Charged with safeguarding humanity from the ever-encroaching threat of Xenos species, the Deathwatch warriors are drawn from every Space Marine chapter and brought together to form the ultimate alien extermination force.
Cloaked in black armor with a silver left arm, the Deathwatch fight the enemies of mankind with unparalleled skill, precision, and adaptability.
Join us as we delve into the origins, strengths, and strategies that define this extraordinary brotherhood of Xenos hunters.
Who Are The Deathwatch?
The Deathwatch are a specialized, elite chapter of Space Marines formed under the banner of the Ordo Xenos, the branch of the Inquisition tasked with dealing with Xenos threats.
Unlike other chapters, the Deathwatch is not composed of a single lineage of Space Marines but is instead an amalgamation of warriors selected from every Space Marine chapter.
Each Battle-Brother in the Deathwatch serves on temporary detachment from their parent chapter, bringing unique skills, tactics, and knowledge to the fight against the alien scourge.
Key elements of Deathwatch culture include:
- Kill Teams: Unlike other Space Marine units, Deathwatch forces are organized into small, hyper-specialized units called Kill Teams. These teams are designed for maximum flexibility – composed of Marines with varied roles.
- Xenos Tactics: Every Marine in the Deathwatch is a seasoned veteran of countless campaigns. They have extensive knowledge of how to hunt and destroy various Xenos species such as Tyranids, Orks, Eldar, and Necrons. Their gear and tactics are optimized for this purpose.
- Inquisition Ties: Serving closely with the Inquisition, the Deathwatch is often deployed on covert, high-risk missions, operating in the shadows to neutralize alien threats before they become too great.
What Are The Deathwatch Army Strengths?
The Deathwatch are famed for their versatility, adaptability, and specialized abilities against Xenos enemies.
Their key strengths include:
- Flexible Kill Teams: The core of any Deathwatch army is its customizable Kill Teams, allowing for an impressive range of unit loadouts. A single team can include veterans equipped for melee, long-range combat, and anti-tank duties, providing unmatched adaptability on the battlefield.
- Specialist Ammunition: Deathwatch bolters are loaded with unique ammunition types (e.g., Hellfire, Kraken, Vengeance), each designed to tackle different threats, from high-armor targets to hordes of weaker enemies. This flexibility allows them to switch up tactics in the heat of battle.
- Veteran Skills: Deathwatch units are often composed of veteran Space Marines with superior stats, allowing them to withstand enemy fire and deliver devastating counterattacks. Their experience and elite status make them deadly in every phase of the game.
Their drawbacks include:
- Small Numbers: Due to the elite nature of the Deathwatch, they are often outnumbered by their foes. This means every unit needs to perform optimally, as losing even a single model can be a significant blow to your force.
- High Cost: Their specialized nature means that Deathwatch armies tend to be points-heavy, so careful selection of units and strategic play is essential.
Where Should Beginners Start?
For newcomers to the Deathwatch, it’s essential to build a flexible yet balanced army to maximize their adaptability. Here are some of the most useful units to begin with:
- Deathwatch Veterans: The backbone of the Deathwatch, Veterans are highly customizable and can be equipped with a variety of weapons to deal with any threat. This unit teaches new players about loadout flexibility and unit roles.
- Primaris Kill Team: A powerful unit that combines the new Primaris Marines with classic Deathwatch tactics. The squad can include Intercessors, Reivers, and Aggressors, allowing you to field a well-rounded force of elite warriors.
- Corvus Blackstar: The iconic flyer of the Deathwatch, the Corvus Blackstar is an excellent addition for both transport and fire support. For new players, these units show the value of air superiority and maneuverability on the battlefield.
- Dreadnoughts: Units like the Chaplain Dreadnought combine resilience with heavy firepower and can dish out damage while drawing attention away from more vulnerable units. They’re great for learning about heavy armor and battlefield control.
Starting with these units will provide a strong foundation for learning Deathwatch’s tactical depth, from small elite squads to flexible firepower.
How To Paint Deathwatch
Painting Deathwatch models allows you to experiment with rich contrasts, metallic highlights, and intricate details. Here are some popular techniques and schemes for bringing your Deathwatch warriors to life.
Color Scheme Ideas
Obsidian Hunters
- Base Color: Abaddon Black. The primary armor color, representing the Deathwatch’s stealth and elite specialization in covert xenos-hunting operations.
- Shading: Nuln Oil. In the recesses and panel lines to deepen the shadows, emphasizing the black armor’s sleek, covert appearance.
- Highlights: Eshin Grey. For subtle edge highlights, providing contrast without making the armor too bright, maintaining a shadowy look.
- Accent Colors: Leadbelcher. For the left arm (which bears the Deathwatch symbol), shoulder pad trims, weapons, and other metallic details, adding a cool industrial contrast against the black armor.
- Additional Accent: Mephiston Red. On lenses, purity seals, and chapter insignia, adding a sharp, striking contrast that draws attention to key details.
- Highlight for Accents: Stormhost Silver. For edge highlighting metallic parts like weapons, shoulder pads, and other details, giving them a polished, elite finish.
This scheme is a classic Deathwatch look, focusing on black armor with silver and red accents to reflect their elite status and ties to multiple chapters.
Inquisitor’s Wrath
- Base Color: Corvus Black. A very dark gray-black for the armor, giving a more worn and battle-tested look while still maintaining the Deathwatch’s covert identity.
- Shading: Agrax Earthshade. To add depth and a slightly grimy, battle-hardened look to the armor, reflecting the Deathwatch’s extensive combat experience against xenos threats.
- Highlights: Dawnstone. For sharp edge highlights, giving the armor a slightly weathered, well-used appearance while still defining its edges.
- Accent Colors: Brass Scorpion. For metallic parts like the left arm, shoulder pad trims, and weapon details, providing a warm metallic contrast to the cold black armor.
- Additional Accent: Khorne Red. For eye lenses, purity seals, and insignia, adding a darker, more menacing red contrast that emphasizes their role as ruthless Xenos hunters.
- Highlight for Accents: Runefang Steel. For metallic highlights, giving weapons and bionics a sharp, battle-ready look.
This scheme gives the Deathwatch a grittier, more battle-worn feel, perfect for reflecting their role as the Imperium’s elite xenos exterminators who operate in the darkest, most dangerous battlefields.
Shadow’s Edge
- Base Color: Leadbelcher. For a metallic, silver-based armor that still connects to the Deathwatch’s industrial aesthetic, but with a brighter, more reflective look.
- Shading: Nuln Oil. To add depth in the recesses and joints, giving the metallic armor a dark, shadowy feel while keeping the overall brightness of the silver.
- Highlights: Stormhost Silver. For edge highlights on the armor, adding a sharp, polished finish to make the Deathwatch look like a shining force in the grimdark universe.
- Accent Colors: Abaddon Black. On shoulder pad trims, weapon casings, and the chapter insignia, giving a dark contrast that enhances the metallic armor.
- Additional Accent: Caliban Green. On eye lenses, purity seals, and chapter insignia, providing a deep, cool contrast to the bright armor.
- Highlight for Accents: Auric Gold. For trim highlights on weapons and some shoulder pads, adding a regal, refined finish to emphasize the Deathwatch’s elite status.
This scheme offers a brighter, more polished take on the Deathwatch, with reflective metallic armor, dark accents, and bold green highlights to create a unique and elite appearance for these xenos hunters.
Deathwatch Painting Techniques
Below, we have added some techniques to help you bring out the unique elements of your Deathwatch units:
- Edge Highlighting: Since the Deathwatch armor is primarily black, edge highlighting is crucial for adding depth and making the model visually striking. Use a lighter gray, such as Dawnstone, for subtle but effective highlighting.
- Metallic Shading: The silver left arm is a defining feature of Deathwatch Marines. After base coating it with Leadbelcher, use Nuln Oil to add depth and shadow, followed by a sharp highlight with Stormhost Silver. This gives your units a gritty, battle-worn look.
- Detail Work: Deathwatch models often feature intricate details like chapter insignia, weaponry, and purity seals. Use Screaming Skull or Wraithbone for parchment, and add a wash of Agrax Earthshade to bring out the writing details.
- Freehand Symbols: On the right shoulder, many Deathwatch Marines bear their original chapter symbols. Carefully paint these chapter insignias to add individuality to your models.
With these painting techniques and color schemes, you’ll create a force that stands out on the tabletop with their iconic black-and-silver color scheme, proudly displaying their varied chapter heritage. The Deathwatch embody the Imperium’s ultimate weapon against the alien threat, and with a beautifully painted army, their lethal reputation will be evident before they even fire a shot.
Image Attribution
Image 1 – Deathwatch (https://www.deviantart.com/gray-skull/art/Deathwatch-868756861) by Gray-Skull (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/)
Image 2 – Deathwatch vs Aeldari (https://www.goodfon.com/fantasy/wallpaper-download-1920×1080-warhammer-40-000-death-watch-space-marines-xenos-eldar-avata.html) by maria345 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)
Image 3 – Deathwatch Imperial Fist Dreadnought (https://www.deviantart.com/atticus83/art/Deathwatch-Imperial-Fist-Dreadnought-271179916) by Atticus83 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/)
