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.

I’m going in to a crusade battle against Deathwatch who I think is taking bike and terminators. Any tips on how to deal with them, I’m going in knowing I’m screwed but would like to take some with me or at least try to get some points on the board.

Limited to 38PL Combat patrol

I have two Leman Russ tank commanders at my disposal (12PL each) one mounted with punisher cannon and the other is able to change its load out. I have 3 10 man squads (3PL each), bullgryns (5PL), company commander (2PL), platoon commander (2PL), special weapons squad (1PL), heavy weapons squad (3PL).

Cheers

Assuming your list is something like this:

https://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/796182.page

Deathwatch is not what it was in previous editions. Only Veterans have SIA, not Terminators or Bikes. Their Stratagems are geared towards beating Xenos, not IG.

My advice is hold your Infantry units back and use them solely for capping points. Claim middle objectives with Bullgryns, make him charge you to get the points. Move up with the LRs, he's not going to have much anti-tank.

You can win this on Victory points. DW are not great against high T models and armor.

My list has changed as it’s now 38PL but I still have all the units in my supply pool and have access to one of every make of Leman Russ turret (3 battle cannons also) I also have 4RP to spend if I want.


++ Patrol Detachment 0CP (Imperium - Astra Militarum) [38 PL, 733pts, 6CP] ++

+ Configuration +

Battle Size [6CP]: 2. Incursion (51-100 Total PL / 501-1000 Points)

Detachment Command Cost

Regimental Doctrine: Astra Millitarum

+ HQ +

Tank Commander [12 PL, 235pts]: Battle Cannon, Display Tank Orders, Lascannon, Plasma Cannons, Warlord, Weapon Expert

Tank Commander [12 PL, 220pts]: Display Tank Orders, Heavy Bolters, Lascannon, Turret-mounted Executioner Plasma Cannon

+ Troops +

Infantry Squad [3 PL, 65pts]
. 7x Guardsman: 7x Lasgun
. Guardsman W/ Special Weapon: Grenade Launcher
. Guardsman w/ Vox-caster: Vox-caster
. Sergeant: Chainsword, Plasma pistol

Infantry Squad [3 PL, 65pts]
. 7x Guardsman: 7x Lasgun
. Guardsman W/ Special Weapon: Grenade Launcher
. Guardsman w/ Vox-caster: Vox-caster
. Sergeant: Chainsword, Plasma pistol

Infantry Squad [3 PL, 65pts]
. 7x Guardsman: 7x Lasgun
. Guardsman W/ Special Weapon: Grenade Launcher
. Guardsman w/ Vox-caster: Vox-caster
. Sergeant: Chainsword, Plasma pistol

+ Elites +

Platoon Commander [2 PL, 27pts]: Boltgun, Chainsword, Display Astra Militarum Orders, Relic: The Laurels of Command

+ Heavy Support +

Heavy Weapons Squad [3 PL, 56pts]
. Heavy Weapon Team: Autocannon
. Heavy Weapon Team: Missile launcher
. Heavy Weapon Team: Mortar

++ Total: [38 PL, 6CP, 733pts] ++

Created with BattleScribe

I'd bring Bullgryns, if you have them. Force him into cc.

The Infantry squads are not going to stand up to the anti-infantry of the DW. I'd rather see 3 missile launchers in the HWS than the Autocannon and the Mortar.

Do you know how your opponent plans to field the bikes or the Terminators? A common build right now is Proteus Kill Teams with 5 Vets and 5 Bikes (or 5 Terminators.) He's probably going to use them to take / contest objectives.

Deathwatch Terminators have a special ability, they can teleport anywhere on the field 9 inches away from the enemy. This is a good and a bad thing, see if you can get him to teleport on top of an objective away from the rest of your army. The Terminators are going to have some Power Fists / Chain Fists and those are the only real threats to your tanks.

Good luck.

To be honest I’m not sure what he’s taking just what’s on his list. It’s a 38PL game.

He has access to in his supply pool

Captain on bike
Forties kill team
Proteus kill team
Redemptor dreadnaught

He did have company vets but they are stroked from the list.


So I’d have to scratch 2 infantry or platoon commander and a infantry squad to bring the Bullgryn. The rockets I can probably do as I’ve got a bunch spare on sprues and a bunch of guard just sitting around to kitbash with. Just need bases which I’ve got some perfect thickness plasti card just need to trace the single one from the start collecting box.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Now looks like I might have to face death guard first

Demolisher cannons on your TCs 100% against Death Guard

Don't forget to take the psykers who will cast smite, smite, malstrom into the foe, which isn't intrinsically useless against either DW or DG. Since astropaths also provide your army with gaps in enemy cover (critical for so many gaurd weapons against any flavor of marine) they are a useful, character protected weapon for both your matchups. A primaris + 2 astropaths would be a decent investment if you can get them added.

Deathwatch has often T5 stuff with 3W and quite possibly stormshields mixed into units of other things.
DG is -1 damage per ATTACK (not per psychic cast though) so 2W weapons suck against them. That means bullygrn suck, plasma sucks, but heavy flamers and gatling turret weapons (ESPECIALLY the tank ace -1 ap gatling turret with the crusade only upgrade to deal mortal wounds on sixes (a crusade weapon relic) are pretty solid.
Similarly the hammer of sunderance is a decent anti everything weapon that you can safely fire from a bit further back the field, if you can use specialty detachments from psych. awaken. book and want to upgrade a battle cannon to kill 3W model, per shot.

Demos are good against either army but weaker against the many invuln shields (lower shot count) of the deathwatch mixed squads. I don't know how your friend builds his though. There is significant variance in design of a DW squad.

Tricks that you can do?
Valhallans with heavy flamers, meltas, and similar are a real suprise to a DG army that has oyu locked up in combat, allowing you to pour fire into your own gaurdsmen until your melee ends the sad way. The valhallan only order turns each forward deployed gaurdsman body into a forlorn hope -- with the potential to cause the enemy model group to be stuck out in the open and under the withering fire of your whole army.

Catachans can "burn them out" .. removing from a unit its ability to use cover against ANY source of fire for the round. Burning out a deeply dug in unit (especially one that gets extra save cover from cover) can let even moderately effective weapons with higher rates of fire suddenly outperform things that have real high ap.
Or to put it another way, if you go catachan and load your tanks up with rerolling heavy flamers, make sure you have troops with flames and orders nearby to turn all those "hahah, I am 2+ save now even though your ap is -1" into "oops, no cover? That's a lot of flamers you are about to roll..."

Weight of fire is an effective counter to both invuln shields and to deathgaurds' reducing damage.

good luck!