Usefulness of Storm Shield on a Watch Sergeant in 8th Ed.

[Masked Thespian]

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?

[Mobius0288]

I think its point of view and how many points you have a available. Luckily, they are back to 5 pts. You can put SS on special models (I consider Sgt's, blackshields and any kill team member with a special weapon as such) but you would do it for each of those models in your kill team so you can protect them.

 

My philosophy has changed this edition. If I pay for and take a SS, I want to be able to use it so I can protect the unit as a whole. The best way to do that is literally to make some human shields and put your special/heavy weapons on non SS models. The number of SS is going to be personal preference. I use that philosophy with terminators as well. We choose who gets wounded but you have stick with that guy until he's dead (if more than one wound).

 

Frags in front boys, storm shields in the back!

[shortysl]

Is there a reason your Watch Sergeant model couldn't simply be used as a Veteran? Aside from the Xenophase Blade, is there anything else distinguishing a Watch Sergeant from a Veteran?

[MeltaRange]

For me personally I like the SS on a regular bolter dude.

 

I play my DW mostly in narrative battles now, but I love taking a combination of Storm Shields and Terminators on units that are meant to operate mostly in the middle or front of the battle.  Small arms is allocated to Terminators for their juicy 2+, and plasma/stuff like that is allocated to a Storm Shield vet.  All the goodies are loaded up on the Black Shield & Watch Sergeant.

 

Black Shield - Bolter; Thunder Hammer

Watch Sergeant - Bolter; Thunder Hammer

Vet - Bolter; SS

Vet - Bolter; SS

Vet - Bolter; SS

Terminator - SB; Power Sword

Terminator - SB; Power Sword

[Masked Thespian]

Is there a reason your Watch Sergeant model couldn't simply be used as a Veteran? Aside from the Xenophase Blade, is there anything else distinguishing a Watch Sergeant from a Veteran?

 

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.

[LordCommanderSamirus]

could arm/weapon swap. Leave the xenophase blade swap the shield for a boltgun. Then give the shield to the guy you took the boltgun from. Edited January 26, 2018 by LordCommanderSamirus

[Inquisitor Red]

if I were you I'd just convert your model. Either pop off the shield or swap the head. No point in making your sarg the tank of your squad, let the regular vets do that. 

[Masked Thespian]

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.