Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

So, knowing that the Deathwatch is made up of marines from most all the chapters, does Deathwatch adhere to the Codex Astartes? Do they have their own special protocols besides all the secrecy and such?

no they don't. nothing about them is codex, at all

They are literally about as far from the Codex as you can get without being Space Wolves.

 BaconCatBug wrote:
They are literally about as far from the Codex as you can get without being Space Wolves.

heck I think even the space wolves are closer to codex compliant then the death watch

Death Watch are the military forces of the Inquisition Ordo Xeno, so you can consider them not in line with codex marines in terms of organisation.

Very non codex adherent. You could also make a case for them being heretics if you want to stir the salt pot.

Each segmentum has one Great Fortress commanded by a watchmaster which try to maintain a force of 500 marines as well as many standard watch fortresses which try to maintain around 200 and many more watch outposts which try to maintain around 40 marines. Some sources even suggest at times the Deathwatch may have been over 5,000 marines strong

The Codex Astartes, to the Deathwatch, is basically like a standard doctrine manual to a Spec Ops guy.

It has the foundations of what they should do in a normal situation, albeit many Astartes Chapter see it as a guideline while others see it as a near-gospel. However, the Deathwatch is where they aren't in a traditional fighting force- they're a small, elite strike-team. They have different assets, tactics, and wargear. That changes the dynamic of battle for them drastically, so it's almost like... well, I have a better example.

Imagine your basic music class in school, where you learn just the basics of music theory. The Deathwatch is like a Prog-Metal band, it either builds on some of those basics of music theory or outright defies them to get an end state specific to its purpose.