All information about the book Codex: Deathwatch - bibliographic data, summary, search for links to download an e-book in PDF, EPUB or read online. CODEX: DEATHWATCH Official Update Version 1.0 Although we strive to ensure that our rules are perfect, sometimes mistakes do creep in, or the intent of a rule isn’t as clear as it might be. These documents collect amendments to the rules and present our responses to players’ frequently asked questions. As they’re updated.
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3 sets of 6 Tactical Objectives, representing the many different tasks of the Deathwatch; uniform guides and information on the heraldry of Deathwatch Kill Teams, and a number of their fortresses; a showcase of Citadel Deathwatch miniatures. Other Publications. Codex, a general overview of all Codex publications. 1: Black Library. Actually, that’s not the page I was referring to. Page 11 is the Wargear listing, with sections for Sergeant, Melee, Special, etc. It’s an all black page with white text, similar to the second pic of the Deathwatch Army Lust, above. The pics you’re referring to are at the back of the book, after the Points.
Successors ofSuccessor ChaptersNumberPrimarchChapter Master
Unknown, rank of Deathwatch Watch Master existed since mid-32nd Millennium
HomeworldFortress-MonasteryAllegianceColours
The DeathwatchSpace Marines serve the Ordo Xenos of the Imperial Inquisition as its Chamber Militant, the warriors of last resort when the Inquisition needs access to firepower greater than the Astra Militarum or a team of its own Acolytes or even Throne Agents can provide.
Across the galaxy there are innumerable hostile alien civilisations that threaten Mankind, from the green-skinned Orks, to the monstrous Tyranids, sadistic Drukhari, spectral C'tan, and undying Necrons. It is the sacred task of the Deathwatch to stand sentry against all of these terrible xenos races. They are ready to act when such ancient evils rise to threaten Mankind once more. The Space Marines of the Deathwatch form the first, and often only, line of defence against these inhuman horrors.
Unlike other Space Marines, the ones serving in the Deathwatch are not truly a separate Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes; rather, they are a collection of Veteran Space Marines drawn from all of the different extant Chapters who serve together in the Inquisition's service for a discrete period of time.
To be chosen by one's Chapter to serve in the Deathwatch is a great honour for any Space Marine, as only the most elite and experienced members of a Chapter are ever chosen for this extremely hazardous tour of duty, the specifics of which must be kept secret by Inquisitorial order and sacred oath even from a Deathwatch Astartes' home Chapter.
Deathwatch Space Marines do not usually form the standard tactical groups like squads and companies generally used by the Adeptus Astartes. Instead, they operate as small special forces units in close-knit groups of specialists called Kill-teams.
If a xenos threat is particularly dangerous, several Kill-teams may be assigned to deal with it, but if the threat is still too much for even the Deathwatch to handle, the Inquisition will be forced to turn to a full Space Marine Chapter or to multiple regiments of the Imperial Guard to deal with it.
In general, if a group of Deathwatch Kill-teams cannot deal with a xenos incursion, that means that the Imperium has a major conflict on its hands and must deploy a full range of its military forces to meet the threat.
Chapter History
The exact origins of the Deathwatch are uncertain in current Imperial records, but its inception can be traced to 544.M32, and the arrival of the largest OrkWAAAGH! seen since the Ullanor Crusade during the closing years of the Great Crusade. Led by the mysterious Warlord known only as The Beast, this Greenskin invasion threatened the very Throneworld of Terra itself. During this conflict, it was the newly-elected Lord Commander of the Imperium, Chapter Master and sole surviving member of the Imperial Fists, named Koorland, who devised the concept of utilising small elite Astartes Kill-teams to eliminate vital strategic assets of the encroaching Greenskins and eventually, The Beast itself. Though reluctant at first to acquiesce to the Lord Commander's plan to approve the creation of such a force, desperate times called for desperate measures. Therefore, the High Lords of Terra consented to Koorland's proposal. The original recruits for this newly created elite force were drawn from the survivors of the various Chapters who took part in the initial invasion of The Beast's capital world of Ullanor. These Chapters suffered severe losses during the invasion. Thus standing in vigil over their fallen brethren, the seeds of the Deathwatch were sown. Lord Commander Koorland eventually came to an agreement with the Inquisitorial Representative Wienand, to assuage any doubts by the rest of the members of the Senatorum Imperialis, that the Deathwatch would fall under the purview of the Inquisition, but an Astartes would ultimately serve as Chapter Master.
However, there are conflicting accounts which state the Deathwatch's origins occurred somewhat differently, and that it was founded at an unknown time centuries ago. These records state that a conclave of Inquisitor Lords -- the Apocryphon Conclave of Orphite IV -- convened with the sole purpose of formulating an Imperium-wide strategy to combat the many xenos threats that assailed Mankind. The members of this conclave were, in the main, drawn from the ranks of the Ordo Xenos, all of whom shared the belief that one day, there would come a time when Humanity would be consumed by slavering xenos beasts, or enslaved to creatures of unutterably alien origins. They foresaw an age when every alien life form in the galaxy, and others from beyond it, might rise up and the Age of the Imperium would come to an end. They had no inkling when such a terrible age might come, but they knew with dreadful certainty that it surely would, and they determined that no effort should be spared to avert such an end.
The conclave sat for many standard years, and bitter debate raged back and forth between Inquisitor Lords of many different positions. Some believed that every trace of alien life should be purged from the galaxy, while a few advocated the formation of alliances with those alien races that could be tolerated. Some spoke of ancient, god-like beings that have slumbered since before the creation of Mankind awakening to enslave the galaxy, while others foresaw that death would come at the hands of invasion from other galaxies entirely. While many Puritan Inquisitor Lords declared the conclave itself an admission of defeat for even countenancing that Mankind might not prevail against these threats, wiser counsel prevailed, and a strategy was eventually formulated. The conclave would request an audience with the assembled Chapter Masters of the Adeptus Astartes, and ask of them a solemn undertaking. It is not known how many Chapter Masters assembled to hear the words of the conclave, for such an event has only occurred a handful of times in the long history of the Imperium. Nor were the words of the Inquisitors recorded for posterity. Certainly, enough Chapter Masters must have answered the call, for a quorum of sorts was convened. The conclave presented its prophecy to the Chapter Masters, evoking the galaxy-wide threat of the ravening xenos. The Chapter Masters, every one a veteran of a thousand campaigns against the terrors of the void, listened to the Inquisitors' words, and withdrew to consider the matter.
The results of the Chapter Masters' deliberations were delivered to the conclave at sunrise the next day. Each of the Masters and Inquisitors took a solemn oath together. They would form a new Chapter, consisting of Veteran Space Marines highly experienced in combating the xenos. This Chapter was dubbed the 'Deathwatch', for it would stand guard against the doom foretold by the conclave. Thus, to this day, this joint oath still stands. The Battle-Brothers of the Deathwatch take the war against the alien to the very darkest reaches of the void, bringing to bear such force as no individual Inquisitor could hope to muster. In this mission, the Ordo Xenos and the Deathwatch are equals, the Inquisitors rooting out the foes for the Deathwatch to eradicate. While neither party is subject to the command of the other, both work in concert towards their common goal, according to those oaths made centuries ago. The two work closely together, ever watchful for that fateful day when the prophecies of the conclave are realised.
Whatever the truth, since the Deathwatch's inception in the 32nd Millennium, there have been periods when the Imperium dared to believe it was holding the xenos menace at bay. By dint of countless martyrdoms, this hidden order has kept the Segmentums of the Emperor's domain safe -- until now. The Time of Ending has exposed how thin a line lies between the present and the alien apocalypse feared by all Mankind.
War Upon the Brink
As the 41st Millennium draws to a close, the shield of the Deathwatch has been shaken, shivered and brought to the edge of destruction. Never before have so many threats to the fabric of Mankind's realm risen up at one time; never before have so many powerful xenos races sought to take the galaxy for their own. A thousand horrors gnaw and tear at the fabric of destiny, foes old and new emerging to take their chance as Mankind is torn apart by its long war against Chaos.
The Aeldari fight for a resurgence ten millennia in the making, taking no prisoners as they seek to burn brightly before the end. Their vile Commorrite cousins, the Drukhari, intend to line their larders before the apocalypse breaks, raiding in never-before seen numbers to leave once-thriving worlds empty of sentient life. The Necron dynasties awake faster than the Deathwatch can put them down, long-buried armies lurching to life as ancient overlords attempt to restore a lifeless order to the era of mayhem that greets their awakening. The Orks, a threat long turned upon itself by the Deathwatch's surgical raids, are finally uniting under the prophet of Armageddon. Their green tsunami of violence is set to drown the stars.
On the Eastern Fringe the tech-savant armies of the T'au Empire expand aggressively, their invention of the ZFR Horizon Accelerator Engine pushing them across the Damocles Gulf to steal worlds from the Imperium at a shocking pace. Further out drift the numberless Bio-Ships of the Great Devourer. Hive FleetsBehemoth and Kraken push their rapacious tendrils further coreward with every standard year, leaving nothing but scoured balls of rock in their wake. A dozen others encroach upon the Imperium's borders, their living Bio-ships creeping from the void in numbers beyond sane measure. Perhaps it is Hive Fleet Leviathan that should be feared the most, for its splinter fleets emerge from under the galactic core to menace Segmentum Solar -- the seat of human civilisation itself.
With every standard year more requests are levelled unto the wider Adeptus Astartes by the Deathwatch, citing ancient oaths to claim tithe after tithe. Yet the Astropathic messages flow both ways. Hundreds of Chapters are formally requesting their Battle-Brothers be discharged from their Long Vigils and sent back, despite the tarnishing of their honour that entails. In this time of woe, every Space Marine is vital in the war against the dark powers that seek to capsize reality itself. Whether Humanity will survive to see in a new age is unknown, but the Deathwatch is fighting with every iota of its strength to ensure it.
Notable Campaigns
The Domains of the Deathwatch
The Deathwatch has stood sentinel in the Jericho Reach long before Achilus launched his Imperial Crusade to reclaim the sector. For millennia, it has watched, waited, and fought amongst the lost stars and abandoned worlds of the Reach. Its domains have stood since a time now long forgotten and lost to the oblivion of dead history. It has seen worlds conquered by the Imperium fall once again to darkness. Its watch has been a thing of millennia. Ancient secrets, long since locked and sealed, are now open, and there can be no doubt: the hour has come round at last, and the future, so long awaited and dreaded, is here.
The domains of the Deathwatch in the Jericho Reach exist to aide it in the Long Watch. These places are held by it and it alone, secret and well-guarded. These domains range from the vast and mysterious Watch Fortress Erioch, which circles a dying star, to the many lesser Watch Stations standing silent vigil on forlorn worlds, airless moons, and in the dead marches of space throughout the Jericho Reach. These domains best serve the Deathwatch by providing places where they can gaze into the darkness beyond, re-arm, gather information, or (as a last resort) hold the line against the many enemies of Mankind that infest the Jericho Reach. The Deathwatch moves between these secret domains using rapid strike vessels and reconnaissance craft, often unseen by both enemies and allies.
The Long Watch
The presence of the Deathwatch in the Jericho Reach is the consequence of an ancient resolution and sacrosanct order. Made under conditions of utmost secrecy, this resolution's cause and purpose remain obscure even to those Astartes that carry out its terms. The order's effect, however, was to place the Jericho Reach directly under the eyes of the Deathwatch in perpetuity, through safety and peril, in a cause that overrode all other concerns in the area. To fulfil this compact, the Deathwatch built its hidden Watch Fortress in the dead system of Erioch on the ruins of an artefact ancient before man first walked the soil of Terra. At the fortress' heart, they constructed the Omega Vault and sealed within it the terrible truths of a future yet to be born.
For millennia, the Deathwatch has ensured that some of its number have remained in this dark place, there to stand watch. Their determination has never wavered. Come what may, whether disaster, invasion, or civil war, they have held their watch. The Battle-Brothers of the Deathwatch have fought and died, have known both victory and defeat, and continue to fight against the myriad enemies that swarm in the Jericho Reach like vermin in a midden. They do so to honour their long watch and to guard against the greater darkness to come. The true nature of this secret threat remains hidden from the Deathwatch that bides in the Jericho Reach, hidden until its fated hour approaches. Something of the truth is known by the Watch Commander and the Inquisitors of the Ordo Xenos admitted into the Chamber of Vigilance. This information has been passed down one to another over the centuries, and that knowledge guides the missions assigned to the Deathwatch of Watch Fortress Erioch. In recent times, portions of the Omega Vault's intricate mechanisms have unlocked themselves, as if in response to changing events in the Jericho Reach and the mission logs entered by the Deathwatch into its antediluvian engines. In some cases, an ancient weapon, device, or task has been revealed to the Deathwatch as a result. In other cases, the Omega Vault has yielded data that has drawn Kill-teams to distant parts of the Jericho Reach, sent into certain death, never to return. Watch Fortress Erioch stirs now as never before, and only a few locks remain before the Omega Vault opens fully -- a dire portent, indeed.
Watch Fortresses
The Deathwatch is the most vigilant defender the Imperium has to guard its borders. It operates from remote stations known as Watch Fortresses, each absent from Imperial records, as to the Deathwatch, obfuscation is another moat with which to keep its castles strong.
Each space-borne Watch Fortress is a sovereign domain ruled by its Watch Commander. On his authority, entire sectors are put to the torch without question. These strikes are so effective that the grand crusades of attrition which typify humanity's approach to war are made unnecessary -- many growing threats are contained and expunged before the wider Imperium is even aware of them.
Each Deathwatch stronghold operates under a shroud of secrecy, standing as a hidden sentinel over a select area of the Imperium's dominion. Some are space-borne fortresses that monitor a specific threat -- i.e. Castilos Nullifact watches for the rise of the long-slumbering Necron dynasties in the north of Ultima Segmentum, whereas Fort Pykman monitors the Ghoul Stars and the horrors that lie beyond. Others instead keep watch over a specific area in which aliens have been sighted in great measure. There are those smaller outposts called 'Watch Stations' which house a garrison of only a handful of Battle-Brothers, whilst the largest of Watch Fortresses play host to entire Watch Companies. Regardless of size, these space stations bristle with weaponry -- islands of sanity and strength in the midst of the endless sea of stars.
Since the Great Rift tore the Imperium in two, some Watch Fortresses have been cut off in the Imperium Nihilus, while others have been engulfed in the fury of daemonic incursions and empyric turmoil. The Watch Masters of these fortresses have not despaired, instead exploiting every advantage they can with ruthless efficiency to ensure their Long Vigil continues.
Notable Watch Fortresses
Watch Stations
The Watch Stations are fortified outposts used by the Deathwatch throughout the galaxy. There are many Watch Stations scattered across the worlds, moons, and cold void of the Jericho Reach for instance, and no two Watch Stations are quite the same. Some take the form of single-blocked armoured bastions from which eagle-headed gargoyles glare out at the silent expanses of Dead Worlds. Others are complexes of forbidding towers strung through the peaks of lunar mountain ranges, while yet others are small, jagged stations that watch from the blackness of space, bristling with Auspex arrays and seer-webs. No matter their location, all Watch Stations exist to serve the Deathwatch as bases of operation, and as an ever-vigilant gaze on the Deathwatch's assigned sector of the galaxy. Each station is fitted with highly advanced sensors that constantly gather information about the area around them. These sensors gaze far into space, scour the air for communications of all types, and even skim the Warp with powerful Witch-sight Augurs. All the information gathered by a Watch Station is stored in data reservoirs in the heart of the station.
When any Deathwatch Space Marine leaves a Watch Station, it is his duty to take a copy of the information gathered by that station and return it to one of the main Watch Stations for entry into its records. Small, high-speed, Warp-capable vessels known as Dark Hunters are designed to slip unseen through the stars while they make their rounds, harvesting each Watch Stations' valuable data. Thus, the Deathwatch sees much that passes in the Jericho Reach that eludes most others. All Watch Stations house weapons and material caches to some extent; arms that can be accessed by any Deathwatch Kill-team that needs them. Many also have extensive medical, analysis, and armoury facilities that any Deathwatch Kill-team that needs them can avail themselves of, although to gain the full extent of their use, the specialised skills of an Apothecary or a Techmarine are required.
Most Watch Stations are not physically manned by Battle-Brothers, except for when they function as a base of operations in the field. Many Watch Stations can go for standard decades without a Battle-Brother crossing their threshold. During the normal course of events, Watch Stations are maintained, operated, and if need be, defended by the finest automated systems the Machine Cult can provide. If a Watch Station is attacked, its protection can sustain it from all but the most determined and powerful assault. If breached, it will self-destruct, annihilating itself utterly, leaving nothing of its secrets for the enemy. A Watch Station's greatest defences, however, are the secrecy, remoteness and concealment of its existence.
Notable Watch Stations
The stations of the Deathwatch are many, and neither the Inquisition nor the Watch Commanders themselves know of them all. Some are only a few centuries old, formed in response to emergent xenos threats. Others have legends that span millennia, their oaths of vigilance and ancient heraldry borne upon proud standards in their Sanctum Bellicos. The following are notable examples of the numerous Watch Stations present throughout the galaxy:
Jericho Reach Watch Stations
The following are notable examples of the numerous Watch Stations present in the Jericho Reach:
Deathwatch Organisation
The Deathwatch is organised into small elite companies, much in the style of a Space MarineChapter. Its numbers are not recruited from a single homeworld, however, nor from trusted source planets rich in quality genetic stock. Instead the organisation is comprised of Space Marines from Chapters that have pledged to tithe a portion of their strength to the endless war against the alien. Its ranks number only heroes, and each of them has already proven himself an expert alien hunter even before his training as a Deathwatch operative began.
As the Chamber Militant of the Ordo Xenos, the Deathwatch is tasked with the study and, if necessary, the extermination of dangerous intelligent alien races encountered by the Imperium. They are also tasked with the observation of alien races, and the acquisition of their technology for further study by the Adeptus Mechanicus. This is because the Deathwatch is not merely intended to cleanse xenos cultures from Imperial space. It is also tasked with the recovery and study of alien devices and artefacts. Sometimes it is necessary to use a weapon against the enemy who created it, although this is never done lightly. The Deathwatch is constantly vigilant for sabotage, or to advise if it is truly safe to use a weapon of xenos origin. The Adeptus Mechanicus is always on the lookout for alien technology; for instance, the C'tan Phase Sword, used by the Callidus Assassins, was recovered from a NecronTomb World and successfully integrated into the arsenal of the Imperium.
The Loyalist Space Marine Legions and subsequent Second Founding Successor Chapters were bound by an ancient oath made to the Emperor to provide troops to the Deathwatch. However, particularly amongst some of the more radical Space MarineChapters, this can be a great test of duty, especially for those like the Dark Angels or the Black Templars that see the Inquisition as corrupt and an enemy of the rightful independence and autonomy of the Adeptus Astartes.
Although there is no question of any Chapter or Space Marine failing to fulfill their ancient pledges, Chapters like the Iron Hands, Dark Angels, Space Wolves and Blood Angels have a notoriously strained relationship with the Inquisition. It is not unheard of for radical Ordo XenosInquisitors to find the secondment of Deathwatch troops to their command facilitated by aiding one of these Space Marines Chapters against the political machinations of a puritanical Ordo Hereticus Inquisitor.
Other Chapters such as the Ultramarines, Crimson Fists and Imperial Fists have a far closer relationship with the Inquisition as a whole and the Ordo Xenos itself. Space Marines from these Chapters are more frequently and in greater number inducted into the Deathwatch, although a Kill-team may be made up of any variety of Astartes as the resources of the Ordo Xenos' Chamber Militant are positioned around the galaxy. The Space Marines making up a Deathwatch Kill-team can vary hugely in personal philosophy, culture and custom but are bound together by their loyalty to the Emperor and their zealous hatred of the alien enemies of Mankind. A Space Marine will remain with the Deathwatch until the Inquisitor leading the detachment deems that the necessary tasks have been completed so that he may return to his Chapter with honour.
Structure of the Shield
Almost every Deathwatch base in the Imperium has the same core structure. The Watch Commander -- usually a Watch Master -- is attended by a strategium staff of Librarians, Chaplains and Dreadnoughts, whilst his Techmarines are entrusted with rule of the Armoury, and his Watch Captains with the leadership of four largely independent Kill-teams. Though the greater structure of a Watch Fortress is traditionally kept sacrosanct, the teams under a Watch Captain are flexible in the extreme. In times of war against a transparent threat, some may be specialised towards combating a particular breed or even rank of xenos. This may result in Battle-Brothers moving from one Kill-team to another. It is rare for Kill-teams to be kept cohesive for long, though there are those whose histories have spanned the centuries, forming bonds of brotherhood so strong they are counted amongst the foremost assets of the Chapter.
Whenever one of a Watch Fortress' command staff takes leadership of one of its Killteams, the name is changed accordingly -- for example, when led by Epistolary Galius, Kill-team Tidaeus would become Kill-team Galius for the duration of that mission. All teams can adopt more specialist configurations at the behest of its leader, but when the nature of the enemy is unknown, it is common for Kill-teams to adopt Aquila tactics, a wide-spectrum offensive pattern capable of adapting to overcome any obstacle. At the time of the Ghosar Quintus Anomaly, the team led by famed UltramarinesChaplainOrtan Cassius was arranged in this pattern -- its formal designation was Aquila Kill-team Cassius.
Specialist Ranks
The Deathwatch is uniquely organised as a formation of Astartes since the Veteran Space Marines that make it up are drawn from many different Chapters. After being seconded to the Deathwatch, these Astartes are specially trained in small units called Kill-teams to counter xenos threats. They are sworn to serve an open-ended term with the Deathwatch. When they return to their Chapter of origin, the former members of the Deathwatch take their hard-won knowledge with them to share with their Battle-Brothers, as well as supplies of specialist anti-alien weaponry. Specialist ranks and positions within the Deathwatch are very similar to those of Codex Astartes-compliant Chapters with the exception of a few unique specialist positions that are only found in the Deathwatch, including:
The Inquisition and the Adeptus Astartes
For over ten standard millennia, the Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes have waged unending war in the name of the Emperor. Largely left to their own devices, the Space Marines are not accustomed to answering to others in matters of war. Chapter Masters are some of the greatest human leaders in the galaxy and their decisions affect the lives of billions. So when the Inquisition arrives in a warzone or other engagement and begins making demands, it may draw the ire of the Space Marines.
While most Astartes recognise -- and even appreciate -- the role that the Inquisition plays in the Imperium, there are other Chapters that are distrustful of the shadowy organisation. Anti-authoritarian Chapters such as the Space Wolves have reservations about any group wielding such unchecked power. Other Space Marines may have issues stemming from personal experiences with particular Inquisitors and decisions they did not agree with.
Deathwatch Codex Pdf TorrentOrdo Xenos
The Ordo Xenos is the arm of the Inquisition tasked with defeating the alien in all its forms, and as such it is counted amongst the Deathwatch's foremost allies, as the Deathwatch serves as its official Chamber Militant. The two organisations frequently work side by side, both on the battlefield and in the strategium. There have been times when a Watch Fortress' commander has been not a Space Marine, but a Lord Inquisitor -- and conversely times when the esoteric forces of the Inquisition have been led by a Battle-Brother of the Deathwatch.
The two organisations do not always see eye to eye. Inquisitors are accorded a great deal of autonomy, and the more Radical members of their order have been known to treat with the alien or even to use xenos weaponry in order to defeat a greater threat. The extreme reaction this engenders in the Deathwatch, which is by nature of a more Puritan bent, has led to bloodshed on more than one occasion.
While the Deathwatch is not directly under the command of the Ordo Xenos, it has close ties with that mysterious body and it is the Inquisition that identifies many of the targets and missions for it to undertake. Some Kill-teams may question the urgency of a mission to recover a minor xenos when a Tyranid threat looms in the Jericho Reach. Many Space Marines often feel that Inquisitors pursue their own agendas over the safety of civilians and this brings them into conflict.
If a Kill-team undertakes a mission to bring down a rogue Inquisitor, then the situation has been deemed especially dire. The Inquisition is loath to let anyone -- even the Deathwatch -- know of such a transgression. Any reports of such a mission would be encoded in the highest levels of security and all involved would undertake additional oaths of secrecy.
Deathwatch Recruitment
The ancient oaths that the Adeptus Astartes have undertaken to the Inquisition guarantees that their warriors will be seconded to the Deathwatch. This tenure provides valuable warriors to serve in Kill-teams throughout the galaxy. But the reasons why individual Chapters will send certain Space Marines to serve the Deathwatch can vary. When the call to send Battle-Brothers to the Deathwatch comes, most Chapters select their finest warriors to represent them. The ancient oaths sworn to support the Inquisition and the Deathwatch are taken seriously and any success that a Space Marine displays while serving the Long Watch will be reflected back on their Chapter. These revered champions of the Chapter seek out glory and honour by exemplary service on all missions they participate in. These Astartes are very eager to be part of the Deathwatch and serve the Emperor in this manner.
Should a Battle-Brother consistently excel in the slaughter of the alien, he will invariably come to the notice of the officers of his Chapter. Most commonly it is the Captain of his company that vouches for his expertise as an alien hunter, his Apothecary that attests to his impeccable physical ability, and his Chaplain that weighs his strength of character and the sanctity of his soul. If all three officers are in agreement, the Chapter Master is consulted, and with his approval the potential recruit's fate is set. Though it may be years until he is called upon to join the Long Vigil, he will become one of the most specialised of all the Imperium's defenders, every waking hour given over to a single overarching goal -- the eradication of the xenos foe.
Most of the Chapters in the Imperium will despatch a Battle-Brother chosen to join the Deathwatch after a ceremony to mark his departure. The Ultramarines gather as much of the relevant company's strength as possible, saluting their departing comrade as he boards the black-hulled Thunderhawk that will take him to his new life. The Dark AngelsChapter sends him on his way under an oath of secrecy, reminding him that he must never speak of hidden truths. Regardless of Chapter, the occasion is a solemn one. All know in their hearts they will likely never see their brother again -- he will join the front line in the war against the alien as a martyr to the cause. In recognition of his likely fate, the Initiate's armour is painted jet black.
Once a Space Marine has completed his Deathwatch training, any former rank he may have held is put aside, and he is assigned to a squad known as a Kill-team. Each of these groups is a band of disparate Battle-Brothers taken from as many as ten different Chapters, all of whom have their own cultures, specialities and insights into the arts of war. This can lead to friction and rivalry as personalities clash and spark against one another, but the members of the team share the same core ideals, and have sworn the same vows -- to defend Mankind no matter the cost.
Upon arrival at the Watch Fortress that will become his new home, the Deathwatch recruit will begin a punishing regime of physical and mental conditioning that takes him to the peak of efficacy. He may have faced dozens, even hundreds of alien species in his former life, but thousands more haunt the dark reaches of the galaxy. Through a gruelling course of hypno-indoctrination, the recruit's subconscious mind is filled with every detail the Deathwatch has gleaned about the nature of its xenos nemeses.
It is unusual, though not unheard of, for some Battle-Brothers to come to regard the Deathwatch as their true home. Though they continue honouring their original Chapter and its traditions during their Vigil, they become ever more bound to those of the Deathwatch. Those that do find a permanent home on a Watch Station inevitably struggle against a gnawing sense of abandonment and guilt, existing fully in neither Chapter and only able to draw spiritual sustenance from the companionship of their fellow Kill-team members.
For some Chapters, tenure in the Deathwatch can be a time for an Astartes to atone for some transgression committed against the Chapter or its ways. The type of infraction varies from Chapter to Chapter. For those who are strict adherents to the Codex Astartes, simple deviation from the tenets in the sacred text are enough to have a Battle-Brother fall under the unforgiving eye of his superiors. Amongst other Chapters, the infraction is usually much more severe to warrant any sort of sanction. A Space Marine who has been deemed lacking by his superiors has a shadow cast upon him that he must exorcise. Any question of a Battle-Brother's ability to carry out his duty brings undo scrutiny upon him and those he serves with. These doubts will linger and fester until he is able to redeem himself in the eyes of the Chapter. This redemption can take the form of Imperial Crusades, quests, and other heroic endeavours. This can also take the form of an extended secondment to the Deathwatch.
If a Battle-Brother has been sent to the Deathwatch as a means of atonement, then that is usually kept quiet from all but the Chapter's leadership and the Space Marine in question. Since serving in the Deathwatch is fraught with peril, this is seen as a perfect way to atone in service to the Emperor. The Space Marine will keep his past transgressions closely guarded from his new squad-mates in a Kill-team; if they were aware of these factors then they would surely look at him with suspicion.
Deathwatch Veterans
Even among the mighty Space Marine Chapters, those warriors who live long enough to earn the title of Veteran are uncommon, many falling on the battlefield after only years or decades of service against overwhelming odds. Unlike the Imperial Guard or the Imperial Navy, where a man might be considered a veteran if he survives his first taste of combat or earns a campaign ribbon, a Space Marine's Veteran status only comes after genuine achievement, and then only at the end of long years of bloodshed and hard-won victory. The Deathwatch is no different, and those Battle-Brothers who spend their years of secondment fighting the xenos foes of the Emperor are only considered to be doing their duty. Mere survival is not enough for a Space Marine; as the Emperor's favoured sons and chosen warriors, they are expected to acquit themselves well in combat, their foes are expected to die upon their bolt shells and Chainblades, and the honour they earn is the honour of their Chapter. To be considered a Veteran of the Deathwatch, a Battle-Brother must accomplish great and glorious things, and mark himself out as a true instrument of war, above and beyond even the transhuman capability of the Adeptus Astartes.
Web of Loyalties
It is the duty of all Astartes to serve the Emperor and fight for the Imperium against its many foes, but where a Battle-Brother stands in the great chain of command can become unclear once he has spent years serving the Deathwatch. Ostensibly, while serving in the Deathwatch in the Jericho Reach, a Battle-Brother serves the Watch Commander and the Chamber Vigilant, which can include the influence of the Inquisitors of the Ordo Xenos. However, at the same time, he retains his loyalties to his own Chapter and Chapter Master, while retaining any rank he might have had previously, even though he is no longer under the command of his company or squad commanders. As time passes and the Battle-Brother spends more time in the service of the Deathwatch, many of these ties change, either weakening or strengthening, and his loyalty can shift to encompass the members of his Kill-team while his duty to the Emperor and the Imperium becomes broader and less restricted by the specific teachings of his Chapter. This is especially true once he is exposed to the ideas and doctrines of his Kill-team members and they have survived many harrowing battles together.
It is even possible, though rare, that, after long standard years of service, a Veteran Battle-Brother can find that this loyalty narrows until he sees himself as a member of the Deathwatch first, and part of his Chapter second. While the Battle-Brother will always retain a deep connection to his Chapter, long periods of service to the Deathwatch and the secret knowledge he gains about the enemies of the Imperium can make him see his true place as part of a Kill-team. His Chapter Master and his Chapter Battle-Brothers might understand and respect why he would choose to fight for the Deathwatch rather than his own Chapter if they know anything of the nature of the Deathwatch's mission, though it is more likely it will be seen only as divided loyalty. In either case, the chain of command can become blurred for such a Deathwatch Veteran, as the influence of his Chapter recedes and he focuses his efforts against the enemies of the Deathwatch.
A Taste for War
Members of the Deathwatch are often exposed to threats and foes they would not have encountered had they remained within the ranks of their Chapter. While a Battle-Brother fighting as part of his home Chapter will doubtless see years of bloody and terrible combat, he usually does so shoulder to shoulder with his company, supported by Predator AFVs and Rhino APCs, heavy weapon platforms and orbital overwatch. By contrast, while a Deathwatch Kill-team has access to some of the most remarkable technology in the Imperium of Man, they can never rely on having such luxuries in combat, often standing alone against whatever dangers they might face. Added to the fact that a Kill-team is only a handful of Space Marines, the foes they face can be more dangerous and exotic, such as powerful alien commanders and unspeakable xenos horrors. In a few short years serving in the Deathwatch, a Battle-Brother will have faced down and defeated countless alien and Heretic foes, often in close personal combat with only the strength of his Kill-team to back him up. It is little wonder, then, that many Battle-Brothers who are seconded to the Deathwatch rise to the ranks of Veterans as the experiences they accrue and missions they complete give them a wider sense of the terrible struggle the Imperium faces every day and the multitude of hidden foes arrayed against it. In time, this evolution of their skills and knowledge will set them apart from their original Chapters and forge them into something uniquely adapted to fighting and killing xenos.
Thus a Deathwatch Veteran is a Battle-Brother who has not simply spent years serving in the Deathwatch, or one who has formed a bond with brothers from other Chapters. Rather he is one who has adapted to the service of the Deathwatch and the special missions and foes with which it must deal. Indoctrinated by the unbreakable bonds to his Chapter and his sense of duty to his Chapter Master, no Battle-Brother ever leaves these loyalties behind, but instead adds to them, becomes more dedicated to the cause of the Imperium, whether it is through the orders of his Watch Commander or his own personal focus. Not all Battle-Brothers are suited to long periods of secondment to the Deathwatch, many simply doing their duty before returning to their own Chapter. However, those that adapt to the way the Deathwatch functions, and those able to balance the teachings of their Chapter with the autonomy and independence required of a Kill-team become valued additions to the Deathwatch. The Deathwatch values these kinds of Battle-Brothers and is active in developing their skills and abilities, creating Kill-teams that can undertake the most hazardous of missions with a chance of success. Equally, Chapter Masters honour those Battle-Brothers who have acquitted themselves well in the Deathwatch and respect the skills they have mastered.
Over years of hazardous missions and combat, the members of a Kill-team will learn to rely heavily on each other, something which is evident after even a few missions among those newly seconded to the Deathwatch, but which becomes far more pronounced in Deathwatch veterans. Combined with missions that will see the Kill-team operate against some of the worst foes the Jericho Reach has to offer, and often without support from any kind of Imperial aid for weeks, months, or even longer, this creates a powerful autonomous fighting unit. Even in such circumstances, the Deathwatch can still rely on these Veteran Battle-Brothers to live up to their duty to the Chapter and their duty to the Emperor, where Imperial Guard specialists given such operational freedom often become increasingly difficult to command or direct. Such skill and resolve is the mark of a true Deathwatch veteran and Kill-team, Battle-Brothers of such focus and temper that no task remains beyond them regardless of the odds they might face or the enemies which rise up to meet them.
A New Brotherhood
Deathwatch Veterans are also unique among the Adeptus Astartes as one of the few groups in which true alliances can form between Battle-Brothers of different Chapters. Space Marines who might have little love for one another and only work together grudgingly can, as part of a Kill-team, over time, form bonds stronger than even those they share with their Chapter. Living lives of stark seclusion broken only by fierce combat, most Battle-Brothers come to the Deathwatch only knowing their own kind, having only encountered those different from themselves on the field of battle or from dim half remembered memories of their lives before their initiation into the Chapter. Suddenly, they are presented with a variety of different opinions, cultures, and appearances, most of which run counter to what they have learned from their Chapter's Battle-Brothers. While all the members of their Kill-team might share a similar duty to the Emperor and a faith in the Imperium of Man, even minor differences can be troubling. This is even truer of combat doctrine and tactical creed, a subject close to the core of every Space Marine. Many Battle-Brothers will never completely accept the other members of their Kill-team for these reasons and will return to their Chapter with stories of the strange practises of the other Space Marines. Those that become Deathwatch Veterans, however, inevitably adapt to these differences, the better to function as part of their Kill-team.
A Brotherhood Apart
It is a double-edged blade that Deathwatch Veterans, while valued and skilled members of the Deathwatch, might grow apart from their own Chapter. Battle-Brothers accept the honour of secondment without question or complaint even though it means leaving their place within their own Chapter and giving up their place beside Battle-Brothers who have become close companions from many battles. Such is the honour of a secondment that both Chapter Master and Chapter usually only afford it to proven Space Marines, even though it can mean losing such a valued asset to the Deathwatch for standard years. For the chosen Battle-Brother, leaving his own Chapter behind can be a burden, even though he understands why he has been chosen and is honoured by the chance to prove his worth alongside others of the Adeptus Astartes within the Deathwatch. Even so, the gulf between Deathwatch and the Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes can create a wide variety of Battle-Brothers, changed in small ways by their crossing. Some might come to the Deathwatch eager to prove the superiority of their Chapter, or the strength of their traditions, while others remain resistant to their Kill-team, remaining reserved and restrained, doing their duty as dictated by honour and ancient covenant but little more.
In one way or another, all Battle-Brothers conform to this new brotherhood, finding their place within the Deathwatch and seeking out their duty to both Emperor and Imperium. A Kill-team is only as strong as its weakest member, and its real strength lies in the bonds of brotherhood it can foster between its Battle-Brothers. So when a Battle-Brother comes to the Deathwatch harbouring distrust of other Chapters, or tries to impose his own ideals on other Battle-Brothers, the Kill-team will suffer. However, Space Marines are superhuman warriors and even these weakest of Kill-teams are stronger than the most veteran of Imperial Guard squads or elite Stormtrooper unit could hope to be. This means that for many Battle-Brothers their time in the Deathwatch will pass with honour as they complete their duty, though they never truly overcome the divisions within their Kill-team. Deathwatch veterans are made up mostly of those Battle-Brothers who have overcome these differences, or embraced them and turned them to their advantage. They are the Battle-Brothers which have changed to meet the challenges of the Deathwatch, and created something more within their Kill-team than the sum of its parts.
Chapter Rivalries
The recruitment processes for the Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes are as varied as the iconography on their Power Armour. Some recruit exclusively from the lands of their homeworld while other Chapters utilise a wide swathe of planets for finding new Battle-Brothers, drawing from worlds scattered throughout the Chapter's dominion. No matter where the Initiates are recruited from, one thing remains the same -- the new Space Marine will undergo a long, rigorous series of challenges and trials before he is fully one of the Emperor's finest. It is through these tests and trials that the bonds of brotherhood are first forged for the Space Marines. The time spent learning the beliefs and battle doctrines of their Chapter shapes the mind-set of the Battle-Brothers and how they view their duty to the Imperium and Chapter. These fundamental beliefs are so strongly ingrained into a Battle-Brother that they can bring him into conflict with other Imperial servants who have a different world view than the Chapter. These are the challenges all members of the Deathwatch must overcome if they are to serve their ancient oaths successfully.
When a Chapter sends one of its Brothers off to serve the Deathwatch, it can be something of a culture shock to the Space Marine in question. Everyone expects a Space Marine to follow whatever orders he is given, but behind the armour is more than an automaton. A Battle-Brother's training and beliefs are deeply ingrained, even part of his genetic make-up, so coming to grips with his new role in the Deathwatch can be very trying -- not that an Astartes would ever let that be known.
Becoming part of a new squad under the auspices of the Deathwatch organisation creates many new challenges for an inductee. First of these trials is determining his role amongst his new squad-mates. He must learn how to fight alongside these new Battle-Brothers who each bring their own battle tactics and methods to the unit. In many instances these strategies may directly contradict his own way of waging war. For someone who has fought a certain way for a long time (in some instances a standard century or more), adapting is no small feat.
Unfortunately, the greatest fighting force of Mankind -- the Space Marines -- possesses a long history of distrust, enmity, and open warfare with their brethren, and that is only including the Loyalist Chapters. For over ten thousand standard years, the Adeptus Astartes have fought alongside and against other Space Marines in countless battles. The Great Crusade set the stage for many of the most memorable feuds. During that time, each Legion of Space Marines tried to outdo its brothers in bringing glory to the fledgling Imperium. Fighting side-by-side, the original Space Marine Legions often came to blows over the best way to reclaim a planet that had fallen away from the Emperor's light. These feuds still exist into the present, and can become a grist for problems between members of a Deathwatch Kill-team who hail from feuding Chapters. Among the worst of the currently existing feuds between Loyalist Chapters are the following:
Deathwatch Combat Doctrine
Deathwatch Space Marines will usually operate in individual Tactical Squads, known as a Kill-teams. Each Kill-team is led by an Inquisitor, |Watch Captain or Librarian. Their missions range from those undertaken alone and without support to accomplish their goals with minimal combat engagement to outright battle while re-enforcing allied forces like the Imperial Guard, Sisters of Battle or other Space Marine Chapters against alien incursions.
The highly perilous and vital nature of their missions means that Deathwatch Kill-Teams have access to exceedingly rare or advanced Imperial equipment, such as Heavy Bolter Gyro Suspensors, M.40 Targeters, and numerous types of specialist ammunition, such as the fragmentation Metal Storm shells or the high-powered Kraken penetrator bolts. If the situation offers no alternative, they will utilise advanced alien weaponry and equipment to accomplish their mission. The Deathwatch often utilises unconventional means of insertion, such as teleportation, high altitude grav-chute drops and Demiurg Termite tanks.
Sometimes, the situation may be more than even a dozen elite Space Marines can handle, and because of this, Deathwatch Space Marines are able to freely requisition any and all Imperial forces they deem necessary to complete their task, from individual Brother Space Marines of other Chapters to entire regiments of the Imperial Guard. A member of the Deathwatch speaks with the full authority of the Inquisition and also possess the unlimited (in theory) authority of that organisation and its servants.
Notable Deathwatch AstartesWatch Commanders / Watch Masters
Watch Captains
Librarians
Apothecaries
Chaplains
Techmarines
Dreadnoughts
Sergeants
Battle-Brothers
Deathwatch Fleet
The Deathwatch in the Jericho Reach maintains a number of warships, light craft, and other diverse vessels for its own uses. Most of these ships operate alone, transporting Deathwatch Battle-Brothers to where they are needed, combating space-borne threats, and providing orbital support to Deathwatch operations. The majority of these craft take the form of destroyers, frigates, and other classes of rapid strike vessels, along with modified Hunter-class Destroyers known as Dark Hunters. Larger warships and also several captured raider and merchantmen vessels are held in reserve should a particular mission warrant their use.
The lighter classes of vessels suit the needs of the Deathwatch admirably, as its missions most commonly need to deploy and extract very small numbers of Deathwatch Battle-Brothers with great speed, precision, and when called for, subterfuge. Like other Space Marine vessels, the warships of the Deathwatch are primarily crewed by Servitors and oath-bonded Chapter Serfs, with a handful of Battle-Brothers serving as command crew. These ships are often highly sophisticated in design, outfitting and armament, even over those used by other Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes.
Notable Ships
Kill-ships![]()
Deathwatch Kill-ships are automated drone-vessels, guided by the most advanced of War Spirits, which are used in the most extreme of circumstances to enact Exterminatus upon a world that has been lost to the Imperium. They are equipped with the most valuable of cloaking devices, often unique examples of long-lost knowledge dating back to the Dark Age of Technology. The mission of a Kill-ship is to enter a star system entirely undetected, to slip silently past whatever sentinels the invaders may have put in place at its edges, and to approach the target world unseen. Travelling on silent running, the Kill-ship enters orbit, delivers its lethal payload, and then slingshots itself away using the planet's own gravity. Even as the Kill-ship departs, the apocalypse is descending upon the doomed world, the final act of the Imperium's vengeance and denial enacted in its wake.
These small, fast ships are all but autonomous thanks to their banks of Cogitators and logic engines hardwired to a tiny crew of Servitors and savants, their fierce Machine Spirits undaunted by mass murder on any scale. Kill-ships are not designed to fight battles; their only purpose is to kill worlds. They rely on a combination of stealth with a sudden, high-speed approach to deliver their payloads of death before slingshotting around their doomed target and disappearing into the void. Kill-ships sometimes fall prey to system defences during an attack, but enough are assigned to overwhelm a protected target that some will inevitably get through, a practice sometimes referred to as Over-Kill. In the event of damage, Kill-ships are fitted with self-destruct protocols that trigger automatically to prevent capture. If the weapons and technology of a Kill-ship were to fall into enemy hands it would be a catastrophic loss with unthinkable consequences.
Some whisper that Kill-ships verge on techno-heresy and that their crews are little more than puppets of the ship's implacable War Spirit. The Deathwatch cares little for such points of dogma and maintains large numbers of Kill-ships at its fortresses. At Watch Fortress Erioch, dozens of Kill-ships are clustered along docking ledges on the underside of the bastion, steel-pinioned harbingers of death awaiting the call to war. Enough planet-shattering weaponry can be found concentrated here to wipe out every world in the Jericho Reach many times over, enough to cause wonder at what manner of target could ever warrant such a fleet being unleashed.
Corvus Blackstar
The Corvus Blackstar is a sleek and deadly aircraft, much prized by Watch Fortresses across the galaxy. Like a knife slipping in between the ribs of a colossus, the Blackstar penetrates the outer defences of the alien host to strike directly at its heart. Though small enough to slip through the sensor grids of most xenos strongholds, its weapon systems are highly advanced, allowing the Blackstar to cause devastating impact for a craft of its size.
The war hangars of the Deathwatch are replete with every kind of aircraft the Adeptus Astartes have ever sanctioned. However, such is the Corvus Blackstar's quality that it is used almost exclusively in Kill-team missions that involve air-to-ground engagement. Primarily it fulfils the role of transport, combining the hurtling speed of the Drop Pod with the manoeuvrability of a Stormtalon gunship and the offensive capability of a far larger craft. Propelled by vectored engines mounted on the wing and behind the airframe, the Blackstar is nimble enough to dart through winding canyons, the elegant star-spires of a Craftworld or even the guts of a TyranidHive Ship in order to bring a surgical strike to the enemy's heart. Once in position it changes from fighter craft to hover vehicle with a twist of the engines, its front-mounted doors yawning open with a hiss of pistons so that the Deathwatch operatives inside can leap out and charge directly into the fight.
The pilot of each Blackstar is a Veteran Techmarine who has earned the right to field it over long and arduous years of schooling. The pilot uses the same machine each time; so intense is this training that the Techmarine's indomitable will and that of the aircraft's machine spirit become interlinked. This allows the pilot to pull off aerial manoeuvres so spectacular he can leave all but the pilots of the unnaturally skilled Eldar floundering in his wake.
The Corvus Blackstar's first priority is often to secure aerial supremacy. To ensure its Kill-team reaches the fray intact, the Blackstar will plummet through low orbit to fall upon the aircraft or winged bioforms of the enemy like a raptor diving into a flock of prey. Once on the tail of its victims, it will shoot down the enemy craft it judges to be the greatest threat. While many Blackstars mount Twin-linkedAssault Cannons, some bear a prow-mounted Lascannon array, able to channel the penetrative power of the Godhammer Pattern guns to destroy heavily armoured targets. Many of these craft carry a Blackstar Rocket Launcher under their wings, equipped with a profusion of missiles. These allow the pilot to choose Dracos air-to-ground warheads that turn swathes of xenos-infested ground into flesh-melting conflagrations, or Corvid Rockets whose spiteful Machine Spirits seek and destroy enemy aircraft so that their master might rule the skies alone.
At a single thought-impulse from the Techmarine these prow and wing-mounted weapons can be calibrated for strafing runs. In such circumstances, auxiliary grenade launchers mounted at the rear enable the craft to rain down a hail of explosive projectiles -- either Infernus Grenades that detonate in clouds of burning promethium, or Frag charges that hurl deadly shrapnel over a wide area. A full squadron of Blackstars can clear a beachhead amongst a Tyranid swarm in a matter of moments before their passengers descend to deliver the killing blow.
The Blackstar has advanced systems to ensure its survival from the inevitable reprisal. Its robust construction can shrug off even a direct hit from enemy flak, and when fitted with an Infernum Halo-launcher it becomes extremely difficult to land a telling blow. Should an enemy missile, drone warhead or similar explosive device close in on the Blackstar, high-calibre Auspicator arrays will detect its aura of hostility, and send a wide spread of decoys, interceptors and flares to thwart the incoming munitions. It appears as if the Blackstar spreads wings of smoke and fire behind it, a sight known to the Chapter's warriors as the Wings of the Sky Angel. Many a primitive culture, saved from the predations of the alien, has seen the Blackstar that brought their deliverance as a mechanical seraph and worshipped it for generations afterwards.
Deathwatch Wargear
The finest wargear the Imperium can provide lines the reliquaries of each watch fortress. Though many of these artefacts are the work of the Adeptus Mechanicus, not even the Tech-Priests of the machine cult know of their true number. The act of innovation is tantamount to heresy in the rest of the Imperium, but it is not forbidden within the Deathwatch Chapter. With every new war the Chapter reassesses and fine-tunes its mission tactics, and its equipment is subjected to the same rigorous scrutiny.
The weapons these black-clad warriors bear to war are painstakingly engineered, customised and auto-sanctified to be the bane of specific alien foes. Not a single bolt round's potential is wasted; be it filled with bio-acid, volatile promethium or superheated plasma, it will be selected and aimed to do the maximum possible damage to its target upon detonation. Even heavy weaponry and the guns of strike craft can be set to fire different ammunition types or discharge variable energies depending on their target. This is a necessary measure, for Kill-Teams rarely know the exact composition of the enemies they will be facing, and consider versatility a weapon unto itself. With a small arsenal of military assets at his command, a member of the Deathwatch can theoretically wrest victory from any breed of foe.
The suits of Power Armour found amongst the Deathwatch are amongst the finest of their kind. Many are so ancient and well-respected, they bear names of antiquity, such as Iron Sanctum or the Pride of Lord Varicco. Just as with guns, blades and other weapons, it is up to the initiate whether he continues to use the battleplate he is familiar with, or whether he replaces it with a suit tended to by the Deathwatch's own Techmarines. There is no uniformity enforced upon this order save the Chapter colours -- the only real dogma is that the Battle-Brother maximises his own effectiveness in the field. It is not uncommon to find a Kill-Team where every member bears a different suite of weapons to war, even to the extent that some use jump packs or ride rugged bikes into the fray whilst their brethren go on foot.
Though many of the Chapter's tools of battle resemble advanced versions of those used by their fellow Adeptus Astartes, there are far stranger and more exotic relics of battle available to them. The war vaults of the Deathwatch contain everything from oversized Thunder Hammers designed to slay alien giants to stasis bombs that use time itself as a weapon. Some even contain doomsday warheads that can set an entire world aflame -- many are weapons of last resort, but the Deathwatch does not hesitate in their use.
Deathwatch ArmouryRanged Weapons
Melee Weapons
Special Issue Wargear
Armour
Deathwatch Vehicles Equipment
Deathwatch Relics
Deathwatch AppearanceChapter Colours
Upon being seconded to the ranks of the Deathwatch by his parent Chapter, a Battle-Brother enacts a ritual in which his Power Armour is repainted black. Not all of the armour is repainted, however, for the right shoulder plate is left in its original colour so that the Astartes' original Chapter may be known. To obscure one's Chapter icon is regarded as an act that would anger the armour's Machine Spirit greatly and invite its ire at a crucial moment in battle. Thus, the origins of any Deathwatch warrior are clearly visible by the heraldry displayed upon his right shoulder. On the warrior's left shoulder he bears with great pride the ornate heraldry of the Deathwatch.
Aside from these details, the armour of a Deathwatch warrior is often decorated with a combination of Purity Seals and holy icons and symbols unique to his parent Chapter. Space Wolves, for example, commonly adorn their armour with all manner of runes and talismans derived from the culture of their homeworld of Fenris, and these can often be seen on the armour of Space Wolves serving in the Deathwatch. Blood Angels Space Marines are known to bear many small teardrop icons, while the Battle-Brothers of the Dark Angels Chapter often carry small winged sword pendants. The longer he serves in the Deathwatch, the more adorned with Purity Seals and devotional scripts an Astartes' armour becomes. Having faced the vilest horrors of the galaxy, the Battle-Brother knows that, ultimately, it is faith that defeats the xenos. While he carries the very finest arms and armour available, spiritual purity is the most deadly weapon the Deathwatch can bring to bear against their foe.
Chapter Badge
The shoulder plate and the entire left arm is electroplated silver, and polished to a high shine. At the centre of the plate is the icon of the Deathwatch -- the ancient Inquisitorial 'I', mounted with a death's head and crossed bones. This icon is set over the Litany Xenomortis, but at times some Battle-Brothers of the Long Vigil are known to engrave various devotional texts, including the Catechism of the Xenos and the Third Abjuration of Terra. Such passages remind the Battle-Brother of his duty at all times, and it is not uncommon for him to chant the lines of such prayers in battle, steeling his heart and those of his comrades against the evil of the xenos.
Sources
Gallery
Deathwatch Alternative Chapter Badge
Deathwatch Banner of Talasa Prime
Deathwatch Banner of Praefex Venatoris
Deathwatch Banner of Onyx Patrol
Deathwatch Banner of Fort Pykman
Deathwatch Banner of Furor Shield
Deathwatch Banner of the Eye of Damocles
Deathwatch Banner of the Jericho Reach
Deathwatch Banner of Watch Fortress Erioch in the Jericho Reach
Icons of the various Deathwatch Watch Fortresses
Deathwatch Battle-Brother of the Ultramarines
Deathwatch UltramarinesVeteran
A Deathwatch Astartes commits his fellow Battle-Brother's soul to the Emperor
A Deathwatch Kill-team, including a rare Dreadnought drawn from the Imperial Fists, faces Chaos Space Marines
A Deathwatch Watch Commander
Red Scorpions Master Apothecary of the Deathwatch
A Deathwatch Chaplain from the Dark AngelsChapter
Space WolvesIron Priest assigned to the Deathwatch
A Blood AngelsDeathwatch Keeper
A Deathwatch Champion slays a SkulltakersChaos Space Marine
The Deathwatch stand guard to protect the Emperor's realm
A Deathwatch Kill-team faces the xenos foes of the Emperor
A Deathwatch Kill-team in action
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A Deathwatch Space Marine of the Blood AngelsChapter ready to strike down a Dark Eldar
A Deathwatch Chaplain from the SalamandersChapter in Terminator Armour performing the rites of battle
A pair of Deathwatch Astartes greet one another in a warrior's embrace
Deathwatch Assault Marines fight the Tyranids in the sky
Why Play Deathwatch[edit]
Cover art for the 7th Ed codex. Yes, he has a Necron sword. Just plug in the batteries....
The battle-brothers of the Deathwatch are the foremost xenos hunters in the Imperium. They are a black-clad brotherhood of noble warriors, bound by ancient oaths to defend Mankind from the alien, no matter its form. Hand-picked from the breadth of the Adeptus Astartes for their expertise in the slaughter of xenos threats, each of those who have joined the Long Vigil is a hero, tempered in the furnace of conflict and girded for battle with an arsenal of specialist weaponry. When the Watch Companies of the Deathwatch go to war en masse, there is no alien in the expanse of the galaxy that they cannot overcome.
'Amongst a hundred men, there may be none fit for the Adeptus Astartes. Amongst a hundred Space Marines, there may be none fit for the Deathwatch.'- Watch Captain Brand MacLir
Pros[edit]
Cons[edit]
Special Rules[edit]
This doesn't stack on top of itself, but the rule allows for Space Marine gunlines to be slightly more threatening. Standing still will give your Marines the full Rapid Fire benefit, while Dreads, Terminators, Bikers and Centurions now have their full firepower at all times.
Mission Tactics[edit]
At the beginning of each battle, all units with this rule (e.g. infantry, bikers, and Dreads) gain the ability to re-roll 1s to wound against anything belonging to one chosen battlefield role (i.e. against all enemy HQs, or all enemy Troops, or all enemy Heavy Support, etc). Several methods exist for switching the Mission Tactic mid-battle, allowing for considerable versatility.
The Tactics and their corresponding target battlefield roles (re-roll 1s to wound against all enemies from that role) are as follows:
Special Issue Ammunition[edit]
Any weapon from the following list may may choose to fire special issue ammunition. All models in a unit must use the same SIA, even if targeting separate enemy units, unless using the Optimized Volley Stratagem.
Rule of thumb is choose the ammo that affects whatever the enemy has in abundance. Multiple debuffs to hit? Dragonfire. T5? Hellfire. None of the above/Wears cardboard or better? Kraken. Vengeance, if you are in range. Note you cannot use Bolter Discipline while using any of these ammo choices.
Mixed Units[edit]
If you have a squad with mixed toughness scores (by adding bikes to a veteran squad for instance), you use the majority toughness for the unit. If there is an even split, you choose.
Warlord Traits[edit]Deathwatch Rpg Core Rulebook Pdf
Stratagems[edit]Codex Space Marines Copypastes[edit]
Deathwatch Specific[edit]
Tactical Objectives[edit]
Wargear[edit]
In addition to the standard Space Marine fare of Ranged and Melee weapons, the Deathwatch get access to some of the rarest and deadliest wargear the Imperium has to offer.
Ranged Weapons[edit]
Special Weapons[edit]
Melee Weapons[edit]
Heavy Weapons[edit]
Kill Teams can grab up to 4 of these weapons in a single squad (Note: due to a further change to the April 2019 FAQ, these options, as with the Heavy Thunder Hammer, replace both weapons, so now we can't take Storm Shields with them anymore):
Other Wargear[edit]
Relics[edit]
Deathwatch Codex Pdf VkUnit Analysis[edit]HQ[edit]
Special Characters[edit]
Forge World[edit]
Troops[edit]
Sample unit builds: Kinda straight forward, actually, since this unit only really has three weapon options: bolt weapons, power weapons, special weapons. Yup, dismiss pistols - they become less of an option when squad members allow you to fall back and charge again. Three tenets here: what you want them to do, how you want them to do it, and transport options. As in, if they bring a Biker, they're forced to ride a Blackstar.
Dedicated Transport[edit]
Forge World[edit]
Elites[edit]
Forge World[edit]
Thanks to the latest FAQ (1.1) for Imperial Armour Index: Forces of the Adeptus Astartes, Deathwatch can now field a crazy variety of tanks and dreadnoughts which were formerly unavailable to them. They ARE one of the best-equipped Space Marine chapters after all...
Seriously, this is where you will find some delectable and sorely needed heavy firepower as well as armor.
Flyers[edit]
Forge World[edit]
FAQ (1.1) for Imperial Armour Index: Forces of the Adeptus Astartes has granted us additional airborne supremacy options:
Fast Attack[edit]
Forge World[edit]
FAQ (1.1) for Imperial Armour Index: Forces of the Adeptus Astartes has unlocked some interesting fast-movers and support units:
Heavy Support[edit]
Forge World[edit]Deathwatch Codex Pdf 8th
Just when you thought that all Deathwatch could grab was the three Land Raider variants, suddenly... Forge World! Picture a Deathwatch Leviathan Dreadnought for a moment...
Fortifications[edit]
Lords of War[edit]
For the first time Deathwatch now have access to Lord of War units, because who doesn't want a Deathwatch Spartan Assault Tank? Some bugs get really really big... Naturally, so do the Imperial artillery guns.
Forge World[edit]
Forgeworld FAQ[1] updates the relic rule for LoW: You can take 1 Relic Lord of War choice with no pre-requisites. Further Relic Lord of War choices beyond the first require another Lord of War that is NOT a Relic to be taken.
7th Edition Deathwatch Codex Pdf
These vehicles act exactly like other passengers and are subject to the usual restrictions for embarking and disembarking, meaning they can detach while in Supersonic mode at the end of the movement phase. Transported vehicles can carry units at no additional transport cost to the Thunderhawk, so feel free to deep strike 25 dudes in a Spartan PLUS 15 dudes in the Thunderhawk itself. The cost of this unusual ability is the loss of ranged firepower - the Thunderhawk Transporter is armed with 'only' 4 Twin heavy bolters and a Hellstrike missile battery. It's much cheaper than the Thunderhawk Gunship, but its usefulness is somewhat questionable, cool as it may be.
Tactics[edit]Without Allies[edit]The Old One-Two (Three)[edit]
Take a Battalion. Fill your HQs with whatever you like. Your 3 Troops should be 2 Vet Squads, one tooled as an Anvil and one tooled as a Hammer, and a foot-slogging Intercessor Squad. Also take a Corvus and a Redeemer. Combat Squad all three troops choices, put the Anvil in the Redeemer and the Hammer in the Corvus. Deploy the Intercessors in your backfield and have them foot-slog and advance everywhere or camp a home objective. The Corvus should drop its 2 squads near something that needs to die and then all three should spend the rest of the game killing important units. Finally, the Redeemer and its 2 squads should be delivered to 1-2 objectives and refuse to move for the rest of the game if possible.
Deathwatch Codex Pdf DownloadWith Allies[edit]Some general advice[edit]
While primaris look good on paper, they are still not exactly worth their points, unless you are hell-bent on playing a pure DW army. The codex greatly encourages getting your DW units right into your enemy's face, where you deal maximum damage with plasmas, meltas, frag cannons, and bolters. While your kill teams race towards the enemy in their Corvus Blackstars and Land Raiders, you need something that actually wants to sit back and can contribute efficiently to the fight. One of the biggest problems any DW player will face is that you won't have many units on the table at the beginning of the game. Thus, it's really easy for your opponent to focus fire on lone Corvus or a Raider, destroying it first turn and leaving your kill teams far away from the enemy and exposed. That is where Ad Mech and Guard comes in. Both factions have cheap troops that want to stay back (Skitarii snipers, Infantry Squads with heavy weapons), have excellent sources of long-range firepower that will ruin your opponents day if not dealt with (Cadian HWTs, Leman Russes, Basilisks, Onager Dune Crawlers). For example, for 670 points you can field 4 infantry squads, 2 company commanders, and 3 Leman Russ Battle Tanks. Use your Kill Teams as scalpels - eliminating key enemy threats while your allies deal with the rest of enemies army (Hammer of The Emperor Style). It's fluffy, looks cool, and is brutally efficient.
Warhammer Deathwatch Codex Pdf
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