Goonhammer Reviews: June 2025 Kill Team Update

This week Games Workshop issued a major update for Kill Team rules, with changes to the core rules and almost every team. As always, we have a rundown of the changes here with not just a catalog of what changed but also what it means for your games on the table.

The Video Version

If you’d like to watch a video version of this update's breakdown, Can You Roll a Crit? has you covered here:

Core Rules

Rules Changes

Killzone Volkus door fights have to target enemies on the killzone floor. Prevents players from claiming they can target enemies on the upper floor. An edge case, but rules clarifications are always useful.

Torrent can no longer target enemies within the control range of your own friendly operatives. Important for players who will be going up against Sanctifiers, and more of an edge case for most teams.
Jump may only occur from terrain that is greater than 2” in height and when jumping from a vantage with a rampart the height of the operative is considered to be jumping from is the vantage itself, not the rampart, although climbing the rampart is still required for that move. A little wordy; basically this prevents people from abusing the rather vague rules around jump. Anyone who has been to a major event is probably familiar with people jumping off the lower floor Volkus walls to avoid terrain equipment or even “jumping” from barricades to avoid things like mines. A good change.

Swiftblade: Bye bye, Kill Team parkour. Jumping is very neat in concept, but weird in execution. While I agree that this is a good change and needed to happen, I’m almost certain that this will somehow start all new problems with how jumping and climbing work that weren’t intended by the rules team.

Death Korps of Krieg infantry squad. Credit: SRM

Rules Commentary

Operatives on vantage with Seek (Light) can choose to ignore the benefits of vantage when targeting enemies in Light Cover to ignore their improved cover saves. An odd ruling that isn’t necessarily game breaking, but grants insight into how the designers view rules interactions.

The entirety of a terrain feature counts as “connected” to a vantage. Operatives on vantage essentially can never be obscured for shooting unless there is a separate piece of intervening terrain between them and the person shooting at them.

Movement penalties such as 2” climbing penalties or the 1” through accessible terrain count against rules that have distance limitations. Rules like Lumbering Death or the Patriarch’s 9” per Turning Point are essentially affected.

Players maintain Initiative until the results of the next Initiative roll.
When a rule refers to “in the order of your choice” it is referring to the order in which the rule is conducted on the operatives, not the Engage/Conceal order. Just in case you have really bad reading comprehension.

Photo Credit: Musterkrux

Approved Ops 2024

You cannot implant with damage 0 ranged attacks.
You score 1 VP for Storm Objectives when an objective is stormed.
You can still Plant Beacon if you are removed from the killzone and setup later in that activation.
Expendable operatives do not drop Confirm Kill markers.

Swiftblade: The first update to Approved Ops are important to pay attention to if you’re a Mandrakes player. On the one hand, it’s nice clarification that if you do decide to take Plant Beacons, that you can teleport after you perform the action (though, admittedly, I think the scenarios where you would want to do that after you plant a beacon to be pretty cornercase).

The Implant change is big for operatives like the Fearmonger, who could use their Terrorchem Vial to implant on one of the Damage 0 crits while still getting the Dev wounds off. Now you have to play honest, and use one of the attacks that do actual damage. A bit of a disappointing nerf to an often tricky Op to score, and doesn’t do much to address the times where Implant can be way too good.

Kill Teams

Angels of Death

Tilting Shields timing updated to be declared before dice are re-rolled.

HappyRaccoon's Battleclade

Battleclade

Servile Surrogacy updated to work like other “Get Down Mr President” firefight ploys in regards to obscuring and cover.
Technomedic Mechanosuture Array updated to work like all other medic abilities.
System Exorcism can be used to nullify activation delay abilities/ploys such as Vox Scream and Haunting Focus.

CYRAC: While the first two points are just general clarifications/rules standardisations, the System Exorcism clarification is incredibly strong for Battleclade. Not only was it a confusing situation that was quickly clarified, it just makes this Firefight ploy so incredibly strong, and it was already great. Really powerful tech for Battleclade players.

Swiftblade: The fact that Exorcism works on Vox Scream is huge. It suddenly makes the Battleclade matchup very scary for Nemesis Claw, who can’t do anything anymore to control the activation order of the team.

Blades of Khaine

The Aspect Technique “Strike and Fade” can only be used if the enemy was incapacitated while fighting or retaliating.
If a technique, Rain of Tears for example, is prevented by an enemy ability, such as Nemesis Claw Chain Snares, the technique is still considered used.
The Strike and Fade order change occurs prior to the ending of the Fight Action and thus can’t be interrupted by the Guard Action.

Brood Brothers Kill Team. Credit: John from Can You Roll A Crit?

Brood Brothers

All operatives gain the TYRANID keyword.
Commander’s Coordinate ability only works while that operative is in the killzone.

CYRAC: The fact all operatives gain the TYRANID keyword, outside of just the Patriarch, is interesting but probably just a future-proofing thing. The Commander’s Coordinate ability is also a new rules standardisation for specific operative abilities. Oddly, it can still target operatives not in the killzone (poor Aquilons, Wyrmblade, and Raveners) as well as technically other games’ tables if you’re truly being incredibly…RAW.

Chaos Cult

Unleash the Daemon Firefight ploy updated to trigger before or after a Torment/Mutant performs an action during its activation.

CYRAC: Nothing major here but this has finally been clarified after nearly three years.

Elucidian Starstriders

No change, seems just an update for other languages for older rulings?

Farstalker Kinband

Call the Kill updated to only trigger while your Kill-Broker is in the killzone.
The Pistolier’s Salvo weapon rule updated to select up to two different valid targets which aren’t in the control range of friendly operatives.

CYRAC: More standardisation for your leader’s Call the Kill but also the same for the Salvo rule which now clearly says both valid targets must be different operatives. Nothing major but great to have this all finally tidied up.

Goremongers. Credit: Robert "TheChirurgeon" Jones

Goremongers

Khorne’s Favour updated to trigger once during a Blood Herald's activation, before or after it performs an action.
Enhanced Violence’s Balanced/Relentless does not work with Wrist Chains.
Enhanced Violence’s effects trigger, you check after you have decreased your Gore Tank for its effects.

CYRAC: The biggest change here is the interaction with Wrist Chains. There was a lot of debate surrounding whether operatives benefitted from the Balanced/Relentless rules; now that you clearly don’t, it hurts the ranged output of Goremongers quite a bit.

Swiftblade: Yeah, the change on Wrist Chains takes that equipment down significantly in power, from “reliable damage output” to “cool party trick”.

Hand of the Archon

Stimulated Senses updated to read can be used once per activation or counteraction in addition to another Invigoration.
The Archsybarite’s Cunning ability only triggers while it is in the killzone.

Swiftblade: Poor HoA can’t have anything nice can they? Not a lot of instances where you could use Stimulated Senses twice, but Games Workshop is being very clear here that you can’t try and get cute with your pain token rerolls.

Leagues of Votann Hearthkyn - Trans Hyperion Alliance - credit: Colin Ward

Hearthkyn Salvager

Proximate Firepower receives additional text to say that you can apply or remove hit stat changes during an action, taking precedence over the core rules.
The Theyn’s Eye of the Ancestor and Kognitar’s Tactician rules changed to only trigger while those respective operatives are in the killzone.

CYRAC: Nothing huge here except for the clarification with Proximate Firepower. Most people were playing it this way regardless, but it’s nice that GW tidied up the wording here.

Hernkyn Yaegir

Theyn’s Veteran Adventurer rule only triggers while it is in the killzone.

Hierotek Circle Kill Team. Credit: Pendulin

Hierotek Circle

Interstitial Command now requires visibility from the Despotek in the same manner that it would the Cryptek.
The Magnify weapon rule can not be used to perform a point blank overwatch via the Guard Action.

CYRAC: A slight nerf to the Despotek but quite a big nerf to Magnify and point-blank overwatch; not enough to knock Hierotek down but still means they’re not so terrifying to charge.

Hunter Clade

All operatives gain the IMPERIUM keyword.

Inquisitorial Agent

Interrogator Inquisitorial Tomes rule changed to add it only works while the operative is in the killzone.
Same change for the Autosavant and its Scrivener rule.

Kommandos. Credit: Rockfish

Kommandos

The other operative in the door/hatchway fight vs a Bomb Squig that uses the BOOM! rule is not a secondary target for that shoot action.

Mandrakes

Clarified the timing between two different Dirgemaw operatives that use Haunting Focus rule on each other, you cannot trigger Haunting Focus activation off of an operative who has used their Haunting Focus rule first to trigger their reaction activation.
Dirgemaw’s Horrifying Scream does not reduce an enemy operative’s save stat via Stun mid-action via Soul Strike.

CYRAC: Once again nothing major here but nice clarification of the confusing interaction between two Dirgemaws as well as just clarifying the interaction between Stun shooting and Soulstrike saves.

Swiftblade: It would’ve been nice to see the Horrifying Scream reduce the save mid attack via Soulstrike, but that would’ve been a wonky rules interaction at best. Far prefer this ruling to shut down any arguments at the table over it.

Novitiates

Blessed Rejuvenation can not be used to heal if you are incapacitated during the action in question.
Confirmed the Penitent can perform up to four fights in a single activation.

CYRAC: Stealth buff for Novitiate with 4 attack blender Penitent! It may not happen all the time but it’s nice to have it confirmed as a tool to have depending on the match-up.

Tau Pathfinders. Credit: Jack Hunter

Pathfinders

Shas’ui Art of War ability requires that the operative in the killzone to be used.

Plague Marines

Curse of Rot updated to read that dice results of a 3 inflict 1 damage and cannot be retained as a success.

Swiftblade: Good clarification on the rule, still absolutely brutal against Space Marine teams when it works.

Ratlings

Sniper Positioning changed to read whenever a friendly operative is more than 6” from enemy operatives and within 1” of heavy terrain.

CYRAC: The change from Control Range to within 1” of heavy terrain means now you can trigger Silent from vantage points with light ramparts as you no longer need visibility to the heavy walls beneath those parts, a nice little buff (HEH) to the Ratlings.

Ravener Felltalon and Venomspitter Credit: NotThatHenryC

Raveners

Slithering Evasion updated to read that it triggers for the specified operative before or after it performs an action.

Sanctifiers

Conflagrator’s Twin Torrent rule updated to require to select two different valid targets which aren’t within the control range of friendly operatives.
Cherub updated to have full super conceal/cover.
Commanding Declamation can stop operative’s actions in their own reactive activations (such as with the Dirgemaw) and doesn’t refund CP or the use of once per game actions if Commanding Declamation also stops those.

Swiftblade: Neat, one of the game's most oppressive abilities is a little less oppressive. Not much else to say on this one.

Scout Squad

Raw Physiology updated to trigger before or after a Scout Squad operative performs an action during its activation.

Tempestus Aquilons. Credit: Rockfish

Tempestus Aquilons

Gunfighter Salvo rule changed to read you pick two different valid targets that aren’t in the control range of friendly operatives.

Swiftblade: Pretty straightforward change here, can’t use the Salvo rule to try and spring your team out of a close combat jam.

Vespid

Must spend communion points to target enemies outside of 8" even if there are no other enemies within 8".

Swiftblade: Lol, I say. Lmao, even. Vespid just cannot, and will not, catch a break with the communion rule. Heart goes out to bug lovers everywhere.

Wrecka Crew

Boss Nob’s salvo must target two different enemy operatives that aren’t within the control range of friendly operatives.
Bomb Squig’s BOOM! Rule does not affect fighting operatives in hatchway/door fights unless for some hatchway fights via the explosion range increasing with KABOOM!
Krusha’s Smash weapon rule move that moves operatives into mines which ends actions (such as Hernkyn Yaegir mines) does not end the fight action.

Wyrmblade

Unquestioning Loyalty updated to read the new target is only in cover/obscured if the original target was.

Final Thoughts

CYRAC: Overall, I think this was a pretty good FAQ and Errata. We had more rules standardisation as well as certain loopholes closed (see end of parkour team). It’s great to see GW update these issues across several kill teams as well as updating some issues for the brand new Battleclade and Raveners kill teams too. Once we get the next Balance Dataslate, I think the game will be in an amazing spot.

Swiftblade: I agree. The biggest change here is the “parkour” change, which will probably end some debate and inevitably start different debates on how jumping works. Other than that, this FAQ accomplishes what it seems set out to do: find some strange rules interactions that were causing arguments at the table, and shut them down.

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