We’ve already met most of the Imperial and Chaos kill teams, but the Space Marines have so far been absent. We’ve been saving the best for last, combining Imperial loyalists together with Chaos renegades for the final foray.
Space Marines are born for these kinds of special operations, boasting strength, durability, and self-sufficiency far beyond the scope of mortal means. Even a handful of heavily armed and armoured operatives are enough to swing the course of entire wars, and most enemies can’t hope to go toe to toe with these genewrought super-soldiers.
Every faction has a unique Faction Rule, specialised Equipment, and Ploys giving each one its own identity and playstyle.
Space Marines have a wide array of specialists, and the Angels of Death bring together their disparate skills into a powerful and cohesive whole. This faction combines elements of two kill teams: the Intercession Squad and Strike Force Justian, so commanders can recreate their old squad or experiment with fresh combinations.
To represent the many different ways in which Chapters fight, the Chapter Tactics faction rule allows you to customise your kill team with any two rules from a thematic list – from soaking damage easier and avoiding APL penalties to shooting better and striking more swiftly.
A small selection of the Chapter Tactics to choose from
The Angels of Death are Astartes and they retain their ability to Shoot or Fight twice in the same turn, with new restrictions that mandate that at least one shot must come from a bolt weapon, while heavy weapons cost extra AP to shoot a second time.
With fewer operatives in the field than almost every enemy, Space Marines have learned to make the most of their actions and can take inspiration from their Purity Seals on critical shots. Even if each Chapter has their own preferred fighting styles, the Angels of Death know that flexibility rules the roost and a quick change of their Combat Doctrines can boost the effectiveness of their weapons significantly.
It’s rare for experienced commanders to lead on Kill Team missions, but Space Marine Captains are built different. These extremely powerful operatives are absolute menaces in close combat and can use Firefight Ploys on themselves for free – an enormously powerful ability that further supercharges their role as the big stick of your kill team.
Not all Space Marines thunder into combat with guns blazing and cries of “For the Emperor!” – some strap into sleeker, stealthier Phobos-pattern power armour to sneak behind enemy lines on missions of sabotage and assassination. Phobos Strike Teams draw from the ranks of the Incursors, Infiltrators, and Reivers, moulding them into a specialist scouting force that can operate independently for years at a time.
Those operatives that come in the Phobos Strike Team box can make use of two Faction Rules* depending on whether they’re an Incursor or an Infiltrator. The former use a Multi-spectrum Array to pinpoint enemy weaknesses no matter the cover between them and their target, while the latter trust their Omni-Scramblers to delay a critical enemy operative’s activation.
Bandoliers of Special-Issue Ammunition are critical against heavy targets. Meanwhile, the Patient Ambush Firefight Ploy is a deceptively simple effect that can have wide-reaching consequences as enemy operatives are forced to move and take actions first.
Not all attacks must consist of a bolt round or combat blade to the face. Infiltrator Voxbreakers turn the enemy’s own communications against them, preventing all-important re-rolls from happening while feeding location data to their brothers so their shots can slip through cover.
Novitiate Space Marines are deployed as Scouts so they can experience the rigours of combat first-hand, and while they have much to learn, their already exemplary marksmanship and lighter armour makes them effective operatives. Scout Squads are experts at Forward Scouting and preparing for the main force’s arrival with traps, sabotage, and reconnaissance.
There are a lot of options to choose from, and experience will be the best teacher when it comes to deciding which are best suited for your mission.
Camo Cloaks are a classic piece of Scout Squad equipment that go with their lighter armour to render their wearers extra difficult to hit. They can then jump out with a Gunfire Ambush when the enemy least expects it, making their first volley a particularly vicious attack that could wipe out targets before they get the chance to respond.
Scout Snipers are among the best marksmen in the Imperium and can shoot from concealment without rustling so much as a leaf. They come equipped with camo cloaks even if their comrades elected not to bring any, and cover is of precious little use when they have time to zero in their aim before taking a shot.
Where loyalist Space Marines are ordered and disciplined, Chaos Legionaries are wild and unpredictable. They combine combat skills drilled over ten thousand years of war with profane sorcery, beseeching the favour of their Dark Gods before charging headlong into combat with blade, bolt, and balefire.
Each operative has earned a Mark of Chaos,* which have wildly different effects depending on the patron god. Not only do they grant a boon to the warrior for the length of the battle, but they also influence certain Ploys – further boosting their effects when the correct god approves.
If you want to eke a little more power out of your Marks, and don’t mind a few sacrifices along the way, Chaos Talismans can turn an abject failure into a guaranteed success for the low low price of a few wounds. If anyone’s likely to take this bargain, it’s the followers of Khorne, and it’s a great way to make sure their Blood for the Blood God ploy isn’t wasted on a flubbed roll.
It wouldn’t be a Chaos warband without a little sorcery on the side, and the Balefire Acolyte doesn’t disappoint. They can even heal their fellow Legionaries if they’re feeling charitable, stripping the life from enemies to knit wounds closed and reinvigorate injured operatives.
If you think the Legionaries are diabolical enough, just wait until you meet the Nemesis Claw kill team in a dark alley. These specialised terror troops hail from the Night Lords legion and are utterly brutal in close combat, making full use of the shadows to creep closer before gutting their prey in terrifyingly gory displays.
Despite being monstrously tall transhuman butchers, the Nemesis Claw are remarkably difficult to hit thanks to their In Midnight Clad rule* which shrouds them simply for hanging around near Heavy cover. With such cover littering most killzones, they can surge ever closer to their targets safe in the knowledge that most shots will whistle right past their armoured bulk.
After bloodily shredding a nearby operative, one of your lads can elect to strip a Grisly Trophy from the body, which – aside from proving how cool and tormented they are – unnerves anyone who has to spend a moment staring at their former comrade. Should the Night Lords pick off more than they can chew they simply Return to Darkness and revel in the safety of the shadows, ready to pounce again once the danger has passed.
The Nemesis Claw have come up with some extremely inventive ways of terrifying their opponents, but the Night Lord Ventrilokar takes the truly inspired approach of strapping dead enemies to their icons before mimicking their voice. This is understandably horrifying to witness, and few operatives have the stomach to stay near a fleshy banner that sounds just like their old war buddies.
That’s it for our brief look over every Classified kill team getting updated rules when the new edition launches soon. We’ve still got more to come from Kill Team next week – including a huge competition – so stick around and gather some intel while it’s going.
* They also get the Astartes rule common to Space Marine kill teams.