Review: Kill Team: Termination

This is a review of Kill Team: Termination, the 3rd boxed expansion of the Bheta-Decima season. The hardy Hernkyn Yaegirs of the Leagues of Votann want to get to the bottom of the mystery of the Cult of the Chittering Verse and encounter the cult’s emissaries – the Brood Brothers. We unbox Kill Team: Termination and take a detailed look at all the kits and components.

Kill Team: Termination can be preordered from Saturday, June 1, 2024. It goes on sale two weeks later, following a two-week preorder window. Please note that these kinds of boxes have only one production run, so it’s available until stocks last, and Kill Team expansions sold out quickly in the past.

Included in the box are:

• 10 new Leagues of Votann Hernkyn Yaegirs
• 10 Cadian Shock Troopers
• a new upgrade sprue to turn Cadians into Brood Brothers
• a Genestealer Cults Broodcoven (a Patriarch, a Primus, a Magus, and two Genestealer familiars)
• 2 new Termination Plasma Genatoriums
• a Cadian and Leagues of Votann transfer sheet
• Reference cards, ploy cards, and custom token sheets for both Kill Teams

Hernkyn Yaegirs review

The Hernkyn Yaegirs are brand new models – dwarves in space wearing trench coats and beanies, what’s not to love? Lighter equipped than their Hearthkyn sisters and brothers, they are the perfect survivalists and scouts to seek out valuable resources.

The Yaegirs are a “proper” Kill Team kit with 10 models on three medium-sized sprues, similar to the Ork Kommandos and Aeldari Corsairs. The kit includes 10 different Hernkyn bodies, which you can build with either bolt shotguns or bolt revolvers and plasma knives to use them in Warhammer 40.000, for instance. Alternatively, you can build a variety of special operatives. Conveniently, the assembly instructions include an extra page that depicting all the different weapon types. The base size is 28mm.

Patreon bonus content: Uncompressed versions of these sprue images (and backsides) in extra high resolution can be found here.

Here are the build options:

• Yaegir 1 can either be built as a Theyn with plasma knife, bolt shotgun, a special head, and a special fur coat piece with backpack; or as a Warrior with bolt revolver
• Yegir 2 can either be built as a Bladekyn with an additional knife for the left arm, a special head and backpack; or as a Warrior with either plasma knife and bolt revolver or bolt shotgun
• Yegir 3 can either be built as a Bombast with an additional revolver for the left arm, holsters on his belt, and a special head and backpack; or as a Warrior with either plasma knife and bolt revolver or bolt shotgun
• Yaegir 4 can either be built as a Gunner with an APM launcher left arm; or as a Warrior with either plasma knife and bolt revolver or bolt shotgun
• Yaegir 5 can either be built as an Ironbreak with a special pair of arms, special backpack and head; or as a Warrior with either plasma knife and bolt revolver or bolt shotgun
• Yaegir 6 can either be built as a Riflekyn with a special pair of arms, special backpack and head; or as a Warrior with either plasma knife and bolt revolver or bolt shotgun
• Yaegir 7 can either be built as a Tracker with a special pair of arms that adds a camo cloak, special backpack and head; or as a Warrior with either plasma knife and bolt revolver or bolt shotgun
• Yaegirs 8, 9, and 10 can be built as Warriors with either plasma knife and bolt revolver or bolt shotguns
• In addition to the heads for the special operatives, 14 freely interchangeable heads are included, including 2 Ironkin helmets

Even though the bodies are designed for specific arm pairs, the shoulder connections are flat and arms can be swapped. With a bit of experimenting, you can find other combinations beyond what the assembly instructions suggest.

The Blood Brothers

On the Genestealer Cults side, there are a total of four sprues. Firstly, there is the Brood Coven sprue, which dates back to the Deatchwatch Overkill game. Then, there are two sprues with 10 of the new Cadian Shock Troops, as well as a brand-new Brood Brothers upgrade sprue. This is a newly designed version specifically with the new Cadians in mind.

For a closer look at the Cadian kit, check out our review of Cadia Stands, the Astra Militarum army set for the 9th Edition.

Patreon bonus content: Uncompressed versions of these sprue images (and backsides) in extra high resolution can be found here.

Here is a list of the components in the new Brood Brothers Upgrade sprue:

• 11 interchangeable heads (9 bare, 2 with helmets)
• For the Commander: a shoulder guard with cult icon, a holster with cult icon pendant, a right arm with power sword, and an outstretched left arm with claws
• For the Agitator: a left arm clenching a cult icon pendant, a right arm with a power maul, a special backpack with vox array
• For the Iconward: a left arm with blade, a right arm with a large cult icon
• For the Knifefighter: a pair of arms with knifes
• For the Medic: a left arm with a shoulder bag, and a right arm with a gene-needler
• For the Sapper: a pair of arms with a demoliton charge and a special backpack
• For the Sniper: a pair of arms with sniper rifle
• For the Veteran: a pair of arms with combat shotgun

The Brood Coven sprue, as previously mentioned, is older and features monopose models, though the Magus and Primus heads are on ball joints and compatible with the other models in the range. However, since the Coven has become relatively expensive when purchased on its own, its inclusion alone makes the Kill Team: Termination Box significantly more attractive for Genestealer Cults collectors.

Termination Plasma Genatoriums review

As terrain pieces, Kill Team: Termination includes two identical Termination Plasma Genatoriums, provided on two identical large sprues. The casting sharpness, as is typical with terrain pieces, is somewhat softer than that of regular kits, though the (few) details are not overly blurred. When assembled, they are about 13 cm long and 8.5 cm high, so not exactly small. I recommend not gluing the ladders in place so that you can stack the Genatoriums, which is also required for some missions.

Patreon bonus content: Uncompressed versions of these sprue images (and backsides) in extra high resolution can be found here.

To my taste, the containers are a bit sparse on details, and I would have preferred if they had the same dimensions as the Munitorum Containers, allowing for them to be stacked together.

Kill Team: Termination manual and accessories

The Kill Team: Termination manual follows the familiar pattern for Kill Team expansion books across its 88 pages. First, it continues the lore of Bheta-Decima, where the Cult of the Chittering Verse reveals itself as the true threat on the planet. Additionally, it includes rules, lore, and name generators for the two included Kill Teams, Killzone rules for Bheta-Decima, as well as 6 new missions that make use of both the Bheta-Decima Killzone terrain and the two Plasma Genatoriums.

Similar to the Hearthkyn Salvager Team, the Hernkyn Yaegir Team consists of 1 Leader and 9 operatives. One of their unique mechanics is that for each Yaegir operative not in engagement range at the start of each turning point, you gain up to two Resourceful points. These points can be spent to increase an operative’s APL by 1 or to regain D3 + 1 lost wounds.

The composition of the Brood Brothers Kill Team is interesting. Similar to the Veteran Guardsmen, you first choose 1 leader and 9 operatives. Additionally, you have 3 more selections available, which you can spend on either a Patriarch (counts as 3 selections), a Primus (counts as 2 selections), or a Magus (also counts as 2 selections). For the remaining selections, you can get Genestealer Familiars (2 for 1 selection) or up to three tactical assets.

Value

Kill Team: Termination continues the price trend of the last two boxes and has increased slightly in price to £87.50 / 115 € / $145. Considering the general price increase in June and the inclusion of the complete Brood Covens, which individually already costs £42.50 / 55 € / $70, I find the price acceptable.

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