Warhammer 40K Kill Team - What Does the Future Hold?

Warhammer 40K Kill Team - What Does the Future Hold?
In this video I give my thoughts on where Kill Team is and talk about its direction in the future.

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[mrgideon]

I think you’re spot on about a good chunk of Kill Team players being people who perhaps don’t have as much time for full 40k battles and as such aren’t really too interested in finely tuned tournament rules. It’ll be interesting to see what replaces the starter box now that their tournament expansion is out.

[reluctantartsy]

Spot on! I got overwhelmed as a beginner with the announcement of Arena. I’m not competitive in that way. So I didn’t spend my adult allowance this month on Arena 😝 I bought 2 beginner sets of Kings of War Vanguard (Northern and Abyssal), dice and some Terrain Crate stuff. I’m not done with KT, I just want relatively simple to set up, get to the table and play with out the stress of store tournaments. Next steps for KT? I bet we’re going to see vehicles introduced. Within 6 months they ramped the game up 3 times.

[johnnoble]

Kill Team is my main love right now. The fact that between Rogue Trader, Blackstone Fortress, and the latest White Dwarf we have already gotten 4 new factions added into the game, along with other one-off models that can be added to a lot of factions, really shows they're trying to appeal to a lot of players no matter what faction you have. It also shows that they're ready and able to add new things at the drop of the hat. Having the Manipulus and Kelermorph also shows that they're supporting Kill Team AND 40k simultaneously.

As for the future? I expect that we'll be getting another two-player starter set before long. From sending e-mails back and forth between GW representatives, I've gleaned that the big reason the Starter Set and Killzones have disappeared is because they didn't have enough of them made to fit demand. They had 1 production run, and once that production run was depleted, they simply didn't have any backups! I'm sure that a new starter set (ideally with a longer production run) will be coming, along with plenty of new killzones. I also expect that the Commander + unit + terrain + tactics box set like we see for Admech and GSC will become the norm going forward, ideally with some new models sprinkled in there as well.

Now that we have the Competitive side taken care of, I also expect them to expand upon the Campaign system. It's so confusing to me that they made a Narrative Campaign for 40k (Urban Conquest) but then made a competitive version for Kill Team (Arena) when it's very clear that many fans want exactly the opposite. A competitive system for 40k and an expanded campaign for Kill Team!

My hope is also that they release a book containing the environment rules, tactics, and missions for past killzones. We may not be able to get the boards any more, but I really think they should keep the past missions and such available. Ideally for free, but perhaps in a future killzone compendium. Time will tell!

[anelson]

There are enough competitive games out there across all the genres. KT was my thematic fun casual skirmish game where I didn’t have to invest in a huge 40k army to play in the 40k universe.

I’m scared that people are just going to want to just play Arena instead of regular KT for pick up games when I do go to my lfgs.

[henryrodriguez]

I am all for playing how one wants to play. I bought Rogue Trader and Commanders, but have not played them yet. Our group has enjoyed basic KT for a couple of months. So I would not be too concerned if one wanted to play just the core with no additional options.  

Having said that, we will be starting a campaign later this month that will use cheaper commanders (one <70p on the roster). We will see how that goes. But I am also organizing a KT tournament for the end of this month and intend to adopt many of the Arena rules for it (though I am not sure about going all-in with just the Arena boards).

[rmcgavock]

All the additions to KT are about having more options, and I don't think that's a bad thing. If you want to play a basic game you can, if you want to a close-combat game you can, if you want to play in tourneys you can. I see KT as a game system as opposed to just a single game, and GW should be recognized for implementing that change to their gaming ecosystem. For decades players loved to complain about GW's our-way-or-the-highway mentality and rightfully so - today that's less of a problem. I can't believe I'm defending GW ... I feel a little dirty :)

Also, thanks for the content and keep up the good work!

[theMalkavian]

I feel the same way, Andy. I was late to the party with Kill Team and the starter set was out of stock by the time I decided to get into it. All these recent expansions leave me a bit bemused as to whether I should bother extending my collection when I haven't got my first KT game under my belt yet.
Arena seems to almost be a board game, on a par with Warhammer Underworlds. The cynic in me suspects it may just be a vehicle to pump out more plastic in the form of character-full custom teams.

[jessecizauskas]

I've played and enjoyed every expansion so far. Don't worry too much about it! Just find someone who wants to play the way you want to play and enjoy. I've played a few games of Arena, and had a blast. They are all great in their own way.

[CesarIsaacPerez]

I really do hope they release the original starter set again. I've wanted to buy it since it was announced but didn't have the disposable $ at the time. Excited for arena though.

[THX-togg]

Does Arena not just give another choice for Kill Team, I'm a casual player but I'm tempted by to buy it simply because I like the change of setting
You don't have to play it competitively. Many people play Shadespire for fun. I wouldn't be surprised if another starter set for KT comes out soon featuring the new Sisters of Battle.

[DatOldeBiker]

Excellent subject Andy, I am a little confused about KT and what role (in the 40k universe) it aims to fill. The starter set was an intro game for newbies with the possibility for oldies to play an "old school" skirmish game a quick and less competitive game imo. RT I believe was one of GW's quick-sell board games, which "borrowed" KT rulesets. Additionally GW probably anticipated many existing collectors would buy it for the models. Arena = Shadespire for 40k (when a game type sells well in one universe....) The commanders sets are a good way to sell flagging existing figures (GW often do this) Like you I await the next instalment and no I didn't purchase any KT so far. :>)

[UndeadKing_]

It's just another way to play. If anything it's a good thing. Kill teams direction is from how I see it to get people playing. You get your casuals and you get your hard-core. It covers everything for everyone. Next expansion assuming rumours are right is kill team inquisition which if right will/ should be very popular

[hgar]

Hopefully we wil get another expansion to include bipods

[basicminiaturepainting]

Cool point of view mate i think with all the new game types being released in the last few years have put me off gw stuff

[JasperXoR]

It'd be nice if GW would respond to this with a statement of clear direction for this product. It's one of my favorite games actually. I'm not sure anything can avoid competitive play. It almost seems an evolution of a successful game. Players get better, want tournaments & cycle repeats until it's now got a barrier to entry for new players.

[GlennGriffin]

Too much too soon. And I agree with your final point about the competitive side of Arena. They can say you can still play basic kill team, but if everyone at the store plays Arena, then thats what the game becomes.

[sainbrian]

Thats the most frustrating thing right now for me is no 2 player starter set is availiable. I want to play kill team but i need the 2 player starter to take it to places to get people to play. Nobody in my area plays 40k anymore because war machine was cheaper. If im goimg to put 40 us dollars into a rule book i would rather put that into getting everything i did for 2 players not just a rulebook. I really dont understand releasing roque trader and arena when you cant even keep the basic 2 player starter in stock. I think the skirmish games is where a lot of players are moving too. People dont have time or money for the huge games anymore. The armies thst i had back in college, there is no way you could afford that these days. And GW prices just went up again. Thats one of the big reasons i stopped playing for so many years... 1) prices kept going way up and you kept getting less value 2) the way GW treated the private shop owner was horrendous- it got to the point you could mail order direct cheaper than the shop owner could buy it and sell it to their customers. Plus they would force things that would never sell to the shop owner and if you didnt cooperate things would cost you even more. They were bullies.

[WillCalwell]

I bought the starter box as there was a real emphasis on the narrative style of gameplay (especially as it was compulsory for every model to have a name). Competitive gaming is not for me so I doubt I will play any of the Kill Team expansions.

[marksdicetales]

2 play modes 2 audiences? match and narrative..looking fwd to reading the narrative campaign in febs white dwarf. not sure about the startbox.. but why pick up starter if you don't like the factions..ive not used my starter armies.. just the terrain so instead . pic your faction box.a terrain box..n rules.dunno what the price difference is there? played rouge trader 1st time last night hyper lapse vid up soon :-) was fun interesting corridor and door tactics can also see it being fun trying the campaign with other armies..

[TiberiusWallace]

Tbh I think Kill Team started as something, likely a cityfight/cities of death type thing which got me excited because its all in one book. I might have though that because of the starter set.
Then GW come along and go hmmmm.... We need to board game this to stop it competing.