Watch Captain

Some may call them an over glorified coastguard, but others liken them to a walking swagger of doom.

Watch Captains are members of the Deathwatch who have served in Kill-Teams with great distinction and taken multiple tours of service. As such, it is not uncommon for those skilled Battle-Brothers to be called to serve many times with these veteran alien-hunters and given the honor of being awarded the rank of Watch Captain. Those that accept this duty know that they will not return to their parent Chapter for many years, as their time as Watch Captain is counted as a single "mission".

Overview

Their role is to oversee one or more Kill-Teams, where they have the duty of watching over every aspect of equipment, recruitment and training. It is unusual for Watch Captains to accompany their warriors on a mission, though they will do so in cases where they face a particularly dangerous foe, or else where their personal intervention may aid in achieving victory in the battle. They are similar to that of regular Chaplains and Captains, but are more often reserved to the back lines. They are also one of the most bro-tier Space Marines, and one of the most human and reasonable Astartes in the Deathwatch.

In most cases, Watch Captains oversee missions from nearby posts such as Thunderhawk gunships that are equipped to serve as command centers, emergency surgery, arsenal and quarantine facilities for captured enemies. From the gunship, they are able to monitor the progress of the mission and see each Battle-Brother's operations by way of multi-band sensors that are built into their power armour. Through this post, a Watch Captain can monitor the physiological condition of his Kill-team, which ensures that no xenos biological contaminants are transmitted to the Imperium upon the return of his warriors. On those occasions when they take to the battlefield, their presence can help turn the tide of battle, as a Watch Captain serves as an experienced leader and inspires his men to greater acts of heroism. In addition, they are fearsome warriors who have seen every horror the galaxy has to offer and stood against them all. They are known to stand unshaken before massive alien terrors that are able to devastate entire armies and still determine a weakness in this foe. Watch Captains of the Deathwatch are amongst the most heroic servants of the Imperium, even if their names or deeds are not known by anyone except their Battle-Brothers.

The demands on a Deathwatch Captain are very different to those found in other Space Marine Chapters. A Deathwatch Captain is usually placed in charge of several Kill-teams and given guidance on broad objectives by the Watch Commander. Beyond that and advice from Chaplains and Librarians, the Watch Captain sets his own missions and organizes his Kill-teams appropriately. He is responsible for every detail of their recruitment, training, equipment and deployment. It is also his solemn duty to record their deeds in battle and, where possible, to return the remains of a fallen Battle-Brother to their parent Chapter with all due honor.

When a major xenos threat is identified by a Watch Captain, his role is to formally warn nearby Imperial Commanders of the threat. If the Imperial response proves weak or ineffective, it may then fall to the Deathwatch to intervene directly and put an end to the matter. The Deathwatch has access to weaponry that is the doom of worlds. Where conventional defenses fail, a Watch Captain may have to sorrowfully order the complete destruction of a planet, potentially sacrificing innocent lives in their billions to protect other worlds in peril. Yes, these alien hunters aren't complete automatons and are capable of human emotion - besides, most of them aren't Iron Hands.