Necromunda vs Kill Team | A Compare and Contrast of Warhammer Specialty Games

[@jamiemoresco3885]

These are both great games. Necromunda just has a unique setting/background, and it stands out a bit more.

[@Jawsofhana]

KIll Team is a strategy game. Necromunda leans much more against a roleplaying game.

[@cleanliving1612]

I've loved the setting of Necromunda since it came out, but I think Kill Team is one of the cleanest and tightest ruleset GW has ever made (aside from maybe Blood Bowl and 1st edition Space Hulk). Maybe it gets bloated with special rules for tournaments, but for casual play with friends, where you're just using reasonable/normal lists and not every wild option available, then it really shines. And for me, when I'm playing a game...the "game" part matters the most

[@MiniatureGameMontage]

I agree. I really enjoy it. I also think MESBG is really good as well. I just started playing that and it’s very clean. Cheers to good games!

[@seanoneill1308]

Kill team is great if you wanna play something quick and easy but necromunda is fantastic. I love the rules, minatures, scenery and customisation potential. I enjoy writing my own scenarios and rules

[@MiniatureGameMontage]

Yeah I overlooked customization potential. Necromunda is full of that for sure!

[@tbird1053]

11:48 Don’t forget in Necromunda that you can’t target prone fighters in cover (page 64) so pinned or seriously injured fighters can’t be targeted in cover. You can also choose to become prone.

[@MiniatureGameMontage]

Cheers! That’s definitely a thing I need to do more of!

[@tbird1053]

It can really change the landscape of a game.

[@onkelgroen]

Good rundown. I lean towards narrative, gritty games myself.

[@Ulfhednir9]

Both have narrative, killteam its called spec ops

[@AndyJohnson3leftturns]

I set my Necromunda in a Cyberpunk megatropolis. It’s a game that can exist in just about any world outside the 40k lore. Love the channel. Keep it up and have a great holiday!

[@MiniatureGameMontage]

Very cool! I totally dig the cyberpunk vibe as well. Bright colors and such. Very immersive!

[@nofuxgivens2797]

If you haven't before, check out the Yaktribe forums. They have a cool gang builder and personal roster archive. They also have nearly unlimited modified mission rules/scenarios. I have to search for it again but some of the stealth missions. Very detailed rules where most of the stealth part isn't affected by the more deadly gang. Initiative and LD are used for detection, distractions, hacks and traps. It really can be a whole independent game. Especially for something cyberpunk themed

[@Ulfhednir9]

Thanks for the video :) it is worth noting that Killteam has an official narrative mode called "Spec ops" which is very similar to Necromunda and is VERY fun :)

[@OmkaraHellcore]

Thank you for remembering and making this video 😬❤

[@mycatistypingthis5450]

Necromunda is a mess. Rules are spread over multiple books, and to field one gang, you have to spend as much as three Stargrave books and three crews.

[@gratuitouslurking8610]

I can agree with the mess part for supplaments but as of the house books and the main campaign stuff it's at least somewhat streamlined. Get the main rules, the House book (or side supplament with your gang rules) of choice and rock for the base campaign. Once Ash Waste started dropping though and if you're including vehicle combat, 100% agree tho, and the extra supplament rules being anywhere from online PDFs to White Dwarves doesn't help.

[@MekBoooooi]

I did a simple Google search, necromunda pdfs. There's plenty of free community combined documents

[@PaniKontrol]

Nice summary of both. I just picked up Necromunda: Ash Wastes boxset for $150. Looking forward to assembling it and trying it out. I have the Necromunda release from many years ago and bought a bunch of gangs on ebay but haven't had a chance to do a campaign or anything. I think I will need the new core rulebook, though. Also have been purchasing Kill Team boxes and kill teams. Slowly getting it all assembled and painted. My eyes are bigger than my hobby time/will (as if anyone here doesn't suffer the same fate...).

[@MiniatureGameMontage]

awesome! Yes, I'm still a Kill Team box or two off from being finished. I actually haven't bought any of the new Into the Dark stuff. Just too much for me to keep up with. One day! :D

[@PaniKontrol]

@@MiniatureGameMontage Ya, it was get Into The Dark, wait for Shadowvaults to come in stock (and again miss out on the full rulebook), or somewhat modernize my Necromunda. Given Ash Wastes was ~$250+ on release, I decided to go for it at $150 over Into The Dark (I'm not a fan of the Navy Beachers or Kroot kill teams). So maybe I will just ebay the terrain and rulebook. I was also looking at the Hive War boxset, too, but the new gang looks really cool. I already have an Escher gang and have Orlocks from the original box I got (that had Goliaths as well), so both were a 50% repeat for me. I liked the new gang more than the Delaque, but at least I get some new sculpts and the bikes for Orlocks so that tipped my decision.

[@alrethianscraftsbattles]

Both games are great. I lean more towards Necromunda, due to the interactive setting. But Kill Team is a fantastic game too. Both games take a bit of a learning curve but are not headbreaking as 40k or AoS. This was a great video, very good explanation mate ;-)

[@MiniatureGameMontage]

Thanks for watching!

[@grantmills2557]

Necromunda all the way. I played both but the narrative and the many ....many customisations are adding way more fun for me when i play the game.

[@Ulfhednir9]

Have you tried killteam spec ops (narrative)?

[@grantmills2557]

@@Ulfhednir9 I played some kt spec op teams. But the guys that play that are not much into narratives. Also I miss the randomness from necro in kt. I like to play it once in a while but necro is our weekly group which is needed for campaigns (too much gets forgotten when U only play once a month or so 😞

[@Ulfhednir9]

@@grantmills2557 that's a shame, the weekly spec ops games down here are really good and engaging. Lots of stories of heroism and eoic fails was written into the story

[@guntahnotarealname8817]

I just love the sense of growth and progression in Necromunda. Building up your gang and growing your territory feels awesome. 40k and kill team just don't scratch the same itch for me, though some of the kill team models and squads are fantastic.

[@Ulfhednir9]

Umm look into killteam spec ops. Operatives gain new skills, get injuries or die, you can build up your base as well

[@guntahnotarealname8817]

@@Ulfhednir9 Don't get me wrong, I know Kill Team has that game mode, but the game as a whole isn't built around campaigns and long term play like Necromunda is.

[@Ulfhednir9]

@@guntahnotarealname8817 I play both narrative killteam and necromunda and both are good for a long term narrative rich campaign. We main a spec ops killteam at my local club and i can tell you its good if not better than necromunda for that. The only real difference is that each team is still balanced in killteam where in necromunda a lucky team can quickly dwarf the others in the campaign. And each release seems to have more fun narrative campaign missions (ie gellowfall)

[@guntahnotarealname8817]

You're kind of proving my point by calling Killteam balanced. Because your victories and defeats strongly effect how your gang progresses, each victory feels important and you need to make decisions with an eye for efficiency and long term strategy to win. In Necromunda, it's not the lucky crew that dwarfs the others, it's the ones that's lucky AND well prepared. In contrast, because Killteam is better balanced, outcomes don't matter as much and I'm less invested in each game as a result. Like I said, Necromunda feels different, and the unbalanced nature of the game is part of what makes it feel just right for me.@@Ulfhednir9

[@Ulfhednir9]

@@guntahnotarealname8817 i think you just proved you haven't played a spec ops campaign if you think that. Please give it a go before you judge i think you would be pleasantly surprised :) You can upgrade your base (I'm something i love about SO (spec ops) and you do get stronger (unless the operative dies or gets a scar) but you can use your spec ops against people that just want to have a matched game but they get some extra cp. The way i see it the main difference is it like horus heresy (necromunda) to 40k (killteam)

[@keldon_champion]

I feel the most important difference that should help determine which game is for you is the play style. Kill team supports 1 off battles and as such has much more of a competitive and tournament scene but has the option of a campaign. Necromunda is designed from the ground up to be played as a campaign with a basically non-existent competitive scene, I'm sure someone out there plays tournaments of necromunda but you would need to go well out of your way to find it. Don't take that as me saying kill team is a sweaty meta game but it is more the default for kill team is 1 off battles and necromunda is default find a group for a campaign.

[@MiniatureGameMontage]

Right on!

[@xaoshaokno9964]

I was thinking to homebrew a melded game. Taking what makes sense from both.

[@WeOnlyEatSoup]

Haven't played Necromunda but my gaming group and I were on the fence as to which one to pick after 40k, we decided with KT as it can be used pretty well with 40k from units to terrain (codex's even have KT in them now) but I'm sure both have their merits

[@MiniatureGameMontage]

That’s a great point. And Genestealers can be used for all three! Everybody loves a genestealer I guess. 😂

[@michakoodziej5741]

Thank you so much! Both games seem being amazing!

[@MiniatureGameMontage]

Big fan of both!

[@DaThingOnTheDoorstep]

My gripe with Kill Team are that it tries to present to be a much simpler game than it really is, but like 40k, falls for the same bad habit of special rules on special rules and command points. With just the core rulebook and the compendium, it is almost what it wants to be, but if you go into the bespoke Kill Teams and Warzone books, you find the bloat. And let's not forget the silly symbol measurements that GW sells the tool for just to foist on unsuspecting innocents who wander into a GW store. I guarantee that each set of the Kill Team essentials box is sold with a mould line remover and maybe a year's subscription to White Dwarf! I enjoy how Necromunda's deeper core mechanics removes the necessity for a lot of special rules that you spring on your hapless foe. I enjoy how terrain isn't just cover, impassable, or a vantage point, but it can often be some or all of the above and also be a hazard. Your smug Van Saar lascannon sniper looks much less smug when he gets shot off his perch and thuds right next to your enemy's punchy dudes! While both games can be unfair at times, any game with Custodians and some with Space Marines leaves anyone playing Guardsmen in a pickle, but in Necromunda, your gang might be weaker because of a bad day of rolling dice, but you don't always need to _win,_ you can just settle to make the other gang hurt. Kill or maim the enemy gang's top ganger? That's a moral victory right there, who cares you voluntarily bottled out the next turn. I enjoy how you can have _that_ moment in Necromunda, how you can have _that_ guy in your gang that did something insane. I'm reminded of the finale of the previous 'munda season where the Arms Master rope-a-doped the Enforcers for most of the game _while handcuffed._ Necromunda just has more to offer to a wider range of people, from people who just want to roll dice to minmaxers to kitbashers to those who love how the game generates stories. The only other tabletop miniatures skirmish game that does the same is Mordheim.

[@MiniatureGameMontage]

Excellent comment! Totally agree with the 40k reference and the bloat with new teams, etc. I think they at least make it more manageable with limited ploys, etc. I think 40k could learn a lot from that. But you're correct with Necromunda. I remember so many moments. Crazy, incredible moments. I don't remember things like that with other games.

[@veekleek7535]

Exactly my thoughts on kill team. Rules and compendium are fun but with every model with different special rules slows the game down a lot.

[@dxpsumma383]

I play guard and regularly table Custodians and SM in regular 40k, what are you talking about?

[@DaThingOnTheDoorstep]

@@dxpsumma383 40k =/= Kill Team.

[@canuseeme17]

dude i was just wondering about this topic, the universe really hear your wishes :)

[@MiniatureGameMontage]

😁 how funny! I did it off the cuff. So many more things to list. Competitiveness, tournament expectations, etc.

[@rbleisem]

In my mind, both series, in a modelling point a view, are good. From a board point of view, together, you can get a better, multi-layered board. In gaming terms, no clue. Is it possible to combine the two systems? Like say, inside & outside?

[@gasmonkey1000]

@0:54 Honestly i can kinda see the gangs in Necromunda would be seen just about anywhere. Arch Warhammer mentioned in his video on the Athonian Tunnel Rats that gang warfare is rife on Athonia despite it being an agri-world. Hell you could have it set on space hulks, penal worlds, anywhere really where the central Imperial governor can't establish full control or has to delegate that power

[@amsfountain8792]

I have both the old Necromunda and the new one but havent played to the new. Are many differences with the old version?

[@MiniatureGameMontage]

Not sure as I never played the old. I’m just a newcomer in the grand scheme of things 😀

[@spesterwecial]

The current Necromunda edition (3rd/2017) is the first to have alternating activation, so that’s a big change to gameplay feel as was praised in this video. (With exception of its prototype predecessor, Confrontation, waaay back in the day!)

[@Aram.Ostermeier]

Check out the Yaktribe Community, they've brought the Factions of Necromunda and a Campaign System Overhaul into Shadow War Armageddon. Combines the best of both Systems and feels very 'Darktidy' to fight Underhive-Gangs with your Inquisitorial Retinue

[@dwarrenmsp]

Oh hey, you made a video on this. Thanks!

[@craigjones7343]

Kill team is best for quick tactical combat, necromunda is best for extended narrative.

[@Ulfhednir9]

Have you looked at killteam spec ops for narrative play?

[@MrMeen]

Nice comparison. I only find that Necromunda is a little harder for beginners to pick up so it can be a bit intimidating to get into it. The miniatures are also a little harder to paint to be honest too.

[@MiniatureGameMontage]

I would tend to agree. Kill team gets more overwhelming on ploys and such but at least it’s limited. Not like 40k where each faction has 20 stratagems to learn. Necromunda is definitely more crunchy on the rules

[@Caladors]

Thank you this was very useful, my wife and I are about to try out Necromunda with and old school friend of mine I was very worried about the crunchiness of it, so this was a good help and may have us playing something different but it was big help for a general over view

[@MiniatureGameMontage]

Glad I could help! Thank you for watching.

[@Octavianus08]

Been wondering about this one!

[@josephgarcia9076]

Boy im conflicted. So I picked up an unopened Necro Dark UpRising for $150 from the LGS. Ive been working on a game table and terrian for a couple weeks now and don't really have a use for all the terrain that comes in this box. I love the look of the gangs and some of the rules but I also am really attracted to the scoring system in Kill Team. I'll primarily be playing with my 14 yr old. I was even brain storming how to mix the two but that became a headache lol.

[@MiniatureGameMontage]

Daaaaammn! That's a steal! KT is much less narrative focused. Play a game with Dad and move onto something else. Necromunda can be played like that but it's much better as a growing campaign. You can use some of the Necro terrain for Into the Dark style (close quarters) Kill Team boards so that's a thought.

[@josephgarcia9076]

@@MiniatureGameMontage Do you think I could Proxie the Corpse Grinders and Palanites for the occasional KT game?

[@MiniatureGameMontage]

@@josephgarcia9076 um, I always say you do you. Kill Teams tends to use operatives that have a certain look or weapon. I’d be ok with it but I think it would be difficult to proxy without writing everything down for your opponent.

[@amsfountain8792]

I think the main difference is that Kill team is more a competitive game for tournaments while Necromunda is more for making a campaign with friends.

[@MiniatureGameMontage]

Totally! I missed that aspect bc I don’t play competitively. But kill team is by far that style of game

[@ChibiDarksai]

I used to love Kill Team, but the hyper competitive players killed it for me. My whole scene is composed of tournament goers that play multiple times a week, while I'm lucky to get two games in a month. Now the competitive players being better than me at a game I barely have time to play isn't an issue, but damn does it get old getting curb stomped repeatedly and having non-reciprical shooting and countless "gotcha" plays thrown at me each game. I show up to what's supposed to be a casual game, and my opponent decides it's tournament practice time. Game became pretty miserable for me over the past several months, and I'm praying 3rd edition retools the rules to be a little more casual friendly.

[@MiniatureGameMontage]

@@ChibiDarksai totally get that. It sucks to be in that environment when it’s the only thing you have.

[@Abp.Mars-Assembly]

You can say that about any game really. Maybe you should interview players before playing them instead of playing just anyone since your local venues dont separate players based on skill level. Likely what you will have to travel to play at venues with a bigger variety of players or just scour the internet for people nearby who play the way you like. In your scenario, the most effective and rewarding option is to put more time into playing to catch up with everyone else. Thats the horrible thing about any board game. From Yugi-Oh! to whatever. If everyone in your local area are black belts, then youre just going to have to put in the extra work and money to catch up if you want to enjoy the local community. That means more homework, more solo practice, more traveling, befriending the high skilled players to get consultation, participating in more group chat online. Sometimes people cant just crack a few beers and hang out with these games. Allot of times its just business.

[@PMMagro]

Necromunda for me has a very old GW style with roll , roll roll, roll, roll... Kill Team is more stremlined with complexity from other things (action points, team objectives and scenario ones etc). I do like the Necromudna setting better with the lowlife under the big city and campiagns. Rules-wise Warcry outhines these a lot in my book.

[@MiniatureGameMontage]

I haven't played War Cry yet. It has been on my short list. :) Also, Kill Team is a more competitive game I would say. I forgot to mention that aspect.

[@chrisrezende]

I agree! Warcry is my favorite skirmish game at the moment, mainly because it's fast and simple yet strategic and fun! It's also easier for me to teach newcomers. But Kill Team is also a great game and it comes in the 2nd place on my list.

[@havelock1982]

Great video, but I feel like the terrain aspect and availlability should have been given a little more focus. Currently Necromunda has great vaillability, which wasn't the case when Ash Wastes came out and buying a vehicle was nigh impossible for some time. This is worse with Killteam, where the stand alone release of the Seasons Box might take months and the Season box set get sold out within minutes. Terrain makes both games better, but can become a pricy hobby on its own.

[@MiniatureGameMontage]

Thanks for weighing in. Always appreciate it. Great point!

[@dysonraf]

Not sure how old your son is but my daughter is 10 and really enjoys the likes of pokemon TCG (she's very good at it!) And heroquest. She looks interested in both necromunda and kill team and I have starters for both. Which of the two do you find is easier and more fun for kids to start playing? She's never played proper tabletop games so I think it's time to blood her in the hope I get a permanent live in gaming partner 😅😂😂

[@MiniatureGameMontage]

😂 I totally understand that! We started with Necromunda but used paw patrol figures he was so young. I would say Kill Team using compendium teams would be the easiest to understand. If you play basic Necromunda (basic weapons) I don’t think it’s difficult. Just set up a few fighters per side to get their feet wet! 🙂 best of luck!

[@dysonraf]

@Miniature Game Montage why didn't i think of that haha. Thanks I'll give it a go 👍

[@ajtame]

I wish they would make a variant of kill team with XP that was on par with Necromunda

[@MiniatureGameMontage]

You and me both! You can tell KT has a competitive engine though. It's just built to be played competitively.

[@johntailby74]

If you want a game where the post battle sequence takes longer than the game, then Necromunda is for you. If you want one off skirmish pick up games then Kill Team is your thing. After years of trying I still can’t figure out the campaign system for Necromunda. Because I want a game I can complete in a couple of hours and has a campaign system with consequences, I play Stargrave. Currently we are doing one set in the 40k universe. Everyone gets to use their 40k models.

[@attiladukai2121]

I'm a big Adeptus Titanicus fan and alternatig activation (or as we say unit activation) is one of the top 3 reasons for it. Army activation is just a joke... you can destroy your opponents main units or 1/3 of his army in turn 1 shoothing phase... I mean seriously...

[@MiniatureGameMontage]

@@attiladukai2121 I feel similar. Flames of War is ok as that style of game bc there’s a penalty to range, movement and all units count as in cover at the start of the game. Makes hitting on the opening turn very difficult. I don’t find games like 40K fun with alpha strike tactics

[@jeffprentiss5064]

Necromunda reminds me of 40k 2nd edition, with Kill Team being like 3rd.

[@kikolokopo_toys]

Problem with necromunda is that some minis are finecast

[@MiniatureGameMontage]

Forgeworld but I see your point. 🙂

[@timeguy441]

you should try playing 40k apocalypse rules meant for 3,000 plus point games except the game is designed with power levels. Great thing about this rule set is that its been streamlined to accommodate for the large armies which translates fairly well for a fast paced skirmish game or 2000 point game. Every thing you will need for a small game comes in the apocalypse box set plus the data sheets are all online for free on the warhammer website. unfortunately games workshop stop supporting this game so any new units after 2019 will not be in the data sheets.

[@MiniatureGameMontage]

Interesting! Might have to look into that.

[@blairbrendasmith7798]

I would say if you’re more of a casual player with not as much time to play games I’d say killteam. If you have a constant group of people and can meet up on a regular schedule and have more free time to play games Necromunda all the way

[@MiniatureGameMontage]

Fair point! I would agree.

[@afiblacksails23]

The short answer of Necromunda or Kill Team is both. You will like them both just play them both and well you’re at it pick up Blood Bowl and track down the core rules for Mordheim… you will not be disappointed in these choices. Also I feel during the concealment section you forgot to mention that in Necromunda you can voluntarily go prone to hide behind cover by pinning your ganger

[@MiniatureGameMontage]

Right! That’s something I always forget to do! 😂

[@wellywoodwargaming]

Necromunda is the best thing gw have ever produced hands down. Kill team feels far too simple and soulless for me. I've played a few games in the past and just didn't enjoy it as much as I wanted to. Necromunda, Mordheim and Blood Bowl are the only gw games I've loved through the years

[@DaThingOnTheDoorstep]

+1 for Blood Bowl. It's an amazing game!

[@wellywoodwargaming]

@@DaThingOnTheDoorstep I've probably played the most blood bowl out of anything but for some reason finding it hard to like the latest version

[@powellhall9794]

😎👍😊

[@dsanchez23fight]

Necromunda alllllll day.

[@wesszmaglik4697]

Kill Team for gameplay by far. Necromunda for setting.

[@benjaminwalker5750]

And the answer is: Infinity.

[@MiniatureGameMontage]

😂

[@siwoc]

DEADZONE bt MANTIC GAMES is my preferred one

[@MiniatureGameMontage]

I don't mind some Mantic Games. I have 3 Kings of War armies. :) Used to play a lot!

[@Redtecho]

Necromunda E Z.

[@PenneyBack]

It's OK to be wrong I suppose

[@Redtecho]

@@PenneyBack Yes, those Kill team people don't realize how bare bones thier skirmish game is compared to Necromunda.

[@-khargoth2442]

Yes. You are right. ^^ It was even easier with the first edition of Kill Team...was just shit in my opinion...Second Edition at least can be fun and is better for a quick game. But Necromunda is by far the best system from GW I know actually...Yes they could stop spreading the rules over numerous books...but except from that and the need for some little House Rulings by far the most fun game.

[@ilmozzo]

Grimdark Future Firefight is better than both

[@gridash645]

This so much.

[@dexterello]

It's simple, don't play the current Kill Team. As you can see I did it faster than the author of the video. In addition, there are rumors that GW will release a new edition of KT this year, and support for the current Necromunda will not stop.

[@MiniatureGameMontage]

Play what you want. Video over 🤣

[@TheFirstRoyale]

kill team is not a lunch break game

[@MiniatureGameMontage]

Kill Team was originally seen as a one hour game, hence my reference.

[@TheFirstRoyale]

@@MiniatureGameMontage All good. 1st ed you could play on a break, second ed you need 2-3 hours.

[@shinankoku2]

The best one is Corvus Belli’s Infinity.

[@MiniatureGameMontage]

Wish I had the balls to try it!

[@chrisrezende]

Me and my group went all the way KT (v1), then Infinity, then back to KT (v2). Inifity is fine, but imho Kill Team 2nd Edition absolutely destroys Infinity in every possible way.

[@Tom_Quixote]

Sounds like Necromunda is for grown ups, and Kill Team is for kids.

[@MiniatureGameMontage]

I play both and I’m an old man 🤣

[@SebbStrife]

There’s only one answer to this and it’s not Killteam 😂

[@supervike1]

Buy both. Problem solved.

[@elijahherstal776]

Necromunda is a far better game that people will always get more out of. Kill-Team is for people who are tired of big 40k but can't let go.

[@kraziel]

None of them. Warcry is much better.

[@MiniatureGameMontage]

😂 I’ve never played it so can’t argue