Greetings, Deathwatch fans!

During the development of Deathwatch, it quickly became clear that Space Marines would not find a single Tau Fire Warrior or even a small group of Heretics or Mutants to be any threat. Space Marines, after all, are the galaxy’s supreme warriors, and to bring that across in the Deathwatch RPG, we needed to present worthy adversaries!

Naturally, the Deathwatch RPG presents some major threats that, on their own, are definitely a challenge for an entire Kill-team of Space Marines—such as the fearsome Tyranid Hive Tyrant. In addition, Deathwatch presents a new set of mechanics to make a group of lesser enemies into a dangerous force known as a Horde.

A Serried Tide of Foes

In addition to presenting a new way for Space Marines to fight their enemies, the Hordes mechanic was created to make the GM’s job easier. Using a Horde, the GM has a simple and easy-to-use toolbox to present a large number of similar enemies without having to keep track of every single one’s own Initiative or Wounds. I definitely plan to expand on the Hordes mechanics in future Deathwatch products, so read on for more information on what Hordes are all about!

Defining a Horde

Whenever a group of lesser enemies comes together into a coherent group, the Game Master may designate them as a Horde. The main idea is that a Horde consists of 10 or more lesser enemies who have banded together and are combining their efforts against the Kill-team. A Horde has several advantages. First, when a Horde attacks, there are so many individual blows, wild swings, and shots fired that it is impossible to avoid them all. Thus, a Horde’s attacks cannot be dodged or parried under normal circumstances. Secondly, because a Horde is composed of mutliple enemies, their basic attacks gain a bonus to damage.

For instance, a heretic’s autopistol would be a negligible weapon against a Space Marine; however, if there are thirty heretics all firing at the same target, it is possible for their autopistol rounds to find a ***** in the Space Marine’s armour or strike a vital location. The exact definition of how this extra damage is caused can be as simple as the volume of fire, or the GM may choose to describe it in any way he likes; the GM may decide that some of the heretics have slightly better-quality weapons or ammunition just as one example.

Breaking a Horde

Hordes also suffer damage differently than a single opponent... Hordes possess Magnitude, not Wounds, representing the general size of the enemy group. When a Space Marine attacks a Horde, he may be cutting down several opponents with each swing of his chainsword, or raking his bolter fire across the entire front rank of his foes. For a Horde, you do not calculate damage normally; it is assumed that each hit from a Space Marine’s weapon slays one enemy within the Horde, and thus reduces its magnitude.

Of course, weapons that are good at inflicting damage to multiple foes do especially well against Hordes, Blast and Flame weapons among them. In addition, there are certain special abilities, Talents, and additional weapon Qualities that all have additional effects on a Horde.

Once a Horde has been reduced to a fraction of its original Magnitude, there is a chance the Horde will Break. When a Horde Breaks, it is no longer considered a Horde, but instead a confused mass of individuals who no longer gain any of the benefits of being a Horde...easy prey for the Space Marines!

Hordes can also be improved; they have qualities of their own that can be applied. Here is one example of a Horde quality:

Blood Soaked Tide (Horde)
The horde with this trait is teetering on the brink of madness. These bloodthirsty madmen thrive on the slaughter of battle. When the horde fails a Willpower test to avoid being broken, or would have broken automatically (see Breaking a Horde on page 360 in this chapter), it is not broken, but instead gains the Fearless and Frenzy Talents.

The Devastator Marine

This week’s designer diary includes a special preview of the Deathwatch RPG! I am pleased to present a glimpse at the Devastator Marine Speciality, one of the many roles your Space Marine can take in his Deathwatch Kill-team.