Deathwatch

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Revision as of 00:27, 8 October 2012 by 184.163.14.103 (talk) (→What's this flub-duggery then?: update relating to FAQ shenanigans.)
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May they know NO FEAR

The Deathwatch is the chamber militant of the Ordo Xenos and is composed of the most badass Space Marines from every chapter who are deployed according to their skills and which specific kind of xeno they are the most experienced at facing. If they have a devastator squad composed of ten heavy bolter equipped Space Marines who are sent to fight the Tyranids then you can bet that those heavy bolter equipped marines will be the best shots with a heavy bolter the inquisition could get their hands on and know everything there is to know about fighting the space bug lizards.

Their armor is painted black save for one pauldron which remains painted in the chapter colors to avoid pissing off the machine spirit, and another superfancy one which is silver. Surprisingly this paint job actually manages to look really badass even if it ends up being totally pointless with the Black Consuls and the Raven Guard. They get their shit done and get it done quickly and the only conceivable reason that they don't have their own codex is that they tend to be deployed in singular squads rather than fighting large scale battles. There are a few fan-made codexes for them as well as an RPG where they star as player characters though.

Just a single squad of 10 Deathwatch members will royally fuck up the shit of their target. A full deathwatch company's arrival typically spells the end of whatever unlucky xeno son of a bitch is on its receiving end. And if the shit has hit to the fan to the extent that one hundred deathwatch members have to deploy to one battle and organized into an actual company, that probably means that the Imperium is going to be sending a lot more than just the marines.

Deathwatch (RPG)

Fantasy Flight Games made an RPG about them, called, well, Deathwatch. Its supplement Rites of Battle has random chapter generation rules, which are used by fa/tg/uys to make a shitton of custom chapters.

What's this flub-duggery then?

The easiest way to get Deathwatch on the table without screwing around, unfortunately, really only applies to users of Codex: Space Marines. Sorry Space Wolves, Blood Angels (BA Sternguard or Vanguard'counts as' work just fine, add a Tycho 'counts as' for his rage against Orks and you've got a pimpin squad of bad-ass alien hunters.) and all the others, y'all are too awesome already.

Construct your Deathwatch Squad. When it comes time to use them in an army, count them as Sternguard or Vanguard vets. Voila. Deathwatch. No pissing around. If you still feel as if this isn't enough, increase their Ballistics skill, Weapons skill, Initiative and Leadership by 1, give them preferred enemy, increase their point cost somewhat and ask your opponent if you can use them.

Actually you can use Black Templar because the champion can take a vow that gives the entire army something similar to Preferred Enemy. Sure it won't be the same, but it's legal and you won't have to ask for permission. 6th Ed FAQ changed that vow, now it just gives Rage.

See Also

Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes
First Founding
(M29)
Blood Angels • Dark Angels • Imperial Fists • Iron Hands • Raven Guard • Salamanders • Space Wolves • Ultramarines • White Scars
Second Founding
(021.M31)
Angels of Absolution • Angels Encarmine • Angels Porphyr • Angels of Redemption • Angels Sanguine • Angels of Vengeance • Angels Vermillion • Aurora Chapter • Black Consuls • Black Guard • Black Templars • Blood Drinkers • Brazen Claws • Crimson Fists • Destroyers • Doom Eagles • Eagle Warriors • Excoriators • Fists Exemplar • Flesh Tearers • Genesis Chapter • Inceptors • Iron Snakes • Libators • Lions Sable • Marauders • Mortifactors • Nemesis • Novamarines • Obsidian Glaives • Patriarchs of Ulixis • Purple Stars • Praetors of Orpheus • Rampagers • Raptors • Red Talons • Revilers • Silver Eagles • Silver Skulls • Soul Drinkers • Storm Lords • White Consuls • Wolf Brothers
Third to
Twelfth Founding
(M32-M35)
Astral Claws • Angels Penitent • Angels Revenant • Charnel Guard • Dark Paladins • Executioners • Flesh Eaters • Halo Brethren • Howling Griffons • Iron Knights • Mantis Warriors • Marines Malevolent • Night Swords • Sable Swords (initial) - Scythes of the Emperor • Space Sharks • Sons of Guilliman
Thirteenth Founding
(M35)
Death Spectres • Exorcists
Fourteenth to
Twentieth Founding
Angels of Fire • Avenging Sons • Celebrants
Twenty-First Founding
(991.M35)
Black Dragons • Blood Gorgons • Fire Hawks • Flame Falcons • Lamenters • Minotaurs • Sons of Antaeus • Tiger Claws
Twenty-Second to
Twenty-Sixth Founding
(M35-M41)
Angels of Vigilance • Angels Excelsis • Celestial Lions • Dark Hunters • Disciples of Caliban • Emperor's Spears • Fire Angels • Golden Sons • Hospitallers • Imperial Harbingers • Iron Lords • Knights of the Raven • Marines Errant • Mentors • Fire Claws/Relictors • Star Phantoms • Subjugators
Ultima Founding
(999.M41/000.M42 to 012.M42)
Angels of Defiance • Black Vipers • Blades of Vengeance • Castellans of the Rift • Covenant of Fire • Dark Krakens • Fulminators • Knights Cerulean • Knights of the Chalice • Knights of Thunder • Necropolis Hawks • Nemesors • Praetors of Ultramar • Prime Absolvers • Rift Stalkers • Silver Drakes • Silver Templars • Sons of the Phoenix • Storm Reapers • Umbral Knights • Unnumbered Sons • Valiant Blades • Void Tridents • Wolfspear
Unknown Founding Absolvers • Accipiters • Adulators • Angel Guard • Angels Eradicant • Angels of Retribution • Astral Knights • Blood Ravens • Blood Swords • Brazen Drakes • Bringers of Judgement • Brothers Penitent • Carmine Blades • Cowled Wardens • Crimson Castellans • Crimson Consuls • Crimson Scythes • Dark Hands • Dark Sons • Death Eagles • Doom Warriors • Emperor's Shadows • Fire Lords • Guardians of the Covenant • Graven Spectres • Hammers of Dorn • Harbingers • Hawk Lords • Invaders • Iron Crusaders • Iron Talons • Jade Dragons • Knights of Blood • Knights Unyielding • Marines Exemplar • The Nameless • Night Watch • Rainbow Warriors • Reclaimers • Red Hunters • Red Scorpions • Red Seraphs • Red Templars • Retributors • Sable Swords (refounded) • Shadow Wolves • Solar Hawks • Sons of Orar • Star Dragons • Stormwatchers • Storm Giants • Storm Wardens • Valedictors • Viper Legion • Vorpal Swords • White Templars • Storm Wings
Unsanctioned Founding Consecrators (founding unknown, but likely after 2nd Founding) • Sons of Medusa (separated from parent Chapters, ratified by edict) • Steel Confessors (de facto 22nd Founding, de jure ratified by edict) • Ashen Claws (separatist Raven Guard Legion exiles, nominal loyalists)
Others Astartes Praeses • Deathwatch • Grey Knights • Judged • Legion of the Damned