The guys from Warhammer TV strap on their grav-chutes this week and drop right into an episode of Battle Report. The Tempestus Aquilons face down the Vespid Stingwings in a game of Kill Team – and you can watch it for free right now on YouTube! Presenters Nick and Josh have smuggled out all the intel on what to expect – and they’ve even given us a few tactical tips…
Nick: When it comes to Kill Team, I’m a Veteran Operative; I’ve led my warriors behind enemy lines many times over the last few years with varying levels of success! This episode of Battle Report was a great chance to try out the new edition and put the new rules through their paces. In fact, you’ll get to see many of these rules in action on the show. There are some great changes to Obscuring Terrain, Cover, and Vantage Points, while new weapon rules and loads of other tweaks have just made the game so much simpler and easy to play.
When it came to who would take which team, I really fancied the drop troops of the Tempestus Aquilons. They are just so unique and cool and well… they have the Servo Sentry, which might be my favourite model in the box.
Josh: I’m a returning player to Kill Team, called out of retirement for one last job… I’ve enjoyed plenty of covert operations in the editions of old, but much like the Vespid, I’ve returned with new gear, new tactics, and a neu-tron blaster. I was excited to take them for a spin, and they’re right at home in the killzone with their unmatched manoeuvrability. The Vespid can fly across the battlefield and quickly claim the key Vantage Points, before raining down destruction onto the enemy. These old allies of the T’au Empire brought plenty of new tricks to the table and I was able to utilise them to deadly effect.
Different Ways to Win: Our Top Ops
Nick: Josh and I decided to play using the Preliminary Ops mission pack from the Kill Team Core Book. This mission pack means you get into the action super quickly which is exactly what we wanted, and it’s perfect if you’re playing your first few games. You’ll notice there are no Tac Ops (secondary objectives) or Preferred Ops here; those come later in other mission packs. There are two ways to earn Victory Points in this mode: I decided to concentrate on the Crit Op (the primary objective). It’s all about getting to those objective markers and securing them – which my Aquilons are superb at. At least, that was my plan at the start of the battle…
Josh: The Aquilons are a trained and deadly force, so it was going to be tricky to go for the Crit Op. Luckily for me, the Kill Op is a brand new feature of this edition of Kill Team and with it you’re able to score your Victory Points simply by slaying enemy operatives. I decided that it was time to let the Vespid do what they do best and concentrate on the Kill Op. With these multiple paths to victory, different Kill Teams with differing strengths can attempt to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
Special Weapons and Tactics
Nick: The Aquilons are unique in Kill Team in that you can decide to leave up to six models in reserve at the start of the game and bring them in later on, arriving on their grav chutes into the heart of the action using their Drop Insertion rule. This leaves the enemy guessing your plan; all they can see are your Drop Markers which you move ominously up the board.
This means the Tempestus Aquilons are both really good at reacting to a fluid battlefield and remarkably aggressive. You’ll be dropping troopers out of Valkyrie Gunships and landing right onto the hot spots, unleashing incredibly powerful weaponry just where your opponent wished you hadn’t. There is very little that many Kill Teams can do about half a dozen psychotic, elite warriors brandishing heavy weapons dropped bang on their heads. My top tip – leave your Tempestor (leader) and the Marksman on the board to deploy as normal. The Tempestor can dish out extra APL with their Command ability while the Marksman is sneaking forward to let off a devastating shot from a Concealed Position in Turning Point 2…
Josh:The Vespid have to stay mobile, not only because it aids their survivability in combination with some of their Strategic Ploys, but because their Neutron Weapons all gain Piercing 1 if they’re fired after movement! This team encourages you to play cat and mouse with your opponent. What you lack in Toughness, you more than make up for in speed and your ability to Fly, ignoring vertical distance when moving up and down terrain features. With carefully considered movement you can take advantage of those vibrating Neutron Crystals and remove your opponent’s defence dice!
The Vespid have to play around the Communion mechanic, generating Communion Points every Turning Point – which you have to spend if you want to target enemies that aren’t the closest to you. After all, it’s their instinct to tear their nearby enemies to shreds. Conserve your Communion Points well with clever movement and you can use any you have spare to claim much-needed rerolls on those crucial shots.
Thanks, guys! If you want to catch all the action from our Kill Team: Hivestorm episode of Battle Report, you can watch it right now over on the Warhammer TV YouTube channel. Kill Team: Hivestorm is available to pre-order right now!
