Space Marines (codex) counts as Xeno hunters

[Vash]

Hello.

 

I tried to search if someone has asked this before, an probably someone has. But I couldn't really find it.

So I'll ask ... again perhaps.

 

I was thinking of doing a side project one day, and Xeno hunters seemes like an army with a possibility to many conversions.

Though as we know there is no Xeno hunters codex atm, but I was thinking. The new SM codex is pretty flexible. Stern guards are even acting like deathwatch from what I can see.

 

So, to make it more colourful, one could ally in either DH or WH to get an Inquisitor and access to assassins.

 

Anyhow, if one would make a Xeno Hunter army based on the SM codex and one of the inquisitorial codexes. What would you guys have as entries?

 

 

 

Yours Truly

 

Vash

[Chengar Qordath]

Most counts-as Deathwatch armies go heavy on Sternguard since their rules are very similar to the old Deathwatch rules. Like most Sternguard-centric armies they also tend to go with Pedro Kantor for the HQ. Scouts are fairly popular for filling troop slots since they have access to heavy bolter with hellfire shells as per the old Deathwatch rules.

[Inquisitor Gabriel Lupus]

I'd agree with Chengar - sounds like the most viable "ordo xenos" style army. I'd even consider going as far as to make the scouts look like they're not actually marines - kind of a stormtrooper core? Then yeah, ally in an Inquisitor... in fact... I may have to do this anyway... hmmm

[Vash]

Was thinking of making the scouts "count as" inquisitorial storm troopers of the Xeno hunters.

[sideways]

Yeah, I've been planning something like this for a little while now. My first order of business is to find a good inquisitor lord model, and to decide whether I want to use the DH or WH codex for the inquisition side of the army.

 

Besides that it'll be a crimson fists army of anti-ork specialists, with a small attached inquisitorial force, consisting of an inquisitor lord and retinue, and possibly some IST. I'll probably have a Deathwatch veteran model in the inquisitor's retinue as 'the warrior' but that's about it.

 

I'm pretty sure it's not rules-legal, but i'd love to shoehorn a xenos themed penitent engine in there as well. an ork strapped into that thing, looking suitably tormented and weakened would be just delightful. :-)

[Chengar Qordath]

I'm pretty sure it's not rules-legal, but i'd love to shoehorn a xenos themed penitent engine in there as well. an ork strapped into that thing, looking suitably tormented and weakened would be just delightful. :-)

Well, you could always use that model as a counts-as Dreadnought. That would avoid the rules issue and give you a model that's much better in terms of point efficiency.

[Loyalist]

I came up with an Ordo Xenos army by combining an SM codex force with an allied Witch Hunters force standing in for Ordo Xenos.

 

SM Force: (Both SM chapters are closely associated with the Inquisition.)

 

Red Hunters - Captain, Command squad, 3 Tactical, 1 Scout , 1 Devastator and 1 Vanguard Vet squads ; Landspeeders, Predator, Razorbacks, Rhinos, Land Raider, Whirlwind

 

Deathwatch - 1 Captain (Games Day Sgt. figure with PF and Stormbolter counting as Pedro Cantor), 3 Sternguard Vet squads; 3 Drop Pods or 3 Rhinos

 

There are other Red Hunter HQ options, Deathwatch HQ, Troop and Vehicle units, and 4 Terminator Squads (RH and DW) for use in larger Apocalypse or Planetstrike games.

 

Ordo Xenos Force:

 

HQ: Inquisitor Lord with retinue (3 Crusaders, 2 Chirurgeons, and 3 Acolytes) in a Land Raider dedicated transport

 

Troops: 2 squads of IST in Chimeras with autocannons (or usual turrets), or 2 squads of Arbites in Repressors

 

Elites: Inquisitor with retinue (3 Gun Servitors, 2 Chirurgeons, 1 Acolyte) in a Chimera, or an Assassin (various types)

[sideways]

Just found the inquisitor lok rules in Imperial Armor 2 - am I missing something or does he seem rather expensive for his value in a fight? He doesn't even seem to have access to the psychic powers that other inquisitors have.

 

Chengar: yeah, the xenos penitent engine would be a great 'counts as' dread. good idea!

[CDR Grendelwulf]

I have already begun a Deathwatch force using C:SM with many of the suggestions as given above.

In addition to these, I also plan to make my army flexible enough to accomodate other power-armoured codeci: Dark Angels, Blood Angels, and Space Wolves. This way, I can add certain models to my army without building entirely separate armies from scratch. I originally planned to do a Mentor Legion Chapter like this because their original fluff had them studying tactics and strategy from all other Imperial armies, including brother Astartes. But, then I realized the Deathwatch already this potential as they actually have members from so many different chapters.

 

Whichever chapter/codex I use, I am representing their ability of using the chosen codex tactics by having the commander & squad sargeants be of the specific chapter & its various successors. Therefore, they can lead the squads in the appropriate method of attack. My C:SM force is already under construction. C:SW will likely be my next adaptation to it. Some of the other types of squads may allow a more Inquisitorial representation, i.e. members of adeptus mechanicus or inquisitorial servitors, etc. My rough overview for C:SW is the following...

 

Deathwatch (Wolfwatch)

 

Psychic Powers, Inquisitors of the Ordo Xenos

 

Thunderclap = Voice of the Emperor (sonic-amplifier tech or psychic ability)

Living Lightning = Touch of the Emperor (arco-energy-technology or psychic ability)

Storm Caller = Anger of the Emperor (vortex grenade technology or psychic ability)

Tempest's Wrath = Wrath of the Emperor (Atmospheric-stimulators)

Fury of the Wolf Spirits = Micro-nomican (mini-psychic energy projector, mini-astronomican used as weapon?)

Murderous Hurricane = Breath of the Emperor (arctic/freezing technology)

Jaws of the World Wolf = Fist of the Emperor (vibrational technology)

 

 

Force Organization

 

HQ - Wolf Lord = Deathwatch Commander

HQ - Rune Priest = Inquisitor or Deathwatch Librarian

HQ - Wolf Priest = Deathwatch Chaplain or Magos Biologis (they are involved in bio-engineering)

 

Elite - Wolf Guard = Deathwatch Kill-Team

Elite - Dreadnought = War Robot, Castellan variant or Inquisitor/walker

Elite - Venerable Dreadnought = War Robot, Conqueror variant or Inquisitor/walker

Elite - Iron Priest = Lexmechanic (has Thrall-Servitors)

Elite - Wolf Scouts = Storm Troopers

Elite - Lone Wolf = Deathwatch Assassin

 

Troops - Grey Hunters = Deathwatch

Troops - Blood Claws = Deathwatch-Inductees

 

Fast Attack - Thunderwolf Cavalry = Deathwatch on experimental tech/vehicles

Fast Attack - Fenrisian Wolf = Cyber-mastifs, or other robotic creatures

 

Heavy Support - Long Fangs = Devastators w/ enhanced targeters

 

 

I haven't come up with new names for the SW Sagas yet.

 

Darkwatch will be represented by Deathwing/Watchwing & Ravenwing/Deathraven variants.

Bloodwatch will be primarily assault based.

 

Ciao,

CDR Grendelwulf

[Justicar Valius]

I would have a list of somthing like

 

Pedro Kantor

2 sternguard squads (one with lots of combi flamers and the other with lots of combi meltas) possibly in pods or rhinos

2 scout squads (one with heavy bolter with hellfire ammo and bolters in a storm, the other a 10 man PF and shotgun squad)

IST with plasma

some heavy support

[satanaka]

I'd wait on your new codex.

 

You'll prolly get REAL deathwatch back in there.

[sideways]

I would have a list of somthing like

 

Pedro Kantor

2 sternguard squads (one with lots of combi flamers and the other with lots of combi meltas) possibly in pods or rhinos

2 scout squads (one with heavy bolter with hellfire ammo and bolters in a storm, the other a 10 man PF and shotgun squad)

IST with plasma

some heavy support

 

I'm building a VERY similar army to this right now.

 

Pedro and a 5 man SG squad with combimeltas in a lascannon equipped razorback

a 10 man SG squad with combiflamers in a rhino

a 6 man scout squad - 5 with sniper rifles, one with a heavy bolter

a tactical squad with a flamer and a plascannon in a rhino

a melta dread

and a mix of landspeeders, predators, and bikes depending on what i'm up against.

 

What I really want to do for some Ordo Xenos flavour is ally in an inquisitor and his retinue, but i STILL can't decide which models to get to do this with, without totally breaking the bank on multiple boxes.

 

The options seem to be: Witch hunters inquisitor and retinue box, DH inq + retinue box (currently the front runner), or get the forgeworld inquisitor lok model and spend some extra money on a few servitors and some appropriate looking mystics etc.

 

Found a great 'bit' in my bitz box for this purpose - not sure where it came from, but it's a whfb back-standard thing with a bunch of different species' skulls on poles (looks like skaven, couple of ork heads, and a couple of humanoid skulls - tau and eldar maybe with some GS work, and a genestealer head I'm in the process of putting on there myself). Just need to find a good way to make the genestealer head look like it's been severed at the neck.

[Rathnard]

Hmm, well I don't think Pedro is absolutely necessary in a Deathwatch army. Sure he makes those Sternguard count as troops, but I wouldn't say that's really needed.

 

My Suggestion for a Counts-as Death Watch army;

 

DH Inquisitor Lord - Mainly for a xenos psycannon etc

SM Librarian/Captain - Mandatory HQ, plus he fits in with the old DW entry

 

1-3 Sternguard - Deathwatch...duh ^_^

0-1 Ordos Assassin - If only to emphasise the fact that this is an Inquisition force

 

0-4 Squads Inquisitorial Storm Troopers - As per the assassin, plus they can be more useful than some people give them credit for. Also remember that you can take ISTs from both the DH and WH codex, hence the 0-4.

2-4 Squads SM Scouts - could be deathwatch scouts at a stretch, but might be better to convert them into Inquisitorial Soldiers or (ah ha!) indentured Xenos allies!

 

Land Raider - Personal transport for Inquisitor Lord, although he occasionally loans it out to other units. -_-

 

The rest of the fast attack and HS could be anything, although I'd lean away from infantry/bikes (deathwatch on bikes? B) ) and towards the armoured vehicles. A Land speeder storm in particular could be useful for supporting the scouts.