Kill Team uses ordinary six-sided dice. The current setup rules list ten D6s alongside a measuring device, tokens and markers. You do not need a D20 or an RPG polyhedral set. Some team and equipment rules ask for a D3, but that result is generated with a D6, so a separate D3 is optional.
The rules list ten dice for play, rather than ten that each player has to own. One pool can be shared, although separate sets are more convenient when both players have unresolved dice during a Fight action.
Players coming from roleplaying games may expect several different shapes. Kill Team instead uses a small pool of the same six-sided die.
Want to see how an attack roll is sorted? Try the roller below.
No roll yet.
Choose a pool and a Hit stat, then roll.
This shows a basic unmodified attack roll. Weapon rules, re-rolls, automatic successes, damage and defence dice are not included.
What Dice Does Kill Team Use?
Kill Team uses ordinary six-sided dice for its physical dice rolls. Some team and equipment rules ask for a D3 result, but that is generated with a D6, so you still do not need a separate polyhedral set.
| Situation | Dice used |
|---|---|
| Setup pool | The setup rules list ten ordinary D6s. |
| Initiative roll-off | Each player rolls one D6 when the current game sequence calls for the initiative roll-off. |
| Shoot attack | Roll a number of D6s equal to the selected ranged weapon's Atk stat. |
| Shoot defence | The defender normally starts with three defence dice, although cover and weapon rules can change what is rolled or retained. |
| Fight | Both players roll attack dice equal to the Atk stat of their selected melee weapon. |
| Hot | Roll one D6 after using a weapon with Hot, following the current wording of that weapon rule. |
| D3 | Roll one D6 and convert 1 or 2 to 1, 3 or 4 to 2, and 5 or 6 to 3. |
During the normal Strategy phase roll-off, each player rolls one D6 and the higher result decides who has initiative. Follow the current mission and tie procedure for the exact timing.
How Many D6s Do You Actually Need?
The setup rules list ten D6s. That is the standard pool to have available, but they do not need to be ten specially branded dice or ten dice owned separately by each player.
- Ten D6s are enough to start.
- A single pool of ten can be used across a game.
- Ten each is more comfortable, but it is not an official requirement.
- In a Fight action both players can hold unresolved successes, so separate sets or distinct colours help.
- If a situation needs more physical dice than you have, use extra clear dice or record the results unambiguously.
- In organised play, follow the event instructions.
Blast and Torrent may create several attack sequences during one action, but each sequence is rolled separately. They increase the number of rolls, not necessarily the number of dice needed at the same moment. Compared with a rank-and-file game, the pool in front of you stays small.
How Do Dice Work in a Shoot Action?
- The attacker selects a ranged weapon.
- They roll a number of D6s equal to its Atk stat.
- Each result equal to or above the Hit stat is retained as a success.
- A rolled 6 is a critical success, and a rolled 1 is a fail.
- The defender normally uses three defence dice against the target's Save stat.
- If the target is in cover, the defender can retain one defence die as a normal success without rolling it, following the current conditions.
- The defender allocates their successes to block attack dice.
- Unblocked attack dice inflict the weapon's Normal or Critical Dmg stat.
Blocking in a Shoot action works on a specific exchange rate. One normal defence success blocks one normal attack success, two normal defence successes block one critical attack success, and one critical defence success blocks either kind.
How Do Dice Work in a Fight Action?
- Both players select a melee weapon.
- Each rolls attack dice equal to that weapon's Atk stat.
- Each result equal to or above the Hit stat is retained.
- A rolled 6 is critical and a rolled 1 is a fail.
- Starting with the attacker, the players alternate resolving one success at a time.
- Each success is used either to Strike or to Block.
The blocking rate is where a Fight action differs. A normal success used to Block only blocks another normal success, and a critical success used to Block can stop a normal or a critical. Unlike shooting, two normal successes do not combine to block one critical success during a Fight action.
Why Are 1s and 6s Special?
| Rolled result | Basic classification |
|---|---|
| 6 | Always retained as a critical success. |
| Equal to or above the relevant Hit or Save stat, but not a 6 | Retained as a normal success. |
| Below the relevant stat | Fail. |
| 1 | Always a fail. |
This is the baseline. Rules such as Lethal can make lower results critical, and changes to an operative's Hit stat can alter which other faces succeed. One more point is easy to miss: a die retained automatically as a success is not treated as though a particular number was rolled.
Does Kill Team Use D3 Rolls?
Occasionally. Some team, equipment or mission rules ask for a D3, but you still use a D6 to generate it. The current universal equipment is a good example, since mines inflict D3+3 damage and a smoke grenade marker lasts for a number of activations set by a D3.
| D6 result | D3 result |
|---|---|
| 1 or 2 | 1 |
| 3 or 4 | 2 |
| 5 or 6 | 3 |
Each D3 result gets two faces of the D6, so each one has a one-third chance. A separate physical D3 is optional. It can be convenient, but it does not change the probability, and at an organised event you should check the pack or ask the organiser before substituting anything. There is more in What Is a D3 Die.
Which Weapon Rules Change the Dice?
- Accurate x: retain up to x attack dice as normal successes without rolling them.
- Balanced: re-roll one attack die.
- Ceaseless: re-roll the attack dice showing one selected result, for example every 2.
- Relentless: re-roll any of your attack dice.
- Lethal x+: successes equal to or above x count as critical successes.
- Piercing x: the defender collects fewer defence dice.
- Hot: roll one D6 after using the weapon, then apply the current wording.
- Blast and Torrent: create separate sequences against secondary targets.
Two limits apply throughout. A die can never be re-rolled more than once, and a die retained automatically before rolling cannot be re-rolled and has no numerical result. The official Kill Team downloads page hosts the current rules updates, commentaries and errata, while team rules are also available through the official app.
Is It Useful for Each Player to Use a Different Colour?
Yes, but it is a convenience rather than a rule. In a Shoot action the attacker and defender use different pools anyway. In a Fight action both players can have retained successes sitting on the table while they alternate Strikes and Blocks, and that is where distinct colours earn their keep.
They also stop rolling dice being confused with dice used as wound markers. A single colour is still fine if the pools are kept clearly separate.
Do You Need Dedicated Kill Team Dice?
No. Ten clear D6s are enough to start, and themed dice do not change the odds. Any ordinary D6s can be used, and they do not need to be official, faction-themed or made from a particular material. A symbol can replace a face as long as both players know what value it represents, the whole pool should use the same convention, and the contrast should let you separate 1s, 6s and everything between at a glance. Leave the dice visible long enough for your opponent to check the roll, and at an event the pack and the organiser take priority.
Our Kill Team dice are 16mm resin D6s with engraved, hand-painted markings. Pack sizes vary, so a ten-die option can match the pool listed in the setup rules when that variant is available, and picking two colourways covers both players. If your operatives belong to a wider force, the rest of our sci-fi and fantasy wargame dice cover more factions. They are unofficial accessories and are not affiliated with, endorsed by or licensed by Games Workshop.
The Short Version
Kill Team uses ordinary D6s, with ten listed in the setup rules. Attack pools use the weapon's Atk stat, shooting normally gives the defender three defence dice, and a rolled 6 is critical while a rolled 1 fails. Some rules ask for D3, but that result is generated with a D6. One pool can be shared, although separate colours are convenient during a Fight action.
