A new edition of Kill Team has breached the perimeter, carrying a cargo of refreshed rules for the slickest and most involved edition yet. There will be 33 Classified kill teams ready to play at launch, and the rules will be available free right here on Warhammer Community.
The vast and bellicose Imperium has its share of Kill Teams ready to muster – and that’s before we even get started on the Space Marines – presenting a solution for every imaginable problem, so long as that solution is the Emperor’s wrath manifest.*
Every faction has a unique Faction Rule, specialised Equipment, and Ploys giving each one its own identity and playstyle. Our analysts have cooked up an overview of some of the Imperial Kill Teams you can buy at launch, and the tools they get to play with.*
The Veteran Guardsmen return to Kill Team with gas masks on, bayonets fixed – and a new name. The Death Korps of Krieg are unquestioningly loyal, and will hustle into the meat grinder of combat with no thought for their own safety. Unaugmented humans are comparatively weak in a galaxy full of terrors, so the Death Korps generally have a lot of bodies in the killzone.
Their faction rule allows Watchmaster operatives to issue a Guardsman Order to allies within 6”. There are several orders available: Take Aim! confers the Balanced rule, allowing allies to re-roll one attack dice, while others let them hunker down, or fix bayonets.
Comm-beads allow Death Korps to remain in contact during the chaos of battle, while their experience in Siege Warfare denies opponents their cover saves by conferring the SATURATE keyword.
Eagle-eyed Death Korps Spotters identify firing angles for dug-in targets with Seek Light (which stops targets from hiding behind Light cover) and can soften up opponents with a mortar barrage.
The Kasrkin are the elite soldiers of Astra Militarum, usually drawn from the formidable ranks of Cadia. Highly disciplined and armed with top-quality wargear, they are the last word in human special forces.
During the Gambit step of the Strategy Phase, a Kasrkin kill team picks one of four Skill at Arms options, which remain active until the Ready step of the next Strategy Phase. Light ‘em Up grants ranged weapons the SEVERE rule, turning a normal success into a critical success.
Their propensity for getting stuck in at close range is enhanced by weapon Foregrips, which increase accuracy, and they are trained to Engage From Cover when outgunned.
Kasrkin Troopers are outfitted with top-tier gear, including Adaptive Equipment which allows them to flex to the tactical challenges they find themselves in, hurling smoke grenades and stun grenades as the situation demands.
The Adeptus Arbites are brutal enforcers of the Lex Imperialis. Exaction Squads are dispatched into the galaxy with a wide mandate to hunt down transgressors and absolute permission to shoot first and ask questions… well, probably never. After all, no truly innocent citizen could end up at the business of an Arbites shotgun.
The Exaction Squad get three Faction Rules. Their shock mauls and assault shields are used to violently Repress unrest, while operatives may single out enemies for punishment, and even fire into the thick of combat with no penalty.
Nauseating Strobing Phosphor-Lumen can disorientate dissidents, and desperate fools who think they can outrun justice will always find themselves caught by the Long Arm of the Emperor’s Law.
The Arbites Castigator is rightly feared – a single-minded zealot who smashes through enemy ranks with their excruciator maul to deliver kinetic justice.
The Imperial Navy Breachers are equipped to fight in tense, claustrophobic battles aboard enemy voidcraft, space hulks, and orbital stations. Their approach to combat is methodical, clearing one room at a time until their foes lay scattered.
At the core of their battle tactics is a systematic Breach and Clear approach, operatives acting in deadly synchronisation to identify and eliminate threats, and shrugging off explosive and flame weapons thanks to their void-sealed armour.
They are at their most proficient in the tight confines of spacecraft, and long years spent as a Deck Hand let them operate hatches and the like in the heat of combat. Combat Stimms are readily available to fight through fatigue and pain.
The Navis Endurant makes effective use of their hefty shields in close-quarters combat scenarios, shoving enemies away from nearby companions and weathering incoming blows with ease.
Young recruits to the Adepta Sororitas are known as Sisters Novitiates. Fresh out of the Schola Progenium they are put to the test in their first assignment to an Order Militant, sent out to undertake deadly missions and prove their worth as full Battle Sisters. Their faith is there strength, and as the mission progresses they might be able to beseech the God Emperor himself for aid.
Their unwavering devotion to the Emperor manifests in Acts of Faith. As they accrue Faith Points, these may be spent to receive his guidance and blessings, or to invoke a Divine Intervention which can significantly alter the outcome of combat.
Devout Novitiates might wear Auto-chastisers, which flagellate them in exchange for a proportionate Act of Faith. They prosecute their missions with Ardent Vengeance, turning a failed roll into a success if they have any critical successes, via the PUNISHING keyword.
The relic-seeking Novitiate Pronatus is dedicated to the recovery of lost Imperial treasures. They generate extra Faith Points when they uncover items crucial to their holy mission.
When insurrection, heresy, or xenos sedition is discovered, the Inquisition is first on the scene. Kill teams of Inquisitorial Agents are unique bands of specialists assembled through the power of the Rosette, and sent to stamp out the furtive seeds of rebellion.
Their station allows for Inquisitorial Requisition, supplementing their ranks with operatives from the likes of the Death Korps, Exaction Squad, Imperial Navy Breachers, Kasrkin, and others.
They respond with Absolute Authority, instilling the fear of the Imperium in their foes and preventing them from using Ploys. The presence of a Servo-skull allows these agents to swiftly perform mission critical operations with little distraction.
Inquisitorial Agents are pulled from across the galaxy to serve their all-powerful master, drawing in specialists like the Hexorcist, who admonishes his foes with such fiery zeal they begin to question themselves.
There are many more kill teams to cover over the rest of the week, including those of the mercurial Aeldari, and other xenos forces, plus the arch-enemy, and then the Space Marines.
* Can’t see your Imperial Kill Team in this article? Don’t worry, the Hunter Clade, and Elucidian Starstriders will also all have free online rules for the new edition. Stay tuned for some intel on Space Marines later this week.
