Counts As Rules for Deathwatch

[BFTrick]

Hello There,

I am pretty interested in the Deathwatch, their fluff is amazing, they seem fun to paint and their rules are...wait...they don't have rules. How on earth am I supposed to field them? I want to field a stand alone army of deathwatch. I imagine that the best way to do this is to use counts as rules. So what rule set would I use to represent the deathwatch.

Space Marines have sternguard ( which are even better with Pedro ) which accurately represents their special ammo. I can take scouts as troops and that will be pretty close. The only gameplay issue I don't like with that is that I am forced to take Pedro and I am using up all of my elites choices to get my "troops".

Space Wolves have greyhunters which accurately represents the deathwatch's mixed weaponry and this gives me some modelling freedom. They have elite scouts (which would be accurate with the Deathwatch) and insanely awesome elite heavy weapon squads which could represent their improved skill. I can also add Wolf Guard to various squads to pimp their firepower and give them some special weaponry.

I don't know too much about the Blood Angles, but they seem just like regular marines with better jump packs and fast vehicles neither of those scream Deathwatch.

Chaos Space Marines have mixed weaponry which accurately represents the deathwatch's mixed weaponry, but unless I take cult troops which all have improved profiles I don't have any sort of fearless or ATSKNF. I don't like that at all. I also do not have access to the drop pod.

Right now I am leaning towards Space Marines or Space Wolves. What are your thoughts?

Also here is my first [url=http://www.patricks40khobby.com/2010/08/26/deathwatch-test-model/]deathwatch test model[/url].

[erwos]

Actually, they do have rules in an old Chapter Approved (2004?). To save you some trouble, those rules look more or less like the Sternguard Vet rules, albeit with no awesome suspensor-heavy-bolters.

Given that, fluff-wise, armies of Deathwatch don't really exist, a good strategy would be to build an SM army with Sternguard for Deathwatch, to represent a SM chapter assisting a couple Deathwatch teams. An allied Inquisitor from WH or GH could be used to represent the Inquisitor in charge of the team(s).

I still hold out hope for a Deathwatch codex someday, but for now, that's what I would do.

[Duke]

IMHO I think the stern guard are the best option.

Duke

[zerorunner]

IMHO I think the stern guard are the best option.

Duke

My friends and I have talked over this very subject. I (and they coincidentally) agree with Duke. Use Deathwatch in place of Sternguard in a Space Marine army list. Until you get an Inquisition codex, its going to be a toss up for even making a good counts as list for it. Good luck, and sorry I couldn't think of any better ideas for you.

[Galadren]

I agree with Sterngard. Veteran status, weapons options are a good match, and you never see entire armies of Deathwatch, just kill teams. So a squad of Deathwatch popping up with another chapter makes more sense. Maybe take a counts-as Pedro Kantor as a "Watch Commander" an turn the Sterngard into scoring units.

[phoenix01]

Deathwatch aren't sternguard. There are similarities, but Deathwatch get so much more.

Sternguard are an elites choice with special issue ammo. They can get combi weapons and can get the special and heavy weapons choices as is.

Deathwatch are an 0-1 HQ choice with a captain or librarian and a 5 - 10 man kill team. Veterans get access to things like power weapons/fists and lightning claws. The regular kill team member can opt to upgrade to meltagun/flamer/plasma gun, a sniper variant of the boltgun, or heavy bolter with suspension system allowing them to use the heavy bolter as an assault weapon (move and shoot) at half range. A lot more than just sternguard. Frankly, in order to make sternguard a real replacement for deathwatch, you need to add a captain or librarian and give them something to make them relentless.

[harrybuttwhisker]

Im going to be using sternguard to represent the deathwatch unit in my scythes of the emperor army, they are the best fit using a tournament legal, well understood freely available rule source. Confusing an opponent is not big or clever so keep it simple for the poor little darling lol

[BFTrick]

Well Sternguard seem to be the favorite. So in terms of tournaments and such what is the appropriate way to build a list thinking about theme and effectiveness.

Just a little info about my gaming situation, there are some very competitive players and tourneys around here as well as some friends that just get together to roll some dice, and I fit right in the middle of the two. I would like to build something competitive but I would also like to be able to take it down a notch to play against the other guys.

For a competitive build how about something like this:

Pedro

10 Sternguard
-5 combi meltas
-sarge w/ powerfist
-drop pod
--locator beacon

10 Sternguard
-5 combi meltas
-sarge w/ powerfist
-drop pod

5 TH/SS Assault Terminators
-Landraider Redemer
--extra armor
*Pedro rides with these guys*

10 scounts
-sniper rifles
-camo cloaks
-missile launcher
-telion

10 scounts
-sniper rifles
-camo cloaks
-missile launcher
-telion

Vindicator

Total 1832

those sternguard sure eat up the points. hmmm. If i go first and have some luck with the sternguard I will be ok, but I somehow doubt that I will be ok if I go 2nd.

[Old_Paladin]

I'd go with codex Space marines.
Sternguard are very close to Deathwatch Marines.

It's ok for them to be elite choices anyways; you can take scouts as troops and call them Ordo Xenos Stormtroopers (the heavy bolter with hellfire shells is very fitting).
For your HQ you could join Captains (don't forget his hellfire rounds) or Librarians to the sternguard squads, including Pedro.
You could use a Captain and make him into an Inquisitor, taking lots of esoteric gear (like hellfire rounds [from fighting nids], digital weapons [also of alien design], etc.); or a Chapter Master as an Inquisitor lord (able to call upon his ship in orbit).

It allows for a legal list, a lot of fun covertions, and represents a full Ordo Xeno's force; rather then just a unit that gets added to other armies.

[erwos]

Deathwatch are an 0-1 HQ choice with a captain or librarian and a 5 - 10 man kill team. Veterans get access to things like power weapons/fists and lightning claws. The regular kill team member can opt to upgrade to meltagun/flamer/plasma gun, a sniper variant of the boltgun, or heavy bolter with suspension system allowing them to use the heavy bolter as an assault weapon (move and shoot) at half range. A lot more than just sternguard. Frankly, in order to make sternguard a real replacement for deathwatch, you need to add a captain or librarian and give them something to make them relentless.

We are all well aware of this, but you seem to not be familiar with the concept of "making do". Pick up the Chaos Codex and try to play as Iron Warriors for a while; you'll quickly understand the concept.