I'm going to be playing my first Deathwatch game and fell in love with the Ultramarines Tactical Marine. I've always had a love for the Ultramarines, and when I saw the Tactical Marine...well, I had to play one. To make my decision even more solid, I noticed the Tyranic War Vet option as history and new I had a chance to paint my Tyranic War Vet model.

Ok, now to the question. Based off my starting skills, power armour history (lead from the front), Fellowship stat, and the Favoured Sons (I get a starting cohesion of 9, if I'm the team leader, and that's looking to be my roll in the kill-team). Also, the chapter squad modes allow all battle-brothers in my squad to use my chapter squad modes and I don't see the need for the ability to allow my squad members to use my chapter specific squad modes. Am I reading this correctly? I want to make sure that my decision to take the Bolter option (+10 BS and +2 damage while in solo mode) is the one I should take, because of my chapter squad modes already allowing my battle-brothers to use my chapter squad modes.

i dont see anything where ultra marines get to allows non ultras to use their chapter modes for free or without a roll. if you want them to gain the benefits of your chapter mode, you need that second ability.

Seianus said:

There are some Deeds that allow for either the Attack or the Defense.

MexicanNinja said:

Nope. The group I GM has an Ultra Tactical with Tactical Expertise and his Lead By Example is annoying to no end. But he needs the Tactical Expertise or else his squad mode ability only grants the general bonus to fellow Ultramarines and he can assign the reroll to a fellow Ultramarine only. With TacX, assuming he succeeds the command roll eventually (I rule that if he fails, he can try again after paying Cohesion again of which he can generate an ungodly amount, really), he can extend the bonus to every marine and he can assign one re-roll (that's like expending a fate point!) per turn. My group has not used any other squad mode ability during Oblivion's Edge.

As a consequence I have ruled that the Ultramarine must announce at the start of his turn who will be assigned a re-roll in the upcoming round (until his next own turn) and not assign it when needed to another SM.

So it is useful. Not for Rallying Cry but it makes Lead By Example a very powerful Squad Mode ability. In OE, when the Tyranid Prime was about to charge the group, the Dev with his Heavy Bolter rolled an 89 or so. That would have hardly hurt the monster. But after a LBE re-roll, he had like 8 degrees of success and then it only had like 15 wounds left and promptly got eliminated by the Ultra Tac and his Hellfire ammo'd Bolter right before it could charge. Very annoying for the GM.

Alex

By letter of the rules, you need that Tactical Expertise ability for everyone to use your Squad abilities; even as team leader. There are some ways around it in Rites of Battle, though.

Bolter Expertise is a bit of a waste as the squad lead, to my mind. When are you not going to be in squad mode? You're not doing your job as team lead if you spend a large amount of time not actually leading!

Thank you, everyone, I just misread the rulings. Appreciate the help and guidance.