So has anyone figured out new particularly powerful combinations in Deathwatch?

I have two things that I find pretty powerful right now:

1. Versus Daemon Princes: Triggering Holy Vengeance and coupling that with Righteous Zeal by expanding another Cohesion point (see RoB 225). Up to AG Bonus melee attacks with only armour for soak. Ridiculously over-powered. This alone makes me suspend the rule of using Active Solo Mode abilities in squad mode. Guys at FFG: there is too much stacking already, limit it please.

2. At Respected level I like the Arcane Combi-Melta with Felling(1) and Kraken rounds. 50 Requisition, sure, but you are ready for about anything. Especially if you are a Tactical Marine with Mighty Shot and Bolter Mastery. Up to 4 (or even 5 with Bolter Drill) times 1d10+13 Pen 8, Tearing & Felling(1) plus a single melta shot up your sleeve? Yes, please. It's just ridiculously good in the hands of properly kitted Tactical. Where you have trouble even hurting a Chaos Marine with a normal Boltgun, you can even reasonably hope for killing the traitor with one good burst.

Anything else you got (and Blood Angels with Blood Frenzy, Flesh Renderer, Lightning Attack and a Tearing weapon is an old hat)?

Alex

Soak Fire Squad Mode combined with Force Dome. Say goodbye to any chance of doing appreciable damage at range.

That's bad, yes. Force Dome is way to strong, considering that it's only 5++ in 40K. It would better to drop the modifier to x1, have it not stack with armour and make it count against all kinds of attacks. That way you have a de facto min AP of PR.

Alex

ak-73 said:

I'm not sure where that is written- I was under the distinct impression that you could only benefit from an ability while in that mode. So if you're in Solo Mode, no squad mode abilities, while in Squad Mode, no Solo Mode Abilities. Hrm, even if RAW contradicts what I'm doing, sounds like I should HR what I'm doing.

I agree, force dome in general is kind of annoying. I can still manage to do appreciable damage at range (though only if they're fighting well equipped enemies or elites), but it definitely contributes to the 'all or nothing' theme that is prevalent in DW combat. You either put the guy in criticals or you barely scratch him.

RoB allows not only the use of passive Solo Mode abilities thanks to our complaints about Wolf Senses and the like, it also allows the use of active Solo Mode abilities in Squad Mode at the expense of a Cohesion Point.

I think FFG should be more cautious about the effects of stacking of various abilities and equipment. First Foundings and its content may aggriviate the problem. I hope not.

Alex

ak-73 said:

Aw crap, I haven't read as much of RoB as I should have apparently . I like the passive rule, not sure I'm hot on the active rule, think I'll HR that out of existence.

I agree in theme however- while I like the stacking abilities, it feels like the authors don't always talk to each other when creating abilities, and they can have unintended consequences.

In the beginning this is all good and fine but as a system grows the potential for stacking effects grow. With DW it has partially spun out of control, therefore a DW GM needs to be a particularly attentive watchdog GM and bite down hard where required.

Alex

New combo to watch out for: Techmarine Rank 3+ with Barrage Plasma Gun and Weapon-Tech talent.

Assuming an Int Bonus of 5, once per combat he'll have:
5 shots at full auto (costing 15 of 30 "rounds) which do 2d10+14 Pen 17 per hit. Nasty. Better be a Vindicare or Great Unclean One if that goes off in your direction. Dreadnoughts can get one-shotted, anything softer than a Predator's front will get hurt. Can annihilate two Chaos Marines at once.

Alex

Forgive me, I am a few thousand miles away from my books so I dont have the specific names on hand. I e-mailed the them a while back about tech-marines using cyber gear from their other books (dark heresy, rogue trader) and they said while uncommon its not impossible. With that in mind, there is one that, when getting the exceptional version, it gives unnatural int. So double the bonus of Alex's above combination.

ak-73 said:

Coupled with the Forge Master's special ability to suppress the Recharge quality on the Barrage Plasma Gun, this gets even more deadlier...

... a Rank 4+ Forgemaster benefiting from the Fire for Effect Squad Mode Ability can do this little trick twice in a row (Weapon-Tech counts for a whole round, not just your current turn). Once per combat you can one-shot nearly everything, doing a potential 20d10+something overall damage (deducing TB from every shot beforehand) ... given you place your shots well.

Assuming you are an Iron Hand Techmarine, you can additionally stack halve your Int bonus extra damage on every shot using your (passive) Solo Mode Ability. Thank you, First Founding!!

My GM is soooo gonna hate me...

It's his fault if he doesn't regularly read FFG forums to keep up with the latest trends in DW power-gaming.

Alex

PS Also if you get a Land Speeder with an Assault Cannon, plug into it with your MIU and let loose.

ak-73 said:

Ak-73,

You have one potential walking Death Star build there.

**** it, don't tell my players that! You could try and say theat the 'highly tuned' nature of it makes it harder to enhance it with that ability? *sigh*

I guess I at least feel better about a plasma based weapon doing this as opposed to the old heavy bolter stats ;-)

Not sure if it belongs here or in that 'tanking' thread but the Dark Angel Librarian that joins the Deathwing with his Terminator Armor, a Storm Shield, the Force Barrier power and the Force Dome power. and Immovable Defence Squad Mode.

Base rank 4 (minimum for Death Wing) PR6 so 14 armour +18 from Force Barrier and all ranged attacks are 0 pen, +12 more from Force Dome vs ranged, +4 AP from Squad Mode. So without pushing either power you have 48 armour vs ranged and they get no penetration. (+more on that arm and body and the force field from the Shield.)

Melee you still have 36+ armour, and who wants to be in melee against a librarian if they can avoid it.

Which brings me to the Deathwing optional ability that says enemies have to make WP rolls or focus their attacks on you, so your team mates can go to town unmolested. Not that they wouldn't want to stop you from raining Hellfire or Smiting everyone you can't melt with your force sword.

Pushing Barrier would get you 9 more armour for both ranged and melee. so 57 ranged and 45 Melee... you could also add the Standard of Fortitude to make sure they can't even inflict fatigue if they manage to get enough lucky hits through your extra wounds from solo mode and into critical land...

You can't cast the one power, sustain it and then cast the other due to action cost. Also note that psy bonuses don't stack. You can still cast Smite though or strike with your force sword. Ouch.

Alex

I agree with not being able to cast both, but can you give me the reference that says you cannot stack psy powers?

Sure, it's on page 186.

Alex

Not really a combo from hell but nasty against Elites:

Any Blood Angel with Jump Pack, meltagun, Assassin's Strike and Fire For Effect.
You jump in and attack with a Charge action, if you hit, you can make an Acrobatics test (if you want to munchkin you try to get Acrobatics +20 ASAP and raise AG as fast you can). If the Acrobatics test succeeds and there is no low ceiling above you, you climb up out of melee into point-blank range and melta the enemy with point-blank bonuses.

Particularly nasty with a Blood Angels Librarian with Force Sword and particularly against enemies who have no real ranged attacks. Beware the curse of the dice gods though.

Alex

Wave of Penance.

It can't be dodged or avoided, it is completely friendly-fire proof, and it can do anywhere up to 13d10 damage, depending on the Psy-Level of the user. The only thing it doesn't work against is Hordes.

BYE