Warhammer 40,000/Tactics/Kill Team(8E)
Tactics for individual factions are here.
The Rules
Unlike in vanilla 40k, most actions in the game are handled on a "I go, you go" basis of alternating activation, similar to Warhammer Underworlds. This means the game speed is much faster than 40k's, and also requires players to plan their actions out more carefully.
Scouting Phase
Initative Phase
Movement phase
Movement works similarly to how it does in 40k, but with two prominent exceptions:
- Charging is now done in this phase and replaces regular movement. While it is still possible to fail a charge, a failed charge will still allow the charging model to move the full charge distance rolled as long as it moves towards the intended target of the charge. As in vanilla 40k, a successful charge allows the charging unit to go first in the combat phase.
- A model can also choose to Ready, skipping their movement phase in favor of shooting first in the Shooting phase.
Terrain can also interfere with movement, with different terrain having different effects.
Shooting phase
Cover and range are more important in Kill Team than they are in vanilla 40k; shooting a unit from more than half of a weapon's maximum range imposes a -1 penalty to hit them, as does shooting a unit that is obscured (i.e. if any part of it is blocked by cover). That said, an unmodified 6 to hit will always hit so doubling down on dakka to maximize the chances of a lucky hit is still a viable strategy and flamers still automatically hit.
Combat Phase
Morale Phase
Morale has two components in Kill Team: the morale of individual fighters and the morale of the team as a whole. If more than half of the squad has gone Out of Action, the remainder of the squad may break and suffer hit penalties. Meanwhile, models that have taken Flesh Wounds are at risk of becoming Shaken, which forces them to skip their turns entirely.
Flesh Wounds and going Out of Action
When a model loses its last Wound, its controlling player makes an injury roll. On a 4+, the model is Out of Action (i.e. no longer in the game); otherwise, it suffers a Flesh Wound. Being obscured is a -1 to the roll, and any previous Flesh Wounds taken by that model add +1 per wound to the roll. Additionally, attacks with a damage value higher than 1 cause multiple injury rolls.
In addition to penalizing future injury rolls (thus making them more likely to be taken Out of Action), Flesh Wounds reduce a model's hit rolls and increase the chances of them becoming shaken in the Morale Phase.
Specializations
Specialization advancements work on a branching tree model; as they level up, they can pick and choose from different abilities in this order:
- Level 1
- Level 2A or 2B
- If Level 2A was chosen, Level 3AA or Level 3AB
- If Level 2B was chosen, Level 3BA or Level 3BB
- Any ability from previous levels not already selected
As a result, two identical units with the same Specialization can easily end up with a completely different set of advancements.
Leader
The leader specialization focuses on buffing your other kill team members, as well as being your main source of Command points for your team.
- Resourceful (Lv 1): As long as this model is on the battlefield and is not shaken, gain an additional Command Point at the beginning of each battle round.
- Bold (Lv 2A): This model automatically passes Nerve tests.
- Paragon (Lv 3AA): Re-roll hit rolls of 1 for friendly models within 3" of this model, as long as it is not shaken.
- Tyrant (Lv 3AB): Your opponent(s) must add 1 to Nerve tests for any enemy models within 6" of this model, as long as it is not shaken.
- Inspiring (Lv 2B): As long as this model is not shaken, friendly models within 3" of it automatically pass Nerve tests.
- Tactician (Lv 3BA): As long as this model is on the battlefield and is not shaken, roll a D6 each time you use a Tactic. On a 5+ you gain a command point.
- Mentor (Lv 3BB): Once per battle round, when you choose a friendly model within 3" of this model to shoot in the Shooting phase - as long as this model is not shaken - you can re-roll failed hit rolls for that model until the end of the phase.
- Bold (Lv 2A): This model automatically passes Nerve tests.
Heavy
Improves the shooting of the Character or makes him more survivable.
- Relentless (Lv 1): This model does not suffer the -1 penalty for shooting with a heavy weapon after moving in the preceding Movement phase, or for shooting an Assault weapon after Advancing.
- Suppressor (Lv 2A): Enemy models that are targeted by this model in the Shooting phase suffer a -1 penalty to their hit rolls until the end of the phase.
- Devastator (Lv 3AA): You can re-roll the damage for this models ranged weapons that have a random Damage Characteristic.
- Rigorous (Lv 3AB): You can re-roll hit rolls of 1 for this model in the Shooting phase.
- Extra Armour (Lv 2B): Ignore AP characteristics of -1 for attacks that target this model.
- Indomitable (Lv 3BA): Once per battle round, you can make your opponent re-roll the injury dice for this model.
- Heavily Muscled (Lv 3BB): You can re-roll wound rolls of 1 for this model in the [...]
- Suppressor (Lv 2A): Enemy models that are targeted by this model in the Shooting phase suffer a -1 penalty to their hit rolls until the end of the phase.
Demolitions
A set of abilities focused on grenades, flamer use, and attacking obscured enemies, with a few post-battle abilities thrown into the mix.
- Breacher (Lv 1): Add 1 to wound against targets that are obscured.
- Pyromaniac (Lv 2A): Re-roll 1s to wound when using a weapon with auto-hit properties (e.g. flamers).
- Saboteur (Lv 3AA): If the model is in the Kill Team and not out of action when making casualty rolls, roll a d6. On a 5+, an opponent loses 1 Materiel.
- Sapper (Lv 3AB): If the model is in the Kill Team and the Plant Traps Strategy is used, an extra piece of terrain can be booby-trapped.
- Grenadier (Lv 2B): Add 3" to the maximum range of any Grenades and re-roll 1s to hit with them.
- Siegemaster (Lv 3BA): Add 1 to injury rolls caused by attacks made in the Shooting Phase if they are made against obscured models.
- Ammo Hound (Lv 3BB): If the model is in the Kill Team and not out of action when making casualty rolls, roll a d6. On a 5+, you gain 1 Materiel.
- Pyromaniac (Lv 2A): Re-roll 1s to wound when using a weapon with auto-hit properties (e.g. flamers).
Combat
All around Improvements involving combat phase, including ways to inflict mortal wounds
- Expert Fighter (Lv 1): Add 1 to this model’s Attacks characteristics.
- Warrior Adept (Lv 2A): Add 1 to hit rolls for this model in the Fight Phase.
- Deathblow (Lv 3AA): Any wound rolls of 6 you make for this model in the Fight phase inflict 1 mortal wound on the target in addition to any other damage.
- Combat Master (Lv 3AB): Add 1 to the Attacks characteristic of this model for each enemy model within 1” of it at the start of the Fight phase, until the end of the phase.
- Deadly Counter (Lv 2B): If any hit rolls of 1 or less are made for a model’s attacks that target this model in the Fight phase unless this model is shaken, roll a D6. On a 5+ the model that made the attack suffers 1 mortal wound after all of those attacks have been resolved.
- Killer Instinct (Lv 3BA): You can re-roll any failed wound roll you make for this model in the [...]
- Bloodlust (Lv 3BB): You can re-roll any failed charge roll [...]
- Warrior Adept (Lv 2A): Add 1 to hit rolls for this model in the Fight Phase.
Comms
- Scanner (Lv 1): Once per shooting phase, when you pick a model from your kill team to shoot that is within 6" of this model, if this model is not shaken, you can add 1 to hit rolls for that model in this phase.
- Expert (Lv 2A): Roll a D6 at the start of each battle round if this model is not shaken. On a 5+ you gain 1 additional Command point. This additional Command Point is lost at the end of the battle round if not used.
- ??? (Lv 3AA): Subtract 1 from the Leadership characteristic of enemy models while this model is on the battlefield, as long as it is not shaken.
- Command Relay (Lv 3AB): Roll a D6 each time you use a tactic while this model is on the battlefield and not shaken. On a 6 the Command Points spent on that Tactic are immediatly refreshed.
- Static Speech(Lv 2B): Once per battle at the start of the fight phase. If this model is not shaken, subtract 1 from hit rolls for enemy models that make attacks while they are within 6" of this model until the end of the phase.
- ??? (Lv 3BA): Once per shooting phase when you pick a model from your kill team to shoot a heavy weapon, if this model is not shaken, you can re-roll that die, when determining the number of attacks that model can make.
- Vox Hacker (Lv 3BB): After each battle in wich this model was in your kill team, if this model is not in [...] or dead, roll a D6. On a 5+ you gain 1 [...]
- Expert (Lv 2A): Roll a D6 at the start of each battle round if this model is not shaken. On a 5+ you gain 1 additional Command point. This additional Command Point is lost at the end of the battle round if not used.
Medic
- Reassuring (Lv 1): This model is never treated as being shaken when taking Nerve tests for other models in your kill team.
- Field Medic (Lv 2A): Roll a D6 when a friendly model within 3" of this model suffers a wound, as long as this model is not shaken; on a 6 that wound is not lost.
- Trauma Specialist (Lv 3AA): When an Injury roll is made for a friendly model within 3" of this model as long as this [...]
- Triage Expert (Lv 3AB): If this model is in your kill team and not out of action at the end of the battle, and you roll a Dead result when making [...]
- Anatomist (Lv 2B): Re-roll wound rolls of 1 for this model in the fight phase.
- Interrogator (Lv 3BA): At the end of any battle in which you were victorious if [...]
- Toxin Synthesiser (Lv 3BB): Before deployment, you can pick up to D3 models from your kill team [...]
- Field Medic (Lv 2A): Roll a D6 when a friendly model within 3" of this model suffers a wound, as long as this model is not shaken; on a 6 that wound is not lost.
Sniper
Grants improvements to Range attacks so their more likely to hit and wound.
- Marksman (Lv 1): You can re-roll hit rolls of 1 for the model when it makes a shooting attack.
- Ammunition (Lv 2A): You can re-roll wound rolls of 1 this model when it makes a shooting attack.
- Deadeye (Lv 3AA): On an unmodified wound roll of 6 by this model’s shooting attacks, increase the damage characteristic of that attack by 1
- Armor piercing (Lv 3AB): On an unmodified wound roll of 6 for this model’s shooting attacks, improve the AP characteristic of this attack by 1 (e.g. AP-1 becomes AP-2)
- Sharpshooter (Lv 2B): If this model is Readied, add 1 to hit rolls when it makes a shooting attack.
- Mobile (Lv 3BA): This model does not suffer the -1 penalty for shooting with a Heavy weapon after moving in the preceding Movement phase, or for shooting an Assault weapon after Advancing.
- Eagle-eye (Lv 3BB): Increase the Range characteristic of all Rapid Fire and Heavy weapons this model is armed with by 6”.
- Ammunition (Lv 2A): You can re-roll wound rolls of 1 this model when it makes a shooting attack.