The new expansion for Kill Team is bringing back the Deathwatch in a big way. And they are showing off loads of “other” Chapters.
The Deathwatch has always been a fan favorite for Space Marine players. They tap into that same vibe of the Aliens movie — A small contingent of Colonial Marines exploring an infestation much larger than they realized. All for it to go sideways and for there to be an EPIC moving gun battle as they have to fall back and plan what to do next. It get’s the blood pumping just thinking about it.
ANYHOW, the point is that the Deathwatch is a rather iconic force within the Imperium. It’s not a traditional Space Marine Chapter but rather a specialized force pulled from all Space Marine Chapters. Some of their members are volunteers. Some are serving a penance. All of them are ready to lay their life on the line for because of their duty to the Imperium and the honor of their respective home chapter.
In the up coming Kill Team: Tomb World we’re getting a new batch of Deathwatch Marines as a new Kill Team. Some would say the original Kill Team. But what I really appreciate about this set is the that GW is giving some of the other chapters a chance to shine.
Send In The Other Marines
“The magic touch is the collection of right-arm shoulder pads. Every Deathwatch operative hails from a different Chapter, and these pauldrons are their primary calling card. There are 16 standard shoulder pads, alongside seven for Gravis and six Phobos to choose from. Three Tacticus pads are left blank, as well as one Gravis and one Phobos pad, while the rest feature a sculpted chapter element. “
There’s some really cool and rare chapter emblems on these shoulder pads. And sure, there’s the major chapters you’d expect: Ultramarines, Space Wolves, Blood Angels, Dark Angels, — the ones with codexes or codex supplements. But there’s also some really rare second or beyond founding chapters. Scythes of the Emperor? Exorcists? Iron Snakes?! Yeah. GW is digging deep into the roster of Marine Chapters for some of these.
Additionally it’s not that these shoulder pads are rare. There’s also the fact that as Deathwatch Marines you really can paint them to represent whatever chapter you want. Sure, it might just be a palette swap. But now it’s a new/different Space Marine Chapter — and that’s the entire point!
I’m glad to see Games Workshop give a nod to these other chapters. I know that it’s highly unlikely we’ll ever see the majority of these Space Marine Chapters get their own releases or accessory sprues. But this is a great way to make the Deathwatch unique. It doesn’t just make each member unique. These shoulder pads makes each one of them have their own story and home to go back to.
Your first crack at these new miniatures will be in the upcoming Kill Team: Tomb World. I’m looking forward to this one and the narrative that’s being created.
Now we just need a codex supplement and maybe some more unique units and rules for the Deathwatch…
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Writer, Editor, Texas Native, and now Tex-Pat, Adam covers all things Tabletop Gaming. Which includes Warhammer 40,000, Age of Sigmar, D&D, Board Games and everything else that involves dice, boards, cards and a table.
A hobbyist, player, and collector of miniatures and games, Adam’s current obsession are his Death and Chaos Armies for Age of Sigmar, his Blood Angels and Tyranids for 40k, an expanding collection of Marvel: Crisis Protocol minis, and his ever growing Arkham Horror: The Card Game Collection.
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