Kill Team Version 2 - First game and First Impressions

 3/9/21 - And so it came to pass that Rob the Elder packed his copy of Kill Team Octarius into the car and headed south to play Chris the Younger at Kill Team V2.  (OK as most people know its really V3, but no-one really remembers V1, so its just the new version alright?)

The first issue on arriving at Fort B was that Rob, despite all his free time being retired, hadn't quite got around to painting the figures, or assembling them, or taking them off the sprue, or the terrain either come to that.  Fortunately Chris had all his painted terrain and board from the previous version and all that was needed was to hit the figure stash for some modern Orks and Veteran Imperial Guard.

Well the Orks look ok with well painted figures properly armed.  Hey that Squigg looks a bit like a fantasy figure.  Hmm, oh well he'll do I guess.

Meanwhile the Guardsmen are perfect, smart fellows and well turned out.  Given how long they've been in service they must be veterans by now.  That sniper looks a bit short (its actually a first generation Ratling sniper converted into a Womble with a sniper rifle - result!).

Once tea had been served battle commenced with Rob taking the Orks, Chris taking the Guard and GW taking liberties with the English language.  The key point with any set of rules is to clearly state what is required in easy to understand language.  GW has comprehensively failed to achieve this.  Turns have become Turning Points, Distances have become random symbols and rules concepts are dressed up with the sort of flowery language we've come to know and struggle with, especially Rob, who's getting on in years...

That said once translated out of GW-ese the rules do seem simple and straightforward, Rob leaps into action and soon Chris is on the back-foot.  The Squigg charges into action and boom, first Guardsman dead.  He was not to be the last.

It soon becomes apparent that the Guardsmen are considerably more fragile than the Ork boys, as casualties mount.  Despite this Chris keeps pace with Rob collecting victory points from objectives, but as the Orks get into hand to hand combat Guard numbers dwindle and its clear that it is unsustainable.  Fortunately Rob's bedtime approaches and with the long drive North before him he has to call it a night.  Half the Guard are dead, most of the rest are injured, meanwhile Rob has lost two figures, and one of those was the bomb squigg which blew itself up. Chris offers a draw, but Rob is skeptical.  In all honesty it does look like an Ork victory (just).  Greenskins for the win, this time.

So the initial verdict on the game.  Basically the rules are simple and straightforward, but GW don't seem to be able to communicate.  Basic easy to understand terms are abandoned in favour of frankly weird terms (why Turning Point exactly, when Turn is easier).  Worst still there are a number of typographical errors in the fluff which is simply not acceptable for a company of GW's size.  Can't they afford a grammar checker (or an editor)?  With two technical authors reading the rules tolerance and mercy for the Evil Empire(TM) are in short supply.  

Despite all this the rules are generally good and seem to play well.  They also run a lot better than the previous version with none of the flesh wound nonsense to slow the game down.  With the prospect of getting his Deathguard Veterans on the table Rob vows to write a QRS to aid with further games and with his Chaos Space Marines, Necrons, Tyrannids, Genestealer Cults, etc etc available to use Chris vows to actually get a set of the rules and the compendium.   Further games are planned potentially other members of the group could be reeled in.  Watch this space.