Deathwatch in 9th Edition - Army Overview

[techsoldaten]

Auspex Tactics published this video.

 

 

Thought it could have benefitted from a little more research, but agreed with most of the points.

 

Finally played a few games of 9th edition, running a variant of DeathwatchSH's list. In each game, I spread troops out over 3 objectives and just held them.

 

My basic observation is there's a lot of appeal for anyone who likes gunline armies. Daisy chained my KTs off a Librarian with Dominus Aegis, was similar to playing Death Guard with better guns. Let me mow down Orks with few casualties, made some Drukhari aggression less lethal.

[superwill]

Don’t you have to have a shield to take the Dominus Aegis?

[techsoldaten]

Don’t you have to have a shield to take the Dominus Aegis?

 

Yes. I overlooked that fact building the list, should have put it on another character.

 

But having the 5+ invul on KTs was very useful. 

[Duke Danse Macabre]

 

Don’t you have to have a shield to take the Dominus Aegis?

 

Yes. I overlooked that fact building the list, should have put it on another character.

 

But having the 5+ invul on KTs was very useful. 

 

If footslogging Primaris Lieutenant is the way to go for the extra buff if you can fit the hq.

[techsoldaten]

 

If footslogging Primaris Lieutenant is the way to go for the extra buff if you can fit the hq.

 

Thanks for the tip.

 

While I like my current list - apart from the Librarian - the next list I field will probably be a Dreadnought Castle. I have 3 Redemptors on order and Volkite guns for my Contemptors.

 

The main thing that concerns me is Drukhari. Probably 40% of my local meta. Just concerned troops aren't tough enough to face dedicated anti-infantry.

[Duke Danse Macabre]

Don’t rely too heavily on the new power build, meta chasing you either end up coming in at the end/missing it or you more likely than not will rush paint it.

Thats not taking into account a few mission types can really hammer you without enough power armoured bodies, I just think sometimes knowing what your regular options can and can’t do and building them to support accordingly often yields better results.

[techsoldaten]

Don’t rely too heavily on the new power build, meta chasing you either end up coming in at the end/missing it or you more likely than not will rush paint it.

Thats not taking into account a few mission types can really hammer you without enough power armoured bodies, I just think sometimes knowing what your regular options can and can’t do and building them to support accordingly often yields better results.

 

I know better.

 

3 games into 9th. With lockdowns continuing to make opponents scarce, I have more time to paint then play.

 

So I'm going to build some variant lists. 

[Duke Danse Macabre]

 

Don’t rely too heavily on the new power build, meta chasing you either end up coming in at the end/missing it or you more likely than not will rush paint it.

Thats not taking into account a few mission types can really hammer you without enough power armoured bodies, I just think sometimes knowing what your regular options can and can’t do and building them to support accordingly often yields better results.

 

I know better.

 

3 games into 9th. With lockdowns continuing to make opponents scarce, I have more time to paint then play.

 

So I'm going to build some variant lists. 

 

 

I feel you, I’m refitting my entire army and making a full watch fortress to boot.

Felt the need to say though, I’ve only just finished my ss sb vets this year. Lol

[techsoldaten]

 

I feel you, I’m refitting my entire army and making a full watch fortress to boot.

 

Felt the need to say though, I’ve only just finished my ss sb vets this year. Lol

 

Here's the thing: before 9th edition, I never played DW. I mostly played Chaos, I just did a DW army because I had time and models lying around. 

 

Not coming to this with any baggage from previous editions, all I see is versatility. It's not like Black Legion or Daemon Primarchs, where you're constrained to mid-range melee + psychic shenanigans. 

 

DeathwatchSH's lists are well suited to the current meta. Dreadnought Castles are also strong, along with some other builds. I don't need to get in a lot of games to see how this could be used.

 

Strange that a Loyalist Codex offers so many ways to play.

[Duke Danse Macabre]

Oh dear god the Heresy…

Well I suppose we have blackshields for a reason. ;)

That is an advantage of starting as a new force coming for a fairly restrictive one, DW isn’t what it was in 8th even with all the new toys in terms of customisability which is a shame but there’s allot of choice in the SM dex for us.

 

At days end a castle list is one of if not the simplest list to run and it works well until you hit a hard counter or the terrain works against you.

Not saying avoid strong choices, just to not put all your eggs in one basket and consider contingencies, 6 dreads plus their buff characters is a pretty penny, a pretty penny all scuffed up come a vindicare or a list that likes eliminators and close combat.

 

I tend to build my lists to have either one or two key threats depending on survivability and synergy, a reactive deployment unit for support, think vanguard vets or a corvus with payload and 3 autonomous troops which are self supporting with a durable, multi role load out and transport.

currently I run a 5 man vet squad with 4 shields/SB and Sargent with fist in a fully loaded razorback, normally with Lascannons as we don’t need the extra anti horde, 270 points and is a durable treat that needs no support and for 30 points more add a Frag cannon guy.

[techsoldaten]

Oh dear god the Heresy…

Well I suppose we have blackshields for a reason.

That is an advantage of starting as a new force coming for a fairly restrictive one, DW isn’t what it was in 8th even with all the new toys in terms of customisability which is a shame but there’s allot of choice in the SM dex for us.

 

As an opponent, my impression of DW pre-9th was glasshammer. They would be really, really good for a couple turns, then drop off in efficiency as key units were destroyed.

 

The typical lists I faced had Vets deep striking from a Drop Pod or Corvus, along with footslogging Intercessors / Aggressors. It's not that they weren't tough (I remember fistfuls of dice for every save,) the problem was often that they weren't mobile. KTs would get clumped up on one side of the board and I could take advantage.

 

I played lists with a lot of Lascannons, Bloodletter Bombs and Daemon Primarchs. All three were good at deleting KTs.

 

 

At days end a castle list is one of if not the simplest list to run and it works well until you hit a hard counter or the terrain works against you.

Not saying avoid strong choices, just to not put all your eggs in one basket and consider contingencies, 6 dreads plus their buff characters is a pretty penny, a pretty penny all scuffed up come a vindicare or a list that likes eliminators and close combat.

 

Yeah. The appeal of low-model count elite unit lists is not in what can go wrong, but in what can go right.

 

My first games of 9th edition DW were pretty similar: position units on objectives and just keep shooting. The first game went poorly, but half of that was because it was my first game of 9th (and my opponent was not forgiving of mistakes.) But the other two felt like color by numbers, it was a matter of staying in range of auras and having the Apothecary restore wounds as quickly as possible.

 

Guess I'm saying: I like gunlines but they can get repetitive. Having a castle to fall back on is a positive. These Imperial Dreadnaroonies are impressive.

 

 

I tend to build my lists to have either one or two key threats depending on survivability and synergy, a reactive deployment unit for support, think vanguard vets or a corvus with payload and 3 autonomous troops which are self supporting with a durable, multi role load out and transport.

currently I run a 5 man vet squad with 4 shields/SB and Sargent with fist in a fully loaded razorback, normally with Lascannons as we don’t need the extra anti horde, 270 points and is a durable treat that needs no support and for 30 points more add a Frag cannon guy.

 

How does the Corvus perform in 9th? I've not heard much about it.

[Duke Danse Macabre]

In 8th we lacked allot of armour and our marines were still one wound so it wasn’t forgiving but with the additional wound we have almost doubled our durability in troop lists and can rely on rarer choices to anchor our formations.

 

I personally found DW did well in 8th though I did tend to rely on a single knight to work as a bullet sponge somewhat and Frag cannons were king, we had allot of daemon players and running 2 frags in a 7nit as standard just saw 10 shredded to overwatch as standard, with the minus to charge strat for the orks not having a cap either I regularly prevented 1 inch charges as well.

I think key to the deathwatch is shielding and manoverability, Razorbacks are great, keeps your guys alive and fast, teleport homers can be very sneaky as can the beacon Angelis, drop pods just are not the choice they used to be sadly.

If your not against all troop you can get an heavy Intercessor/aggressor 10 man squad for 365 as well and they are a huge incentive to stay away, combine with transhuman, plus one to armour saves, an Apothecary, invun save and fnp and they are a walking nightmare that’s just dying to introduce you to the back of their gauntlets.

 

The corvus is a solid choice, good survivability, hits the same as other flyers now, good fire power and extras, low points cost for a flyer with transport capacity and looks the part.

 

The corvus is the most flexible transport we have being able to carry anyth8ng that’s not a Primaris marine or centurion so gives us allot of options in terms of dropping things right where they need to be to ruin someone’s day.

a 5 man squad with 2 terminators and 4 frags for instance is a thorn in the side and very vexing when you turn around to face it and it uses a teleport homer to pop away once they are locked down.

The only other transport that’s as good but more restrictive is the termite drill, it can carry 10 and is tough as old boots, plus the way it come in protects it from shooting rather than a stratagem but once it’s down it’s not going far and only regular vets inside, still good for a boat load of shotguns though. 

[leth]

I think the new Kill team Army of renown will open up a lot of options.  Not top table options, but unless you were spamming dreadnaughts it didnt really happen anyway. 

 

Having the option to ignore str and toughness when army building also opens up a lot of options.  You can ignore certain roles when building your army and focus on being more efficient elsewhere. 

 

Basically deathwatch IMO have problems with T8, there is just no good way for us to build against it per point.  Now we can semi-ignore it and instead build a unit that can 1shot a knight for 3cp.