Combat Patrol or Kill Team: which should a new player buy?
Buy a Combat Patrol if you want to end up with a Warhammer 40,000 army. Buy the Kill Team Starter Set if you want a small game for two people from one box. They are two different games.
A Combat Patrol is £82.95 to £86.11 here. The Kill Team Starter Set is £57.28 and holds two teams.
What each box gives you
| Item | Combat Patrol | Kill Team Starter Set |
|---|---|---|
| Game | A way to play Warhammer 40,000 with a pre-set army | Kill Team, a skirmish game with its own rulebook |
| Players | One army per box, so a second player needs a second box | Two teams in the box |
| Models | Varies by box: 13 in the Space Marines Getting Started box, 33 in the Orks one | 14, split between the two teams |
| Terrain | Not in a Combat Patrol box | Printed MDF terrain that slots together |
| Rules | In the Warhammer 40,000 app, free | A 64-page introductory rulebook in the box |
Choose by what you want to own
If you want a Warhammer 40,000 army, take a Combat Patrol. Games Workshop describes each one as the core of a faction, so you add to it.
Two people starting together with the 40,000 setting can share the Starter Set: two Combat Patrol armies, boards, terrain and a rulebook, at £126.40.
The Kill Team Starter Set suits two people who want one box and a quick game. The terrain and rulebook are in the box. What each box leaves out covers the paints and tools you still need.
If you are not sure, read both rule sets first. Combat Patrol rules are free in the app.
Which is easier to learn
Replies in one Reddit thread on this choice called Combat Patrol a stripped-down Warhammer 40,000 that is smooth after a couple of games. They said Kill Team is harder than its model count suggests. Those replies are opinion.
What it costs for two players
| Route | You get | Our price |
|---|---|---|
| Kill Team Starter Set | Two teams, terrain, rulebook, one box | £57.28 |
| 11th Edition Starter Set | Two Combat Patrol armies, boards, terrain, rulebook | £126.40 |
| Two Combat Patrols | Two armies, no terrain or boards | £82.95 to £86.11 a box, two needed |
Common questions
Is Combat Patrol the same game as Kill Team?
Combat Patrol is a small way to play Warhammer 40,000 with a pre-set army. Kill Team is its own skirmish game with its own rulebook, and the Kill Team Starter Set includes an introductory one.
Can two people start with just one Combat Patrol box?
One box is one army, so the second player needs another. The Starter Set solves that with two armies in one box, or you can buy a Kill Team Starter Set.
Where can I read the Combat Patrol and Kill Team rules before I buy?
Combat Patrol rules are free in the Warhammer 40,000 app. The Kill Team Starter Set carries its own 64-page introductory rulebook. In October 2024 Games Workshop said the full Kill Team rules would be a download from Warhammer Community, its news site.
Combat Patrol: Warhammer Community, 23 July 2026. Kill Team Starter Set contents and rules download: Warhammer Community, 14 October 2024. Getting Started model counts: our product listings. Which is easier to learn: one r/Warhammer40k thread, July 2026 (opinion). Prices and stock: this shop, read live.