Kill Team 2024 – Approach to the Game (Update 06-2025)

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"I’m new to Kill Team. Where do I start and what should I buy?"

The purpose of this article is to try to guide those approaching the world of Kill Team in the clearest and most universal way possible.

Let me start by saying this: very often the best thing to do is to try a demo, watch a game, or talk in person with someone who already plays.
This will allow you to see if you actually like the game (without spending money needlessly) and, if you do, to get more precise guidance on what to buy.


THE STARTER SET

I’ve dedicated a separate article to the question of the Starter Set, which you can find here.
I recommend checking it out if you’re a new player.

Otherwise, here’s a brief summary of the conclusions:
"If you’re a beginner, meaning you’ve never (or almost never) played Kill Team, this is truly a great deal and I highly recommend it.
However, be aware that if you want to move on to more advanced play, you’ll need to supplement it with several things (both in terms of knowledge and purchases)".

THE CORE

In the download section of Warhammer Community, you’ll find the lite version of the core rules.

However, I strongly recommend purchasing:

  • The Core Book and the Token Sheet
  • The Approved Ops Card Pack
  • The Equipment Kit

These are things you’ll always need.




For those who have purchased Kill Team: Hivestorm, it includes everything you need.
Otherwise, my personal suggestion is to look for it in second-hand markets and similar places, as prices will be significantly lower than the official ones.



THE FACTIONS

With the release of the new edition (officially on October 5, 2024), all existing faction rules have been made available for free in the Download section of Kill Team on Warhammer Community.

In addition, an App has been published (for both iOS and Android systems) containing the same information.

As of today (June 2025), there are 40 playable factions.

Basically, you can choose the team you prefer for your games, but I’d like to make you aware of another factor that might help you make a more informed choice: the Classified Format.

A premise: this is a topic strictly tied to tournament circuits, and many of you might not be initially interested in this aspect of the game.
However, I suggest keeping it in mind.

You can read the article about the Classified Format directly on Warhammer Community.

Otherwise, to briefly summarize, the game designers explain that it’s very difficult to keep a game balanced if there are an “excessive” number of factions.

As a result, they’ve designed a system of team rotation.
Every September, starting in 2025, the teams from the oldest season will no longer be usable in official Games Workshop tournaments.
Additionally, even local TOs (tournament organizers) might not allow the use of rotated-out teams.
I recommend checking with them, if possible, about their decisions on this matter.

So (see image), the teams from the Octarius Season will rotate out in September 2025.
The teams from the Gallowdark Season will rotate out in September 2026.
And so on.

Important: the teams will still (potentially) be addressed in periodic balance updates and errata for the entire duration of the current edition, but they will simply no longer be allowed in competitive circuits.

In light of all this, if you want to keep the door open to participating in various tournaments, it’s a good idea to consider how long a team’s “validity” will last.
In other words, as of today, I’d think twice before buying a team from the Octarius Season.


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