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About Masked Thespian

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United Kingdom
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Roleplaying games, LARP, Magic: The Gathering, Heroclix, Star Trek: Attack Wing, Full Thrust, and a multitude of board and card games such as Arkham Horror, Munchkin, and Chrononauts.
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Yes, definitely. In the background of my Watch Fortress, he's the highest ranking member of the Ordo Xenos there, so he's chosen to lead this expedition to claim the Necron technology. That's also the reason I have a Thunderfire Cannon, too, as I wanted a Techmarine in the army to evaluate the tech on the fly, but didn't feel I had enough vehicles in the army list to make it worth having the HQ version. That's an amazing idea, and I'm definitely going to borrow it and use it here! Definitely. I'm very much looking forward to building, painting, and playing this army.
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Hi there. It's been a while since I posted here, but then it's been a while since I've been active in the hobby. I've recently purchased a ticket for the Rising Tomb event, a Narrative Event being held at Warhammer World in early September, to get myself back into the hobby. The rough plot of the event is that Necron technology is emerging on an Imperial world and the players are descending upon the world to claim it. I figured that my Watch Fortress would love to get its hands on some of this Necron technology so I'm going to be taking my Deathwatch. I only have a handful of assembled Deathwatch models, though I own almost an entire Watch Fortress's worth of them (and intend to eventually assemble and paint them all), so I had a bit of a blank slate when it came to choosing which units to take. I ended up choosing an army based around Watch Company Tertius, as I've already chosen exactly which units/kill teams are in each Watch Company of my Watch Fortress. The rules for the event are that you take along a 75 Power Level Order of Battle and for each of the five games you play you choose a 50 Power Level army chosen from that Order of Battle. Before the event begins and after each game you play you can spend Requisition Points appropriately and, after games, you get a small amount of time to progress your army using the Narrative rules, so they'll gain experience, Ranks, and Battle Honours accordingly. It's worth noting that the organisers have told me that you can't use the Increase Supply Limit Requisition, so that 75 Power Level is all that you're allowed to use over the course of the weekend. I'm looking for some advice on the Order of Battle I've chosen, in particular the weapons, Relics, and Warlord Traits that I can choose. I'm 99% sure that this is the army I'm taking, unless someone gives me some significant reasons to change it. 75 Power Level Order Of Battle HQ: Watch Captain in Terminator Armour, 6 PL HQ: Ordo Xenos Inquisitor, 4 PL Elites: 5 Company Veterans, 8 PL Elites: Invictor Tactical Warsuit, 8 PL Troops: Proteus Kill Team with Watch Sergeant, 4 Veterans, and 5 Deathwatch Terminators with three Plasma Cannons, 2 Storm Bolters, 3 Power Fists, 1 Chainfist, 1 Power Sword, and a Deathwatch Teleport Homer, 17 PL Troops: Spectrus Kill Team with Infiltrator Sergeant, 5 Infiltrators (1 with Helix Gauntlet), and 4 Eliminators, 17 PL Heavy Support: Thunderfire Cannon, 6 PL Flyers: Corvus Blackstar, 9 PL The core of the army, included in each game, is going to be the Watch Captain, the Inquisitor, the Thunderfire Cannon, and the Proteus Kill Team, all in a Patrol Detachment. That leaves me with 17 Power remaining, into which I can slot one of the following sets of units: Spectrus Kill Team Corvus Blackstar + Company Veterans Corvus Blackstar + Invictor Tactical Warsuit giving me three distinct armies to use throughout the course of the five-game event. Generally, I intend to take the Secure Xenotech Agenda in each game I play (as it thematically fits with the overall theme of the event) and will use either my Terminator Combat Squad or the Infiltrator Combat Squad to take it early and then move quickly back to my deployment zone (either with the Teleport Homer or with the Guerilla Tactics Strategum). I'm not sure what other Agenda to take, but as my army is pretty flexible I can probably do well at most of them. Overall, I could do with advice on the following: Watch Captain in Terminator Armour; whilst I would prefer to keep him (for narrative reasons), I am relatively receptive to swapping him out for a Librarian or a Chaplain. If not, I would be interested in suggestions for his weapon choices, Warlord Trait choice (as I'll likely spend a Requisition Point to give him one), and Relic choice (as I'll likely spend a Requisition Point to give him one of those, too). Inquisitor; again, he has been included as a narrative choice. I'm not too willing to swap him out, but may well swap both him and the Watch Captain above for a Librarian and a Chaplain if given that advice. Otherwise, I don't think I need any advice here, as I'm planning on giving him the Mental Interrogation Psychic Power, spending a Requisition Point to give him the Warlord Trait Ordo Xenos: Esoteric Lore, and am pretty sure that I'm giving him a Force Stave and a Needler Pistol or Plasma Gun for his weapons. 5 Company Veterans; I would like to have these Marines geared up for melee combat, to travel in the Corvus Blackstar until they get to a juicy target. However, I do recognise that outside of the dedicated melee combinations (Thunder Hammer + Storm Shield, twin Lightning Claws) it may be more prudent to gear them up as a melee/ranged hybrid (maybe with a combi-weapon and melee weapon each). I'm also aware that they may be better off as a 5 man Deathwatch Veterans squad, due to having access to Deathwatch Bolters and Combi-Weapons, a Xenophase Blade on the Sergeant, and a Heavy Thunder Hammer, so that is something I'm keeping in mind. Proteus Kill Team, Deathwatch Veterans; I'm intending to give these five models Deathwatch Shotguns, so I have a mobile, flexible shooting unit. Shotguns preclude any other weapons, though, so I'm considering not giving the Watch Sergeant a Shotgun and instead giving him a Xenophase Blade and a Combi-Melta (the longest-ranged Assault weapon he can have). I'm also debating giving one of them a Deathwatch Frag Cannon, since both of its firing modes are Assault so I can make use of it too. Spectrus Kill Team, Eliminators + Helix Adept; I'm unsure whether to give the four Eliminators all Sniper Bolt Rifles, or a mix of Sniper Bolt Rifles and Las-Fusils. Invictor Tactical Warsuit; overall I have no idea what to arm this with, but there are only a couple of choices so I don't imagine that it'll be too difficult. I'll be magnetising all of the options anyway, so I don't have to make my mind up straight away. Corvus Blackstar; again, I have no idea whether I want all anti-infantry, all anti-vehicle/monsters, or a blend of the two, but I have plenty of time to decide and, like the Invictor, I'll be using magnets. Any other general Deathwatch Narrative Play advice will be welcomed.
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Is there an easier way to build an army list?
Masked Thespian replied to Masked Thespian's topic in + ADEPTUS ASTARTES +
Ooh, that sounds like a really great ide- -a... Huh... That kinda sucks, that even though you can use the app you still have to cross-reference through all of the books to confirm everything's okay. I guess it's nice that the app will give you an idea of roughly how much a unit with a particular load-out will cost, but if I still have to flick back and forth through all the books I don't think it's for me. Agreed. Back in 3rd Edition GW did sell an Army Builder program. It's wasn't the best but it was pretty functional for a very cheap price. Had lots of support from the users, too. And I kinda agree with the thing about Power Levels, even though every army book I've read that they've done in the past had the unit costs there and the upgrades listed with cost on a second page (and I've played through 40k 2nd Edition through to 8th, and Fantasy 4th Edition through to 8th, so that's a lot of army books). Glad to hear that I'm not the only one having this problem. I figured there was a non-zero chance that I'd get laughed out of here with comments like "first-world problems". I'm thinking that I'm going to have to do something along these lines. Maybe not a custom pdf file, but annotated post-it notes with weapons options and costs on the appropriate pages might have to suffice. -
Is there an easier way to build an army list?
Masked Thespian posted a topic in + ADEPTUS ASTARTES +
I'm looking at attending a tournament at the end of the month, so I've been looking at writing a 1500 point Deathwatch army list. But, upon trying to do so, I can't help but feel a little overwhelmed by the process. This is the process I am following: I first need to look at the page in Index Imperium 1 telling me which units I can take, then decide on a unit, I look up the unit entry (either in Index Imperium 1 or Codex: Space Marines), I decide how many of each model I want, I flick to the back of the book to check the points cost per model, I cross-reference with Chapter Approved 2017 to see if the points cost has been changed, I decide which weapon or weapons I kit the models out with, I flick to the back of the book to check the costs of the weapons, I cross-reference with Chapter Approved again, I then get to calculate the total cost of the unit. Rinse and repeat for each unit I wish to take that is even slightly different from another one. Is this really the only way to do this? It feels so inefficient and it feels like if I want to re-jig a unit in any way I pretty much have to go through the whole process again. -
Sounds like the general consensus is that there's no real reason to have a Storm Shield on a Watch Sergeant. The model doesn't actually have a Xenophase Blade glued to it (as I said in the original post, the left arm is magnetised at the shoulder, so I can choose to have any weapon option I want on it) so that's not a problem. It shouldn't be too problematic to pry the Storm Shield off and glue something else in its place. Thanks everyone.
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Personal modelling rules for the army. All models that, under 7th Edition, were characters (so all HQ choices, all types of Sergeants, and all Black Shields) get bare heads and all other models get helmets. It was just the way I wanted my character models to stand out when I started assembling the army.
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I have a Watch Sergeant model left over from when I built him back in 7th Edition. Back then having a Storm Shield on a unit character like this was useful as he could accept challenges that would otherwise prevent your Independent Character/Black Shield from being able to deal a lot of damage to the opponent's troops and have a chance of surviving. But in 8th, I'm finding it difficult to find a decent reason to arm him as such. The only thing I can see having a Storm Shield useful for, tanking hits that would otherwise kill a Deathwatch Veteran outright, seems better served on a non-Watch Sergeant model as if I fail the save then I lose his enhanced Leadership and Attacks. The model itself has a magnetised shoulder on the other arm, so I can arm it with anything else. But is there any point in taking a Storm Shield on a Watch Sergeant in 8th Edition?
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Best ways to take advantage of Power Level games
Masked Thespian replied to Masked Thespian's topic in + ADEPTUS ASTARTES +
Thanks for all of the advice, everyone. I'll be sure to take as much of it on board as I can. I, sadly, don't have limitless pockets nor access to a huge range of bits, so I won't be able to do a number of the suggestions given, but they have given me some food for thought. As I mentioned in my first post, the entire army isn't going to be tricked out to take advantage of being in Power Levels but I do plan on taking either one or two units like that or spread a trick or two amongst each/most unit/s in the army just to make sure I don't just flat out lose every game. I did want to talk about a couple of the points raised by a few of the commenters, mostly questions about things that I'm not 100% on. I'm not completely up to date on 8th Edition rules, but is that okay? Can you transport multiple units in a single transport these days? Can Deathwatch take Primaris Marines? Last time I checked, they didn't have access to them. Did I miss some errata somewhere? Can Deathwatch Kill Teams take Lascannons? Again, is there errata that I've missed? I'm going to the same event, but only Chaos tickets were left when I found out about it. Magnets are good, especially when you can change between games and tailoring to the scenario (if not your opponent's army) is fair game. I'd pack some artillery if you have any, you don't want to end up in a siege scenario with just shotguns. The advantage of Acolytes is how you can model them. Otherwise Crusaders sound good but bare in mind that Crusaders can be modeled differently as well. To be honest the Aquila lander is probably protection enough. If I was an Inquisitor with a plane I wouldn't land until my objective was in my grasp. The obvious Deathwatch power level efficiency scenario is terminators with melta guns and cyclone missile launchers. Personally I like all my Kill Teams (well, I have two including Cassius) to be proper mixed units but I didn't design my customized team to be used just to be a bunch of cool heroes I could ally in for Apocalypse games. Deathwatch Veterans are effectively 40 points, so there's no reason to be shy about throwing upgrades on them. I have the same problem with my Chaos Terminators. Giving them all combi-meltas and chainfists would be abusive, using my normal 2000 point load out would be screwing myself over. Assuming that you wanted to play as something other than Chaos then you have my sympathies. When the original batch of tickets went on sale I was on the fence about going. By the time I'd made my mind up to go (using Deathwatch), Imperial tickets had sold out. I then had to make my mind up over whether to go with one of my other armies and by the time I decided to go with my Chaos Space Marines both Chaos and Invader tickets had sold out. I was lucky enough to get an Imperial ticket when the second wave of tickets went on sale, thanks to getting up earlier than usual and waiting on the right page hitting F5 repeatedly. I do have a penchant for magnets. Although I've only assembled 16 models so far, back in 2016, I'd already magnetised a few things (left arms on Watch Sergeant and Bikers, to take Power Swords, Power Axes, Power Fists, or a Boltgun (for the Watch Sergeant), as well as magnetising the two different combi-weapon options on the standard Deathwatch arm). I think the best thing about this event is that you're not forced into taking the same army for all of the games, meaning you can take more than 100 Power Levels worth of models and swap things out between rounds, as well as the flexibility that having magnets gives you. I'm actually thinking that I probably won't take the Aquila Lander. Whilst under previous editions it could have been a good choice, these days Inquisitors (as do most characters) seem to be best off at buffing things around them. Although the Leadership bonus won't get used all that much (as it's the same as those of unit Sergeants), his one Telethesia Psychic Power seems to be about the only thing that he'll be good for, and he won't be able to use on the turn that the Lander drops out of the sky. He'll have to march up the field alongside a Kill Team or ride in one of their transports, I feel. As for bodyguards, I've really gone cold on the idea of them. Acolytes are just way too squishy for their Power Level cost and whilst I can somewhat reconcile the other units with regards to my army's background, I don't really think I want to (especially without the Lander as the six-model limit was solely based on being transported by that). I completely agree with your point about Chaos Terminators: on the one hand, taking an entire army of Power Level-abusive units is completely against the spirit of the event, but on the other hand taking an army based around a usually point-level-based set of units is likely going to lead to an 0-8 record. I'm hoping that the advice given to me in this thread is going to help me strike a fine balance between the two, especially as most, if not all, of the Power Level-abusive units I build and paint will likely never see the light of day at my local store/club. -
Kolyarut reacted to a post in a topic: Best ways to take advantage of Power Level games
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Hey everyone. As mentioned previously, I'm planning on attending the next Warhammer World campaign weekend event, The Tenebris System, and I'm going to be taking my Deathwatch. For the most part, I'm going to be taking pure Deathwatch, with the only deviation being an Ordo Xenos Inquisitor, his transport (if any) and his support staff/bodyguards (if any). The campaign weekend allows you to take an army of your choice with no limitations other than that all units have to have the IMPERIUM keyword, the CHAOS keyword, or neither keyword (I.e. all Xenos armies), depending on the ticket you bought (in my case, all units have to have the IMPERIUM keyword). Nonetheless, I plan on sticking to the above restrictions (Deathwatch & OX Inquisitor + retainers), especially to the point that I'm hoping to not have to buy any new models (having purchased a lot of Deathwatch when they first came out). The armies have to be Battle Forged with a maximum of three detachments, and the composition of the army roster can be changed between games. Most importantly (to this post, at least), the army limit is 100 Power Levels, rather than a points cost limit. Whilst I'm planning on taking a fun and thematic army, I'm not opposed to taking a handful of well-tuned units to make sure the army does well on the tabletop. It's my understanding that pure Deathwatch haven't been doing too well in 8th Edition, so I don't feel too bad taking a few powerful units. So, with regards to units with the DEATHWATCH keyword, where are the places that you can take advantage of using Power Levels rather than points? The obvious choice to me seems to be to take minimum-sized Deathwatch Kill Teams, as taking 2 minimum-sized units versus taking 1 full sized unit costs 18 PL as opposed to 19 PL for the same 10 models, which is a minimal saving but it is a saving. Also, you get two Watch Sergeants, the opportunity to take two Black Shields, and double the amount of Heavy Weapons. Presumably, the best way to also take advantage of Power Levels is to upgrade the models as much as possible, with Power Weapons and Combi-Weapons on most, if not all, models in the Kill Team. I don't think I'd want to do this with all of my Kill Teams, as I do intend to play points-cost games with them too, but I don't mind assembling a couple of units like this. Are there any other places where using Power Levels over points costs gives you an advantage in pure Deathwatch?
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What bodyguards for an Inquisitor?
Masked Thespian replied to Masked Thespian's topic in + THE IMPERIUM OF MANKIND +
My biggest problem with Acolytes is that they're REALLY squishy for 6 Power Levels. It doesn't really matter how much I upgrade them (especially as they only have BS 4+ so their shooting isn't that great in general) as they'll die as soon as my opponents even look in their direction. I agree that Scions would probably be better used on their own, which means that I won't get to use them (as I'm planning on just going Deathwatch + the Inquisitor with his bodyguards). I like Crusaders, a lot. They're probably my number one choice right now. Having posted this post and then gone to bed last night, I considered the possibility of Ogryns or Bullgryns (though, like you mentioned, I had to discount the Ogryn Bodyguard itself) as I was trying to get to sleep. I agree that 3 Bullgryns would probably be the most survivable, though I don't own any models and I'm really trying to do this army without buying anything new for it. I do have Ogryns (the old 2nd Edition metal ones) so that could be an option, but the idea of Bullgryns is quite tempting. I think so too. I want to model them as Adeptus Arbites (either using the old Necromunda Executioner models or a kit bash of Space Marine Scouts, Cadians, and the old Bretonnian Man-At-Arms shields) which I think would make a lot of sense in terms of the background. Thanks for the suggestions. I'm not sure what I'm going to go with right now. The fact that the campaign weekend allows you to change your army roster between games means that there's every chance that I could use none, some, or even all of the ideas above, depending on what I get glued and painted up in time. We'll have to see...- 16 replies
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Hey, everyone. After getting up early, I managed to bag myself a ticket to the next Warhammer World campaign weekend event, The Tenebris System. I'm going to use it as an excuse to motivate myself to get my Deathwatch army assembled and painted. As can be seen above, right from the beginning I've incorporated an Inquisitor into my Deathwatch army, and I intend to glue and paint him up for the campaign weekend. I recognise that it won't be a terribly effective unit, but it fits the narrative and campaign weekends are all about the narrative. I intend to run him with a Force Staff, a Needle Pistol, and as a Psyker. I'm also considering having him ride in an Aquila Lander (that I originally bought for one of my Daemonhunter Inquisitors) as his personal transport. But I'm looking to see what the best bodyguards I can have for him that can ride alongside him. The campaign pack makes it clear that armies are built using Power Levels, so I'm looking for things that are better when using Power Levels than with points. The Aquila Lander has a transport capacity of 7 Astra Militarum models (Ogryns and Heavy Weapons Teams counting as 2 models each), though, obviously, units with the Authority of the Inquisition can bypass the keyword limitation. The obvious choice for a bodyguard unit is Inquisitorial Acolytes. They have the special rule that they can absorb wounds for a nearby Inquisitor. They also have a pretty wide range of options for weapons, meaning that I can kit them out pretty nicely. However, they're fairly costly in terms of Power Level for a full unit, and they're only Toughtness-3/Save-5+ which means that they'll die super easily. Despite their special rule to protect the Inquisitor, they seem like the squishiest option. The next choice I thought of was Tempestus Scions. They're a little tougher than the Acolytes, having a 4+ save, and come with pretty decent weapons as standard, though can also be upgraded with other, also decent, weapons too. I can only take 5 of them (as the 6th would eat up an extra 2 Power Levels for a single model, which doesn't seem like a good idea) and they're not that much more survivable than the Acolytes. Finally, I'm considering Crusaders from the Astra Militarum Codex. They have a 3++ which makes them the most survivable of the bunch, and can dish out a reasonable amount of damage in melee. On the downside, they have no ranged weapons. Does anyone have any ideas as to what bodyguards I should use for my Inquisitor?
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Bridge too far for me, sir. Well, you say that... I came across this conversion around 11 years ago (yes, I've been around here that long, though it's obviously not reflected in my post count). I want to say that it was from here, on the Bolter and Chainsword, but I can't say who was the original author. For all I know, it was you and your last comment was tongue-in-cheek... http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a182/Masked_Thespian/Wargaming/40k%20Power%20Bow%20picture%202.jpg Ok, parts used: The limbs are off an old skeleton bow; the bits they attach to are from the butts of the Kroot rifles, and the sight/rest is the middle part of said rifle. The arm and handle started life as a chainsword. The other painted bit beneath the hand is [part of] the chainsword engine. The string is a thin piece of wire. http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a182/Masked_Thespian/Wargaming/40k%20Power%20Bow%20picture.jpg
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Then'll you be needing this. Enjoy! Hulk = Terminator, Thor = Heavy Thunder Hammer, Cap = Storm Shield and Pistol, BW = Gunslinger Pistols, Iron Man = Vanguard Veteran, and Hawkeye = ?
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Painting log: Black Spear Strike Force
Masked Thespian replied to morsla's topic in + ADEPTUS ASTARTES +
Gotta say that I love all of your models, from the conversions to the paint job on the Watch Sergeant. How difficult was it to cut up the Watch Master model to convert yours? I'm considering getting one to do so, but wouldn't mind some advice. Also, just FYI: The box at the bottom of page 16 of the codex states: "Whenever one of a watch fortress' command staff takes leadership of one of its Kill Teams, the name is changed accordingly - for example, when led by Epistolary Galius, Kill Team Tidaeus would become Kill Team Gallius for the duration of that mission." So, Valtar wouldn't be "attached to" the Kill Team, he'd lead it, and it'd change its name to "Kill Team Ghostwolf" for that mission, assuming you went by the default naming convention I quoted above. -
Hey everyone. I present to you all an Index Astartes article I've written for my Deathwatch army (part of which I'm painting up for the 2016 Deathwatch Painting Challenge): members of the Deathwatch Watch Fortress Fort Excalibris. I'm looking for some feedback on this, in particular the believability of what I've laid out here. In the past I've mentioned that I dislike "special snowflakes" (being someone that absolutely has to feel special, usually by violating some core tenet of whatever project they are participating in) and that continues to this day. In 40k, being a special snowflake tends to manifest itself in things like, "Oh, he's the only Grey Knight who's ever turned to Chaos" (despite background stating that NO Grey Knight has ever turned to Chaos). I'm concerned that I might have gone a little too far in some of the things I've described here so I'd like some other people to take a look at it and tell me if that's the case. I'm also a little... I guess "scared" is the term, seeing as I've taken two actual GW places/Chapters and given them a history of my own (Fort Excalibris and the Imperial Stars). Please let me know what you think. ========== Index Astartes: Fort Excalibris Origins The facility that would eventually become Fort Excalibris was founded in the 34th Millennium as a joint venture between the alien-hunting branch of the Inquisition, the Ordo Xenos, and the Adeptus Mechanicus to capture and study the tools of the alien. The Ordo Xenos provided a complement of Deathwatch Kill Teams to investigate alien activity and retrieve xeno-artefacts whilst the Adeptus Mechanicus pledged a cadre of Tech Priests and their servants to study anything captured, as well as the space station Er Kontor that would be their base of operations. Non-military members of the Ordo Xenos would oversee the running of the facility and provide additional aid to help the Adeptus Mechanicus in their research. Less than a century after the establishing of Er Kontor, the Fabricator-General of the relatively-nearby Forge world of Mezoa discovered the pro-xenos leanings of the Tech Priests doing research there and declared them Hereteks. Unable to directly assault them for fear of reprisal from the Inquisition, Mezoa engaged in a secret cold war with the unknowing space station. Whilst Er Kontor’s initial research was extremely promising, over time as their resources dwindled and former allies removed their support they produced fewer and fewer usable results to the point that the Ordo Xenos was prepared to scrap the project altogether. But, on the cusp of victory, Mezoa tipped their hand and accidentally exposed their actions to the Inquisition, who were swift to take action. Cold war exploded into open warfare. With all pretence of subterfuge gone, the Basilikon Astra of Mezoa was despatched to blow Er Kontor out of the stars. The Ordo Xenos responded in kind, sending a flotilla of Imperial Navy ships to defend the research facility. The flotilla arrived just in time to intercept the Adeptus Mechanicus ships bearing down on the space station. Massed rows of torpedoes flew across the ever-decreasing gap between the fleets before slamming into their targets in blossoms of red and yellow. Weapons batteries on both sides blazed white hot as they spewed their fiery payload upon their enemies. Lance fire sliced open ship hulls, exposing their innards to the void of space. As the Imperial Navy flotilla drew closer, the Adeptus Mechanicus fleet attempted to outmanoeuvre them in the hopes of accomplishing their assignment then retreating without paying too heavy a toll in destroyed vessels. But the ships loyal to the Inquisition managed to draw close and launched boarding actions against almost the entirety of the Mechanicus vessels. Few of the Legiones Skitarii had been deployed to the fleet and soon their ships started to become overrun with troops of the Ordo Xenos. In a last ditch effort to succeed in their mission the Adeptus Mechanicus’s flagship, a Retribution class battleship whose name has been lost to history, fired its final complement of torpedoes at the station before signalling the withdrawal of their fleet. The deadly missiles closed the distance with Er Kontor, the salvo large enough to obliterate the already-damaged facility. At the last moment, a Sword-class frigate named Excalibris flew headlong into the spread of torpedoes. The Excalibris was utterly destroyed, ripped asunder by a full half-dozen of the plasma warheads igniting as they impacted its hull. The remaining torpedoes continued on their path and hit Er Kontor, crippling the station as secondary explosions rippled throughout its structure. As the Adeptus Mechanicus fleet limped home to Mezoa, it was clear that their gambit had failed. Er Kontor, though crippled and listing in space, was still whole; the noble sacrifice of the Excalibris and her crew had saved the station from the majority of the torpedoes at the dear cost of the ship and their lives. In the aftermath of the battle, the Inquisition censured the forge world of Mezoa. Assuring them that the Adeptus Mechanicus personnel aboard the station had been wiped out in the explosions caused by the final torpedo impacts, the Ordo Xenos claimed the research facility as being solely theirs, renaming it Fort Excalibris in honour of the vessel that had sacrificed itself. Mezoa gladly let the Inquisition claim the facility, knowing it was a small price to pay and that they could have been forced to repay far more. Homeworld As with all Deathwatch Watch Fortresses, Fort Excalibris does not recruit new Space Marines but instead draws from the best xenos killers amongst the Adeptus Astartes. Fort Excalibris itself is a sprawling complex located in the eastern portion of Segmentum Obscuris, almost on the border with Ultima Segmentum. The initial space station has been built upon numerous times into a multi-hulled space fortress, surrounded by innumerable minefields and other defence emplacements. Whilst the basic goal of the venture of Fort Excalibris hasn’t changed over the millennia, the contingent of Deathwatch Kill Teams initially stationed there has evolved over time into being a fully fledged Watch Fortress. The research portion of the facility, initially staffed by the Adeptus Mechanicus, is now fully crewed by the Ordo Xenos and their servants. As one of the few Watch Fortresses to have a facility exclusively dedicated to xeno-tech research, Fort Excalibris has a reputation within certain circles for being at the forefront of Imperial research into alien technology. As a result of this, Kill Teams from all over the Imperium deliver numerous pieces of xeno-tech to the experts at Fort Excalibris in the hope that some vital information can be gleaned for use in the future. Deep within the depths of Fort Excalibris lie a great many relics and articles of war, some of which are so dangerous they cannot be used lest they annihilate all life on a planet’s surface. The Black Vault of Fort Excalibris is one of the most diverse in the Deathwatch, allowing its castellans to be armed with the deadliest weapons known to the enemies of Man. Combat Doctrine As befits a research centre such as Fort Excalibris, its Kill Teams are usually armed with the best equipment available to the Deathwatch. In some cases this means brand new, barely-post-testing weapons whilst in others this means ancient artefacts dating from before the Horus Heresy. The Kill Teams of Fort Excalibris are well-armed and equipped to face any foe on the battlefield. Whilst capable of making quick insertions into hostile territory, they are also fully able to wage war on a longer term basis, particularly in circumstances where xeno-tech acquisition is highly likely. In such cases specially adapted Corvus Blackstars and Thunderhawk Gunships are used to airdrop varying forms of forward command posts including Aegis Defence Lines, Imperial Bastions, and even Skyshield Landing Pads to allow the Deathwatch to maintain a mobile front line. The armoury of Fort Excalibris contains some of the rarest vehicles deployed by the Adeptus Astartes. Amongst other things, the Watch Commanders of Fort Excalibris can call upon the aid of motorised behemoths such as Legion Fellblades and Typhon Heavy Siege Tanks. The Cerberus Heavy Tank Destroyer is a particularly useful and oft-requisitioned vehicle, as it allows the Deathwatch the ability to take down alien Titans at long range; many such massive engines of war have been salvaged as a result of this war machine. Organisation Like most other Watch Fortresses of the Deathwatch, Fort Excalibris follows the standard format of a strategium staff and an armoury supporting five Watch Companies, each consisting of a Watch Captain and four Kill Teams. Due to the nature of Fort Excalibris, historically the Watch Commander has been an Ordo Xenos Inquisitor as often as it has been a Deathwatch Watch Master. In addition to his usual duties, the Watch Commander is also the overall head of the research and development facilities, though a Deathwatch Watch Master holding the post usually delegates that responsibility to a senior member of the Ordo Xenos. The current Watch Commander of Fort Excalibris is Watch Master Arcturus. Originally from the Imperial Stars, a Codex Chapter whose Astartes are all curiously named after the celestial bodies the Chapter is named for, he has dedicated himself towards the extermination of the Enemy Without through a lifetime of dedicated service to the Deathwatch. Arcturus eschews the traditional Guardian Spear wielded by a Marine of his station, instead taking the field with an ornate and ancient Relic Blade of great length and power. The more superstitious members of the Deathwatch whisper rumours that suggest this Relic Blade may have once been wielded by the Emperor himself and that the merest hint of His divine essence still resides within it. The Watch Captain of Fort Excalibris’s Watch Company Tertius is Magnus Blackwolf of the Space Wolves. Recruited from Engir Krakendoom’s Wolf Guard for his part in masterminding and leading an attack on an Ork-infested space hulk, Magnus has served in the Deathwatch with distinction for a great number of years. Distrusted by many within his own Chapter due to inadvertently choosing the name of the Space Wolves’ archenemy as his own following the Test of Morkai, Magnus finds himself more at home amongst his brethren in the Deathwatch than he ever felt in The Fang, the fortress monastery of the Space Wolves. Comfortable with using the wide variety of weapons and wargear afforded him by his station, Magnus leads his Watch Company from the front with a feral grin on his lips. The highest ranking non-Deathwatch member of the Ordo Xenos at Fort Excalibris is Inquisitor Ambrosius Grax. An ageing puritan of the Monodominant philosophy, since being assigned to Fort Excalibris he has tempered his methodology and now freely embraces the idea of using the weapons of the alien against them. Despite nominally having nothing but a desk job, Inquisitor Grax often assigns himself to Deathwatch Kill Teams on their expeditions to retrieve xeno-tech. When asked why, he smirks and replies, “Rank hath its privileges.” Requests from members of his support staff to stop doing so usually end up with said support staff temporarily reassigned to scourge the environmental duct systems of dust, debris, and vermin. Due to Kill Teams from all over the galaxy guarding and delivering new materiel to the researchers, Fort Excalibris is often host to Astartes from other Watch Fortresses, including such famous names as Watch Captain Artemis of Talasa Prime and Ortan Cassius, Chaplain of the Ultramarines. On rare occasions, these outsider members of the Deathwatch are conscripted into Excalibris’s Kill Teams and sent on missions by Watch Master Arcturus. Whilst technically an abuse of power, these actions are usually excused as the experience gained by fighting alongside Deathwatch members from other Watch Fortresses is seen as extremely valuable and are often “overlooked” by those who could do something about it. Beliefs The establishing of Fort Excalibris as a centre of research has led to the Deathwatch Marines stationed there embracing the use of refitted xeno-weaponry readily. Likewise the majority of their Ordo Xenos personnel have at least a slightly radical bent, as any position within the Watch Fortress is naturally attractive to individuals who would prefer to use the tools of the alien against them. The portion of the Adeptus Mechanicus who formed the initial alliance with the Inquisition followed a set of beliefs counter to those of the majority of their associates. Their interpretation of the Xenos Testamenta, one of the Mechanicus’s Sixteen Universal Laws, meant they believed that even though the knowledge found within alien technology had been corrupted from the pure thought of the Machine God, it could still be salvaged for the Quest for Knowledge. As a result, Fort Excalibris has become something of a pilgrimage site for members of the Adeptus Mechanicus who follow similar pro-xenos beliefs, though those who do visit often do so in disguise so as not to be identified. Gene-seed Like all other Watch Fortresses across the Imperium, the Deathwatch is composed of Space Marines from a number of different Chapters, with a variety of nearly identical to little-to-no similarity in their gene-seed. The exact composition of Fort Excalibris’s Deathwatch Marines varies over time, but currently includes members of the Ultramarines, Dark Angels, Crimson Fists, Liberators, and Howling Griffins. There is a slightly higher than average number of Astartes from the Silver Skulls Chapter, likely due to Fort Excalibris’s proximity to their homeworld of Versavia. Battlecry Raising his sword towards the heavens, the leader of a given Deathwatch Kill Team or army calls out, “FOR EXCALIBRIS!” which is echoed in turn by his comrades. Watch Fortress Icon http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a182/Masked_Thespian/Wargaming/TIC%20HPC%202016/17d%20Excalibris%20Icon.png ========== Author's Notes and Trivia The major driving force of the background was justifying certain model choices in-universe. This includes: Wanting to convert the original limited edition Emperor's Champion into my Watch Master, Including a Lord of War and a Fortification choice as per one of the painting and modelling challenges on another site that I'm participating in, Wanting to include the Deathwatch special characters Watch Captain Artemis, Venerable Dreadnought Nihilus, and Kill Team Cassius in my army as themselves, and, Wanting to include a Puritan Inquisitor with a roguish streak. In my first draft of this, Fort Excalibris was initially a Ramiles class star fort, but I couldn't justify why such an impressive installation wasn't considered a Primary Watch Fortress (as per pages 12 and 13 of the codex). The incursion by the Adeptus Mechanicus was originally an attempt to explain why it wasn't a Primary Watch Fortress (due to them maintaining a long-running grudge and starving the Fort of resources and allies), but all my attempts at writing it ended up with the AdMech holding the idiot ball. In the end, I still included the AdMech attack because I liked the inter-Imperial conflict, and I especially enjoyed writing the battle. For anyone paying attention, there are a number of references here. In particular, there are 5 specific references to Arthurian legend (excluding the fact that the name of the Watch Fortress is "Excalibris" (which is where I took the inspiration from) since that's what GW called it) and 1 Star Trek reference (which kind of doubles up to 2 if you look at it in the right light). Bonus points are available for anyone who finds them all
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