Today in our ongoing coverage of the Kill Team 2024 releases we will be going over the newest Approved Ops Mission Deck. We have already covered some of this information discussing the changes to the overall game, and will be focusing primarily on the new Crit Ops and Tac Ops.
Before we dive in, we’d like to thank Games Workshop for providing a preview copy of these rules for review purposes.
General Changes
In addition to the new Ops the deck comes with new map layouts. A notable change is the removal of maps with a diagonal Drop Zones with Bheta Decima, Gallowdark, Volkus, and Non-specific Kill Zones all receiving six map layouts. These maps are split evenly between three and six inch drop zone variants with those that have preassigned terrain reworked to properly accommodate three objectives. It is important to point out that all maps place objectives close to the centerline with two being slightly offset towards an opposing side. This combination of odd numbered and centrally located objectives means previous strategies of grabbing half the available objectives and playing defensively will be less viable.
Crit Ops
Crit Ops are this edition’s version of the Primary Mission, and there are quite a few of them to cover. All involve performing universal mission actions in relation to the markers on the Kill Zone but with slight variations to affect your strategy. These actions may not be scored or performed during the first Turning Point, nor while within control range of an enemy operative, and are limited to six points over the course of the game.
Secure – Operates just like it did before in terms of how it is performed and when it is scored. Score 1 VP by having any number of objectives “Secured” at the end of the TP, and a second VP if you have more secured than your opponent.
Loot – Identical to Kill Team 2021 Loot, except you can’t score more than two per TP.
Transmission – Allows all operatives to perform the Initiate Transmission (1 AP) mission action. Any marker this is performed on is considered to be “transmitting” until the start of the next TP. You score a VP for controlling any transmitting objectives at the end of the TP, and a second if you control more than your opponent. Here we begin to see the changes in strategy required as players don’t need to perform the action to score. This means that at some point one player needs to perform the action but risks their opponent stealing it from them.
Upload – Now things are getting interesting. Perform the Upload (1 AP) mission action that adds 1 of YOUR Upload Points to that marker, and removes any of your opponent’s if present. This may only be done once per marker per TP and only on a marker you have not yet scored from. At the end of any TP after the first you MAY choose to score VP from a marker that you have Upload Points on, if you do so you may not score from that marker again. You do not need to control the marker in question to do so. This is a very interesting Crit Op since you need to build up points to achieve a higher score, but a single misplay can easily result in your opponent ruining all your hard work resulting in MASSIVE swings in scoring.
Intel – Perform the Compile Intel (1 AP) mission action to add 1 Intel point to a marker. This can’t be performed if it has already gained one during the current TP. After the first TP and once at least one intel point has been added to a marker, operatives may perform the Pick Up Marker (1 AP) universal mission action on them. Once this has been done no further Intel Points may be added to it. At the end of the final TP players score VP equivalent to the Intel Points on the objectives they control. Similar to Upload but with the twist of being able to move objectives to keep them from your opponent, additionally Intel points do not go away but instead may be built up by both players with the final total only going to a single player meaning it is possible to steal another player’s hard earned work.
Extraction – Perform the Search (1 AP) mission action to “search” an objective marker. The final one to be searched becomes the “extraction” marker. Operatives may perform the Pickup Marker action on the Extraction marker. The first and third objectives searched grant 1 VP when the action is performed, while the second objective searched grants 2 VP. At the end of each Turning Point you gain 1 VP if you control the Extraction marker and 2 VP at the end of Turning Point 4. Initially we have a scenario where players have to play a game of chicken to not inadvertently grant their opponent control of the Extraction marker, which becomes the only objective marker that matters once revealed.
Sabotage – Perform the Sabotage (1 AP) mission action on an objective WHOLLY within your opponent’s territory. This can not be performed on an objective marker that has already been sabotaged this Turning Point. You score 1 VP when you perform this action, and at the end of each TP for controlling the objective marker wholly within your territory and on the centerline to a maximum of 2. This Crit Op allows for two different strategies. One in which you focus on controlling two of the three objectives in order to hold a stable lead over your opponent, OR pushing into enemy territory in order to prevent your opponent from scoring their home objective. This later option is somewhat stymied by the two points per TP limit.
Power Surge – Perform the Reroute Power (1 AP) mission action on a “surged” objective marker to “reroute” it. On TP2 onward players alternate selecting an objective to be “surged” starting with the player that does not have initiative in TP2, this objective can not be one that has been previously surged. You score 1 VP for each of the following: performing Reroute Power, controlling the surged objective marker at the end of the TP, or controlling a majority of the objective markers at the end of the TP to a maximum of 2. Players taking turns choosing which objective is surged creates an interesting dynamic as you try to choose the proper marker to surge at the moment it is most advantageous to you, and disadvantageous to your opponent.
Coordinates – Perform the Input Coordinates (1 AP) mission action to that marker 1 objective point. This can not be performed on an objective that has already gained 1 this Turning Point. At the end of the final Turning Point gain 1 VP for each marker that has one or more of your objective points on it, and 2 VP if you have any on the marker wholly within your opponent’s territory. Additionally, score 1 VP for each objective marker that has MORE of your objective points than your opponent’s. This Crit Op has the interesting distinction of not requiring you to control any objective to score, and thus incentivises players to build up objective points as quickly as they can.
Tac Ops
Each Tac Op has been reduced to three options per archetype, however the difficulty it takes to complete them feels much more consistent than the previous iteration. Just like Crit Ops these can never be scored during the first Turning Point, and in most cases they’re revealed after at least one victory point has been scored keeping some information out of your opponent’s hands until you’re able to accomplish something.
Recon
Plant Beacons – Reveal this Tac Op when you perform the first Plant Beacon (1 AP) mission action. When you do so place one beacon marker if you can meet the following conditions: within control range of the operative, 4 inches from your Kill Zone, 5 inches from other beacon markers, the operative was not setup during the current activation, and if the performing operative is not within control range of an enemy. You score 1 VP each Turning Point for setting up a marker wholly within your territory and a second for setting up one within your opponent’s territory. This is going to be an incredibly difficult Tac Op to max simply due to the many limitations on placement.
Recover Items – Reveal this Tac Op at the start of the setup operatives step. Your opponent then places two item markers, one on the centreline, the other two inches within your territory. You then must place one 6 inches outside your territory, all these markers must be at least two inches from one another. At the end of the battle you score 2 VP for each marker that your operatives both control and performed the Pick Up Marker action on during the course of the game.
Confirm Kill – Reveal this after the first enemy operative is incapacitated and place a Confirm Kill marker within its control range, repeat this whenever any other enemy operatives are incapacitated. Score 1 VP at the end of TP2 and later for each Confirm Kill marker you control while no enemy operatives are in control range. If the enemy operative that spawned the marker was 12 wounds or more you score 2 VP instead. Additionally, markers are removed when scored, and a maximum of 2 VP may be scored each TP.
Security
Contain – Reveal this Tac Op after you score any VP off of it. At the end of each TP after the first score 1 VP if no enemies are wholly within 6 of your Drop Zone, and an additional VP if none are wholly within your territory. An incredibly straightforward Tac Op, perfect for a more defensive player, additionally the need to reveal it only after points have been scored means your opponent will generally be unaware of what you have chosen until the end of TP2.
Take Ground – This one is a bit complicated as it shifts depending on your Kill Zone choice. Scoring revolves around holding different terrain within your opponent’s territory at the end of every TP after the first. With Volkus you score 2 VP if you control a Stronghold and 1 VP for ruins. On Gallowdark you score 1 VP for each access point, including those located on the centreline, and on any other map 1 VP for any Heavy terrain feature.
Secure Centre – Reveal once you have scored this Tac Op. At the end of each TP after the first you score 1 VP for having more APL worth of operatives within 3 inches of the center, and 1 VP if you have more APL worth of operatives on the centreline, BUT not within 3 inches of the center.
Seek and Destroy
Overrun – Score 1 VP per TP after an operative incapacitates an enemy operative wholly within their territory, and score an additional VP if at least 3 APL worth of operatives fulfilled the previous requirement and remain in your opponent’s territory and the end of that TP. For your horde teams that means two operatives need to incapacitate an enemy, and remain alive until the end of the Turning Point, which may be a tall order.
Storm Objective – Score 1 VP for Storming an objective, and another for controlling a Stormed objective at the end of each turning point. What is Storming you may ask? Well whenever you activate an operative any objective that is currently controlled by an opponent or wholly within your opponents territory is storm-able. Then during that activation you gain control of a storm-able objective, you storm it. This objective does give your opponents a fair amount of control on whether or not you can actually do this, as players who play off the points can make things not stormable. While surviving a turning point while being worth 1VP can also be hard.
Champion – Have a Champion incapacitate two enemy operatives for 1 VP each. You nominate a champion for the turning point as a Strategic Gambit. This is probably going to be locked to Astartes as players should be pretty wary about giving a single operative a 2:1 activation as much as possible.
Infiltration
Wiretap – Score 1 VP for an enemy who starts or ends within 2” of your wiretap mission marker, and 1 VP for any engaged enemy who ends the turning point within 2” of your wiretap mission marker. Definitely a bit of an oddball as far as scoring windows, though if you gain benefits for being near mission markers there is an argument for this. As one of the few 2” triggers, this means you can make playing the central objective marker pretty toxic for an opponent. However, giving an opponent that much control over your scoring has not historically been that powerful.
Implant – Score one 1 VP for an implant, and 1VP at the end of turn if an Implanted operative is still alive. You get an implant, when you elect to use one of your successful melee strikes OR when shooting at an opponent while within 6”, in both cases you give up 1 successful damage die of damage to do this. No implants on turn 1, and each opponent can only be implanted once. Definitely some weird pressure here as you need to keep at least 1 implanted opponent alive during the course of a game. However, turning an opponent’s activation into a scoring window has historically been quite good and we expect the same here.
Surveillance – Score 1 VP for gathering surveillance, and 1 VP for surviving the turning point on a conceal order. To gather surveillance you need to be wholly within opposing territory and select a valid target. I can imagine a world where a super concealed fast operative can just absolutely run away with scoring this tac op. Particularly strong against elites who cannot have their attention split too much.
What Does It Mean?
At this point it is hard to make a solid prediction on how all of this will affect the competitive scene, but I have a strong suspicion that all these changes mean focusing on Kill Ops is a safe Primary bet for tournament players who are unsure how their team performs into the various Crit Ops and Tac Ops available to them. The fact that all these Ops are restricted to a maximum of 2 VP per Turning Point means players need to more thoroughly plan out their game. In the past it’s been possible to make strong comebacks from a point deficit, but with these new rules once you miss an opportunity to score your 2 VP there is no room to make it up. Teams that used to suffer heavily from their opponent’s ability to force a 4-1 to 4-2 on the primary will hopefully have the breathing space they need.
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