Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team

Warhammer 40,000 Kill Team is at heart a smaller scale Skirmish version of the hit table top game of Warhammer 40,000. Games range from 20 minutes to an hour and teams can be assembled from most miniatures in the Warhammer range.This means that a small force of say ten old space marines on ebay for £6.99 will give you a decent starting force for the game. Alternatively, if you go to your local hobby shop there will probably be a small squad of men waiting for you boxed for a reasonable price.

The game play itself is solid and consistent with the larger game, with very slight rpg elements and a levelling system. It is a game that works perfectly to balance its appeal between both veteran 40k players with thousands of miniatures to new players who lack the funds or time to ever play larger scale miniatures war games.

It is the little things that add to the game. Falling off of ledges, the backgrounds of your team members and the scouting phase, in which players secretly plant explosives or take a couple of shots at the games start. This adds to the games immersion making it perfect for much more narrative games, like hostage situations, or a raid on the spaceport to steal technology. The possibilities for setting up a narrative are only limited by your imagination.

Overall, the game doesn't add much that is new. If you are a hardcore 40k player then you may have been expecting more. Currently Games Workshops shares are through the roof, so you would think they would be willing to take more risks. I am hoping that the new Rogue Trader box set brings more depth to the game. Like with their releases of Necromunda and Blood Bowl, it feels as if you only are buying a shell of a game. With the other two games the campaign rules came in supplements and the content is leaked slowly to those who care. Without a doubt the game is beautiful, the models are fantastic and the box sets are affordable. It is easy to play and it is no trouble fitting 5-10 models in a bag or carry case and setting up anywhere.  

After the fifteen games I have had so far there has been a great variant of missions and the tactical options feel much greater than in Warhammer 40,000. There will always be at heart a lot of luck as it is a game fuelled by dice, but through clever positioning and the right called movements, you can win against the odds. The new alternating turn sequence, I feel, is something that they should have implemented in the new Warhammer 40,000 rules. It makes the turns far more tactical and brutal and prevents one lucky turn ending the game early.  

In a weekend you could easily play a whole campaign with a nice narrative throughout, actions changing the way the game progresses. As the games are so short and the rules so simple, it is the perfect game for lighthearted skirmish fun. I would expect that in time, like Warhammer Underworlds, we shall see a wide plethora of box sets and rule books coming out. The core book misses out demons and yet grey Knights have a weapon that has a rule effecting them, there are also no Sisters of Battle or Inquisition present.  Perhaps they will be kind and release these rules for free, like the renegade Knight codex for 40k or the recent Chaos Cultist rules for Necromunda, but we shall see.

It is a very enjoyable game and a great entry level play for new gamers and veterans alike. Certainly worth a play if you haven't checked out this type of gaming before or like me you tire of the imbalance of the larger games of Warhammer 40,000 and Age of Sigmar.


Anna

All images are from the Warhammer Community Website.

The Mint Works

Mint Works is an amazing little game designed by Justin Blaske for one to four players. The game does exactly what it sets out to achieve. It is portable and plays under 15 minutes The turn pacing is fast paced and it doesn't leave you bored. It took me five minutes to learn and about ten to play our first game. The table space is small and makes for the ideal travel game. The theme is light and the game, despite being simple, has an element of depth to it. While at times the choices are obvious, most of the time there is more than one viable option for you to carry out in a turn, and certainly more than one way to achieve a victory. 

The only copy I have played came from the second Kickstarter campaign, which is larger than the original and everything fits inside perfectly (which is more than I can say for Mint Delivery). Like Mint Delivery this game also boasts a solo experience. It delivers but I couldn't imagine playing it more than a handful of times, while the A.I. is tough, the game mechanics and simplicity almost don't justify sitting there and playing it on your own. Although, that being said, I found it more rewarding than a game of solitaire.   

It certainly is better than most games that play under ten minutes out there and is a great way to introduce new gamers to the worker placement mechanic. We now use it as a Water Deep lite, to warm people up to the idea before cracking out a 45 minute far deeper version of the little game they just played. I love it and have already played it over twenty times in the space of no time at all. It is a great crowd pleaser. 

For months I was unable to secure a copy as it was sold out everywhere, I am pleased that I backed the second Kickstarter run and if you like light games or want a change from the typical social deduction or push your luck fillers, then this is for you.

Anna