The 2024 Edition of Kill Team has overhauled the game, changing rules, datasheets, and bringing with it an updated set of rules for every team in the game. In this series we’re taking a look at each team, how they’ve changed, and what it means for how they play in the new edition.
Welcome! Today’s review is of the team formerly known as Veteran Guardsmen, the Death Korps. The Death Korps have been a popular team since their release with Kommandos at the start of Kill Team 2021, and managed to survive most of the last three years without major changes despite being one of the strongest teams available. At the tail end of KT21 some of their more abusable and powerful abilities finally received a long-awaited nerf, dropping them firmly into the middle ranks of the competitive scene.
Before we dive in, we’d like to thank Games Workshop for providing a preview copy of these rules for Review purposes.
The Video Version of the Review
We have a video version of this review courtesy of Can You Roll a Crit?
Team Overview
Death Korps are the definitive horde shooting team, using their numbers and various weapon specialists to eliminate threats. The Guard have always had a loyal fan base, and if you’re looking for regular dudes to get the job done then this is your team. The average operative is 7 wounds, 5+ save, and hits on a +4, commonly referred to as Guardsmen Equivalent or GEQ, basically the standard set at the release of KT21. While not helpless in close combat they’re definitely on the weaker side of things, where many later released GEQ teams came with chunkier melee specialists like the Ogryn or Patriarch, the Death Korps stick strictly to human standard body types.
Special Rule: Guardsmen Orders
Tactical Assets are gone, and all that remains are Guardsmen Orders. This works identically to how it worked in KT21 with all the various orders remaining with Hold Position renamed to Dig-In. Also, almost all have been buffed granting either Balance or allowing for a single re-roll instead of re-rolling any 1s. Move! Move! Move! received a small buff now only adding +1 inch to Reposition.
Now don’t panic! While tactical assets are gone it isn’t the end of the world, BECAUSE…
Team Composition
Death Korps are now a 14 selection team. Since everyone always took the extra 4 troopers as their Tactical Asset, GW just decided to no longer give you a choice and make that how the team worked. Sadly, these 4 new slots have to be troopers meaning Death Korps players still have to decide which specialists should be left in the trenches. It’s worth noting that you may give up troopers to make a ploy of your choice cost 0 CP for the entire game, something you’re unlikely to do.
Playing This Team
Historically, this team has been the king of Security, and while they have gained Seek and Destroy as a Tac Op option, their abilities and playstyle have not changed enough for that to be a strong choice for them. This is a team that is still likely best played defensively, and with the buffs to Elites going on the offensive may prove difficult. On the plus side the team has access to a lot of hard hitting weapon specialists, and ensuring they survive to do their job because kicking the bucket is your main priority.
What’s Changed?
On the Strategic Ploy front Take Cover and Clear the Line remain with the latter receiving some slight alterations on when your operatives receive the re-rolls in combat. The notoriously underused Overcharge Lasguns has been replaced by Siege Warfare granting all shooting attacks Saturate. New to the show is Regroup which lets all operatives within 5 inches of a chosen operative (more than 3 from the enemy) perform a free Dash as long as it ends closer to the selected operative. Pre-Firefight movement is always incredibly good, and this one will likely do a lot to frustrate enemy charges and shooting. Also, Into the Breach is absent, however save your outrage for the end.
For Firefight ploys Inspirational Leadership remains, but can now also be used by the Confidant. Combined Arms remains unchanged and awesome, while In Death, Atonement also remains, but now is drastically weaker as it allows for a single action, and can not be performed if in control range. For this loss we see In Life, Shame which grants every Order to a single Guardsman for an activation.
As for our operatives themselves we see a number of changes to bring their rules in line with the new edition, while also codifying everything we saw happen to them in the last data-slate. Our Sergeant has been renamed Watchmaster keeping in line with Death Korps rebrand. Additionally, his “to hit” with the plasma pistol is now a +4, but he has gained the ability to perform Inspirational Leadership for 0 CP.
The Bruiser has gained +1 Atk, while the Demolition Veteran has been renamed Sapper and has gained Heavy (Dash). The Sniper has been brought in line with most standard sniper options, now only able to shoot once and gain Silent, and having his accuracy and lethality reduced while mobile. The Spotter retains the ability to allow operatives to target a Concealed opponent in Light Cover, but now must only spend 1 AP to do so, but loses the group activation ability. This is mostly a nerf, however it does mean the Spotter can grant Seek to its Mortar Barrage which has seen its damage significantly increased. The Hardened sees his Feel No Pain become a standard damage reduction ability, but gains the ability to receive any Order on activation. Fans of the Zealot, winner of the most likely to be left at home award in KT21, will be happy to know his ability no longer requires AP to activate and grants Severe, making him a likely auto-take going forward. In all, nowhere near the most extreme makeover operatives have received.
Now we come to equipment, which marks some of the most important changes. Chronometer has returned, but now it does what Into the Breach did, BUT BETTER! Once per battle in either the first or second Turning Point, but now all operatives within your territory are eligible. This change combined with Regroup gives you some crazy pre-firefight movement. Hand Axes return as your obligatory teamwide melee upgrade making everyone 3/4 damage. Gas Bombardment and Comm-Beads provide some niche yet interesting options. The former allows a once per game 3 inch marker that reduces the APL of anyone in it by 1. This is a really interesting zoning mechanic, and something that will likely be very powerful in the hands of good players. Comm-Beads simply allow for a Watchmaster or Confidant to give orders to any single operative in the place of all operatives within 6, for when you REALLY need that extra inch.
Three Cool Things About This Team:
- Equally Worthless! If you’re into the faceless guardsmen aesthetic then these are your guys. Obviously, some operatives are more useful than others, but no single guardsman is likely to cost you the game, and the large number of specialists means you have some amount of list tailoring.
- Not Cadians! The switch to Death Korps hopefully means we will see future Regiment specific releases for Kill Team and 40K.
- Half of Another Team! If these guys are falling short of your expectations on their own you can always pair them up with the Emperor’s Inquisition. You’re halfway there already!
Final Thoughts
Death Korps find themselves standing basically in the same position they were at the tail end of KT21, there are definitely some buffs here in terms of new ploys, and modified operative abilities, but it is definitely on the lower end of the things. With a near total lack of close combat operatives this team may have a difficult time against elite teams, especially those with ways of reducing Piercing. Don’t take this to mean the team is bad, because it definitely isn’t, but simply finds itself with the same challenges most other horde teams will be up against.
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