Ruleswise Deathwatch it a supplement to the Space Marines codex. Other than a few key units it uses the same models as the Space marine army I already own. Those models are already in a very similar black power armour scheme admittedly without the sliver veterans paldrons of the "chapter". Mine are all bronze and don't have different chapter devices on their other shoulder. Other than that I could just say these marines are deathwatch.
So boom! Bought the rulebook. Done. I have a Deathwatch army right?......
..... Well....
Firstly as a narrative player not painting those details in makes my fingers twitch. Secondly I couldn't take all my Characters and just go well they're in the deathwatch now. The deathwatch have their own lore, heraldry and weapons I need to show.
Basically this means I need to get more space marines.
The Deathwatch supplement works by taking units from the Space marine codex and then adding the deathwatch key word as their chapter. They then get access to a number of goodies in terms of chapter tactic super doctrine and stats. They have five unique units really.
The watchmaster. Their cool commander. Definitely getting one of these guys.
The deathwatch veterans. These are the unique troops with special weapons and gear on top of the normal sm load outs. Another definite.
Deathwatch bikers. These guys can take chainswords in addition to a normal 1st born bikers load out making them mini outriders with better gun options
Deathwatch terminators. No specific models but they get some upgrades over the normal chunky boys.
Captain Artimis. Special character. Not interested.
Next thing they have is unique troops section called "kill teams". It's after these that the small skirmish game was named so to save confusion as I may talk about kill team the game I will henceforth call these squads KT squads.
KT squads use a base of either Deathwatch vets, intercessors, heavy intercessors or Infiltratators as their first five members of the team. Depending on which of those you pick let's you add in other marine types. This opens my options to use my existing forces. I can get deathwatch specfic starter teams and then supplement them as required with Death Tempter troops to fill in the rest of the squad. It wouldn't be perfect but it would give me great flexibility.
I could get something like the blood angel combat patrol box with its five intercessors, five infiltrators, 3 Aggressors, Librarian and impulsor and turn them into deathwatch with the help of a upgrade sprue.
That would give me a HQ, two starter squads and the rest could be used in my own chapter and cross used as required.
Proteus teams have the vets and let you take all the 1st born marine types from terminators to vanguard vets and the bikes.
Having a proteus team is therefore a must in my mind.
I want to keep this small covering the basics. If I need to go bigger I can draft members of the Death Tempters.
