With Kill Team: Blood and Zeal just around the corner, the folks over at Just Another Kill Team Podcast—Jason Faye and Travis Cheng—sat down to unpack what makes this box so spicy.
It’s not just two new teams; it’s two very flavorful, hyper-aggressive, close-combat murder machines clashing in the shadow of a giant imperial gun. Sounds great? That’s because it is.
Sanctifiers: Holy Fire and Flamin’ Chainsaws
If you’ve played with or against Novitiates, you’ll feel right at home with the Sanctifiers. These guys and gals are all about overwhelming the enemy with faith-fueled fervor and righteous fire. They’re a bit squishy—just 7 wounds and no real armor—but their faction rule Ministorum Sermon gives them a flat -1 damage when near their Confessor, which makes them deceptively tanky.
Their hand flamers and fiery abilities inflict Blaze—a special burn effect that deals D3 damage at the start of an enemy activation. Enemies can spend an action to put the flames out or take the risk and keep cooking. That pressure adds up fast, forcing opponents to make some rough choices with their AP economy.
The Confessor is absolutely central. His Lead the Procession ability lets nearby operatives make a free move (Charge, Reposition, or Fall Back) every turn, and then still activate normally—so you can get serious early-game distance. The Miraculist is also a standout, blasting enemies with a once-per-game holy nuke and generally being a walking inferno of faith.
When it comes to gear, Ecclesiarchy Texts can generate bonus CP each turn if your Orator has more wounds than a 2D6 roll, and Imperial Cult Symbols can downgrade enemy crits when they shoot at sermon-boosted models—awesome for keeping your key pieces alive just a little longer.
On the ploy side, you’ve got great utility. Redeemed Through Fire punishes enemies who get too close to your Blaze-wielding martyrs, and Rosarius lets you just nope out of one normal hit’s damage per turn. Fervent Brawl gives melee weapons Ceaseless when near the Confessor, boosting dice reliability, and Rally the Flock gives a free Dash or Fall Back to everyone near him. Movement shenanigans + flamer pressure = a seriously fun team to pilot.
Goremongers: Khorne’s Chain-Swinging Fan Club
These Khornate cultists are everything you’d expect from followers of the Blood God—brutal, fast, and always up in your face. They’re like if you gave Blades of Khaine a Chaos makeover, but with extra gore and fewer elf-y flourishes.
They come with 10 wounds, a 5+ save, and a special rule called Runes of Khorne, which caps any incoming ranged damage at 8 per attack. Combine that with their melee efficiency and you’ve got some surprisingly durable cultists. Their signature mechanic revolves around Gore Tanks, which they use to fuel abilities called Sanguevitae. These let them do stuff like fight twice in one turn, deal bonus mortal wounds when charging, or boost their speed—basically, a nice little combat toolkit that rewards clever sequencing and aggression.
Operatives like the Aspirants can chain multiple Charges after killing someone thanks to Obsessive Bloodlust, which makes them perfect for multi-kill plays. And the Skullclaimer is a tanky beast, able to ignore crit effects in melee and even earn you CP for decapitating enemies with his chainaxe. He’s got huge “problem solver” energy.
Firefight ploys like Gorethirst let you flip from Conceal to Engage mid-phase and counterattack with a surprise Charge, while Destructive Demise is the classic Khorne-style “go out swinging” moment, dealing damage on death based on how much Gore Tank juice you’ve got saved up.
Hunt for Blood gives you a free 3″ Charge in the Strategy Phase—amazing for pressure and board control. Gory Tenacity halves the damage of the first melee strike against you in a fight, letting your dudes soak more hits and stick around to kill again.
They also come with some flavorful gear. Wrist Chains let you throw melee weapons like 2″ ranged attacks once per round (yes, you can throw your chainaxe), while Bloody Cadavers serve as refill stations for your Gore Tanks—park one in your zone and keep harvesting.
Final Thoughts: Box of Carnage
This box is fantastic. You’ve got two teams that want to get in close, but with very different vibes—zealous mob vs. berserker cult. The Sanctifiers feel tactical, with smart positioning, layered buffs, and AP pressure from Blaze. The Goremongers are all about raw combat efficiency and forward momentum. It’s a matchup that’s going to feel punchy, dynamic, and thematic every time.
Big shout-out to Jason and Travis from Just Another Kill Team Podcast—if you’re hungry for more insights, catch their next episode on Spotify. They’ve teased special guests, so it should be a good one.
Kill Team: Blood and Zeal goes up for pre-order this Saturday. If you’re into narrative-rich, melee-focused teams that reward strong positioning and bold plays, you’re gonna want in on this.
And remember, Frontline Gaming sells gaming products at a discount, every day in their webcart!
