Games Workshop just gave us our first preview of the upcoming Deathwatch Codex. Come check out the latest rules and stratagems straight from the source.
The new Deathwatch codex is on its way, and this week Games Workshop is giving us previews of what we’ll be seeing inside the covers. Let’s take a look at what they had to say about the new rules and two new Stratagems.
Auto bolt rifles, bolt carbines, stalker bolt rifles, standard bolt rifles and the absolvor bolt pistol can now be outfitted with this ammunition, making Intercessors a very powerful choice. Kraken bolts, for example, help compensate for the lower AP of the auto bolt rifle, while a Reiver’s heavy bolt pistol firing vengeance rounds would have an AP of -3!
There’s also a new kind of Special Issue Ammunition to play with – the tempest shell. Available in the form of a nifty Stratagem, appropriately named “Tempest Shells”.
Tempest Shells is a new Stratagem for the Deathwatch that is going to cost 1 CP. It’s used just before a Deathwatch Infantry model from your army attacks a Vehicle with a weapon that can fire Special Issue Ammunition. You’ll make a single hit roll, but if it hits the target will suffer D3 mortal wounds. This is going to be a major advantage for the Deathwatch, having the ability to inflict mortal wounds on a vehicle with an Infantry model, possibly taking a model off the board that could be devastating if it got the opportunity to attack again.
Coup De Grâce!
The Mission Tactics ability allows the Deathwatch to adjust their fighting style dependent on your opponent. At the start of the game, you’ll get to pick a Mission Tactic which corresponds to a Battlefield Role – Troops, Fast Attack, Elites, etc. – and your entire army will gain re-rolls of 1s to wound against that unit. Like Chapter Tactics, Mission Tactics applies to all your infantry, Bikers and Dreadnoughts, so you’ll be able to take advantage of a wide range of units.
The Mission Tactics ability is going to be a game changer before you even know who or what you’re going up against. This is going to allow you to decide at the beginning of the game what unit you want to re-roll wound rolls of 1 against for your Infantry, Bikers, and Dreadnoughts. Which is normally a lot tougher of an ability to get that +1 or re-roll 1’s to hit.
This is going to give you a big strategical advantage, especially if you notice your opponent has a lot of one specific type of unit. But, that may not be the case, which is where the Adaptive Tactics comes into play.
Adaptive Tactics is a 2CP Stratagem that is going to allow you to change your Mission Tactics at the start of any of your turns after your first turn. Additionally, if your Warlord is a Watch Master, the Stratagem will only cost you 1 CP instead. Did you set your Mission Tactics to focus on HQ’s but their Flyers moved in a lot quicker than you thought they would? Don’t sweat it, you still have options.
But, why spend those CP’s if you don’t have to?
The Vigilance Incarnate Warlord Trait is going to allow you to change your army’s current Mission Tactic for another once during the battle, at the start of your turn.
The Tome of Actoclades is going to let you pick a Mission Tactic at the start of each of your turns. You’ll then be able to choose to apply either the effects of the current active Mission Tactic or the Mission Tactic that you have chosen for the Tome of Ectoclades to any Deathwatch unit from your army within 6″ of the bearer each time they attack. This will last unit the start of your next turn.
The Mission Tactics chart seems like it’s going to play a crucial role in a Deathwatch army. And with so many different ways to use a different Mission Tactic than the one you chose, it looks like the Deathwatch are going to be able to put a lot of wounds on anything that crosses their path.
All in all this preview is making the Deathwatch look extremely intimidating on the tabletop. Make sure you check back in with us tomorrow when we get another preview of what’s in store for the Deathwatch.
What are your thoughts on the latest Deathwatch preview? Are you going to be playing them when the new Codex comes out? Let us know in the comments below.
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About the Author: James Rodriguez
