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I'm about to start a new DW Campaign (I've not done DW, just RT/DH) where my players are stuck in a system that is surrounded by warp storms.
Their NPC Brother-Captain will die, leaving only players as the top DeathWatch representatives in the solar system - whilst there is a local inquisitor, he's a member of the Ordo Hereticus and so has no direct authority over the Deathwatch Detachment.

This means that effectively, they're a force unto their own - they choose their missions, forge contacts and support themselves even when cut off from the reinforcements and supplies of the Watch Fortress.

Campaign Specials:

Extremely Limited Ammunition -
After the first 'introductory' mission, I'll multiply their ammunition expenditure by 3 and that's the lot for this campaign. (This means they either have to either make their own after securing the materials, get others to make some for them or adapt and switch to weaponry with locally accessible ammunition).

Armour Degradation -
Any weapon that has a penetration level over the Armour value has a chance to permanently reduce the Armour value.
E.g. Armour 8 on the arm -- but is hit by a Melta with higher pen. D10 roll of a 9 or 10 = Armour reduced by 1 on the arm.
(This is to enforce target prioritisation and tactical planning and to also represent the natural attrition of their equipment without the facilities and materials they need).

Hunter-Destroyer -
Heavily damaged from the mission that brought them to the system in which they're trapped. Shuttles them around and assists in missions (Orbital Lance Strike every 24 hours, hangar for their Corvus Blackstar). Acts as their home within the solar system. It can't provide more assistance than that considering it is undermanned and effectively crippled.

Fickle Warp -
Since they're stuck in the middle of a warp storm, psychic powers may have unintended consequences (could be beneficial OR detrimental, more RNG) even if they're successfully manifested. Considering DW doesn't have a possession mutation table, I'll be using the one from RT (Due to a lot more Daemonic focus on the solar system and Marines aren't immune to possession and its effects).

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On one hand I'm giving them more leverage and power than other Deathwatch campaigns/kill teams due to their isolation but I'm also giving them responsibility and problems they wouldn't have experienced due to Watch Fortress oversight/support.

They should feel like the powerful and glorious defenders man that they are, yet dread their seemingly inevitable decline into eventual death and obscurity.

Thoughts? Opinions? Constructive Criticism?

Combat in Deathwatch is far too easy. Anything you can do as GM to make it more difficult will only improve the game.

Combat in Deathwatch is far too easy.

That depends entirely on what you put them up against.
The last time I ran a deathwatch campaign the 'big fight' was trying to hold a bastion complex (along with the remains of a guard regiment). Given that there were something in the region of 1,000 gaunt-level warrior organisms thrown at them, along with plenty of bigger things, they certainly didn't feel like it was anything resembling "easy".

Extremely Limited Ammunition -
After the first 'introductory' mission, I'll multiply their ammunition expenditure by 3 and that's the lot for this campaign. (This means they either have to either make their own after securing the materials, get others to make some for them or adapt and switch to weaponry with locally accessible ammunition).

For specialist ammunition, definitely. I'd make a point of being fairly open-handed with the basic mass-reactives, but fairly stingy with specialist ammo.

To be honest, I've done similar things - when sending the players out on a really, really long mission, I've given them a seemingly insane amount of requisition.....which the first time they went nuts on rare and exotic wargear until they realised they weren't going to have enough basic ammo for more than a single major firefight. Letting them decide what they've got in stock (rhino? combat bikes?) but with a very limited set of choices will help the feel.

And yes, that includes 'stocking away' reserve requisition - Rites of Battle has a listed price for an orbital barrage bomb, for example.

Adapting local weapons will make for a nice feel. Trade (armourer) becomes critical - a marine can easily heft an autocannon or heavy stubber, if suitably modified.

Perhaps I should have elaborated on my comment.

In fact, I'll swap out "easy" for "binary".

Combat in Deathwatch is far too binary. It either kills you in one hit, or is of no danger at all. Hordes that are too small can't hurt Marines, but hordes (especially melee hordes) over a certain size will one-shot Marines. There's no middle ground. Had a whole swarm of various 'Nids, including the big named Tyrant, and none of them could do anything to the Marines (either due to being too weak or due to Thunder Hammers stun-locking the Tyrant endlessly). Then comes along a full power Zoey and zzzzzzzzzzzzapppp, 1 Terminator down for the count in a single hit. As I said, binary.

And you have to house rule and give everything Dodge to make them even half a challenge. Sent 12+ Raveners up against a Kill Team once. Didn't give them Dodge as we were play testing an upcoming FFG book so was playing it rules as written. Fight was over in a few rounds. I don't think the Marines even got hurt.

 H.B.M.C. wrote:
Perhaps I should have elaborated on my comment.

In fact, I'll swap out "easy" for "binary".

Combat in Deathwatch is far too binary. It either kills you in one hit, or is of no danger at all. Hordes that are too small can't hurt Marines, but hordes (especially melee hordes) over a certain size will one-shot Marines. There's no middle ground. Had a whole swarm of various 'Nids, including the big named Tyrant, and none of them could do anything to the Marines (either due to being too weak or due to Thunder Hammers stun-locking the Tyrant endlessly). Then comes along a full power Zoey and zzzzzzzzzzzzapppp, 1 Terminator down for the count in a single hit. As I said, binary.

And you have to house rule and give everything Dodge to make them even half a challenge. Sent 12+ Raveners up against a Kill Team once. Didn't give them Dodge as we were play testing an upcoming FFG book so was playing it rules as written. Fight was over in a few rounds. I don't think the Marines even got hurt.

I see your point. (Played a couple sessions now).

Either they're rocking so hard it's feth easy, or they're losing limbs and burning fate points (in two sessions there's been a lost leg and a marine bisected at the abdomen). Just to put it in perspective, I threw Rak'Gol at them from the Rogue Trader books.

I also see your point about dodging being SO important for any enemies. The only Rak'Gol that survived being shot at were VERY VERY lucky to pass their dodges (considering the horrible base agility).