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Looking at trying to squeeze some competitiveness out of my marines, and Deathwatch has been a blast to play so far. My local meta has a lot of guard players, a couple Knight players, one hyper-competitive 1k Sons player, and then a smattering of less competitive players that I just bring fluffy stuff against and have fun. I am able to bring allies if needed from any other Adeptus Astartes faction, but give me all advice and I'll see what I can do... thanks!

BATTALION

HQ
Librarian - 123 pts
Jump Pack, Bolter, Force Axe

Watch Master - 130 pts

TROOPS
Intercessors - 301 pts
5 Bolt Rifles, 3 Aggressors with bolters, 2 bolter Inceptors

Intercessors - 301 pts
5 Bolt Rifles, 3 Aggressors with bolters, 2 bolter Inceptors

Intercessors - 270 pts
5 Bolt Rifles, 5 Hellblasters with Plasma Incinerators

Veterans - 200 pts
10 with Storm Bolters and Chainswords

ELITES
Vanguard Veterans - 333 pts
Sergeant w/ TH/SS, 2 Vets with TH/SS, 3 Vets with Heavy TH, 4 Vets with 2x Chainswords

HEAVY
Hellblasters - 340 pts
10 Plasma Incinerators

I usually take the Watch Master with Tome of Ectoclades and Master of Hidden Knowledge, and Librarian with Nullzone and either Might of Heroes or Veil of Time.
2 CPs to Deep Strike the Vets and Hellblasters. Usually, I Deep Strike them on my front line next to the Watch Master rather than in the backfield, and just use it to protect them and let them deal their withering firepower out uncontested. Intercessor squads make up the main battle line and have been pretty successful at keeping my opponents busy. Vanguard Vets go in reserve and are there for anti-tank support. One thing I am considering is dropping the Inceptors so I can add a Chaplain with a Jump Pack for them, but haven't tested this out yet.

Weaknesses: I know I am light on anti-tank but haven't found a great answer, trying the Vanguard Vets, also I am not fast for objectives, but so far I have been able to do well enough with advancing the Intercessor Squads and deepstriking where need be on turn 2.

Any advice is welcome, thanks!

A-T firepower for deathwatch is a must, while you can chip-shot down a knight or landraider doing so wastes the greatest strength Deathwatch have in their anti-infantry, I personally prefer forgeworld, Xiphon, mortis, Sicarins etc.

Mobility is key for 8th, if you can't move in on an objective, shifting your opponent off of one is largely irrelevant, a trick I've been getting a country mile out of to the point am considering adding in a 2cnd to my army is 4 bikers and a vanguard vet taken with 5 vets as a troop choice, the vets rock out with either bolters and chainswords or stalkers and chainswords if points allow while the bikers and vet rock chainsword and twin chainsword respectively, combat squaded the vets hold a back field and the now objsec bike and vanguard go off to take forward ground, the vet holds em back to moving 12 a turn but its more than worth it since the unit can fall back, shoot and charge in the same turn.

non-cp deepstrikers in terminators have worked well for me as well but I understand why alot of people have gone off them in 8th, you gotta be really tactical about where and when you bring them in.

Thanks for the feedback. I am considering some Forgeworld too, but it will be a while till I can make that happen. I was thinking of dropping the vets and adding another 10 man Hellblasters unit. Doing this leaves me about 200 points left over to play around with and I was already looking at two 3 man bike squads since I have them. I did the math between the Vanguards and Hellblasters... Hellblasters only do around 3 wounds less than the Vets unless you get Nullzone off for the shooting and then they outperform. Ill have to look into the Xiphon and Sicarans to see if I can make them work.