Don’t miss all the new Warhammer 40k rules changes coming for the Deathwatch in their 9th Edition Codex Supplement!
Join us as we dive into the new supplement and look at the biggest changes coming to the Deathwatch. We will go over changes to the Chapter Tactics, Relics, Warlord Traits, and Psychic Powers.
Keep in mind that for other units they can take, you will need the base Space Marines Codex (which looks to be the norm now for all future supplements). We talk more about that in this article, along with the pending new releases for marines overall.
Some of the datasheets for this post are from reviews by Hellstorm Wargaming and the Sprues and Brews Youtube channels, be sure to watch their videos below and subscribe to them for more great Warhammer content.
All The New Deathwatch 40k Rules
Chapter Tactic & Doctrines
If you want to see more about the release lineup with pricing for the Deathwatch, you can check it out here!
You get to choose which doctrine is active every turn, just be careful because there is a max limit on each doctrine. This gives you decent flexibility depending on what army you’re facing.
New Unit Composition, Abilities, & Available Units:
One of the unique things about a Deathwatch army is the ability to form kill teams made up of different models. The codex supplement includes rules for four different types of kill teams. Including two brand-new ones. If you prefer to be sneaky, you’ll want to choose the Spectrus Kill Team. It’s made up of warriors clad in Mk X Phobos armor and lets you take advantage of a range of abilities.
These are in the Marine Codex, but you can take advantage of all of them in a single unit now. Deathwatch really needed access to these units, so it should help right off the bat. Below are all the new units they will have access to now.
This is the first time they will have access to the Space Marines Codex, meaning you get all the Primaris support you could want! Pew, Pew, Pew!
Deathwatch Kill Team Specialisms 40k Rules
All of these are okay. However, they are per unit, not model, meaning this very much incentivizes you to take big squads to save on costs and get the most out of each point. Furor and Malleus are probably the best as they will be active more often than the rest and also help clear chaff and kill important targets respectively.
Deathwatch Warlord Traits
Optimized Priority is a new Aura ability that lets nearby Character and Core units perform actions and still shoot. This can be extremely good in infantry heavy lists. Another good option is The Ties that Bind, an aura that allows nearby Core units re-roll morale tests and you pick one to gain the Objective Secured rule. If a model in that radius has the rule already, it counts as an extra model. All of these seem pretty good in most circumstances competitively.
Deathwatch Stratagems
Once again some specific starts are here to stick it to those Xenos races that are plaguing mankind.
Prognosticating Volley: Who cares that so many Aeldari vehicles have minuses to hit them? Not the Deathwatch! For only a single CP, you get to ignore those pesky -1s to hit and the like. This will be super annoying to play against for your opponents (and great for you).
Overkill: They know how to kill the Necrons outright! As the specialists for killing Xenos, it wasn’t surprising to see this previewed. If your playing against Necrons, this is very good.
Out of these, Shroud Field is by far the most bonkers. Fliers get shot out of the air in the first two turns a lot. Being able to prevent this from getting shot turn 1 is huge! Not only can Blackstars pack a serious punch, but they are also often targetted, so you’ll want to put extra resources into protecting it. This stratagem a must against any shoot heavy lists that might do so.
It also looks like the previously conferred special abilities from units (like a biker) to Strike squads must not be activated with CPs. Kind of a bummer, but potentially balanced in 9th Edition.
Deathwatch Relics
Beacon Angelis is great, but with the new change saying they can’t use it if they themselves came from reverse that turns, you are heavily incentivized to put it on a biker unit so you can get it in the correct position then call down the homies to put in work. Dominus Aegis is also great, especially if you want to play a more “death ball” style gameplay.
The Tome of Ectoclades would combo well with Malleus specialization against high priority key targets.
Getting some extra toughness and the ability to shrug mortal wounds with the Blackweave Shroud is pretty nice. Especially if you already have an invulnerable save, then nothing can really kill you without the chance to deny it.
Deathwatch Secondaries
The first two secondaries for the Deathwatch are insane. So insane in fact, that they might be a driving force for unique secondaries getting banned at some tournaments and stick to generic ones. Cull Order and The Long Vigil both offer easy and effective ways to generate a solid 15 points easily if played around.
For Long Vigil all you need to do is keep your deployment zone clear, which might be a problem against deep striking heavy lists, however, the fact it excludes flyers helps a lot.
Deathwatch Psychic Powers
Perimorphic Resonance gives a nearby unit three bonuses. +1 to hit with melee attacks, Overwatch is successful on 5s instead of 6s, and it fights first in the Fight phase. Considering all three of these are decent enough, it’s a pretty good package for one power at WC6. If your running max squads for the specializations, this becomes even better as more models are effected.
Neural Void, is a great way to decrease the incoming power of a charging unit. Then you can just move a beefy unit forward and force them to only charge them.
Kill Teams & Special Issue Ammunition
They go together like peanut butter and Jelly. We saw this Kill Teams in their Index a few weeks ago, but now we have the full picture on how they work, and what works with them as well.
Remember as far as mixed squads go, it looks like you have to use the Stratagems above to “activate” any special abilities units in a kill team may possess, to confer them to all members of that squad.
Pick you Xeno hunting poison here. You can go with the traditional firstborn Proteus Kill Team, or splash in the three new Primaris ones complete with new units like Eliminators!
Whichever you choose, it’s going to be a CHONK squad as you are required to take 5 base model types before getting to the fun stuff.
So looks like Deathwatch is getting some love in 9th edition 40k already out the gate with a ton of new and updated rules! Plus don’t forget they also have access to the Space Marine codex and all the new updated Forge World units from the Imperial Armor Compendium as well. Be sure to check out our rules post covering all that here.
What do you think about the rules? Are you excited to bring the Ordo Xenos to the tables soon?
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About the Author: Andrew Schrank
Andrew Schrank
Job Title: Miniatures & Warhammer Hobby Staff Writer
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About Andrew Schrank: Over the past 15 years, Andrew has played all the games, including tabletop and video games, and immersed himself in the associated lore. Andrew joined the Spikey Bits team in 2018 and covers the Warhammer hobby and tournament scene, along with the latest in tabletop miniatures, each week.
Aspiring diplomat, Lord of Fluff, and Master of Ice Hammer, He loves Star Wars, Chaos Undivided, and Gundam. During his free time, he hunts Platinum trophies on PS5 and reads international news. On weekends, Andrew plays commander and cEDH games, often with unique strategies that push the limits.
He believes each day presents a new opportunity to grow and be challenged.
