Kill Team Hivestorm Review

So, I finally got my hands on Kill Team: Hivestorm. This new edition pits the nimble Vespid Stingwings against the heavily armed Tempestus Aquilons. It’s got all the bells and whistles you’d expect from Games Workshop, Let’s break it down.

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Kill Team Hivestorm Review Summary

First off, the two factions in this box look very different from one another. The Vespid Stingwings are fast and deadly, using their flying ability to zip across the board and wreak havoc. They are rather limited in their assembly and whilst there are some options here. Most differences are the opportunity for head swaps

On the other hand, the Tempestus Aquilons are your classic Imperial hard-hitters. They’re rugged, have lots of equipment options, intended to pack a serious punch in combat. They do have more detailed kits, which could make them a bit of a challenge for beginner painters, but for seasoned hobbyists, these are definitely a joy to build. But yeah, if you’re new to the game or the hobby, assembling these could take some time.

Kill Team Hivestorm Review – Unboxing

When I cracked open the box, the first thing that hit me, after the sheer weight! was how neatly everything was packed. It’s not a surprise, but still, it’s nice when a box feels like you’re getting what you paid for. You get your sprues, rulebooks, dice, and all the usual stuff you’d expect. But what really stood out to was the volume of the terrain included. There’s a lot of it—perfect for a singular dense urban battle zone.

And, honestly, while I love the Vespid Stingwings’ organic look, I was a little let down by the lack of variation. Don’t get me wrong—the models look great, but there aren’t many customization options, especially compared to the Aquilons, who offer just a little more flexibility in how you kit them out. If you’re the type who loves creating unique operatives, the Vespid might leave you wanting more.

Kill Team Hivestorm Review – Contents

So, what do you actually get in the box? Aside from the two kill teams?, AA good chunk of terrain, dice, the rulebooks, and some handy tokens. The terrain is probably one of the best parts of the set, though I have a personal preference for more modular kits with a wider variety of build options.

The 2 large buildings along with accessor rubble, is enough to provide the impression of up to 4 separate structures. and it may be fun to play, but just feels a little more 40k battlefield than Kill-Team Battlezone.

While the terrain looks awesome, and it really does look awesome, it’s not modular in the way some previous kits have. You’re a bit locked into the specific layout they suggest, which might limit how creative you can get if you’re used to mixing it up with other terrain sets.

The miniatures are also high quality, but again, I think it’s worth mentioning that if you’re new to building miniatures, the Tempestus Aquilons might be tricky.

The 2 sided carboard playmat is welcome, we have seen some cheap options from GW on some games lately with paper playmats, this is certainly one to cherish and take care of.

Kill Team Hivestorm Review – Sprues

Speaking of sprues, the ones in this box are exactly what you’d expect from Games Workshop: detailed and solid. The Vespid Stingwings are super dynamic, with their flying poses and sleek, insectoid forms. These are going to be a dream for anyone who likes quick and simple paint jobs because their organic shapes will take well to Contrast Paints and modern Drybrushing techniques.

The vespid have an initial 5 models which have different loadout options, the remaining 5 are fixed models. whilst you can swap the heads the heads appeat to be affixed specific to each unit. as I was building them one at a time, i didn’t want to risk going in a differnt order and mixing the parts up when trying to find out if they are interchangeable.

Finding the parts on the sprues is a bit messy but generally works out as sprue 1 is the bodies, Sprue 2 is for the weapons and sprue 3 for the heads and wings. so long as you mostly follow that order, parts are easy t find.

The Tempestus Aquilons, on the other hand, have a few more options but are a bit more fiddly to build. The parts fit well, but there’s just so much more going on with all the armor plates, pouches, and gadgets they’re covered in, this is leaning more towards Necromunda models than an accessible starter set. Building these is not impossible by any means, but if you’re in a rush to get them on the table, expect to spend a good amount of time building and painting these guys.

Like the Vespid the first 5 models have loadout options with the remaining 5 are fixed. The leader however has 4 different loadout options. All the heads and backpacks are interchangeable and beyond the initial command unit, the guide doesn’t even make suggestions of who has what face.

AS you’ll see from the sprue above that many parts are left in plain grey, and all of these components can be installed in any way you like, or in the case of grenades ropes and knives, could be completely left off if you wish.

Most parts are easy to find as the complete models have their components together, with heads and other accessories held seperately.

Kill Team Hivestorm Review – Price & Savings

So, let’s talk price. At £145 ($230 USD), this box isn’t cheap. But is it worth it? When you break it down, the individual components add up. If you were to buy everything separately, it’d cost you closer to £245 ($325 USD), so there’s a decent amount of savings here. Here’s a rough breakdown:

ItemGBPUSDCADEURAUD
Vespid Stingwings Kill Team*£45$70$90€65$100
Tempestus Aquilons Kill Team*£45$70$90€65$100
Killzone Volkus terrain + board**£75$125$155€110$180
Core Rulebook & Operations Cards£57.50$60$75€50$70
Total£22.50$325$410€290$450
* Estimated based on average Kill team Prices
** Based on Gallowdark Terrain

So yeah, you’re getting a deal if you’re planning on using all the content. But if you’re not particularly interested in both kill teams or don’t need the terrain, it might feel like you’re spending a lot for stuff you won’t use.

It’s also worth noting that I haven’t included the prices of each factions Operations cards which can run at £19 a deck! nor the Hivestorm scenario booklet, but that’s kind of the Exclusive to this set showpieces. All of the Kill Team prices got a hike this time around because they’ve been repacked for Kill-Team 3.0 and now include pushout cardboard tokens.. Does that warrant the increase? that’s a personal decision, but there’s one thing for certain, complaining about it won’t make GW remove them and drop the price. this is how it is now. and for those of us just after the models rather than the game. It is less of a draw to pick up a box now you’re being charged for things you won’t need.

Kill Team Hivestorm Review – Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, Kill Team: Hivestorm is a great set of models with some caveats. The miniatures are fun and well-sculpted, and the terrain is fantastic, but the Vespid Stingwings can feel a bit limited in customization, and the Aquilons, while detailed, may be a bit complex for beginners.

If you’re into narrative-driven campaigns and you love the idea of fast-paced, tactical skirmishes, this set is definitely worth considering. Just be prepared for a bit of a learning curve, especially with the new mechanics for the Vespid, and the intricate builds for the Aquilons.

All in all, it’s a value if you’re looking for an all-in-one experience, but it’s definitely worth weighing whether both kill teams and the terrain will get use in your games before jumping in.

Please Note: This site uses affiliate links. Our Affiliate Partners are shown below
(Affiliate links will result in compensation to the site on qualifying purchases)

Click this link & buy your hobby stuff from Element Games for the UK & Europe to support FauxHammer.com – Use Code “FAUX2768” at the checkout for double reward points.

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Author

  • FauxHammer

    Self-appointed Editor in chief of FauxHammer.com - But I need to thank the team for existing and therefore enabling me to give myself role - without them, I'm just a nerd with a computer and a plastic addiction.

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FauxHammer

Self-appointed Editor in chief of FauxHammer.com - But I need to thank the team for existing and therefore enabling me to give myself role - without them, I'm just a nerd with a computer and a plastic addiction.

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