Critical Ops 2022

To play a matched play game, each player must have a matched roster as described in the Kill Team Core Book. A matched play game is then completed by following the sequence below:

1. Determine Mission and Map

Determine the mission and map. Here you will find a variety of methods to do this:

Specify beforehand which combination of mission and map will be used e.g. Loot+Strait (A4) or Secure+Junction (B7), etc. If a series of games are being played (e.g. at a tournament), each round can be specified beforehand. Alternatively, each subsequent round can be determined by the organiser beforehand, but only revealed after the previous round has been completed.

Shuffle the mission cards and map cards separately, then deal one of each to randomly determine the mission and map.

The players roll off to decide Attacker and Defender first. The Attacker takes the mission cards and the Defender takes the map cards.

The Attacker chooses two mission cards to put forward. The Defender selects one of them to use.

The Defender chooses three map cards to put forward. The Attacker selects one of them to be discarded. The Defender selects one of the remaining cards to use.

The Defender selects their drop zone after setting up the objective markers and killzone as normal.

If the players are playing a series of games against each other, the winner of the previous game selects one of the mission cards that was not used in the previous battle.

They then select one of the map types (i.e. 1-3, 4-6 or 7-9) that was not used in the previous battle, and the loser selects one of the map cards from that type.

Each player collects 10 tokens they will use to bid on the following categories:

• Mission
• Map
• Attacker and Defender (instead of rolling off)
• First initiative (instead of selections in the Scouting step)

Working through each category, each player will secretly put any of their tokens into their hand as their bid (or zero if they wish), then reveal their bid simultaneously. The player that bids the most will decide that category from all available options. If it’s a draw, that bid is cancelled and the players bid again, unless they both bid zero, in which case the players roll off to determine that category. Once the category is resolved, both players discard their bid tokens.

For example, in the map category, if one player bids 2 tokens and another bids 4, the latter would decide which map card to use. Both players would discard those tokens, then repeat this process for determining who decides Attacker and Defender.

2. Set Up Objective Markers and Killzone

Set up objective markers in the locations specified by the map card.

Determine the killzone and set up its terrain features, ensuring the traits of each terrain feature and its parts are specified.

3. Determine Attacker and Defender

The players roll off and the winner decides Attacker and Defender. The Defender selects one of the drop zones as theirs; the Attacker has the other.

4. Select a Kill Team

Each player selects operatives from their matched roster to fulfil their faction’s kill team requirements, then reveals their selections to their opponent. Each player adds 3CP to their pool.

5. Select Tac Ops

Each player secretly selects three Tac Ops. They can select up to one of their faction Tac Ops; all of their remaining Tac Ops must be selected from one of their archetypes. Players only reveal each Tac Op when it specifies, and they do not have to reveal which archetype they are using until they reveal one of its Tac Ops.

Here you will find alternative methods you can use to determine Tac Ops:

Each player shuffles a deck of 27 Tac Ops cards (all archetypes and their faction Tac Ops). They draw two cards from their deck, select one and discard the other. They repeat this process until three Tac Ops cards have been selected.

Each player builds a deck of 6 Tac Ops cards, then shuffles it. Up to 3 can be their faction’s Tac Ops; the remaining must be selected from one of their faction’s archetypes. They draw two cards from their deck, select one and discard the other. They repeat this process until three Tac Ops cards have been selected.

Each player selects any 3 Tac Ops from their deck of 27.

The players use one deck of 27 Tac Ops. They shuffle the deck and deal out 6 in a row. The Attacker selects one Tac Op from the row, then adds a random Tac Op from the deck to the row. The Defender then does the same. The players repeat this process until they have 3 Tac Ops each. With this method, Tac Ops aren’t secret.

Each player collects 10 tokens they will use to bid on archetype and Tac Ops. They will first bid on the archetype, with the winner deciding which one archetype both players will use for the battle. Thereafter, the players randomly pair Tac Ops from that archetype and bid for each pair. The winner of each bid selects one Tac Op from the pair and the loser has the other. With this method, Tac Ops aren’t secret.

To bid, each player will secretly put any of their tokens into their hand as their bid (or zero if they wish), then reveal their bid simultaneously. The player that bids the most wins. If it’s a draw, that bid is cancelled and the players bid again, unless they both bid zero, in which case the players roll off to determine who wins. Once the bid is resolved, both players discard their bid tokens.

6. Select Equipment

Each player selects up to 10 points worth of their faction’s equipment for the battle, assigns it to their operatives as specified, then reveals it to their opponent.

7. Set Up Barricades

Starting with the Defender, players alternate setting up barricades one at a time until they’ve set up two each. Each time a player sets up a barricade, it must be within of their drop zone, more than from all other barricades and not on a terrain feature (unless it has the Insignificant trait).

8. Set Up Operatives

Each player separates their operatives as numerically evenly as possible into three groups. If a player wants to use any rules (if they have any) to set up operatives in a location alternative to their drop zone, they must declare them now, including the relevant operatives for this.

Starting with the Defender, each player alternates setting up their operatives one group at a time. When a player sets up an operative, it must be wholly within their drop zone and must be given an Engage or Conceal order.

9. Scouting

Each player secretly selects one of the pre-game scouting options, either by using the scouting cards provided or by placing a number of dice in their hand to match their selection. Once both players have selected, they reveal their selection simultaneously. They then resolve their selection starting with the Attacker. The scouting options are below, and their effects are specified on the scouting cards.

11. End the Battle

The battle ends after four Turning Points have been completed. If one player has no operatives remaining in the killzone, the other player continues to play out each remaining Turning Point until the battle ends.

At the end of the battle, the player with the most victory points is the winner of the game. If players are tied, the game is a draw.

• Each player can score a maximum of 4 victory points from the mission objective each Turning Point, however each player cannot score more than 16 victory points in total from the mission objective during the battle.
• Each player can score a maximum of 2 victory points from each Tac Op. Therefore a player’s Tac Ops are worth 6 victory points in total.
• If every operative on a player’s matched roster is painted to a Battle Ready standard, that player scores 2 victory points.
• In total, each player can score a maximum of 24 victory points from the game.

In addition, for the Secure Centre Line Tac Op, walls over the centre line block that part of the centre line. However an operative is on the centre line if their base is touching an open access point that’s over the centre line (the operative is still wholly within the relevant territory).

Finally, your barricades must be set up within your territory, and more than from access points and all other barricades.

For the pack’s Tac Ops, the following changes are in effect:

• Plant Transponder (Recon): When determining if an operative is more than from terrain features to perform this action, ignore gantries underneath it, and the ferratonic furnace if it’s on that terrain feature’s roof.
• Secure Vantage (Recon): At least half of the Vantage Point you control must be within your opponent’s territory.
• Secure Centre Line (Security): Operatives can be on a Vantage Point.
• Central Control (Security): Replaced with Ferratonic Furnace Control. You can use the Central Control card as a proxy if you wish (i.e. so it matches the other Tac Ops cards to keep your selections secret), but use the rules for Ferratonic Furnace Control instead.

This is the mission generator, and it is intended to replace the Critical Operations card pack. Press the ‘Generate Mission’ button to pick up the mission and map as specified by the RANDOM method (see Determine Mission and Map). Use ‘Mission’ and ‘Map’ dropdown lists if you prefer other methods. Check ‘Close Quarters’ checkbox if you want to switch to Close Quarters map set and hide Tac Ops not allowed.

Press ‘Select’ button ( ) to add Tac Op to your Selected Tac Ops list. ‘Remove’ button ( ) used to remove Tac Op from the list. Note that generator limits only the maximum number of Tac Ops allowed (three) - Select Tac Ops rule omitted so you are free to pick any Tac Ops.

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