Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team – Into the Dark Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Set Up
  • Engage Order
  • Conceal Order
• Begin the Battle
  • 1. Initiative Phase
  • 2. Strategy Phase
  • 3. Firefight Phase
• Engagement Range
• Actions
  • Normal Move (1 AP)
  • Shoot (1 AP)
  • Charge (1 AP)
  • Fight (1 AP)
  • Fall Back (2 AP)
  • Dash (1 AP)
  • Pass (1 AP)
  • Overwatch (0 AP)
• Shooting Attack
• Line of Sight
  • Visible
  • Obscured
  • Cover
• Fight in Combat
• Damage
• Common Critical Hit Rules, Special Rules and Abilities

Set Up

Gather the miniatures (operatives) for two kill teams, their rules (an army list), 4 barricades, a killzone (30"x22" gameboard and terrain), combat gauges or measuring device (1" = 1", 2" = 2", 3" = 3", 6" = 6"), 10 six-sided dice (D6) and tokens.

Set up the killzone, then decide or randomly determine one player to be the Defender (their opponent is the Attacker). Unless the mission specifies, the Defender selects a drop zone. If you are not playing a mission, the Defender selects one edge of the killzone to be theirs; the opposite edge is the Attacker's. Each player's drop zone is within 3" of their edge.

Starting with the Defender, players alternate setting up the barricades one at a time within 6" of their drop zone. The Defender then sets up their operatives, followed by the Attacker. When a player sets up an operative, it must be wholly within their drop zone and be given an Engage Order or Conceal Order (place the corresponding token next to it). You can change an operative's order later in the battle, as described below.

Engage Order

An operative with an Engage order can perform Shoot, Charge and Overwatch actions.

Conceal Order

An operative with a Conceal order can stay out of Line of Sight, but cannot perform Shoot, Charge or Overwatch actions.

Order tokens are shown ready / activated: the orange side is up when the operative is ready, and the grey side is up once it has been activated.

Begin the Battle

A battle lasts four Turning Points, each including an Initiative, Strategy and Firefight phase.

1. Initiative Phase

Players ready all friendly operatives (order token orange side up). Each player rolls a D6: whoever rolls highest decides who has the initiative; if it's a tie, the player who didn't have initiative in the previous Turning Point has the initiative (if it's the first Turning Point, roll again).

2. Strategy Phase

Players start the battle with 2CP each. In each Strategy phase, they each gain 1CP. Starting with the player who has initiative, they alternate spending their CP on Strategic Ploys from their army list, or passing, until each player passes in succession. Players can also spend their CPs on Tactical Ploys from their army list and the Command Re-roll Tactical Ploy (below) when the ploy specifies. Other than Command Re-roll, each player can only use each ploy a maximum of once per Turning Point.

Command Re-roll (1CP) – Use this Tactical Ploy after rolling one of your attack dice or defence dice. You can re-roll that dice.

3. Firefight Phase

The player who has initiative activates one ready friendly operative. First, determine its order. In the first Turning Point, it must have the order it was given during set up. In each Turning Point thereafter, the player can change its order upon activation. It then generates a number of action points (AP) equal to its APL characteristic, which are spent to perform Actions. Unless otherwise specified, an operative cannot perform the same action more than once during its activation. After the operative's AP are spent, it's no longer ready (order token grey side up). The player who doesn't have the initiative then does the same. The players repeat this process until all operatives in the killzone have been activated. This ends the Turning Point.

Engagement Range

Operatives are within each other's Engagement Range if at least one of them is Visible to and within 1" of the other.

Actions

Normal Move (1 AP)

Move the operative no more than its M characteristic to a location it can be placed. It can't move through other operatives' bases or within Engagement Range of enemy operatives.

An operative cannot perform this action while within Engagement Range of an enemy operative, or in the same activation as a Charge or Fall Back action.

Shoot (1 AP)

Make a Shooting Attack with the operative, as explained in the Shooting Attack section below.

An operative cannot perform this action while within Engagement Range of an enemy operative, or if it has a Conceal Order.

Charge (1 AP)

Move like a Normal Move, except the operative can move an additional 2". It can move within Engagement Range of enemy operatives, and must finish the move there.

An operative cannot perform this action if already within Engagement Range of an enemy operative, if it has a Conceal Order, or in the same activation as a Normal Move, Dash or Fall Back action.

Fight (1 AP)

Fight in Combat with the operative, as explained in the Fight in Combat section below. It can only perform this action while within Engagement Range of an enemy operative.

Fall Back (2 AP)

Move like a Normal Move, except the operative can only perform this action if already within Engagement Range of an enemy operative, and can move within Engagement Range of enemy operatives, but cannot finish the move there.

An operative cannot perform this action in the same activation as a Normal Move or Charge action.

Dash (1 AP)

Move like a Normal Move, except the operative can move no more than 3".

An operative cannot perform this action while within Engagement Range of an enemy operative, or in the same activation as a Charge action.

Pass (1 AP)

No effect. An action used if the operative has unspent action points but the player doesn't wish to perform any other actions. An operative can perform this action more than once during its activation.

Overwatch (0 AP)

Unless otherwise specified, an operative can't perform this action during its activation. Instead, when it's your turn to activate an operative, if no friendly operatives are ready but your opponent still has operatives to activate, one friendly operative with an Engage Order and not within Engagement Range of an enemy operative can perform this action. Make a Shooting Attack with the operative with its BS characteristic worsened by 1. Each friendly operative can only perform this action once per Turning Point.

Have all your operatives been activated?

Shooting Attack

The player whose operative is performing the action is the Attacker. The player controlling the target is the Defender.

1. Attacker selects one of their operative's ranged weapons.
2. Attacker selects a target. This is an enemy operative in the activated operative's Line of Sight that has none of your friendly operatives within its Engagement Range.
3. Attacker rolls attack dice – a number of D6 equal to the weapon's A characteristic. Each result that equals or beats its BS characteristic is retained as a success. Each that doesn't is discarded as a fail. Results of 6 are always successful and are critical hits; all other successes are normal hits; results of 1 always fail.
4. Defender rolls defence dice – a number of D6 equal to the target's Df characteristic. Each result that equals or beats its Sv characteristic is retained as a success. Each that doesn't is discarded as a fail. Successes of 6 are critical saves; all other successes are normal saves; results of 1 always fail. If their operative is in Cover, the Defender can retain one of their defence dice as a successful normal save without rolling it.
5. Defender resolves successful saves. For each critical save, they can select one of the Attacker's normal or critical hits to be discarded. For each normal save, they can select one of the Attacker's normal hits to be discarded. Alternatively, they can use two normal saves to select one of the Attacker's critical hits to be discarded. In any case, after doing so, they discard that defence dice.
6. Attacker resolves remaining successful hits (if any). Each normal hit inflicts Damage equal to the first value of the weapon's D characteristic. Each critical hit inflicts Damage equal to the second value.

Line of Sight

Some rules, most commonly Shooting Attacks, will require you to determine Line of Sight from one operative (the active operative) to another (the intended target).

If the intended target has an Engage Order, it's in the active operative's Line of Sight if it's:

• Visible
• Not Obscured

If the intended target has a Conceal Order, it's in the active operative's Line of Sight if it's:

• Visible
• Not Obscured
• Not in Cover

Visible

The intended target is Visible if the active operative can see it.

Look from behind the active operative and see if you can draw an unobstructed line from its head to any part of the intended target (excluding its base).

Obscured

The intended target is Obscured if it's more than 2" from large intervening terrain (terrain taller than it).

However, the active operative ignores parts of large terrain within 1" of itself when determining this – imagine them peering around a window, ledge or corner as necessary.

Cover

The intended target is in Cover if it's within 1" of intervening terrain.

However, it cannot be in Cover if it's within 2" of the active operative – it's too close to hide.

Fight in Combat

The player whose operative is performing the action is the Attacker. The player controlling the target is the Defender.

1. Attacker selects a target. This is an enemy operative in the activated operative's Engagement Range.
2. Both players select one of their operative's melee weapons.
3. Both players roll attack dice – a number of D6 equal to their weapon's A characteristic. Each result that equals or beats its WS characteristic is retained as a success. Each that doesn't is discarded as a fail. Results of 6 are always successful and are critical hits; all other successes are normal hits; results of 1 always fail.
4. Starting with the Attacker, both players alternate resolving successful hits until one operative in that combat is incapacitated, or they have no more hits to resolve, in which case their opponent resolves all of their remaining hits. To resolve a hit, select one of your successful hits, strike or parry, then discard that attack dice.
   • A strike inflicts Damage on the target. A normal hit inflicts Damage equal to the first value of the weapon's D characteristic. A critical hit inflicts Damage equal to the second value.
   • A parry discards one of your opponent's hits. A normal hit discards a normal hit. A critical hit discards a normal or critical hit.

Damage

Operatives have a W characteristic – the number of wounds they have. Damage inflicted reduces their wounds accordingly.

Operatives with fewer than half of their wounds are injured: subtract 2" from their M characteristic and worsen the BS/WS characteristic of their weapons by 1. Operatives with wounds of 0 or less are incapacitated and removed.

Common Critical Hit Rules, Special Rules and Abilities

APx: Armour Penetration. Each time a friendly operative makes a shooting attack with this weapon, subtract x from the Defence of the target for that shooting attack. x is the number after the weapon's AP, e.g. AP1. If two different APx special rules would be in effect for a shooting attack, they are not cumulative – the Attacker selects which one to use.

Barrage: Each time a friendly operative makes a shooting attack with this weapon, for that shooting attack, the automatic retention of defence dice as a result of Cover is determined differently. Instead, if any part of the operative's base is hidden by a terrain feature from directly above, the Defender can retain defence dice as if they were in Cover.

Balanced: Each time a friendly operative fights in combat or makes a shooting attack with this weapon, in the Roll Attack Dice step of that combat or shooting attack, you can re-roll one of your attack dice.

Blast x: Each time a friendly operative performs a Shoot action and selects this weapon (or, in the case of profiles, this weapon's profile), after making the shooting attack against the target, make a shooting attack with this weapon (using the same profile) against each other operative Visible to and within x of the original target – each of them is a valid target and cannot be in Cover. x is the distance after the weapon's Blast, e.g. Blast 2". An operative cannot make a shooting attack with this weapon by performing an Overwatch action.

Brutal: Each time a friendly operative fights in combat with this weapon, in the Resolve Successful Hits step of that combat, your opponent can only parry with critical hits.

Ceaseless: Each time a friendly operative fights in combat or makes a shooting attack with this weapon, in the Roll Attack Dice step of that combat or shooting attack, you can re-roll any or all of your attack dice results of 1.

Fusillade: Each time a friendly operative performs a Shoot action and selects this weapon, after selecting a valid target, you can select any number of other valid targets within 2" of the original target. Distribute your attack dice between the targets you have selected. Make a shooting attack with this weapon (using the same profile) against each of the targets you have selected using the attack dice you have distributed to each of them.

Heavy: An operative cannot perform a Charge, Fall Back or Normal Move action in the same activation in which it performs a Shoot action with this ranged weapon.

Hot: Each time a friendly operative makes a shooting attack with this weapon, in the Roll Attack Dice step of that shooting attack, for each attack dice result of 1 that is discarded, that operative suffers three mortal wounds.

Indirect: Each time a friendly operative makes a shooting attack with this weapon, in the Select Valid Target step of that shooting attack, enemy operatives are not in Cover.

Invulnerable Save x+: Each time a shooting attack is made against an operative, the Defender can use its invulnerable save instead of its normal Save characteristic. An invulnerable save is used like a normal Save characteristic, except that it cannot be modified in any way, and is not affected by any APx special rules (meaning the Defender would use their normal Defence characteristic). x of the invulnerable save is the dice roll required for the defence dice to be successful, e.g. 4+.

Lethal x: Each time a friendly operative fights in combat or makes a shooting attack with this weapon, in the Roll Attack Dice step of that combat or shooting attack, your attack dice results of equal to or greater than x that are successful hits are critical hits. x is the number after the weapon's Lethal, e.g. Lethal 5+.

Limited: This weapon can only be selected for use once per battle. If the weapon has a special rule that would allow it to make more than one shooting attack for an action (e.g. Blast), make each of those attacks as normal.

MWx: Mortal wounds. Each time a friendly operative makes a shooting attack with this weapon, in the Roll Attack Dice step of that shooting attack, for each critical hit retained, inflict x mortal wounds on the target. x is the number after the weapon's MW, e.g. MW3.

No Cover: Each time a friendly operative makes a shooting attack with this weapon, for that shooting attack, defence dice cannot be automatically retained as a result of Cover (they must be rolled instead).

Psychic Action: This is a term for a certain kind of action. This term provides no additional rules on its own, but other rules may interact with actions that have this term.

Px: Piercing. Each time a friendly operative makes a shooting attack with this weapon, in the Roll Attack Dice step of that shooting attack, if you retain any critical hits, the weapon gains the APx special rule for that shooting attack. x is the number after the weapon's P, e.g. P1.

Reap x: Each time a friendly operative fights in combat with this weapon, in the Resolve Successful Hits step of that combat, if you strike with a critical hit, inflict x mortal wounds on each other enemy operative Visible to the friendly operative and within 1" of it or the target operative. x is the number after the weapon's Reap (e.g. Reap 1).

Relentless: Each time a friendly operative fights in combat or makes a shooting attack with this weapon, in the Roll Attack Dice step of that combat or shooting attack, you can re-roll any or all of your attack dice.

Rending: Each time a friendly operative fights in combat or makes a shooting attack with this weapon, in the Roll Attack Dice step of that combat or shooting attack, if you retain any critical hits you can retain one normal hit as a critical hit.

Rng x: Range. Each time a friendly operative makes a shooting attack with this weapon, only operatives within x are a valid target. x is the distance after the weapon's Rng, e.g. Rng 6". All other rules for selecting a valid target still apply.

Silent: While an operative has a Conceal order, it can perform Shoot actions if this is the ranged weapon (or weapon profile) that is selected for the shooting attack(s).

Splash x: Each time a friendly operative makes a shooting attack with this weapon, in the Roll Attack Dice step of that shooting attack, for each critical hit retained, inflict x mortal wounds on the target and each other operative Visible to and within 2" of it. x is the number after the weapon's Splash, e.g. Splash 1.

Stun: Each time a friendly operative makes a shooting attack with this weapon, in the Roll Attack Dice step of that shooting attack, if you retain any critical hits, subtract 1 from the target's APL. Each time a friendly operative fights in combat with this weapon, in the Resolve Successful Hits step of that combat:

• The first time you strike with a critical hit, select one of your opponent's normal hits from that combat to be discarded.
• The second time you strike with a critical hit, subtract 1 from the target's APL.

Torrent x: Each time a friendly operative performs a Shoot action or Overwatch action and selects this weapon, after making the shooting attack against the target, it can make a shooting attack with this weapon against each other valid target within x of the original target and each other. x is the distance after the weapon's Torrent, e.g. Torrent 2".

Unwieldy: An operative can only make a shooting attack with this weapon if an extra AP is subtracted to perform a Shoot action. It cannot make a shooting attack with this weapon by performing an Overwatch action.