You have played through crumbling bastions and eerie tomb complexes before. However, Shadowhunt asks you to do both at once.
This new Descent killzone format forces operatives to dodge threats from every direction. So you will be leaping between boards while still chasing objectives. And because it mixes rule sets, it will push your decision making hard. If you like frantic, cinematic games, this is aiming right at you.
Descent Killzones: Two Rule Sets, No Hiding Place
Descent killzones fuse two different killzone styles into one match. You play on two smaller boards, so nobody is spread too thin. Outside boards like Volkus are effectively folded in half, while close quarters boards like Tomb World use a 6×4 grid measured by tiles. Otherwise, you use the normal rules for each killzone, but you add Entryway markers. And you cannot win by camping one half, because control of movement between layers matters.
Entryways: Movement Tech and Shooting Through Trapdoors
Entryways are the core mechanic, and they become secondary objectives by themselves. If you control an Entryway, you can transfer to the matching marker on the other board for a cost of 3 inches of movement. However, all normal movement rules still apply, so you cannot ignore enemies waiting on the other side.
Instead, you may need to Charge through and scrap. Meanwhile, you can also Shoot across Entryways, targeting an enemy at the matching marker while ignoring range limits and denying them cover or obscuring.
Missions, Necron Chaos, and Make Your Own Maps
The Shadowhunt Dossier includes three Adversary Ops and three Joint Ops missions, all tied to an expedition into a lost tomb with something horrible asleep inside. Adversary Ops sounds especially spicy, because roving Necron NPOs can wreck careful plans. Mission 2 has both teams racing to open and hold a single underground vault door while Canopteks swarm in. The book also adds six Descent maps for regular play with three objectives, and it even encourages building your own combos from any two killzones. Shadowhunt hits pre-order this Saturday, and it includes two boards sized for Descent.
Summary:
Descent killzones look like a tactical brain burner, because you must manage two rule sets and two spaces at once. However, Entryways add clever movement and hilarious trapdoor gunfights, so the format should feel fresh. The missions also lean hard into narrative pressure, especially with Necron NPOs turning games chaotic. If you want Kill Team to feel bigger without becoming a full battle, Shadowhunt seems like a great fit.
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