Welcome back, Kill Teamers, to the Q&A series! Its been a hot minute, since we’ve circled back to Kill Team, and with the new edition’s release in the rear view. We’re here to see what the West Coast has been cooking up, with Dakotah’s West Coast Championships!
17/36 factions represented at the West Coast Championships seems to be a fair showing in a meta game dominated by the Astartes tier threats. We can definitely see that across the board, the metagame is focused on the raw power of the Legionary team, and its surrounding counters. With 6 Aeldari teams in attendance, who all have fair matchups against the 14-wound bricks that the Astartes teams represent.
Our top 8 on the other hand shows the raw power of the Legionary, with three of the four players converting into the top 8 over seven rounds of play. Here we can see some of the current gripes of Kill Team balance with 5/8ths of the top 8 being some form of Astartes. When we narrow that down to just the top 3, while Legionary didn’t win they did take slots 2 and 3. Showing off that the Chaos Gods are not to be trifled with at the moment.
Lets catch up with the tournament organizer Dakotah to get some of his thoughts before the looming Las Vegas Open consumes all of his time and attention!
Dakotah L, Tournament Organizer, Squad Games
Goonhammer: Congrats on the strong turn for the end of the Squad Games circuit! How’d the reality line up with your expectations?
Dakotah: The final event of our Kill Team circuit, the West Coast Championship, was an unforgettable experience. It started with a six-hour drive to host a Kill Team event for an amazing group of players up north, and it was absolutely worth every mile. While the long round-trip journey was no small feat, the excitement and camaraderie made it an absolute blast.
The circuit had its share of highs and lows, but overall, it was a fantastic success. We kicked off with the Pacific Skirmish, which saw 26 players come together to compete. Then came the Bay Area Champs with 34 players, followed by the Mid-Summer Mayhem Birthday event, a highlight of the season with 40 attendees. The All-Valley Tournament set a new standard with an incredible turnout of 67 players. Next was the SoCal Open with 34 participants and the West Coast Championship with 29. And now, we’re gearing up for the pinnacle of our circuit—the Las Vegas Open—which will host a staggering 174 players!
Looking back, I can confidently say that we far exceeded our expectations this year. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished and can’t wait to see what next year holds for the Squad Games Kill Team circuit!
How goes the work on your new layouts for LVO? I assume there was some testing at the West Coast Championships.
The map progression is coming along slowly but steadily. After the West Coast Championships, I can confidently say I’ve learned a lot about map design. While many people enjoyed our asymmetrical ITD map pack in the last edition, working with Volkus and designing maps for 3-objective missions has been a completely different—and much more linear—process. Unfortunately, this shift has taken away some of the fun and creative decisions I used to enjoy when designing maps.
That said, the WCC was an excellent learning experience. It gave me valuable insight into how maps should be made, which will help me create much better and more balanced layouts moving forward. Designing maps for Volkus, in particular, has been incredibly challenging. Honestly, it’s even harder to create a good third-party Volkus map than it was for Gallowdark. For anyone who has tried designing asymmetrical Gallowdark maps, you’ll definitely understand my struggle here!
If you’d like to see what we’ve developed so far, feel free to check out our website https://www.squad-games.net/ or join our Discord. I love getting feedback from the community—it’s a big part of how we refine our map packs to make them the best they can be.
We saw Wreckas in the faction line ups, but all their scores are zero’d out! How’d the players who took them feel like they played?
The appearance of Wreckas in the faction lineups was due to the unique format of our event. To maintain the integrity of the 8-player pods in our custom Swiss Group Stage bracket system—similar to Worlds from League of Legends—I had to account for players who dropped out due to illness. Since this format isn’t supported by Best Coast Pairings (BCP), the entire event had to be manually paired, which led to some technical challenges. This approach allowed us to preserve the integrity of the tournament structure while ensuring it was easy for everyone to see that Wreckas weren’t actually played.
Any last words for the Goonhammer readers?
First, I want to thank all the Goonhammer readers for their support and passion for the Kill Team community. Your enthusiasm, feedback, and engagement are what make events like ours possible. This year has been an incredible journey for our circuit. From testing new layouts and navigating challenges to celebrating big milestones like Golden Tickets and the growth of our events, it’s been an unforgettable ride.
If there’s one thing I’d leave you with, it’s this: Be Awesome, Roll Dice and Support your Local TO’s. The Kill Team community is as much about the people as it is about the game, and it’s been amazing to see how much we’ve all grown together. If you want to stay up-to-date with what we’re working on—maps, events, and more—check out our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@Squad-Games-Entertainment , where we share updates and content for the community. Let’s make LVO a Kill Team event to remember! Thanks again, and I’ll see you online and at the tables
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Nick H is a new entry to these sorts of articles, coming up from the Cadia Fight Club! Sacremento’s premier Kill Team club, his clean 6-1 run with a solo loss to Legionary is great stuff, and we’re hoping to get some nuggets of information from him.
Nick H, Third, Legionary, Cadia Fight Club
Goonhammer: Great job on the third place finish! How’s it feel to be piloting one of the teams at the top of the metagame right now?
Nick: I can definitely see how they are super strong/oppressive right now. Luckily I was able to dodge any games against Warp/HC/Inq as I have heard they are all rough matchups for legionnaires and have not really played against any of them. I don’t have too many games in this edition but can imagine that these guys (legionnaires) are going to have some changes with the next dataslate.
Were there any tricks you found during the tournament that you didn’t have planned out prior? Or was this third place finish executing on existing plans.
I basically followed the guide that Jeshua K put out on the squad games podcast. He was also nice enough to answer all the questions that I had regarding matchups I had not played yet at the tournament as well (super cool and down to earth dude). He gave me some great advice into the plague marines match up about running undivided and Khorne on a few guys that I would have never thought about. Having the ceaseless within 6 inches made a huge difference when you are always injured in melee.
Any other big events or teams you’re looking to pick up?
I was hoping to make it to LVO this year for the first time but that is when my first child is going to be born so it’s going to have to wait haha. I am hoping to really be inspired by whatever the next box after ratlings will be and try hard to push for the top of the hobby track while I am at home with the kid.
Any shoutouts to the readers of Goonhammer?
I want to shout out Dakotah for putting on a great tournament, Cadia Fight Club for hosting Kill Team night every Thursday/Friday in Sacramento and John and Shay for showing me the ropes a year ago when I first tried out kill team. Without all the great people in the group to practice against and hang out with every week I dont think I would even be playing this game.
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Jeshua K is no stranger to the top tables in California. With his father currently sitting at 2nd on the ITC Kill Team leaderboards he’s got no shortage of strong opponents. His only loss was to tournament champion Chris, dropping the most points in his game against Heirotek Circle. The pair of mirror match victories are particularly noteworthy as finding tools for mirrors is one of the biggest tools top meta players are on the lookout for.
Jeshua K, Second, Legionary, Kell Team
Goonhammer: Congratulations on second place! How was the competition in Northern California compared to your home of Southern California?
Jeshua: It’s always nice to compete up North. I enjoy the variety of players and skills that come with competing in a more Northern scene compared to Southern California. I was fond of the format of the tournament and am excited to see what Dakotah will do for West Coast Champs Next year.
Legionary are the big dawgs of the 2024 metagame so far, and you’ve got two notable mirror match victories! Was there a common set of tools that you used against those mirrors that they didn’t see?
I’ve experienced my fair share of mirror matches this edition and there are a few key things that I’ve learned in regards to the Legionary mirror match. For one, Nurgle is the way to go. My build is generally a Nurgle Chosen with plasma pistol, Nurgle Anointed, Nurgle Icon Bearer with a bolt gun, Nurgle Balefire Acolyte, Nurgle Warrior with Chainsword, and a Tzeentch Melta. The idea behind this build is that in the Legionary mirror, melee can be pretty dicey, and therefore you have to play into them in a more shooting oriented style.
Second key thing is you want to play defensive and counterpunch, for this reason I think it’s good for the Melta to be tzeentch, for the extra APL and to secure the kill. Another thing that is controversial is not taking the shrivetalon, however I’ve found that the Warriors versatility comes in handy much more, and the Shrivetalon essentially becomes useless after he’s marked an objective. I think the only time a Shrivetalon may be necessary is on loot.
In terms of tac ops, I think that Contain is a great choice that especially fits this defensive playstyle. Finally, it’s important to understand the value of 1 for 1 trades. The most valuable models in the mirror are the Melta and balefire, as they can push through consistent damage in shooting and heal. The chosen and the Icon Bearer are the next wave of importance. While the warrior and anointed are meant to go kick the hornet’s nest. So if you see an opportunity to trade your anointed for the opponents Melta, take it.
How much does the practice against your father end up coming out against your opponents? Has the experience shaped you more against him, or is the repetition of playing pretty useful in all tournament games?
Although our team frequently has meet ups to get kill team practice in, I find that I frequently do not actually practice with my dad. However we do go over strategy and match discussions which I think has been pretty helpful for tournaments. As well as with the few games that we do get in, they end up being very educational and do help me to avoid making mistakes against higher level opponents. I think that the experience of playing my dad and talking with him has helped me overall rather than just in my games against him. In fact, our games help me more in tournaments than against him, since we both know what the strategies we have are beforehand. Therefore it comes down to who can adapt faster and isn’t really affected by the games we’ve gotten in beforehand.
Is the Legionary versus Inquisition match up as bad as it seems on paper? What would you do differently in a second game against Chris?
I think that the Legionary versus Inquisition match up is more complicated than meets the eye. There are a lot of factors that determine how that game goes. I think that generally inquisition do have a favoring match up, but Legionary can definitely win it. Some of the circumstances in that match up that determined how it goes are the board and mission. Volkus terrain that has one or both of the large bastions in the middle is generally favored for inquisition as they have better control over the building through their APL buffs, smaller base sizes and manipulating equipment terrain for advantage, and denounce.
Into the Dark can also be favored for inquisition since they have more activations and can wait for you to come into the rooms first. If I were to play against Chris again there are a few things I would change. I would play a lot more cagey turn two, as that’s when he denied implacable and it led to a lot of damage to my team. I would also change my tac op. On the board there was a large bastion in the center, so I took take ground. However as I discovered Inquisition is much better at controlling that bastion, so I would probably take Champion next time. As after turn two it is pretty easy to get double kills.
What do you think you would change about the meta game right now?
I think the meta is far too skewed in favor of elites and elves right now, specifically elites. I would probably start off by nerfing elites as a whole, such as limiting the actions that can be used by a counteraction. Then teams like Inquisition, Warp Coven, Legionary, and Hierotek (Yes, Hierotek are elites) all probably need changes as well. I think that Corsairs and Void Dancers also pose a threat to the meta if elites were nerfed enough, so they should be tweaked as well. I would buff teams such as Kroot, Death Korps, Scouts, Breachers, and all the other teams that are vastly underperforming right now. Ideally after the changes to the meta there shouldn’t be single dominating teams such as the ones we are seeing right now.
What else would you like to say to Goonhammer’s readers?
If you’re looking to play Legionary and perform well with them, there are a few things that are important. For one, although it may seem good to play into the strengths of each model by giving them their respective marks, such as making an anointed khorne or a gunner Tzeentch, it is generally a trap. I think the best way to play legionary is running Nurgle against teams that have access to good piercing with hit reliability, and Slaanesh against teams that either have low BS and low hit reliability or against teams that don’t have piercing. Also the leader should almost always be the Chosen. His ability to deny fall back and heal to full health after almost every combat is really useful. Warriors are also the underdogs of this team. Their versatility really helps this team to thrive in certain situations, especially against inquisition who can deny the strength of a mark of their choice. In terms of Tac Op and equipment choice, Security is generally the way to go, with either Take Ground or Contain always being viable. Warded Armour, Tainted Rounds, and Chaos Talisman are essentially auto takes for me, then smoke grenades or barricades (whatever the board dictates) are good.
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Chris B, returns to his throne at the top of the West Coast, with Inquisition Agents! Able to wield the varied forces of the Imperium in all its powerful ways. His tradition of retiring teams looks like it’ll have to continue!
Chirs B, First, Inquisition Agents, BATS
Goonhammer: Congratulations on taking the win on the West Coast cementing your slot at the top of the California meta game! How’s it feel after coming in first at 15th at the World Championship of Warhammer?
Chris: WCW was a super educational experience for me, giving me the reps I needed with inquisition to feel more confident with the team. I’d only picked them up a few weeks before WCW and competed with folks who had played as and against the team (at least its prior edition incarnation) far longer than I had. I took the lessons I learned there to heart, and I think West Coast Champs allowed me to demonstrate what I’d learned and apply it in practice.
Inquisition have oh so many tools in the toolbox, but many players I’ve seen have just relied on the Kasrkin. Was that the same situation with your run? Or did other factions come out to play?
I unfortunately was never in a position where running anything other than Kasrkin was optimal. However, I do run both Exaction and Sisters of Silence on occasion depending on the matchup. It’s really hard to beat Kasrkin’s powerful and flexible toolkit, especially given how well they synergize with the rest of the non-ancillary team. I am a fan of the auto-savant (ooh a robot enjoyer huh?), and actually ran him a couple times.
Was there a tactic or tool that you developed over the last few tournaments on inquisition that you haven’t seen much on the content spheres?
To be honest I haven’t seen much content on Inquisition. One of my favorite tactics is to use the free scouting ploy to turn on Intense Scrutiny TP1 – allowing me to hit targets from 4” away. In practice, this allows me to threaten gunners on Tp1 to hit enemies that try to push up to the midboard. There’s counterplay to this technique, but I’ve found it causes most opponents to hang further back TP1 to fit neatly into my gameplan.
How are you feeling about the Kill Team metagame holistically right now? Are there any wishlist items you’d like to see?
3+ save for Striking Scorpions! I actually think the game is closer to being balanced than one might think. Once some of the teams on the edges are nudged down, I think we’re going to have a ton of range of different teams that can come to play and have a great chance of success at every level of play.
What was your tightest bind of the tournament, and how did you leverage your ploys, abilities, and operatives to find a line out?
My game with Sammy was absolutely the tightest game of the event and had probably the biggest swing of any of the event, and could have easily gone either way for me. A few key things made a big impact, specifically Sammy flubbing a couple mindburn rolls (only dealing damage instead of killing their targets) and a key melta shot taking down a rubric gunner. In the end, I think the flow of the game came down to tacop choice. My opponent chose contain, while I chose beacons, leading to an end game state where I scrambled to throw operatives away in his backfield planting beacons while simultaneously denying contain. It was a bloody gameplan, and casualties were high, but it ended up pushing for enough of a points differential to be worth it.
Any other large tournaments you’re planning on attending?
I definitely want to hit as much of the tournament circuit as I can in 2025, but two specific events that I missed out on this year that I really want to go to next year are NOVA and NYO.
What else would you like to say to Goonhammer’s readers?
GO BATS
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