Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team (HoR)/Tactics/Deathwatch(7E)

An unexpected addition to the list of playable armies for HoR Kill-Team, the Deathwatch enables for a greater variety of tactics to be used thanks to the small scale of the squad while still remaining a tough force to work with.

As a plus, you can make a team similar to your Pen and Paper Kill-Team and play them outside of FFG's rules.

General Rules

• True Grit: As a callback to the old days of captain awesome (or pre-4E 40K), this enables marines to count their stalker boltguns as combat weapons. Enjoy that free attack!
• Teleporting Terminators: Termies Deep Strike. Enjoy your mass-armored ruin.
• Chapter Traits: Unlike the Chapter Tactics of the base SM codex (and HoR list), Chapter Traits are not only optional, but they cost 2 points a member. However, nobody's stuck to being one chapter, so you have tons of diversity.
  • Black Templars: Same as codex; Models gain Crusader and Adamantium Will. Leaders also get re-rolls to-hit in a challenge and Rending.
  • Blood Angels: Models gain Furious Charge, and lose any fun shenanigans with Jump Packs. As always, assault is where they tend to shine.
  • Dark Angels: Models get stubborn without option to auto-fail morale and Termies get Preferred Enemy (Chaos Marines). Generally better for holding lines at the back.
  • Imperial Fists: Same as codex; Models get Tank Hunters and re-roll 1's to hit with bolters. The latter will often come into play more often, so keep them within bolter range.
  • Iron Hands: Same as codex; Models get FNP (6+) and Leaders get IWND. Solid as always, though not as optimal for mechanized armies.
  • Raven Guard: Same as codex; non-Bulky models can Scout, jump units can use their jump packs in movement and assault and can re-roll HoW.
  • Salamanders: Same as Codex; models can re-roll saves from flamers while re-rolling to-wound/pen with flamers. Leaders get MC weapons for free.
  • Space Wolves: Models get Acute Senses and Counter-Attack. They can also spend 5 points to add +1 to Power Swords/Axes, giving them counts-as Frost weapons.
  • White Scars: Same as codex; Models on bikes auto-pass Dangerous Terrain, get +1 to their Jink saves and +1S on their HoW. Anyone that's not in Termie Armour or Centurion Armour get Hit & Run too.

Wargear

• Stalker Bolter: The standard weapon of the Deathwatch units, these are essentially 30" bolters with two firing modes: An S4 AP4 Rapid Fire or an AP5 Heavy 1 Sniper shot.
• Additional Ammo: Taken from FFG's grand catalog, All leaders (and certain veterans) can buy special sorts of ammo. Kit out according to the enemies present, because each is meant for a specific situation. Metal Storms work on Gaunts and other armorless guys, Firestorms are anti-covercampers, Vengeance Rounds are for other Marines, and Hellfires are for killing big guys like Wraithguard.
  • Metal Storm Rounds: 18" Range S3 AP-, but are Assault 2 in return.
  • Firestorm Rounds: Plain bolters with the Flamer USR from HoR, forcing enemies to test for Initiative or catch fire and take an S3 AP- hit every turn after the first until they pass Initiative.
  • Dragonfire Rounds: Bolters that Ignore Cover.
  • Vengeance Rounds: 18" S4 AP3 rounds with Gets Hot, meant for Space Marines.
  • Hellfire Rounds: Bolters with S1 AP5 and Poisoned (2+).
• Master-Crafted Weapon: It's an MC weapon. If you have a Salamander, grab another for your leader for free.
• Overcharged Weapon: Gives a single gun +1S but also Gets Hot, which makes it a bit risky. It's especially worse on Plasma weapons, as they now explode on a 1 or 2.
• Suspensors: A rather nice upgrade, this allows a Heavy weapon to fire at full BS even if the model moved, but only at half-range.
• Smoke Grenade: A harmless grenade that gives you a Large Blast worth of temporary 5+ cover until the next turn. If you ever felt like playing Cyrus, roll it.
• Auxiliary Grenade Launcher: Allows a gun to fire a grenade as well as fire, this won't get much use unless you have a strict idea what it's for.
• Auspex: See codex; spend a shooting turn to drop an enemy's cover save by 1.
• Bionics: A way to grab a 6+ FNP, but it's usually cheaper to run Iron Hands unless you need another tactic.

Leaders Only

• Triflame Vambrace: A curious item from the FFG catalog, this is a flamer with three modes: A murderous 6" S6 AP2 kill-shot, a 12" S5 AP3 blast, and a standard Template with S4 AP4. Remember that flamers work differently here, and that the enemy must test for initiative or go on fire, and for every successive initiative test they fail, they win a S3 AP- hit. Remember to cheer for them. A close ranged piece of gear, it is properly best for a close combat character, as a guy like that are more likely to be within range. I mean, 6"? Basically charge-range.
• Refractor Field: A 5++ save. Nice if you can add it in, though expensive (yes, 15 pt is expensive in Kill Team). If you encounter many Fire Dragons or similar troops, the Refractor Field can be very good, though Cover might be just as good in that case. Fuckin' Fire Dragons.
• Purity Seal: Increases the Leader's Inspiring Presence range to 12", which is a good help for a support leader, and is cheap to boot. Unfortunately, Marines tend to be hard to break in general,so maybe leadership isn't too much needed. You decide.
• Marksman's Honour: Re-rolls 1's to-hit. Not a bad item, but some guys do have better ways with their specialties, like Imperial Fists. For anyone else, this is both cheap and useful, letting you re-roll half your misses. Remember to use an Overcharged weapon with this one.
• Skull of Brantor: A Servo-Skull that reveals absolutely anything within 24" of him. Nice and cheap way to foil an ambush or spot campers, and is an absolute pain for sneaky troops with big guns, like Kommandos with Skorchas. Believe me, I've tried.

Sergeant Only

• Krixian Chainglaive: A fierce melee weapon from FFG with S+2 AP4, Rending, and Specialist Weapon. Its use is fairly rounded, and can be effective against anything you might encounter - It's actually a wonder that this thing haven't got Unweildy, too.
• Larraman's Blessing: An item now lifted from Last Stand, this gives a Sergeant FNP. Neato. If your team is mostly fast and sporadic, this can be a lifesaver, since your Leader will be more exposed. On the other hand, if you are planning to make a strong core of Marines running together, this is pretty useless, since the Apothecary does the same thing, but for anyone within 6".
• Imperial Laurel: Gives models within 6" a re-roll on morale. If you're debating between using either this or the Purity Seal, take this. It's cheaper, and a bit more reliable. Again, Leadership is rarely a problem for Marines, as the combined cheese of ATSKNF and Ld 8 makes them all but unbreakable. Debate is on about this being able to let te Sergeant re-roll morale too, as that would be very important when hitting the "50% of team downed"-point.

Champion Only

• Remembrance Shield: This replaces a Combat Shield and gives all models within 6" +2 to Deny the Witch. But watch out for the Eldar, as they'll now gain Hatred against you (it's got Soul Stones on it, who knew?).
• Valour Crest: Gives all models within range of his Inspiring Presence Stubborn. If you're running more Dark Angels, it's generally advised not to use this. It could be useful for other Chapter Traits though.
• Salvation of Correus: A CCW with Poisoned (2+), this is a really risky idea. If you can pull it off, kudos to you, but this IS just a CCW, do don't bet on winning with this, even with the Black Templar Tactics.

Lexicanium Only

• Soulstorm Staff: Dawn of War reference aside, this staff can shoot an Assault 1 Template with S4 AP1d6. Curiously, this doesn't count as a power, so you can fire this AND any other powers, meaning you can double-tap this with some Smites.

Apothecary Only

• Laurel of Endurance: Pricy, but it gives the Apothecary FNP (3+). Just remember that nobody else gets this, so don't try to suicidally charge someone with a whole team and think they'll make it.
• Purification Vials: A one-use grenade that's S1 AP- and Poisoned (2+). Really not an advisable idea unless you're seeing hordes, and even then, you're practically within charging range.

Terminator Only

• Auto-Launcher: Gives a Termie infinite Assault Grenades, but they can't be thrown as weapons. Have fun with Templars and other assaulty folk.
• Cataphractii-Pattern Terminator Armour: Gives a 4++, but exchanges Relentless with S&P. Beware using this, because you're giving up the option to Overwatch for a better Invul.
• Tartaros-Pattern Terminator Armour: Grants the wearer Sweeping Advances. Definitely a more advisable choice over the Cataphractii, as this is cheaper and offers more mobility.
• Teleporter: A Termie gives up assaulting for a turn and gets a 2d6" shunt wherever he wants. Good for setting up traps.

Techmarine Only

• Photon Beam: If you want an alpha-strike from an unexpected source, this is it. A 36" Assault 1 blinding shot that causes no damage, but blinding opens them up to other assaults.

FOC

• 1 Leader
• 1-20 Core
• 0-3 Special

Leaders

• Deathwatch Sergeant: The basic all-around leader, he gets a Veteran's statline with an extra wound. He can grab just about whatever he wants and then some, including a free Chainsword to replace a gun, a Hand Flamer and Inferno Pistol. He can also grab a banner, a teleport homer, and a shield.
  • Terminator Sergeant: For 11 points (without need for any Veteran promotions like the other codices), the Sarge can grab Termie armour, granting him better protection, but costing him versatility. As a termie, he can only take the relevant Leader Wargear and normal Termie weapons.
• Deathwatch Champion: Imagine taking out the Champion from your Command Squad, give him another wound, and you'll be pretty much what he is. He's the challenge-based HQ that can re-roll to-hit and to-wound, but he can benefit a bit from BT or BA tactics. He can buy a Storm Shield if you want extra protection, and he can get a Relic Blade or a Thunder Hammer.
• Deathwatch Lexicanium: A ML1 Librarian (with a Vet's statline plus a Wound) with the option to be more like a Librarian for 20 points. He doesn't get True Grit, so he can't expect to use the Stalker Bolter as a CCW (hence why he has to pay for the gun) and has to buy a Psychic Hood in order to protect his men. He can take the Primaris from any of the non-daemonology tables, so he's a very mobile source of powers. He cannot be Black Templars because of their anti-psyker club.
• Deathwatch Warden: A Veteran aspirant to Chaplain, they can spend 20 to become a full-fledged Chaplain with reflecting statline for 20. They give all units within 6" Zealot and must buy a Rosarius for a hefty 25 points. He can also buy Termie Armour, but doing so locks him only to a slightly cheaper Rosarius, Combi-Weapons, and basic wargear. Take if you plan on charging him with assault forces.

Core

• Deathwatch Marine: Basic Tac Marines with the ability to take a special or heavy weapon for every 5 men. They unfortunately don't get bonus ammo, so they're gonna be relying on their Stalker Bolters. Since they have a lot of slots for core choices, you can build them up for guns.
• Assault Marines: Surprisingly cheaper than basic marines, you can buy jump packs (making them still cheaper than tacs) or bikes, which make them a bit costlier. They can also give one guy per five a special pistol. On the downside, you can't get the GritBolters, though that's not as bad as you're going to be chopping shit more often than not.

Special

• Deathwatch Veterans: A mini-sarge, they can take all the ammo and accessories barring a few exceptions. They can also grab some melee and ranged guns, while only one of them can take heavy and special guns. These guys are pretty nice for their cost.
• Deathwatch Terminator: Basic termies with all the utility. Since HoR isn't as overrun by super-killer guns, they get to be a bit more useful, and they can even take different patterns of armour for extra mobility or protection.
• Deathwatch Keeper: A marine with a statline akin to the Chaplain, these guys are like Honour Guards with Artificer Armour and Preferred Enemy (Xenos). The issue is that for his high price, he's limited on what he can take (as in no weapons at all) and is stuck with an S+1 AP2 Glaive that's Master-Crafted and Two-Handed, but gains Unwieldy after the first turn of combat, limiting you on what you can send him against.
• Deathwatch Kill-Marine: A Veteran in Scout Armour with lots of weapons to use. He can even grab a free knife instead of his GritBolter or buy a real Sniper or power weapon. His big draw is the ability to gain Preferred Enemy against an enemy model, which makes him a good hitman. If you don't want to risk him, you can grab power armor for him, but this costs him Infiltrate and Move Through Cover.
• Deathwatch Black Shield: A kamikaze veteran, his big rules are re-rolls on the charge against Special and Leader models and being used as LOS! fodder if he's within 6" of someone else. Taking the hit from another model is helpful, but in such a small game, that does get costly.
• Deathwatch Apothecary: A costly unique model, this guy is the same as a vanilla one with a 6" radius of FNP and the option for Hand Flamers, Infernus Pistols, and GritBolters (yeah, he can take this. It's at a 5-point premium, mind, but he can take it) with the options of Bikes or Jump Packs for mobility. He's pretty much the same as he normally is.
• Deathwatch Techmarine: Another high-price unique model, this is the same as a normal techmarine, but with GritBolter. He's otherwise mostly similar except for the option for extra accessories including a bike. Since he's alone, he's more valuable for defenses since vehicles tend to be uncommon, and his GritBolter allows him some help with that.