Kill Team: Tomb World Review – Expert Breakdown by Squad Games
- Dakotah Luster
- Aug 30, 2025
- 6 min read
Written and Painted by: Saya, Giacamo and Dakotah
Thank you Games Workshop for sending us this copy for early review!
We will have more Tomb World content on our YouTube channel
Kill Team: Tomb World is not only the newest expansion for everyone’s favorite skirmish game, but also the start of a brand new Kill Zone. In this new Kill Zone the Canoptek Circle defends their tomb from the Imperium’s elite Xenos hunters, the Deathwatch.
Deathwatch brings the Elite of Elites to the table; while the Canoptek Circle brings an unending respawning horde of warrior operatives to the nightmare automatons of the Necrons.
Deathwatch
The Deathwatch return to Kill Team with an array of operatives that can deal with any threat they encounter. It is critical that one selects the right operatives for the mission; even with their hardy stats and powerful abilities at 5 operatives strong you’ll want to set up attacks rather than charging right in. Remember to strike with precision while hitting like a Thunder Hammer.
Faction Rules: A tool box full of firepower
The Veteran Astartes rule not only lets each operative shoot and fight twice but also allows each operative to perform two different 1AP actions for free during their counteraction, off setting the limitation of only having 5 operatives
In addition, they have Special Issue Ammunition which can be used once per turning point when a Deathwatch Veteran would make a Shoot action; the operative’s ranged attack gains a weapon rule from the following options in the image below.
Imagine adding Devastating Wounds to the Infernus Heavy Bolter or giving the Heavy Plasma Incinerator Blast; this ability allows the team much needed flexibility when fighting the enemies of the Imperium.
Key Operative: Disruptor Veteran
Easily the most strategically powerful operative on the team, the Disruptor Veteran’s Advanced Omni-Scrambler delays an enemy operative’s activation which allows you to control the board. The Disruptor will let you use the Advanced Auspex Scan for 0CP, leaving enemy operatives without obscurity and making your operative’s ranged weapons gain Saturate.
Stand out Equipment
The Sanctus-V Bioscryer Cuffs equipment grants Deathwatch operatives to either heal D3 a turn, remove changes to their APL stat, or remove a token it has such as a Poison token. Elite teams know that each operative matters, this equipment keeps them healthy and lets them stay in the Kill Zone longer allowing the Deathwatch to complete their mission.
The Hard Part: Which operatives to choose
There are a lot of combinations that can be made when selecting operatives and the task can be daunting so I prepared a few options you can take depending on the situation:
Great Against Melee | Great All Around Choice | Great into Elites |
Watch Sergeant | Watch Sergeant | Watch Sergeant |
Disruptor Veteran | Disruptor Veteran | Gunner Veteran |
Demolisher Veteran | Horde-Slayer Veteran | Breacher Veteran |
Blademaster Veteran | Marksman Veteran | Blademaster Veteran |
Aegis Veteran | Aegis Veteran | Aegis Veteran |
Canoptek Circle
This new Kill Team season starter brings us a Necron faction defending their Tomb World, but this isn’t like anything we've seen before. Ever want to play a blue-black deck in Kill Team? Well this is the team for you. Control the Killzone and lead 8 operatives that's not only hard to kill but they keep coming back to life. The Canoptek Circle is a defensive Necron Kill Team that even Dorn would be envious of. Be prepared to battle an endless horde of living metal that refuses to stay down. Faction Rules: 20mm Points of Power Most Necrons say, “In living metal we trust,” the Canoptek Circle says, “In the Obelisk Node Matrix we trust,” and that’s for good reason. The Canoptek Circle has 3 Obelisk Nodes they can place wholly within their territory. If the Obelisk Nodes are placed separately they create points of power, but placed within 6” of each other, they create lines or triangles of strategic or defensive power aka a matrix. While within the Obelisk Node Matrix operatives receive a massive power up granting them an additional APL and Accurate 2.
Everything revolves around your faction rule. From your key operative to your strategy and firefight ploys, it is difficult to master but essential to victory, especially through the proper placement and use of the Obelisk Node Matrix. Key Operative: Geomancer
The mastermind of control in any Killzone. Pairing this operative with a Comms Device, mixed with a slew of his abilities below, makes him the greatest control mage in all of Kill Team.
Obelisk Node Control: This operative can perform mission actions that require control range from the nodes.
Molecular Breach: This one’s simple, just pick an operative either in the Obelisk Node Matrix or visible and within 6" of the Geomancer, and teleport them up to their Move stat. Yep, even through Wall terrain.
Canoptek Control: The Geomancer can force another friendly operative to immediately perform a 1AP action for free, such as a shoot action.
Geomantic Disruptance: Ever have a group of enemies hiding behind a piece of terrain? Well fear no more, your Geomancer can select a point on a terrain feature visible within 8” and just blast them. Keep this model near the Matrix and watch him become a 4 APL powerhouse of control, but even then, you’ll wish he had more, because choosing between all his tools is the real challenge. Stand out ploy: Shield Flare
I think everyone knows in Kill Team how powerful damage mitigation is, just ask Kommandos from last edition. Shield Flare lets you ignore an attack dice that inflicts normal damage on any operative that it is in the Obelisk Node Matrix or if the Matrix is intervening.
Coolest Rule: Auto Respawn I always thought a Tyranid team would have auto respawning warriors, turns out the hordes of the Tomb World have beat them to it. This is my second favorite rule this team has. As a Strategic Gambit if your team has less than 3 Canoptek Circle Warrior operatives alive in the Killzone you can use A Ceaseless Scuttling, which allows you to set up another warrior operative wholly within your drop zone. Honorable Mentions: One shot wonder gun
Transdimensional Isolator: This is a weapon option for your Canoptek Tomb Crawler operative. The weapon’s special rule is Dimensional Banishment. WHAT?!? **Dimensional Banishment: After this operative uses this weapon, if you inflicted damage or retained any critical success, if the target wasn't incapacitated, roll 2d6: if the result is higher than the targets Remaining wounds, the target is incapacitated.
Tomb World Terrain After dealing damage to an operative with this weapon, roll 2D6 and you have a chance to completely banish that operative into the warp, sorry Goremongers. Tomb World: The Newest Kill Zone
We can’t talk about Tomb World without looking at the tomb this takes place in. On top of two new kill teams the highlight of this box set is the terrain.
Whats New?
This is Kill Team’s first Necron themed terrain. Its cram packed with incredible detail and new game mechanics such as teleportation pads which allow operatives to Reposition, Charge, Fall Back from pad to pad. There are new doorways! Gone are the days we must remove our plastic models from battle to swing open a door. Though the new Breach Point mechanic might make you remove your models in a different way. When Walls are breached they explode which can lead to dealing damage and possibly removal of APL from operatives on the other side of the Breach Point. Tomb World will also see light terrain introduced to the Killzone. This helps break up large rooms while freeing up your team’s usual equipment choices. Between the light terrain, the ability to bust through walls and now teleporting about the Killzone, Tomb World is going to make for some exciting and challenging game play.
In Summary
Tomb World delivers a highly dynamic setting with multiple ways to dominate, infiltrate and control this incredible Killzone. The addition of the teleportation pads and breachable walls adds layers of tactical depth, making every match a bit more challenging and a lot more fun.
Overall, to finally get back the faction that this game is named after feels like a fever dream. Deathwatch is going to be a highly customizable team of elite specialists but are they going to be able to eliminate the threat of the endless horde of respawning warriors of the Canoptek Circle, especially on their home turf?
Which team is your favorite?
Canoptek Circle
Deathwatch