Winters SEO battle report- Deathwatch vs Orks

I recently got to play Winters SEO again, this time my Deathwatch take on the Orks using the new Marine book. Follow the link to watch the game. 

Deathwatch Codex Reviews

 I've recently been posting some Deathwatch reviews on Frontline Gaming. You can find the links for the different sections below:

Stratagems Review

Warlord Traits Review

Xenopurge Discipline Review

Relics Review

Hobby Update 16/11/20- Deathwatch Primaris Outrider Squad

 Today's Hobby Update features an Outrider Squad for my Deathwatch army. 

Outriders have some great bonuses in a Kill Team for the Deathwatch. First off, you can field them in units of up to 5, compared to the limit of 3 for normal Marine armies. Second, thanks to the Kill Team mechanic, this squad gains objective secured, making them great for taking objectives from your opponent. They can also do some weird movement tricks thanks to gaining the infantry keyword, but I expect this to be FAQ'd at some point in the future. 

For one of the Bikers, I decided to replace the Chainsword with a Heavy Bolt Pistol, just to add a bit of variety to the models. 

Index Astartes Deathwatch- Review and Initial Thoughts

As you will probably have seen, a lot of armies have had their rules updated for 9th edition. The Deathwatch have been folded into the Space Marine codex, and as such, have their own supplement to modify their rules to update them with the new codex. I'm going to take a look at some of the rules that have been presented and what they may mean for the Deathwatch. 

Special Issue Ammunition

This has seen a big change, not only in what the ammo does, but in who and what weapons can utilise it. 

Dragonfire Bolts- Target unit does not gain the benefit of cover. 

This is a great change for Dragonfire bolts. Under the previous rules, I don't think I even used this round type in any of my games, now I can see it being very useful. Not only do you ignore the +1 to armour saves of cover (great with the Doctrines now in effect), but you also ignore the -1 to hit from some cover types. This should help to provide good accuracy for your Bolter weapons throughout the game. 

Hellfire Bolts- +1 to wound against targets that are not vehicles or Titanic. 

This is the biggest change and reduction in power to the SIA. Being able to wound almost any unit on a 2+ was incredible for the Deathwatch and one of the reasons that the Storm Bolter became such a feared weapon for the Deathwatch. I think the change was inevitable, but it is a big blow to the army. The bonus to wound is still great, allowing you to wound all but the toughest monsters on a 4+, as well as wounding Marines on a 3+. I'm not sure how often this will be used in my games now, I will need to run the numbers to see. 

Hobby Update 17/08/20- Deathwatch Redemptor Dreadnought

 Today's hobby update features a Redemptor Dreadnought for my Deathwatch army. I actually stripped the paint from this, as it was part of my Dark Angels army, and re-painted it for my Deathwatch. 

This was the "easy to build" model, so I converted it to carry a Gatling Cannon in place of the Heavy Flamer. 

Hobby Update 10/08/20- Deathwatch Intercessor Squad

Today's hobby update features a unit of Intercessors that I painted up for my Deathwatch army. It's been a while since I broke out the paints for any of my forces, and I was surprised how quickly I got these done, only taking about a day of painting over the weekend to complete the small unit. 

I got this squad painted so that I could add some Inceptors and Aggressors to the squad to form another Primaris kill team in my army. Unfortunately, the recent updates for the Deathwatch means that fielding Inceptors in the squad is pretty pointless, as they no longer grant the ability to fall back and still fire. 

Army Showcase- Deathwatch

Today I have some photos of my Deathwatch army, taking this weekend while I was bored. I've added a number of Primaris units in recent months and look forward to trying these out when we can play games again. 

Hobby Update 11/05/20- Deathwatch Primaris Inceptors

This past week, I've been working on some more Primaris forces for my Deathwatch army. I painted up five Inceptors to add the force. 

My plan is to field one in each of my Primaris squads, along with a unit of 3 to Deep Strike in with their firepower on turn 2 when the Tactical Doctrine is active. I quite enjoyed how this unit worked in my White Scars army, so added some to the Deathwatch. 

Hobby Update 04/05/20- Deathwatch Primaris Reivers

Today's hobby update features a unit of Reivers for my Deathwatch army. I took this squad from my Dark Angels force, stripped them down and converted them to have Bolt Carbines. I had some spares from an Infiltrator kit, and thought it would be a better option than the Heavy Bolter Pistol and combat knives. 

The squad provides another deep strike unit for the army, and saves me from spending command points to infiltrate with them. 

Hobby Update 01/05/20- Deathwatch Primaris Hellblasters

Today's hobby update features a unit of Hellblasters for my Deathwatch army. I've had these sitting for a while, waiting to get painted up, so I took the opportunity at the weekend when I was painting up my other units. 

I don't think they'll see too many games, as they are simply too expensive to field at the moment. I might give them a go in a mixed kill team to see how they fare. 

Hobby Update 29/04/20- Deathwatch Primaris Aggressors

I actually managed to get some painting done over the weekend. With the new Deathwatch rules being released in White Dwarf, I figured I would take a look at my Deathwatch Primaris units once more. 

I will be putting together some of my thoughts on the new Deathwatch rules, but still haven't been able to get a copy of the White Dwarf yet (yes, I know there are leaks online, but I prefer to have it in hand). 

First up was a unit of Aggressors. I had built these guys over Christmas, but was waiting to see what Chapter I would add them to. The Psychic Awakening rules for Dark Angels were a bit lacklustre for me (so much so that I haven't picked up the book yet), so I decided they would be added to my Deathwatch as part of my expanded Primaris Kill Teams. 

I managed to get this squad painted up on Saturday, so these three warriors are ready to be added to the Deathwatch forces, when I can next get a game in.

Warfare 2018: Battle Overview- Dark Angels/Deathwatch vs Deathwatch/Astra Militarum/Dark Angels

Today I have a battle overview of one of the tournament games I played at Reading Warfare last year. I actually meant to write these up ages ago, but lost the notes on the games, so only had the photos to go by. 

It's hard to think this game was only played a year ago, as so much of the game has changed since them. 

Here are some photos of the first game, where my Dark Angels and Deathwatch took on Daniel's force of Deathwatch and Astra Militarum. This was a custom mission for Warfare. In the first two turns, you scored kill points for killing units in your opponent's army. Then in turn 3, the player with the lowest current score gets to place two objectives, and these are worth 5 points each (if I recall correctly). This meant you could be at a disadvantage for scoring big in the initial turns. 

My army consisted of:

Battalion Detachment (Dark Angels)

Azrael- Combi-Plasma, Sword of Secrets, WARLORD (Brilliant strategist Warlord trait)

Primaris Lieutenant- Master-crafted Auto Bolt Rifle, Bolt Pistol, Eye of the Unseen Relic

Primaris Ancient- Bolt Rifle, Bolt Pistol.

5 Intercessors- Bolt Rifles. Bolt Pistols.

5 Scouts- Bolters, Sergeant with Chainsword

5 Scouts- Heavy Bolter, Bolters, Sergeant with Chainsword

Devastators- Heavy Bolter, Armorium Cherub, Bolters

10 Hellblasters- Plasma Incinerators, Bolt Pistols.

Darkshroud- Heavy Bolter

Battalion Detachment (Deathwatch)

Watch Master- Guardian Spear

Watch Captain- Jump Pack, Thunder Hammer, Storm Shield, Bolt Pistol

10 Intercessors- Bolt Rifles, Bolt Pistols, Auxiliary Grenade Launcher

10 Veterans- 10 Storm Bolters, 2 Storm Shields, 8 Chainswords

6 Veterans- 2 Missile Launchers, 4 Stalker Bolters

Auxiliary Detachment (Officio Assassinorum)

Culexus Assassin

Tournament Battle Report: Warfare 2019- Game 1- White Scars vs Astra Militarum/Deathwatch

Welcome to my first battle report from the recent Warfare 2019 tournament held in Reading. In this tournament, I was taking my White Scars once more. I was still modifying the army after some tournament performances, so was interested to see if the changes would help to improve the Marines further. 

The first mission of the day was Strategic Gamble maelstrom mission using Dawn of War deployment. In this game, I would be facing off against Arran and his Astra Militarum and Deathwatch forces. 

My army consisted of:

Battalion Detachment

Captain on Bike- Twin Bolter, Thunder Hammer, Storm Shield, Chogorian Storm, Master of Snares, Wrath of the Heavens

Librarian- Jump Pack, Force Stave, Mantle of the Stormseer, Ride the Winds, Storm-wreathed

5 Intercessors- Bolt Rifles, Bolt Pistols

5 Intercessors- Bolt Rifles, Bolt Pistols
5 Intercessors- Bolt Rifles, Bolt Pistols

5 Scouts Bikers- Twin Bolters, Shotguns, Combat Knives

Battalion Detachment

Captain- Jump Pack, Master-crafted Thunder Hammer, Storm Shield

Lieutenant- Jump Pack, Power Axe, MC Bolter

5 Scouts- Bolters

5 Scouts- Bolters

5 Scouts- Bolt Pistol, Combat Knives

Spearhead Detachment
Chaplain- Jump Pack, Crozius Arcanum, Bolt Pistol, Litan of Hate

10 Vanguard Veterans- 5 with 2 Chainswords, 5 with two Lightning Claws

5 Vanguard Veterans- Chainswords and Plasma Pistols
5 Devastators- Bolters, 2 Missile Launchers, Heavy Bolter
5 Devastators- Bolters, 2 Missile Launchers

Thunderfire Cannon- Techmarine Gunner with Flamer, Plasma Cutter, 2 Servo-arms

As you can see, a slightly modified force from my last tournament list.

To start with, I swapped the Khan on Bike for a Captain with Thunder Hammer and Storm Shield to give him extra offensive and defensive capabilities. His warlord traits and Relic were unchanged, as this combination worked very well for me in the past.

I also took three units of Intercessors with Bolt Rifles. I decided to try these out over the Tactical Marines, to see if the extra durability and firepower would prove to be useful in the list. I kept the Scout Bikers to accompany the Captain, but dropped the Biker squad, as I didn't find the so effective in the previous tournament.

For the second Battalion, I took another Captain, this time with a Jump Pack, Master-crafted Thunder Hammer and Storm Shield for some more powerful combat ability. The Lieutenant and Scouts were the same as in the previous list.

I also added a Spearhead Detachment, which was led by a Chaplain. This was my first trial of the Chaplain and I wanted to see what his abilities would bring to the army. He knows the standard Litany, allowing you to re-roll hit rolls within 6" in combat, which should pair well with the Devastating Charge ability. He also took the litany of Hate, which gives one unit +2 to the charge and the ability to consolidate up to 6". Great for getting another unit into combat, along with the Ride the Winds psychic power.

I also took a couple of units of Devastators with some Missile Launchers for some more long-ranged firepower support, something my last list was missing. I took the ever useful Thunderfire Cannon and a couple of units of Vanguard Veterans to make use of their combat ability once more.

Dark Artisan Open ITC Tournament: Game 5- Deathwatch vs Raven Guard

The final game of the Dark Artisan Open ITC tournament would see my Deathwatch take on Jordan's Raven Guard in a 40k maelstrom of war battle report. 

The mission for game 5 was Tactical Gambit. In this game, you must bet how many objective cards you think you will score in your turn (between 1 and 4). If you succeed, you score that number of bonus points, if you do not, then your opponent scores the bonus points. This allows you to wrack up a big score in your games if you bet wisely. 

My Deathwatch army consisted of:

Battalion Detachment

Watch Captain- Castellan of the Black Vault (warlord trait), Jump Pack, Storm Shield, Thunder Hammer

Watch Master- Guardian Spear, the Tome of Ectoclades

5 Intercessors- Bolt Rifles, Bolt Pistols

5 Intercessors- Bolt Rifles, Bolt Pistols

Kill Team 1- 7 Veterans- Storm Bolters, Chainswords, 2 Storm Shields, Biker with Twin Bolter, Chainsword, Vanguard Veteran with Storm Shield and Bolt Pistol, Terminator with Power Fist and Storm Bolter

Kill Team 2- 7 Veterans- 3 Combi-Meltas, Meltagun, Chainswords, 3 Storm Shields, Biker with Twin Bolter, Chainsword, Vanguard Veteran with Chainsword and Bolt Pistol, Terminator with Power Fist and Storm Bolter

5 Veterans- 2 Missile Launchers, Storm Shield, 3 Stalker Bolters, Chainswords

5 Veterans- 2 Missile Launchers, Heavy Bolter, 2 Stalker Bolters, Chainswords

5 Vanguard Veterans- Bolt Pistols, Chainswords, Hand Flamer

Razorback- Twin Lascannon, Storm Bolter

Outrider Detachment

Librarian- Jump Pack, Force Sword, Bolt Pistol, Null Zone, Might of Heroes

4 Bikers- Twin Bolters, Chainswords, Sergeant has Storm Bolter and Storm Shield, Teleport Homer

3 Bikers- Twin Bolters, Chainswords, Sergeant has Storm Bolter and Storm Shield, Teleport Homer

3 Bikers- Twin Bolters, Chainswords, Teleport Homer

A fairly standard force for my Deathwatch. I decided to take two full Kill Teams, with a Terminator, Vanguard Veteran and Biker in each one to give me lots of options for falling back from combat and still staying active. I also added a couple of Veteran squads with Missile Launchers and Stalker Bolters for long range firepower, as well as a single Heavy Bolter to use the Hellfire Shells stratagem, and a Razorback for some anti-tank firepower. 

I took the Outrider for the extra CP. I decided to try the Librarian, as his powers would be of use to the Watch Captain. I took three units of Bikers. These should be useful for going after objectives and adding some strong firepower to the army. 

Dark Artisan Open ITC Tournament: Game 4- Deathwatch vs Adeptus Custodes

The fourth game of the Dark Artisan Open ITC tournament would see my Deathwatch take on Jake's Adeptus Custodes in an Eternal War mission battle report. 

The mission for this game was Vital Intelligence. In this, there are five objective; one in the centre and one on each of the four diagonals from the centre. You roll a D6 at the start of each battle round and the number you roll is the active objective, if you roll a 6, all the objectives are active. At the end of the battle round, you score 1 point for each objective you hold, and two points for the active objective. 

My army consisted of:

Battalion Detachment

Watch Captain- Castellan of the Black Vault (warlord trait), Jump Pack, Storm Shield, Thunder Hammer

Watch Master- Guardian Spear, the Tome of Ectoclades

5 Intercessors- Bolt Rifles, Bolt Pistols

5 Intercessors- Bolt Rifles, Bolt Pistols

Kill Team 1- 7 Veterans- Storm Bolters, Chainswords, 2 Storm Shields, Biker with Twin Bolter, Chainsword, Vanguard Veteran with Storm Shield and Bolt Pistol, Terminator with Power Fist and Storm Bolter

Kill Team 2- 7 Veterans- 3 Combi-Meltas, Meltagun, Chainswords, 3 Storm Shields, Biker with Twin Bolter, Chainsword, Vanguard Veteran with Chainsword and Bolt Pistol, Terminator with Power Fist and Storm Bolter

5 Veterans- 2 Missile Launchers, Storm Shield, 3 Stalker Bolters, Chainswords

5 Veterans- 2 Missile Launchers, Heavy Bolter, 2 Stalker Bolters, Chainswords

5 Vanguard Veterans- Bolt Pistols, Chainswords, Hand Flamer

Razorback- Twin Lascannon, Storm Bolter

Outrider Detachment

Librarian- Jump Pack, Force Sword, Bolt Pistol, Null Zone, Might of Heroes

4 Bikers- Twin Bolters, Chainswords, Sergeant has Storm Bolter and Storm Shield, Teleport Homer

3 Bikers- Twin Bolters, Chainswords, Sergeant has Storm Bolter and Storm Shield, Teleport Homer

3 Bikers- Twin Bolters, Chainswords, Teleport Homer

A fairly standard force for my Deathwatch. I decided to take two full Kill Teams, with a Terminator, Vanguard Veteran and Biker in each one to give me lots of options for falling back from combat and still staying active. I also added a couple of Veteran squads with Missile Launchers and Stalker Bolters for long range firepower, as well as a single Heavy Bolter to use the Hellfire Shells stratagem, and a Razorback for some anti-tank firepower. 

I took the Outrider for the extra CP. I decided to try the Librarian, as his powers would be of use to the Watch Captain. I took three units of Bikers. These should be useful for going after objectives and adding some strong firepower to the army.

Dark Artisan Open ITC Tournament: Game 3- Deathwatch vs Blood Angels

My third game of the Dark Artisan ITC tournament saw my Deathwatch take on Chris' Blood Angels army in the Strategic Gamble maelstrom mission.

In this mission, you draw three cards per turn. You can choose to discard two of your cards and draw one more. If you can score this in your turn, it is worth double the number of points.

My army consisted of:

Battalion Detachment

Watch Captain- Castellan of the Black Vault (warlord trait), Jump Pack, Storm Shield, Thunder Hammer

Watch Master- Guardian Spear, the Tome of Ectoclades

5 Intercessors- Bolt Rifles, Bolt Pistols

5 Intercessors- Bolt Rifles, Bolt Pistols

Kill Team 1- 7 Veterans- Storm Bolters, Chainswords, 2 Storm Shields, Biker with Twin Bolter, Chainsword, Vanguard Veteran with Storm Shield and Bolt Pistol, Terminator with Power Fist and Storm Bolter

Kill Team 2- 7 Veterans- 3 Combi-Meltas, Meltagun, Chainswords, 3 Storm Shields, Biker with Twin Bolter, Chainsword, Vanguard Veteran with Chainsword and Bolt Pistol, Terminator with Power Fist and Storm Bolter

5 Veterans- 2 Missile Launchers, Storm Shield, 3 Stalker Bolters, Chainswords

5 Veterans- 2 Missile Launchers, Heavy Bolter, 2 Stalker Bolters, Chainswords

5 Vanguard Veterans- Bolt Pistols, Chainswords, Hand Flamer

Razorback- Twin Lascannon, Storm Bolter

Outrider Detachment

Librarian- Jump Pack, Force Sword, Bolt Pistol, Null Zone, Might of Heroes

4 Bikers- Twin Bolters, Chainswords, Sergeant has Storm Bolter and Storm Shield, Teleport Homer

3 Bikers- Twin Bolters, Chainswords, Sergeant has Storm Bolter and Storm Shield, Teleport Homer

3 Bikers- Twin Bolters, Chainswords, Teleport Homer

A fairly standard force for my Deathwatch. I decided to take two full Kill Teams, with a Terminator, Vanguard Veteran and Biker in each one to give me lots of options for falling back from combat and still staying active. I also added a couple of Veteran squads with Missile Launchers and Stalker Bolters for long range firepower, as well as a single Heavy Bolter to use the Hellfire Shells stratagem, and a Razorback for some anti-tank firepower. 

I took the Outrider for the extra CP. I decided to try the Librarian, as his powers would be of use to the Watch Captain. I took three units of Bikers. These should be useful for going after objectives and adding some strong firepower to the army. 

Dark Artisan Open ITC Tournament: Game 2- Deathwatch vs Astra Militarum

Game 2 of the Dark Artisan Open ITC tournament would see my Deathwatch take on Sebastian's Astra Militarum army, featuring three Baneblade variants. This would be a tough match up for my Deathwatch!

The second mission was Beachhead. In this game, there is a central objective and one objective in each player deployment zone. At the start of your turn (starting on round 2), you score points for each objective held; one for the one in your deployment zone, two for the central objective and three for your opponent's objective. 

My army consisted of:

Battalion Detachment

Watch Captain- Castellan of the Black Vault (warlord trait), Jump Pack, Storm Shield, Thunder Hammer

Watch Master- Guardian Spear, the Tome of Ectoclades

5 Intercessors- Bolt Rifles, Bolt Pistols

5 Intercessors- Bolt Rifles, Bolt Pistols

Kill Team 1- 7 Veterans- Storm Bolters, Chainswords, 2 Storm Shields, Biker with Twin Bolter, Chainsword, Vanguard Veteran with Storm Shield and Bolt Pistol, Terminator with Power Fist and Storm Bolter

Kill Team 2- 7 Veterans- 3 Combi-Meltas, Meltagun, Chainswords, 3 Storm Shields, Biker with Twin Bolter, Chainsword, Vanguard Veteran with Chainsword and Bolt Pistol, Terminator with Power Fist and Storm Bolter

5 Veterans- 2 Missile Launchers, Storm Shield, 3 Stalker Bolters, Chainswords

5 Veterans- 2 Missile Launchers, Heavy Bolter, 2 Stalker Bolters, Chainswords

5 Vanguard Veterans- Bolt Pistols, Chainswords, Hand Flamer

Razorback- Twin Lascannon, Storm Bolter

Outrider Detachment

Librarian- Jump Pack, Force Sword, Bolt Pistol, Null Zone, Might of Heroes

4 Bikers- Twin Bolters, Chainswords, Sergeant has Storm Bolter and Storm Shield, Teleport Homer

3 Bikers- Twin Bolters, Chainswords, Sergeant has Storm Bolter and Storm Shield, Teleport Homer

3 Bikers- Twin Bolters, Chainswords, Teleport Homer

A fairly standard force for my Deathwatch. I decided to take two full Kill Teams, with a Terminator, Vanguard Veteran and Biker in each one to give me lots of options for falling back from combat and still staying active. I also added a couple of Veteran squads with Missile Launchers and Stalker Bolters for long range firepower, as well as a single Heavy Bolter to use the Hellfire Shells stratagem, and a Razorback for some anti-tank firepower. 

I took the Outrider for the extra CP. I decided to try the Librarian, as his powers would be of use to the Watch Captain. I took three units of Bikers. These should be useful for going after objectives and adding some strong firepower to the army. 

Dark Artisan Open ITC Tournament: Game 1- Deathwatch vs Necrons

Welcome to my first battle report from the recent Dark Artisan Open ITC tournament that I attended. This was a 5 game, two day event, to which I took my Deathwatch army. 

The tournament had some strong restrictions for army selection. It was 1750 pts, mono-faction, so no soup or allies at this event. Detachments were also limited to a single Battalion or Brigade and up to two other of the smaller detachments. 

I like this format, as I tend to run mono-faction armies myself, so was glad my Deathwatch would be on a level playing field at this event. I would have liked to have run a double Battalion for extra CP, but would need to make do with a reduced number of CP. 

The first mission of the day was Visions of Victory, facing off against Robert's Necrons. This is the mission where you draw four cards per turn. For every card activate, you draw two and your opponent gets to decide which one you keep. This means that you will likely be getting a lot of tough to achieve objectives during the course of the game. 

Note, this tournament was held before the release of the new Space Marine codex, so shock assault, drop pod rules, etc, were not in effect. 

My army consisted of:

Battalion Detachment

Watch Captain- Castellan of the Black Vault (warlord trait), Jump Pack, Storm Shield, Thunder Hammer

Watch Master- Guardian Spear, the Tome of Ectoclades

5 Intercessors- Bolt Rifles, Bolt Pistols

5 Intercessors- Bolt Rifles, Bolt Pistols

Kill Team 1- 7 Veterans- Storm Bolters, Chainswords, 2 Storm Shields, Biker with Twin Bolter, Chainsword, Vanguard Veteran with Storm Shield and Bolt Pistol, Terminator with Power Fist and Storm Bolter

Kill Team 2- 7 Veterans- 3 Combi-Meltas, Meltagun, Chainswords, 3 Storm Shields, Biker with Twin Bolter, Chainsword, Vanguard Veteran with Chainsword and Bolt Pistol, Terminator with Power Fist and Storm Bolter

5 Veterans- 2 Missile Launchers, Storm Shield, 3 Stalker Bolters, Chainswords

5 Veterans- 2 Missile Launchers, Heavy Bolter, 2 Stalker Bolters, Chainswords

5 Vanguard Veterans- Bolt Pistols, Chainswords, Hand Flamer

Razorback- Twin Lascannon, Storm Bolter

Outrider Detachment

Librarian- Jump Pack, Force Sword, Bolt Pistol, Null Zone, Might of Heroes

4 Bikers- Twin Bolters, Chainswords, Sergeant has Storm Bolter and Storm Shield, Teleport Homer

3 Bikers- Twin Bolters, Chainswords, Sergeant has Storm Bolter and Storm Shield, Teleport Homer

3 Bikers- Twin Bolters, Chainswords, Teleport Homer

A fairly standard force for my Deathwatch. I decided to take two full Kill Teams, with a Terminator, Vanguard Veteran and Biker in each one to give me lots of options for falling back from combat and still staying active. I also added a couple of Veteran squads with Missile Launchers and Stalker Bolters for long range firepower, as well as a single Heavy Bolter to use the Hellfire Shells stratagem, and a Razorback for some anti-tank firepower. 

I took the Outrider for the extra CP. I decided to try the Librarian, as his powers would be of use to the Watch Captain. I took three units of Bikers. These should be useful for going after objectives and adding some strong firepower to the army. 

Rapid Strike Tournament: Game 5- Deathwatch vs T'au

The final game of the day at the Rapid Strike 40k tournament would see my Deathwatch take on Chris' T'au on the top table. 

This mission was Cloak and Shadows. In this mission, we get three cards per turn, but keep your cards secret from your opponent until you score them. 

My army consisted of:

Patrol Detachment (Deathwatch)

Watch Master- Guardian Spear

Watch Captain- Jump Pack, Thunder Hammer, Storm Shield, Bolt Pistol, Castellan of the Black Vault, The Beacon Angelis

Kill Team- 7 Veterans with Storm Bolters, Chainswords and 2 Storm Shields, Terminator with Storm Bolter and Power Fist, Vanguard Veteran with Storm Shield and Bolt Pistol, Biker with Twin Boltgun. 

10 Intercessors- Bolt Rifles, Bolt Pistols

5 Vanguard Veterans- Bolt Pistols, Chainswords, Hand Flamer

6 Bikers- Sergeant with Storm Bolter and Storm Shield, Twin Bolters, Chainswords

Razorback- Twin Lascannon, Storm Bolter

I get 6 command points for the army thanks to the tournament special rules.

Chris' army consisted of:
Patrol Detachment (T'au, Viorla)
Coldstar Commander- Airbursting Fragmentation Launcher, 2 Fusion Blasters, Shield Generator
Ethereal- Academic Luminary (warlord trait), Equalisers,
Shield Drone
10 Breachers- Pulse Blasters
10 Kroot- Kroot Rifles
3 Crisis Suits- 4 Plasma Rifles, 2 Shield Generators, 2 Cyclic Ion Blasers, Advancing Targeting System
6 Gun Drones
6 Stealth Suits- 6 Burst Cannons, Advanced Targeting Systems
8 Pathfinders- 5 Markerlights, 3 Rail Rifles, Pulse Carbines
Piranha- Burst Cannons, 2 Gun Drones
Devilfish- Burst Cannons, 2 Gun Drones

A mixed T'au army with a lot of firepower. I was going to have to hope my power armour could keep me safe for long enough to hit the T'au lines hard with my own firepower and combat prowess.

Rapid Strike Tournament: Game 4- Deathwatch vs Black Templars Space Marines

The fourth game of the Rapid Strike 40k tournament saw my Deathwatch taking on Alex's Black Templars Space Marines. 

This game was Spoils of War. In this mission, you get three cards per turn. You cannot discard any "Secure Objective X" cards and your opponent can score any of these cards in your hand at the end of the turn. 

My army consisted of:

Patrol Detachment (Deathwatch)

Watch Master- Guardian Spear

Watch Captain- Jump Pack, Thunder Hammer, Storm Shield, Bolt Pistol, Castellan of the Black Vault, The Beacon Angelis

Kill Team- 7 Veterans with Storm Bolters, Chainswords and 2 Storm Shields, Terminator with Storm Bolter and Power Fist, Vanguard Veteran with Storm Shield and Bolt Pistol, Biker with Twin Boltgun. 

10 Intercessors- Bolt Rifles, Bolt Pistols

5 Vanguard Veterans- Bolt Pistols, Chainswords, Hand Flamer

6 Bikers- Sergeant with Storm Bolter and Storm Shield, Twin Bolters, Chainswords

Razorback- Twin Lascannon, Storm Bolter

As per the tournament rules, I would have 6 command points to spend.

Alex's army consisted of:
Patrol Detachment (Space Marines, Black Templars)
Chapter Master- Terminator Armour, Thunder Hammer, the Shield Eternal, Iron Resolve
10 Primaris Intercessors- Bolt Rifles, Bolt Pistol, Auxiliary Grenade Launcher
10 Terminators- 3 Thunder Hammers and Storm Shields, Pairs of Lightning Claws
10 Terminators- Storm Bolters, Power Fists, Power Sword

A small, elite force, mostly consisting of Terminators. When was the last time you saw that many Terminators in a tournament army? The Black Templars chapter tactics gave re-rolls to charge moves, which should help the Terminators get into combat. Alex spent 3 of his 6 CP to make a Chapter Master of his Captain, giving him full re-rolls to hit.