This section details army special rules including Deathwatch Special Rules, Tactical Objectives and Warlord Traits.

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Deathwatch Special Rules

Atonement Through Honour

Every Black Shield is driven by a burning need to prove his loyalty to the Imperium.

A model with this special rule doubles its Attacks in the assault phase if it is locked in combat with an Independent Character, a Monstrous Creature or a Vehicle, or if the combat it is in contains more enemy models than friendly ones (count all models locked in the combat, not just the ones engaged with this model).

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Combat Squads

It is sound doctrine for Space Marine units to remain flexible, splitting into two entities as the tactical situation dictates.

A ten-model Veteran squad can break down into two five-model units, called combat squads. You must decide which Veteran squads are splitting into combat squads, and which models go into each combat squad, immediately before determining your Warlord Traits. A Veteran unit split into combat squads is now two separate units for all game purposes, including calculating the total number of units in the army and determining the number of units you can place in Reserve. Then proceed with deployment as normal. In an exception to the normal rules, two combat squads split from the same unit can embark in the same transport vehicle, providing its Transport Capacity allows. Once you have decided whether or not to split a unit into combat squads, it must remain that way for the entire battle. It cannot split up or join back together later in the battle, nor can you use a redeployment to split up a unit or join it back together.

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Faction and Allies

All units in Codex: Deathwatch have the Deathwatch Faction. The Deathwatch are part of the Armies of the Imperium and ally as such as described in the Allies section of Warhammer 40,000: The Rules.

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Mission Tactics

The Deathwatch wage war in a fluid and adaptable fashion. Linked by constant vox imperatives, their own distinct battle cant and a mutual understanding of the threats they face, they can switch from removing the threat of enemy artillery, to assassination of the enemy commanders, to hunt-and-slay tactics in a matter of seconds. With a panoply of warrior skills at their behest, these Mission Tactics allow them to cut down the enemy whenever it rears to strike.

The Mission Tactics special rule represents the unique way in which the Deathwatch go to war. At the start of your first turn, pick one of the following Mission Tactics. It will remain active for the entire battle unless you decide to change it as described below. As long as the Tactic is active, it affects all units in your army that have the Mission Tactics special rule.

Once during the battle, at the start of any turn after the first, you can choose to change the current Mission Tactic for another one.

Dominatus Tactics

Such is the magnitude of the alien threat that there are times when the enemy fields a concentration of force that threatens to break the Deathwatch’s assault apart. On these occasions Dominatus tactics are employed, each Kill Team concentrating its firepower upon the fiercest of the enemy squads in order to blunt the coming attack.

Whenever a unit with the Mission Tactics special rule targets an enemy Elites unit, you can re-roll any To Hit rolls of 1.

Furor Tactics

When the enemy horde grows close or looks soon to overwhelm Imperial lines, the Deathwatch will be tasked with the decimation of their core strength. Aiming not for clinical kills but for maximum destruction over a wide area, they tear the heart from the enemy army to leave only ragged remnants behind.

Whenever a unit with the Mission Tactics special rule targets an enemy Troops unit, you can re-roll any To Hit rolls of 1.

Malleus Tactics

When the giants of war lumber forth to shatter the worlds of man, the Deathwatch will adopt Malleus tactics. Here is fierce courage twinned with hard-won knowledge. Even the largest behemoth has a weak point, and the archives of the Deathwatch number them all. By the exploitation of the foe’s vulnerabilities, the foulest monstrosities are slain and the most rugged engines of destruction blasted apart.

Whenever a unit with the Mission Tactics special rule targets an enemy Heavy Support unit, you can re-roll any To Hit rolls of 1.

Purgatus Tactics

Sometimes the truest route to victory is to launch a decapitating strike – cut off the head of the serpent, and the body will die. By adopting Purgatus tactics, the Deathwatch focus their deadly ire upon the commanders of the enemy host, assassinating them one after another with pitiless headshots and killing thrusts of the blade. With the command structure of the foe destroyed, their systematic extermination soon follows.

Whenever a unit with the Mission Tactics special rule targets an enemy HQ unit, you can re-roll any To Hit rolls of 1.

Venator Tactics

To control the battlefield is to master the ebb and flow of war. When the Deathwatch need to restrict the enemy’s ability to manoeuvre, Venator tactics are employed. By picking out the fastest targets and aiming for engines, repulsors and other methods of motive power, they strand the foe, ensuring that there can be no escape from the slaughter that follows.

Whenever a unit with the Mission Tactics special rule targets an enemy Fast Attack unit, you can re-roll any To Hit rolls of 1.

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Special Rules

Biophage

Whenever a model inflicts an unsaved wound with the Thief of Secrets, the weapon learns the weakness of that model’s unit and any other units of the same type (for example, if it wounds a Carnifex, it learns the weakness of all Carnifexes). Any future attacks made using the Thief of Secrets against units whose weaknesses are known to it will successfully score a wound on a To Wound roll of 2+. This lasts until the end of the battle.

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Block

Once per turn, in the Assault Phase, a model equipped with a guardian spear can attempt to block a single Attack that targets them. After the To Hit roll is made, roll a dice. If the result is higher than the To Hit roll, the attack is blocked and has no effect. Attacks that do not have a To Hit roll cannot be blocked.

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Drop Pod Assault

Drop Pods and units embarked upon them must be held back in Deep Strike Reserve. At the beginning of your first turn, half of your Drop Pods (rounding up) automatically arrive from Reserve. The arrival of remaining Drop Pods is rolled for normally. Once a Drop Pod lands, all passengers must disembark and no models can embark for the rest of the game.

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Heroic Intervention

A unit that contains any models with this rule ignores penalties for disordered charges and can re-roll one or both dice when determining its charge range.

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Immobile

A Drop Pod cannot move once it has entered play, and counts in all respects as a vehicle that has suffered an Immobilised damage result that cannot be repaired in any way. Note that this does not cause it to lose a Hull Point.

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Impact

If the target unit is within 12", this weapon’s Strength is increased to 9 and its AP is increased to 2.

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Inertial Guidance System

If a Drop Pod scatters on top of impassable terrain or another model (friend or foe), reduce the scatter distance by the minimum required in order to avoid the obstacle. If the Drop Pod scatters off the edge of the board, it suffers a Deep Strike Mishap.

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Kill-shot

If the To Wound roll for an attack with this weapon is 6, it has the Instant Death special rule.

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Master of Tactics

If a Watch Master is your Warlord, you can change the army’s Mission Tactics one extra time during a mission. Usually this will allow you to change Mission Tactics twice during the game rather than only once, but if your Warlord has the Vigilance Incarnate Warlord Trait or your army includes a Black Spear Strike Force, you will be able to change Mission Tactics up to three or four times!

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Molecular Realignment Field

Successful invulnerable saving throws made against Wounds inflicted by this weapon must be re-rolled.

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Pulverise

If the To Wound roll for an attack with this weapon is 6, the attack has the Instant Death special rule.

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Repair

If a Rhino is Immobilised, then in subsequent turns, it may attempt to repair itself instead of shooting. Roll a D6 in the Shooting phase; on the roll of a 6+, the vehicle is no longer Immobilised. Note that a successful Repair does not restore a Hull Point.

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Sudden Onslaught

All non-vehicle models in a Black Spear Strike Force have the Deep Strike special rule.

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Venerable

If a Venerable Dreadnought or Venerable Dreadnought Nihilus suffers a penetrating hit, you can make your opponent re-roll the result on the Vehicle Damage table. You must accept the second result, even if it is worse than the first.

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Thrice-blessed Hull

Revered ancient Nihilus has a 6+ invulnerable save, which is increased to 5+ against damage sustained from enemy witchfire powers.

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Born in the Saddle

Jetek Suberei adds 1 to his Strength when resolving hits caused by the Hammer of Wrath special rule.

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Flamecraft

Garran Branatar has the Feel No Pain (4+) special rule against Wounds caused by Flamer weapons (as defined in Warhammer 40,000: The Rules). Furthermore, he can re-roll all failed To Wound rolls and armour penetration rolls that do not result in glancing or penetrating hits when using his heavy flamer.

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Heroic Intervention

A unit that contains any models with this rule ignores penalties for disordered charges and can re-roll one or both dice when determining its charge range. Furthermore, Antor Delassio always passes the Initiative test if he wishes to make a Glorious Intervention.

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Heroic Intervention

A unit that contains any models with this rule ignores penalties for disordered charges and can re-roll one or both dice when determining its charge range. Furthermore, Edryc Setorax always passes the Initiative test if he wishes to make a Glorious Intervention.

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Strike from the Shadows

Edryc Setorax has the Shrouded special rule until the start of the second game turn.

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Winged Deliverance

Edryc Setorax may use his jump pack in both the Movement and Assault phases of the same turn. Furthermore, when he makes Hammer of Wrath attacks, he can re-roll failed To Wound rolls.

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Tactical Objectives

To reflect the unique way in which the Deathwatch wage war, this page presents three sets of six Tactical Objectives and describes how to use them with your Deathwatch army in your games of Warhammer 40,000.

If your Warlord has the Deathwatch Faction, you may use one of the three sets of Tactical Objectives included in this book. If you do, the Tactical Objectives you decide to use will replace the Capture & Control Tactical Objectives (numbers 11-16) from Warhammer 40,000: The Rules.

If a Warhammer 40,000 mission has the Tactical Objectives special rule, players use the normal rules for using Tactical Objectives with the following exceptions. First of all, the Deathwatch player must pick one of the three sets of Deathwatch Tactical Objectives to use. Then, when the Deathwatch player generates a Capture & Control Objective (numbers 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 or 16), use the corresponding Deathwatch Tactical Objective instead. Other Tactical Objectives (numbers 21-66) are generated normally.

Deathwatch Tactical Objectives are split into three types: Primus, Secundus and Tertius. Only one type can be used for each mission, chosen before the mission starts.

Primus Objectives

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Secundus Objectives

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Tertius Objectives

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Warlord Traits

When generating Warlord traits for a Warlord with the Deathwatch Faction, you can either roll on one of the Warlord Traits tables in Warhammer 40,000: The Rules or roll on the table below.

D6	Warlord Traits
1	Bane of Monstrosities The Warlord specialises in bringing down those behemoths that often anchor the centre of the xenos warhost. You can re-roll failed To Wound and armour penetration rolls for your Warlord against Monstrous Creatures, Tanks and Super-heavy Vehicles.
2	Lord of Hidden Knowledge By combing the archives of the Deathwatch and the Inquisition, this Warlord uses knowledge itself as a weapon. Roll a D6 – your Warlord has gleaned this many insights into the enemy’s weaknesses. You can use each of these insights once during the battle to re-roll a failed To Hit, To Wound or armour penetration roll for your Warlord or his unit.
3	Castellan of the Black Vault Within the arsenals of the Deathwatch are masterpiece weapons fashioned by the Imperium’s greatest smiths – those who guard those vaults are not afraid to make use of them. All weapons carried by your Warlord have the Master-crafted special rule (except Relics of the Vigilant).
4	Bringer of the Red Dawn The Warlord strikes under cover of darkness when the foe has let down its guard, the better to slay it swiftly and without mercy. Your Warlord has the Night Vision special rule. In addition, after deployment, you can declare that the Night Fighting special rule is in effect during game turn 1 (there is no need to roll).
5	Vigilance Incarnate In standing sentinel over a vital swathe of the Imperium, this Warlord always knows the appropriate tactics to defeat a foe. You can change Mission Tactics one additional time during the battle.
6	Master of the Voidhunt The Warlord commands a deadly flagship – once he has the augur scent of his quarry, there can be no escape from his lethal focus. At the start of each of your turns, your Warlord can call down a lance strike upon an enemy unit within 12". Roll a dice; on 3 or more, the unit suffers D3 Strength 6 AP4 hits. On a result of 6, it instead suffers D3 Strength 10 AP2 hits. Any Wounds that are inflicted are Randomly Allocated.

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