Chapter Approved - Deathwatch Changes

[Matt_149]

So....more chapter tactics "rumours", "leaks" or whatever they are :) 

 

Deathwatch
Warlord Trait- re-roll failed wound rolls 
Relic- once per game at end of movement, teleport a friendly infantry or biker unit to within 6" and outside of 9" of enemy model
Stratagems
1. 1CP select an enemy vehicle within 1" of a watch master and on a 2+ vehicle suffers d3 mortal wounds
2. 1CP each time you make a hit roll a 6+ in the fight phase and its not an imperium or chaos aligned model, make an extra attack. additional attacks cant be created from these.

 

http://natfka.blogspot.co.uk/2017/11/chapter-approved-2017-deathwatch.html is the source.

 

I like everything if its true and it will certainly help I think...whether it is true or not is another thing!

 

Have at it :D

[Irbis]

Feels like copy/paste of that fake DA leak. Especially seeing these really weird Dark Eldar traits.

 

Though I still remain hopeful for CA actually doing something for DW

[Kolyarut]

The Death to the False Xenos ability sounds really fluffy but in practise aren't Xenos players massively outnumbered by Imperial and Chaos players? Not particularly a fan of rules like that which are either useless or borderline OP depending on your opponent (but I know everything depends on opponent to some degree - that Thousand Sons Deny the Witch boost vs. Necrons/Tau, etc). At least if it's a CP ability you can just choose not to use it.

[Aothaine]

No way that is the warlord trait... That would make a Watch Master and good as G-man. Not saying that Deathwatch doesn't need that kind of buff. But there is no way that can be true. The exception here is if only he re-rolls all wounds.

Edited November 10, 2017 by Aothaine

[Prot]

No way that is the warlord trait... That would make a Watch Master and good as G-man. Not saying that Deathwatch doesn't need that kind of buff. But there is no way that can be true. The exception here is if only he re-rolls all wounds.

It could be “..... of ones”. That would be very good but nothing SM can’t do right now.

[Boyadventurer]

I just took the WL trait to just be a personal buff. If these are legit from the book, I still hope there's a bit more to the the changes than that. I'd rather get our main "chapter tactic/inexorable advance" equivalent rule than 2 strats, a relic, and a WL trait...

[Moostick]

I took that as a personal buff as well like lightning claws.

 

That being said, I now have my Emperor's Champion if this is true.

[spacewatch]

Awesome relic (if this is true). Is that horde blob near objective making you headache... no worry, frag unit coming right away. Feeling unsure about that ugly monster... hmm, would five plasmaguns make you feel any better, no? ...four meltaguns? :)

[Macabre Slanneshi Prince]

That relic definitely makes me want to pick up that ten man Hellblaster box.

[Prot]

That relic definitely makes me want to pick up that ten man Hellblaster box.

 

The big problem with them is they're walking unless you invest in a Repulsor. Fun unit though, but the only other way I find them living is if you 'rhino wall' with them ... good ol' 3rd edition style.

 

I do find it's a big task they carry. But it does allow the rest of the DW to focus on SIA. 

 

If they had a -re-roll- wounds relic or character the coolest thing to come of that (for me) is not the single adherence to wound on 2's for my chosen SIA round every game. ;)

[Macabre Slanneshi Prince]

Well, the relic basically gives them a gate of infinity, so they won't necessarily need a Repulsor. Jump Pack Watch Captain to complete the set. Can't wait until we get access to some sort of Lieutenant, though!

[Jorin Helm-splitter]

My big hope is that they drop the mixed squad stuff. I doubt it would happen in a chapter approved but its never been as big as buff as GW seems to think it is. I would change a couple of the kill team models into elite slot characters so that vanguard vets, bikes, or terminators get buffs. Just to open options and allow for different playstyles.    

 

My hope for chapter approved is that we gain some limits on how many combi-weapons we can have in a squad and veterans drop 2-3 points apiece. That an add in a few vehicles, if they add primaris I'd like for their SIA to work differently (they'd pretty much overshadow vets if it didn't). 

[Vel'Cona]

I mean, I'd appreciate some help from the CA but honestly I won't really be refreshing this army until the actual codex drops.

 

Just sayin'  :P

[Prot]

I mean, I'd appreciate some help from the CA but honestly I won't really be refreshing this army until the actual codex drops.

 

Just sayin' 

 

every week I try making a list of pure DW that doesn't feel like every one I've tried. The big question usually is: 1, 2 or no Corvus'. 

 

Stratagems

1. 1CP select an enemy vehicle within 1" of a watch master and on a 2+ vehicle suffers d3 mortal wounds

 

 

This is believable, but disappointing. It should be the basic rule of the Watchmaster's fancy Gauntlet from a dead Necron lord. :)

[Irbis]

Well, the relic basically gives them a gate of infinity, so they won't necessarily need a Repulsor. Jump Pack Watch Captain to complete the set.

 

Aren't both 'end of round' things, though, even assuming leak is real? Good luck keeping him alive 1 turn...

[Toomanyprojects]

I really hope that they keep the mixed kill team units - they add to the character of the army and I don't actually have enough termies, bikers and vanguard vets to make up their own units

[Vel'Cona]

I really hope that they keep the mixed kill team units - they add to the character of the army and I don't actually have enough termies, bikers and vanguard vets to make up their own units

 

I can't imagine that would go away, given how integral it is to the DW background.

[bluntpencil]

I never use the mixed units, seeing as they slow all units to a crawl, outside of a Corvus Blackstar.

 

Giving the mixed units the opportunity to Combat Squad, and therefore use transports properly, would be awesome. Either that, or Teleportation as a Stratagem.

[robofish7591]

I don't really take mixed units all that often either.  It is a big part of the deathwatch lore though, so I hope it stays.  I would really like to see apothecaries and techmarines though, a non primaris apothecary would be a great addition to the deathwatch.  I would also like to see our options for terminator characters expanded.  I wonder if we will get access to the other space marine aircraft like grey knights did.

[LunarSol]

I definitely want to see them make the mixed unit work rather than take them away.  Right now they don't add enough to the unit to make up for the problems they create in transporting the unit.  Buffing the Corvus is a solution, but it would likely invalidate a lot of other options and boots on the ground makes the idea of 3 blackstars transporting 3 full kill teams pretty ridiculous anyway.  Upping the transport capacity by 1 would be nice so that an HQ could follow a long though.  It's also woefully inaccurate for an elite army where every shot counts.  

 

Vanguards are a shooting buff that doesn't contribute to a shooting unit and end up just being a huge tax.  I think access to the disengage is important to the combined kill team concept overall, but a Vanguard feels out of place in a unit using it well.

 

Terminators actually work about how they should.  They provide some durability in the form of an improved save and contribute well overall.  Their primary issue is just that they cost too much and lack access to SIA.  If Terminators in general were economical, these guys would be a great option.

 

Bikes are awkward.  They provide a melee buff to an army that doesn't want to be in melee and lose their toughness advantage being in the unit.  The bigger issue is just that they make transportation extremely awkward.  I'm not sure what I want them honestly.

 

The idea of the army seems to be flying in on Blackstars, dropping in the middle and opening up as they get swarmed.  It's a cool playstyle I'd 100% buy into but the rules don't really support it.  Maybe cheaper Storm Shields would get the job done?  Mostly the kill teams just aren't anywhere near survivable enough to make this work.

Edited November 21, 2017 by LunarSol

[robofish7591]

Adding in a teleport strike stratagem could be a decent way to add a bit of mobility to mixed killteams without making massive changes.  It would be similar to the old black spear giving deepstrike.

 

Honestly, I would rather have that as a stratagem and the clavis as wargear again.  

[Moostick]

Given how the DE strategem leaks were legit, the previously leaked DW strategems and relics might be true as well.

 

So we get the nerfed beacon/poor man's deepstrike back, which really isn't that good and I don't see a specific use for it. If you fly the model in the thick of things, it's going to be hard to stay within 6" of the model with it while being 9" away from all enemy units. It seems its best use is calling in an emergency bullet sponge to protect your HQ.

[robofish7591]

I can see hellblasters being a decent choice to beacon, since they have 15" rapid fire with their plasmas.  However, keeping them outside of 9" is going to be annoying as smart opponents will be able to see what you are trying to do.

[Boyadventurer]

I was saying it in the news & rumours thread, but I hope CA is going to include some "chapter tactics" level special rules too --  Even if it's just for the ones that don't have different chapters/clans/hive fleets/etc (GSC, DW, SW). If SIA is supposed to be our "special rule", it needs to work on our codex characters and NOT be a flat points increase.

 

And my cheek is still stinging a bit from the slap of SW getting True Grit -- kind of an iconic DW feature before the 7th codex. Not that it's particularly powerful though.

 

At least, if all the rumours hold true, the primaris point drops look very nice. Plasma inceptors are at least worth trying out now.

[Moostick]

I would cry tears of joy of they made SIA chapter tactics and reduced everything by 3 points.

 

I sound disappointed about the relic, and I'm sure we will get more later, but this is actually a good thing. Nothing to build the entire army around, and useful in certain, perhaps unexpected, situations.

 

But, as always, I wonder how badly GW will destroy my dreams this time.