chapters after all...

Seriously, this is where you will find some delectable and sorely needed heavy firepower as well as armor.  

*'''Relic Contemptor Dreadnoughts (Forge World):'''For just a modest points increase over a standard Dreadnought, the Contemptor packs 3 extra inches of movement, 2 extra wounds, +1 strength, the same WS/BS as the Venerable Dreadnought and a 2+/5++. His Contemptor CCW is also guaranteed 3 wounds instead of D3, which makes him considerably more capable of ruining the afternoon of a whole host of multi-wound models. All of this, unfortunately, comes with a small consequence. Unlike his boxier brethren, the Contemptor has a Damage Table, with his WS, BS, and Attacks falling with damage. Generally speaking, the Contemptor is a goddamn steal for what he costs now. The extra-fast movement speed means he can get into any position he needs to be in very short order, and reach melee combat with almost complete certainty. Similiar to Venerable Dreadnoughts, he can ignore wounds with a bonus 6+ save. This dangerous combination of potent stats and strong weapons means he can fulfill a wide variety of battlefield roles, and the dizzying array of wargear he can choose from only makes him even more adaptable. He starts with 2 Dreadnought combat weapons with inbuilt Storm Bolters. His Unstoppable Fury rule while allows him to re-roll 1s to-hit if he's armed with two melee weapons. One or both can be swapped for the following in any combination: 
**'''Kheres Assault Cannon''': A big-ass Assault Cannon and your go-to anti-infantry loadout. A classic, this sucker is a nasty Heavy 6 S7 AP-1 D1. 
**'''Chainfists''': Contemptor Chainfists gain -1 AP and +1 damage over a normal DCCW. Overall a solid upgrade that lets them do terrible damage to both vehicles and monsters. It's a must-take for all purposes. Better yet, give it 2! So much for Blood Angels getting a monopoly on double-fisting Dreads, huh?
** Don't actually take 2. Taking 2 chainfists doesn't offer any benefit over taking one chainfist and one regular CCW, it just costs more.
**'''C-Beam Cannon''': The new Heavy Conversion Beamer is a single shot weapon that starts at S6 AP-3 that does D3 damage. It also gains +2 points of strength and +D3 damage after each 24" bracket of distance, totaling [[Awesome|S10 AP-3 3d3 Damage]] at anything over 48" range. If ''a model is removed from play as a result of wounds caused'' then it automatically trigger 2d6 extra auto-hits on the target unit at S6 AP0 D1. The Contemptor MUST remain stationary for the entire turn in order to use it. It cannot be stressed enough that this thing really '''<u>NEEDS</u>''' the range, though firing it at infantry squads has a good chance of killing a random mook and triggering an average of seven further S6 hits, which is still better than a twin heavy bolter. At the full range, the initial hit will likely knock the crap out of any target, wounding it on a 2+ or 3+ depending on its toughness and generally reducing its save to 5+ or worse but those additional hits will likely be wasted.
**'''Twin Heavy Bolters''': Don't bother. The Kheres does everything it can, but better. 
*** Alternate take: S5 and S7 wound T4 models on the same roll, a pair of twin heavy bolters is 16 points cheaper with 50% longer range than a Kheres, for the same number of shots. Against footslogging light infantry, the HB is an attractive option. True... but light infantry are not what this model is going after
**'''Twin Autocannon''': Identical to the one on the normal Dread. Not bad, but you didn't take one of these to <s>field something other Dreads could take</s>. Seeing as normal dreads (outside of the Mortis) can't take autocannons in the Deathwatch, this is one of your few options for including twin autocannon firepower.
**'''Twin Lascannon''': Pop vehicles open without having to get into melta range. Probably better on the Contemptor Mortis, though.
**'''Heavy Plasma Cannon''': Might be a little better against multi-wound units, and unlike the Contemptor Mortis you can always try to negate the mortal wound you get if you roll a 1. 
**'''Fist Weapon Options''': If you crave even more dakka, the inbuilt Storm Bolters can swapped for Heavy Flamers, Plasma Blasters, or Graviton Blasters. Plasma Blasters are Assault 2 plasma guns, and the graviton blaster is just a grav-gun with a different name. Consider a double fist loadout with Plasma Blasters for a melee dread with surprisingly good shooting!
*'''Relic Deredeo Dreadnought:''' The end-all solution to your dakka-Dread needs, for when even the Contemptor Mortis won't cut it. Its armor save is slightly worse than the Contemptor's at only a 3+, but to compensate it has 2 more wounds and its invulnerable save rises to 4+ in the Fight phase on top of the built-in smoke launchers. For guns, you have the Anvilus Autocannons (8 36" autocannon shots with +1 S) for mulching infantry, the Hellfire Plasma Carronade (5 overcharged plasma gun shots which deal 3 damage each but cause mortal wounds on a 1) as the generalist option, and the Arachnus Lascannon Battery (2 S10 AP-4 D6 Damage shots that deal an extra mortal wound on 6s) for taking out vehicles, and also chest-mounted heavy bolters/heavy flamers. Don't bother upgrading to heavy flamers. While auto-hits are good, the Deredeo should be as far away as possible. It should be shooting things not tied up in melee. It can supplement the main weapon with either an Aiolos Missile Launcher for extra fire support or an Atomantic Pavaise to give everyone within 6" of itself a 5+ invulnerable save. The latter works great with long-ranged units that can help support the Deredeo's firepower.
**8th edition is kind of a mixed bag for the Deredeo. While 8 shots at BS2+/3+ on the move with the Anvillus sure are great the 12" range reduction is very painful, especially for the plasma corronade. 24" max means it will be in the range of most weapons in addition to the risk of losing wounds which is very probable at 5 shots per turn. So it is advised to have a reroll/repair character nearby should you go for the plasma option.
*'''Deimos Pattern Relic Predator''': We can't use regular Predators but we can take the retro one with better guns! Take a Predator, give it an extra wound, and slap a Plasma Destroyer on it as its turret weapon, and you have one of these tanks. The Plasma Destroyer itself can't be overcharged, but with the same number of shots as the basic Predator Autocannon and 2 Damage, it doesn't really need to be. While it can swap out the plasma destroyer for the standard Predator guns, that's a waste of its options (although Deathwatch can't take normal Predators, so is the only way to get standard Predator guns). Instead, you should use its unique options: the Conversion Beam cannon to make it a hard-hitting artillery unit, the Magna-Melta for close-range anti-vehicle firepower, and the Infernus cannon for a double dose of heavy flamer goodness.
*'''Relic Javelin Attack Speeder:''' The poor Deodorant Tanks got a huge nerf in 8th edition. For the most part these fulfill the same role as before, that of a Heavy Land Speeder. [[lolwut|But they lost the twin-linked rule on their Missile Launchers'''(WTF)''']]. They even lost their trademark Outflank ability. Overall this took what was already a mediocre relic slot item at best, into a shitty tool that's worse off than a generic land speeder. 
*'''Relic Sicaran Battle Tank:''' The Sicaran has transitioned smoothly into 8th ed, retaining its status a high-speed menace. With a big 14" Move, T7, 14 wounds, and 3+ Save it falls in between a Predator and a Land Raider in terms of size and durability. It's armed with a nasty Twin accelerator autocannon which has a couple neat tricks. It fires at 48" Assault 8 S7 AP-1 D2, suffers no penalties to its hit rolls when attacking flyers, and a to-wound roll of 6 increases the AP of that hit to -3. It's also armed with a single Heavy Bolter and can grab 2 sponson-mounted Heavy Bolters or 2 sponson-mounted Lascannons, a hunter-killer missile, and a pintle-mounted Storm Bolter if you crave more dakka. The Sicaran is a useful anti-air unit in a pinch while and is well known for its ability to counter skimmers. Make good use of the Assault rule on its main gun by zipping around and firing while advancing. 
*'''Relic Sicaran Venator Tank Destroyer:''' The Venator trades the regular Sicaran's quantity of anti-skimmer shots for vehicle annihilation; even if a tank survives the Neutron Pulse Cannon's S12 AP-4 D6 damage hits (all 3 of them), it'll have all its shooting rolls reduced by 1 for the turn, which can make life very difficult for vehicles like Executioners or Tau vehicles with Ion Cannons. Additionally, it doesn't get penalties for moving and firing its heavy weapons.
*'''Relic Sicaran Punisher Assault Tank:''' A new flavor of Sicaran, its draw is the Punisher Rotary Cannon- 18 Heavy Bolter shots guaranteed to make any hordes within 36" hate life. And if you don't move that turn, it re-rolls all to-hit rolls of 1. Enjoy making Orks and Tyranids cry.
*'''Relic Whirlwind Scorpius:''' A Whirlwind variant, as with the Predator and Land Speeder Deathwatch have access to the relic version but not the normal. Scorpius is set apart from the basic Whirlwind by its Scorpius Launcher- while it has only half the range of either of the Whirlwind's rocket types, 3d3 S6 AP-2 2 D shots is still plenty to threaten hordes and light vehicles alike. And as an added bonus, it can fire twice in a shooting phase if the Scorpius hasn't moved in the movement phase.