Warhammer 40K: Cadian Recon Squad — A Dirty Not-Quite-Dozen
The Cadian Recon Squad from Kill Team comes to Warhammer 40,000.
Hot on the heels of yesterday’s reveal of the 40k rules for the Red Terror comes rules for the rest of that Kill Team box set; the Cadian Recon Squad. The unit is a moderate 80 points, placing them neatly between a base squad of Cadian Shock Troops and the more robust Kasrkin.
The Cadian Recon Squad represents veteran Shock Troopers. Survivors of multiple campaigns, these grizzled veterans bring their diverse skills in infiltration, guerrilla warfare, and reconnaissance to your Astra Militarum army. Where most of their fellow soldiers operate in closely interlocked regiments under the keen eyes of their sergeants and commisars, the Recon Squads range far ahead to observe the movements of the enemy and ambush their forward elements.
Forward Operations
Astra Militarum units usually need to stay close to their officers in order to receive their critical Orders. However, the Recon Squad is uniquely suited to operate in relative isolation from the rest of your army. Deployed deep in no-man’s land via their Infiltrators ability, they can still gain access to orders from their Vox-Relay beacon. You will place this token anywhere on the battlefield outside your opponent’s deployment at the start of the battle.
Friendly units can receive orders while within 6″ of the beacon, vastly extending the effective range of the Recon Squad. Your opponent can neutralize the beacon just by getting a unit within 1″ of it, but the Recon Squad has another trick up its sleeve when this inevitably occurs.
The Independent Operatives rule is the heart of the unit’s strength. Unlike other Astra Militarum units, once an order has been issued to a Recon Squad, they don’t lose it at the end of the round. Independent Operatives sustains that Order until they either receive a new Order or become battle shocked. Even cut off from their chain of command the Recon Squad will continue to operate with their mission in mind.
Whatever that mission is, they’re going to be well-equipped to complete it. Multiple options are avaiilable including the choice to take a single autostubber. Specialists in the unit can choose either a plasma gun or meltagun, while another takes careful aim with a long-las. Adding a little extra punch, a pair can form a weapons team armed with a missile launcher carrying frag and krak missiles.
Specialist Forces
There are numerous ways this unit can benefit an Astra Militarum army. They’ve got great synergy with Gaunt’s Ghosts who can infiltrate alongside them. As part of a Recon Element Detachment they’ll enjoy the benefits of stealth and an improved save while taking cover in terrain.
This is a very cool and thematic unit for Astra Militarum players and is chock full of characterful sculpts. I love the idiosyncratic clothing and specialist weaponry that really gives them the feel of hardened operators.
Cadia stands, but also sometimes lurks.
