Deathwatch

[space marine schnauzer]

I just picked up off ebay a set of 10 deathwatch semi-painted marines..most with bolters and chainswords and two with

heavy bolters...

 

I already have a set of 10 DW marines with a DW captain...

 

Never playing a DW game, could you use more than a small tac squad in a game?

 

Michael

[Sgt. Tiberus Satio]

Are you refering to the Roleplaying game Deathwatch? or just in general aspect?

 

 

Deathwatch is usually a quick insertion team of a combat squad, but given different circumstances, I wouldn't see the Inquisition going against larger force if it is a multiple assault objective(s) mission.

 

As far as the RP game, I would say the same rule applies, but I've only ran with 5 usually in both circumstances, but that was what I saw the missions calling for.

[space marine schnauzer]

Are you refering to the Roleplaying game Deathwatch? or just in general aspect?

 

 

Deathwatch is usually a quick insertion team of a combat squad, but given different circumstances, I wouldn't see the Inquisition going against larger force if it is a multiple assault objective(s) mission.

 

As far as the RP game, I would say the same rule applies, but I've only ran with 5 usually in both circumstances, but that was what I saw the missions calling for.

 

I was speaking in general game playing. I been reading the Deathwatch series 40k novels and they don't seem to have

a large force, less than ten. Could there be a company sized force assembled to fight some sort of xeno scouring mission driven by the Ordos Xenos?

[Sgt. Tiberus Satio]

I was speaking in general game playing. I been reading the Deathwatch series 40k novels and they don't seem to have

a large force, less than ten. Could there be a company sized force assembled to fight some sort of xeno scouring mission driven by the Ordos Xenos?

 

Very doubtful, again these are the best of the best from each of the chapters, some honoured with two. If there were larger forces it wouldn't be covert. The purpose of Deathwatch are to hit certain targets before the enemy knows what happened. They move in small units because of the ability to get in and get out. If there are bigger squads, it would just be a standard chapter. Inquisition picks these marines for a purpose.

[evileyevirtue]

The DW don't roll out in anything very large ever. From all of the stuff I've read, there's never been an instance where they go en-masse. This simply contradicts the nature of the DW. They're supposed to be a small team of super-super soldiers who are there to cut a problem off at the head. One thing to note, is that even with SM chapters, rolling out in full force is very uncommon as well. Unless they did some retcon, the SM are supposed to fight generally in small teams and only push out larger forces in the event that it hit the fan.

[Loyalist]

The answer seems to be 'as many as needed'. In the Eisenhorn novel 'Xenos' a force of about 60 DW supports several Inquisitors and their henchmen during a planetary assault that also includes a large IG force. Reads like there is a Kill Team per Inquisitor.

[Captain Antonius]

Greetings Brother,

 

In tabletop game play terms, I love my Deathwatch squad. I use them as Vanilla Codex Marine Sternguard with an attached Librarian.

 

I started out with a 5 man squad armed with Heavy Bolter, a single Combi-Melta on the squad leader, and 3 regular bolters. Then they got the Librarian (who is uber cool with Deathwatch colors and really added to the squad). He's kitted with a force weapon and bolt pistol so he's pretty cheap. As I began to love the squad more and more in acutal gaming, I added to thier number with another combat squad led by a veteran sergeant. He has meltabombs and twin lightning claws. I loved the short story with the force attacking an Ork KillKroozer so I just had to have a heavy flamer marine and the twin lightning claws. In addition to those two, I added a combi-plasma and combi-melta and another bolter.

 

With the DW squad now at 11 (including the Libbie) they are an intense handful for any enemy. I love the added close combat goodness that the twin lighting claws give the squad. If they get the charge, he and the Libby really tear up the xenos. And even if they don't, they are no slouches as even my heavy bolter dude gets two attacks!

 

I'm thinking of adding another DW squad with a Captain but this time making them Vanguard without jump packs. Chopping up alien scum with chainblades and powerswords and a few stormshields will really give the enemy something to think about. I'm considering a few DW drop pods to insert my special forces. And now that I think about it, a DW Dreadnought would be very nice as well!

 

Going back to your original question: I think that if you used a "Deathwatch Commander" who had rules like Pedro Cantor, you could field multiple Sternguard/Deathwatch squads and have a full Deathwatch army (with the vanilla SM codex). Perhaps you could do the same with the other codexii (ie., blood angels, space wolves, dark angels, black templars).

 

I don't think anyone would find that your small expensive force of just a handful of marines to be outside the realm of possibility on the game table.

 

Good luck. May the Emperor shine his light on you and guide your path.