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Hi,

I've wanted to start playing 40k for ages but I've never got enough models painted to field an army before. So I realised, Kill Team seems like the perfect way for me to get playing quickly whilst I build up a bigger force. With that in mind i've bought a Start Collecting! Deathwatch box... but i'm struggling to know how to build my 10 marines.

I've seen the below list in the forums which looks cool and has a lot of awesome toys in it. I'm not worried about being WAAC etc but would it be a good starting point for a fun list that could at least make a game of it against most armies?

I imagine i'd be playing single games rather than campaigns to start with at least - if that makes any difference. My main concern is whether the HTH would ever make it in to combat. Perhaps I could swap him for another build?

Sergeant 16 Storm Shield 3 Power Maul 2 (Leader)
Gunner 16 Infernus Bolter 3 (Heavy)
Veteran 14 HTH 5 (Combat)
Veteran 14 Combi-Plasma 4 Power Sword 2 (Sniper)
Gunner 16 Frag Cannon 5 (Fireteam)

I'd love to build all 10 to give myself some flexibility - should I do that straight away or play with my 5 and see what i'm missing?

Any ideas, tips, list or advice very much welcome!

I got the 5 man box and Kill Team Mordecai so also have 10 models to play with. Though I used an old SM commander for my leader since I wanted him to stand out just a bit.

Leader - Stalker Pattern Bolter (cheap and in the back)
Gunner with frag canon
Gunner with Infernus bolter
black shield with storm shield and magnetized powersword/maul
vet with combiplasma
vet with powersword and bolter
vet with powermaul and bolter
vet with StalkerBoltgun

Last two will probably be vets with bolters. But I want to try some shotguns before I build the last two in case I want one. And I have a ton of regular marines with bolters who can stand in for the meantime.

Myself I am on the fence about shotguns. I really like the idea of flamers in Kill Team. I think they will be gold against hordes, especially CC hordes like Orcs. But not sure they will have the oomph against other troops.

Have made the same purchases as you, and am in the same quandary. Here's what I've worked out and built so far ... *

6 man Team 100pts
Watch Sergeant w/ Bolter & PS 18pts
DW Gunner w/ Infernus Heavy Bolter 18pts Heavy
DW Veteran w/ Stalker Pattern BG 15pts Sniper or Demo
DW Veteran w/ Shotgun 15pts
DW Veteran w/ PS & Storm Shield 19pts Combat
DW Veteran w/ BG & PS 16pts

6 man Team: Shooty 100pts
Watch Sergeant w/ Stalker Pattern BG 17pts
DW Gunner w/ Infernus Heavy Bolter 18pts Heavy
DW Gunner w/ Frag Cannon 21pts Comms
DW Veteran w/ BG & PS 16pts Combat
DW Veteran w/ BG 14pts
DW Veteran w/ BG 14pts

5 man CC Veterans 95pts
Watch Sergeant w/ Xenophase & SS 22pts
DW Gunner w/ Frag Cannon 21pts Comms or Demo
Black Shield w/ PS & SS 21pts Zealot
DW Veteran w/ BG & PS 16pts Combat
DW Veteran w/ Stalker Pattern BG 15pts

*Have not built any bolter only DW as I am trying to get the Kill Team Cassius box.

Played the "Shooty" team for the first time this Sunday past, lost to Harlequins in a 4 way Recover Intelligence mission. The only survivors were the Frag Cannon and Infernus Heavy Bolter. Auto-hits on Overwatch were the primary xeno killers. However, since the Harlequins had initiative, he used "Lead by Example" tactic which let his other charger attack immediately after his Leader, then "War Dancers" a Harlequin tactic to have his Leader fight a 2nd time at the end of the Fight phase. So he killed all three DW in CC on turn 3, and neither the Sgt or CC Combat specialist lived long enough to swing back.

Against Harlequins with their 4+ INV save, the Power Mauls will be better, also the Xenoblade for forcing rerolls of successful INV saves. Power Swords are for MEQ, but that's the way I build the figures.

yeah, I think that is a good way to approach it. Build out a few teams and then see what overlaps. I did redistribute some wargear in lists to match up a bit more with other lists.

Made a mistake in the 5 man Close Combat team. The cost should be 98pts and the DW Veteran w/ BG & PS at 16pts is replaced by DW Veteran w/ PS & Storm Shield at 19pts. The Stalker pattern DW Vet and Frag Gunner are the only ranged support.

I highly favor the storm shield on the leader. You do not have enough models to relegate one to hiding in a corner, and losing your leader is crippling early on

stratigo wrote:
I highly favor the storm shield on the leader. You do not have enough models to relegate one to hiding in a corner, and losing your leader is crippling early on

But giving him a SS pretty much relegates him to CC and takes away his gun. Which means you have to stick him in and risk him or he is even less useful. Putting him into CC is risky. And giving him a SS and CC weapon makes him even more expensive as well, taking away needed points for the rest of your team.

So at the moment, we've got 1) Definitely keep your leader in the corner and out of harms way AND 2) You need your leader in the thick of it. This is definitely more complicated than I thought

Maybe i'll just build for fluff and the rule of cool.

I mean, I have enough Models to build:

Frag Cannon
Infernus Heavy Bolter
Stalker Pattern Bolter
Stormshield and CC weapon
Bolter
Bolter
Shot gun
Shot gun
Bolter and CC weapon
Bolter and CC weapon
And Artemis who I could convert as some kind of Sergeant

If feel like that should cover most bases? Could get rid of one for a Blackshield, Heavy Thunder Hammer or Plasma I suppose... any recommendations?

I would just try to magnetise but I feel like that might limit my posing options and the personality of the models.

Remember the Start Collecting box has the upgrade sprue in it as well. You can see about getting some more Marine bodies (DW or not) and use the spare arms on those. The extra DW pads in the upgrade and the multitude of chapter pads on each 5-man sprue should be enough to convert any options you want.

That's helpful, thanks craggy.

I think i'll just sit and work on a list tonight as there doesn't seem to be a simple answer for a "beginner list" - which I guess is a good thing. Then I can focus on just painting up 5 or 6 guys.

 Brightsword wrote:
So at the moment, we've got 1) Definitely keep your leader in the corner and out of harms way AND 2) You need your leader in the thick of it. This is definitely more complicated than I thought

Maybe i'll just build for fluff and the rule of cool.

I mean, I have enough Models to build:

Frag Cannon
Infernus Heavy Bolter
Stalker Pattern Bolter
Stormshield and CC weapon
Bolter
Bolter
Shot gun
Shot gun
Bolter and CC weapon
Bolter and CC weapon
And Artemis who I could convert as some kind of Sergeant

If feel like that should cover most bases? Could get rid of one for a Blackshield, Heavy Thunder Hammer or Plasma I suppose... any recommendations?

I would just try to magnetise but I feel like that might limit my posing options and the personality of the models.

My to build list is almost exactly te same. Except I am planning on a combiplasma instead of the second shotgun.

I think I am going to try to use some magnets on some of them. My BS already has magnets for a PM or PS with their SS.

I also really like the stalker. or the idea of hte stalker. I need to get more games played. October should give me more time to do that I hope.

I’d been looking in the DW KT thread, the first post had two good build, that’s 10 or less models I think.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Watch Sergeant 16 Stalker Boltgun 1 (Leader)
Deathwatch Gunner 16 Frag Cannon 5 (Comms)
Deathwatch Veteran 14 Shotgun 1 (Demolitions)
Deathwatch Veteran 14 Power Sword 2 (Zealot)
Deathwatch Veteran 14 Power Maul 2
Deathwatch Veteran 14 Shotgun 1

Sergeant 16 Storm Shield 3 Power Maul 2 (Leader)
Gunner 16 Infernus Bolter 3 (Heavy)
Veteran 14 HTH 5 (Combat)
Veteran 14 Combi-Plasma 4 Power Sword 2 (Sniper)
Gunner 16 Frag Cannon 5 (Fireteam)

That’s 10 loadouts and a good mix.
Two nice setups.
Credit to the_scotsman

Most efficient DW unit for me so far are:
- Leader with stalker
- Demo with shotgun
- Black shield zealot with maul and shield (vs elite armies)
- Combat with HTH
- Frag cannon dude
- Sniper with combi-plasma
- Black shield zealot with double sword (vs mass armies)
- Heavy with infernus bolter