H.B.M.C. wrote:You've just got to be subtle about it Baron. Like GW.



I almost said that with a straight face...

BaronIveagh wrote:BTW: anyone else find humor in the rules for writing an entry to that creature contest that you couldn't make any references to movies, comics, novels etc? Considering that the entire universe they're writing for is one big reference to other things?

Kroothawk wrote:
I am currently working on a daemon called R'Khast in the Ultramarine Chapter House Fitness Studio

FFG wrote:Upon The Shoulders of Primarchs
A preview of First Founding, an upcoming Deathwatch supplement

“They shall be my finest warriors, these men who give of themselves to me. Like clay I shall mould them, and in the furnace of war forge them. They will be of iron will and steely muscle. In great armour shall I clad them and with the mightiest guns will they be armed. They will be untouched by plague or disease, no sickness will blight them. They will have tactics, strategies and machines so that no foe can best them in battle. They are my bulwark against the Terror. They are the Defenders of Humanity. They are my Space Marines and they shall know no fear.”
–The Emperor of Mankind, on the creation of the Space Marines



First Founding, a supplement for Deathwatch, will be on store shelves later this month. Today, we’re pleased to present a designer diary by contributing author Nathan Dowdell, who worked on (among other things) a section devoted to additional content for Space Marine Chapters described in the main rulebook. Thanks, Nathan!


Loyalists and Traitors

First Founding details the nine Chapters directly formed from the loyalist Space Marines Legions, and includes new rules from solo modes to new advances specialities. Of these nine Chapters, First Founding features the final four Chapters not discussed in previous Deathwatch rulebooks. This exciting supplement includes the background of the nine Traitor Legions and their fall to the seduction of the Ruinous Powers. Additionally, for the first time in Deathwatch, First Founding provides new rules for Battle-Brothers to have followers.

First Founding was an opportunity to delve into imagery of the most iconic of Space Marine chapters and bring them to Deathwatch in all their glory. I was charged with producing a significant portion of the rules within the book, developing the mechanics to accompany the copious amounts of background written by Andy Hoare.

The second chapter is devoted to those Chapters described in the Deathwatch main rulebook, providing additional material for Battle-Brothers of the Black Templars, Blood Angels, Dark Angels, Space Wolves, Storm Wardens and Ultramarines. Each Chapter receives an assortment of additional rules, ranging from Advanced Specialities to new Squad and Solo Mode abilities, to new Oaths.


Legendary Chapters



To start, the Blood Angels are something of a mixed bag of new rules. The ancient spiritual traditions and the taint of their curse are represented by the revered Sanguinary Priests and mighty Furioso Dreadnoughts (including those inhabited by Librarians), while the mastery of aerial assaults is covered by the Descent of Angels Solo Mode Ability. The Squad Mode abilities Crimson Tide and Conviction, and the inspirational Oath of Hope round out their new array of abilities.

The Dark Angels receive rules for the legendary Ravenwing, whose iron wills and masterful skill with fast vehicles make them valuable scouts for the Deathwatch, and the veteran Deathwing, who are nigh-unstoppable in their mighty Terminator armour. Their Squad Mode abilities and the Oath of Vengeance emphasise the ceaseless determination of the Unforgiven to punish those who stand against the Imperium.

The Space Wolves are quite different from those Chapters that adhere to the Codex Astartes, and this required many additional rules to help convey these differences. The stealthy and murderous Wolf Scouts and the wise Wolf Priests are both represented, rendering them distinct from their more civilised peers from other Chapters. On top of those, the strategies of fierce hunters are presented in the Space Wolves Squad Mode abilities, and the Oath of the Wolf King, while the search for glory in battle is covered in their new Solo Mode ability, the Hero’s Saga.

Finally, as befits the inheritors of Roboute Guilliman, the Ultramarines are paragons of the ideals of the Codex Astartes, each warrior aspiring to these ancient and sacred notions of courage and honour and trusting in the strategies and tactics laid down by their Primarch a hundred centuries before. Ultramarines characters are skilled tacticians thanks to the Student of the Codex Solo Mode Ability, the flexible Oath of Duty and four new Squad Mode abilities. In addition, their greatest champions are represented in the Honour Guard Advanced Speciality, while recent tragedies and the grim lessons learnt from them are conveyed with the Tyrannic War Veteran Advanced Speciality.



Thanks, Nathan! Download a preview of the Ultramarines Honour Guard (pdf, 563 KB), and look for First Founding on store shelves next month.

Doc Kill wrote:Yay! A new update.

Looks cool, seems the Honour Guard will be the goto leader in most situations. Although it does seem odd that at rank 6 any Ultramarine can just become a Honour Guard.

warboss wrote:

Did you miss the half dozen other requirements?? If anything, it's a very selective advanced class compared to the already published ones.

Doc Kill wrote:

warboss wrote:

Did you miss the half dozen other requirements?? If anything, it's a very selective advanced class compared to the already published ones.

Oops, my mistake there

What I meant from a RP perspective that any member of the Ultramarine Chapter (or any codex Chapter) suddenly becoming a member of the Honour Guard, while a member of the Deathwatch. Just saying is seem odd.

FFG wrote: Convenient Corruption
Black Crusade, a Warhammer 40,000 Roleplaying game, is on sale via download



“Embrace your hunger, your lust, your desire. The universe is ours for the taking!"
–Sanctifer LeVay, Cult of the Sacred Union

It is the 41st millennium, a time of constant strife. For untold billions, merely to be born is to be condemned to a lifetime of cruel suffering under an unforgiving and draconian regime. Only a select few in positions of power are permitted limited freedom: the Inquisitors who hunt heretics, the Rogue Traders who gather wealth, and the Deathwatch Space Marines who combat the alien threat. But there are those who nonetheless claim power, seeking personal glory and dark notoriety by any means necessary...

Black Crusade, the fourth standalone RPG in the popular Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay line, is now available for sale via download on drivethrurpg.com and rpgnow.com!

This remarkable experience offers players a new perspective on the conflict between the Imperium of Man and the forces of Chaos by delivering the unprecedented opportunity to play as a Disciple of the Dark Gods, whether as a Chaos Space Marine or a human Servant of Chaos.


An entirely new perspective

Dark Heresy, Rogue Trader, and Deathwatch each portray loyalty to the Imperium from multiple perspectives. Throughout them all, however, one common factor is Chaos: the ubiquitous antagonist responsible for much of what defines this immersive setting. But with Black Crusade, players can examine this exciting universe through an entirely new lens. Who are the characters, and what set them on the path of corruption? Are they willingly in league with the enemies of humanity, or are they merely the deluded slaves of forces far beyond their comprehension?

Give in to temptation. Head to drivethrurpg.com or rpgnow.com today, and embrace Chaos!

H.B.M.C. wrote:That's great. The out of focus Marine agrees with you.

hpred wrote:...and his name is Khremzzeek...

H.B.M.C. wrote:

hpred wrote:...and his name is Khremzzeek...

Have the Autobots managed to stop him yet?

CadianCommander wrote:We played the pre-gen, pre-release adventure for BC and it was okay, fun for a couple lazy Sunday afternoons.

Now we've made our PCs for the new campaign and wow. Loving it. We played a short intro session when we made our characters but I love that they've gotten rid of the character builds. I've heard for a long time that FF didn't like that system and have been wanting to get rid of it.

I really like the tier system and the lack of "you need to be this rank to learn this skill/talent".

We mainly play RT, that's our main game and whilst we all love it to bits, it's very restrictive in that regard.

FFG wrote:No Peace Amongst the Stars
Announcing The Jericho Reach, an upcoming Deathwatch supplement



“There is no peace to be had amongst the stars. The sum total of human endeavour must be bent towards the singular goal of survival, and to falter in this task for even a moment is to court the extinction of mankind. We cannot permit laxity or negligence of any kind, for it is the duty of every man and woman in the Imperium to lend their every effort to the matter of survival."
–Confessor Corvinus

Fantasy Flight Games is pleased to announce the upcoming release of The Jericho Reach, a supplement for Deathwatch! This comprehensive tome provides in-depth information on the struggles of Kill-teams currently operating throughout the Reach. Each chapter delves into detail on the personalities, planets, and themes of a specific salient, while providing players and Game Masters alike with important resources for integrating the setting more deeply into their campaigns.

What’s more, The Jericho Reach includes a full adventure. When Watch Fortress Erioch receives an astropathic distress signal from deep inside a Tyranid-infested planet, the Kill-team is immediately dispatched to investigate. Now, they must fight their way through monstrous adversaries while working to uncover the source of the strange message. But can they solve the mysteries of this war-ravaged world in time?

A word from the Watch Captain



For more on The Jericho Reach, Deathwatch’s developer agreed to share his insights:

For nearly half a century, the Achilus Crusade has raged through the Jericho Reach, forging a new Imperial sector from the ashes. But now, the Crusade has faltered; the devouring Tyranids, cunning Tau, and fiendish armies of Chaos have proved a worthy match, and the Crusade teeters upon the brink of disaster. Only the Space Marines of Watch Fortress Erioch, whose treacherous missions bring them to every corner of the Reach, can hold back the tide of xenos threats.

Earlier this year, The Achilus Assault took an in depth look at the Achilus Crusade and the history of the Imperium’s epic struggle to bring the light of the Emperor back to the stars of the Jericho Reach. Today, the Deathwatch team is proud to announce The Jericho Reach, a new sourcebook for the Deathwatch line that delves into the current struggles of the Space Marines of Watch Fortress Erioch against the xenos that threaten the Reach from all sides.

In this latest addition to the Deathwatch line, detailed descriptions of planets, personalities, and adversaries from all corners of the Reach allow GMs and players to embark on deadlier and more diverse missions than ever before. Secretly aid the armies on Khazant by performing surgical strikes into the heart of the enemy territory, combat the insidious Tau on their worlds beyond the Greyhell front, and face off against some of the largest beasts of the Tyranid swarm.

Additionally, as Kill-teams fight against the many xenos that threaten the Imperium, they learn their tactics and strategies, and become even more efficient at hunting them down. The Jericho Reach presents a myriad of new abilities for Battle-Brothers to gain as they learn from conquering their foes. Powerful new solo modes, squad modes, oaths, and demeanours all become available as the Kill-team completes missions against specific adversaries.

Look for The Jericho Reach on store shelves early next year, and save the Imperium from the xenos threat!

Miss Dee wrote:Hope I will give stats on the Chaos Marines so I can use for BC

H.B.M.C. wrote:

Miss Dee wrote:Hope I will give stats on the Chaos Marines so I can use for BC

Uhh... aren't there already Chaos Marine stats (DW Core Rulebook, Mark of the Xenos, Black Crusade itself)?

warboss wrote:

H.B.M.C. wrote:

Miss Dee wrote:Hope I will give stats on the Chaos Marines so I can use for BC

Uhh... aren't there already Chaos Marine stats (DW Core Rulebook, Mark of the Xenos, Black Crusade itself)?

He probably means DW chapter-like entries and rules for chaos legions.