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When the Deathwatch was initially formed during the [[War of the Beast]], it was set up as a singular Chapter. At this time, the Watch Commander was effectively the [[Chapter Master]] of the Deathwatch, with the first Watch Commander being [[Asger Warfist]] of the [[Space Wolves]].{{Fn|2a}}{{Fn|2b}}
Over time, the Deathwatch became a far more decentralised body, being deployed across the [[galaxy]]. Now based out of [[Watch Fortress]]es largely independent from each other, the title of Watch Commander stopped being a singular rank used to denote an overall leader of the Deathwatch. In the modern [[Imperium]], the rank simply refers to the commanding officer of a particular Watch Fortress, generally a [[Watch Master]] or experienced [[Watch Captain]].{{Fn|1}}{{Fn|3b}} Notably, however, there is no hard rule that states that a Watch Commander need be an [[Astartes]] - on occasion Watch Fortresses have been overseen by a [[Lord Inquisitor]] of the [[Ordo Xenos]] instead.{{Fn|33a}}
==See also==
**{{Endn|2a}}: Chapter 17
**{{Endn|2b}}: Chapter 18
*{{Endn|3}}: [[Codex Supplement: Deathwatch (9th Edition)]], :**{{Endn|3a}}: pg. 10 — ''The Honour of Vigil: The Ordo Xenos''**{{Endn|3b}}: pg. 16 — ''The Shield That Slays''
{{DWForces}}