Kill Team Approved Ops Tac Ops and Mission Card Pack Review

Last year Kill Team received an overhaul to the game setup process with the Kill Team Critical Ops pack. This year the Kill Team Approved Ops pack has updated the Critical Ops pack to include the Close Quarters missions that make use of the scenery from the Gallowdark season. In this article, we'll look at what's in the pack and who it's for.

Kill Team is a skirmish wargame, set in Games Workshop's larger Warhammer 40,000 setting. As a skirmish game, Kill Team features a small number of elite troops, fighting special operations battles, rather than huge battles fought with entire armies. If you want to check out the Kill Team rules before you buy, Games Workshop has made the core rules available to download for free. We've covered Kill Team in depth since the last edition, and you can read our guide to all the current Kill Team products, or check back to where the Gallowdark started in our Kill Team Into the Dark preview. 

What Is The Kill Team Approved Ops Tac Ops and Mission Card Pack?

The Kill Team Approved Ops Tac Ops and Mission Card Pack is a rules update pack that streamlines the game setup process for Kill Team from the core rulebook. Much of the process is the same, but a couple of the previous cards are updated, and other elements that were previously just sections in the rulebook are added as cards for easy setup and reference. If you already have the Kill Team Critical Ops pack, this pack is the same, with the addition of Close Quarters mission set-up cards for use with the Gallowdark terrain.

What Do You Need To Use The Kill Team Approved Ops Tac Ops and Mission Card Pack?

The Kill Team Approved Ops Tac Ops and Mission Card Pack adds to the setup process for games of Kill Team, so in order to use it you will need the Kill Team Core rulebook, along with the dice, measuring tools, and miniatures for regular games of Kill Team. 

The Approved Ops Tac Ops and Mission Card Pack isn't essential, and each player will need their own set, but it is useful, does update the rules to what could be the new Kill Team standard for competitive games.

What's In The Kill Team Approved Ops Tac Ops and Mission Card Pack?

The Kill Team Critical Ops Tac Ops and Mission Card Pack contains:

• 29 Tac Ops cards (including an additional Close Quarters Tac Ops for Recon and Security)
• 3 Mission cards
• 19 Map cards plus 2 Map keys (9 standard and 10 Close Quarters)
• 1 Game Sequence card
• 3 Scouting Step cards
• Game sequence reference sheet (with updated Close Quarters setup)

The 27 Tac Ops cards are updated versions of the 4 sets of 6 for Security, Seek and Destroy, Recon and Infiltration, and 3 proxies for the Faction Tac Ops listed in each faction rules for each kill team. The Tac Ops also includes an additional card for Recon and Security that you switch out with Sieze Ground and Secure Vantage when using Close Quarters rules. The Approved Ops cards are all tarot-sized, which means those who've been picking up the printed faction cards from White Dwarf won't be able to shuffle them into their packs anymore, but they will be able to use them for reference, which is handy because, during the matched play sequence, Tac Ops are no longer randomly selected. Now players choose 3, of which 1 can be a faction Tac Ops, but the cards do allow you to still randomize for open-play games if you so wish.

The new mission and map cards now give you a choice in either randomizing the mission and map or selecting as normal while giving a visual reference away from the rulebook. The 3 scouting phase cards are a welcome edition as previously you would have to hold a dice in your hand to reveal while looking up the rules. This way allows you to pick your card, and have all the rules handy for reference. 

The game reference sheet details the full matched play setup, and the reverse of the sheet offers a variety of other methods that can be used for game setup if players so wish.

What Are Our Final Thoughts On The Kill Team Approved Ops Tac Ops and Mission Card Pack?

The Kill Team Approved Ops Tac Ops and Mission Card Pack is a well-produced card pack. The updates to the Tac Ops from the core rulebook are welcome and all the information is clear and look great on the tarot-size cards. The rest of the pack is convenient for speeding up setup, keeping all the information handy, and still randomizing elements if players wish. The addition of Close Quarter rules is handy if you're using this pack to set up those games and keeps everything in one place.

Should I Buy The Kill Team Approved Ops Tac Ops and Mission Card Pack?

If you're playing Kill Team in any meaningful way, then the Kill Team Approved Ops Tac Ops and Mission Card Pack is an essential purchase. It updates all of the Tac Ops cards to the new balance standard and the matched play sequence will be the way for all competitive games from release. It is very handy for speeding up game setup and for reference during games, which will save you from flicking through the rulebook or weighing down pages.

If you already have the Critical Ops pack, and you're not using the Close Quarters terrain, then this will add nothing that you need. If you are looking to use the Close Quarters rules and scenery though, then this will update your set with everything you need for both Close Quarters and standard games.

The copy of the Kill Team Approved Ops Tac Ops and Mission Card Pack used to produce this preview was provided by Games Workshop.