The Quick & Dirty: The Battleclade are one of the strangest kill teams Games Workshop has ever released. On paper they look like a wall of lobotomised servitors led by a Technoarchaeologist and Underseer, but on the table they function as a reactive, punishing gunline that abuses Noospheric Network to chain free actions. They can feel oppressive when played well, with multiple “marine equivalent” activations pouring out ceaseless, saturated, accurate fire. At the same time they are slow, limited by awkward archetypes, and collapse when rushed down by fast melee teams. Battleclade are polarising: devastating against elites, frustrating against hordes, and challenging to pilot at high levels.
Faction Identity
Battleclade are not an aggressive team. They are reactive and reward careful positioning. Their defining mechanic, Noospheric Network, lets them shift APL from one servitor to another and chain free actions. That means they can punish overextension brutally: one gun fires, another follows up immediately, and then the first still gets to act later. This flexibility makes them feel like a mini Astartes team with ceaseless bolter fire and surprise combos. The downside is obvious. They move 5, they are mostly 2 APL, and their melee is mediocre. They rely on overlapping buffs and network counteracts to reach marine like output. When the chain is broken or they are swarmed, their weaknesses show.
Faction Ability: Noospheric Network
Whenever a servitor activates, you can subtract one APL to trigger a Network Counteract. Another servitor within range performs a free 1 AP action that cannot be a move. This does not expend their activation, so they will still act later. The catch is that a model can only do this once per Turning Point, and it requires at least 2 APL to function.
It sounds fiddly, but in practice it is simple and strong. Shoot with one servitor, spend an APL, and immediately have another flip to Engage and shoot. Loot with one model, counteract, and another loots as well. Plant a beacon, counteract, and plant another. The ceiling is high, but the floor is low: if you mismanage your action economy or let key pieces die, the network sputters. Once you get it, though, the team flows like a machine: brutal volleys, overlapping buffs, and mission actions at twice the speed of other teams.
Operatives
Technoarchaeologist (Leader)
The brains of the team. A 3APL, 3+ save, 9 wound operative with an Eradication Pistol that is basically a pocket krak grenade with devastating profiles. Its melee is forgettable, but you are not here for combat. The big draw is Seeker of Divine Arcana, a strategic gambit that lets him immediately change orders or perform an extra action (fall back, reposition, plant, pick up, or omniscan). Omniscanner is absurd: tagging enemy operatives with a token that grants all Battleclade shooting Ceaseless against them, permanently. You can do this twice a turn: once in the Strategy phase and again in your activation. Permanent Ceaseless on multiple targets plus network counteracts makes this leader the MVP of the roster.
Underseer
The tempo piece. Also 3APL and durable, with mediocre melee and a decent pistol. Its job is to fuel the network. Noospheric Spur hands out free Dashes, and Network Override lets a servitor counteract for free during its activation. This makes the Underseer effectively a comms plus buff hybrid, turning your servitors into 4APL engines with shocking tempo. Avoid melee, keep it safe, and abuse the extra activations.
Breacher Servitor
Your melee piece. It can punch through walls with Breach to set up charges and line of sight. Its Lascutter is a melta adjacent profile: short ranged but devastating with Pierce 2 and Lethal 5+. The issue is delivery. On a 5” move and with such short range, it struggles to get into position. When it does connect, especially with omniscan buffs, it deletes targets.
Technomedic Servitor
One of the best medics in Kill Team. Mechano Suture Array can prevent a friendly servitor from dying, returning it to play with 1 wound and an immediate Dash without an APL penalty. Expedient Repair heals D3+3 wounds, more efficient than most medic abilities. Babysit your gun servitors with this piece. Its melee is negligible, but it is essential to keep your wall of firepower online.
Auto Proxy Servitor
An aura bot with a taser goad for self defense. Its real value is Achillan Eye, which gives Saturate to friendly weapons if the target is visible, and Gaze of the Omnissiah, which strips Obscured and grants Seek Light. This combos beautifully with omniscan tokens and ceaseless fire, making targets melt under overlapping buffs. It is fragile, but positioned well it makes the whole team deadlier.
Combat Servitors
Your required core. You must take three, with access to melta, flamer (incendine igniter), and phosphor blaster. The melta is the delete button, always worth one slot. The flamer is capped at three for good reason: torrent plus lethal on 2+ makes it terrifying in Gallowdark and Volkus strongholds. The phosphor blaster gives you infinite range and chip damage. These are your flexible workhorses, but remember they are still only 4+ save, 8 wounds, and hit on 4s without buffs. They shine when buffed, and fold when left unsupported.
Gun Servitors
The heavy weapons platforms. At 11 wounds with 4+ saves, they are chunky, and their weapons are brutal. The Heavy Arc Rifle is 5 shots, 4/6, with Pierce 1 and Stun. The Heavy Bolter offers focused or sweeping fire, with torrent on Gallowdark making crits reliable. These are your primary damage dealers. With omniscan and Auto Proxy support, they can shred elites in a single activation. Keep them safe, as they are slow and dash only with heavy weapons.
Strategic Ploys
Noospheric Possession
Gives Accurate 1 to servitors within 6” of the Underseer or Auto Proxy. Excellent reliability buff, turning 4+ hit rolls into something consistent. Near auto take.
Duty of Reclamation
Lets you use a Command Re roll for 0CP if contesting objectives or mission markers. Very strong for Plant Beacons and mission play. Situational, but invaluable when needed.
Incantation of the Iron Soul
Gives the team a 5+ shrug against damage 3+. Simple and powerful. Worth using any turn you expect a brawl.
Prioritised Acquisition
Designates an objective marker: Battleclade operatives contesting it count as +1APL for control, and gain +1 attack in melee up to 4. A sneaky tool that swings key objectives. Rarely wins on its own, but great for stacking pressure.
Firefight Ploys
System Exorcism
Removes a rules effect or debuff (stun, poison, etc.) from an operative. Hugely powerful, especially against Raveners or other status heavy teams.
Remote Access
Lets the Technoarchaeologist perform mission actions or open hatchways within 4” even if not in control. This is a game changer in ITD, letting you open doors and shoot without exposing yourself.
Auto Ferric Supplication
Allows your leader to ignore Pierce on an incoming attack sequence. Situational, but clutch when enemy plasma or melta is pointed at him.
Servile Surrogacy
Classic “Get Down, Mr. President.” A servitor bodyguards the Technoarchaeologist by intercepting shots. Essential for keeping your leader alive.
Equipment
Covert Guises
Turn 1 reposition for D3 operatives. Great for early board presence, pairs well with omniscan plays.
Electromagnetic Capacitors
Adds Shock to melee weapons and Severe when retaliating. A strong deterrent to melee teams, making even basic servitors dangerous to charge.
Concealed Apparatus
Allows you to swap servitors’ positions in TP2. The restrictions are heavy, but when it works it creates shell game tricks that can swing games. Niche but fun.
Neurocyclic Reserve Cells
D3 times per game, transfer power without losing APL, but cannot fight or shoot. Great for mission actions, less so in combat heavy games. Usually worth taking.
Tac Ops and Mission Play
Battleclade have Recon and Infiltration. Infiltration remains one of the weakest archetypes, so Recon is your bread and butter. Plant Beacons is practically auto pick, and Battleclade may be the best team in the game at scoring it thanks to chaining mission actions. Confirm Kill is also very achievable given your ability to focus fire. The weakness is mobility: 5” move and no innate comms mean you struggle to reposition aggressively. They are better on Gallowdark where their firepower dominates narrow corridors.
Matchups and Counters
Elites hate Battleclade. Marines and Custodes melt under overlapping omniscan buffs, ceaseless, and heavy weapons. Hordes struggle against torrents and sheer volume of dice. The real danger comes from fast melee specialists and highly mobile teams. Harlequins, Striking Scorpions, or even Raveners can rush you down and exploit your slow movement. Against those teams, you must bunker up, protect your guns with the medic, and punish mistakes.
Hobby Notes
The models are striking. Grotesque servitors that feel more like tech thralls from the Horus Heresy than robotic drones. The Auto Proxy in particular has a wonderfully weird aesthetic. They paint quickly thanks to large surfaces, but reward detail with weathering and mechanical textures.
Final Thoughts
Battleclade are polarising. For newer players, their tricks will feel overwhelming and oppressive: free actions, permanent ceaseless, endless chains of fire. For veterans, their weaknesses are clearer: slow, reactive, and hampered by bad archetypes. They excel at punishing elites and bullying mid tier teams, but crumble against high mobility and melee swarms. On Gallowdark they are excellent, in open boards they are more fragile.
Overall, they are one of the most unique teams Kill Team has produced. They are fun, thematic, and highly rewarding if you enjoy careful planning and reactive play. If you want a kill team that feels like a wall of guns supported by creepy servitors, the Battleclade are an excellent choice. Just be ready for the learning curve.
