We’ve been teaming up to kill things in the 41st Millennium all year, and with so many taut skirmishes fought at the sharp end of the far future the latest Balance Dataslate for Kill Team is rolling out for download.
It contains a slew of changes both large and small, aimed at softening kill teams which have been overperforming and delivering targeted buffs for several that have struggled. Elliot from the Kill Team gang is here to explain some of the more major changes.
Chaos Cults and Fellgor Ravagers
These teams have performed strongly since they were released. When we were designing them, we were concerned by their lack of shooting – particularly in more open killzones and terrain layouts – so we gave them some unique and ambitious rules to help them survive the enemy’s guns and overcome this deficit.
They are especially successful in denser killzones and in the close confines of the Gallowdark, and both teams have therefore earned some significant changes in this Balance Dataslate – preserving their unique mechanics, but toning them down.
For Chaos Cult kill teams, the Unnatural Regeneration ability of Mutants and Torments now only works on a 6, rather than a 5+, while the Mutant’s blasphemous appendages are now Ceaseless – so they’ll only re-roll results of 1. The Iconarch’s powerful abilities are now unique actions that require AP to use, and the Sickening Aura Strategic Ploy only works for Mutant and Torment operatives.
For Fellgor Ravager kill teams, there are two key changes to the Frenzy ability. First up, Frenzied operatives can no longer control objective markers, meaning you can’t simply camp out with nigh-unkillable Beastmen. They need to get out there and stampede! Second, you can incapacitate Frenzied operatives with a follow-up shooting attack if you inflict critical damage,
Inquisitorial Agents
This kill team can field plenty of individual operatives, so the number of activation sequences they have has been reduced by making the Interrogator Agent and Tome-skull GA2 (fulfilling each other's group activation requirements).
The Absolute Authority Tactical Ploy has also been a touch oppressive – narratively fitting for a team as imperious as the Inquisition, but not as much for gaming, so it can no longer stop the same ploy more than once, and can't stop 0CP ploys like the Hierotek Circle’s Commence Reanimation. Finally, we've toned down their shooting by reducing the number of AP2 weapons you can cram into one team.
Hearthkyn Salvagers
In contrast, this kill team has been struggling since release, so we've applied various changes to help the Kin out. They all gain an extra Wound to improve their durability, and gain more melee potential via a major improvement to their plasma knives – which are a bit more expensive to compensate, though the Field Medic still gets theirs free.
Finally, the Theyn’s Eye of the Ancestors ability is now much easier to use – with no need for visibility or even an activation – and gets even more effective as your kill team takes losses.
Pathfinders
Pathfinders started very strong, but have progressively slipped back with balance adjustments and the arrival of the Gallowdark. We've made two changes to compensate. Firstly, the Kauyon Art of War now allows them to perform a mission action or the Pick Up action for one less action point. This will also apply to Operate Hatch actions, and hopefully makes Kauyon and Mont'ka better balanced between each other.
Secondly, to help this shooty team out in Close Quarters environments, Pathfinders can now perform the Guard action even with a Conceal order – but instead of making a guard attack, they perform the Markerlight action.
Gellerpox Infected
This is another strong melee team – we've adjusted the Rust Emanations ploy to only affect enemies within Engagement Range of Nightmare Hulks, so now Gellerpox Mutants and Glitchlings are suitably squished up close!
Thanks Elliot! Download the latest Balance Dataslate from the link below.
There’s more to come from Kill Team in 2023 – but if we told you what it is, we’d have to kill you. Keep checking back on Warhammer Community for more information when we get it.*
* Or rather, when the shadowy adepts of the Ordo Schedulum give us a silent, solemn nod…
