Kill team update

Kill team, along with a few other GW publications received an update a short while ago. This update included all the supplements, although some we're more comprehensive than others.

We have received updates for the Kill Team core manual before, so this time I will only look at the updates made this time around, for both the Errata and Designers Comments. On the whole there have not been any game changing updates and much of the updates are just cleaning up the rules further.

I'll start with the Errata and then move on to the Designers Comments. The Errata really doesn't have much new content to it, as most are simple clarifications and not really updates to the game, stuff like the changes to guard orders and stratagem, which just adds in OFFICER, to take account of commanders or slight reworking of tactics, like the level 1 combat tactic and tyranids metabolic overdrive. There really are only two changes that I think are worth mentioning and they are the GSC mining laser update to D6 damage and the rewording of Tau saviour protocol.

I'm not sure how much the change to the mining laser will make. I'm assuming it has changed from D3 to D6 but I haven't actually looked. Maybe this makes it more worth while taking? Who knows, all I know is I don't come up against GSC very often so I don't really care. As for the rewording of the Tau ability, it is clearer on how it's supposed to work and is still very strong. Luckily, Tau are another army I rarely face, as in never, so I haven't had to deal with this at all. Hopefully it will stay that way!

The Designers Comments has quite a few more updates to it and as per usual there are quite a few simple answers in there, ones that only seem to need an answer because someone is trying to play the system, when everyone else knows exactly what it means already. The first couple of entries are actually pretty good ones. If you declare multiple targets but don't make the charge, you can't use the pile in move to get in combat and attack, now, if you do that make the charge distance, you can't attack, whether you can pile in or not. Also, if the target of your charge kill themselves such as overcharging plasma, you cannot charge anymore. And then we get a silly question,n you cannot shot in to combat, pistol or otherwise and no, you can't shoot across the battlefield from one combat to another. Also, how hard is it to figure out what half your team is? It still works the same way if you have an even or odd number of members. The next amendment was a good clarification and clears up the fact that using the tactical re-roll means re-rolling all the dice from that roll, so, if it's a 2d6 roll then you re-roll both dice, not just one.

Now, we get in to the individual teams, and the first update clears up that you can use the move! Move! Move! Orders on units that fell back, which is useful. Next up is an update for Tau and "For the greater good", meaning now you must declare who's firing straight up at the beginning, not as you go along and once you do, that's it, no more overwatch that turn. This goes in to the next one, which says that using the point black overwatch tactic from Rogue trader and arena means that you can't use the "for the great good ability". Next up area DS8 turret questions. There is now doubt now that you can only take 1 turret, not 1 for each datasheet. Also, if you use the replacement tactic to replace the DS8 turret, it has to be the same as the one it replaced.

Lastly we have the changes to Tyranids and GSC. I've lumped these together for ease, as there pretty much the same faction anyway. The nids question is pretty simple and self explanatory as far as I can see. If you roll a 6 to wound for a model with toxin sacks,the damage 8nstantly increase by 1. I don't see how there was a question about that. Lastly we have the GSC Aberants "bestial vigour" ability and clarification that it drops the damage of the attacking weapon by 1 (to a min of 1) for all purposes not just the actual damage taken, is for injury rolls too.

So that's a breif look at the commented, again not massive amounts but some good clarifications and the usual stupid question or two.

The elites update is rather short, especially when you take out all the updates removing stealth as a specialist. Now, I might have missed something with the "stealth" specialism but I do wonder what it would have been. I'm guessing something along the lines of negatives to hit or advance moves, similar to the vets tactic. It could have been interesting but as none of my units would have had the option it's a bit irrelevant. The other updates to note are the correcting of the Wracks data sheets to the correct strength and toughness profiles and the clarification that vanguard veteran sergeants can't be taken by Deathwatch. In addition we learn that Banshee's are the way to go against Tau, as it shuts down all overwatch.

The only point in the whole update that interests me is the one concerning Bullgryns and Ogryns. This change means that they can no longer be effected by orders, which to be honest, I expected. Orders made these already strong units, very OP. Being able to strike in combat with so many strong attacks before you opponent even has a chance to do anything was to good to be true. Now, I've never thought Ogryns we're much good in kill team anyway but Bullgryns were and even now, they are still very strong units. I'll still be looking at tagging a Bullgryn on to my roster, even with this change.

While I do little with commanders, the updates received are worth mentioning, well 1 of them is anyway.

Q. Since all Commanders have a specialism, are they treated in
the same way as specialists in matched play games (i.e. can only
be taken at level 1)?
A. Yes.

This to me is a big change and might actually bring commanders more in to mainstream play. Ok that's a bit of a stretch but I think it's a good clarification and brings some of the power combo's back to earth. I still won't be playing commanders but still it's a good change.