A question about the Army of Renown

[TheNewman]

I want to get the community's feedback on something and it doesn't fit neatly into an existing thread.

 

I played a game recently into the Deathwatch Army of Renown, and my opponent swore while we were discussing how things had gone afterward that Deathwatch is garbage using the AoR and unplayable garbage outside of it.

 

The last time I played a Deathwatch list was a couple of months after Drukhari came out, so I'm curious if the general community agrees that the AoR is the only viable way to play DW, and if not then what works outside of it.

 

Thanks in advance.

Edited May 1, 2022 by TheNewman

[Lemondish]

Well, the most successful Deathwatch lists and players lately have been using the AoR, so I'd say it's viable.

 

Outside of the AoR, there are some pretty effective Dreadnought heavy lists that made a splash as well.

 

For friendly play with mates, Deathwatch is far from garbage.

[TheNewman]

Oh I agree, but I'm not in a position to tell this guy what he's doing wrong because I don't play DW myself (much) and so I don't have great insights into how to run them.

[Duke Danse Macabre]

DW is by no means reliant on AoN, we have allot of utility and flexibility with pretty much all the toys and a few nasty tricks of our own.

 

Just like any force that isn’t top tier currently, they are capable but you have to play them a little closer to custodians than marines, your guys cost more so they need to do more and your losses need to be manageable.

Due to our large amount of options however it’s easy to waste points on sub optimal choices which is fine outside of competitive but inside its equivalent to taking a 1500 point list to a 2k game with how much you can waste on useless things.

[TheNewman]

His list (just working from memory here) was something like

 

- Phobos Captain with the SIA relic

- Jump pack Master Chaplain with a Power Fist

- Phobos Chief Libby, DW powers but I don't remember which.

- Two Firstborn KTs with five Termies, one with multiple Frag Cannons and the other with the combi Heavy Bolter/Flamer.

- One Spectrus team with five Lasfusils and one with five Bolt Snipers.

- One Intercessor team with five Outriders.

 

Off the top of my head I'd say none of his HQs are really pulling their weight and the Obsec Outriders are inferior to veteran bikers. I think the real problem though is that he got fixated on the Deepstrike and T1 charge shenanigans that list can pull and lost sight of whether doing it was actually a good idea.

[Duke Danse Macabre]

Honestly looking at that list, nothing really works well together and point sinks everywhere.

Tbh the only thing in the list I would run as is was the chaplain and I don’t think he needs the master of sanctity upgrade for what he is supporting.

Also terrible anti armour. 
 

He would be better dropping the terminators and first born kill teams (I love first born but we are trying to save points) and replace with 2 5 man first born stalker Bolter squads or even better the Primaris equivalent, from there add 5 outriders to each if you have the models.

 

Take some anti armour, I suggest eradicators in 2 3 man squads deep striking, replace the chaplain with one on bike to lead your bikers.

Drop the sepectrus kill teams and take 2 3 man sniper squads instead, this will give you 2 squads to hold back objectives and pick at characters and saves a boat load of points and use some for a vindicare, this will allow you to double kill every turn using the regular snipers to get the first couple of wounds off the target.

From here I would taken a first born jump libby with the invun bubble which works the same as shield Indomitus and null zone so he can jump forward and turn off invun if needed for the rest of the forces shooting.

 

Now this list has allot smaller squads but the above costs 1765 exactly so there are points left for a big daddy ouch unit if wanted, no captain as not needed, has 3 10 man squads, 6 snipers plus specialist, 6 eradicators deep striking for anti armour and 2 dangerous HQ choices which compliment the army with points remaining.

 

They just need to think on their force.

 

 

(Edit) 

 

After another couple of minutes thinking about the above list of 1765, add the below:

 

Primaris chief Apothecary with selfless healer: 115 (can revive 2 models per turn without cp cost and give bubble 6+fnp)

Jump Pack Captain with Teeth of Terra and storm shield: 120

Give the Librarian Artificer armour for the 2+ and invun to help keep him alive.

 

(3 relics and 2 warlords possible per 2k force, 1 warlord may have a second trait, total cost 4 cp, 2 cp additional cost to keep 2 eradicators squads in deepstrike)

 

Make the master of sanctity the warlord and take the below litanies, traits and relics:

 

litanies:

litany of hate

canticle of hate

exhortion of rage

 

relic: Armour Indomitus (will make him 8 wounds with a 2+ and a once off 3+ invun phase)

 

warlord trait: inspiring orator (could swap with paragon for imperial fists 4+ stand back up)

second trait: Castellan of the black vault - Adamantine mantle 5+ ignores wounds

 

Works out 2k on the nose and has allot of movement, synergy, dropping in, built like a brick S house and can counter most things with strong shooting and combat blenders.

Edited May 4, 2022 by Duke Danse Macabre

[techsoldaten]

IMHO there's no use for a Spectrus Kill Team in a DW army. Bring Heavy Intercessors with an appropriate Specialism instead.

 

Kill Team Strike Force forces you to be very selective with how you operate. Choosing Chapter Tactics is great, but you have to have a plan for which ones and when to use them. The extra Specialisms are great, but you can't just throw them on any unit. You have to really consider what that unit is there to do and play to it's strengths.

 

Ironically, Tau and Tyranids have been giving me a hard time, but I do well with them against Loyalists and Chaos. 

[Duke Danse Macabre]

IMHO there's no use for a Spectrus Kill Team in a DW army. Bring Heavy Intercessors with an appropriate Specialism instead.

 

Kill Team Strike Force forces you to be very selective with how you operate. Choosing Chapter Tactics is great, but you have to have a plan for which ones and when to use them. The extra Specialisms are great, but you can't just throw them on any unit. You have to really consider what that unit is there to do and play to it's strengths.

 

Ironically, Tau and Tyranids have been giving me a hard time, but I do well with them against Loyalists and Chaos. 

 

ablative wounds in a Camo cloaked sniper squad which can combat squad and counts as troop.

It has it uses, it just depends on how your force synergises for it to be useful.

 

Xenos are in a strong place right now where as all the marine toys have been really good for killing other marines, not a bad thing but with nids doing well, all form of eldar being hot and tau the bane of armour everywhere Xenos are solid right now, see how orks shape up and it could be a good fight.

Marines will likely get a points reduction in next update to tide us over till 10th or the next update, whichever is first.