Kill Team is Warhammer 40,000's skirmish game - small warbands of around 10-20 models instead of a full army. That low model count makes it the single best entry point to the hobby: you get a complete, playable, paintable force for a fraction of the cost and time of an army.
Why Kill Team is the ideal start
- Few models - you can build and paint a whole team in a week or two, not months.
- Each model matters - with so few, you can give each one real attention and improve fast.
- Cheaper - one boxed set is often a complete team for two players.
- Same models as 40k - your team doubles as the start of a full army later.
Painting a warband well
Because you have only a handful of models, Kill Team is the perfect place to push your painting. Pick a faction you love from the faction guides, pull an exact recipe from the scheme generator, and take the time to add the details you would skip on a horde - edge highlights, battle damage, characterful bases.
5/0 · detail
The Army Painter
synthetic · detail
Monument Hobbies
AK Interactive
The core process is the same basecoat-wash-highlight workflow, just with more care per model. Distinct bases and small conversions help each operative feel like an individual.
One-box basing set: sand, rocks, tufts, undergrowth, grass, snow and 50ml basing glue
Army Painter
Army Painter Battlefields basing material, one pot
Army Painter
GF9 Hobby Round pot of static grass, flock, grit or snow
Gale Force Nine
Thick modelling sand for bases, 200ml
Green Stuff World
Tips
- Theme the team. A consistent scheme and basing makes a warband look like a unit.
- Individualise the operatives. Small differences - a different shoulder pad, a trophy, a unique base - give each model character.
- Use it to level up. With so few models, Kill Team is where your painting improves fastest.