Get ready, skirmish fans — Kill Team: Typhon is dropping hard, and it’s bringing some absolutely wild new toys to the battlefield.
Two totally fresh factions — the Raveners and the Battleclade — are about to smash, slice, and outthink each other in brutal, fast-paced scraps under the shadow of a Tyranid infestation. Whether you’re a grizzled Tyranid enjoyer or a disciple of the Omnissiah, this box has something to twist your cortex node.
Raveners – Tunnel Terror from Below
At long last, the Tyranids have properly burrowed their way into Kill Team — and they made a splash. This five-model elite team brings a lot of wounds, a lot of speed, and a lot of bite. With 5+ saves and 20 wounds each, they aren’t invincible, but they demand your attention.
Their faction rules make them feel like a horror movie monster you just can’t shake. The Tunnel rule grows 5″ each turn and is the literal backbone of their playstyle. They use it to disappear, reappear, and launch terrifying melee blitzes at high-value targets. Because they can Burrow in and out of that tunnel network (losing 2” Move and 1AP), they’re always slipping through your fingers.
And then there’s Predatory Instincts. This lets them fight twice per activation and even Burrow for free during counteracts. Picture this: you slam into an enemy, rip through them, and then vanish before retaliation. Filthy? Yes. Effective? Also yes.
Key operative: Venomspitter. Its ranged attack — Venom Bolt — adds much-needed reach to a team that otherwise lives in claw-range. Combined with the Distend Dorsal Sac ability, it’s a mobile turret with fangs. Perfect for board control and softening targets before the charge.
Best ploy? Writhe Out of Sight. Free Burrow. Free Fall Back. No questions. Just vanish like a subterranean ghost. If your opponent isn’t keeping tabs on your Tunnel placements, this will win games.
Still, they’ve got weak spots. Despite the chunky wounds, 5+ saves don’t hold up forever. Thankfully, Tunnel Lurkers and gear like Chromatospore Camouflage can make those dice go the extra mile. Not to mention the Tremorscythe operative can lock down key areas by keeping a scary melee threat just under the surface.
Takeaway: Raveners are hit-and-run nightmares. They may look fragile at first glance, but when they’re piloted well? Absolute terror.
Battleclade – Binary Mayhem and Mech Madness
On the flip side, you’ve got the Battleclade — a gang of Servitors led by arcane techno-priests who basically puppet-master the whole fight. This isn’t your typical shoot-and-score team. This is a puzzle box of networked synergy, clever tricks, and total field control.
While the Servitors themselves aren’t fast (Move 5”), the Noospheric Network makes up for it. Spend 1 AP, let another Servitor pop off with a free action. Do that six or seven times across the board, and suddenly the battlefield looks very different than it did 30 seconds ago.
What makes them nasty is unpredictability. Every Servitor is a sleeper agent waiting to activate. The enemy never knows if they’re safe — because they’re not.
Key operative: Servitor Underseer. They aren’t a traditional leader, but they orchestrate the whole squad. With Network Override and Noospheric Spur, they can make another Servitor act, then immediately duck behind cover. Bonus points for the Auto-Proxy Servitor, who acts like a Wi-Fi repeater for your control buffs.
Best ploy? Noospheric Possession. Gives nearby Servitors Accurate 1, which is huge when you’re stuck with 4+ to hit guns. Combine that with the Comms Device to stretch the range and your firepower spikes across the map.
Don’t sleep on the Technoarcheologist, either. They’re not part of the network, but they’re a powerhouse in their own right. Damage-dealer, point-scorer, and lone-wolf all in one robed package.
Faction buffs? Yes — Duty of Reclamation gives you free Command Re-rolls near objectives. Neurocyclic Reserve Cells can preserve AP with a dice roll, though the randomness might burn you. Still, the Comms Device is pretty much an auto-include here.
Takeaway: Battleclade feels like you’re playing 4D chess while your opponent is still setting up checkers. Tricky to master, devastating when you do.
What’s in the Box?
Kill Team: Typhon doesn’t just come with these two fantastic teams. It also includes a new Killzone setting – grim and gorgeously infested with Tyranid bioforms – and six new NPO datacards for use in Joint Ops missions. If you’re into campaign play, that’s a serious bonus.
More than anything, this set captures what makes Kill Team sing: rules that feel like the lore. Raveners burrow and strike like the nightmare bugs they are. Battleclades shuffle and surge forward like haunted toasters powered by a machine god’s whisper.
Final Thoughts
If you love Tyranids, this box is a no-brainer. If you loved the old Hunter Clade but wanted more spice, the Battleclade’s got your number. Both teams are fresh, thematic, and designed with real mechanical teeth. Plus, they’re just plain fun to learn — especially if you like high-skill-ceiling teams with a touch of chaos.
Pre-orders are live this weekend, so if either of these weirdos speaks to your gamer soul, now’s the time.
Binary blessings and biomass booms — see you in the killzone.
And remember, Frontline Gaming sells gaming products at a discount, every day in their webcart!
