Hey there, I'm a longtime DH vet just getting into DW and I had a question. I'm rolling with an AM who swings around a large phallic substitute in the form of a two-handed weapon.

I have two questions. First, Storm Shields in the TT can be used with Relic Blades and other such "two handed" weapons. There is nothing in the Storm Shield entry of DW to indicate you cannot use a two hander with them, however there is the mention in Combat Shield which states that they give you the added flexibility of a free hand. So my first question is: can you wield a two hander with a Storm Shield?

My second question relates to both shields. These are simultaneously "Fields" as well as physical weapons with which you can parry. However, neither has the Power Field special quality, which seems strange. Especially for the Storm Shield, and the Combat Shield as well, a weapon exclusively used to parry which is essentially useless against parrying Power Weapons seems both silly and anti-fluff. Does the Field generator within the shields provide immunity? So my second question is, are the Storm Shield and Combat Shield susceptible to destruction at the hands of a Power Field?

Thanks for the insight, folks.

The answer to the first question im pretty sure is that Storm Shields take a hand to wield, combat shields do not. so combat shields and relic blades are acceptable, storm shields and relic blades is a nono.

As to the second question, Power Field weapons only have a chance to destroy a weapon that they parry, not if a weapon parries them. therefore as long as you aren't trying to hit the enemy with your combat shield, the enemy cant parry it, and it cannot be destroyed by a power field. The reason storm shields don't have power field is because if they did they would destroy practically every weapon that anyone tried to hit you with

Good catch on the wording of the Power Field quality, I always assumed the pendulum swung both ways but now I see you are correct. So they're safe from destruction as they parry.

As far as the Storm Shield goes, I read up a little more and I guess I agree with you, they probably are the only thing you can hold with their wielding arm. The rules for the TT and the RPG tend to conflict on some small points anyway, so I'll chalk this up to their differences. I confess that was a touch of greed on my part, but I'm fine with my AM using only a Combat Shield. The Field portion is pretty weak, but I'm using it mainly for the parry chance anyway since 2handers tend to preclude that.

1) No. That would be absurd. You cannot use a storm shield and a two hander. Although as per the rules and clarification from the author, you CAN use a two-hander and a combat shield. It doesn't make a bit of sense to me either, but there you go.

2) Also remember that there's a bit of abstraction at play here: The shields have a power shield/field thing that gives a flat percentage of stopping a blow, without needing to make a parry roll.

Well going along with this the combat shield (table top fluff wise) is mounted onto the forearm of the armor which is why the hand is free.

So yes, 2H and Combat shield is fine. As is Two Weapon wielder (melee and pistol) and a combat shield. Most pairings of the combat shield are with a unbalanced or unwieldy weapon so you can still maintain a semblance of defense.

As for Storm Shield and a 2H weapon I would only allow it if you are in terminator armor. Thunderhammer/Storm Shield is a classic assault terminator.

It is, but Thunder Hammers are single-handed weapons, so it's a bit moot.

As long as the weapon used is not unwieldy you can parry with a combat shield while wielding a 2-hander.
That was the answer by FFG to the question.
The discussion on the topic was in a thread about buckler in DW.

Siranui said:

Ah, didn't know that. Always assumed it was a 2H weapon. Whenever I see it artwork wise, it's 1H with terminators and 2H with standard/artificer armor.

It's so far up the renown food chain I don't look at it and tempt myself with something I wont see for a while.

*Twitch* There are no bucklers in DW. *twitch* I defy you to show me one. *rushes off to take tablets*

Lucrosium Malice said:

I personally agree. It's a house-rule, but we consider them two-handed and unbalanced if used in power armour, and only single-handed (and unwieldy) when used in terminator armour.

Siranui said:

Well I think they added the combat shield to the table top in 4th (maybe 3rd) ed. table top. Was a 5+ invulnerable save. Became a poor mans iron halo but only usable in hand-to-hand. So its been in the GW mythos since then.

I imagine that when FFG was setting up the rules for Deathwatch they were handed a metric-crap ton of the usual Games Workshop conflicting fluff, and with Dark Heresy/Rogue Trader on the computer did a lot of copy/paste and Codex: Space Marine armory text downloads.

I believe there's been combat shields of a sort since RT. I think that they just added 1 or 2 to the save. I certainly remember equipping a squad with them, anyhow. Likewise, I seem to remember you being able to stack flak with power armour for a 1/2" move penalty. Power armour+shield+flak+suspensor = poor man's termi armour, with a 2+ save (plus you could add on a jump pack...).

Anyhow, Combat shield != Buckler. You don't strap bucklers to your arm, you hold a buckler in your hand (that's pretty much the definition of what a buckler is). My whinging is purely a hugely pedantic technicality.

Ah, well I stand corrected again! Never really payed that much attention to bucklers as a whole.

I have only been around with GW since early 2nd edition. Only glancing through an old (and falling apart) copy of Rogue Trader. I miss the purple cadillac for my brood brothers.

Lucrosium Malice said:

I don't recall combat shields but it has been a while since i played those old editions and most people leapt for the big fields (i still recall laughing in 2nd ed as a hunter-killer missile went right through the vision slit on my bunker hiting my genestealer Magus right in the face only to detonate on his power field leaving him physically unharmed but quite disturbed). It does make sense that it's an arm-mounted shield (which GW have been calling bucklers iirc my Mordheim).

DW is the ideal place for bringing back the old genestealer cults. In fact i'd suggest it absolutely neccessary to have them in the game as they would be one of the foes the deathwatch would surely face as Hive Fleet Dagon encroaches. I'm hoping we might get some stuff for them in Mark of the Xenos.

Siranui said:

I just call it what the RAW call it.
RAW and real life is often enough not nearly the same.