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Deathwatch

The elite amongst the elite, carefully selected and recruited for their exceptional abilities, the Deathwatch are a thin black line, a sentinel that stands between the Imperium and alien threats unimaginable. Always outnumbered – such is the staggering scale of the hordes they face – this noble brotherhood has stood stout against countless invasions, and will face countless more.

How This Codex Works

The following section details background and rules information that describe the forces used by the Deathwatch – their warriors, their vehicles and the characters that lead them to battle. This section will enable you to forge your collection of Deathwatch miniatures into an army ready to fight battles in your games of Warhammer 40,000.

Books


BookKindEditionVersionLast update
► DeathwatchCodex71.0January 2017
  Imperial AgentsCodex71.1January 2017
  Deathwatch OverkillBoxset71.0
  Death MasqueBoxset71.0August 2016
  Start Collecting! DeathwatchDataslate71.0
  Battleforce: DeathwatchDataslate71.0

FAQ

Codex: Deathwatch

 Q: Can a unit with both Bikes and Infantry Run and Turbo-boost as long as they maintain coherency, or are they stopped from doing either?
 A: 
Models able to Run may Run and models able to Turbo-boost may Turbo-boost, but they must all maintain unit coherency.
 Q: Can Kill Team Cassius perform a Sweeping Advance whilst they have a Terminator in the squad? Which of the models get to make Hammer of Wrath attacks (Bikes and Jump Infantry, or everyone)?
 A: 
They cannot perform a Sweeping Advance whilst a model with Terminator armour is in the squad. Only models with the Hammer of Wrath special rule make Hammer of Wrath attacks.
 Q: The members of the Deathwatch’s Squad Donatus don’t have bolt pistols. Is this right?
 A: 
Yes.
 Q: Are the Deathwatch characters with individual datasheets (such as Garran Branatar) supposed to have the Independent Character special rule?
 A: 
No. Only Ortan Cassius and Jensus Natorian have the Independent Character special rule.
 Q: Do Kill Team Cassius get Mission Tactics?
 A: 
Yes.
 Q: Does Brother Donatus use the new frag cannon rules with Impact?
 A: 
Yes.
 Q: Can the individual characters from Kill Team Cassius be used in other Deathwatch units or Formations?
 A: 
No, but they can be included in detachments where, for example, any Deathwatch HQ unit could be selected.
 Q: Can Jensus Natorian use the updated Deathwatch Librarian psychic powers?
 A: 
Yes.
 Q: Can a Veteran be equipped with both a Deathwatch shotgun and a boltgun? This seems possible since they can take items from both the Ranged Weapons and Special Weapons list.
 A: 
No.
 Q: Can a Watch Sergeant or Black Shield take items listed as being available to Veterans?
 A: 
No.
 Q: Can a Watch Captain take both a storm shield and Terminator armor?
 A: 
Yes.
 Q: Can Veterans take a storm shield and a heavy weapon? It only says they need to swap out a bolter for the heavy weapons and a close combat weapon for the storm shield, but heavy weapons are normally two-handed.
 A: 
Yes.
 Q: Can a single model equipped with a heavy thunder hammer and a storm shield use both in combat?
 A: 
Yes.
 Q: If you have a Veteran with a heavy weapon, do they still have a choice of what their close combat weapon hand carries?
 A: 
Yes.
 Q: Can you take a cyclone missile launcher on Terminators with a thunder hammer and storm shield or two lightning claws?
 A: 
Yes.
 Q: The rules say that the guardian spear can be both fired and used in the Assault phase in a single turn, but as it’s fired as a boltgun (Rapid Fire), the model surely cannot charge, and could therefore only use it either as a ranged or as a melee weapon?
 A: 
In the event the Model gains the Relentless special rule – or fires in Overwatch – it could both shoot and fight with this weapon. Otherwise, yes, shooting would prevent you from charging.
 Q: Will Banebolts of Eryxia apply to a Watch Master’s guardian spear if it is fired as a boltgun?
 A: 
Yes.
 Q: The Banebolts of Eryxia have a profile for the Stalker pattern boltgun even though no unit in the Codex can benefit from it. Is that intended?
 A: 
This is included for completeness, in the event that a Character is added in future with access to both.
 Q: Are the Banebolts of Eryxia intended to be distributed by the character to any squad he joins? All models in a unit must fire the same special issue ammunition – if you give a Captain Banebolts of Eryxia, and he chooses to use them, no other model in the squad can fire their bolt weapons using special issue ammunition, unless this relic was intended to spread to any unit the character joins, or is otherwise an exception to that rule.
 A: 
No.
 Q: Do characters taken as the Command choices of a Black Spear Strike Force benefit from the doctrines of any Kill Teams they join?
 A: 
Yes.
 Q: An Independent Character from another Chapter can join another Chapter’s unit and confer its Chapter Tactics unless that unit also has a Chapter Tactics, in which case they cancel each other out. How does this work with Mission Tactics? Is it treated the same as Chapter Tactics?
 A: 
You get neither.
 Q: What armour does the Watch Master have? It’s not listed in his wargear.
 A: 
 Q: Can a Terminator1 fire both the auxiliary meltagun and the cyclone missile launcher in the same turn? (The cyclone missile launcher can fire in addition to the storm bolter, and the auxiliary meltagun says it can fire instead of another weapon. Do these two criteria combine?)
 A: 
No, you can shoot the cyclone missile launcher and storm bolter, or only the auxiliary meltagun.
 Q: The Strategium Command Team consists of a Kill Team and a character model. Does the character model need to physically join the Kill Team for the Formation special rules, or is it enough if he is simple brought as the leader?
 A: 
He must physically join the Kill Team.
 Q: Due to the Deathwatch being a Space Marine-type army, would the Black Crusader and Veterans of the Long War rules from Codex: Chaos Space Marines and the Black Legion supplement still affect them?
 A: 
Yes.
 Q: How is a model’s ‘type’ determined for the Thief of Secrets? Is it purely the model name, or does it apply to the unit (e.g. if you wound a Space Marine Sergeant in a Tactical Squad, does that mean you only get the bonus against Space Marine Sergeants, or against the Tactical Marines too)?
 A: 
In this example, you would get the bonus against Space Marine Sergeants.
 Q: Does the Bane of Monstrosities Warlord Trait include Gargantuan Creatures and Flying Monstrous Creatures? What about Super-heavy Walkers?
 A: 
Yes to both questions.
 Q: Do weapons with multiple profiles all need to fire in the same mode from the same unit? For example, can a unit with Deathwatch shotguns fire one Wyrmsbreath shell and the rest as Cryptclearer rounds in the same turn? If so, when do you roll for armour saves?
 A: 
Select what models are firing what rounds before rolling any dice. Then, resolve each type of round as if it were a separate weapon.
 Q: Can the Deathwatch use the Warhammer World exclusive command tanks?
 A: 
No.
 Q: Can the Deathwatch use the Imperial Space Marine?
 A: 
No.
 Q: The Warlord Trait Master of the Voidhunt happens at the start of the turn and isn’t described as a shooting attack. Does that mean you can target it at units locked in combat?
 A: 
No.
 Q: It’s not specifically stated that anything other than Veterans can take a Dedicated Transport. The assumption is that all Kill Team combinations, Terminator units, etc. can take a Dedicated Transport within the limitations dictated by the types of model in the squad. Is this correct?
 A: 
No, but you can select Transports as Fast Attack options, for example, if you like.
 Q: The Deathwatch Vanguard Veteran construction book includes the instructions for a Vanguard Veteran with a relic blade and grav-pistol, but this isn’t supported in the rules – should this be an option?
 A: 
No.
 Q: Are Veterans supposed to have Combat Squads listed in their special rules?
 A: 
No, this is covered in the Army special rules.
 Q: Do Mission Tactics apply only to shooting attacks or can we reroll 1s for Witchfire powers and close combat attacks? How about Snap Shots and Overwatch?
 A: 
They apply to any To Hit rolls, including close combat attacks, Witchfire powers, Snap Shots, etc.
 Q: What are the fire arcs on the Corvus Blackstar’s weapons?
 A: 
45°, as for most hull-mounted weapons. Assume also that the model can pivot 45° on its flying stand.
 Q: If I take more than one Watch Master and put them next to each other, is the effect of multiple clavises cumulative?
 A: 
No.
 Q: Do Vanguard Veterans have jump packs?
 A: 
Yes.
 Q: Does the Black Shield’s doubled Attacks apply to his base Attacks only, or does it include any bonuses for e.g. weapons and charging?
 A: 
His base Attacks are doubled, then any extra Attacks are applied last.
 Q: Can a unit of Veterans that is part of a Kill Team take a Dedicated Transport for themselves if it can’t carry the other members of the Kill Team?
 A: 
No.
 Q: Can a squad including a Deathwatch model benefit from the Beacon Angelis’ ability to remove friendly units from the board and have them return using the rules for Deep Strike?
 A: 
Yes.
 Q: Can the Beacon Angelis move an immobilised vehicle (like a Drop Pod)?
 A: 
No.
 Q: Can the Beacon Angelis move a vehicle that contains a Deathwatch squad but isn’t a Deathwatch vehicle?
 A: 
No.
 Q: Can the Beacon Angelis’ relocation power be used on the turn it arrives, as Deep Strike and relocation both happen at the beginning of the turn?
 A: 
No.
 Q: Does the Beacon Angelis require the bearer to be on the battlefield at the start of the turn for some/all of its abilities to work? It does not say so, but two similar items (the Deathwatch teleport homer and the locator beacon) have this requirement.
 A: 
Yes.
 Q: Should the storm bolter have special issue ammunition?
 A: 
No.
 Q: The Librarians can have Terminator Armour, as well the Captains, but not the Chaplains. Is this intentional?
 A: 
Yes.
 Q: Do Terminator Librarians and Captains lose access to special issue ammunition even when using a combi-weapon?
 A: 
No, they keep their special issue ammunition.
 Q: Should the Chaplain have access to jump packs?
 A: 
No.
 Q: Can Artemis’ Formation be used as part of a Black Spear Strike Force?
 A: 
No.
 Q: Can Deathwatch Independent Characters take bikes?
 A: 
No.
 Q: Should the Veterans have bolt pistols like their counterpart Sternguard in other Chapters?
 A: 
No.
 Q: Should Dreadnoughts have access to the same wargear as other armies, namely autocannons?
 A: 
No.
 Q: Can you Combat Squad Kill Teams taken as Formations (provided you take ten models)?
 A: 
No.
 Q: In the Watch Company Formation, you must take a Watch Captain. If you attach him to one of the Kill Teams you may purchase to complete the Formation, does that turn it into a Strategium Command Team?
 A: 
No.

Codex: Imperial Agents

 Q: Imperial Agents seems to replace existing material but Games Workshop has indicated that players can use either the new or older material. As Imperial Agents lacks certain things present in older material, such as Servo Skulls, which do we use?
 A: 
If you have bought and own the existing and still currently available digital Codex: Adepta Sororitas and Codex: Inquisition, you can use those over the rules presented in Imperial Agents if you wish.

Reference


Profiles


DEATH FROM THE SKIES FLYERS

 BS F S R HP Role P Ag Unit Type
Corvus Blackstar 4 12 12 11 3 Attack Flyer 3 2 Vehicle (Flyer, Hover,Transport)

HQ

 WS BS S T W I A Ld Sv Unit Type
Chaplain 5 4 4 4 2 4 2 10 3+ Infantry (Character)
Librarian 5 4 4 4 2 4 2 10 3+ Infantry (Character)
Watch Captain 6 5 4 4 3 5 3 10 3+ Infantry (Character)
Watch Master 6 5 4 4 4 5 4 10 2+ Infantry (Character)
Watch Captain Artemis 6 5 4 4 3 5 3 10 3+ Infantry (Character)
Jensus Natorian 5 4 4 4 2 4 2 10 3+ Infantry (Character)
Ortan Cassius 5 4 4 4 2 4 2 10 3+ Infantry (Character)

TROOPS

 WS BS S T W I A Ld Sv Unit Type
Veteran 4 4 4 4 1 4 2 9 3+ Infantry
Watch Sergeant 4 4 4 4 1 4 2 9 3+ Infantry (Character)
Black Shield 5 4 4 4 1 4 2 9 3+ Infantry (Character)
Veteran 4 4 4 4 1 4 2 9 3+ Infantry
Watch Sergeant Crull 4 4 4 4 2 4 2 9 3+ Infantry (Character)
Veteran 4 4 4 4 1 4 2 9 3+ Infantry (Character)
Veteran 4 4 4 4 1 4 2 9 3+ Infantry
Watch Sergeant 4 4 4 4 1 4 2 9 3+ Infantry (Character)
Black Shield 5 4 4 4 1 4 2 9 3+ Infantry (Character)

ELITES

 WS BS S T W I A Ld Sv Unit Type
Terminator 4 4 4 4 1 4 2 9 2+ Infantry
Vanguard Veteran 4 4 4 4 1 4 2 9 3+ Jump Infantry
Vanguard Veteran 4 4 4 4 1 4 2 9 3+ Jump Infantry
Brother Galatael 4 4 4 4 2 4 2 9 3+ Jump Infantry (Character)
Antor Delassio 4 4 4 4 1 4 2 9 3+ Jump Infantry (Character)
Edryc Setorax 4 4 4 4 1 4 2 9 3+ Jump Infantry (Character)
Garran Branatar 4 4 4 4 1 4 2 9 2+ Infantry (Character)

FAST ATTACK

 WS BS S T W I A Ld Sv Unit Type
Biker 4 4 4 5 1 4 2 9 3+ Bike
Jetek Suberei 4 4 4 5 1 4 2 9 3+ Bike (Character)

VEHICLES

 WS BS S F S R I A HP Unit Type
Dreadnought 4 4 6 12 12 10 4 4 3 Vehicle (Walker)
Drop Pod - 4 - 12 12 12 - - 3 Vehicle (Open-topped, Transport)
Land Raider - 4 - 14 14 14 - - 4 Vehicle (Tank, Transport)
Land Raider Crusader - 4 - 14 14 14 - - 4 Vehicle (Tank, Transport)
Land Raider Redeemer - 4 - 14 14 14 - - 4 Vehicle (Tank, Transport)
Razorback - 4 - 11 11 10 - - 3 Vehicle (Tank, Transport)
Rhino - 4 - 11 11 10 - - 3 Vehicle (Tank, Transport)
Venerable Dreadnought 5 5 6 12 12 10 4 4 3 Vehicle (Walker)
Venerable Dreadnought Nihilus 5 5 6 12 12 10 4 4 3 Vehicle (Walker, Character)

Wargear


MELEE WEAPONS
Weapon Range S AP Type
Chainfist - x2 2 Melee, Armourbane, Specialist Weapon, Unwieldy
Chainsword - User - Melee
Close combat weapon - User - Melee
Crozius Arcanum - +2 4 Melee, Concussive
Force axe - +1 2 Melee, Force, Unwieldy
Force sword - User 3 Melee, Force
Guardian spear - +1 2 Melee, Block, Two-handed
Heavy thunder hammer - 10 2 Melee, Concussive, Pulverise, Two-handed, Unwieldy
Krak grenade (Assault) - 6 4
Lightning claw - User 3 Melee, Shred, Specialist Weapon
Melta bomb - 8 1 Armourbane, Unwieldy
Power axe - +1 2 Melee, Unwieldy
Power fist - x2 2 Melee, Specialist Weapon, Unwieldy
Power lance - +1/User 3/4 Melee
Power maul - +2 4 Melee, Concussive
Power sword - User 3 Melee
Relic blade - +2 3 Melee, Two-handed
The Thief of Secrets - User 3 Melee, Biophage
Thunder hammer - x2 2 Melee, Concussive, Specialist Weapon, Unwieldy
Xenophase blade - User 3 Melee, Molecular Realignment Field

RANGED WEAPONS
Weapon Range S AP Type
Assault cannon 24" 6 4 Heavy 4, Rending
Bolt pistol 12" 5 4 Pistol, Kill-shot
Boltgun 24" 5 4 Assault 1, Kill-shot
Stalker pattern boltgun 30" X 4 Heavy 2, Kill-shot, Sniper
Blackstar cluster launcher
 - Frag cluster - 4 6 Bomb 1, Large Blast
 - Infernus cluster - 5 4 Bomb 1, Blast, Ignores Cover
Blackstar rocket launcher
 - Corvid warhead 30" 6 4 Heavy D6, Skyfire
 - Dracos warhead 30" 4 5 Heavy 1, Large Blast, Ignores Cover
Bolt pistol 12" 4 5 Pistol
Boltgun 24" 4 5 Rapid Fire
Combi-weapons
 Main Weapon
 - Boltgun 24" 4 5 Rapid Fire
 Secondary Weapons
 - Flamer Template 4 5 Assault 1, One use only
 - Grav-gun 18" * 2 Salvo 2/3, Concussive, Graviton, One use only
 - Meltagun 12" 8 1 Assault 1, Melta, One use only
 - Plasma gun 24" 7 2 Rapid Fire, Gets Hot, One use only
Cyclone missile launcher
 - Frag missile 48" 4 6 Heavy 2, Blast
 - Krak missile 48" 8 3 Heavy 2
Deathwatch frag cannon
 - Frag round Template 6 - Assault 2, Rending
 - Solid shell 24" 7 3 Assault 2, Impact
Deathwatch shotgun
 - Cryptclearer round 16" 4 - Assault 2, Shred
 - Xenopurge slug 16" 4 4 Assault 2
 - Wyrmsbreath shell Template 3 6 Assault 1
Deathwind launcher 12" 5 - Heavy 1, Large Blast
Bolt pistol 12" 4 5 Pistol, Ignores Cover
Boltgun 24" 4 5 Rapid Fire, Ignores Cover
Stalker pattern boltgun 30" X 5 Heavy 2, Sniper, Ignores Cover
Flamer Template 4 5 Assault 1
Flamestorm cannon Template 6 3 Assault 1
Frag grenade 8" 3 - Assault 1, Blast
Grav-gun 18" * 2 Salvo 2/3, Concussive, Graviton
Grav-pistol 12" * 2 Pistol, Concussive, Graviton
Hand flamer Template 3 6 Assault 1
Heavy bolter 36" 5 4 Heavy 3
Heavy flamer Template 5 4 Assault 1
Hellfire Extremis Template 1 5 Assault 1, Poisoned (2+)
Bolt pistol 12" 1 5 Pistol, Poisoned (2+)
Boltgun 24" 1 5 Rapid Fire, Poisoned (2+)
Stalker pattern boltgun 30" X 5 Heavy 2, Sniper, Poisoned (2+)
Hellfire shells 24" 1 - Heavy 1, Blast, Poisoned (2+)
Hunter-killer missile Infinite 8 3 Heavy 1, One use only
Inferno pistol 6" 8 1 Pistol, Melta
Infernus heavy bolter
 - Infernus heavy bolter 36" 5 4 Assault 3
 - Infernus heavy flamer Template 5 4 Assault 1
Krak grenade (Shooting) 8" 6 4 Assault 1
Bolt pistol 15" 4 4 Pistol
Boltgun 30" 4 4 Rapid Fire
Stalker pattern boltgun 36" X 4 Heavy 2, Sniper
Lascannon 48" 9 2 Heavy 1
Meltagun 12" 8 1 Assault 1, Melta
Missile launchers
 - Frag missile 48" 4 6 Heavy 1, Blast
 - Flakk missile 48" 7 4 Heavy 1, Skyfire
 - Krak missile 48" 8 3 Heavy 1
Multi-melta 24" 8 1 Heavy 1, Melta
Plasma cannon 36" 7 2 Heavy 1, Blast, Gets Hot
Plasma gun 24" 7 2 Rapid Fire, Gets Hot
Plasma pistol 12" 7 2 Pistol, Gets Hot
Stalker pattern boltgun 30" X 5 Heavy 2, Sniper
Storm bolter 24" 4 5 Assault 2
Stormstrike missile 72" 8 2 Heavy 1, Concussive, One use only
Bolt pistol 9" 4 3 Pistol, Gets Hot
Boltgun 18" 4 3 Rapid Fire, Gets Hot
Stalker pattern boltgun 24" X 3 Heavy 2, Sniper, Gets Hot