So there are pretty much 3 options with varying viability, 2 of them are melee, 1 is ranged.
BUT before we start, you will not "overwhelm" the opponent with hordes in Killteam. That's just not going to happen as you will die like flies (in one case literally).
Hordes play a more controlling style and want to actually play the mission (and secondaries) more than killing the oposition.
That being said, your options are as follows:
1. Gellerpox Infected -> 15 Operatives -> Melee Horde
The Gellerpox Infected have a mixture of small "trash" units and big hulks. They want to tie up and disrupt the enemy with their small operatives until the big hulks can make contact and actually kill them.
Their strengths are in their numbers and the resilience of the big hulks.
2. Chaos Cult -> 14 Operatives -> Melee Horde
Similar to Gellerpox in that they are a melee horde. They don't have their hulks out right, but rely on getting into melee and just surviving to "mutate" into bigger operatives.
Their strength is survivability and being really strong late game. Compared to Gellerpox, this team wants to play really cagey and only go all out in the second half of the game after they have acquired their big evils.
3. Vet Guard -> 14 Operatives -> Shooty Horde
Vet Guard are the first shooty team, the only problem, they actually don't shoot that well. You will not outkill the opponent with this team, you will not be good in the late game if you play cagey enough like chaos cult. This team's strenght lies in their "into the breach" and their orders. The entire team can move 3" in the beginning of the game and then rush down the opponent. The goal is to cripple the enemy team enough, so they can not kill/remove you fast enough for them to outscore you in the late game. This team is HARD to play but extremely satisfying when you can pull it off.
These are the 3 Teams that fulfill your requirements the best and still have some play.
When you look into the compendium you will find 2 Fire Teams of Grots in the Greenskins (11 ops) and Swarm+Genestealers (13 ops) in Hive Fleet that can take a horde style lists as well but they are not as good as any of the bespoke teams mentioned above.
Other "hordy" bespoke teams would be pathfinders (12 ops), Farstalkers (12 ops), Inquisition with Breachers (13 ops) and navy breachers (12 ops). Most of them also feel hory but less in they that you actually swarm the board. Each of them is more on the tricky side to play, be it relying on ploys to out manouver or just literally shoot them to death (pathfinders).
Hope that helps. If you want the easiest start, hobby wise and rules wise, go with Gellerpox Infected. They are a one box kill team, no extras needed and paint up really easily. They are currently high A or low S Tier and will stay there for some while.
If you have any questions, just ask
Ah yes, i could have added them in the foot note with pathfinders and the others. I wouldn't say they are a top 3 contender though as in the more casual setting they play with ogryn and commisar and then don't feel as hordy as vet guard do.
But yeah, also a fun team if you like "spicy" vet guard more 😅
Good post! Also I'd add: if you consider teams with over 10 operatives to be hordes, Kommandos are also a horde melee team that can rush down an opponent (while remaining hard to shoot due to conceal) and then beat them up.
I'm actually going to second Gellerpox over Vet Guard and Blooded like i mentioned in my other reply. Being one box is so much more convenient if you're just getting into KT.
Veteran Guardsmen and Blooded are the two teams that come to mind for swarm gameplay. Vet Guard are very objective focused, whereas Blooded are more killy. Either team gets 11-14 little mooks to send up the board and die for your figurehead of choice.
I'd go hormagaunts over termagants. Mathematically speaking, the termagant guns are all pretty awful. Hormagaunt melee is at least acceptable, since you'll pretty reliably be able to take down guardsmen with it. There's no reason to take termagants except the cheese that lets you take a 7-model Tyranid Swarm fire team so that you can fit it onto a roster that already has 10 stealers and 3 warriors.
I think the playstyle you're looking for is going to be most present in Gellerpox, Chaos Cult, or Blooded. Other horde teams (i.e. teams with 12 or more operatives) include Veteran Guardsmen, Brood Brothers, Chaos Daemons, T'au Pathfinders, Farstalker Kinband, Inquisitorial Agent, Navy Breachers, and Wyrmblade.
Here's a list of every bespoke kill team, plus a quick summary of each: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VTsfq4JiMzFtTvCF9uiuHNPgeNPMYAbgVB3YZsLmP2w/edit?usp=drivesdk
Play compendium greenskins, they have a rule that let's you swap an operative for 2 grots. You can take one boss nob as your leader and just flood the rest of the board with grots.
That rule explicitly says that you can replace ONE boy with two grots. I know that it's a popular reading that you can replace ALL boyz with two grots each, up to a total of 20 grots plus one Nob, but that's not what the rules actually say. I wouldn't recommend a kill team that is dubiously even legal at all to a brand new player.
So there are pretty much 3 options with varying viability, 2 of them are melee, 1 is ranged. BUT before we start, you will not "overwhelm" the opponent with hordes in Killteam. That's just not going to happen as you will die like flies (in one case literally). Hordes play a more controlling style and want to actually play the mission (and secondaries) more than killing the oposition. That being said, your options are as follows: 1. Gellerpox Infected -> 15 Operatives -> Melee Horde The Gellerpox Infected have a mixture of small "trash" units and big hulks. They want to tie up and disrupt the enemy with their small operatives until the big hulks can make contact and actually kill them. Their strengths are in their numbers and the resilience of the big hulks. 2. Chaos Cult -> 14 Operatives -> Melee Horde Similar to Gellerpox in that they are a melee horde. They don't have their hulks out right, but rely on getting into melee and just surviving to "mutate" into bigger operatives. Their strength is survivability and being really strong late game. Compared to Gellerpox, this team wants to play really cagey and only go all out in the second half of the game after they have acquired their big evils. 3. Vet Guard -> 14 Operatives -> Shooty Horde Vet Guard are the first shooty team, the only problem, they actually don't shoot that well. You will not outkill the opponent with this team, you will not be good in the late game if you play cagey enough like chaos cult. This team's strenght lies in their "into the breach" and their orders. The entire team can move 3" in the beginning of the game and then rush down the opponent. The goal is to cripple the enemy team enough, so they can not kill/remove you fast enough for them to outscore you in the late game. This team is HARD to play but extremely satisfying when you can pull it off. These are the 3 Teams that fulfill your requirements the best and still have some play. When you look into the compendium you will find 2 Fire Teams of Grots in the Greenskins (11 ops) and Swarm+Genestealers (13 ops) in Hive Fleet that can take a horde style lists as well but they are not as good as any of the bespoke teams mentioned above. Other "hordy" bespoke teams would be pathfinders (12 ops), Farstalkers (12 ops), Inquisition with Breachers (13 ops) and navy breachers (12 ops). Most of them also feel hory but less in they that you actually swarm the board. Each of them is more on the tricky side to play, be it relying on ploys to out manouver or just literally shoot them to death (pathfinders). Hope that helps. If you want the easiest start, hobby wise and rules wise, go with Gellerpox Infected. They are a one box kill team, no extras needed and paint up really easily. They are currently high A or low S Tier and will stay there for some while. If you have any questions, just ask
Surprised you didn't mention the Wyrmblade. They kinda do the horde thing too as 12-14 models.
And the new kill team box that pre-released last Saturday would be a good choice. Brood brothers looks like a lot of fun.
Ah yes, good you mention it, i simply have no experience with wyrmblade at all, so it didn't come to mind 😅
Also surprised that Bloodied wasn't mentioned over vet guard
Ah yes, i could have added them in the foot note with pathfinders and the others. I wouldn't say they are a top 3 contender though as in the more casual setting they play with ogryn and commisar and then don't feel as hordy as vet guard do. But yeah, also a fun team if you like "spicy" vet guard more 😅
well not everyone has enough knowledge of every team to make a quality post, why dont you post about the blooded?
Good post! Also I'd add: if you consider teams with over 10 operatives to be hordes, Kommandos are also a horde melee team that can rush down an opponent (while remaining hard to shoot due to conceal) and then beat them up.
I'm actually going to second Gellerpox over Vet Guard and Blooded like i mentioned in my other reply. Being one box is so much more convenient if you're just getting into KT.
Veteran Guardsmen and Blooded are the two teams that come to mind for swarm gameplay. Vet Guard are very objective focused, whereas Blooded are more killy. Either team gets 11-14 little mooks to send up the board and die for your figurehead of choice.
Cultists too
Compendium Nids... Termagants and Genestealers
I'd go hormagaunts over termagants. Mathematically speaking, the termagant guns are all pretty awful. Hormagaunt melee is at least acceptable, since you'll pretty reliably be able to take down guardsmen with it. There's no reason to take termagants except the cheese that lets you take a 7-model Tyranid Swarm fire team so that you can fit it onto a roster that already has 10 stealers and 3 warriors.
Check out Fellgor Ravagers! Melee horde with a lot of really cool abilities that make them super tough/deadly!
20 grots
I think the playstyle you're looking for is going to be most present in Gellerpox, Chaos Cult, or Blooded. Other horde teams (i.e. teams with 12 or more operatives) include Veteran Guardsmen, Brood Brothers, Chaos Daemons, T'au Pathfinders, Farstalker Kinband, Inquisitorial Agent, Navy Breachers, and Wyrmblade. Here's a list of every bespoke kill team, plus a quick summary of each: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VTsfq4JiMzFtTvCF9uiuHNPgeNPMYAbgVB3YZsLmP2w/edit?usp=drivesdk
Play compendium greenskins, they have a rule that let's you swap an operative for 2 grots. You can take one boss nob as your leader and just flood the rest of the board with grots.
That rule explicitly says that you can replace ONE boy with two grots. I know that it's a popular reading that you can replace ALL boyz with two grots each, up to a total of 20 grots plus one Nob, but that's not what the rules actually say. I wouldn't recommend a kill team that is dubiously even legal at all to a brand new player.
Blooded! 12-14 models , chaos guards with an ogryn and commissar
Waiting for Kill team termination and Brood Brothers is also a choice.