Re: Deathwatch in SC?

Posted by MortiS-the-Lost on Nov 29, 2011; 1:35pm
URL: http://the-lost-and-the-damned.71.s1.nabble.com/Deathwatch-in-SC-tp7042178p7042849.html

Lumberjack wrote

Why are the Deathwatch not present in SC? They are the Xenos Hunters of the Imperium and opperate in a kill team set up.

As Messy has pointed out we were looking into doing Deathwatch for Space Crusade for the exact same reasons.

We read over the Deathwatch 40k rules and decided the only thing they really had going for them was the Special Ammo Types

Here's roughly how we thought they'd work in Space Crusade

Hell Fire Rounds
in Heavy Bolter: Fires like the Missile Launcher and then needs reloading (Scouts have this as standard in Space Crusade anyway)
in Regular Bolter: 4 Square Area of Effect, roll individually for each target  

Stalker Shells 
Stalker Shells would have no additional effects compared to that of normal bolter rounds in the in closed spaces of a Space Hulk interior (The Death Watch rules in Chapter Approved 2003 says they are used in conjunction with a targeter which all Marine Squads can have anyway)

Metal Storm Rounds
Allows Bolters to make Split Fire attacks, but only against targets adjacent to each other.
Same effect for the Heavy Bolter

Kraken Bolts 
+1 to damage but only if you've already rolled higher than or equal to the target's AV (note 'equal to' representing armour piercing)
Same effect for the Heavy Bolter

These rules might sound good but consider that all your Bolter Marines must take the same ammo and it's a waste of equipment cards, card set wise as each Space Crusade Squad chooses 4 equipment cards out of a deck of 8 and once you take 1 Special Ammo Type you can't use another one unless you take the Heavy Bolter and then you can only take a 2nd one.
Which brings me to another point; Heavy Bolter + Special Ammo = mostly pointless ...

While a Heavy Bolter with Hell Fire Rounds is useful to Squads that don't have access to a Missile Launcher (Scouts and Sisters of Battle), a Squad that can take a  Missile Launcher might as well just take it instead as Hell Fire Rounds use up an Equipment Card 'slot' and all they do is turn the Heavy Bolter into a slow loading Missile Launcher.

Metal Storm Rounds would give the Heavy Bolter an effect similar to the Autocannon but with limited targeting. Might as well just take the Autocannon and save the Equipment Card 'slot'

Kraken Bolts would make the Heavy Bolter very effective against things with high AV like Genestealers and Dreadnoughts, but there are plenty of other Heavy Weapons capable of doing just as much, if not more damage – again might as well just take a different weapon and save the Equipment Card 'slot'

The solution to all this was to have 1 Equipment Card which allows you to choose 1 of the 3 ammo types for your Bolters (note that Stalker Shells are useless in Space Crusade)

as for the other Equipment cards

The Death Watch rules in Chapter Approved 2003 lists Suspensors, so we decided they should have Suspensors and other than that use Ultra Marines Cards dropping Medikit and Bolt Pistols to make room for Suspensors and Special Ammo

Order Cards would be all the standard Ultra Marine ones

OK now I'll run though your suggestions

Lumberjack wrote

"Suffer not the Alien to live"
Any Alien attempting to attack a Deathwatch attacks with one less die.
This stays in play for the rest of the game.

You're like our own private Matt Ward you know – this is far too powerful to an effect to remain in play.
The Blood Angels 'Close Assault Blades' Equipment card has a similar effect: “All your Marines with Bolters may attack diagonally in hand-to-hand combat. Opponents roll one die less (the strongest one) than normal in hand-to-hand combat against them. Remains in use for the entire mission.” but bare in mind you need to be in the right position to use it.
"Suffer not the Alien to live" would however make a good name for an Order Card which allowed Re-rolls in Shooting or Close Combat for 1 turn – maybe 'Close Assault!' or 'By Section!' could be dropped in favour of this.

Lumberjack wrote

"Tyranic War Veteran"
Your Comander was an Ultramarine in the Tryanic Wars so gets an extra dice against Tryanid's in Assault.

This is silly – Ultramarines don't get this why should Death Watch ?

Lumberjack wrote

"Know thy enemy"
As experts in Xenos warefare the Deathwatch will know the difference between a Chaos marine and an Alien so may reveal the closest Blip (1 per turn)

The Ultramarines 'Bio Scanner' Equipment Card (which Death Watch would get if they were re-worked from Ultramarines as me and Messy were discussing) has a similar and much more versatile effect “At the beginning of each of your turns you may inspect three blip tokens anywhere on the board to see what they are. Remains in use for the entire mission.” also the way you've worded it makes me think you might not understand the concept of a Blip (which I'm sure you do)

Lumberjack wrote

"Seal of the Inquisiton"
Order Card
Due to the high priority of the mission the team may shoot or move twice this turn.
Discard after use.

I'll just point out that this covers the effects of 'Move it!', 'By Section' and 'Fire' all in 1 card and is thus too powerful


Over all you've got some interesting suggestions here, but please get used to the game and learn the rules a little better before you start writing your own rules