As soon as Kill Team: Exodite was announced, folks went nuts for its dinosaur riders. And you know what? That's fair. Space elves on the back of dragon-esque velociraptors is one hell of a sales pitch. However, this hides the most appealing thing about the box set.
Aeldari cavalry are all good and well, but the real gem is what they're sitting on – a kickass singleplayer or co-op campaign. This is far more in-depth than I'd expected, and while it's not going to dethrone Warhammer Quest: Darkwater, Kill Team: Exodite feels more like the best board games than I'd anticipated.
If you haven't been keeping up with the grimdark future, this is the latest installment for Warhammer 40K's smaller, leaner spinoff that brings back the eponymous Exodites – isolationist Aeldari who fled to "maiden worlds" before the collapse of their civilization. These guys are famous for riding dinosaurs (or "dragons," as they call them) into battle, so you're getting three here alongside a couple of what I like to think of as emotional support dinos. This Kill Team is being pitted against the Beast Snagga Boyz – Orks that love the thrill of the hunt.
If the last few Kill Team sets are anything to go by, I expect Exodite to sell out fast. While it's obviously worth heading straight to the Warhammer store for pre-orders, don't forget to check out indie retailers like Miniature Market in the US and Wayland Games in the UK. They traditionally provide a 10-15% discount on new Warhammer products.
As you might expect, this puts the two on a collision course. The Orks are keen to hunt those maiden worlds for their wildlife, while the Exodite Dragon Masters are honor-bound to protect those same planets. There's no chance of a peaceful solution here, so players must saddle up as dino-knights to see off the Orkish invaders across a sprawling campaign of missions. These greenskins are controlled by a clever matrix of behaviours, meaning you don't need anyone to control them.
Much like Armageddon, the launch box for Warhammer 40K's latest edition, Kill Team: Exodite does a great job of making you feel as though the weight of an entire world rests on your shoulders. A lot of time is spent building up the lore of the maiden world that the Orks have invaded, and the campaign itself features branching paths based on the approach you want to take or your success. This really puts you in the driver's seat and makes you feel in charge of this story.
However, unlike the previous box set, Kill Team: Terror on Devlan, your characters earn upgrades as they progress. This only helps enrich that sense of ownership.
Is it odd that Kill Team has focused on two singleplayer/co-op campaigns rather than its traditional competitive match-type? Yeah, a bit – and I'm now eager to see what the next 'season' holds, because we're due a head-to-head box set with a new Kill Zone to fight over. (I can't believe it's already been a year since we last got that with Kill Team: Tomb World.) But I shouldn't complain, because this fits a niche that 40K didn't really have – a legitimate singleplayer mode. We don't all have regular gaming groups or friends who like to play, after all, so this is a great way of getting matches in solo.
Plus, you do get some awesome dragon-riding space elves. So there's always that, if nothing else.
Looking for other recommendations? Don't miss our guide to the best tabletop RPGs. As for more Warhammer, the Ogor Mawtribes have won me over with how gross their mechanics are.
