Hi folks,
The Trooper, Sgt Waz and I had our first go at the new edition of Kill Team yesterday. I picked the Core rulebook up last week in Sydney, knowing that the trip home was going to take 2+ hours (my train line was closed for rail maintenance). At our weekly Pathfinder session, we did some planning and figured out that we could easily scrape together a Killteam or two within a couple of days. After finishing my Zoanthropes, I kitbashed two more Lictors using Venomthrope parts and some older bodies (a 3rd Ed. Lictor and Ravenor).
By the time the game rolled around they were still WIP, but good enough for the tabletop. Sgt Waz brought a team of Salamander Primaris Marines and The Trooper brought a squad of Deathwatch marines armed to the gills. For the first game we decided on a Search & Rescue Mission, using a combination of Kill Team and Infinity terrain (Sushi Shop style!). The damsel in distress would be represented by a suitably discrete Infinity HVT (below).
As the defender I placed 5 objective markers around the center of the board. On a 6+, one of these would be revealed as the HVT (high value target). If she was not found by the end of the game, the rescuers, Sgt Waz's Salamanders, would be the winner. Otherwise, the player with the most models within 2" of her at the end of the game would win.
Sgt Waz set his force up to contest the roof top objectives in the first turn. I set up in cover, with one Lictor close enough to contest the centre-most objective.
Turn 1, the Salamanders rushed the roof tops and cozied up to two objectives. Three also rushed the centre objective. I sent my scout Lictor deep up the left flank with the use of its Level 1 Tactic and my Fire Team and Combat Lictors up the centre, close enough to 3 objectives to trigger rolls. My Leader hung back, as I wanted to keep producing the extra CP and had a plan to take out the Salamander Leader to establish a CP advantage.
We started rolling for the objectives and as (bad) luck would have it, Sgt Waz revealed the HVT on one of the rooftops, farthest away from my Kill Team. Thankfully, Lictors are fast. We spent some time shooting at each other, and my Combat Lictor took a wound. Overall, though, I was happy with the survivability of the Lictors. Even against a dedicated sniper, they were proving hard to hit.
The second turn was dominated by shooting and charging. My combat Lictor was reduced to 1 wound thanks to some lucky overwatch fire, so I needed to pull some shenanigans to get his attacks in.
Having lost initiative, there was a good chance he was going to be killed during the first close combat attack. To force the Salamander's hand, and potentially reap a bloody benefit, I used the Decisive Strike tactic on my Fire Team Lictor, allowing him (potentially) to fight before anyone else. I was then going to use my Combat Specialist's "Up and At Em'!" tactic to get his hits in as well, all against the flow of initiative and hopefully saving him from harm for another turn. All of those attacks were also going to be against the Salamander's leader. This forced Sgt Waz to use Decisive Strike as well, which he pulled off by rolling a 6 to beat my 5!! Nooooo!!!
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| Noooooo!!! |
The Intercessor sergeant cut down my Combat Specialist before it got a chance to do anything (not even take a flesh wound!). In response, I killed him with a wicked sweep of the adjacent Lictor's grasping talons (2 damage pops Primaris real good!). I used the Feeding Tendrils tactic to recover two CP. My scout Lictor also cut down a Reiver.
Following the carnage of that assault, the Salamanders fell back towards to the objective. I advanced my three remaining Lictors 14" into cover, in position to make a move on the objective next turn. Unfortunately, their claws stuck up just high enough to get shot at.
The next turn my Lictors popped up and moved up to the HVT, firing flesh hooks wildly. The return fire killed my Scout specialist outright, and at the end of the turn I mistakenly rolled to see if my team was broken. I actually needed to lose another Lictor, or have one receive a flesh wound, to trigger this. I failed the roll, which would effect my ability to hit for the remainder of the game. Who knows what would have happened if I hadn't made this mistake; I blame it on first-game-itis.
During the last turn I charged and threw everything I could at the Salamanders, but I just couldn't hit and Sgt Waz rolled some good saves. In return, he reduced my Lictors down to 1 wound each, which I leveraged to spray caustic blood everywhere, causing some mortal wounds. It still wasn't enough though, and the Salamanders won the game with 3 models within 2" of the HVT (I only had 2). So close!!!
We had such a good time playing that we immediately started talking about setting up a campaign and recording experience. I have already changed my list to make the bog-standard Lictor a Veteran Specialist; after starting way out in the open, charging forwards right up the guts, taking out the enemy leader to avenge the Combat Specialist he nearly saved and being there right at the end to nearly steal a win, I feel it deserves a little something special as a reward. Hopefully next time there won't be so many "nearlys". I'll also be keeping a look out for a certain Salamander that thinks he's special... Nubari Rhoshan; looking at you :-) I'll post some pics of my finished team and their backgrounds a little later.
See you across the table,
Marc
