Life in the Astra Militarum is often short and violent, but certain capable Guardsmen survive long enough to earn the title of veteran and pick up a wealth of battlefield experience along the way. These talented (or lucky) individuals are prime candidates for the kinds of elite kill teams required for critical missions.
We’ve already taken a long-lens gander at the Ork Kommandos who make up the opposite half of the upcoming Kill Team: Octarius boxed set, and now it’s time to meet the Veteran Guardsmen facing off against them. We’ve asked Kill Team playtester Wes for some of his thoughts too, as a veteran of the killzones himself.
With so much ordnance at their disposal, the Astra Militarum can offer their veteran kill teams support in the form of artillery barrages and air strikes. Many a crucial mission has been pulled off with the timely intervention of a high-explosive warhead striking a critical target, and Veteran Guardsmen can choose two tactical assets to use once each per battle.
If neither appeal, commanders can also select from Guided Missile and Strafing Run options, but you’ll have to get your mitts on the Octarius box itself to see what these do (spoiler alert: ‘boom’).
When not even overwhelming firepower can tip the scales on a dug-in enemy, Veteran Guardsmen can instead access the one resource the Imperium has even more of than munitions – manpower. Instead of selecting the options above, they can instead deploy four more Trooper Veterans than normal.
“Against more elite kill teams, I'll likely choose extra firepower,” Wes tells us. “Against larger kill teams, however, the additional bodies will likely allow you to activate more operatives overall than your opponent – overwhelming them with numbers.”
This option bumps your kill team up to a respectable 14 bodies in any given killzone. Best of all, Trooper Veterans have a Group Activation characteristic of 2, meaning you can activate two at the same time when it’s your turn to make a move.
Disciplined officers barking orders over the din of combat is the backbone of the Astra Militarum, and Sergeant Veterans are only too happy to raise their voices in Kill Team games. A Sergeant may choose between four separate orders to give a nearby operative during the Strategy phase, including the classic Fix Bayonets!
As powerful as these orders are, they can only be given to one Guardsman per Turning Point* in normal circumstances. That’s where the Comms Veteran comes in, using their Relay Orders ability to broadcast the Sergeant’s orders across the entire killzone, which Wes agrees is a killer combo for the Veteran Guardsmen. “There are several combos that I always deploy, such as the Sergeant Veteran and the Comms Veteran together. These combined allow you to pass your orders to the entire Kill Team, which is vital to improve your speed, offence, and defence when needed.”
Alas, the battlefield is a dangerous place, and any leader worth their salt has a backup plan in case of their untimely death. Though they may not appreciate being thought of as ‘backup plans’, the Confidant Veteran is vital in keeping the kill team’s cohesion in dire circumstances.
We’re now getting very close indeed to the Kill Team: Octarius’ pre-order, so brush up on how deadly firefights and dramatic close-combat duels will play out before your operatives are thrust into combat. If you haven’t decided how to paint your Death Korps veterans yet, head on over to the brand new Citadel Colour website where you’ll find tons of tips, tricks, and tutorials covering everything you need to get them in tip-top shape for the battlefield.
* His throat must get tired, poor chap.