Attack Sequence

Whenever models make attacks, you will follow the sequence detailed in this section to find out if they inflict damage.

Each time the active player is instructed to resolve the attack sequence, they follow the steps below. In each step, if there is more than one dice to roll, make all of those rolls simultaneously.

1. HIT ROLLS

2. WOUND ROLLS

3. SAVE ROLLS

4. INFLICT DAMAGE

If an attack fails or inflicts damage, this sequence ends for that attack. When all attacks have either failed or inflicted damage, this sequence ends and those attacks have been resolved.

Make one hit roll for each attack dice by rolling one D6. For each result, check if it fails or is a hit by matching the first condition below that applies:

Unmodified 1	FAILS
Unmodified 6	CRITICAL HIT
Equal to or greater than that attack’s BS/WS characteristic	HIT
Any other result	FAILS

05.01.01Critical Hits and Critical Wounds

Critical hits are still hits, and critical wounds are still wounds. In addition, other rules can be triggered by a critical hit or a critical wound, such as [LETHAL HITS] and [DEVASTATING WOUNDS] (24).

Make one wound roll for each hit by rolling one D6. For each result, check if it fails or is a wound by matching the first condition below that applies:

Unmodified 1	FAILS
Unmodified 6	CRITICAL WOUND
Equal to or greater than required result below	WOUND
ATTACK'S STRENGTH VS TARGET'S TOUGHNESS	REQUIRED RESULT
Strength is TWICE (or more than twice) the Toughness	2+
Strength is GREATER than the Toughness	3+
Strength is EQUAL to the Toughness	4+
Strength is LESS than the Toughness	5+
Strength is HALF (or less than half) the Toughness	6+
Any other result	FAILS

05.02.01Multiple Toughness Characteristics

When resolving attacks that target a unit in which the models have two or more different T characteristics, follow the first instruction that applies from below:

• If the target unit is an attached unit, use the highest T characteristic amongst bodyguard models in that unit that are on the battlefield.
• Use the highest T characteristic amongst models in that unit that are on the battlefield.

The opposing player resolves the following sequence:

1. Create Groups: Divide all models in the target unit into the following groups, as many times as required:

• One group for each CHARACTER model.

• One group for all other models with the same W, Sv and InSv characteristics. 2. Allocation Order: Declare the order in which those groups will have attacks allocated to them, applying all of the following:

• If a non-CHARACTER group contains a model that has lost one or more wounds, that group must be first in the allocation order.

• No CHARACTER group can be earlier in the allocation order than a non-CHARACTER group.

• CHARACTER groups containing a model that has lost one or more wounds must be earlier in the allocation order than CHARACTER groups containing no wounded models. 3. Make Save Rolls: The opposing player makes one save roll for each attack that wounded the target by rolling one D6.

05.03.01Saving Throw

The term 'saving throw' is the same as save roll.

The opposing player resolves the following sequence for each save roll, working from lowest result(s) to highest result(s), until all attacks are resolved or all models in the target unit are destroyed – in the latter case, any excess attacks are lost.

1. Select Model: Select one model in the current allocation group (5.4.1); this must be a model that has lost one or more wounds if possible.

2. Check Save Roll: For each result, check if that attack inflicts damage or fails by matching the first condition below that applies:

Unmodified 1	INFLICTS DAMAGE
Invulnerable Save: The models in the current allocation group have an InSv characteristics, and the result is equal to or greater than that characteristic.	FAILS
Save and AP: After modifying the result by the attacking weapon's AP characteristic, it is equal to or greater than the Sv characteristic of model in the current allocation group.	FAILS
Any other result	INFLICTS DAMAGE

3. Resolve Damage: If that attack inflicts damage, the selected model loses a number of wounds equal to that attack’s D characteristic. If this reduces that model’s remaining wounds to 0 or fewer, it is destroyed.

Example: An AP characteristic of -1 would modify a save roll of 3 to a 2. For models with a Sv characteristic of 2+ or better, that attack would fail.

Making Attacks

05.04.01Current Allocation Group

The first group in the allocation order begins as the current group. Once all models in an allocation group are destroyed, the next group in the allocation order becomes the current one.

05.04.02Modifying Damage

See Modifiers (02.02.01).

05.04.03Suffers Damage

If an attack reaches the Resolve Damage step of the attack sequence (05.04), the model that attack was allocated to has suffered damage, even if that model subsequently uses a rule to ignore the wounds inflicted or it uses a rule that means those wounds are not lost.

1. Select Weapons

The RED unit is attacking. The following weapons are selected to make attacks with:

2 boltguns (A)

2 bolt pistols (B)

1 heavy bolter (C)

2. Select Targets

The BLUE unit is selected as the target. The unit is visible to all models in the attacking unit. All of the selected weapons are in range, with the exception of one bolt pistol. As a result, that weapon will not make any attacks.

3. Resolve Attacks

There is only one enemy unit being targeted, so the controlling player now gathers attack dice:

• Five attack dice are gathered for the boltguns and bolt pistol, which have A characteristics of 2 and 1 respectively and all make identical attacks.

• Three attack dice are gathered for the heavy bolter, which has an A characteristic of 3 but does not make identical attacks.

05.04.04Destroyed

Throughout a battle, models will suffer damage, lose wounds and be destroyed. When every model in a unit has been destroyed, that unit is destroyed.

When a model is destroyed, first resolve any rules that are triggered when it is destroyed, then it is removed from the battlefield. If any such rules apply, and if the model was destroyed as the result of an attack, unless otherwise stated, those rules are only resolved and that model is only removed after the attacking unit’s attacks have been resolved. Unless otherwise stated, destroyed models and units cannot use abilities or be selected or targeted by rules.

Some rules only trigger if an enemy model or unit was destroyed by you, or by a model or unit from your army. This means that the enemy model or unit was destroyed by an attack made by a model from your army, or by a player rule you have. Enemy models or units that are destroyed by any other means are not destroyed by you, or by a model or unit from your army.

Resolving attack dice

05.04.05Fight On Death

Some rules enable models to attack after they have been destroyed. When a model under such an effect is destroyed, do not remove it from play.

Those models will stay on the battlefield until their unit is selected to attack and has attacked, or until the end of the phase (whichever comes first). Any rules triggered by those models being destroyed are resolved, and then those destroyed models are removed.

If a rule instructs a destroyed model to fight immediately after the attacking unit, instead that model is not removed from the battlefield until that model's unit has fought, or until the end of the phase (whichever comes first). This allows the models in the unit to fight all at once, and stratagems that target that unit will also affect that destroyed model.

05.04.06Measuring To A Destroyed Model Or Unit

When a player has to measure the distance to a destroyed model, that player can measure to any point occupied by that model’s base (or any part of that model if it does not have a base or is a Vehicle, excluding Walker models that have a base) before it was destroyed.

When a player has to measure the distance to a destroyed unit, they measure to the last model destroyed in that unit.

1. Hit rolls

The controlling player chooses to make the five hit rolls for the boltguns (A) and bolt pistol (B) first. The BS characteristic of the weapons is 3+. Four of the attacks hit the target.

2. Wound rolls

The controlling player makes four wound rolls. The weapons have an S characteristic of 4 and the target unit has a T characteristic of 3, so rolls of 3+ are required to wound. Three of the attacks wound the target.

3. Save rolls

The target unit’s controlling player makes three save rolls.

4. inflict damage

• The lowest result is less than both the InSv and Sv characteristics of the target, so that attack inflicts damage. This reduces the model to which that attack was allocated to 0 wounds, which destroys it.

• The next lowest result is less than the target’s InSv characteristic, but greater than its Sv characteristic of 3+; that attack fails.

• The other result is greater than the target’s InSv characteristic of 5+; that attack also fails.

Resolving other Attacks

1. Hit rolls

The controlling player then makes three hit rolls for the heavy bolter (C). The BS characteristic of the weapon is 4+. Two of the attacks hit the target.

2. Wound rolls

The controlling player makes two wound rolls. The weapon has an S characteristic of 5, so rolls of 3+ are required to wound. Both attacks wound the target.

3. Save rolls

The target unit’s controlling player makes two save rolls.

4. inflict damage

• The lowest result, when modified by the attacking weapon’s AP characteristic of -1, is less than the target’s Sv characteristic of 3+, so that attack inflicts damage. This reduces the model to which that attack was allocated to 0 wounds, which destroys it.

• The other result is equal to the target’s InSv characteristic of 5+; that attack fails.

Attacking attached Units

1. Select Weapons

The RED unit is attacking. The following weapons are selected to make attacks with:

7 boltguns (A)

1 plasma pistol (B)

2 heavy bolters (C)

2. Select Targets

The BLUE unit is selected as the target. It is an attached unit (19) formed from a Seraphim unit and Saint Celestine (with her two Geminae Superia). The unit is visible to all models in the attacking unit, and all of the selected weapons are in range.

3. resolve attacks

There is only one enemy unit being targeted, so the controlling player now gathers attack dice. They decide to resolve the heavy bolter attacks first, which each have an A characteristic of 3, so six attack dice are gathered.

The attack dice for the remaining weapons will be gathered once the heavy bolter attacks are resolved (see opposite), as follows:

• 14 attack dice for the boltguns, which each have an A characteristic of 2.

• One attack dice for the plasma pistol, which has an A characteristic of 1.

Allocation groups

1. Create groups and Declare Order

The target unit’s controlling player divides it into groups: one containing Saint Celestine, one containing the Geminae Superia, and one containing the Seraphim. They then declare the allocation order, choosing the Geminae Superia first (E), hoping their better Sv and InSv characteristics will weather the attacks. The Seraphim must be chosen second (D), as Saint Celestine is a Character model so must be last in the order (F).

2. resolve attack dice

The heavy bolters’ attacks wound the target five times, so the target unit’s controlling player makes five save rolls.

The attacks are resolved one at a time, from lowest save rolls to highest:

• The two results of 1 are allocated first, to the current allocation group (the Geminae Superia). They both inflict damage, and both Geminae Superia are destroyed.

• The result of 3 is now allocated to the Seraphim, who have become the current allocation group. When modified by the attacking weapon’s AP characteristic of -1, this also inflicts damage, destroying one Seraphim model.

• The remaining attacks fail, so no further damage is inflicted.

3. Select next group of attack dice and repeat