Warhammer 40k Kill team is a two-player skirmish game set in the battlefields of Warhammer 40k. Each player takes control of a small Kill Team, usually consisting of about 8-12 models, and fights for control of objectives or to kill the enemy team. Players take turns activating models and engaging in both long-range and melee combat until 4 rounds have passed. Each battle can last between 45 and 75 minutes.
Gameplay Overview:
A game of Kill Team starts with each player choosing their team. The Recruit Edition has both Orks and Death Korps Krieg Kill Teams. Once players select their teams and mission, they can set up the battlefield.
Each round of Kill Team consists of 3 phases. 1. The Initiative phase where players roll off to find out who activates first. 2. The Strategy phase where players implement command points. They use the points in different ploys or to reveal tactical operations for their team to attempt for victory points that turn. The last phase is the Firefight phase. This is where all the action happens. Players take turns activating each model in their team until all models have acted. The round then ends, and players start the next round.
Each model in Kill Team has its own data cards with unique abilities and stats. Generally, each model will get two actions that can consist of movement, shooting, charging, special actions, etc… without the ability to repeat actions. During an activation, players must determine whether to have a model get a conceal order or an engagement order. Models with conceal orders that are close to cover usually can’t be chosen as range attack targets but are hindered on their actions. While engagement orders are full activations.
Terrain on the battlefield contributes to cover and movement and can sometimes be used for Tac Ops. The Kill Team Recruit Edition comes with a mix of barricades and scrap pile terrain. While it can’t be played on it still will obscure minis and provide cover.
The Kill Team Octarius book (sold separately) contained advanced rules from both the Orks and Krieg teams specifically as well as a set of missions to enjoy the story playing out across Octarius.
Game Experience:
I really ended up enjoying Kill Team more than I thought I would. There are some areas that Kill Team shines specifically.
The Recruit Edition box set rules are great. There are multiple scenarios that focus on aspects of the game such as movement, shooting, and melee. Instructions are clear and really help you grasp the game mechanics quickly.
The teams in the box felt great to play with. The Orks had the firepower while the Krieg had the versatility to deal with the brute strength of their opponents. Each model had a unique set of rules that made our games pretty dynamic. Eventually, we felt good enough about the starter matches that we moved on to the missions in the core book using all of our forces. While it took a little longer to get a grasp on certain keywords, we were able to play through the rounds at a steady pace. I would say there is a little bit of a learning curve to remember all your units rules, but the more you play and familiarize yourself with the models the easier it would be.
The alternating activations of Kill Team made a huge difference in play. While in some skirmish/wargames (including Warhammer 40k) all activations by one player are done at once, kill team specifically has players alternating actions in the Firefight phase. I was initially worried this wouldn’t be the case, but it turned out to make such a huge difference in gameplay. Being able to modify being offensive or defensive in different situations really added some depth to the matches.
One small important detail that we both loved was that all measurements in Kill Team are made with measuring tools that are included in the game! No reason to have to whip out the measuring tape, everything you need to play is in the box making games play that much quicker.
I would have loved to play through the Octarius specific missions in the book, but I didn’t have the required terrain to take on those missions yet. Regardless, they looked like they would have been an epic showdown as the Krieg and Orks battled for supremacy.
Each force has its own unique rules for each model but I have to say that my two favorites in this box were the bomb squig and the Gobo. The bomb squig’s main purpose is to run into the enemy line and blow up while the gobo uses stealth and a grappling hook to get up close to enemies before engaging in melee. Overall, each unit has a flavor and rules to match lending to the unique asymmetrical fun of Kill Team.
Final Thoughts:
Warhammer 40K Kill Team is a fast-paced skirmish game that takes a great ruleset and models in the 40K universe and places them in small scale matches that are dynamic and fun. If you wanted to get into 40K but didn’t want the commitment of buying a whole army then this is the set to pick up. Kill team has a skirmish game that is easy to pick up but has a lot of depth to the rules making it fun and filled with replay ability. Overall, I would highly suggest Kill Team for anyone who wants the flavor of 40K without the commitment of the larger 40k ruleset or the larger armies.
Final Score: 4.5 Stars – A squad-based skirmish game with a lighter ruleset that also contains a deep strategy set in the Warhammer 40k universe.
Hits:
• Highly detailed 40k models
• Easy to learn rules with great depth
• Measurement tools used instead of measuring tapes
• Games are fast-paced, and combat is smooth.
Misses:
• Not enough terrain in the recruit box
• Slight learning curve with individual model abilities
