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.

Hello all! I come bearing tidings of a fandex for everyone's favorite Chamber Militant, the Death Watch. Below, I have a working draft of Warlord Traits and Army Special Rules, with some sample entries for some of the units in the codex coming soon. While I'm more than open to critique on any of these, one question I come bearing in mind is this: What would chapter relics for the Death Watch look like? My feeling is they would be powerful or even named captured xenos technology that gives some flavor from the various races the Death Watch combat. Perhaps an Eldar Autarch weapon, or a Tesseract Labrynth from the Necrons? I would love to here your input.

And without further to do, the beginnings of Fandex: Death Watch.

Special Rules
Black Shields:
Most Space Marines bear upon their left pauldron their home chapters heraldry. Yet for a few rare space marines their pauldron remains black. These are the Black Shields, and their service to the Death Watch is unto death. Whether forsaken by their original chapter or swearing themselves to the unending war against the xenos, they have seen and survived nearly all the myriad threats of the other races of the galaxy, and combat them with the skill and precision only centuries of war can endow.
A unit or model with this special rule may never benefit from the Chapter Heraldry special rule, and gain Preferred Enemy: Xenos and Fearless.

Bring it Down:
Towering abominations, great, clanking war machines, amongst these are the terrors recounted of those who have gone to war with the wretched xenos and lived to tell the tale. As such, the heavy weapons teams of the Death Watch have become skilled in the hunting of these monstrous attrocities.
Once per game, a squad with this special rule may choose to make this special attack during the shooting phase, provided they did not move this turn. The target must be a monstrous creature or vehicle, and the entire squad must fire at the same target. All heavy weapons in the squad add an additional shot to their profile and gain the twin-linked special rule until the end of the turn.

Chapter Heraldry:
All chapters of space marines count amongst their ranks those who have served in the Death Watch. Though each must take upon themselves the struggle to adapt what they learned in their home chapters to the endless war against the xenos, inevitably the doctrines so ingrained in them in their training carries on into their service in the Death Watch.
For each unit in your army with the Chapter Heraldry special rule (note some models specify their Heraldry, for example Chapter Heraldry: Black Templar) you must select one of the following.
If an independent character joins a unit with different chapter heraldry, use the special rule chosen by the independent character for so long as he is a part of the unit.
Additionally, some models/units may roll upon this table. To do so, roll 2d6 and subtract one from the result. Reroll results of 12.
Blood Angels……………………………………………..……………………..………2pts/model
Rage
Dark Angels……………………………………………………………….……………..1pt/model
Stubborn
Space Wolves………………………………………………………...…………………2pts/model
Furious Charge
Ultramarines…………………………………………………………………………….2pts/model
Tactical Doctrine1
Black Templar…………………………………………………………………………..2pts/model
Crusader, Abhor the Witch2
Imperial Fists……………………………………………………………………………3pts/model
Tank Hunter
Iron Hands…………………………………………………………………..…………..3pts/model
The Flesh is Weak3
Ravenguard……………………………………………………………………………..3pts/model
Scout, Winged Deliverance4
Salamanders…………………………………………………………….………………2pts/model
Flame Craft5
White Scars…………………………………………………………………………..…3pts/model
Skilled Rider
1Units may reroll to hit rolls of 1 when firing bolter weapons.
2A unit or model with the Brotherhood of Psykers of Psyker special rule may never join a unit that has selected this Chapter Heraldry. Nor may an Independent Character with this heraldry join a unit that contains any model(s) with the Psyker or Brotherhood of Psykers Special Rule.
3This Special Rule Confers Feel No Pain (6+). If an Independent character is selected, the model also gains It Will Not Die.
4Units with Jump Packs may use their jump packs in both the Movement and Assault Phases. Furthermore, they may reroll failed To Wound rolls caused by their Hammer of Wrath hits.
5Models with this special rule reroll failed saves against flamer weapons. Furthermore, they may reroll failed To Wound rolls and Armour Penetration rolls that do not result in a penetrating or glancing hit.

United We Vanquish!
If a unit contains a model with this special rule, roll on the Chapter Heraldry table at the beginning of each of your turns. Until the beginning of your next turn the unit benefits from this Chapter Heraldry special rule in addition to any other the unit currently benefits from. If the roll is a duplicate, there is no effect. On a natural roll of 12, you may select which rule you wish the unit to benefit from. Note, units with the Black Shields Special Rule remain unaffected.

Veterans of the Long Watch: These space marines have been in combat against the Xenos long enough to have seen the horrors of the myriad alien threats that encroach upon the Imperium. Any model with this special rule gains Hatred (Xenos).


Death Watch Warlord Traits
1: Slay the Monstrous
The warlord and his unit have the Monster Hunter USR
2: Let None Survive!
The warlord and his unit add 2 to the result of sweeping advance attempts
3: Suffer Not the Alien to Live
Before the start of your first turn, nominate one enemy character. Whilst your warlord is in base contact with the nominated character, his attacks are resolved at +2 Strength, AP2.
4: Precise Coordinates
Your warlord and his unit do not scatter when they arrive from Deep Strike Reserves.
5: Band of Brothers
One use only. At the start of your turn, all friendly units from Codex: Death Watch within 12” of the warlord may roll on the Chapter Heraldry table as per the United We Vanquish! Special Rule.
6: Purge the Alien
For every unit destroyed by your warlord and his unit, you gain 1 additional victory point.

This seems familiar, have you posted it anywhere else?

Oh, just a coincidence?

pelicaniforce wrote:
This seems familiar, have you posted it anywhere else?

Oh, just a coincidence?

Nope. This has been the off and on work of the ast few weeks. Finally had one small section complete to a point I could rightfully call it a working draft

I'm really not a fan of using a random table to determine Chapter. Random tables are bad!

A good portion of your warlord traits are disgustingly overpowered and need some serious re-working.

 Frozen Ocean wrote:
I'm really not a fan of using a random table to determine Chapter. Random tables are bad!

That's a pretty easy change. The only thing to shift the wording on would be the United We Vanquish special rule and one of the warlord traits. Future versions will be you may pick which chapter heraldry until the end of the turn.

I think you capture hierarchy rule makes a bold assumption. Most death watch units (kill teams) are not made up for space marine from the same chapter. Therefore it doesn't make sense to have a whole unit receive the rule.

However, this would work well for a character, who when joining a kill team would provide his expertise, Ala chapter tactic to the unit. But the basic kill team should probably stick with PE:xenos.

I like it, but some of your warlord traits are very overpowered. How about slaying the enemy warlord gives +1 victory points? Secondly, I don't think chapter heraldry should cost points. It should either be random and free, or you should be able to pay for it. Deathwatch also have access to specialist equipment and bolter ammunition.


My Attempt At Kill Team Rules

Unit Composition: 1 Captain And 4 Marines
Deathwatch Marine: WS4, BS4, S4, T4, I5, W1, Ld8, Sv: 3+

Special Rules:
And They Shall Know No Fear
((Above))

Wargear:
Power Armour
Boltgun (With access to specialist ammo)
Bolt Pistol
Frag Grenades
Krak Grenades

Unit may replace bolt guns with chainswords (Free)
Up to two models may take:
Flamer (5pts E), Stalker Bolter (5pts E), Melta Gun (10pts E), Hand Flamer (10pts E), Plasma Gun (15pts E), Grav Gun (15pts E), Inferno Pistol (15pts E), Plasma Pistol (15pts E), Grav Pistol (15pts E)

Deathwatch Captain:
WS5, BS5, S4, T4, I5, W2, Ld9, Sv: 3+ 5++

Special Rules:
And They Shall Know No Fear
((Above))

Wargear:
Bolter
Bolt Pistol
Power Armour
Field Generator: 5+ Invuln

May Replace His Bolter With:
Stalker Bolter (5pts), Combi-Weapon (10pts), Power Weapon (15pts), Lightning Claw (15pts), Relic Blade (25pts), Power Fist (25pts), Thunder Hammer (30pts)

May Replace His Bolt Pistol With:
Hand Flamer (10pts), Plasma Pistol (15pts), Inferno Pistol (15pts), Grav Pistol (15pts), Lightning Claw (15pts), Relic Blade (25pts), Power Fist (25pts), Thunder Hammer (30pts)

May Take:
Melta Bomb (5pts), Psyk-Out Grenades (10pts)

Up to 5 Extra Marines May Be Added (16pts E)

Squad May Replace Captain With:
Apothecary (FNP)
Lexicanum (Psyker Lvl1)
(Unknown Cost)
By the way, the lexicanum is fixed at L1, he cannot upgrade to L2. Maybe give him a smaller amount of psychic powers to choose from?

((80pts))

Space Wolves should also not be able to attach IC librarians to their unit unless they are also Space Wolves.

Minor point: It is actually the right shoulder that retains the chapter badge, the left one has the DW pauldron.