Optimizing for Kill Points

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**andruin**

I know that KP only comes up a third of the time (feels more like every other time!). What are optimum amounts of KP for different point levels? My 2000 point list has 16 kill points with no combat squads, 18 with the two squads I plan to combat squad; is that high/medium/average?

What do you do to optimize the kill points you offer you opponent?

**Razerous**

I plan to have 5 for every 500pt chunk. Or perhaps just under that final mark.

There is an advantage of MSU and conversely an advantage by not being able to concede a high number of KP's.

**deffskullz**

my 1000 daemonhunters list had about 6
my 1000 orks at least 10
and my 1500 nurgle has only 9
it all depends on what theme your list is like

**MorbidlyObeseMonkey**

Don't worry too much about the amount of KPs that your army can potentially give up, because it is just that "potentially". With smart play you can prevent your opponent from getting any Kill Points. When I have a squad that has less than 50% of its models alive, I usually hide it out of LOS/range. That is the most basic tactic of KP denial.

A better approach to list-building is "how many easy Kill Points am I giving up?" Because those are the units that your opponent will go after. Usually they are lone light vehicles like trukks, rhinos, lone speeders; I would recommend no more than 3 easy Kill Points.

I generally prefer the MSU approach to list building. There are advantages and disadvantages, but IMO the advantages are greater, especially for a shooty army where you need to tarpit the spearhead units.

EDIT
One more thing I forgot was never combat squad in annihilation. Just don't do it. This is the main reason why I think 10-man Tac squads with Razorbacks are garbage; they force you to split, and that's 3 relatively easy KPs in one FOC slot.

**orchewer**

It's different for every army. An optimal Space Marine list is going to be different than an optimal Eldar list or an optimal Ork list.

As an example...

My 1000 Dark Eldar list has 12 KP

My 1000 Tau list has 8 KP

**Dashofpepper**

Greetings.

I honestly don't think you sould concern yourself with killpoints. My orks typically have 15-18 of them, and it doesn't bother me; I don't play to give up killpoints, I play to take yours.

**Thor665**

I agree with the cat in the citrus hat, and pretty much everything else that has been said.

Build a list you like and that works for you. If you start losing every Annihilation game even against opponents you usually beat in objective games then it's time to start sweating how many KPs you have or don't have in your list.

**labmouse42**

There are some easy things to avoid to keep your KP value low -- most of which are common sense.
Avoid fielding a single attack bike in a fast attack slot -- field 3.
Instead of fielding 15 boys in a footslogger squad, bring 30.
And so forth...

As has been mentioned, its not worth altering your entire strategy to keep KPs low.

**Iron_Chaos_Brute**

I agree with Thor (and by extension, Dash).

**extrenm(54)**

I honestly would not worry yourself with it. Having alot of units has more advantages than disadvantages. KP is a nice litle check on this, but if you have to choose between more units or less units, I would say go with more and dont worry about it.

**Horst**

my 1850 mech marines list has around 14 killpoints.

my 1850 biker marines list has 8 killpoints

**Zid**

Some armies have stupid amounts of KP; Nids, Orcs, Tau, Dark Eldar. Some have very few KP's, Necrons especially. Just focus building a good army, don't focus on KP!

**PanzerLeader**

MorbidlyObeseMonkey wrote:
EDIT
One more thing I forgot was never combat squad in annihilation. Just don't do it. This is the main reason why I think 10-man Tac squads with Razorbacks are garbage; they force you to split, and that's 3 relatively easy KPs in one FOC slot.

*shrug* I generally run 4 ten Marine tac squads with Razorbacks and have never had a problem. In Annihilation, I usually do not combat squad and deploy the squad in cover with the transport nearby. Should the squad be reduced under 50%, I can mech up to escape but normally I want the extra weapons on the board anyway to keep shooting at my opponent. Even in Dawn of War with moving on, I usually find that a 6" plus run lets me get in a decent position. I will even occaisonally combat squad in Annihilation based on the opponent (i.e. heavy infantry IG) where the relative easy of the KP is offset by the tons they can pick up by slamming into the opponents lines.

**wuestenfux**

My EC army has 11 killpoints at 1750 pt.

**Flavius Infernus**

I'm going to add to the chorus of "KPs don't matter."

Take the best army you can, practice, and you'll never lose a game because of kill points. If your army is good, it doesn't really matter because you're decimating or tabling your opponent anyway without taking losses.

If you weaken your army in order to reduce KP potential, you're going to lose anyway.