Deathwatch Sergeants

[Rikev]

How do you signify which model is the sergeant in your kill teams? I have a mix of different models in my squads but it's tricky to tell which one is the squad leader unless they are armed with a Xenophase Blade.

 

Is there a particular marking?

[shandwen]

I try to keep my sergeants with a sword up pose or a combi-plasma... rule of bling just doesn't seem to fit for DW as it would for other chapters.

[WAR]

Fluff wise they rotate who is the sgt in the squad depending on their specialty/ expertise.  Model wise depends on the pose I go with and the chapter badge. Chapters I like are usually the sgt

[mjrwaud]

I usually try to build the Sgt. with just a bit more bling than the other veterans... unique helmet (or without helmet), a few extra details, fancier chapter pauldron, and usually a better sidearm / melee weapon if it'll be useful (xenophase, thunderhammer, etc.). 

 

Another easy way if you want to keep them all equipped the same is paint the trim around the chapter-specific pauldron a different colour for the Sgt. (ie. black for vets, gold for Sgt.).

[Delta.Skies]

2 of the 3 of my squads sergeants have xeno blades. But since all of my units are being kitbashed. The serge would have either a cape, helmetless, or the first Serge I painted was a gold helmet to match his left arm. The problem I'm having is kitbashin my hq cause everyone is highly decorated and I dont wanna repeat. So I might go primaris. Size. My librarian has a thousand sons backpack with the flames to switch him up

[TheUbikator]

I usually pick one of these guys as my sergeants. They've got distinct poses, look great and are equipped with combi weapons so most of the time are one of the last guys to die. 

[Irbis]

You could add =I= icon from upgrade sprue on top of backpack, the way a lot of SM chapters give their sarge extra backpack decoration, I suppose?

[Inquisitor Red]

I just make all my sergeants helmet-less. Its the easiest and fastest way for me and my opponent to know who is leading the pack. Most of the time the player your playing against has no idea who is who in a squad, so I just pay it forward to make it easier for them to identify. 

[Vel'Cona]

Usually it's the one guy with something "different" about his kit than the rest of his KT, for my teams.  Example include:

 

-One Veteran has a melee weapon when the rest of the squad has just a Bolter or Frag Cannon

-One Veteran has a tabard/cloak/abundance of purity seals

-One Veteran is pointing/checking an auspex/otherwise engaged and passively holding a weapon

 

Helmetless is a good idea too, but unfortunately I have a general fetish for un-helmeted Astartes models (I know it's stupid from a sniper target standpoint) so roughly half of my Veterans don't wear their helmets anyway :P

[Azaiel]

You could add something to the base of your sergeant, like a tyranid skull for instance to make him be a bit seperate from the rest.

[Rikev]

The backpack icon sounds like a good idea (will have to somehow glue it to already painted models though). I might wait and see what happens with Killteam Cassius and if that's in the new Codex as some of those models are being used as sergeants at the moment.

[Delta.Skies]

yea i thought of doing backpack icons as well, just missing one on the stalker bolter squad.

[Irbis]

The backpack icon sounds like a good idea (will have to somehow glue it to already painted models though).

 

Superglue will work just fine. Alternatively, you can gently scrape away paint in place where you want to put it with a scalpel, then mask the spot with primer you'll use anyway.