The new Kill Team quarter brings real shifts across the killzone. This update arrives alongside Tomb World boards and Approved Ops 2025.
Therefore the devs tuned both overachievers and strugglers to steady the field. You will see universal tweaks, targeted buffs, and some hard trims. Consequently the meta should breathe again before Dead Silence and Shadowhunt land.
The Global Shakeup: Smoke Gets Thicker, Not Broken
First, Smoke Grenades no longer delete Piercing outright. Instead they only reduce Piercing 2 down to Piercing 1. Therefore Piercing 1 weapons ignore smoke as normal, which reins in durable low-model teams dodging their main weakness. Moreover, this keeps obscuring strong for tempo plays without sealing the table against high AP threats.
Help for the Underdogs: Angels, Kasrkin, and Scouts
Angels of Death lost an oppressive Dueller build earlier, and the other Chapter Tactic options lagged. Consequently their alternatives get extra bite so elite marines feel worth the slot again. Meanwhile Kasrkin finally receive meaningful reworks to three firefight ploys. As a result they threaten more consistently, trigger with fewer hoops, and mesh better with the new Initiative Cards flow.
Similarly Scouts had strategy ploys that cost too much for too little. Now Gunfire Ambush and Blade Ambush merge into a single Ambush that you flex after the action starts. Additionally Adaptable Training lets you swap multiple orders to escape danger. Furthermore Stealth Relocation moves more bodies in the Strategy phase, which restores that classic recon tempo.
The Trim for Titans: Tomb World Stars, Warpcoven, Sanctifiers, and Hierotek
Several top dogs were still cruising after Approved Ops. Therefore the dossier tech for Canoptek Circle and Deathwatch gets brought in line. Expect reductions to healing and damage reduction, plus tighter limits on 4 APL shenanigans. Consequently their floor drops and interaction rises.
Warpcoven have ruled the edition. Instead of endlessly sanding them down, the team shifts their archetype. Thus the operative count drops by one for the super-elite package, while you can still pad activations with Tzaangor. This keeps Thousand Sons sorcery powerful but less oppressive in activation wars.
Sanctifiers proved too durable and too mobile at once. Therefore Ministorum Sermon now only shields against higher damage hits, letting small arms actually matter. Additionally the Confessor, Preacher, and Salvationist lose some individual edge, which tones down the all-rounder dominance.
Hierotek Circle also overperformed due to Reanimation stacking with kill op scoring. Consequently they now count as a smaller team for that mission element. Each incapacitated Necron now yields a full point, which finally lets opponents keep pace on primaries while still fighting rezzes.
What This Means at the Table
Practically, smoke is still a strong lane-denial tool. However it no longer blanks elite anti-armor profiles. Kasrkin and Scouts should feel smoother to pilot in tournaments, because their ploys now convert pressure without draining CP. Meanwhile Deathwatch and Canoptek need cleaner fundamentals, since passive mitigation is reduced. Warpcoven captains must manage fewer bodies, so timing matters more than ever. Additionally Sanctifier players will respect light fire, since chip damage can finally stick. Therefore kill ops against Hierotek become realistic again, which changes how you prioritize targets.
Conclusion
Overall this is a measured pass that rewards smart positioning and decisive ploy timing. The weakest teams gain agency, while the strongest lose some autopilot lines. Consequently events should see wider faction spread before the next season beats arrive. Get your reps with the new ploy lines, test smoke lanes on Tomb World boards, and track activation math against the reworked elites. Then bring the heat and make those mission cards sing.
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