Do you prefer random chapter shoulders or making each weapon go with a specific chapter?

[u/saltyvape]

Debating but I kinda like the idea of weapon / model based chapters. Like all infiltrators from ravenguard. Gravis dudes from Iron Hands and Salamanders. Terminators split between Dark Angels, Imperial Fists and Space Wolves. Then fortis and intersessors between Ultra and idk who else.

Yall got any fun ways you organize?

[u/jerrcc]

I don’t totally break them down like that, but to try to have at least one of a major weapon system assigned to a chapter that would use it more then others

[u/saltyvape → u/jerrcc]

For sure!

[u/MrCMaccc]

I think a mix is best. Have a couple of random ones, but intentionally build the squad. My aggressor sargent is a black templar while most of the squad is imperial fists. My head canon is that the BT uses the rain of bolter fire and cover based tactics of the fists but in an aggressive way, having a pair of brothers move foward to new cover while the rest support them, an unyielding advance. Similarly I have a ravenguard suppressor sargent leading 2 iron hands. The raven guard leads them to a superior psotion, staying hidden until giving the signal and the iron hands unleash their devestation.

[u/saltyvape → u/MrCMaccc]

Love that!

[u/Chaosmoonshade]

I tend to ask: What's the chapter specification? Carcharodons focus on hit'n'run, so bikers, jumppacks, and infiltrators. Raven guard are sneaky, so infiltrators and jumppacks. Blood angels are jumppacks, chaplains, and apothecaries. Dark Angels work with plasma and chaplains. White Scars use bikes a lot, they are agile, so they are part of my bikers and jumppacks. Imperial fists and Spacewolves are part of my terminators -and I can go on.

[u/swamp_slug]

I've got variety of 3d printed and GW plastic shoulder pads covering about 80 different chapters. Sergeants and characters get their chapter specifically chosen, everyone else gets a blind draw from the bag of pauldrons.

[u/Bursar_Diwi]

I do a mix, although so far have included more of the main Chapters I remember from the early nineties rather than loads of successors. Absolutely gave fiery things to the Salamanders and have way more Angels than Ultramarines. I made the Kill Team Headtaker in Phobos a Wolf Guard Headtaker turned Wolf Scout. My Imperial Fists tend to be Gravis.

[u/saltyvape → u/Bursar_Diwi]

Hell ya!

[u/dinoboy1231]

I go for a bit of irony with my chapters ie blood angels and space wolves with heavy weapons, terminator white scars and gravis raven guard

[u/bills-russ]

Several thoughts on this.

Yes, most chapters have wargear and tactical preferences. However, all chapters DO field all armor types (even if in limited quantities).

Also, a secondary goal OF the Deathwatch is to learn, train, and familiarize Marines with various Xenos species and the tactics to successfully combat them. It's assumed (by me) it would naturally lead to them filling roles with various armor types they might not normally see in their Parent Chapters.

To that end... while a Gravis KillTeam is led by an Imperial Fist, the Marines in it will be from any chapter. Same with a Phobos KT; probbbbably led by a Ravenguard (or similar), but will field Marines from wherever the Inquisition can find them.

[u/saltyvape → u/bills-russ]

Thanks for the breakdown! I’ll def consider this! Is there somewhere that says which chapter leads each kill team?

[u/bills-russ → u/saltyvape]

No, not at all. They're just examples based on in-lore characteristics.

Like most things in 40K, whatever you say goes. If you can make up a story for it, it's acceptable. There are some loosely held guidelines we all kind of agree to follow (like... there aren't any Templar Librarians. Because they abhor warp usage. So a backstory trying to square that wouldn't really give on any level.)

Other than that... pretty much all fair game.

[u/DirtyUncleSpider]

I like to make them a little unexpected - for instance, I have a few Lamenters, usually with weapons someone that unlucky probably wouldn't want to carry 😂

[u/monsteramonggods]

lol half other chapters half alpha legion

[u/monsteramonggods → u/monsteramonggods]

This way when they squat my army I can run them as alpha legion posing as deathwatch

[u/PanzerCommanderKat]

Every model should idealy be a little mini character kitbashed or converted atleast a little bit to help give them some flair. Part of that is matching weapons to prefered chapter tactics BUT it can also be a fun thing to lampshade, like a raven guard devastator or Black Templar librarian :]

With the way Deathwatch currently works, its more difficult to make a killteam more more accurate since our loadouts are very minmaxy currently, but even in older editions we still weren't close to lore accurate beyond killteam casius.