New Deathwatch rules are here for 9th edition, it’s time to make all the Xenos in the galaxy feel the wrath of the Emperor once again!
With the new book slated for release very soon, it only made sense we would get a little preview. Today Warhammer Community gave us what we’ve been waiting for! Will the Xenos be quaking in fear from the new rules? Probably… But if you could care less about Deathwatch and want to see how the Space Wolves faired, check out their rules here!
The revealed rules cover relics, psychic abilities, new unit composition, Doctrines, and Stratagems. There’s a lot to break down, so let’s jump into it!
New Deathwatch Rules Spotted!
This book is going to be a supplement, so just remember you’ll need the main codex as well. But if you’ve played Marines for a while, you’re used to using a million books! If you want to see more about the release lineup with pricing for the Deathwatch, you can check it out here!
Deathwatch Doctrines:
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, and 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!
New Deathwatch Strategems:
Who cares that so many Aeldari vehicles have minuses to hit them? Not the Deathwatch! For only a single CP this could be super annoying to play against.
They know how to kill the Necrons outright! We’re assuming they will get a special Strategem for basically every Xenos army.
Relics:
Getting some extra toughness and the ability to shrug mortal wounds is pretty nice. Especially if you already have an invulnerable save, then nothing can really kill you without the chance to deny it.
Save $10- Get Yours Now!
Psychic Abilities:
The Deathwatch get a new psychic discipline – Xenopurge. Despite its name, the powers are just as effective against non-xenos. If you’re up against a foe that is focused on close combat, unleash a Neural Void to rob them of some of their potency.
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.
This is just a teaser, so we’ll have to see how it all plays out! The Codex goes up for preorder on Saturday, so expect some more teasers soon!
What do you think about the rules revealed so far? How do you think access to the new units will change them?
Let us know in the comments of our Facebook Hobby Group, and make sure you enter the latest monthly giveaway for FREE today! You can also support us on Patreon and get ad-free access to the site, plus a ton of minis that helps support some of the best creators out there!
About the Author: Travis Pasch
Travis Pasch
Job Title: Head Writer & Editor
Socials: @paschbass
About Travis Pasch: Travis has been a Warhammer 40k hobbyist since the 1990s, playing the game since Third Edition. Through extensive traveling, he’s seen a lot of the miniatures hobby from across the world, giving him a unique perspective on the latest gaming topics and trends.
Travis’s brother even owns a commission painting studio, where he’s picked up a lot of good advice and techniques for painting Warhammer and tabletop miniatures over the years, as well. Travis joined the Spikey Bits team in 2019 and has been the lead writer since 2020.
Currently, he’s working on converting all his 40k Adeptus Mechanicus models and becoming a true tech enjoyer, complete with both sad and happy robot noises!
