A Deathwatch Army Project

[HorrOwl]

Hi there!
It has been a long time since I registered here but now I think it is time to start posting at last.
I'm starting a tournament DW army and a small blog here.
First of all, a roster:

DeathWatch Army :
Batallion Detachment:
HQ1:Watch Master(warlord) - 130 pts
HQ2: Librarian(+ Force Sword) - 105 pts

Troops1: KillTeam Veterans(+ 2 FragCannons, 3 Chainswords) - 155 pts
Troops2: KillTeam Veterans(+ 2 FragCannons, 3 Chainswords) - 155 pts
Troops3: KillTeam Veterans(+ 2 FragCannons, 3 ChainSwords) - 155 pts
Troops4: KillTeam(+ Black Shield, 2 StormShields(Sergeant, Blackshield), 3 Heavy ThunderHammers, 2 Thunderhammers(Sergeant , Blackshield) ) - 255 pts

Air Wing Detachment:
Flyer1: Corvus Blackstar( Twin Laser Cannon, 2 Stormstrike Launchers, Infernum Halo Launcher, Hurricane Bolter ) - 261
Flyer2: Corvus Blackstar( Twin Laser Cannon, 2 Stormstrike Launchers, Infernum Halo Launcher, Hurricane Bolter ) - 261
Flyer3: Corvus Blackstar( Twin Laser Cannon, 2 Stormstrike Launchers, Infernum Halo Launcher, Hurricane Bolter ) - 261
Flyer4: Corvus Blackstar( Twin Laser Cannon, 2 Stormstrike Launchers, Infernum Halo Launcher, Hurricane Bolter ) - 261

7 CP
Total :1999

I am trying to make a "pure"(well, almost) DW army with a minimum of allies

and first WiP's of bolter and chainsword armed Veterans(more will follow soon):

Edited February 10, 2019 by HorrOwl

[Toomanyprojects]

Looks like a reasonable list to me, make sure that you get the Watch master chopping stuff ASAP, he's a monster in CC

[HorrOwl]

he is usually too busy giving rerolls to flyers :)

Goes in CC only in dire circumstances.

[Toomanyprojects]

In my opinion, that's a bit of a waste of his abilities - my most recent game with him he single handedly killed a goliath truck and two twenty man neophyte squads, losing only one wound in the process (goliath had already knocked two wounds off in shooting, which made it more tense than it sounds), and from my discussions with others, this isn't unusual. At 130 pts he's a bit expensive to be the guy who gives re-rolls

[HorrOwl]

This is mostly shooty army - he is sitting behind the line of frag-teams in the middle of aircraft formation giving them rerolls. If frag teams are charged - he will countercharge.

Yes he is quite capable in melee but our community is drifting towards mech/monsterspam and alone he won't make it. So he supports Corvuses in the beginning and HtH team next. 

 

130 pts is cheap for a chapter master analogue as for me

Edited November 7, 2017 by HorrOwl

[Moostick]

Bit of an exaggeration of the watch master as it would take him 6 full turns (12 fight phases) of 100% wound rate to kill that many models singlehandedly. He's good, but only an average combat model with a slightly better bolter and a poor man's RELIC BLADE. He will lose in most warlord fights.

 

If this is a tournament list, is the objective just to table your opponent? If it's maelstrom, then you lose the objectives game already. You lack anti-horde; 6 FCs isn't going to solve that, especially against shooty horde. All 4 of your only ground units need to be dangerously close to be effective and in many cases you will give perfect LoS to most enemies. They will get one turn of shooting then die once they leave the Corvus. Imagine 60 lasgun or 90 devourer shots from a single enemy unit that costs about a 100 points. Times 5.

 

Corvus are not meant to be gun platforms. Put a small dent on each Corvus and they're only hitting on 5s after a move. They can't stay in range of the WM unless you hover, in which case they'll get shot and/or charged, and taken out quickly.

 

This can be a fun list for you, but not a tournament list.

Edited November 7, 2017 by Moostick

[Toomanyprojects]

Bit of an exaggeration of the watch master as it would take him 6 full turns (12 fight phases) of 100% wound rate to kill that many models singlehandedly. He's good, but only an average combat model with a slightly better bolter and a poor man's RELIC BLADE. He will lose in most warlord fights.

 

The game went on for nine turns, as it was only a carefree little pick up game where we both made mistakes and weren't playing to any particular scenario, so i don't really see how its an exaggeration. A better player than myself could have got him into combat quicker and got to chopping quicker, but he spent about seven turns in combat by himself with two undamaged twenty man neophyte squads and a goliath that had admittedly lost two wounds by the time he got there.

 

I know it was him who did this, because he and a vindicare were the only people that an acolyte ambush had left alive, and the vindicare was shooting the magus and the primus I was facing :). So in my experience, he's damn good at what he does in combat.

Edited November 7, 2017 by Toomanyprojects

[Moostick]

Most games end by turn 5 or 6, so, although I don't believe this was your intention, not mentioning it went to 9 makes him seem more efficient in killing than he really is.

 

I can believe your case now, but one wound in 14 fight phases means you had good rolls and he had bad ones for all 7 turns. It's still not the norm and not a good measurement of the WMs combat abilities. A Chaplain or even a Blackshield with good rolls would be just as good against neophytes. Normally, WM is mainly for his rerolls and not fighting.

[shanewatts]

 

Bit of an exaggeration of the watch master as it would take him 6 full turns (12 fight phases) of 100% wound rate to kill that many models singlehandedly. He's good, but only an average combat model with a slightly better bolter and a poor man's RELIC BLADE. He will lose in most warlord fights.

 

The game went on for nine turns, as it was only a carefree little pick up game where we both made mistakes and weren't playing to any particular scenario, so i don't really see how its an exaggeration. A better player than myself could have got him into combat quicker and got to chopping quicker, but he spent about seven turns in combat by himself with two undamaged twenty man neophyte squads and a goliath that had admittedly lost two wounds by the time he got there.

 

I know it was him who did this, because he and a vindicare were the only people that an acolyte ambush had left alive, and the vindicare was shooting the magus and the primus I was facing . So in my experience, he's damn good at what he does in combat.

 

Moostick is right, the Watchmaster is not what you are making it out to be.

 

4 attacks, hitting on 2s with rerolls, 4 hits, str5 wounding on 3s, 3 wounds dealt. Thats 3 dead neophytes a turn, so assuming you got him into close combat at the top of turn 1 (only possible if your opponent goes first and charges with a unit from reserve), you'd kill a maximum of 42 neophytes at the end of 7 turns (assuming your opponent kept grinding more models in.) Any GSC player that would charge with Neophytes is making a mistake, so at best you counter charged at the bottom of turn 1 or top of 2. 

 

Killing 3 Neophytes in CC per turn isn't that great, its ok. The Watchmaster is a buff commander, designed to make your army more effective overall. Nothing in Deathwatch is crazy good in melee, simply just not enough attack/model ratio.

 

The best we can do with a CC commander is a Captain with a Storm Shield and Thunder Hammer, which still isn't that great, but can be a threat to enemy characters/vehicles/monsters.

Edited November 7, 2017 by shanewatts

[Prot]

Regardless of what the Watchmaster can do I think it is a list that will catch some people off guard. I think 4 flyers is a fine idea to test.

 

If I were trying a tournament, I’d go the ground spam variant, multi Razorbacks, and dropping in the Watchmaster in a pod when the time is right for as much twin linking as I could get. My one unit that I think I might take outside the codex is a Leviathan. What bugs me is my own better lists are often done better with Astartes.

 

So I appreciate what you’re doing here... it’s distinctly Deathwatch, and you’re doing it with a difficult, Index army. I think that’s to be applauded. It’s very easy to make a ground pounder list and throw Chapter tactics and Guilliman in the middle of it. So while I appreciate valid criticisms, don’t let the negativity drag you down too much.

 

I’m looking very forward to your blog and I’m sure I’ll pick up some new insights and inspiration from your playtesting!

[Vel'Cona]

Definitely an interesting list that seems to be making the most of the awesome/sexy Corvus Blackstar :)

 

How are you using the Librarian in your list?  How has the melee-focused KT been working for you?

[HorrOwl]

A small update
2 shooty killteams:

KillTeam Gydrael
http://static.diary.ru/userdir/5/5/8/9/55893/84852058.jpg

 

KillTeam Sorlokk

http://static.diary.ru/userdir/5/5/8/9/55893/84852059.jpg

 

2 Moonstick:

 

 

If this is a tournament list, is the objective just to table your opponent? If it's maelstrom, then you lose the objectives game already. You lack anti-horde; 6 FCs isn't going to solve that, especially against shooty horde. All 4 of your only ground units need to be dangerously close to be effective and in many cases you will give perfect LoS to most enemies. They will get one turn of shooting then die once they leave the Corvus. Imagine 60 lasgun or 90 devourer shots from a single enemy unit that costs about a 100 points. Times 5.

 

Well, looks like the most reasonable answer is to drop Deathwatch and go to Astra Militarum / Mechanicus
Let's say that I'm fully aware of DW problems but the theme  is more important to me for now. Anyway, this roster is just a beginning of an army.

If you have any suggestions on roster - I will be grateful for them

 

2 Prot:

Thanks!

 

2 Vel'Cona:

 

 

How are you using the Librarian in your list?  

Mostly as a support for HtH killteam. Removing Invs, casting veil of time, occasional smite and so on

 

 

 

 How has the melee-focused KT been working for you?

with mixed results. 
the intent is to charge the big ones that are hard to shoot ( nemesis grandmasters, several razors, squadron of walkers, robot unit etc) under the librarian/watchmaster support

But unfortunantly they are mostly one shot weapon

Edited November 9, 2017 by HorrOwl

[Moostick]

I guess I'm not sure if you meant a full blown buy-in tournament or a friendly casual tournament between friends.

 

If theme is most important, I have no specific suggestions except more boots on the ground since I don't know what you like. If you love the Corvus model enough to build and paint 4, go for it. Remember that flyers don't count towards getting tabled, so once your ground troops are gone, you are considered tabled even if all 4 are alive (ie over half your list points). I sincerely do not recommend jumping into 4 Corvus right off the bat, from both gaming and modelling perspectives.

[HorrOwl]

 I  guess I'm not sure if you meant a full blown buy-in tournament or a friendly casual tournament between friends.

"Tournament army " meant "army ready for tournament."

Playing with a difficult army has it's own interesting challenges. Not to be at the bottom for example.

 

 

 

 

. I sincerely do not recommend jumping into 4 Corvus right off the bat, from both gaming and modelling perspectives.

 

thanks for the advice ...but it is too late to step back now.

Edited November 9, 2017 by HorrOwl

[HorrOwl]

Time for an update
Command section

http://static.diary.ru/userdir/5/5/8/9/55893/84852056.jpg

 

 KillTeam Donatus

http://static.diary.ru/userdir/5/5/8/9/55893/84852057.jpg

 

And an old 7th ed Assault team which I have to remake :

http://static.diary.ru/userdir/5/5/8/9/55893/84852055.jpg

 

Assembled on a table:
http://static.diary.ru/userdir/5/5/8/9/55893/84852060.jpg

 

Corvuses will be soon

Edited November 13, 2017 by HorrOwl

[HorrOwl]

A first stormraven in an assembly yard, not glued yet:

Others will follow

Edited November 15, 2017 by HorrOwl

[Vel'Cona]

Awesome work!  Super clean lines all around on that bird  :)

[HorrOwl]

Another WiP of a Corvus Squadron

http://static.diary.ru/userdir/5/5/8/9/55893/84934901.jpg

[Prot]

No way. I love it and want it. I don’t know what I’d do with it but I want it.

 

Looks awesome.

[Aothaine]

Amazing! How are you achieving that look on the black? It almost looks like you were spraying the model through a grate. 

[HorrOwl]

2 Prot:

Thanks!

 

 

2 Aothaine:

 

 

Amazing!

Thanks!:)

 

How are you achieving that look on the black? It almost looks like you were spraying the model through a grate.

It is undercoated with black spray, airbrushed near edges with vallejo model air 'dark blue grey' and then every edge was hightlighted  with citadel base "fenris grey" manually (very time consuming but I think overall look  worth that).

Edited November 21, 2017 by HorrOwl

[Vel'Cona]

I think that's the first "true" Corvus squadron I've seen on these boards.  Looks absolutely awesome (WIP or not)

 

Are you running them 2:2 with the LC/Missiles:Linked AC/Rockets?

[Prot]

Yea I agree Vel. Might be the first.

 

I've wanted to do a squadron but I'll probably hold off until the codex comes out.But I will bookmark this for inspiration! (for when our codex comes out in 2020 after Xenos have run the imperium down!)

 

Are the weapons glued?

[HorrOwl]

2 Vel'Cona

 

I think that's the first "true" Corvus squadron I've seen on these boards. Looks absolutely awesome(WIP or not)

Thanks!:)

But I thought that Corvuses were rather popular models

 

Are you running them 2:2 with the LC/Missiles:Linken AC/Rockets?

No, they are all LC/missiles

 

They ( with watch master buffs of course) are my only long range antitank/antimonster :-)

Usually I deploy one with the watchmaster slightly forward, and in my turn disembark him(3"+base size) and advance(6+d6, reroll for CP if needed) -in most cases that is enought for corvuses to stay in his reroll aura when they are flying on approach, and screen him from being closest miniature ( and he prevents army from being "wiped out"):)

 

2 Prot:

Are the weapons glued?

 

 

I will glue Lascannons

Dont think that AC will be actual for a long time :)

As for missiles I want to make "plugs ins" from the stormstrikes and will insert them as needed :)

Edited November 21, 2017 by HorrOwl

[Polak]

Sometimes I think two corvus is 1 too many...maybe expand it to three, to have a proper flying wing? But 4, all fully manned?