Kill Team 2024 - First Look

 The new edition of Kill Team is out and I picked up the terrain for the city fighting with more verticality and enclosed spaces than Octarius has. I wanted to try out the new rules and lo and behold there is a single player / co-op mode to try out. How can I resist?

I wanted to try out my Legionaries as their army list seemed to change the most radically and elite teams like them are supposed to be better this edition.

For the Non Player Operatives (aka NPOs) I'll be playing against, the idea is that they have generic profiles and you pick out models up to 90 wounds. I selected my Kommandos as my opponent NPOs.

The two teams setup on short edges and the Breach mission goal is to simply eliminate the other team. Easy.

For the orks I took an ammo cache, heavy barricate, portable barricade, and a minefield as equipment. For the Chaos Marines, I took Warded Armour, Talismans, two ladders, and two krak grenades.

The NPOs have rules about what they do and in what order depending on the type of operative it is, so this brawler tough ran into middle behind cover and I countered with the heavy gunner. The gunner got 5 hits but the tough ork got triple sixes for saves. Not a great start, but it was still wounded.

Another tough brawler made use of the portable barricade on the let flank but the marine gunner with plasma gun made short work of that effort.

An ork marksmen warrior tried to make me pay for standing out with no cover, but the marine power armour and 14 wounds kept me standing.

With only 6 activations, I quickly came to the counteract phase and a second volley of reaper chaingun bullets dealt with the obstinate middle tough.

Fearing the power of the heavy weapon the orks sent another marksman to shoot them but only scratched him while the brawler heavy and his sidekick brawler trooper advanced under heavy cover.

Another counteract and this time the gunner took out the ork that had the absolute gall to shoot at him.

Its the end of turning point one and three orks out of 9 are just dead. And only one half wounded marine. Not looking good for the NPOs.

Turning point two starts and the orks look to turn it around charging the heavy brawler into the Shrivetalon marine and hitting him for 12 wounds, and only 5 in response. Since he is the heavy brawler he can fight again and this time take three wounds before putting the marine down. The orks are on the board!

Unfortunately for the nob the Chosen champion ran aorund the corner and lopped his head off. 

Another marksmen went into the large building and tried and failed to cause any damage to the heavy gunner, and the return fire was very effective.

With the tide definitely not turning the orks are getting desperate and charge in a tough brawler against the crazed daemon possessed Annointed and that went as well as you think it would.

The tiny grot trooper brawler charged the Chosen champion in a fit of spite, caused three wounds before the marine backhanded the grot through a nearby wall... and promptly healed D3+3 wounds because he killed something.

At this point the orks are down to just two marksmen, one who is only at 4 wounds left, and the marines are just missing one Shrivetalon and the gunner is wounded. Seeing the gig is up I stop the slaughter there.

Thoughts:

The NPOs were vastly underpowered compared to the marines. Perhaps I could have played them more carefully, or placed the terrain with more cover through the middle, but even still their best shooters were barely scratching the marine armour and their close combat was outclassed. I think I might try it with 120 wounds of NPOs next time to make up for lack of firefight and strategic ploys.

On the marine side, the counteract ability is terrifying. Being able to just shoot again to full effect? Devestating. No one is safe. The ladders were very useful for getting the high ground to remove the concealment of a couple CC orks and shoot them early. Definitely something to consider for any outdoor map.