The Battle Round
07.00 The Battle Round
Games of Warhammer 40,000 are played in a series of battle rounds. This section describes the structure of the battle round, defining the order in which players take turns to move their units and make attacks with them.
Each battle round is resolved by following these steps:
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START OF BATTLE ROUND
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PLAYER TURNS
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END OF BATTLE ROUND
07.01 Start Of Battle Round
At the start of the battle round, players resolve rules that are triggered at the start of the battle round, before progressing to player turns.
07.02 Player Turns
Both players now take one turn each. The same player always takes the first turn in each battle round – the mission you are playing will tell you which player this is. Once that player’s turn has ended, their opponent takes their turn.
Each turn consists of seven parts: first the Start of Turn step, then a series of five phases resolved in the order shown below, then the End of Turn step.
1. Start of Turn Step: Rules that are triggered at the start of a turn are resolved now.
2. Command Phase: You marshal strategic resources and check your units’ morale.
3. Movement Phase: Your units move across the battlefield and strategic reserves arrive.
4. Shooting Phase: Your units make attacks with their ranged weapons.
5. Charge Phase: Your units make charge moves to engage the enemy.
6. Fight Phase: Both player's units make attacks with their melee weapons.
7. End of Turn Step: Rules that are triggered at the end of a turn are resolved now, in the following order:
1. First resolve rules triggered at this point other than mission rules.
2. Both players then consult their mission; if one or both players have achieved any aspects of their mission that are triggered at this point, resolve them now.
07.02.01Out Of Phase Rules
Some rules allow a model or unit to make a move, shoot, declare a charge or fight outside of the normal turn sequence.
When using these out-of-phase rules, you cannot use any other ‘phase-locked’ rules; that is, any other rule that explicitly states the phase in which that rule applies.
Example: In your opponent’s Movement phase, you target a friendly unit with the Fire Overwatch stratagem. That unit has an ability which is used ‘In your Shooting phase, after this unit has shot’. Because Fire Overwatch is phase-locked to your opponent's Shooting phase, that ability is not triggered.
07.02.02Battle Round/Turn/Phase Definitions
- Start of Battle Round/Turn/Phase: If a rule is triggered at the start of the battle round/turn/phase, it is triggered at the start of every battle round/turn/phase.
- The Turn/the Phase: If a rule is triggered during the turn/phase instead of during your turn/phase or your opponent’s turn/phase, it is triggered in both players’ turn/phase. Example: If a rule states ‘At the end of the Movement phase, this model heals 1 wound’, that rule triggers at the end of your Movement phase and at the end of your opponent’s Movement phase.
07.03 End Of Battle Round
Rules that are triggered at the end of the battle round are resolved now, in the following order:
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First resolve rules triggered at this point other than mission rules.
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Both players then consult their mission; if one or both players have achieved any aspects of their mission that are triggered at this point, resolve them now.
The battle round then ends and, unless the battle ends, the next battle round starts. The mission you are playing will tell you how many battle rounds to resolve before the battle ends.
