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I have a tournament coming up soon and this time I thought would run some of my DW. Below is my standard pod army for them. Goes well against mates, thought would try in a more competitive setting.
1850 Death Watch

-------Black Spear Strike Force (1850)-------

---COMMAND (100)---
Chaplain (100)
• 1x Chaplain: Melta bombs (100)

---CORE (1550)---
Kill Teams 6
1. Alpha Team (185)
• Kill Team
• 5x Veterans: 2x Infernus heavy bolter, 2x Boltguns, 1x Serg (Boltgun) (150)
• 1x Drop pod (35)

2. Bravo Team (175)
• Kill Team
• 5x Veterans: 3x Meltaguns, 1x Boltgun, 1x Serg (Boltgun) (140)
• 1x Drop pod (35)

3. Charlie Team (175)
• Kill Team
• 5x Veterans: 3x Meltaguns, 1x Boltgun, 1x Serg (Boltgun) (140)
• 1x Drop pod (35)

4. Delta Team (325)
• Aquila Kill Team
• 5x Veterans: 2x Frag cannon, 1x Boltgun, 1x Boltgun/Storm shield, 1x Serg (Lightning claw/Storm shield) (195)
• 1x Librarian (LV2): Force sword (95)
• 1x Drop pod (35)

5. Echo Team (355)
• Aquila Kill Team
• 5x Veterans: 2x Frag cannon, 1x Boltgun, 1x Boltgun/Storm shield, 1x Serg (Lightning claw/Storm shield) (195)
• 1x Librarian (LV2): Force Axe/Combi-melta, Terminator armour (125)
• 1x Drop pod (35)

6. Foxtrot Team (335)
• Aquila Kill Team
• 5x Veterans: 3x Shotgun, 1x Shotgun/Storm shield, 1x Serg (Lightning claw/Storm shield) (145)
• 2x Terminator: 1x Thunder hammer/Storm shield, 1x Thunder hammer/Storm shield & Cyclone missile launcher (125)
• 1x Vanguard Veteran: 1x Power sword/Bolt pistol (30)
• 1x Biker: 1x Power sword (35)

---Auxiliary (200)---
Dropship (200)
• Corvus Blackstar: Blackstar rocket launcher, Infernum halo-launcher (200)

TOTAL: 1850 Soldiers: 37 Vehicles: 6 (5x Drop pod, 1x Corvus Blackstar)

Tactics:
I go for the 5 pods, so can get 3 on first turn (should be enough to stop being tabled on turn 1, if I get first player turn). The heavy bolter pod is incase there is a far objective I need to secure. The chap runs with foxtrot team in the corvus.
Any advice welcome.
Cheers,
SC

Not really a fan of Melta's on a DW list, or quite so many drop pods, but I guess that is just my preference. You could do essentially the same thing with regular SM and have it cost way less points.

Base 5 vets is 22/ppm to 110, base tactical is 14/ppm to 70, so you are paying 40 points for special ammunition from the get go. Replacing those guns with melta's is just throwing away the 8/ppm you paid for the ammo making these melta's effectively costing 18 points each.

I just find that if we are looking at what the base cost is for a barebones veteran, it makes more sense to just use what you paid for instead of throwing away points to buy other things. A vet with a melta is 32 points, but a terminator with a chainfist or a powerfist with built in melta is 45 points. In that situation you get an invul save, you don't have to buy SS's and you still get the meltas while having a 2+ save.

I just made a quick list myself, just a CAD with same HQ, 6 drop pods all with 10x marines, 2 had meltas, 3 had grav one had flamers and its only sitting at 1300ish points with 61 soldiers and 6 pods. Still have another 500+ points to play around with.

You should also consider the formation you are using gives all of your models deepstrike, so it seems sort of silly to get pods then.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I just kind of threw this together but it has a bit more men in it. 48 and the dropship.

Black Spear Strike Force

Watch Commander

Chaplain (1) - 95pts
1 Chaplain: Bolt pistol,Crozius arcanum

2 x Aquila Kill Team

Veterans (5) - 135pts - 1 Frag Cannon
Terminators (1) - 50pts Powerfist with auxilary meltagun
Biker (1) - 30pts
Librarian (1) - 115pts ML 2


2x Aquila Kill Team

Veterans (5) - 120pts - 1 Storm Shield
Terminators (2) - 120pts 2x Assault Cannon
Biker (1) - 30pts

Kill Team

Veterans (10) - 220pts

Kill Team

Veterans (5) - 135pts - 5 Stalker pattern boltgun

Dropship

Corvus Blackstar (1) - 200pts - Blackstar rocket launcher,Infernum halo-launcher

I would probably do something like this. Bikes in the relevant squads lets you splitfire a weapon, all the units have deepstrike from formation bonus and the barebones vets can sit midfield on objectives and the snipers can sit on your deployment objective.

Cheers for comments , Yes, the pods with DW isnt the best (My standard army is min rhino rush with 2x frag in each, corvus and some aquilas support etc). However, want to steer away from my normal list, so went my standard pod army (is harder to use, but fits in more with the DW theme I think).
A few things but:

Ceann wrote:

Base 5 vets is 22/ppm to 110, base tactical is 14/ppm to 70, so you are paying 40 points for special ammunition from the get go. Replacing those guns with melta's is just throwing away the 8/ppm you paid for the ammo making these melta's effectively costing 18 points each.

Got to remember base DW vets are 2 attacks each and LD9 as well, so are better than tacs without the ammo.

Ceann wrote:

I just find that if we are looking at what the base cost is for a barebones veteran, it makes more sense to just use what you paid for instead of throwing away points to buy other things. A vet with a melta is 32 points, but a terminator with a chainfist or a powerfist with built in melta is 45 points. In that situation you get an invul save, you don't have to buy SS's and you still get the meltas while having a 2+ save.

Termies with auxil melta are 50pts each.
You also cant pod termies in now say in an aquila team/or other kill team (cause of the faq). So have to use the deepstrike and that's just to variable. The only other way is with a cad and again it doesn't get me the aquilia team I want.

Ceann wrote:

I just made a quick list myself, just a CAD with same HQ, 6 drop pods all with 10x marines, 2 had meltas, 3 had grav one had flamers and its only sitting at 1300ish points with 61 soldiers and 6 pods. Still have another 500+ points to play around with.

If I wanted to be super competitive I would just run my Iron hands and yes can get a better army, but with this army I am giving up some points (eg the 3 norm kill team units, though are still effective in the context of the army, are a bit pricey) to get alot better units in the later 3.

Ceann wrote:

You should also consider the formation you are using gives all of your models deepstrike, so it seems sort of silly to get pods then.

BSSF? Because gets me aquilas without to many "extra formations" so are within tournament limits. Yes on the outset Deep strike for all infantry looks good (until you mishap all the time etc). Hence, drop pods just make it more of a sure thing not to mishap and have more units/models near objectives etc.

However, I could look into a cad and a bssf, to instigate the formations I want and add in some more unit etc



Automatically Appended Next Post:

Ceann wrote:

Automatically Appended Next Post:
I just kind of threw this together but it has a bit more men in it. 48 and the dropship.

Black Spear Strike Force

Watch Commander

Chaplain (1) - 95pts
1 Chaplain: Bolt pistol,Crozius arcanum

2 x Aquila Kill Team

Veterans (5) - 135pts - 1 Frag Cannon
Terminators (1) - 50pts Powerfist with auxilary meltagun
Biker (1) - 30pts
Librarian (1) - 115pts ML 2


2x Aquila Kill Team

Veterans (5) - 120pts - 1 Storm Shield
Terminators (2) - 120pts 2x Assault Cannon
Biker (1) - 30pts

Kill Team

Veterans (10) - 220pts

Kill Team

Veterans (5) - 135pts - 5 Stalker pattern boltgun

Dropship

Corvus Blackstar (1) - 200pts - Blackstar rocket launcher,Infernum halo-launcher

I would probably do something like this. Bikes in the relevant squads lets you splitfire a weapon, all the units have deepstrike from formation bonus and the barebones vets can sit midfield on objectives and the snipers can sit on your deployment objective.

Just saw your appended post.
Ye looks good. However, I find bare bones deepstriking to unreliable, hence I have pods for everything (is what am basing my army around).
Cheers for comments but is good food for thought.

If you have an issue with deep striking then you can just take an inquisitor attachment and drop servo skulls all over the board.
They also give you the ability to block infiltrators if you play against an army where you have to adjust your tactics.

It is only 34 points to get an Inq and 3 skulls, all deep strikes within 12" of a skull roll one d6 less for scatter.

Cheaper than a drop pod.

Well with drop pods, he gets to drop pod his stuff in on turn 1. If he's deep striking everything he's waiting until turn 2 to hopefully roll good reserve rolls.

 Gamerely wrote:
Well with drop pods, he gets to drop pod his stuff in on turn 1. If he's deep striking everything he's waiting until turn 2 to hopefully roll good reserve rolls.

I get that.
Just feel that regular spacemarines are a better drop pod army than DW. Drop pods doesn't really play into their strengths as I see it.

You can field Veterans with stalkers that have 30 - 36" range, 2 shots at max distance and their choice of ignore cover or 2+ poison.
Take terminators and just stick cyclone missiles on them they have 48" range. You will force them to come towards you, most units don't have this kind of range.
After that all you really needs is 2 or 3 blackstars with a bunch of cheap vanguard vets with lightening claws to wreck their back line.

I get the whole " I wanna drop pod on my enemy and alpha strike them" train of thought.

But what if they have Coteaz?
Or Desvalle's Holy Circle?
Or position cheap units so you can't pod in anywhere valuable?
Against a giant blob of rhino's or razorbacks he can just blow up the vehicles but then he has to eat 100% return fire. "metal bawkes problems"

At least with a demi company if you for some reason decide not to drop, then you can drop empty pods everywhere and wall off half their army, and you still have an epic ton of units to kill the part you didn't wall out and then sit on objectives with everything they can't hope to kill with the rest before the games over. These kill teams look way worse when you have to hoof it over the battlefield and because he doesn't really have an alternative plan his army, he is unable to adapt effectively against someone that can make mitigate a pod alpha strike, hence the list lacks fluidity. This is further compounded by the fact that you are buying all of these things with points, but SM end up with free rhino's, pods, razorbacks and a Warcon gets like 600 points of free wargear.

If you have the option, I think it would be better to compliment DW with something else. Skitarii might work out well, or maybe some Scions or regular SM's.



Automatically Appended Next Post:
So if we had a "well Ceann how would you make deathwatch if you could do whatever you wanted" moment.

I would perform the below.

The Vanguards go into the Corvus, they can assault out and ruin things, they have melta bombs and lightening claws.

For the Corvus it is important to remember the stormstrike missiles have concussive, which helps you get all your attacks in with your Vanguards because you shoot an MC or GMC first and put it at I1 and they are assault vehicles so you get to come out swinging.

The terminators find midfield objectives to sit on while shooting missiles every turn.
The two stalker squads sit on your deployment objectives. Those cultists trying to hide in ruins over there to hold that objective? Dead. Nightfighting? Huh. What does 2+ cover even mean?

You also have two rhinos with 2 frag cannons that can fire out of the firing points.

Everything is redundant, you have a couple warp charges to try to deny something and you have tactical flexibility.




Combined Arms Detachment

Librarian (1) - 100pts
1 Librarian: Frag and Krak grenades,Special issue ammunition,Boltgun,Force weapon,Psyker Master Level 2,Melta bombs

Veterans (5) - 160pts
2 Veteran: Deathwatch frag cannon

Rhino (1) - 35pts Dedicated Transport
1 Rhino: Storm bolter

Veterans (5) - 160pts
2 Veteran: Deathwatch frag cannon


Rhino (1) - 35pts Dedicated Transport
1 Rhino: Storm bolter

Vanguard Veterans (5) - 180pts
1 Vanguard Veteran: 2 Lightning claws,Melta bombs
4 Vanguard Veteran: 2 Lightning claws

Vanguard Veterans (5) - 180pts
1 Vanguard Veteran: 2 Lightning claws,Melta bombs
4 Vanguard Veteran: 2 Lightning claws

Terminators (2) - 130pts
2 Terminator: Storm bolter,Power fist,Cyclone missile launcher

Terminators (2) - 130pts
2 Terminator: Storm bolter,Power fist,Cyclone missile launcher

Combined Arms Detachment

Librarian (1) - 70pts
1 Librarian: Frag and Krak grenades,Special issue ammunition,Boltgun,Force weapon,Psyker Master Level 1

Veterans (5) - 135pts
5 Stalker pattern boltgun

Veterans (5) - 135pts
5 Veteran: Stalker pattern boltgun,Close combat weapon

Corvus Blackstar (1) - 200pts
1 Corvus Blackstar: Twin-linked assault cannon,Four stormstrike missiles,Hurricane bolter,Infernum halo-launcher

Corvus Blackstar (1) - 200pts
1 Corvus Blackstar: Twin-linked assault cannon,Four stormstrike missiles,Hurricane bolter,Infernum halo-launcher

I feel like the best Aquila you can have is 1x ML2 librarian w/ force sword, two frag cannons and 3 bolsters in a pod.

My 1850 which has been fairly effective is another ML2 librarian but in termie armor with a force axe, three of those squads, a stalker vet Aquila with a cyclone terminator, dreadnought and a skyhammer annihilation force with multi melta and grav devastators.

Extremely powerful alpha strike with a still very effective vet squad with a pod coming in a later turn. Biggest weakness is just lots of transports.

I ran Deathwatch fake "Gladius" strike force for tournaments, it surprised a lot of people and messed up a lot of people.

Deathwatch alpha strike is something to behold, I usually drop 2~3 pods turn 1, with 4~6 frag cannons, which is 12 templates and over 30~60 plus auto hits against densely packed infantry ( against daemons, nids, guards, CSM, orks, nekrons, admech, and SM)

In addition I run 5 rhinos with 2 frag cannon each, pushing from the table and OBsec everything and scoring maelstrom objectives. Plinking at everything that moved.

That sounds pretty good, will have to give that a try someday!

 fr3ddy wrote:
I ran Deathwatch fake "Gladius" strike force for tournaments, it surprised a lot of people and messed up a lot of people.

Deathwatch alpha strike is something to behold, I usually drop 2~3 pods turn 1, with 4~6 frag cannons, which is 12 templates and over 30~60 plus auto hits against densely packed infantry ( against daemons, nids, guards, CSM, orks, nekrons, admech, and SM)

In addition I run 5 rhinos with 2 frag cannon each, pushing from the table and OBsec everything and scoring maelstrom objectives. Plinking at everything that moved.

I know frag cannons are strong but how much of the damage would you attribute to the person not understanding what your army is trying to do and not deploying to compensate, granted you can only do that so much.

Just an update.

Sorry didn't respond/look to much, went away for Easter, then work etc. Cheers all for comments but. I did pretty well, 3wins,1 draw ((Though the comments did make me rethink my alpha strike list. The draw was against scat cat eldar (dam objectives)).

If curious this is the list I ultimately took, went for one of my safer lists than alpha strike (Is a copy and paste from word so sorry about formatting):

1850 Death Watch

-------Black Spear Strike Force (1850)-------
---COMMAND (100)---
Chaplain (100)
• 1x Chaplain: Melta bombs___________________________________________________________________________100

---CORE (1550)---
Kill Teams 6
1. Alpha Team (130)
• Kill Team
• 5x Veterans: 4x Stalker pattern boltguns, 1x Serg (Boltgun)_________________________________________________130

2. Bravo Team (195)
• Kill Team
• 5x Veterans: 2x Frag cannon, 2x Boltgun, 1x Serg (Boltgun)__________________________________________________160
• 1x Rhino_________________________________________________________________________________35

3. Charlie Team (195)
• Kill Team
• 5x Veterans: 2x Frag cannon, 2x Boltgun, 1x Serg (Boltgun)__________________________________________________160
• 1x Rhino_________________________________________________________________________________35

4. Delta Team (305)
• Aquila Kill Team
• 5x Veterans: 3x Boltgun, 1x Boltgun/Storm shield, 1x Serg (Lightning claw/Storm shield)____________________________145
• 2x Terminator: 1x Power fist/Storm bolter & Meltagun, 1x Thunder hammer/Storm shield & Cyclone missile launcher_______125
• 1x Biker: 1x Power sword____________________________________________________________________________35

5. Echo Team (385)
• Aquila Kill Team
• 5x Veterans: 2x Frag cannon, 1x Boltgun, 1x Boltgun/Storm shield, 1x Serg (Lightning claw/Storm shield)________________195
• 1x Librarian (LV2): Force Axe/Combi-melta, Terminator armour, The Beacon Angelis________________________________155
• 1x Drop pod_______________________________________________________________________________35

6. Foxtrot Team (340)
• Aquila Kill Team
• 5x Veterans: 3x Shotgun, 1x Shotgun/Storm shield, 1x Serg (Lightning claw/Storm shield)___________________________145
• 2x Terminator: 1x Power fist/Storm bolter & Meltagun, 1x Thunder hammer/Storm shield & Cyclone missile launcher_______125
• 1x Vanguard Veteran: Pair Light claws___________________________________________________________________35
• 1x Biker: 1x Power sword____________________________________________________________________________35

---Auxiliary (200)---
Dropship (200)
• Corvus Blackstar: Blackstar rocket launcher, Infernum halo-launcher___________________________________________200

TOTAL: 1850 Soldiers: 39 Vehicles: 4 (1x Drop pod, 1x Corvus Blackstar, 2x Rhino)


Cheers all,
SC

Looks like a bit of a monster hit on the first turn.
What's the plan to deal with null-deployments?