How to play Kill Team: rules, starter set and your first game

Kill Team is Games Workshop’s skirmish game set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Each player controls a kill team, a small squad of elite operatives, on a compact board packed with terrain. Players take turns activating one operative at a time to move, shoot, fight and complete mission objectives, and whoever scores the most victory points over four rounds wins.

To learn, all you need is one team, the free rules and someone to play. The Kill Team Starter Set holds two teams, terrain and a step-by-step handbook, so two people can start from a single box. Then a club night or a local shop is the natural place for your next games. Our Kill Team page lists the clubs and shops playing it near you.

Find venues that run it on our Kill Team page.

What you need to play

• A kill team. Each faction has its own team, usually somewhere between five and a dozen or so models. Every model is called an operative and has its own profile.
• The rules. The free Lite rules on Warhammer Community cover the basics, and the official Kill Team app, free on iPhone and Android, holds the full rules, mission packs and updates. Rules for every team are free online too.
• A killzone. The standard board is 30 by 22 inches, with plenty of terrain to hide behind and climb.
• Dice and a tape measure. About ten six-sided dice and something that measures in inches.
• Tokens. Order tokens and markers, which come in the Starter Set and in each team box.

Which box to start with

The current edition of Kill Team launched in autumn 2024. Its Starter Set is designed for new players and contains two teams of seven push-fit operatives (Angels of Death Space Marines and Plague Marines), easy-assembly MDF terrain that packs down flat, a double-sided game board, tokens and range rulers. Its 64-page handbook walks you through a series of missions that add new rules as you go.

Larger boxed sets with two teams and a full killzone of terrain arrive regularly. The most recent, Kill Team: Armageddon, was revealed at the Big Autumn Preview in September 2026 and pairs the Legion of the Damned with Ork Nobz. Individual team boxes are the way to add a faction you like, and many come with optional datacards.

Ask your local shop which boxes are in stock. Staff can usually suggest a team that suits a new player.

How a game works

Setting up

Lay out the killzone and terrain, then randomly choose who has initiative. That player picks a drop zone, and both players take turns placing a third of their team at a time. Every operative starts with a Conceal order.

Orders

Each operative has one of two orders, shown with a token:

• Engage: the operative can act freely, including shooting and charging.
• Conceal: the operative cannot shoot or charge, but while it is in cover it cannot be targeted.

Choosing when to hide and when to strike is a big part of the game.

Turning points

A battle lasts four turning points (rounds). Each one has two phases.

1. Strategy phase. Players roll off for initiative and gain Command Points (CP), which pay for special tricks called ploys. Then everyone readies their operatives.
2. Firefight phase. Starting with the player who has initiative, players take turns activating one operative at a time. When all operatives have acted, the turning point ends.

Because you swap activations one by one, both players stay involved all the time, and your opponent can react to every move you make.

Activating an operative

When an operative activates, you choose its order, then spend its Action Points (its APL stat) on actions such as Reposition (a normal move), Dash (a short extra move), Charge, Fall Back, Shoot and Fight. Most actions cost 1 point, and an operative cannot repeat the same action in one activation. If your opponent still has operatives to activate after yours have all gone, an operative with an Engage order can counteract to take one free action.

Shooting and fighting

To shoot, you roll attack dice equal to the weapon’s Atk stat, and each roll that equals or beats its Hit stat is a success. Your opponent rolls three defence dice against the target’s Save stat, and if the target is in cover they keep one save without rolling. Saves block hits, and any hits left over deal damage. A roll of 6 is always a critical success, which deals extra damage.

In close combat both operatives roll at once, then take turns spending successes to strike the enemy or block their blows.

Winning

Missions score victory points for holding objectives and completing tasks. After the fourth turning point, the player with the most victory points wins. Your first game will be slow while you look things up, and that is completely normal.

Playing Kill Team in the UK

Warhammer stores

Official Warhammer stores are a good place for advice, a demo and help with painting your first models. Their tables are mainly used for demos rather than open play, so for regular games look to clubs and independent shops.

Clubs and independent shops

Many clubs and independent game shops run a Kill Team night, or a general Warhammer or specialist games night where Kill Team appears alongside other games. Some good places to start are Manchester, Cardiff and Bristol and Bath, and the Cardiff events calendar shows what is on each week.

Across the Kill Team nights we list, 6pm is the most common start, and Friday and Tuesday are the busiest nights. Where venues charge, it is usually a few pounds (£3 to £5 in our listings), and some nights are free. Each listing has its own details.

What a first night is like

Expect a friendly room with several games running at once. Tell the organiser you are new, and someone will often offer a teaching game. Unpainted models are usually fine at casual nights, while some tournaments ask for painted teams.

Table etiquette

• Agree the mission first, and talk through any terrain that might cause confusion.
• Explain your team. Tell your opponent what each operative does, especially any model standing in for something else.
• Roll openly and leave the dice until you have both read them.
• Measure in front of your opponent when a distance is close.
• Tidy up the terrain and tokens when you finish.

Your first night checklist

• Read the free Lite rules, or play the first handbook mission from the Starter Set.
• Download the Kill Team app and find the rules for your team.
• Find a night on our Kill Team page. Tap “Remind me” for an email the day before.
• Contact the venue to check the night is running and whether you need to book.
• Bring your team, dice, a tape measure or range ruler, and your tokens.
• Arrive a little early and say it is your first game.
• Ask questions whenever a rule is unclear. Everyone at the table was new once.

New to Warhammer altogether? Our guide to getting into Warhammer covers tools, paints and the bigger games. If you would like another small game, see our guides on how to play Blood Bowl and how to play Necromunda.

Common questions

Is Kill Team good for beginners?

Yes. You only need one small team of models, the board is compact and every operative matters, so the rules stick quickly. The Starter Set is built for new players, with a handbook that teaches the game one mission at a time.

Are the Kill Team rules free?

The Lite rules are a free download from Warhammer Community, and the official Kill Team app holds the full rules, Lite rules, mission packs and updates at no cost. The rules for each kill team are free online too.

How many models do you need for Kill Team?

One kill team, which is usually somewhere between five and a dozen or so models depending on the faction. Each team in the Starter Set has seven operatives, which is a comfortable number for a first game.

What is a turning point in Kill Team?

A turning point is one round of the game. A standard battle has four, and each one has a Strategy phase, where players gain Command Points and use ploys, and a Firefight phase, where they take turns activating operatives.

What size board do you need for Kill Team?

A standard killzone is 30 by 22 inches, about the size of a small table top, with plenty of terrain. The Starter Set includes a double-sided board and flat-pack terrain, so you have everything for your first games.

Do I need to paint my models to play Kill Team?

Unpainted models are usually welcome at casual club nights, so you can play while you learn. Some tournaments and campaigns ask for painted teams, so check the event details first.