If you've ever been curious about Warhammer but felt put off by the scale of a full 40,000-point army, Kill Team might be the perfect starting point. It's a fast, focused skirmish game from Games Workshop — the same universe, the same stunning miniatures, but played with a small squad of fighters rather than an entire battle force. You need fewer models, less time to paint, and games fit comfortably into an evening.
This guide covers everything you need to know to get started with Kill Team in the UK: what the game is, how it plays, which starter sets are available, and how to get your first team onto the table.
What Is Warhammer Kill Team?
Kill Team is Games Workshop's small-scale skirmish game set in the grim, far-future world of Warhammer 40,000. Instead of commanding entire armies across vast battlefields, you lead a small squad — your "kill team" — of typically six to sixteen elite operatives on high-stakes missions. Think special operations rather than open warfare: raids, assassinations, infiltrations, and desperate last stands.
Each operative (individual model) has their own profile, abilities, and equipment. A Space Marine Intercessor fights very differently to a T'au Pathfinder or an Ork Kommando, and learning to use each fighter's strengths is a big part of the game's appeal. Matches are played on a smaller board than full 40K — usually around 22 by 30 inches — and a game takes roughly sixty to ninety minutes once you know the rules.
The current edition introduced a streamlined ruleset that makes it genuinely approachable for newcomers. Missions have clear objectives, the turn structure is logical, and Games Workshop has designed most Kill Team boxes to be self-contained — you get two opposing teams, terrain, a gaming board, dice, and the rules in a single purchase.
Why Kill Team Is a Great Entry Point to Warhammer
For anyone new to the hobby, Kill Team offers some real advantages over jumping straight into full Warhammer 40,000:
- Lower model count. A typical kill team has eight to sixteen models. Compare that to a 40K army, which might run to fifty, one hundred, or more — and you can see why Kill Team is considerably less daunting to build and paint.
- Lower cost. A self-contained Kill Team starter box gives you everything two players need to get going. You're not looking at buying multiple kits, codexes, and rulebooks before your first game.
- Faster games. Kill Team is designed to play in an evening. A full Warhammer 40K matched play game can take four to six hours. Kill Team fits into real life far more easily.
- Tactical depth without the complexity. Don't mistake accessible for shallow. Kill Team rewards clever play, mission awareness, and knowing your operatives inside out. It has a proper competitive scene and regular new content from Games Workshop.
- Great painting projects. With a small number of models, you can afford to spend real time on each one. Many hobbyists find Kill Team teams their best-painted work precisely because they're not rushing through forty identical infantry troopers.
What You Need to Get Started
The most straightforward way into Kill Team is one of the Games Workshop starter boxes. These are designed to give you everything you need to play your first game without buying anything else:
- Two pre-designed kill teams (the miniatures for both sides)
- Modular plastic terrain for the battlefield
- A double-sided gaming board
- Dice, tokens, and measuring tools
- The core rules and mission content
If you already have a friend who owns a box, you technically only need your own kill team to start playing together — but the all-in-one boxes remove a lot of the friction for absolute beginners.
Beyond the box, you'll need plastic glue (polystyrene cement), clippers for removing parts from sprues, and paints for your miniatures. You don't need to paint your models to play, but most players find it makes games much more enjoyable — and it's one of the most rewarding parts of the hobby.
Browse the full range of Kill Team sets and expansions available at Access Models, including starter boxes, team-specific expansions, and terrain sets.
How Kill Team Plays: A Quick Overview
Games are played in a series of Turning Points (rounds). Each Turning Point, players alternate activating their operatives one at a time — you activate one, then your opponent activates one, and so on until everyone has acted. This alternating activation system is one of Kill Team's best features: you're always engaged, never sitting there watching someone else move thirty models while you wait.
Each operative can perform two actions per activation from a list that includes moving, shooting, fighting in close combat, taking cover, picking up objectives, and various team-specific special actions. Cover plays a significant role — operatives behind terrain are harder to hit, so positioning matters a great deal.
Missions drive the game. Most games have specific objectives to capture or control, with secondary objectives that reward particular tactical choices. Victory points come from completing these objectives, not just from killing the opposing team — though obviously reducing the enemy's numbers makes everything easier.
The rules are available in Kill Team starter boxes and in a standalone Core Book. Games Workshop also publishes team-specific "Tomes" that expand rules for individual factions, though these aren't required to get started.
Choosing Your Kill Team
One of the most enjoyable parts of getting into Kill Team is picking which faction appeals to you. Aesthetics matter — you're going to spend time painting these models, so pick something you find genuinely interesting. That said, here's a brief overview of some popular options:
- Space Marines (Intercession Squad / Phobos Strike Team): Durable, straightforward to learn, and iconic. A solid choice if you want resilient fighters with no major weaknesses. Good for beginners who want reliability.
- T'au Pathfinders: Ranged specialists with drones and supporting fire mechanics. Require more planning than straightforward shooting, but hugely satisfying to play well.
- Ork Kommandos: Characterful, unpredictable, and great fun. Orks have lots of individual personality in their models and a playstyle that rewards aggression.
- Necrons (Hierotek Circle / Awakened Dynasty): Undying warriors with a reanimation mechanic that can bring fallen operatives back. Excellent models and a distinctive feel on the table.
- Veteran Guardsmen / Kasrkin: Well-rounded human soldiers with good ranged options. Popular with players who like a grounded, military aesthetic.
If you're not sure where to start, check out the Warhammer 40K Start Here section at Access Models — it covers starter options across the range, including Kill Team entry points.
Getting Your Models Ready: Building and Painting
Kill Team miniatures are plastic kits assembled with polystyrene cement. Assembly is usually straightforward — the components fit logically together, and most starter box models are specifically designed to be approachable for first-time builders. You'll need a pair of plastic clippers (also called sprue cutters) and a modelling knife to clean up mould lines.
Painting is where many people spend the most time with Kill Team — and rightly so. With only eight to sixteen models per side, you can afford to put real effort in. The standard progression is:
- Prime your models with a spray primer — grey, black, or white depending on your colour scheme
- Apply base colours to the main armour, skin, and equipment areas
- Wash with a contrast or shade paint to add depth to recesses
- Highlight edges and raised areas to make details pop
- Base the models — apply texture paint and tufts to the bases to tie everything together
Citadel paints from Games Workshop are purpose-designed for miniature painting and come in base, layer, shade, contrast, and technical varieties. Even a modest selection covers almost everything you'll need for a starting kill team.
Explore the full Citadel Paints range at Access Models, including starter paint sets that take the guesswork out of which colours to buy.
Terrain: More Important in Kill Team Than You Might Expect
Kill Team is designed around dense terrain. Unlike full 40K battles on open tables, Kill Team games are played in tight, cluttered environments — corridors, ruins, industrial sectors, and alien installations where line-of-sight is limited and positioning is everything. The starter boxes include purpose-built terrain specifically designed for Kill Team's board size, which makes it easy to set up a properly balanced game right away.
If you want to expand your terrain options, Games Workshop sells Kill Team-specific terrain sets, as well as modular scenery packs that work across multiple game systems. Good terrain elevates Kill Team from a miniature game into something that genuinely looks and feels cinematic.
Taking It Further: The Kill Team Community
Kill Team has a thriving UK hobbyist scene. Local gaming clubs, Warhammer stores, and independent hobby shops (like Access Models) regularly run Kill Team events and campaigns. Games Workshop also runs structured competitive events at a national level.
Online, there are active communities on Reddit (r/killteam), YouTube channels dedicated to tactics and painting guides, and regular content from Games Workshop through their Warhammer Community website. It's a well-supported game with a consistent release schedule of new kill teams and expansions.
For the latest releases and additions to the Kill Team range, the New In War Games section at Access Models keeps up to date with new arrivals as they land.
Ready to Start? Here's Your Shopping List
To get your first Kill Team game on the table, you need surprisingly little:
- A Kill Team starter box or a single faction's kill team box (if playing with a friend who already owns one)
- Plastic clippers and polystyrene cement for assembly
- A starter paint set and a couple of brushes
- A grey or black spray primer
That's genuinely all you need. The rulebooks, tokens, dice, terrain, and boards are included in the starter boxes. Kill Team is one of the more honest entry points in tabletop wargaming — the recommended starting product really does contain everything you need to play.
Browse the best-selling Warhammer products at Access Models, or come and speak to the team in our Newark store — we're happy to point you towards the right starting point for your budget and the kind of hobby experience you're after.
Final Thoughts
Kill Team is one of the best introductions to the Warhammer hobby available right now. It's compact, tactically interesting, affordable relative to a full army, and genuinely rewarding to paint. Whether you want a competitive game to play at your local club, a satisfying painting project, or simply a way to experience the Warhammer 40K universe without committing to a full army, Kill Team delivers on all fronts.
If you've been hovering on the edge of the hobby, this is a good time to jump in. Pick a faction that interests you visually, grab a starter box, and see where it takes you.