It’s time to look at the first tier list for season 3 of Kill Team!
Welcome to today’s Warhammer 40000 Kill Team article where I go over the updated season 3 tier list! Look at how the latest balance dataslate has affected the state of the game, as well as the release of the Salvation kill teams! I rank every team from compendium to bespoke!
If you want, I’ve done a more in-depth video on the subject which you can watch here:
Explaining the Tiers
So the tiers are pretty simple:
S Tier – A super strong kill team, one you’re very likely to see at a tournament that will definitely make the top cut and/or win an event too. Possibly broken but in realty just the best team(s) to play and only really lose to other S Tier teams match-up wise, ergo having very few to no bad match-ups. Usually with a very high winrate, popularity/usage rate and good podium rate (getting 1st to 3rd at events).
A Tier – A very strong kill team. Very likely to be seen in a tournament that will make a top cut and even win the whole thing. Commonly finishes a 4 round tournament with a 3-1. Not as strong as a S Tier kill team but one you have to definitely keep in-mind for when aiming to play competitively.
B Tier – A strong kill team. Likely to be seen in tournaments and can make a top cut. Could win as well but not reliably. Definitely a team you need to remember for when playing in events Has more bad match-ups than the S and A tiers.
C Tier – An average kill team. Usually should be able to go 2 wins 2 losses in a 4 round tournament. May make the top cut but unlikely to win. You may need to remember these teams for events but it’s not a necessity.
D Tier – Bad kill teams. Weak due to either poor rules or mechanics. Unlikely to win with, commonly going 1 win and 3 losses at an event.
E Tier – Just…bad. Like a D Tier but worse. Desperately need buffs. You may not win games, but you’ll win the hearts of your opponents.
As a side note, I will not be including kill teams which have been replaced as per the balance dataslate. This may upset some people but this tier list is mainly for competitive play.
Also tiers do not represent skill. Someone who has spent a long time playing the same lower tier kill team is likely to beat someone hopping onto a higher tier one for the first time. This is just a general guide for players trying to find what the best kill team is for them to play or to watch out for at tournaments. These have all been charted by me based on the above factors as well as my tournament experience with the game.
Q4 Winter 2023/24 Tier List
As with all my recent tier lists, this represents the power of teams on season 1, season 2 and now season 3 killzones! While Kommandos and Chaos Cult have taken a few hits, hordes have indirectly and directly risen in power! Now elite kill teams find themselves in a really tough spot, especially with a likely rise in Kasrkin player popularity. As always I still include compendium teams because people do still play them at events globally but I’ll have a bespoke only tier list for my Patreon peeps.
Important note, kill teams are generally placed in order of release within tiers, it is not an indication of strongest to weakest in a tier!
S Tier
Veteran Guardsmen: An all new S Tier with the oldest unchanged kill team! This team is still great a board control with their 14 bodies as well as all their great ploys and rules. Not too shabby in combat when needed too. Maybe one day we’ll see a Spotter nerf, regardless this kill team dominates, especially in a horde meta. It also helps when you now effectively have no bad match-ups too.
Pathfinders: The best shooting kill team in the game just got better. Drones opening doors on ITD was already great but getting a Recon Drone for a single operative now is crazy. Offers too many great combos for these Tau warriors at the suffering of everyone else. Enjoy it until it gets removed as everyone now must embrace the Gun and Recon Drone buddy cop adventure of a lifetime. Also absolute crazy in Bheta-Decima.
Inquistorial Agent: Back in S due to the insane Absolute Authority but also due to the indirect buffs this kill team received from the other kill teams it can take getting buffed. Why yes, I would love an ignore obscuring plasma cannon. Will remain in S Tier until Absolute Authority gets capped to once per game and Breachers going down to 5 operatives instead of 6. The toughest kill team to play but with the most scope to shut opponents and several kill teams out of the game.
A Tier
Kommandos: Bomb Squig losing positive APL modifiers hurts a lot and really weakens the crazy board control available to Kommandos, especially with the Sneaky Git change killing TP1 dynamite alphas. Being locked into conceal with Sneaky Git is still fine as you have Snipa Boy and can charge from conceal. They still have 11 activations and more CP to actually use while still being effectively unchanged on ITD. No longer brain-dead dominating but still a huge threat of a kill team.
Novitiates: Novitiates remain very strong. They have the best dice modification rules in the game which keeps them as a very viable threat and still win ITD with 2CP for Defends of the Faith. Elites indirectly getting weaker only helps them as a whole.
Corsair Voidscarred: The perfectly balanced kill team now busts out with some crazy buffs. Now being even better at alpha striking, the team also got better on ITD which they already did well on. Hordes can still be tough but Corsairs can definitely play into where the meta is shaping currently.
Hunter Clade: A solid team that balances combat and shooting equally. Quite an honest team with no blast attacks. No longer the monsters they were before, Hunter Clade remain a strong yet fair kill team. Do decently into the top teams via shutting down re-rolls but it’s still an uphill battle. Got some nice buffs to accuracy and defence as well!
Void-Dance Troupe: Barely in the A Tier instead of S. They love the new Crit Op changes, especially the extra CP. Having 24 APL with decently durable bodies that all have fly is amazing. Plus they are great at hunting elite kill teams and hordes alike. Absolute monsters on Bheta-Decima, somehow further beyond S Tier on there.
Imperial Navy Breachers: Remains one of the best alpha strike teams in the game, they do have more bad match-ups now but you can’t sleep on their insane first activation plays which will delete stuff as usual. Blitz and Close Assault just deletes so many foes. Have to worry about elites less and enjoy how their basic shotguns can shred hordes.
Elucidian Starstriders: Still very strong with lots of tricks, requiring player and positional skill to get the most out of this kill team. They do well into most of the meta, still worrying about elites, although they do love how toxic this meta is to elite kill teams. A big threat on ITD partly thanks to still being able to use airstrikes (somehow) and surprisingly flexible on Bheta-Decima.
Gellerpox Infected: Solid A Tier even with the Rust Eminations change. Nightmare Hulks now carry the team entirely. Everying else is vulnerable to being killed quickly so it becomes a game of how long the Hulks last. Still got great rules and Tac Ops though.
Kasrkin: Not in S Tier solely because they really struggle into hordes, Kasrkin are now the bane of 10 activation or less teams. The new elite point change gives a BS 4+ operative with an AP2 weapon a 94% chance to kill an enemy operative with 10w or less. Insane. Ignoring obscuring and the support grip change was powerful enough, making Kasrkin even more fearsome on ITD. The elite point change is just far too much and feels unfairly thought out. Such a wild buff with huge ramifications due to the boring and broken nature of fixing dice results.
B Tier
Blooded: A good kill team that loves Seek and Destroy. Not undefeatable but overall has a lot of good matchups into most of the meta now. Not much has changed so they remain static. Losing popularity but still doing well.
Phobos Strike Team: Probably the most efficient action economy kill team in the game, their Bolters are now always doing full damage and still have all their other buffs. What locks them back is having okay faction Tac Ops and still no really decent high damage ranged output and being vulnerable to combat (especially power weapons). Inquisitorial Agents still unfortunately lock Phobos out of higher tiers and also the current meta leaves them as the best elite kill team due do how they operate.
Wyrmblade: Loving the new buffs. All Cult Agents are now viable but the big change is getting suspensor systems on the heavy gunners. They are now mobile threats that can shoot even when coming from hiding! Until we get an update on the wording to new cult ambush, remember to play it how Elliot the lead designer said in the latest metawatch as that’s how most TOs are ruling it too: not visible to any operative instead of every. Regardless a much better kill team without having to get a 3rd cult agent!
Hierotek Circle: Heirotek remain largely unchanged. They have play on open due to alpha-striking Chronomancer or Despotek. A powerful team with great board control, living entirely off the temporal nanomine.
Hand of the Archon: This team still excels at open board play. A lack of comms and reliable APL modification is the biggest pain but still a very tricksy and powerful kill team in the right hands. ITD is still pain but the Inquisitorial Agents are still a huge pain for them. A very good team that still requires lot of player meta-game knowledge to get the most out of Hand of the Archon.
Fellgor Ravager: With the minor buffs, Fellgor remain solid in B Tier. Still a kill team with effectively 20 operatives and now have better, albeit bad, objective play. Also still a beast on ITD. Underestimate them at your own peril.
Hearthkyn Salvager: Hearthkyn are in a much better spot and continue to be a huge threat. However, the rise of hordes is pain as this kill team excels at dismantling elite teams but struggles into those that out-activate them. Overall, still in a much better spot than 3 months ago.
Chaos Cult: Devotees needing to kill to mutate is great for everyone else but makes playing this team much harder. Hordes/weak melee teams are no longer an easy auto-win. The change to healing meaning even a full wound Mutant only has a 1 in 3 chance of starting at 13 wounds as a Torment is great for everyone else too. Still a big threat with 15 operatives at 30 APL but no longer the dominating menace of before.
Scout Squad: Infiltrating on to the scene, Scout Squad are solid B Tier. They have lots of tricks that reward good positional and board observation skills. A bit too dependent on TP1 but otherwise very flexible and powerful.
Blades of Khaine: Confusingly in B Tier. Still good with amazing ploys, Aspect Powers and equipment, the basic operatives just feel a bit weird. Too dependent on melee with hard counters like Gellerpox and Chaos Cult, still a good kill team. Especially into unprepared opponents.
C Tier
Legionary: The first entry into the Controversial Tier. Legionary are barely in C Tier but the meta overall is just horrible for elites. Need to play Tzeentch to effectively have a chance now but you’re counting on rolling hot with 4+ invuns. Just a depressing state overall for elite players.
Intercession Squad: The most popular team in the game that now have kinda been punished for it? Still great at shooting stuff to death but now with a few tricks removed. Hordes being buffed just makes it worse for these weaker and more balanced Intercession players.
Warp Coven: Probably still the most complex team to play. The Rubric buffs remain good but the kill team just lacks something for open play. It’s just odd, especially how Legionary kinda do what they want to do but better. Showing their age as being once of the first White Dwarf teams. Love ITD but feel weaker on open. Being able to freely select Recon and Security now is still great though.
Farstalker Kinband: The best kill team at maxing Tac Ops early due to the FAQ allowing them to take Recover Item, Balance the Books and Implant. The overall boost to Call the Kill just helps with reliability and use for ITD. Although the team just still feels oddly weak.
Exaction Squad: Enjoying the prior improvements along with the great buffs for the leader who becomes even more important to the kill team. Shields getting combined into a single profile is nice but I would have preferred the non-parry profile getting +1 to hit. Exaction Squad just feel like being in a weird spot overall, good at control but can be surprisingly inflexible as well as finding it hard to max Tac Ops reliably.
Strike Force Justian: Effectively Intercession Squad but without Chapter Tactics and faction Tac Ops. Justian kind of have opposing good and bad match-ups to Intercession and end up just slightly weaker than them. Still a threat and can be surprisingly tanky.
Drukhari: Living on 10 Kabilites with 2 Blasters and a Splinter Cannon. Wyches flex for melee threat too. Good but just play Hand of the Archon.
Hive Fleet: Tyranids remain the same as always, a Xenos toolbox that just wants a bespoke update.
Imperial Guard: Strong as always and dodged the balance dataslate erasure. So basically, the bane of all Kasrkin up until recently. Still good but pretty much entirely represented in bespoke teams.
Deathguard: No real change. Live and die based off their DPRs but solid nonetheless. Remain one of the most popular compendium teams.
Talons of the Emperor: Still solid. Amazing for ITD but struggling on open.
Chaos Daemons: Even with 12 Daemons, they struggle against a lot of the bespoke teams. Their shooting just isn’t as good as it was due the state of shooting power currently. However, they are still an intimidating threat with 12 Daemons.
D Tier
Aeldari: With the extra body rule, all Eldar kill teams still remain good. Just not as powerful as their bespoke alternatives. Except Dire Avengers, for some reason?
Orks: Yeah they have some meme builds but Kommandos are just better.
Genestealer Cults: Even if you love the more monstrous mutants, Wyrmblade are just better.
Sisters of Battle: Remain exactly the same too, a very solid kill team.
Sisters of Battle: Remain exactly the same too, a very solid kill team.Heretic Astartes: Honestly thought these would get removed now we have Legionary and Blooded but still solid. 3 CSM and 8 Cultists still has some play. Just no as good when compared to either bespoke kill team.
Space Marines: Just play Intercession, Scout Squad or Phobos etc.
E Tier
Necrons: Hierotek are literally a much better alternative now.
Kroot: Time to retire this golden kill team for the Farstalker Kinband.
Tau: Just play Pathfinders. Stealth Suits aren’t going to be a thing, stop trying to make them a thing. Oddly Breachers are quite fun on ITD.
Q4 2023/24 Winter Tier List Overview
Overall I believe we’re in another weird meta. While the dominance of Kommandos and Cults are effectively curtailed, elite kill teams have basically been pushed out of the meta. This is just a weird change considering elites haven’t been doing well for a while, at least a few months. The Kasrkin change to elite point modification is a huge culprit, now not only punishing elite teams but also 10 or less activation teams which is a huge chunk of the meta. The buff to Pathfinders is also not a good thing and Inquisitorial Agents are just laughing all the way to the bank.
The main saving grace is that the problem teams are harder to play than Kommandos and Cults but when you run into players that know how to exploit Kasrkin and the other horde teams, you’re in for a horrible time. A good thing is at least you’ll be able to get in some nice return kills so it doesn’t feel mostly depressing as you get crushed on victory points. Although this does also highlight the growing and aging problem we have with being out-activated. My dream would be for Overwatch to be changed to react, that let an operative either: overwatch, fight or dash. That alone would help so much yet alas it will likely never happen.
Disregarding hordes and Kasrkin, the rest of the meta is doing pretty well. Kill teams are fairly balanced with each other and tiers feel pretty close together. As long as you’re not playing an elite team, you should be in for a fun 3 months. Maybe we can start seeing some Tac Op adjustments in the future but we also have to see how Bheta-Decima affects the meta when it gets released and played more. The Salvation kill teams set a good standard for balance so as long as the rest of the season 3 kill teams are like Scout Squad and Blades of Khaine, it helps paint an even better balance picture.
Before I go, feel free to check out my Discord as well as my Patreon if you want to give me some more support!
So remember, until next time, no matter what the tiers say, stay away from tier 15 and you’ll always be able to roll a crit!
Can You Roll A Crit? 