2023 Kill Team World Championships Interviews: The non-US Players

The World Championships of Warhammer are next week and we’re prepping by talking to some of the key competitors at this year’s event – many of whom are also competing for top honors in the ITC. We sat down with many of the top players from this year’s Kill Team event to talk to them about their plans, preparation, and expectations for the event. In this article, we’re covering our discussions with players representing countries outside the US.

Welcome everyone to our coverage of the WCW part II: Kill Team Rest of the world players! Rest of the World comes into the WCW strong with an amazing compendium of players, ranging from content creators to seasoned veterans, bursting with promise. If you missed our interviews with the 16 US players at the event, you can find it here.

You can also follow along with the group stage results using our tracker.

In this article we’ll talk to players from a number of countries, and we’ve divided them by country. Additionally, we’ll attach the ITC rankings of each player (as of 11-09-2023) to each player’s section, along with our Goonhammer interviews from qualifying events. Each player in our interview was asked the same 5 questions: 

1. How does your qualifying team feel coming into the WCW?
2. What are your hopes for you and your region?
3. Are there any notable players you’re worried about playing?
4. Is there advice you’d pass onto newer competitive players?
5. Any Shout-outs to you want to give to Goonhammer readers?

Note that as English is not the first language of many of these participants, some responses have been translated.

Let’s kick things off with Latam.

Argentina

Argentina is sending two players to the tournament, and they’re coming in hot. Both are here to have fun and meet people from around the world.

Ratman: GT KT Freaks (ITC Rank: 245) – Blooded

Ratman is one of the newest players on the Argentina scene. He’s been using Blooded or Hunter Clade, with some success, and is up for a good time and for some beers, so I’m really eager to see how far can he bring his Blooded team at the event. He’s likely to upset and surprise a lot of players.

1. I am playing Blooded. I’m feeling good about them, although I struggle a bit vs elite factions, I really enjoy their playstyle. Fits with my years of skaven experience.
2. To do some networking, meet cool likeminded people, [bring visibility to] the Argentinian community presence in the scene, get some renown for my club (killteam freaks!) and all in all, have a great time.
3. I struggle vs elite kill teams, but I’m not worried really, I’m not that concerned with the results, I’m more about the experience of being part of such a great event
4. Reach out to other players, try playing vs new factions, master your combos, always think about the next turn.
5. Thanks for providing this space, I feel honored to represent my local community and my country.

Poly – KTCBA : GT KT Freaks (ITC Rank: 245) – Corsairs Voidscarred

The other Argentinian powerhouse, he is coming with an off-meta pick, but that also makes him another player likely to surprise and upset players when he catches them off-guard.

1. We’re very excited. Is an amazing oportunitty for our community and we hope to have a lot of fun.
2. We expect to play as we do in our home events, friendly and funny. The game is a fantastic reason to meet with friends.
3. We travel without worries…
4. Play a lot and have fun

PERU

Julio “Jorm” Revilla: KILLSANGELA OPEN 2023 (ITC Rank: 77) – Intercession Squad.

Julio’s intercessors have been gaining ground for a long time and he’s only been improving over the last few months. It’s definitely an elite team to watch out for.

1. It’s a solid team. We hope to maintain a decent result against so many experienced players.
2. Mainly having a good time. Secondarily, reach the top 8 and leave Peru and Latam as high as possible.
3. Yes, I’m scared of top players in general and especially those who use Orks
4. Play the faction you like the most, whether it is high tier or not. The best way to improve is by enjoying what you do, beyond the result.
5. I hope that this event will represent a “before and after” for the Warhammer community and become a beacon for the new players and fans all over the world.

Javier “Sawyr” Aguilar Killsangela open 2023 D(ITC Rank: 40) – Chaos demons 

A fan favorite and one of the best players in Peru, Javier has been sowing terror with his Chaos Daemons in his region’s competitions as well as some online. He’s definitely among the bravest players at the event bringing a Compendium team but that’s what makes him dangerous – rivals had better be careful or they’ll end up finding themselves outmatched by a team they aren’t familiar with.

Mexico

Alejo Martin  La mega XP (ITC Rank: 46 Rank) – Corsairs Voidscarred

One of the best – if not the best – players on the LATAM community, Alejo has played both in Mexico and in Spain with a lot of good results in big tournaments. He is a player with a lot of tools, very skilled and capable of playing with a lot of lead time. He is a fantastic player and we are looking forward to seeing him in action.

1. I won the ticket with Inquisitorial Agents (pre nerf) and know I feel them quiet worst (and boring?) than before. The GA 2 and the “nope” nerf it hurts a lot in some pairings.
2. I would love to get on the 33% top of the players, and I would say that México as a region might be little low than other regions. We are not a really big community and we dont have large tournaments
3. Spain, Poland, UK.
4. Breathe. Breathe at the right moment and keep looking for options. Always.

Gerardo Esquer: La Mega XP (ITC Rank: 169) – Veteran Guardsmen 

Gerardo has been playing hordes ever since he started playing Kill Team and putting up good results with novitiates and inquisition teams in competitive play. This time around he’s bringing Veteran Guardsmen, reminding us that there were two teams in the Kill Team starter box.

1. I think there will be plenty inquisitorial agents and I don’t want a mirror match.
2. I plan to have fun and get to know the KT community around the globe.
3. Most of then, I considere myself a casual player and I just want to have fun with one of my favorite games.
4. Master the tricks of your team and plan ahead the use of you CP
5. Shot out to La Guarida del Goblin team from Hermosillo and Leyendas MC from Guadalajara 

United Kingdom

Jumping across the pond takes us to the United Kingdom, which is sending three players to the event. Unfortunately Dan Barton, ranked #2 in the ITC, is unable to attend the event, but from what we have heard he will have the opportunity to experience it in the future. We will certainly miss such a high-level contender.

Ryan – Turning points tactics. Freak Wars 2023 (ITC Rank: 4) – Elucidian Starstriders

Ryan is also known as “The King in the North” and has been the most dominant player in the UK. Along with Dan Barton he is also one of the few people who can boast of having won a tournament on Spanish soil, taking first place at a fearsome competition of more than 60 players.

1. I’ve had a difficult time choosing a team to bring to the the World Championships. My Elucidian Starstriders would be my default choice but the expected opponents will bring a lot of Kommandos, Legionary, Breachers and Inquisitorial Agents. I think Elucidian Starstriders can really struggle into these match-ups. As a result I have considered taking teams that could do well into these opponents like Hearthkyn Salvagers, Hunter Clade or Hierotek Circle, but I simply haven’t had the practice time in to learn these teams and their abilities. So I’ll likely have to revert to teams I’ve had more practice with such as Imperial Navy Breachers, Intercession Squad or Elucidican Starstriders.  I’ve been very indecisive about this haha
2. If I’m being completely honest, I haven’t had the practice or preparation to win at the World Championships.  I’ve only played 1 game since winning my ticket as work has been so busy.  So my hopes for the tournament is to meet all of the amazing players that will be there, and give them challenging games, I’m hoping to be a great opponent and ensure everyone walks away having had a fun game.  If I can go above a 50% win rate against the best players in the world then I’ll be exceptionally happy.
3. I’m worried about the Kommando match up.  They’re such a strong team at the moment, with the extra activation and ability to score so well early on I’m unsure how I can best outplay them.  As for players, there’s no one I’m ‘worried’ about playing, every player on the list is an exceptionally good, and I’m sure they’re going to give me a great, enjoyable and challenging game, win or lose I’m guaranteed to learn something from the event, and to be completely honest just meeting the broader competitive community is a win in itself.
4. Sign up to a tournament! Make the leap! The hardest hurdle to cross is going to that first tournament, but that’s where your enjoyment of the game can really take off.  Meeting a group of likeminded individuals who enjoy the game and want to play more of it is always a good thing, so don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone, it’s a great community and there’s so much you can gain from taking that first step.
5. If people would like to get more tips, tricks and strategies for improving their game they can check out Turning Point Tactics on Youtube, Patreon and most major podcast services.  We also have a linktree where we keep all the helpful links you could possibly need to improve at Kill Team. https://linktr.ee/turningpointtactics

John Rees (Can you roll a Crit) New York Open (ITC Rank: 12) – Hearthkyn savages

Rock and Stone! John Rees, better known as Can you roll a Crit or “matador” due to his Spanish origins, has chosen the most loved dwarfs by the public for the event. Will he be able to win with them? Will he be able to bring the ancestors to their rightful place? We’ll find out over the next two days.

1. Legionary are feeling pretty good, but now I’m the lone Hearthkyn guy. ROCK AND STONE!
2. To have fun and make more new global friends. Wales will show the strength and pride of the dragon!
3. Anyone who has dared enter my book of digital Votann grudges. 
4. Relax, play a team you like and focus on having fun
5. The path to victory can be arduous but with dedication and the backing of your union, anything is possible. Especially with zero sugar. Also crits.

Chris Scott-Blore, Warhammer Worlds Best Overall (ITC Rank: 201) – Legionary

Chris won Best Overall at Warhammer Worlds with a stunning team and some very solid tournament results. We’re looking forward to seeing what he can do at the world championship and seeing his stunning models in action.

1. Blooded won the ticket for me.
2. We have very few entries from my country but I still hope we can do well. As for myself, I’m hoping to get some decent painting points.
3. I hope all of my opponents are there for a good time and a laugh together whilst playing the game. This is more important to me than winning.
4. Think about the deployment order of operatives.
5. Thanks to Jason Zammit and all the other Notts Kill Team members for introducing me to the game and pushing me to be a better hobbyist and player.

France

Moving on to the main continent we continue to France, a region where competitive Kill Team play has grown enormously in the last year.

Tib: Paris Finals (ITC Rank: 523) – Elucidian Starstriders

Tib won his golden with Kommandos however he has decided to bring the Elucidian Starstriders, even with possible bad matchups against them. I think it is a brave choice and one that might pay off.

1. I won with Kommandos but I won’t bring them to the event. I like to  switch team to keep the excitement. And I’m afraid to see many of them… I really dislike mirrors matches. It would have been a good pick though, they are really strong right now and quite easy and fun to pilot.
2. Ahah, not so many hopes. If I can qualify to the top 8 it would be AWESOME, but the competition will be fierce ! I’m really hoping to grab points for my team with the painting and the fairplay.
3. All of them ! I’m really excited to play against so many great players. There are also some teams that I don’t have much experienced against such as hierotech, HotA…

1. Don’t play too agressively. When I started killteam I was deploying too many guys in engaged. It was always a bloodbath. Now I tend to consider that if a shoot can happen on one of my guy he is dead, if he can survive do to good rolls it’s only bonus.
2. Thank you for having me and see you there!

Martin Scapel, Paris finals (ITC Rank: 588) – Blooded

Martin won his golden with legionnaire however he has switched to blooded for this event, which may be a wise move especially if he is able to make it to the games on Into the dark terrain where they are much more competitive. 

1. My team The Legionaries is feeling a little left out. After doing all the hard work, they don’t get to come. Another team has been chosen by The Chaos Gods and is in the works as we speak.
2. My hope is to have a good time, meet cool people and not embarrass myself.
3. I’m worried about the US, because they have a lot of good players and Spain of course. Regarding the teams, I’ll be on the lookout for Komandos, Chaos Cult, Vetguard, Gellerpox  and some others. But it will mostly be about the player at this point.
4. I would advise beginners to play as much as they can, and stick with a team that they enjoy playing with for a while. Try to always come with a plan in mind and try to focus on scoring instead of killing.
5. I’m really excited to meet all these great players in person and to go to such a big tournament. Also to eat some bbq ribs.

Poland

With France done let’s travel east to Poland, one of the hottest places for Kill Team play. Polish players are known for being bold and daring with their play.

Mateusz Mikołajczyk, London GT (ITC Rank: 12) – Inquisitorial Agents

One of the most dominant players on the European scene, Mateusz has dominated his country with veteran guard and reached several finals with his inquisition in England. It is not surprising that he is one of the surer bets to reach the top 8 of the tournament.

1. Quite good, it will be the longest trip for these  models yet but I hope they will survive 😀
2. I think that there [are] not enough players from Poland to compete for top team placings. Simple as that. I am aware about only 3 players. (Can be more ofc.). For myself I’m ok. I can win with everybody and lose against anyone. We will see and have a good time.
3. Nope
4. Accept your failures to better learn from them.

Kamil Pardus: Poland Finals (ITC Rank: 254) – Imperial Navy Breachers

In an environment as competitive as Poland’s anyone who wins their biggest event demands respect, and with a team as competitive as Navy we are sure Dzemik will be a force to be reckoned with at the tournament.

1. For me it was Inquisitorial Agents but I will probably use another team in WC as they are not that pretty looking (my skills in painting are infamous :D). I change my teams pretty often and are already on the next one since then.
2. I’m really excited! It’s the first time I will attend an event where every game will be like final round in any other tournament. I hope to get at least top 8 but I’m prepared for getting my ass beaten. In the worst case scenario I can count on Mateusz to get us nice, cozy place in rankings
3. I didn’t have opportunity yet to see best players from another country in action. In more general sense, I’m worried that I will have to face a team that is not popular in Poland (like Blooded) or there is some unexpected, secret strategy that will catch me off guard! Personally, I hate Void-dancer Troupe no matter what team I’m using 🙂
4. While it may sound generic, always have a plan in mind. After you learn the basic rules, LoS etc. what you need the most to improve is a strategy for your team, like in chess. The moment you place your unit in deployment you should already know where each one will go, what role does he have and what can I expect from him the following turn. This is hard, especially when you need to do your decisions quick in the game with so many variables.
5. There is not much time left and I just can’t wait to meet everyone and play some Kill Team!

Australia

Let’s jump to the other side of the world and the Australian continent where we’ll meet two players who will have what may be their first contact with players from outside their region in what’s sure to result in some interesting clashes of philosophy. Thanks to Jay the Sloth for helping with these interviews.

Liam Bladwell The OCC Finals (ITC Rank: 21) – Legionary

Liam’s record of wins is even more impressive when you consider he won his very first tournament. He’s been a dominant force in Sydney events and was rightfully ranked #1 in the Oceanic Championship Circuit, finishing second in the OCC Finals to secure the second golden ticket from the event. Liam currently stands apart from the rest of the Australian scene. His strongest asset is finding the opening in high-impact opportunities and then flipping the state of the board.

1. I ended up bringing Intercessors to the Australian Finals, after spending the two weeks before cut off swapping between Novitiates, and Hunter Clade. In the end Intercessors have the advantage of being a very all rounded team, although I here the European meta is more populated with elite factions than here in Australia.
2. The answer is too win right? In all seriousness I’m stoked to even have the opportunity to go to the states and play against other fantastic members of the Kill Team community.
3. My fellow Aussie Aleksa’s Cults are a force that I’ve still not worked out how to crack. Even post nerf they’re a team that can really put the pressure on and leave you with few good options when piloted well.
4. Focus on the fundamentals, if you can make the core rules work for you it’s much easier to utilize all the extra rules you get from each kill team.

Aleksa Pavkovic The OCC Finals (ITC Rank: 61) – Chaos Cult

Aleksa is a loud, playful mate coming from a competitive MESBG background, winning a great number of events with two podium finishes of Australian national events. He is one of the few players in the scene who can visualize the path of the game with multiple turning points ahead and execute it accordingly. Aleksa started playing with ITD and has been improving and dominating ever since, winning a large number of events and capping things off with a win at the Oceanic Championship Circuit to secure his golden ticket.

1. Chaos Cults are in a great spot. It’s kind of telling of how bonkers they were on release that even after a massive set of nerfs they’re still arguably a top 3 team in the game. Cults still force your opponent to play aggressively and if you as the cults player can weather the difficulty of a tp1 with no real shooting you can very quickly snowball the game.The only real issue is that post nerf mutants are too unreliable even against squishy operatives and you basically have to use torments or your dark commune for actually dealing damage. It’s not a big weakness but it does railroad you strategically.
2. I mean we all obviously hope to win but a top3 would be enough for me to feel satisfied. I’m hoping that alongside Liam we can have a good showing and also get a feel for the international scene and bring new ideas back with us to AUS 
3. Phobos on loot is the main match up that could be tricky. Their free mission actions could give them an early lead and their shooting is very efficient against cults. Kommandos are on obvious threat with their unmatched TP1 options but I think cults have enough tricks up their sleeve to weather and punish overly aggressive play from Kommandos.
4. Plan ahead. When you deploy a model you should know roughly where it’s going to be on TP1 and 2 and why it’s there. If your model has a clearly thought out purpose it will do much more than if you are deciding on the fly what it’s going to do.
5. Let’s all have a great time!

Spain

Editor’s Note: Ace is writing this, and he’s obviously biased but also he’s not technically wrong about Spain being the current epicenter of competitive Kill Team play, so we let him cook.

And finally back home! Spain brings the best of the best we could get. After a succession of brutal tournaments the Spanish players faced each other in one of the finals with more skill that KT has been able to witness. To this we add Wallace and I as guests for winning events outside our borders.

Ace: Warhammer Worlds (ITC Rank: 1) – Inquisitorial Agents

After having traveled all over Europe and securing 3 golden tickets, I come to the World Championships with a lot of motivation, especially to see the people I have been talking to during this year and to see again the fantastic people I met in the USA last year. The last month I have not been able to train as much as I would have liked, however I think I can give good games to my opponents (or at least I hope so).

1. I won the tournament with Phobos, I think they are a great team in a very sweet moment, however they suffer a lot in the open C mission and the Worlds are not a tournament where you can go limping a mission, so I decided to take something more versatile, I do not think it is top tier but at least have a chance against the other factions.
2. I think Spain is a power to be reckoned within the game and I am sure that my teammates are going to give a great show, and prove a great level of performance. We have developed a style and a level that can rival anyone’s, we share and help each other to keep improving day by day. This is my second year and I feel honored to be here with so many titans and enthusiasts of the Hobby, however as last year I come with a lot of motivation to have fun enjoy and try to be the best possible rival both competitively and at sportmanship level, I want to try to give my opponents the best possible 
3. More than worried I’m excited, as a competitive player I don’t care about winning or losing but having games that I remember like last year’s final with Orion. This year there are big names like Shane, Ryan, Mateusz, the Garret brothers, Adrian B, my LATAM teammates and many more that as a follower of the international scene I really want to meet, I hope this year is as special as last year and I will miss all those who could not attend (Long live the first!). 
4. The most important thing is to play and listen, think about Killteam during the day on how to improve, what you could have done differently in that game. If you play against players it is always important to ask questions and ask yourself what you could have done better, identify the problems and keep improving little by little. And the most important thing is to enjoy the great game we have in our hands.
5. As always I want to thank all the Spanish community that supports us and we hope to do our best, my MRQ3 team, my teammates, Athair, Lazarast and Bezeriks because without you I wouldn’t be here. See you in the States! 

Wallace West: Warhammer Fest (ITC Rank: 7) – Kommandos

Wallace is an incredibly solid player and has been practicing Kommandos for years, he is a player who hardly makes mistakes and is able to present a game always oriented to victory. 

1. I won the ticket with kommandos and honestly they work very well in the current meta. They still have a hard time beating navy and inquisition and on the other hand the elites can still sting you, but you can win those games and against the rest of the factions you run like clockwork.
2. I think that in kill team, Spain has a very good chance of coming out on top. Hopefully in the rest of the games too! As for me, I hope I can qualify for the top 8, but whatever happens, being there is already a reward and we are going to have fun.
3. It remains to say that facing Qiquems, Ace or Javalow even though they are friends is a challenge. On the other hand, there are a lot of great players in this tournament! As for factions, I’m worried about playing against the Navy and Inquisition, but especially Inquisition as they have a very dangerous toolkit. And of course playing mirrors is always a concern, they are a pain and often the dice are more important than the player’s own skill as you both have the same tools.
4. I think the most important thing in the game is to approach it as chess, thinking prophylactically. In essence, it’s thinking about moves not only for the activation of the miniature but also for the next turn. For example, I leave this miniature here because in the next turn its charge arrives here and if it survives in the third turn it will be able to reach this other control point… 
5. Lets have fun 🙂

Alberto “Java” Ibericon Finals #15 rank Itc – Chaos Cult

The sub champion of the Spanish finals, a sure thing with hordes and a great player in general, one of the great contenders along with the rest of the Spaniards to the TOP 8 his cult of chaos is incredibly powerful with many tricks up his sleeve that can catch even the most seasoned player off guard.

1. Chaos cult
2. Im humble, only hope hace a good games agains the best players
3. My mate ACE
4. Be consistent with your faction, because at the end you Will see the results

Final Thoughts

The tournament is going to be amazing. Everyone from each of these countries should be excited and ready to support all the champions that have made it to this tournament – the prize is the journey itself and being able to enjoy it. The finals are going to be a blast and we have to thank GW for having all us together in the same place competing and having fun together. Its all about growing the game!

Have any questions or feedback? Drop us a note in the comments below or email us at contact@goonhammer.com.