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Ave Omnissiah!

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My blog is primarily my own personal fluff in the Warhammer 40,000 universe regarding the Draconis system such as the Knight House Yato in Ryusei, their Household Militia, the Draconian Defenders, and the Forge World of Draconis IV with its Adeptus Mechanicus priesthood, Cybernetica cohorts and Skitarii legions, and the Titan Legion, Legio Draconis, known as the Dark Dragons.

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Thursday, June 14, 2018

Final Deathwatch touches

You know what? I've decided to say screw it and go for fluff over crunch. I know this will impact my list greatly, but I'm not going to bother with a Deathwatch Battalion Detachment. The Deathwatch in my army was always meant to be an elite, strike force that supports my Imperial Guard, not take center stage. My Astra Militarum is the real army here, my primary faction. I want to stay true to that. So screw the 5 Command Points and let's just go for an Astra Militarum-based force that is supported by a small, elite force of Deathwatch specialists, rather than trying to tailor and min-max my list for as many Command Points as possible.

Draconian Armored Defenders

Battalion Detachment (5 Command Points)

HQ

Company Commander (Warlord, Grand Strategist Warlord Trait and Kurov's Aquila Heirloom) 30

Tempestor Prime with bolt pistol 41

Troops

Infantry squad with plasma gun 47

Infantry squad with plasma gun 47

10 Militarum Tempestus Scions with 4 plasma guns 148

Heavy Support

Leman Russ Executioner with lascannon and plasma cannon sponsons 192

Leman Russ Executioner with lascannon and plasma cannon sponsons 192

Leman Russ Executioner with lascannon and plasma cannon sponsons 192

Dedicated Transport

Taurox Prime with Taurox gatling cannon, 2 hot-shot volley guns 114

Taurox Prime with Taurox gatling cannon, 2 hot-shot volley guns and storm bolter 116

Total: 1,119

Death Reapers (Deathwatch) Kill-Teams

Primaris Patrol Detachment

HQ

Primaris Watch Captain with master-crafted stalker bolt rifle, bolt pistol and power sword 98

Troops

Hellstorm Fortis Kill Team
6 Intercessors with stalker bolt rifles and bolt pistols with Hellfire Rounds plus 1 with auxiliary grenade launcher, 2 Aggressors with flamestorm gauntlets, 2 Hellblasters with heavy plasma incinerators and bolt pistols 133+78+72=283

Total: 381

Grand Total: 1,500 (8 Command Points)

If I expand it to a 1,750-point list, I can create a small Deathwatch Battalion, or so I believe. But it seems that it's more practical for me to take a Veteran force to supplement my Imperial Guard, not the Primaris Marines. Actually, it seems that it's more practical to take Veterans instead of Primaris Marines. While Primaris Marines and their Fortis Kill-teams look good on paper, it's a little impractical to load up on them (especially since they're so expensive) unless I'm hell-bent on playing a pure Deathwatch army. But let's say I do want to play a pure Deathwatch army...

Death Reapers (Deathwatch) Kill-Company

Battalion Detachment (5 Command Points)

HQ

Primaris Watch Captain with master-crafted stalker bolt rifle, bolt pistol and power sword 98

Primaris Librarian with force sword and bolt pistol 102

Troops

Hellflame Fortis Kill Team
6 Intercessors with stalker bolt rifles and bolt pistols with Hellfire Rounds plus 1 with auxiliary grenade launcher, 2 Aggressors with flamestorm gauntlets, 2 Hellblasters with heavy plasma incinerators and bolt pistols 133+78+72=283

Hellstorm Fortis Kill Team
1 Intercessor with stalker bolt rifle and bolt pistol with Hellfire Rounds, 5 Intercessors with bolt rifles and bolt pistols with Vengeance Rounds plus 1 with auxilary grenade launcher, Aggressor with flamestorm gauntlets, 3 Hellblasters with heavy plasma incinerator and bolt pistol 22+101+39+108=270

Deathstorm Kill Team
Veterans - Watch Sergeant with storm bolter and power sword, Black Shield with storm shield and power sword,  Veteran with Deathwatch frag cannon, 2 Veterans with infernus heavy bolters 162

Total: 915

Supreme Command Detachment (1 Command Point)

HQ

Watch Master with guardian spear 130 (Warlord, Lord of Hidden Knowledge Warlord Trait and the Tome of Ectoclades Relic)

Watch Captain in Terminator armor with storm bolter and relic blade 130

Watch Captain in Terminator armor with storm bolter and relic blade 130

Elites

5 Terminators with storm bolter and power sword 195

Total: 585

Grand Total: 1,500 (9 Command Points)

That looks really cool. I actually really like this list, and I think I can build it in a short time without needing to buy too much stuff. Only issue is the Watch Captain in Terminator armor, but I believe I get him online as well. All I need is a Primaris Patrol box set, a Primaris Librarian, a single Intercessor box set (thanks to Kraggi, it seems I no longer need the Deathwatch upgrade frame from there), Aggressors, a Start Collecting! Deathwatch, 5 Terminators and the two Terminator Captains. That will set me up for a nice Deathwatch army. Essentially the Death Reapers' core is made of the Watch Master who is protected by high-ranking Terminator bodyguards, each of whom is a hero or champion in his own right. So they're not so much Watch Captains but Terminator Bodyguards...however, it bears noting that they do hold the rank and authority of Captains or above, even if they don't actually command a company or something. That's left to the Primaris Captain. These are the elite of the elite, veteran champions who have survived everything the galaxy has thrown at them, and serve as bodyguards to the Chapter Master of the Death Reapers. Since we have Black Shields, I'll be calling the elite Terminator bodyguards the Death Shields, led by the Death Shield Captains. Makes sense, right? Sort of. I think. It does annoy me a little that I don't have enough points left for my Imperial Guard army, but oh well. At least I tried. The Terminators and 2 Terminator Captains fit the Supreme Command Detachment of having an elite retinue of Terminator bodyguards, commanded by 2 Terminator Champions, escorting the Chapter Master. I can already think of a great story for this. Furthermore, this also shows the split between the Primaris Marines and the Veterans. It's going to be so cool! I'll be experimenting with the list more and I hope I'll figure something out soon. I'll be getting the Tarataros Terminators as they'll be easier to convert with the shoulder pads and all that. Or not. I dunno. They are the coolest looking Terminators in my opinion (I don't like the squarish Catapharii or the weird bullish masks of the normal Terminators), so I'll go for them instead.

I can expand the roster a little for bigger games. For example, in a 1,750-point tournament setting, I'll just add in the extra stuff I got from the Start Collecting! Deathwatch box, such as the Venerable Dreadnought and a couple of Veterans.

Death Reapers (Deathwatch) Kill-Company

Battalion Detachment (5 Command Points)

HQ

Primaris Watch Captain with master-crafted stalker bolt rifle, bolt pistol and power sword 98

Primaris Librarian with force sword and bolt pistol 102

Troops

Hellflame Fortis Kill Team
6 Intercessors with stalker bolt rifles and bolt pistols with Hellfire Rounds plus 1 with auxiliary grenade launcher, 2 Aggressors with flamestorm gauntlets, 2 Hellblasters with heavy plasma incinerators and bolt pistols 133+78+72=283

Hellstorm Fortis Kill Team
1 Intercessor with stalker bolt rifle and bolt pistol with Hellfire Rounds, 5 Intercessors with bolt rifles and bolt pistols with Vengeance Rounds plus 1 with auxilary grenade launcher, Aggressor with flamestorm gauntlets, 3 Hellblasters with heavy plasma incinerator and bolt pistol 22+101+39+108=270

Deathstorm Kill Team
Veterans - Watch Sergeant with combi-plasma and power sword, Black Shield with storm bolter and power sword,  2 Veterans with Deathwatch frag cannons, 2 Veterans with infernus heavy bolters, Veteran with heavy flamer 247

Elites

Venerable Dreadnought with twin lascannon and missile launcher 165

Total: 1,165

Supreme Command Detachment (1 Command Point)

HQ

Watch Master with guardian spear 130 (Warlord, Lord of Hidden Knowledge Warlord Trait and the Tome of Ectoclades Relic)

Watch Captain in Terminator armor with storm bolter and relic blade 130

Watch Captain in Terminator armor with storm bolter and relic blade 130

Elites

5 Terminators with storm bolter and power sword 195

Total: 585

Grand Total: 1,750 (9 Command Points)

That looks like a nice and fluffy list. Not only do I have a healthy mix of Primaris Marines and Veterans, plus the elite Death Shields squad and a Venerable Dreadnought, I also managed to sneak in a Corvus Blackstar. I would prefer to have the lascannon one, but oh well. Maybe I'll use the one with the lascannon instead. We'll see. Well, that's something I'll worry about in the far future. For now I'll just focus on getting these dudes and the Primaris Marines, and the Veterans. It's going to be so fun painting them black...

Only gripe I have is the inability to bring in my Imperial Guard forces, but I guess that's for super-large games. Not sure who will play those games with me. Well, we'll see. I'm still an Imperial Guard player at heart so I won't give up on my Guardsmen. But for a 2,000-point game, I'll just add another Veteran Kill-team and a Chaplain in Terminator Armor to nicely round it up to almost 2,000 points.

Death Reapers (Deathwatch) Kill-Company

Battalion Detachment (5 Command Points)

HQ

Primaris Watch Captain with master-crafted stalker bolt rifle, bolt pistol and power sword 98

Primaris Librarian with force sword and bolt pistol 102

Troops

Hellflame Fortis Kill Team
6 Intercessors with stalker bolt rifles and bolt pistols with Hellfire Rounds plus 1 with auxiliary grenade launcher, 2 Aggressors with flamestorm gauntlets, 2 Hellblasters with heavy plasma incinerators and bolt pistols 133+78+72=283

Hellstorm Fortis Kill Team
1 Intercessor with stalker bolt rifle and bolt pistol with Hellfire Rounds, 5 Intercessors with bolt rifles and bolt pistols with Vengeance Rounds plus 1 with auxilary grenade launcher, Aggressor with flamestorm gauntlets, 3 Hellblasters with heavy plasma incinerator and bolt pistol 22+101+39+108=270

Deathstorm Kill Team
Veterans - Watch Sergeant with storm shield and xenophase blade, Black Shield with storm shield and power sword,  2 Veterans with Deathwatch frag cannons, 2 Veterans with infernus heavy bolters, Veteran with heavy flamer 240

Elites

Venerable Dreadnought with twin lascannon and missile launcher 165

Flyer

Corvus Blackstar with twin lascannon, 2 stormstrike missile launchers, hurricane bolters and auspex array 257

Total: 1,415

Supreme Command Detachment (1 Command Point)

HQ

Watch Master with guardian spear 130 (Warlord, Lord of Hidden Knowledge Warlord Trait and the Tome of Ectoclades Relic)

Watch Captain in Terminator armor with storm bolter and relic blade 130

Watch Captain in Terminator armor with storm bolter and relic blade 130

Elites

5 Terminators with storm bolter and power sword 195

Total: 585

Grand Total: 2,000 (9 Command Points)

This is not competitive...it's meant to be a fluffy list with my favorite models (Tartaros Terminators, Corvus Blackstars, and trying out the new Primaris Marine models). That's why I didn't bother with too many Detachments. Threw in a Death Shield Terminator squad with the Death Shield Champions to escort the Watch Master, who most likely will load up on one of the Corvus Blackstars with the Veteran kill-team. The Deathstorm Kill-team is also a pretty mixed and fluffy team - it reflects all the different types of Veterans with all sorts of different, fancy weapons such as combi-plasma, infernus heavy bolter and Deathwatch frag cannon, rather than spamming whatever weapons I can get (well, it's also because of the limited number of heavy weapons on the sprues). I did toy around with trying to get heavy thunder dudes, but I guess I'll go with this after all. I don't know how I'm going to do it, but as I said, we'll see. I doubt I will, given how this list fits so perfectly. I hope I'll be able to grab the models!

2 comments:

  1. Worth noting that the Deathwatch Captain in Terminator armour comes with the Deathwatch upgrade sprue (the full thing), so if you just get standard intercessors and him, you dont need the deathwatch intercessors (if that makes sense).

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