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I've been going through some bits I had and realized that i had enough parts to start working on my Deathwatch kill team, using the vanilla SM codex. The thing is, I'm not sure how to build a decent yet somewhat fluffy list. I'm thinking doing a drop pod heavy assualt but I'm not sure how well that works in the sixth (don't currently have access to brb) I'm trying for an 1850 point list and any advice would be greatly appreciated. i currently have about 40 tac marines (no weapons yet) and ten sternguard. If i take all drop pods, would it be worth it to take shrike as an HQ, infiltrate the sternguad while everything else drops? Thanks again

Well, it probably depends on whether you'd go by GW's fluff or FFG's alternate take on how the Deathwatch would operate. Since you've mentioned "kill team", however, it sounds like you would gravitate towards the former?

Kill Teams are rather small, but you could easily insert them as an add-on to a standard Space Marine army of your favourite Chapter (or one which you at least like and that has a history/cool background of fighting Xenos and/or for the Inquisition). I would suggest doing the Kill-Team as a Vanguard unit to represent their fighting style and access to specialised ammunition such as hellfire rounds. Whether you'd have that squad's leader be modeled after a Deathwatch Captain or an Ordo Xenos Inquisitor would be up to you, of course.

I'd actually advise putting a Deathwatch Kill-Team into a regular Space Marine army and use them as a Sternguard unit; Vanguard Veterans don't have Special Ammunition, Sternguard do.

I think you could use sternguard of vangurad depending on which you like most.

I dont think a whole army would work, in terms of fluff anyway.

I run my Sternguard as Dethwatch, using 2x 3x Different CombiWeapons and Power Sword, they do O.K. I got a Black Drop Pod for them as well.

I run my deathwatch as Command Squads (the one you get with a cap'n) because of the access to all sorts of weapon options and/or as Sternguards so they can get access to the special bolter ammo and it's a cheap heavy bolter too with that group. I have a rhino/razorback for mine though.

AnomanderRake wrote:I'd actually advise putting a Deathwatch Kill-Team into a regular Space Marine army and use them as a Sternguard unit; Vanguard Veterans don't have Special Ammunition, Sternguard do.

Duh, fail on my part. For some reason I mixed the two up.
Vanguard was CC specialists, Sternguard were Ranged, right?

Anyways, special ammo ftw.

 Lynata wrote:
Well, it probably depends on whether you'd go by GW's fluff or FFG's alternate take on how the Deathwatch would operate

*record scratch*

Alternate take?

Deathwatch would be an awesome set.

The Drop Pods idea is good, especially as you can use Shrike to infiltrate. What you could do is get multiple Shrikes, and name them differently - that way you could infiltrate a lot.

If you want to go all out, get 8 drop pods, and combat squad your tacticals. You drop in the same number in the drop pod assault, but you can spread them out more.

Legion of Flame wrote:
Deathwatch would be an awesome set.

The Drop Pods idea is good, especially as you can use Shrike to infiltrate. What you could do is get multiple Shrikes, and name them differently - that way you could infiltrate a lot.

If you want to go all out, get 8 drop pods, and combat squad your tacticals. You drop in the same number in the drop pod assault, but you can spread them out more.

Well if he wants to do that he isn't being very fluffy, but it would be a cool army to see hit the table.

? Fluffy? Let me read up on that.

They use teleportation, grav chutes and the Demiurg Termite tank.

But Space Marines are the angels of death, so they can still use a drop pod, and it'd probably be fluffy enough.

Or maybe you mean the kill team aspect, as a kill-team is around twelve. They would still combat squad them, for maximum tactical advantage.

Legion of Flame wrote:
? Fluffy? Let me read up on that.

They use teleportation, grav chutes and the Demiurg Termite tank.

But Space Marines are the angels of death, so they can still use a drop pod, and it'd probably be fluffy enough.

Or maybe you mean the kill team aspect, as a kill-team is around twelve. They would still combat squad them, for maximum tactical advantage.

Kill-Team Fluffy, so 8 Drop pods sure it works for vanilla marines in fluff and it works for Deathwatch on the table as they are run as Vanilla marines but in the fluff for Kill-team 10 to 12 tends to be the max unit cap.

Im currently working on a death watch army but with death wing rules. Kind of fits the fluff with small model count and highly specialized marines. For generic marines, stern guard, van guard and command squads are the way too go. Also there is only one death watch dreadnought and its an imperial fists marine.

 theman99808 wrote:
Im currently working on a death watch army but with death wing rules. Kind of fits the fluff with small model count and highly specialized marines. For generic marines, stern guard, van guard and command squads are the way too go. Also there is only one death watch dreadnought and its an imperial fists marine.

I don't see how "Terminator army" equates to "small model count and highly specialized Marines".

If anything, the Deathwatch was tailor made to go with Pedro Kantor.
Take Scouts as Troops, go heavy on Sternguard. Voila! Fluffy Deathwatch!

H.B.M.C. wrote:*record scratch*
Alternate take?

Didn't we discuss that already? I honestly cannot remember.

But yes:
- armies of Deathwatch with their own Battle Barges, Exterminatus kill-ships (!) and armoured formations operating in complete independence from the Inquisition or the High Lords
versus
- small, elite kill-teams under direct command of the Ordo Xenos, led by either a Deathwatch Captain or an Inquisitor

... sounds like an alternate take to me. And we both know it's not the only thing that is different. *shrug* Let's not pretend as if all the novels, codices and RPGs out there even want to deliver a uniform portrayal of this setting. It's all about the authors' interpretations - or, in some cases, even popular demand. See "Only War" recently having attributed charge settings to any and all las pistols and lasguns because the fans lobbied for it. The "funny" thing is that their old take on the issue (-> only Triplex) was the one actually in line with how GW handles it.
It's not something to argue about, really. But we should all be aware that different sources tell different stories. Whatever you prefer is not anyone's business, though.

dalsiandon wrote:Kill-Team Fluffy, so 8 Drop pods sure it works for vanilla marines in fluff and it works for Deathwatch on the table as they are run as Vanilla marines but in the fluff for Kill-team 10 to 12 tends to be the max unit cap.

Deathwatch Kill-Teams are 4-9 Space Marines plus a Captain, Librarian or Inquisitor - at least that's what GW used to write. Their rules and fluff are a bit old by now.

 Kanluwen wrote:

 theman99808 wrote:
Im currently working on a death watch army but with death wing rules. Kind of fits the fluff with small model count and highly specialized marines. For generic marines, stern guard, van guard and command squads are the way too go. Also there is only one death watch dreadnought and its an imperial fists marine.

I don't see how "Terminator army" equates to "small model count and highly specialized Marines".

If anything, the Deathwatch was tailor made to go with Pedro Kantor.
Take Scouts as Troops, go heavy on Sternguard. Voila! Fluffy Deathwatch!

I agree with the Pedro Kantor remark. Then they count as scoring. I don't recall Kill Teams using Terminator Armour. Of course I know the Assault Termie kit has a shoulder pad for it. But that could just be like the Crux Termie a badge of honor, especially since those marines don't repaint their armour when they return from their service with the Ordo Xenos.

But Agree with the idea for sternguard and command squad. Vanguard work too for the free Rhino but you loss out on the special ammo and some of the variable weapons the other two units provide.

"Kill Teams" don't have standardized equipment.

They can certainly include a Terminator in their midst, but the Deathwatch are less an "army" and more a series of Tactical Assets that are spread around in a command.

Yeah. Even when the Deathwatch move in 'in force', with vehicle support, air-support and multiple squads, it's almost always usually a one-off for a special operation. Once it's over the individual squads split up and go back to small-scale operations.