Core Concepts

If a rule refers to ‘you’, it is referring to you the person, as the controlling player.

The number of models a unit contains at the start of the first battle round is its starting strength. The starting strength of an attached unit is the number of models that unit contains at the start of the first battle round.

Some rules refer to units being below starting strength, or at – or below – half‑strength. The meaning of these terms varies depending on a unit’s starting strength, as shown below.

Example: A Captain (1 model) is attached to a unit of Intercessors (5 models). This attached unit has a starting strength of 6. If three Intercessors were destroyed, the unit would be at half‑strength. If four Intercessors were destroyed, the unit would be below half‑strength. If all of the Intercessors were destroyed, the remaining Captain would be below half‑strength, despite having his full wounds remaining.

Some rules apply an effect that lasts until a certain duration has passed (e.g. until the start of your next turn). Such effects are known as persisting effects.

If a persisting effect applies to a unit when you place it in strategic reserves or when it embarks within a TRANSPORT, make a note of that effect and its duration; if that unit is set up on the battlefield again, any persisting effects continue to apply to that unit for their full duration.

If you have a rule that specifies when it is triggered (e.g. 'In the Shooting phase') and it does not specify how long it is active for, it is only active for the duration of that specified period (e.g. until the end of that Shooting phase). After that period, that effect is no longer applicable/active.

If a rule or effect is given to a unit and it does not specify how long it is active for, it is only active for the phase in which it was given.

When a rule revives, resurrects, returns or adds models to a unit, the specified number of models are added to the unit.

• If a rule revives, resurrects or returns models to a unit, it does so through destroyed models from that unit.

• This cannot expand a unit beyond its starting strength.

• Unless otherwise stated, such models are added with all wargear and enhancements they started the battle with, and with their full W remaining. Models returned to a unit on the battlefield must be set up as follows:

• They must be set up in coherency with models in that unit that started that phase on the battlefield.

• They can be set up engaged with one or more enemy units, but only if those enemy units were already engaged with the unit that model is being returned to. If a leader or support model in an attached unit is destroyed and subsequently revived, they are still part of that attached unit and they must be returned to it if possible.

A unit that is embarked within a TRANSPORT or that is in strategic reserves is not on the battlefield. The following applies to such units:

• That unit is not visible to any other units (units are visible to themselves).
• Any other unit is not visible to that unit.
• Players cannot measure distances to or from that unit (units are within range of their own abilities). This means units not on the battlefield cannot be selected or targeted by any attack or rule that requires a unit to be visibleor within a certain distance (other than their own abilities).

Such units can still use their other rules, and are still units in the controlling player's army and so can be affected by rules that require a player to select a unit from an army, as well as rules that affect all units in an army.

The controlling player must make battle-shock rolls for units that are not on the battlefield in their Command phase if they are battle-shocked, or if they are at or below half-strength.

When a rule refers to models or units ‘other’ than the one with that rule (or one already mentioned by that rule), it means a different model or unit to that original one.

Different instances of the same datasheet are still considered to be ‘other’ units.

Some rules allow you to split units into smaller units (e.g. the Transport ability of Drukhari Venoms). When using such rules:

• The same models can only be subdivided in this way once (e.g. those smaller units cannot themselves be split further).
• If a rule is used to split a unit into multiple units before the battle, the starting strength of each individual unit is changed to be equal to the number of models in that unit.

When a rule mentions a unit, it may have a descriptor for the unit (e.g. Terminator unit, hidden unit, battle-shocked unit, visible unit, controlling unit). For such descriptors to apply to a unit, that unit must have at least one model in that unit that meets that descriptor.

This does not give that rule to every model in the unit, unless that rule specifically states that it gives that rule to the unit, in which case every model in that unit gains that rule, as described in Units and Models (01.02).

Example: A hidden unit would be a unit that has a model in it that is hidden.

Some rules may refer to 'a' unit/model/object without specifying an exact number. In such cases, the meaning is 'one or more', rather than exactly one.

Example: If a rule has a condition that requires a unit to be 'within range of an objective', that condition is still met if that unit is within range of more than one objective.

Tokens are gaming aids that some rules instruct you to place next to model/unit to remind you and your opponent that a model/unit either has a limited-use ability or is under the effects of a particular rule. Tokens are not counted as models for any purposes (even if they are being represented by a model). If another model needs to move into the space occupied by a token, reposition the token to allow that move to be made.

Some rules add a new unit to your army during a battle. That unit’s starting strength is determined when it is added to your army, but is otherwise determined in the same way as for other units.

When a rule mentions ‘all types of model’, this is inclusive of friendly and enemy models and all keywords, e.g. MONSTER/VEHICLE models.

During the game, players will sometimes need to know which rules are theirs, as opposed to their opponent’s. The following are considered a player’s rules:

• Any army rules they have.

• Any detachments in their army.

• Any stratagems they use.

• Any enhancements that units or models in their army have.

• Any abilities or rules found on their units’ datasheets.

• Rules that have restrictions (e.g. 'Once per battle/turn/phase') only apply to the player whose rule it is. Some missions may introduce additional rules that take effect in the battle. Where this is the case:

• If the rule is used by a player, it is treated as one of that player’s rules.

• If it is not used by a player, and always takes effect, such a rule is resolved before any of the active player’s rules, in an order of their choosing.

At any point in the game, the players will have rules that they can or must use, which may occur at the same time another player can or must use a rule. Unless otherwise stated, these are activated in the following order:

1. All of the active player’s rules that must be used, in an order of their choosing.

2. All of the active player’s rules that they can optionally use and wish to use, in an order of their choosing.

3. All of the opposing player’s rules that must be used, in an order of their choosing.

4. All of the opposing player’s rules that they can optionally use and wish to use, in an order of their choosing.

If another rule could be used after a rule has resolved during this sequence but before other rules in that same timing have resolved, those new rules do not trigger until all the remaining rules to be resolved in that same timing have been resolved.

Example: The active player's unit has an ability enabling it to make a normal move after it has shot. An enemy unit targeted by that unit has an ability enabling it to shoot back at a unit that shot at it. The active player's rule is resolved first, followed by the opposing player's rule.

Rules in Warhammer 40,000 will often apply to models or units that are within or wholly within a certain distance. The following definitions explain what these terms mean:

• Within: If a rule says it applies ‘within’ a specified distance, it applies at any distance that is not more than that distance. For example, within 1" means any distance that is not more than 1" away
• Model/Unit Within: A model is within a specified distance if any part of its base is within that distance. A unit is within a specified distance if one or more of its models are within that distance.
• Model/Unit Wholly Within: A model is wholly within a specified distance if every part of its base is within that distance. A unit is wholly within if every model in that unit is wholly within the specified distance. A model with the frame keyword is wholly within a specified distance if all parts of that model are within the specified distance.

Example: A model is wholly within a terrain area if no part of its base extends beyond the footprint of that terrain area. A unit is wholly within a specified distance if every model in that unit is wholly within that distance.

When a rule refers to the closest or nearest model or unit, this is the closest model or unit to the model or unit using that rule.

If two or more are equally close, the controlling player of the model or unit using that rule selects which is the closest for the purposes of that rule.

If a rule instructs you to move a model as close as possible to a unit or model you must end that model’s move in base contact with that unit or model if its move is sufficient to do so without breaking any other restrictions (such as coherency), or as close as you can achieve if its move is not sufficient.

• If a model is already as close as possible to a unit or model when it is instructed to make a move as close as possible towards a unit or model, that model cannot be moved, but still counts as having made the move in question. If a rule instructs you to move a model as close as possible to an objective you must end that model’s move within range of an objective if its move is sufficient to do so without breaking any other restrictions (such as coherency), or as close as you can achieve if its move is not sufficient.

• If that model is already within range of an objective it can move up to the maximum distance of that move but must end its move still within range of that objective.

When two models’ bases are touching, they are in base contact – also known as base-to-base contact – and are as close as possible (01.04.03).

When moving a model from your army into base contact with an enemy model during a move, if that enemy model overhangs its base such that it is not physically possible to be in base contact with that model, until the end of the turn, those models are considered to be in base contact with each other while all of the following are true:

• The distance your model could move was sufficient to move it into base contact with the enemy model if there was no overhang.
• The models are as close as possible together.
• Any part of one model is within 1" of any part of the other model.

When a dice roll or test is automatically successful or automatically passes/hits/wounds, do not roll the dice and instead move to the next step of the sequence for that roll as if the required result had been rolled. Any rules that take effect on a particular dice result or roll result do not take effect.

Example: If a hit roll is automatically successful, move straight to the Wound Rolls step for that attack. Such a hit roll is not a critical hit.

Example: If a wound roll is automatically successful, move straight to the Save Rolls step for that attack. Such a wound roll is not a critical wound.

Some rules allow you to re-roll a dice roll, which means you get to roll some or all of the dice again. When a rule lets you re-roll one or more dice, the following points apply:

• If a rule allows you to re-roll a dice roll that was made by adding several dice together (e.g. 2D6, 3D6, etc.) then you must re-roll all of those dice again.
• You can never re-roll a dice more than once, and re-rolls happen before modifiers (if any) are applied.
• A re-rolled dice is still considered to be a dice roll and, as such, any rules that can be triggered by a dice roll can also be triggered by a re-rolled dice.

See Modifiers (02.02.01).

See Ignore Modifiers (02.02.02)

Some rules instruct players to roll off.

• To do so, both players roll one D6, and whoever rolls highest wins the roll-off.
• If there is a tie for the highest roll, roll off again.

When making a dice roll, a double is a roll that includes any two dice of the same result, and a triple is a roll that includes any three dice of the same result.

If a rule refers to the highest dice result and a dice roll involves multiple dice, if more than one of those dice have the same value, and that value is the highest, the active player must select one of those dice to be the highest dice result.

If a rule refers to the lowest dice result and a dice roll involves multiple dice, if more than one of those dice have the same value, and that value is the lowest, the active player must select one of those dice to be the lowest dice result.

When a dice result is ‘treated as’ or 'set' to another value, any rules that would take effect if that value had been rolled take effect.

This may result in a value that is greater than a value that could be rolled on a D6 dice.

Some rules may use the term Leadership test, this is the same as leadership roll.

The morale and organisation of troops can waver and break during battle. This is checked using battle-shock rolls, most commonly in the Command phase. Failing such a roll represents the unit’s courage faltering due to taking casualties or through other disruption, reducing its battlefield effectiveness. Similarly, some rules will require you to check a unit’s readiness by making a leadership roll.

The term Battle-shock test is the same as battle-shock roll.