Hello all! In order to make this easier to read (and, thus, respond to), I'm dividing it into sections. Feel free to skip the irrelevant ones, and please, any advice would be helpful!

Background : I've always liked the warhammer 40k universe, but I am not nearly a scholar of it. I've played all of the PC games (except for Soulstorm and Blood Bowl), but have never played the tabletop war game. Recently, though, I've been playing Deathwatch with some friends. It's only been two sessions so far, but I absolutely love it, and when I told some of my other friends about it they asked if I could run one. Well that sounded like tons of fun for me, so I decided I'd at least try to get one together. The problem is, this system is completely new to me. I'm still learning the ins and outs of it. I'm an experienced game master, having run eveything from 3.0 DnD to Paranoia, but with all the games I've run I've always made my own world. In this game a world already exists, and I fear that I may do it injustice. That's where you guys come in! Any advice you could give me with regards to flavor, theme, or even tactics would be appreciated.

My Campaign : I am planning on having pretty much my entire campaign revolve around defense of a single planet. This planet will have some Space Marines and a ton of Imperial Guard to defend it. The PCs will be commanded by an Imperial Guard commander (Governer General?) who has control over all the forces on the planet, though they will be seen sort of as advisers to him as well, so tactics and battle plans will be up for discussion, as will the missions the Kill Team will be taking. They will be fighting Orks, though the Deathwatch has been requisitioned because Tyranids are approaching and they need the extra firepower to fend them off. Furthermore, it will become apparent at some point during the campaign that the Eldar are somehow responsible for the Tyranid invasion (probably, they diverted them away from one of their own worlds, but I haven't decided yet), so they'll fight some Eldar as well. Also under wraps: the reason the planet is being so avidly defended is because of an alien artifact of immense power that was being excavated from it. Orks and Tyranids wouldn't know about something like that since it was kept strictly under wraps, but the Eldar might.

My Questions/What I need help with :

1) Firstly, if anything that I've described above conflicts with the way things actually are in the world, tell me. Maybe even a Governer General wouldn't dare try to order around the Deathwatch? Maybe the Eldar can't manipulate the Tyranids? I have a fair understanding of the game world, but it's not perfect; please tell me if there's anything I should be mindful of.

2) What sort of forces should I expect this Governer General (if that is indeed the title he should have) to have access to? i.e., for a planetary defense, about how many Imperial Guard and Space Marines should be there, including vehicles? Particularly if they're facing invasion from two separate alien forces (though they're obviously not working together)?

3) Is there a specific planet that would be interesting to play this scenario on? I was probably just going to make my own, but if an ideal planet already exists that might save me some time.

4) I was hoping to read some books st in the WH40k universe to get myself used to it. Any suggestions? In particular, ones that prominantly feature the Imperial Guard and/or Deathwatch would be ideal.

5) I have a player who really really really wants to play a Kasrkin (or, at the very least, a Vindicare Temple Assassin) instead of a Space Marine. Since it works for the setting I'm planning, I've given him a tentative okay...Is this a good idea? Or will he not mesh well power level wise with the Space Marines? Also, where can I find rules for playing a Kasrkin or Vindicare Temple Assassin? And how would having on in the party work with regard to the whole "requisition of equipment" thing? Are there stats for equipment that a Kasrkin or Assassin could use somewhere?

6) Any advice at all on how to run this game would be appreciated =)

Davian said:

2) Governor-Militant, if there is no planetary governor. How about the Governor-Militant and his stuff himself doesn't know for sure, how many? But they think they have good estimates...

1) A Governor-Militant can try if he has the chutzpe. Either that or the kill-team has been attached beneath his command. The Eldar can do a lot of things. However, if they can do that easily and on a regular basis, they have the power to crush whoever they want by sending the tyranids their way...

Alex

1.) I doubt anyone could manipulate the Tyranids, let alone the Eldar. And even if they could somehow cut off the Hive Mind's control of them, without that control the 'nids go feral and either burrow underground and hide or go into a frenzy and attack and eat anything they can get their claws & teeth on. Also, I'm pretty sure the Governor would be in charge here, remember that the Kill-Team is there by his request and the Space Marines don't just get to overrule the authority of anyone they want.

2.) There will be at least 1 Imperial Guard PDF (Planetary Defense Force) regiment, maybe more. I'm pretty sure that Guard regiments go where they are needed, same with Space Marines. Also, as far as I know typically you'll see only a single Company's forces, with detachments from the support companies (Scouts, Assault and Devastator Marines) unless it's an Apocalypse or Epic scale battle or if the battle is on a Chapter's world.

4.) Novels that I know of in regards to the Guard and Deathwatch are Gaunt's Ghosts and Ciaphas Cain novels for the Guard and the Deathwatch series for the Deathwatch (Wouldn't recommend the latter though, they aren't all that good and don't really heed the source material of the setting well.)

1) Hey mate, i am new to the GMing of Deathwatch to however i have the advantage of being a massive Warhammer Lore fan. So first of all to answer question 1, no the Imperial Guard would never ever order or question the Astates/Space Marines. They are the emperor's choosen and his will is spoken through them. The IG are their to serve the marines as cannon fodder more or less.

As for the Eldar manipulating the Tryanids it would be extermely unlikely as the Eldar hate the Nids more than the marines but it would be the case for example if the planet held a key artifact that the eldar needed to claim. Something you need to remember though is that Eldar do not live on planets, the live of massive Craftworlds and each section of the eldar race is defined by his Craftworld.

Be mindful of the way each race plays. Nids are controlled by their master creatures (synaps) and once they are dead they have no leader. These can be things like warriors, Hive tyrants, etc. Orks just have a thirst to kill and fight they care about nothing more than that and looting. Eldar are a master race and a very very sneaky one, They use their advanced tech pick off enemy's not assult them head of like the Orks and Nids

2) The name of the head of the Imperial Guard would normally be Commander General and the Governer would be a politician but thats not vitally important. The numbers of Marines would depend on the chapters you want their. Each chapter has a 100 troops so really up to you, but about 3 or 4 chapters would be sent to help... mostly likely the ultramarines leading them. As for Guard there numbers would be in the millions but they die like flies

3) Making your own up would be the best option i would suggest

4) I haven't read much Deathwatch stuff.... but for IG it has to be the Gaunt's ghoast series.... and i would seriously recommend the Horus heresy for sheer enjoyment

5) To inexperienced for this one sorry

6) make sure the players are having fun. If the love the lore get into the lore, they love the figths get into the fights, etc but i am sure you already know this

Daisuke said:

SPOILER

See Final Sanction.

Alex

Thank you all for your advice!

Just to clarify something though: with the whole "Eldar manipulating the tyranids" thing, I was referring to them managing to divert their course, not control them directly, and obviously that wouldn't be done through negotiation.

Also, a new question (though feel free to still answer the old ones): the artifact I mentioned. It's really just meant to be a McGuffin, but since I'll need an explanation are there any ideas of what kind of artifact would have such great importance?

Davian said:

An old abandoned entrance into the Eldar webway.

Hm...that would probably work, but I'd prefer if it were something a little different simply because that would immediately be a red flag to my players that the Eldar would probably be involved at some point in the game once they discovered it, and they may do that before I bring the Eldar in.

Daisuke said:

"Typically" I think you're right here- however on a newly liberated world you could be without PDF, and the Guard may leave regiments behind in order to protect the planet.

As for Space Marines, they deploy what they feel is neccesary to address the thread, though are very reluctant to send more than a company or handful of companies in because a defeat on that scale could permanantly cripple the chapter itself.

FWIW, there is a lot of stuff in the Deathwatch core book that discusses how planets function, what the role of Governor versus Governor Militant is, how the Guard and Marines deploy for battle, etc. It's totally worth reading up on, and can be very insightful. It also discusses the relationship of the DW and SMs with the Administration.

1) Alex nails this- the Governor would only order the DW around if he's got the charisma and the guts. I'd simply sit down and think about the politics of the situation you're presenting, it's definitely not impossible for you to come up with rationale as to why he'd be in charge. One idea could be to have the DW assign a Watch Captain or Commander to the Planet to assist with it's defense (it is under siege from foul xenos, after all). That Officer is essentially a peer of the Governor, and he is the one that orders around the Battle Brothers. Then you can please your need to give orders and satisfy the fluff nazis at the same time. What this also does is also adds the potential for politics here too- the DW is working side by side the Guard here but they have their own objectives, and sometimes those objectives may not sit well with the rest of the troops.

5) There are many threads on this. 100% possible, be ready to do double duty to make sure the Marines and the non-Marine get their fair share of screen time, and be aware that non-Marines are often squishy. But totally doable.

McGuffin: You could make it something like a Standard Template Construct (the Empire would spend tons of resources even if the STC was for a toaster), something old, something from the Mechanicus like the slightly overused Titan, an artifact of Chaos (see Dawn of War), something from pre-heresy days, the left toenail of the Emperor himself, some pre-great crusade human tech, necron monolith, etc. I'd just say if the Eldar were the ones trying to divert the Tyranids to the planet, it probably wouldn't be a Eldar artifact- why would they turn the Tyranids to the world to eat their stuff and possibly gain access to the webway (hmmm, how would that go I wonder). Not that I claim to totally understand Eldar, but it seems like if they diverted, they'd also help the humans raise the artifact then steal it away (if that's possible) or destroy it.

I have a few suggestions, and a little bit of lore that might (hopefully) help. Others have made the major points.

First off, reading the fluff in the Warhammer 40,000 minatures game rulebook would help you immensely. Alot of what I cover below is in that book, and in greater detail. There is also an IG ominbus, which $11 bucks for 700+ pages isn't a bad deal and encompasses what you want.

The planetary governor is frequently a complete inbred moron. A good source of tension might be the Kill-Team and a IG Lord General attempting to convince the governor that things are not alright, and that a regiment of IG and the PDF aren't going help. Players might go so far as to kill the Planetary governor (for cowardice, or wasting Imperial resources) and have to deal with the consequences. If they let him live a consequence could be the descending of the Shadow in the Warp before reinforcements can arrive (possibly dooming the planet).

It is possible that the Eldar might be attempting to get the Tyranids to avoid some of their pristine worlds (their name escapes me at the moment) and so lure them into attacking human planets. An ulterior motive for the Eldar might not actually be all that concerned with humans. They might just be attempting to get the Orks and the Tyranids to wear each other out, and the easiest place to make that happen could be your poor Imperial planet that is already infested with orks. A great way for the Eldar to divert the Tyranids would be for the Eldar to a few genestealers on a near by Hive planet (which is like an all you can eat buffet for the Tyranids). The fluff (I can't remember which books though) I think has several examples of this happening.

The Imperium responds to theats by proportional response. If a small ork warband attacks, a small IG force will arrive to counter (this is a simplification, but basically valid), a large ork force arrives, a large IG force arrives. The idea is that every part of the Imperium can handle minor threats on its own, but as the conflict spreads, so does the response, so eventually a planet deemed crucial to the Imperium might have Gargants and Titans battling it out as millions of troops march to their deaths below them.

There are so many parts of the Imperial war machine that I think you could have as many lackeys, functionaries, and diplomats with their own agends as you want. A mechanicus envoy in charge of the machines could a fun one to play with, then there is the IG, the PDF, the Navy, the Comissariat, the Adeptus Terra (worrying about maintaining a tithe able populous and factories), Navis Nobilitae (astropaths). The list could go on.

The McGuffin: Like in Dawn of War, you could always make it Necrons. Since the Eldar are deeply afraid/hate them, if the addition of the Deathwatch is causing them to wake up it could result in the Eldar attempting to kill the Deathwatch. Or An old war relic like Charmander suggested. In that IG omnibus there is a whole novel based around an IG force sent to recover a Baneblade tank for legendary general.

Good luck!

Davian said:

Dark Heresy and DH: Ascension will be needed to run a Stromtrooper or Vindicare. The Vindicare will be able to keep up with the marines easier, but if built properly a stormtrooper, while more squishy, should be able to hold his own in combat.

Both of these classes will have a lot more skills than the marines but cannot, especially the Stormtroper, take the same punishment.

Davian said:

Some of these points may have been made but you can't stress something too much so I'll just give my two cents on some of your questions; feel free to take them or ignore. (My numbers related to yours)

1.) Governor General could be a good title, titles are funny in that they are different based on the planet or any number of things. Use what sounds good and you'll be okay, though Lord General (If pure military) or Governor Militant (if political and military) are the most common. And unless ordered to follow his orders the Deathwatch would be under no obligation to do so though wouldn't be opposed to following his orders in the completion of their own mission if it aids them or does not hinder them. About the Eldar it is possible that they could find a way to lure the Tyranids, maybe even the artifact is of Eldar origins and when some Imperial agent turned it on accidentally it is what caused the Tyranids to come there (unbeknown to your players and the Imperium of course), and the Eldar are trying to get it back before the Swarm gets to it? It could be some kind of massive psychic resonator or something that has aided ship in navigating around the sector but now because some wires got crossed by a stupid adept it’s attracting the Tyranids and the Eldar have found it even though they lost it because its signal is bosted or something.

2.) As for the Governor’s power, normally he’d have full command of any PDF troops, probably 4-10 regiments depending on plant size; any added Imperial Guard would depend on how important the world is and could be an additional 2-5 regiments under command of a General or the Governor depending on what you want really. Any Space Marines other than the Deathwatch would be company strength at best, around a 100 and no more than 1 company from at most 2-3 different chapters, each under their own command really but they are likely to work with the General/Governor and each other. And your players Kill-team should be one of at most 2 on planet. I would say for every 2 Infantry Regiments you should have a armored regiment. Any Space Marine companies will have some armor, a few Dreadnaughts and some Rhinos and Predators, but they will be the property of that company.

3.) I always recommend creating a world unless you have one you know about and really like. Making up a world means you will never have to worry about a title or a name conflicting with the Cannon.

4.) The Guant’s Ghosts series is awesome, highly recommend it.

5.) You should try the Ascension book from Dark Heresy, I haven’t picked it up myself but I hear it’s got lots of good stuff about high end carriers like those. As far as the other player getting gear Rouge Trader stuff uses a system of requisition so it could apply to that player too.
Well, I hope some of that was helpful, lol.

Davian said:

Well first off since you are new to GMing and realitivly new to the 40k universe you should make one thing clear to your players. This is Your Game. Sometimes you will get these 40k scholars that have read every novel in exsistance and they want to challenge you at every turn, so in order to prevent that it is important to let them know whats whats. This is FICTION which means none of this is real so do what you want how you want.Now to your questions.

1) Govener vs Deathwatch as far as authority goes, well the Deathwatch are the chamber Militant of the Ordo Xenos of the Inquisition which pretty much hold authority on all but the High Lords of Terra, but I am sure he could point them in the right direction ect.(Or maybe he is something more then a Governer and his true rank is only known to the characters.) Eldar and tyranid maniputation, well The Eldar are good at having 2 enemies fight and just sitting back and watching, but if you wanted them actually controlling them well maybe an Eldar Farseerer used a forbidden form of warp manipulation and traped a Tyranid soul in a spirit shard. Using this they can controll tyranid with in a certain area ect. Or maybe they are Dark eldar and through many generations of breeding and manipulation they have created a new species of Tyranid that follow thier command.

2)As far as how many regements ect under his command that is all dependant on the world and its size really. Is it a full blown Imperial Capital or are we talking Hive world/high population Feudal world ect. Now as far as Space Marine Chapter is concerned it depends on the chapter as well and they really would not be taking orders from the Governer either , but once again maybe hes not just a governer. I have read some books and never really came across actual numbers that I can remeber, for game terms probably just determine the Horde Magnitude of the army and give an equal number of Imperial guard/PDF and space marines unless you want one side to have an advantage. The RT Supplement "Into the Storm" has some vehical information if looking for that.

3) You can get a list of Worlds of the Calaxis sector off of this website, just go into the Dark Heresy portion and maybe use that list as a guidline.

4)Scourge the Heretic was a novel that came out that kind of complemented Dark Heresy and can give you some perspective on day to day life in the imperium. Im sure Deathwatch has an Omnibus, if not the Grey Knight one is pretty good.

5)I think it was mentioned befor but DH ASCENTION is where you want to go for a Vindicare Assassin/Storm Trooper. As far as requisition if he is an assassin in the Inquisition the sky is the limit really, a Karskin has a very specific list of equipment maybe look at lexicanum.com for some insight.

6) It sounds like the campaign is going to revolve around the characters seeking out the Eldar or what ever is controlling the tyranids and taking it out. So maybe the Governer has some leads/intel on some areas to start and you write up a few and let them chose which to investigate.

Thanks again to all your suggestions!

I realize that because I want to get some immersion into the WH40k universe into this game I should know some of the official terms. "Governer Militant" etc. being the official title for the commander of a planetary force is a good example of that. Stuff that springs to mind that I'd like to know is:

Heirarchy titles for Imperial guard (do they use standard current military designations? If so, what do they use in addition to that?)

Official names referencing Tyranids ("Hive Fleet" is really the only one I know, are there more?)

Standard heirarchy of Ork armies (Anything other than "everyone's under the Warboss?")

Anything else that may be pertinent, including anything regarding the Chaos, since I'm toying with including them

Thanks again!

Davian said:

Imperial Guard: wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Imperial_Guard_Hierarchy

Tyranids: wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Tyranids (Note that the pages of the individual creatues have pseudo-specific species name like "Corporaptor hominis" for Genestealers which I use to underline the fact that the DW are trained experts on the field.)

Orks: wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Ork_Structure

Chaos: wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Chaos (further links at the bottom)

Alex

Planetary defense is great, and there are many planets (or make a new one) that fit that criteria in the DW corebook.

Firstly as a you are a new GM to the game, I would be very wary on stretching yourself so much at the start, and having too many factions as it can get bitty and complicated.

Firstly DW would be called in for Orc Invasion, they are Xenos after all. A good hook to get DW involved in would be the Kill Team have been sent to recover any of the following:

• Recovery of Gene Seed that was harvested by an Apothacary form his squad of 10 before he was overrun by Orks, and the team need to locate and return the Geneseed
• rumours of a Geneseed stored from pre-heresy times - this in itself would be an artefact - especially if the actual chapter is unknown
• Recovery of some "tech" that was lost when marines were killed on the planet
• The scale of the Orks is greater then first believed and DW have been called in to finish it off
• Discovery of an Eldar Webway - disturbingly it has recently began to hum, DW are called in to discover it.

Once the KT is on the planet, you can they incorporate the Tyrinids, perhaps their transport craft becomes under fire from the Tyrinids, and as such breaks orbit to get the message to the Watch Fortress.

At this point the KT is stuck planetside particulalry as the tyrinid swarm arrives. As true veterans of the Xenos threat their option is to team up with the Governor Militant to put together a defence campaign.

What ou have here is an opportunity for the SMs to use differing tactics to keep the city secure whilst they await reinforcements. If you want to introduce the Eldar, it may be that they want to both work with and against the Tyrinid/Orks, perhaps there is something significant on the planet that the Eldar need and try and manipulate DW/Orks/Tyrinid.

All in all I doubt the fourth faction is needed here, but its your game.

I recomend Final Sanction Freebie as a read, and the sequel, both very good adventures.

Alright, well first of all thank you all for your help it's been great in guiding me in shaping my campaign. Here is what I've got so far, so if there are any comments or criticisms at this stage don't hesitate to voice them:

The Kill Team has been requisitioned by Governor-Militant Gabriel Morrow in the defense of the planet Haven (a planet similar to Earth in terrain types and life support) from a persistent Orkish invasion. The planet is being defended by one IG PDF and 4 chapters of Space Marines (Ultramarines certainly, and then probably the Space Wolves, Blood Angels, and Storm Wardens). On their way to the planet they will receive urgent orders to immediately deploy via pod to protect a vitally important command post that is currently under attack. When they arrive the place will be in sorry shape. There are still some squads of Guardsmen and maybe a heavy weapons team alive, but the CO has been killed and the IG are in disarray. The Kill Team will take command and drive the Orks back, at which point they will be transported to meet with Gabriel, who will inform them that they are under his command and will be following his orders from here on out. He will also appoint the Vindicare Temple Assassin to travel with them under the pretense that he has knowledge of the planet, but really to keep an eye on the Kill Team to ensure his orders are followed. The campaign will then progress with the Kill Team pushing the Orks back from the command post they originally dropped near and retaking other scattered posts throughout the planet.

The nature of these command posts won't be immediately apparent, but eventually their purpose will come to light: each of the command posts houses in secret an underground research station, each with built over mysterious nodes that were discovered underground when the planet was first colonized. These nodes, Eldar in origin, seem to thrum with psionic energy. Psykers and scientists have been studying them until the sudden (and unrelated) Orkish invasion. During a mission where one of these nodes is being defended, however, something seems to activate it, which causes all other nodes to also activate. The planet itself is a forgotten artifact of great power capable of...something. I need some help with that issue. I want it to be something related to psionics/the Warp, maybe something that can tame demons or send psionic shockwaves across long distances or something. Something that no race would want to fall into another's hands, but any race would want. The planets activation unfortunately is very easy for psykers to notice given the nature of the artifact, and thus it attracts the Eldar, Chaos, and Tyranids to the planet (though not all at once, they would come in waves. Eventually, however, they would all be vying for the planet at the same time). At this point, the Kill Team would be working both to fend off the oncoming invasion long enough to allow reinforcements to arrive (probably another IG PDF) as well as to oversee and protect demolition teams deployed to the nodes who are tasked with rigging up explosives at key points in order to destroy the entire planet in case it is overrun.

All in all, I think that the backof the campaign is relatively simple. Protect the McGuffin planet from aliens/mutants/heretics, kill kill kill fight fight fight etc. There are, however, a few things that I'm not sure are detailed anywhere that I still have questions about. First of all, I want the PCs to have the ability to requisition Imperial Guard for some or all of their missions, both Guardsmen and armor as well as Space Marines. How would this be done/would this be a good idea? I want the players to feel like they're not just badass soldiers, but badass commanders who can give orders to lowly guardsmen and shape the course of a battle by commanding units of soldiers in addition to using their own abilities. At the same time, however, I don't want them to be able to simply requisition a Lemon Russ tank or two and sit back and watch the fireworks. Any advice or known rules on balancing something like this?

Davian said:

Depending on how you've introduced the characters to the world and how much of the book they've read, be prepared for pushback from the players. Now if you've planned for this, make it in character and you've got a good oppoertunity to let players experiment with how their characters would feel being assigned to 'report to' a Governor Militant rather than the traditional DW command structure. Then if their DW commanders confirm the Governor's information, how do they handle it then.

Davian said:

Remember the KTs are better equipped to do certain missions- when a certain mission is thought of, perhaps giving the characters/players an idea of costs in manpower. Sure you can take the compound with a batallion of IG troopers, but the losses would be high, whereas a KT could get it, kill the base's power system to disable the void generators, get out, then let the Leman Russ' mop up. There will always be things the KT is better suited for, and I'd suggest having the commanders, or other Space Marines, eyeball and talk in hushed tones about the KT and their honor/ability if they start making other people do all of their work for them. That's not to say calling in the guard won't be the right course of action from time to time, but don't let it always be the solution.

Also remember the KT is a specialized military force, so tune the adventures where they're going into to do the dirty work towards that.

A last note- in some cases, the fluff indicates that full scale ground wars are engaged in when there are targets on the ground that would be too valueable to let disintegrate in a planetary bombardment or exterminatus. Given this, I'm pretty sure there would also be targets where calling in the guard, or even standard marines, could cause too much collateral damage, and high command can say that the target must be taken in one piece, which can be especially annoying to characters if the enemy takes a scorched earth approach.

Overall, it's good, but there are a few minor things that could be improved upon, IMO.

Davian said:

Four chapters is a considerable amount, and normally only warranted in dire situations or extremely important worlds. I'd either say reduce the number of Chapters involved and/or reduce the numbers down to contingents from the chosen Chapters (anywhere from a few squads to a company or so). Alternatively, if the world is more important (whether because of something it produces, or because of its strategic location), it would justify a much larger presence. I'd also suggest diversifying the Chapters involved - there are approximately a thousand Astartes Chapters in the galaxy, and most Chapters are spread thin intervening in conflicts all across the galaxy (the Blood Angels in particular are notable for spreading themselves thinly between many conflicts).

Davian said:

I wouldn't necessarily present it as an order, so much as a call for assistance. The Deathwatch don't really fall in the normal Chain of Command, so an urgent call for help is more likely to click with the nature of a Deathwatch Killteam.

Davian said:

I can see an opportunity here for some tense negotiations and a bit of roleplaying - the Governor-Militant attempting to exert authority over the Deathwatch, when he doesn't necessarily have the right to do so, and whether or not the Killteam will acquiesce to him...

It becomes more complicated if the Governor-Militant is a Rogue Trader (as he actually does have the sort of power needed to back up his commands), or there's an Inquisitor present supporting his efforts.

Davian said:

Personally, I tend to have a lot of issues with Officio Assassinorum Operatives being handed out left, right and centre; technically, they can only be deployed by a majority vote of the High Lords of Terra to perform a specific task. Having one running around as "local guide/spy for the Governor" seems a little petty for my tastes.

Davian said:

It's a fine line. One thing to remember is that the Deathwatch are essentially special forces, even by the standards of normal Adeptus Astartes units. They get the difficult missions, the objectives that can only be performed by a small group of exceptionally-potent warriors. If they're doing that, it's difficult to also be stood amongst the massed ranks of the Imperial Guard giving orders. The trick, as far as I can see, is to give them a place in the strategy and planning side of the pre-battle, setting things in motion, determining where the men will deploy and what they need to do at particular times... so that the battle itself continues under its normal chain of command, operating a plan directed by the Killteam, while the Killteam itself performs a distinct, but linked and crucial objective ("The 116th Semtexian Bombardiers will commence heavy bombardment of the enemy command centre, providing cover to allow the 12th Cadian Mechanised Infantry and the 104th Armageddon Armoured to advance. The armoured drawbridge over the Arantis River is currently retracted, preventing a crossing - we'll deal with that before you get there, and then move on to start disabling the command centre's defences.")

In short, every battle that you want to include subordinate allies in should have two facets - the overview, the grand conflict that can only be achieved through massive amounts of men and firepower, and the behind-the-scenes objective that needs swift, overwhelming and precise force to achieve and which is crucial to the success of the bigger battle. That way, the players are doing something important, and when they triumph, it's down to their involvement.