Deathwatch Campaign

Homebrew by seanleedg

Deathwatch kill teams combat the xenos foes of the Imperium with adaptive expertise and specialist weaponry.

They wield some of Humanity’s most highly advanced weapons alongside more esoteric equipment. Besides their superhuman strength and speed, the Deathwatch bring to the battlefield their hatred of the xenos in all its forms.

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Composition

A DEATHWATCH Killteam is composed of 6 DEATHWATCH operatives selected from the following list:

WATCH SERGEANT AEGIS BLADEMASTER BOMBARD BREACHER DEMOLISHER DISRUPTOR GUNNER HEADTAKER HORDE-SLAYER MARKSMAN Your kill team can only include each operative on this list once, and can only include up to one GRAVIS operative.

Common Abilities and Options

Special Issue Ammunition:
Once per turning point, when a friendly DEATHWATCH operative is performing the Shoot action, in the Select Weapon step, you can use this rule. If you do, select one of the following weapon rules for that operative’s ranged weapons to have until the end of the action. This rule cannot be used with explosive grenades (see universal equipment) or melta bombs.

  • Blast 1" (you cannot select this if the weapon profile being used has the Torrent weapon rule)
  • Devastating 1
  • Lethal 5+
  • Piercing Crits 1
  • Saturate
  • Severe

Veteran Astartes:
During each friendly DEATHWATCH operative’s activation, it can perform either two Shoot actions or two Fight actions. If it’s two Shoot actions and an auxiliary grenade launcher, frag cannon, heavy plasma incinerator, infernus heavy bolter, plasma pistol or stalker bolt rifle is selected for both, or if a melta bomb is selected for either, 1 additional AP must be spent for the second action.

Each friendly DEATHWATCH operative can counteract regardless of its order. Whenever it does, it can perform an additional 1AP action for free during that counteraction, but both actions must be different and you cannot perform a Fight and Shoot action during the same counteraction.

Blooded - Grade I:
Increase this operative’s Movement characteristic by 1" and Wounds characteristic by 2.

Battle-Hardened - Grade II:
Further increase this operative’s Movement characteristic by 1" and Wounds characteristic by 2.

Elite - Grade III:
Further increase this operative’s Movement characteristic by 1" and Wounds characteristic by 2. Max grade (III).

Watch Sergeant
A 3
M 6"
S 3+
W 15
Weapons
ATK
HIT
DMG
Plasma Pistol lvl 1
Standard (Rng 8", Prc1)
4
3+
3/5
Supercharge (Rng 8", Hot, Lethal 5+, Prc1)
4
3+
4/5
Plasma Pistol lvl 2
4
3+
4/6
Plasma Pistol lvl 3 (Rng8”, PrcCrit , or , Sat)
5
3+
4/6
Power Weapon (Lethal 5+)
5
3+
4/6
Abilities
Adaptable ArmourySpecial Issue AmmunitionStrategic CommandVeteran Astartes
Options
Blooded - Grade IBattle-Hardened - Grade IIElite - Grade III

Adaptable Armoury: You can select one additional equipment option.

Strategic Command: You can do each of the following once per battle if this operative is in the killzone:

  • Use a DEATHWATCH strategy ploy for 0CP.
  • Use a DEATHWATCH firefight ploy for 0CP.
32DEATHWATCH, IMPERIUM, ADEPTUS ASTARTES, LEADER, WATCH SERGEANT
Aegis
A 3
M 6"
S 2+
W 15
Weapons
ATK
HIT
DMG
Bolt Pistol (Rng 8")
4
3+
3/4
Power Maul & Storm Shield (Shock, *Shield)
5
3+
4/6
Abilities
*ShieldSpecial Issue AmmunitionStorm ShieldVeteran Astartes
Options
Blooded - Grade IBattle-Hardened - Grade IIElite - Grade III

*Shield: Whenever this operative is fighting or retaliating with this weapon, each of your blocks can be allocated to block two unresolved successes (instead of one).

Storm Shield: Whenever an operative is shooting this operative, worsen the x of the Piercing weapon rule by 1 (if any). Note that Piercing 1 would therefore be ignored.

32DEATHWATCH, IMPERIUM, ADEPTUS ASTARTES, AEGIS
Blademaster
A 3
M 6"
S 3+
W 15
Weapons
ATK
HIT
DMG
Special Issue Bolt Pistol (Rng 8", Prc1)
4
3+
3/4
Xenophase Blade
Duel (Brutal, Lethal 5+)
5
3+
4/6
Phase Sweep (Brutal, Lethal 5+, *Phase Sweep)
4
3+
4/6
Abilities
*Phase SweepAdaptive SwordsmanshipSpecial Issue AmmunitionVeteran Astartes
Options
Blooded - Grade IBattle-Hardened - Grade IIElite - Grade III

*Phase Sweep: Whenever this operative performs the Fight action with this weapon profile, if it isn't incapacitated, it can immediately perform a free Fight action afterwards, but you must select this weapon profile and it can only fight against each enemy operative within its control range once per activation or counteraction using this weapon profile. This takes precedence over action restrictions, and you can continue to perform free Fight actions until this operative is incapacitated or has fought against every enemy operative within its control range.

Adaptive Swordsmanship: You can ignore any changes to the Hit stat of this operative’s Xenophase blade. Whenever this operative is fighting or retaliating, you can resolve one of your successes before the normal order. If you do, that success must be used to block.

32DEATHWATCH, IMPERIUM, ADEPTUS ASTARTES, BLADEMASTER
Bombard
A 3
M 5"
S 3+
W 18
Weapons
ATK
HIT
DMG
Bolt Pistol (Rng 8")
4
3+
3/4
Frag Cannon
Shell (Prc1)
4
3+
5/7
Shrapnel (Tor 2")
5
3+
4/5
Fists
4
3+
3/4
Abilities
Special Issue AmmunitionVeteran Astartes
Options
Blooded - Grade IBattle-Hardened - Grade IIElite - Grade III
40DEATHWATCH, IMPERIUM, ADEPTUS ASTARTES, GRAVIS, BOMBARD
Breacher
A 3
M 5"
S 3+
W 18
Weapons
ATK
HIT
DMG
Auxiliary Grenade Launcher
Frag (Blast 2")
4
3+
2/4
Krak (Prc1)
4
3+
4/5
Hellstorm Bolt Rifle (Tor 1")
4
3+
4/5
Melta Bomb (Rng 3", Dev3, Hvy(Repos), Lim1, Prc2)
4
3+
5/3
Fists
4
3+
3/4
Abilities
Special Issue AmmunitionVeteran Astartes
Options
Blooded - Grade IBattle-Hardened - Grade IIElite - Grade III
40DEATHWATCH, IMPERIUM, ADEPTUS ASTARTES, GRAVIS, BREACHER
Demolisher
A 3
M 6"
S 3+
W 15
Weapons
ATK
HIT
DMG
Bolt Pistol (Rng 8")
4
3+
3/4
Heavy Thunder Hammer (Shock, Stun)
5
4+
6/7
Abilities
Aggressive ForceBrutal AssaultSpecial Issue AmmunitionVeteran Astartes
Options
Blooded - Grade IBattle-Hardened - Grade IIElite - Grade III

Aggressive Force: Whenever this operative is fighting or retaliating, Normal and Critical Dmg of 3 or more inflicts 1 less damage on it. This is not cumulative with the Shield that Slays strategy ploy.

Brutal Assault: Whenever this operative is fighting, its heavy thunder hammer has the Brutal weapon rule. Whenever this operative performs the Charge action, its heavy thunder hammer has the Ceaseless weapon rule until the end of the activation/counteraction.

32DEATHWATCH, IMPERIUM, ADEPTUS ASTARTES, DEMOLISHER
Disruptor
A 3
M 7"
S 3+
W 13
Weapons
ATK
HIT
DMG
Marksman Bolt Carbine (Lethal 5+)
4
3+
3/4
Fists
4
3+
3/4
Abilities
Advanced Omni-ScramblerAuspex TriangulationSpecial Issue AmmunitionVeteran Astartes
Options
Blooded - Grade IBattle-Hardened - Grade IIElite - Grade III

Advanced Omni-Scrambler: STRATEGIC GAMBIT. Select one enemy operative visible to or within 6" of this operative, then roll one D6. In the following Firefight phase, that enemy operative cannot be activated or perform actions until one of the following is true:

  • Your opponent has activated a number of enemy operatives equal to the result of the D6.
  • It’s the last enemy operative to be activated.

Auspex Triangulation: The Advanced Auspex Scan firefight ploy costs you 0CP when both of the following are true:

  • This operative isn’t within control range of enemy operatives.
  • The target of that Shoot action (primary target, if relevant) is visible to this operative.

Note that it doesn’t have to be this operative performing the Shoot action, and that any subsequent Shoot actions during that activation/counteraction must meet these same requirements (or that ploy has no effect on those subsequent Shoot actions).

32DEATHWATCH, IMPERIUM, ADEPTUS ASTARTES, DISRUPTOR
Gunner
A 3
M 6"
S 3+
W 15
Weapons
ATK
HIT
DMG
Bolt Pistol (Rng 8")
4
3+
3/4
Heavy Plasma Incinerator
Standard (Prc1)
5
3+
4/6
Supercharge (Hot, Lethal 5+, Prc1)
5
3+
5/6
Fists
4
3+
3/4
Abilities
Special Issue AmmunitionVeteran Astartes
Options
Blooded - Grade IBattle-Hardened - Grade IIElite - Grade III
32DEATHWATCH, IMPERIUM, ADEPTUS ASTARTES, GUNNER
Headtaker
A 3
M 7"
S 3+
W 13
Weapons
ATK
HIT
DMG
Special Issue Bolt Pistol (Rng 8", Prc1)
4
3+
3/4
Combat Knives
5
3+
4/5
Abilities
Clandestine HeadtakerGrav-chute and Grapnel LauncherSpecial Issue AmmunitionVeteran Astartes
Options
Blooded - Grade IBattle-Hardened - Grade IIElite - Grade III

Clandestine Headtaker: This operative can perform the Charge action while it has a Conceal order. Whenever this operative is fighting against an operative it wasn’t visible to at the start of the activation/counteraction, the first time you strike during that sequence, you can immediately resolve another of your successes as a strike (before your opponent).

Grav-chute and Grapnel Launcher: Whenever this operative is climbing, treat the vertical distance as 2" (regardless of how far the operative actually moves vertically). Whenever this operative is dropping, ignore the vertical distance.

32DEATHWATCH, IMPERIUM, ADEPTUS ASTARTES, HEADTAKER
Horde-Slayer
A 3
M 5"
S 3+
W 18
Weapons
ATK
HIT
DMG
Bolt Pistol (Rng 8")
4
3+
3/4
Infernus Heavy Bolter
Flame (Rng 8", Sat, Tor2")
5
2+
3/3
Focused Bolt (PrcCrit1)
5
3+
4/5
Sweeping Bolt (PrcCrit1, Tor1")
4
3+
4/5
Fists
4
3+
3/4
Abilities
Special Issue AmmunitionVeteran Astartes
Options
Blooded - Grade IBattle-Hardened - Grade IIElite - Grade III
40DEATHWATCH, IMPERIUM, ADEPTUS ASTARTES, GRAVIS, HORDE-SLAYER
Marksman
A 3
M 6"
S 3+
W 15
Weapons
ATK
HIT
DMG
Stalker Bolt Rifle
Mobile
4
3+
3/4
Heavy (Hvy(Dash), Lethal 5+, PrcCrit 1)
4
2+
3/5
Fists
4
3+
3/4
Abilities
Special Issue AmmunitionVeteran AstartesVigilant Marksman
Options
Blooded - Grade IBattle-Hardened - Grade IIElite - Grade III

Vigilant Marksman: This operative can perform the Guard action during its activation regardless of the killzone (see close quarters rules, Kill Team: Tomb World). When using the close quarters rules, once per turning point, after this operative performs a free Shoot action on guard, it can immediately perform a free Guard action. However, if it does, it cannot counteract (nor Guard twice if it’s counteracted).

32DEATHWATCH, IMPERIUM, ADEPTUS ASTARTES, MARKSMAN
Deathwatch Outrider
A 2
M 12"
S 4+
W 14
Weapons
ATK
HIT
DMG
Heavy Bolt Pistol (Rng8", PrcCrit1)
4
3+
3/4
Raider Combat Bike (Rng8", Sat, Ceaseless)
6
4+
3/4
Chainsword (Rending)
5
3+
3/5
Abilities
AgressiveMobileThunderous Impact

Agressive: This operative’s melee weapons have the Rending weapon rule.

Rending: If you retain any critical hits, retain 1 normal hit as a critical hit instead.

Mobile: This operative can perform the Fall Back action for 1 less AP. This operative can perform the Charge action while within control range of an enemy operative, and can leave that operative's control range to do so (but then normal requirements for that move apply).

Thunderous Impact: If this Operative made a Charge move this turning point, improve the ATK and DMG by 1.

32DEATHWATCH, IMPERIUM, ADEPTUS ASTARTES, VEHICLE
Equipment

Digital Weapons:
Once per turning point, when a friendly DEATHWATCH operative performs the Fight action, at the start of the Roll Attack Dice step, you can use this rule. If you do, inflict 1 damage on the enemy operative in that sequence.


Sanctus-V Bioscryer Cuffs:
Once during each friendly DEATHWATCH operative’s activation, before or after it performs an action, if it’s not within control range of enemy operatives, you can use this rule. If you do, select one of the following:

That friendly operative regains up to D3 lost wounds. Remove any changes to that friendly operative’s APL stat. Remove one of the following tokens that friendly operative has (before that token’s activation effects are resolved, if relevant): Neutron Fragment, Poison, Terrorchem.


Scrutavore Servo-Thrall:
Once per turning point, during a friendly DEATHWATCH operative’s activation, you can use this rule. If you do, during that activation, that operative can perform a mission action for 1 less AP. Having an enemy operative within its control range doesn’t prevent that friendly operative from performing that mission action. However, in such an instance, after it does so, you and your opponent roll-off. If your opponent wins, you cannot use this equipment for the rest of the battle.


Ammunition Reserve:
Once per battle, you can use the Special Issue Ammunition faction rule for up to two Shoot actions during one turning point, but you must select different weapon rules for both uses. This takes precedence over the normal Special Issue Ammunition rules.


Ploys

Firefight - Suffer Not The Alien:
Use this firefight ploy after rolling your attack dice for a friendly DEATHWATCH operative, if it’s shooting against or fighting against an operative that doesn’t have the CHAOS or IMPERIUM keyword. You can re-roll any of your attack dice.


Firefight - Auspicator Tracking:
Use this firefight ploy when a friendly DEATHWATCH operative is counteracting, before it performs any actions. You can change its order.


Firefight - Advanced Auspex Scan:
Use this firefight ploy when a friendly DEATHWATCH operative performs the Shoot action. Until the end of the activation/counteraction, its ranged weapons have the Saturate weapon rule and enemy operatives cannot be obscured.


Firefight - Transhuman Physiology:
Use this firefight ploy when an operative is shooting a friendly DEATHWATCH operative, in the Roll Defence Dice step. You can retain one of your normal successes as a critical success instead.


Strategic - Mission Tactics:
Select Conceal or Engage. Whenever a friendly DEATHWATCH operative is shooting against or fighting against an enemy operative that has that order, that friendly operative’s weapons have the Balanced weapon rule.


Strategic - The Long Vigil:
Whenever an operative is shooting a friendly DEATHWATCH operative that’s wholly within your territory, you can re-roll one of your defence dice.


Strategic - The Shield That Slays:
Whenever a friendly DEATHWATCH operative is wholly within your opponent’s territory, Normal Dmg of 4 or more inflicts 1 less damage on it.


Strategic - And They Shall Know No Fear:
You can ignore any changes to the stats of friendly DEATHWATCH operatives from being injured (including their weapons’ stats).


TacOps
Seek And Destroy: Sweep & Clear

Reveal: The first time an enemy operative is incapacitated while contesting an objective marker, or the first time a friendly operative performs the Clear action (whichever comes first).

Additional Rules:

When an enemy operative that contests an objective marker is incapacitated, that objective marker gains one of your Swept tokens (if it doesn't already have one) until the Ready step of the next Strategy phase.

Mission Action: Clear (1 AP)

  • An objective marker the active operative controls is cleared for the turning point.
  • An operative cannot perform this action during the first turning point, or while within control range of an enemy operative.

Victory Points:

  • At the end of each turning point after the first, if at least one objective marker (excluding your objective marker) is cleared and enemy operatives do not contest that marker, you score 1VP. If that marker also has one of your Swept tokens, you score 2VP instead.
  • If friendly operatives control an objective marker that has one of your Swept tokens, you score 1 VP.

You cannot score more than 2VP from this op per turning point.


Seek And Destroy: Dominate

Reveal: The first time an enemy operative is incapacitated by a friendly operative.

Additional Rules:

Each time a friendly operative incapacitates an enemy operative, that friendly operative gains one of your or two of your Dominate tokens if that enemy operative had a Wounds stat of 12 or more.

Victory Points:

At the end of the third and fourth turning point, you can remove Dominate tokens from friendly operatives that aren't incapacitated. For each you remove, you score 1VP.

You cannot score more than 3VP from this op per turning point.


Seek And Destroy: Rout

Reveal: The first time you score VP from this op.

Victory Points:

Whenever a friendly operative incapacitates an enemy operative, if that friendly operative is within 6" of your opponent's drop zone, you score 1VP; if this is true and that enemy operative had a Wounds stat of 12 or more, you score 2VP instead.

You cannot score more than 2VP from this op per turning point.


Security: Plant Banner

Reveal: When you perform the Plant Banner action.

Mission Action: Plant Banner (1 AP)

  • Place your Banner mission marker within the active operative's control range, wholly within your opponent's territory and more than 5" from a neutral killzone edge. Operatives can perform the Pick Up Marker action on your Banner mission marker.
  • An operative cannot perform this action during the first turning point, while within control range of an enemy operative, or if a friendly operative has already performed this action during the battle.

Victory Points:

At the end of each turning point after the first, if your Banner mission marker is wholly within your opponent's territory and friendly operatives control it, you score 1VP; if that's true and no enemy operatives contest it, you score 2VP instead. Note your Banner mission marker must be in the killzone (not being carried) to score.


Security: Martyrs

Reveal: The first time a friendly operative is incapacitated while contesting an objective marker.

Additional Rules:

Whenever a friendly operative is incapacitated while contesting an objective marker, that marker gains one of your Martyr tokens.
Note that this is only the first time each operative is incapacitated, so if an operative is incapacitated, set back up (e.g. HIEROTEK CIRCLE Reanimation Protocols) and then subsequently incapacitated again, a second Martyr token cannot be gained as a result.

Victory Points:

At the end of each turning point after the first, if friendly operatives contest an objective marker that has one or more of your Martyr tokens, you can remove any of those tokens. For each token you remove, you score 1VP; if friendly operatives also control that marker, you score 2VP instead.

You cannot score more than 2VP from this op per turning point.


Security: Envoy

Reveal: The first time you select an envoy.

Additional Rules:

As a STRATEGIC GAMBIT in each turning point after the first, select one friendly operative to be your envoy until the Ready step of the next Strategy phase. You cannot select an operative you selected during a previous turning point or an operative that's ignored for the kill op.

Victory Points:

At the end of each turning point after the first, if your envoy is wholly within enemy territory and not within control range of enemy operatives, you score 1VP; if this is true and your envoy has not lost any wounds during that turning point, you score 2VP instead.


Infiltration: Track Enemy

Reveal: The first time you score VP from this op.

Additional Rules:

An enemy operative is being tracked if it's a valid target for a friendly operative within 6" of it. That friendly operative must have a Conceal order, cannot be a valid target for the enemy operative it's attempting to track, and cannot be within control range of enemy operatives.

Victory Points:

At the end of each turning point after the first:

  • If one enemy operative is being tracked, you score 1VP, or 2VP instead if it's the fourth turning point.
  • If two or more enemy operatives are being tracked, you score 2VP.

You cannot score more than 2VP from this op per turning point.


Infiltration: Plant Devices

Reveal: The first time a friendly operative performs the Plant Device action.

Mission Action: Plant Device (1 AP)

  • One objective marker the active operative controls gains one of your Device tokens.
  • An operative cannot perform this action during the first turning point, while within control range of an enemy operative, or if that objective marker already has one of your Device tokens.

Victory Points:

At the end of each turning point after the first:

  • If your opponent's objective marker has one of your Device tokens, you score 1VP.
  • For each other objective marker enemy operatives contest that has one of your Device tokens, you score 1VP.

You cannot score more than 2VP from this op per turning point.


Infiltration: Steal Intelligence

Reveal: The first time an enemy operative is incapacitated.

Additional Rules:

Whenever an enemy operative is incapacitated, before it's removed from the killzone, place one of your Intelligence mission markers within its control range.

Friendly operatives can perform the Pick Up Marker action on your Intelligence mission markers, and for the purposes of that action's conditions, ignore the first Intelligence mission marker the active operative is carrying. In other words, each friendly operative can carry up to two Intelligence mission markers, or one and one other marker.

Victory Points:

At the end of each turning point after the first, if any friendly operatives are carrying any of your Intelligence mission markers, you score 1VP.

At the end of the battle, for each of your Intelligence mission markers friendly operatives are carrying, you score 1VP.


Recon: Flank

Reveal: As a STRATEGIC GAMBIT.

Additional Rules:

Divide the killzone into two flanks (left and right) by drawing an imaginary line that's just like the centreline, except it runs from the centre of each player's killzone edge. An operative contests a flank while both wholly within it and wholly within their opponent's territory. Friendly operatives control a flank if the total APL stat of those contesting it is greater than that of enemy operatives.

Victory Points:

  • After you reveal this op, at the end of each turning point after the first, for each flank friendly operatives control, you score 1VP.
  • In the fourth turning point, ff friendly operatives also controlled that flank at the end of the third turning point, you score 2VP instead.

You cannot score more than 2VP from this op per turning point.


Recon: Retrieval

Reveal: The first time you score VP from this op.

Mission Action: Retrieve (1 AP)

  • If the active operative controls an objective marker that hasn't been searched by friendly operatives, that operative is now carrying one of your Retrieval mission markers and that objective marker has been searched by friendly operatives. Friendly operatives can perform the Pick Up Marker action on your Retrieval mission markers.
  • An operative cannot perform this action during the first turning point, while within control range of an enemy operative, or if it's already carrying a marker.

Victory Points:

  • The first time each objective marker is searched by friendly operatives, you score 1VP.
  • At the end of the battle, for each of your Retrieval mission markers friendly operatives are carrying, you score 1VP.

Recon: Scout Enemy Movement

Reveal: The first time a friendly operative performs the Scout action.

Mission Action: Scout (1 AP)

  • Select one ready enemy operative visible to and more than 6" from the active operative. That enemy operative is now monitored until the Ready step of the next Strategy phase.
  • An operative cannot perform this action while it has an Engage order, during the first turning point, or while within control range of an enemy operative.

Victory Points:

At the end of each turning point after the first, for each monitored enemy operative that's visible to friendly operatives, you score 1VP. Note that it doesn't have to be a friendly operative that performed the Scout action.

You cannot score more than 2VP from this op per turning point.