Kill Team core mechanics: what would you change?

[Dosjetka]

Hello all,

 

Kill Team is a system works fairly well and allows us to play small-scale games with 40k models quite easily. However, GW doesn't seem to have a clear idea of what they want to do with the game and this has resulted in a somewhat haphazard release schedule, when they even bother releasing anything for Kill Team. Currently, there doesn't seem to be much in the way of clues that a 2nd Edition of KT is planned (though it's difficult to know what GW have in the works at the best of times).

 

With that in mind and 9th Edition 40k out for roughly 9 months now, what changes to the core mechanics (so not the faction rules or the Campaign system) do you think should be made:

1. to bring Kill Team in line with 9th Edition 40k,
2. or to differentiate Kill Team from its older sibling?

Personally, in the case of bringing KT in line with 9th Ed, I quite like the cap on modifiers for to-hit and to-wound rolls and, despite its shortcomings or the necessity for abstraction in certain situations, I'd like to see it introduced into Kill Team. It would knock the wind out of the sails of some of the more stupid combos (I'm looking at you, T'au rail rifle Sniper specialist hitting on 2s and re-Rolling 1s).

 

To differentiate KT from it's older sibling, I'd like to see the rules for charging changed to those used in Necromunda: the charge distance is the model's movement + D3". This shortens the range radically but I don't see this as a big issue on the small Kill Team boards and it has the advantage of removing the, in my view, ridiculous randomness inherent to charges with the 2D6" mechanic.

 

What about you? What changes would you like to see?

[Brother Tyler]

I think that the Command Roster rules need to be overhauled.

 

Two of my pet peeves are less about mechanics and more about types of units that should be included:

• With Combat Patrol now providing a viable small unit alternative, I'd like to see Kill Team stripped back a bit. Most of the commander options are too potent and are better fits in Combat Patrol. I'd like to see a lot of the commander options either removed entirely or watered down to better fit the Kill Team concept (e.g., instead of a full up Autarch, perhaps give us a lower level Autarch whose abilities and rules don't have such a huge impact on the game). My real opinion is to remove Commanders entirely, but many players wouldn't like that and GW probably wants to preserve them as an option in order to help sales, so the watered down version is a compromise.
• Similarly, GW needs to keep cavalry and jump/jet pack infantry to an absolute minimum. Most factions shouldn't have either of these. Only those factions for which these are integral to the faction concept should include them.

As far as true mechanics go, I'm torn between keeping Kill Team as close to Warhammer 40,000 as possible and incorporating a lot of Necromunda mechanics. I lean more towards the WH40K side because I see Kill Team as a gateway to/alternative for Warhammer 40,000 and similarities between the two systems would be conducive to preserving this relationship, but there are probably a few tweaks here and there where Necromunda mechanics might be more appropriate (when they can be made to work with the Warhammer 40,000 conventions).

[Dosjetka]

Once/if this thread gets going with some healthy conversation, I had planned to create a new thread to discuss changes to unit choices and factions, which would include unit-type inclusion or exclusion and the thorny topic of Commanders. :)

 

With regards to the thin line between staying close to 40k and incorporating Necromunda mechanics, I agree that it needs to be toed carefully. That said, there are some key differences between KT and 40k so, for example, my suggestion would not be all that out of place and it keeps most of the mechanics that make up the charge action. Are there any Necromunda mechanics you'd like to see make their way across to KT that would be considered appropriate if tweaked enough to "40k-ify" them?

[Arendious]

I'd like to see wargear selection be more akin to Necromunda. At very least for leaders and specialists. After all, these are supposed to be 'picked teams', there should be some effort to take weapons and kit suited to the mission.

 

Additionally, I'd love to see more wargear that affects the battlefield - things like smoke grenades that persist, or cratering charges to produce cover, etc.

 

I'd also like more tailored specialist skill trees for different factions.