In the nightmare future of the 41st Millennium, Mankind teeters upon the brink of extinction. The galaxy-spanning Imperium of Man, beset on all sides by ravening aliens, foul traitors and Warp-spawned Daemons, looks oncemore to its greatest heroes to stave off the encroaching darkness. There is no time for peace. No respite. No forgiveness. There is only war.
Welcome to the grim darkness of the far future, to a galaxy of unending war, incredible heroism and bitter betrayal. In this time of turmoil and conflict, the ultimate fate of Mankind depends on you. Warhammer 40,000 is a tabletop game for two or more players, where you command an army of Citadel miniatures representing the Imperium of Man or one of its many enemies. This book provides you with all the rules, diagrams and examples you need to recreate and fight battles in this nightmarish future. As you read through the rules, you will notice some of the text is bold, like this. This highlights the most important elements of the rule in question and helps bring it to your eyes when skimming a page. This should not be mistaken for representing the whole rule though, as the surrounding text often confers context and relevant exceptions. Instead, it should be used as a quick solution to finding the essence of a particular rule. If a rule is short and concise, or is in bullet points, there will rarely be any bold text as the rule is already easy to find. This book is, however, only the start of your journey into games set in the 41st Millennium. Warhammer 40,000 is a vast and ever-growing hobby, and there are a host of Games Workshop publications that supplement and expand upon the rules in this book. These provide you with extra material you can incorporate into your games – detailing additional units you can deploy and missions you can play – and alternate ways to experience the war-torn 41st Millennium, exploring the depth and excitement of different battle zones and play styles in Warhammer 40,000.
This book contains the following sections:
The Citadel miniatures used to play games of Warhammer 40,000 are referred to as ‘models’ in the rules that follow. Models represent a huge variety of troops, from noble Space Marines and brutal Orks to Warp-spawned Daemons. To reflect all their differences, each model has its own characteristics profile ...read more
Before we dive into the turn sequence and the main meat of the rules, there are a few basic ideas and game mechanics that are worth discussing. These are principles that are so common that they pop up again and again while you’re playing a game, so it makes a lot of sense to establish them before hitting the more specialised rules to be found later ...read more
During his turn, a player can usually move and fight once with each of his units. For convenience and flow of game play, we divide a player’s turn into four main phases: Movement, Psychic, Shooting and Assault ...read more
By the 41st Millennium, warfare has spawned innumerable weapons, from the simple laspistol to the barely controllable plasma cannon. In this section, we describe how the myriad types of weapon work in the Warhammer 40,000 game ...read more
It is a fortunate commander who can always rely on his troops to perform up to (and sometimes beyond) the limits of their courage. In the chaos and confusion of battle, troops can easily become demoralised, disoriented or simply terrified by the violence unleashed against them. To represent this element of the unknown, your units have to check to see if their morale holds under certain circumstances ...read more
This section explores all the different unit types that describe your models. From footslogging infantry and rampaging monstrous creatures to armoured battle tanks and supersonic flyers, this section lists all the special rules that apply to these models. This section also includes rules to field the largest and most destructive units waging war on the battlefields of the 41st Millennium – super-heavy vehicles and gargantuan creatures – as well as detailing how heroic characters lead your troops to victory ...read more
War is not a trade solely for living soldiers, but also for mighty war engines and tanks. Rhinos and Land Raiders forge forwards through incoming fire, disgorging battle-ready Space Marines into the heart of the foe. Leman Russ Battle Tanks plough across the battlefield, battle cannons roaring and heavy bolters spitting death. Eldar skimmers flit through the smoke-laced skies, darting through the enemy defences to attack crucial targets ...read more
Veteran warriors, brilliant officers, possessed prophets and ferocious war-leaders can all inspire their troops to great feats of heroism (or fiendish bravery as the case may be) and are often quicker, stronger and more skilled in combat than those they lead. In Warhammer 40,000, these kinds of powerful individuals are called ‘characters’ ...read more
The Battlefield Terrain section describes how to incorporate Citadel terrain into your games of Warhammer 40,000 in order to recreate the battlefields of a war-ravaged galaxy. In addition to the rules describing the different terrain types, such as ruins, buildings and battlefield debris, this section also enables you to use fortifications in your games – towering edifices whose armoured battlements bristle with heavy weaponry ...read more
Now that you’ve had a chance to peruse the rules, you’re ready to start unleashing carnage upon the battlefield. That being the case, it’s time to gather together an army that will win you glory on the field of war. Each player in a Warhammer 40,000 battle commands an army. An army is a collection of one or more units of Citadel miniatures, and can consist of any number of models ...read more
The Preparing for Battle section brings all the rules you have read so far together and takes you through the steps of preparing a Warhammer 40,000 battle, starting with a guide to forging a battle-ready army from your collection of Citadel miniatures. It also explains how to play a Warhammer 40,000 mission; from setting up the battlefield and deploying your forces to defining how long the game will last and determining the victor at the battle’s end. All the special rules and tactical objectives that are used in games of Warhammer 40,000 are also described in this section, including twelve different missions that you can use to unleash war ...read more
There are many variations to the rules and army lists that are available for use, typically with an opponent's consent. These rules are found in the Games Workshop publication White Dwarf, on the Games Workshop website, or in the Forge World Imperial Armour publications ...read more
The appendix contains a compendium of special rules, weapon profiles ( ranged and melee) and psychic powers that are frequently referred to throughout this book, as well as in numerous other Games Workshop publications, such as codexes. This section also contains a number of Battlefield Terrain datasheets that describe some of the Citadel Terrain sets that your forces are likely to battle over in your games of Warhammer 40,000 ...read more
FAQ
Army Lists
Q: | How many relics/artefacts can a single model be equipped with? | A: | A model can only be given a single relic or artefact unless specifically noted otherwise. |
Artillery
Q: | Regarding batteries and out-of-range weapons – if 2 out of 3 weapons from an artillery battery are in range and the 3rd is out of range, do you just allocate 2 blast templates (the 3rd being unable to shoot)? | A: | Yes. |
Assault Phase
Q: | Can you charge an enemy unit if friendly models from other units make it impossible for the chargers to get into base contact with the enemy? | A: | No. |
Q: | What constitutes an attacker and target in regard to the To Hit chart? | A: | The model you are making the To Hit roll for is the attacker. |
Q: | An enemy unit is engaged in combat with one of your units. You want to charge an enemy unit with another of your units, but they’re behind the one already locked in combat. Do they have to move around in order to get into base contact? | A: | Yes. |
Q: | How do you allocate wounds in close combat, where it can be difficult to tell which model is closest? Is it possible to specifically allocate wounds to an enemy character not in a challenge, and would they get ‘Look Out, Sir’ tests? | A: | You must determine which models are the closest before allocating wounds – if it is impossible to tell, they are considered equally close, and the player controlling the models being attacked decides. This means that only the player controlling a character could choose to allocate wounds to them. If they did so, the ‘ Look Out, Sir’ rules would apply. |
Q: | One of your units is about to charge. As per the rules, you would measure the distance of the closest models in both squads, say 7", and there is nothing in the way of moving the first model into base contact, but a different model must move through a forest. Do you need to roll a 9, or is it still a 7? | A: | |
Characters
Q: | The ‘Look Out, Sir’ rule states that Wounds must be allocated to the closest model in the unit to the character. What if you have multiple models that are equidistant? Do you have to allocate all ‘Look Out, Sir’ hits to a particular model until it is removed, or can you shift the Wounds to other equidistant models (assuming, of course, that they have multiple Wounds)? | A: | You must apply all Wounds to the same model until it is removed, or until another model is closer to the character for whatever reason. |
Detachments & Formations
Q: | When listing Formations, sometimes it states ‘1 model’ (like 1 Tomb Spyder), while other times it lists ‘1 Unit of models’ (like 1 unit of Tomb Blades). Are these interchangeable? | A: | No. The former means a single model of the type listed, while the later means a single unit of the type listed. |
Q: | How do special rules like Hatred affect multi-Faction armies? For example how does the Dark Angels’ Hatred (Chaos Space Marines) special rule affect Khorne Daemonkin? Does it affect all Chaos Space Marine units in the army or none at all? | A: | Some common sense is required. In this specific example, here is a list of the Khorne Daemonkin units that the Deathwing hate: Chaos Lord, Daemon Prince, Chaos Cultists, Chaos Space Marines, Berzerkers, Possessed, Chaos Terminators, Chaos Spawn, Chaos Rhino, Chaos Bikers, Raptors, Warp Talons, Heldrake, Chaos Land Raider, Forgefiend, Maulerfiend, Defiler, and Helbrute. |
Q: | If a unit consists of more than one Faction, what Faction does the unit count as when targeted by a unit with a Preferred Enemy or Hatred ability that affects one of the Factions in that unit? | A: | They count as having all the Factions of the models in the unit. |
Q: | If two Formations both include a model that must be your army’s Warlord, are you only able to take one of these Formations? | A: | Yes. |
Flyers
Q: | Flyers can fire 4 weapons at full Ballistic Skill, can they also fire any additional weapons as Snap Shots like other vehicles? | A: | Yes. |
Q: | Can a Flyer with the Hover (and thus Fast Skimmer) unit type be deployed on the board as a Fast Skimmer? | A: | No, unless it has a rule that specifically allows it. |
Intervening Models
Q: | In the rules for cover saves it says that intervening models grant cover even if the model is fully visible unless you shoot over the intervening models. Does this include models that are taller than the intervening models i.e. are taller models able to shoot over shorter models? | A: | |
Q: | Models obscured by intervening models get a 5+ cover save just like the cover rules of terrain. Does this mean that I only get the cover save if the models are obscured by more than 25%? | A: | No – the target only needs to be partially obscured. If, on the other hand, the target is completely visible to the firer, but the firer shoots through a gap between models in the intervening unit, then the target still receives a 5+ cover save. |
Missions
Q: | Can a unit go back into Reserve the same player turn that it came onto the board from Reserve? | A: | No, unless the rules specifically state otherwise. |
Q: | Mission rules question. We were playing the Maelstrom of War: Contact Lost mission, and you generate new Tactical Objectives for each objective you control at the start of a player’s turn. If I Deep Strike a unit onto an objective at the start of my turn, does it allow me to take an extra objective card? Both Deep Striking and objectives count as happening at the same time – am I correct in thinking that I can decide the sequence? | A: | |
Q: | What books/codexes/supplements are the most current? | A: | The copyright date (which is usually beneath the contents) will let you know which book is the most recent. |
Q: | Does Warhammer 40,000: The Rules (7th edition) override Codex: Stronghold Assault? | A: | Yes. This is an exception to the normal rules, in which expansions override the rulebook. |
Q: | In a game of Carnage, can you shoot into a close combat which involves other players’ forces but none of yours? | A: | No. |
Q: | In a game of Carnage, how many Warp Charges points do players get when it’s not their turn? | A: | |
Q: | Do allies who are not Battle Brothers contest objectives? | A: | Yes, they will contest objectives against the enemy – but they will never stop your units from claiming objectives, regardless of the level of alliance. |
Q: | If your Warlord is in Reserves, can you use their traits for re-rolling Reserves? | A: | Yes. |
Q: | Do non-scoring and non-Victory Point units such as Spore Mines count as ‘units destroyed’ on Tactical Objective cards? | A: | Yes, unless specifically stated otherwise. |
Q: | Since a player automatically loses at the end of any game turn in which he has no models on the table, does a player taking a Detachment that requires him to start all his models in Reserve (such as the Ravenwing Strike Force with Flyers) automatically lose every game he plays? | A: | A player who takes an army that consists entirely of units and/or Detachments which must be set up in Reserve, with no special rule that allows them to arrive in the first game turn, will automatically lose the game. We do not recommend choosing an army like this! |
Q: | On deployment. Online and at our club, we tend to roll for who takes which side of the table first, then roll for who will deploy first. Is this ok? | A: | This is fine. |
Q: | Can you clarify the term ‘deploy’? | A: | ‘Deploy’ is a word for setting up a unit on the battlefield – this is something you do during deployment, but also when units arrive from Reserve and so on. ‘Deployment’ is the stage in ‘ Preparing For Battle’ where the players set up their armies on the battlefield. |
Q: | Does a unit always enter the game from Reserves when Deep Striking? The rules for Deep Striking seem to imply that being the case, even when a unit is already on the table. As an example, does a unit of Warp Talons that is using Gate of Infinity trigger its Warpflame Strike each time they use the psychic power? | A: | Not unless explicitly stated – in the example you use, Gate of Infinity has the unit arrive anywhere on the board using the rules for Deep Strike. This doesn’t mean that it goes into Deep Strike Reserve, or that you have to make a Reserve Roll for the unit and so on, and it means that you don’t get to use the Warpflame Strike each time you do this. |
Q: | What points level do you suggest for a standard game? | A: | Games can be of any size – the larger the game, the longer it will take. We find it best to discuss the size of game you want to play with your opponent. |
Q: | If a unit enters the battlefield using Outflank, are they considered to have moved for the purposes of firing heavy weapons? | A: | Units moving on from Reserve do so at the start of the Movement phase, before any other units can move. This means that they are always considered to have moved in the turn they arrive. |
Models
Q: | What does ‘base contact’ or ‘base-to-base contact’ mean? Are two models in base contact if one is on a step, and their bases are not in (and cannot be put in) physical contact? Or if they are more separated than that e.g. on different levels, where a charge distance is sufficient for the charging model to reach the level containing the other unit, but it cannot be placed on the level above? | A: | An element of common sense is required here. If they’re only fractionally apart due to the vagaries of scenery they count as being in base contact. However, though models on different levels of a building can be locked in combat with one another, they will not be considered in base contact with one another for the purposes of special rules or equipment that require models to be in base contact to take effect. |
Q: | How do you handle situations where you are attempting to charge a model that is on top of something, where there is no room for a model to be in base contact? | A: | The ‘ Wobbly Model Syndrome’ rule applies – place the model as near as possible, and keep a note of its actual position. It is assumed to be in base contact with the other model. |
Q: | In rules that say ‘within X inches’, do you mean wholly within or partially within? | A: | Partially within, unless specifically stated otherwise. |
Q: | What are the official rules regarding specific base sizes for specific models (if any)? | A: | The rules assume that models are mounted on the base they are supplied with, but it’s entirely fine to mount them on whichever base you think is appropriate. Sometimes, a player may have models in their collection on unusually modelled bases. Some models aren’t supplied with a base at all. In these cases you should always feel free to mount the model on a base of appropriate size if you wish, using models of a similar type as guidance. |
Q: | Can any part of a model intentionally hang off the edge of the table? | A: | No part of a model may hang over the edge of the battlefield, except for parts that are explicitly ignored while checking line of sight (e.g. the wings or tail of a non-vehicle model). |
Q: | When I am using ‘long’ or ‘oval’ Cavalry/Bikes/Monstrous Creatures’ bases, am I allowed to pivot the base on the spot to gain additional movement like vehicles would? | A: | When making a move, you have to take into account how far all parts of the model have moved. Or to put that another way, trying to come up with a way of making a move that allows a model to move ‘further’ than its maximum movement distance is illegal. It is not allowed for a model to move 6" towards or away from something, and end up more than 6" closer to or further away from it! |
Q: | Please confirm if a model may never be in coherency unless the model’s entire unit has unit coherency. | A: | A model cannot be in coherency unless its entire unit is in coherency. Coherency is determined when a unit has finished moving, not during the move. |
Q: | What is the vertical firing arc for shooting from Flyers, and how is this split between targets above and below the shooter? | A: | Assume that weapons can swivel 90° vertically – 45° upwards and 45° downwards. |
Q: | With regard to Bike and Artillery models, I measure from their weapons when they are shooting, and to their bases when they are shot at. Is this correct? | A: | When Artillery models fire, range is measured from the barrel of the gun on the model. When Bike models fire, range is measured from the base. When firing at Artillery or Bike models, range is measured to the base – if they have one – or the hull. |
Q: | Warhammer 40,000: The Rules states that line of sight can be drawn from any part of the model (not including wings, tail, etc.) to the intended target. Can my model’s foot truly be used as a line of sight starting point? | A: | For simplicity and ease of play, the rules state that ‘For one model to have line of sight to another, you must be able to trace a straight, unblocked line from its body (the head, torso, arms or legs) to any part of the target’s body.’ If you wish, you and your opponent may agree that models are only allowed to draw line of sight from the model’s head, or the closest equivalent on the model. |
Q: | Do a Flyer’s wings and tail count as part of its hull? (e.g. If you can only see a wing can you shoot at it? If you are only in range of the wing can you shoot at or charge it? When hovering, can the wing get you Linebreaker if it is within 12" of the board edge?) | A: | Yes, a Flyer’s wings and tail are considered part of the hull in all respects. |
Monstrous & Gargantuan Creatures
Q: | Can Gargantuan Creatures shoot all of their weapons at different targets, or can they only shoot two different weapons at two different targets? | A: | They can shoot all of their weapons, at different targets if desired. |
Q: | If a Monstrous Creature is also an Independent Character, can it join other units? Can other Independent Characters then join the unit that the Monstrous Creature is now a part of? | A: | No, to both question. |
Q: | After my Flying Monstrous Creature is Grounded, when I choose to use the Swooping flight mode again the next turn, can I change his forward-facing direction, or is it still stuck in the direction it was Swooping in before it hit the ground? | A: | It is still stuck facing in the direction it was Swooping in when it struck the ground. |
Novas & Beams
Q: | On Cleansing Flame – if two enemy units are in range, are there 2D6 hits divided amongst the two enemy units, or 2D6 hits for each enemy unit? If the latter, how many times do you roll the 2D6 – once, or twice? | A: | Each enemy unit hit suffers 2D6 hits. Roll separately for each unit. |
Q: | A beam attack does not target a unit – can you still Jink? | A: | No. |
Ordnance
Q: | Are Ordnance weapons and Heavy vehicles supposed to interact differently? | A: | The Heavy unit type has no effect on the firing of Ordnance weapons. If a Heavy vehicle doesn’t fire an Ordnance weapon, it can fire all of its weapons at full Ballistic Skill when moving at Combat Speed. |
Q: | The rules state that if a vehicle fires an Ordnance weapon, all other weapons must be fired as Snap Shots – does the firing order matter? | A: | |
Q: | Are there ever any circumstances that allow a vehicle with an Ordnance weapon the ability to fire it as Snap Shots? Say the weapon in question is not of a type (Blast or Template) that may not be fired as a Snap Shot, but another circumstance requires Snap Shots (the vehicle is under the effect of Crew Shaken or Crew Stunned). Can it fire Ordnance weapons? | A: | |
Overwatch
Q: | How many shooting attacks can I do when firing Overwatch? | A: | |
Q: | How many shots do Salvo weapons get when firing Snap Shots in Overwatch, if the unit moved in their previous player turn? | A: | When determining if the unit moved for the purposes of firing Salvo weapons, only the previous Movement phase is considered. In the case of firing Overwatch, this will have been your opponent’s Movement phase, and therefore the unit firing Overwatch is very unlikely to have moved. As a consequence, it counts as having not moved, and can fire the higher number of shots with its weapons that have the Salvo type. |
Q: | How does Overwatch work when a unit is assaulted by multiple enemy units in the same turn? Can the assaulted unit choose against which one it fires or does it have to fire against the first unit to declare a charge? | A: | You can choose not to fire Overwatch against units that declare a charge against your unit, but you must do so as each charge is declared – you can’t wait until all charges are declared before deciding which unit(s) to fire Overwatch against. Obviously, if you’re successfully charged by one of your opponent’s units, you can’t fire Overwatch against subsequent chargers as you’re locked in combat. |
Psychic Phase
Q: | If there are 2 Daemon Psykers who cast Cursed Earth and they are within 12" of each other, do they have a +2 bonus to their invulnerable save, since the spell says this is cumulative with any other bonus? | A: | |
Q: | If I have Tigurius and a Grey Knights Librarian in the same unit, can Tigurius use his re-roll for a power known by the Librarian? | A: | No. |
Q: | The Telekinesis psychic power Crush – when you roll for Strength and get an 11 or 12 it counts as an automatic wound or penetrating hit. For the purposes of Instant Death, what Strength does it count as? | A: | Strength 10. |
Q: | Is the maximum number of powers a Psyker can use in their turn equal to their Mastery Level, or the number of powers they have (due to Psychic Focus they often have one more power than their Mastery Level)? | A: | |
Q: | When attempting to Deny the Witch on a blessing or conjuration, do you select a unit first to make the attempt? If so, how is it selected, and if that unit has a re-roll on Deny the Witch, do you get that as well? | A: | You do not select a unit. If none of your units were the target of the enemy’s psychic power (as is the case with blessing and conjuration powers) you can still attempt to Deny the Witch, but with no re-rolls or modifiers to your dice rolls – you will require rolls of 6 to nullify each Warp Charge point. |
Q: | Do the effects of multiple castings of the same malediction cast on the same turn stack? For example, can additional castings of Banishment continue to reduce a Daemon’s invulnerable save? | A: | No. Unless specifically stated otherwise, the penalty from any particular malediction can only affect a unit once per turn. |
Q: | Do units that move 12" with the psychic power Levitation shoot using their full Ballistic Skill or can they only fire Snap Shots? | A: | |
Q: | If a unit has successfully manifested the Gate of Infinity psychic power but mishaps with its Deep Strike and gets the Delayed result, how does it come back into play the next round – walking on from its own table edge or by Deep Strike? | A: | |
Saves
Q: | Warhammer 40,000: The Rules states that a model gets ‘the advantage of always using the best available save’. Does that mean we have to use the numerically lowest save, or do we have the option of using any save we have? | A: | The controlling player can use their discretion as to which of their model’s saves is ‘the best’. |
Shooting Phase
Q: | When does vertical distance matter? For example, are shooting attacks only affected by the horizontal distance? | A: | Measurements for shooting are (for most models) measured from base to base. Where one model’s base is more elevated than the other, this will mean measuring the distance diagonally. |
Skimmers
Stomp
Q: | When you make a Stomp attack in close combat and cause casualties outside of those in the combat, do the units outside of combat have to take Morale checks as if suffering 25% casualties, if they lose 25% or more? | A: | No. |
Super-heavy Vehicles
Q: | Do you have to select all targets before any dice are rolled for the weapons mounted on a Super-heavy vehicle? If that is the case, are One Use Only/One Shot Only weapons used up if a previous weapon destroyed the target that the One Use Only/One Shot Only weapon was going to shoot? | A: | Yes, to both questions. |
Q: | Do Super-heavy Walkers shoot at targets from where their weapon is modeled or from the base? | A: | Ranges are measured from the weapon itself. Unless modelled otherwise, assume all weapons have a 45° facing from the front of the model. |
Q: | Are Super-heavy Walkers limited, like normal Walkers, to a 45° arc of fire from the facing of the model’s weapon? | A: | Yes – they follow all the normal rules for Walkers, except when explicitly stated otherwise. |
Tank Shock
Q: | How does Tank Shock work when you stop on a unit? The rules state that the models ‘must be moved out of the way by the shortest distance’ – but what does this mean? The shortest distance that allows you to be in unit coherency? Or the shortest distance to just be out from under the vehicle, with models dying if not in unit coherency and at least 1" away from enemy units? What happens if a Gargantuan Creature or Monstrous Creature or any other non-vehicle unit gets Tank Shocked, but cannot move to another place in the shortest way? Are they destroyed or just moved further away? | A: | Pick up only those models actively displaced by the Tank Shock, and place them on the battlefield with all models within unit coherency, as close as possible to their starting location and with no models within 1" of an enemy unit. Any models that cannot be placed in this way will be removed as casualties. If the whole unit is displaced, it will be moved together as above, and because of this it is impossible to remove an entire unit from play with a Tank Shock, unless the unit is unable to move; units that have Gone to Ground return to normal immediately, as it counts as being forced to move. |
Q: | When vehicles Ram, they may only fire Snap Shots for that turn. There is no allowance that I can find for Super-heavy Tanks and Thunderblitz does not seem to affect this part of the Ram rule. According to the rules, then, If a Baneblade Rams (with a Thunderblitz roll) a Warbuggy, the Baneblade can only fire Snap Shots. Is this intended? | A: | Yes. |
Terrain
Q: | The coverage range of the Void Shield Generators’ void shields is 12". If a unit is not entirely within the 12" range, does it still benefit from the Projected Void Shield special rule? | A: | No. |
Q: | Can Bikes, Super-heavy Walkers, Walkers, and Monstrous Creatures move and/or assault units on the higher levels of ruins? | A: | Yes. For simplicity and ease of play, the core game rules allow most models to climb any piece of scenery. Use the ‘ Wobbly Model Syndrome’ rule if it is not possible to place the model in the position it is meant to be occupying. If you wish, you may want to say that models are only allowed to move to places that they could reach ‘in real life’, but you will need to apply a certain amount of common sense and discretion in order to make such a rule work well. |
Q: | Some pieces of terrain (woods, ruins, craters, etc.) provide a cover save to a models even if they are not 25% obscured. Does this really include large models like Monstrous Creatures? | A: | |
Q: | If you are on top of, under, or inside terrain (such as a ruined building or crater), but an enemy unit can see your model completely, do you get a cover save from being inside, on top of, or under a terrain piece? | A: | Most scenery has a rule which makes clear whether your models need to be obscured to get the cover save. You should discuss unusual scenery with your opponent before the game. |
Q: | When measuring special rules that use a radius whilst in a building, does the escape hatch count as part of the building? | A: | No. |
Q: | Can an opponent assault an escape hatch – the unit can’t assault out of one but can it be assaulted as a normal Access Point? | A: | No. |
Q: | If both players have models in base contact with a gun emplacement, which player controls it? | A: | They both do. |
Q: | Do all flamer weapons benefit from the Fuel Siphon special rule for the Promethium Relay Pipes? Some of them are a bit contentious. | A: | All weapons that are specifically noted as being flamer weapons receive the benefit of the Promethium Pipes special rule. |
Transports
Q: | I have a question regarding unit special rules that affect all or some units within a certain range of a model or unit. How do these interact with units inside Transports, and what happens if the unit with the rule is inside a Transport? | A: | When a unit embarks on a vehicle it is taken off the battlefield and does not interact with anything on the battlefield. However, certain rules may create exceptions to this rule, with the most obvious examples being Fire Points, psychic powers and Transports. If a unit’s rules are meant to apply even when embarked on a Transport, they will specify this. |
Q: | Do non-psychic powers with an area of effect (‘aura’ powers like the Tau Ethereal’s Invocation of the Elements, or the effects of many Warlord Traits) extend from the hull of a Transport that the model with the power is embarked within? | A: | No, non-psychic powers such as those described cannot be used by models embarked upon a Transport unless specifically noted otherwise. |
Q: | It’s not clear whether or not a unit that has destroyed a Transport can then charge the now-disembarked troops. The rule says ‘if allowed’ – does that mean as long as they haven’t fired weapons stopping them from charging, or do they need to have a special rule to be allowed to charge? | A: | The unit that destroyed the Transport vehicle can charge the now-disembarked passengers so long as, for example, it hasn’t fired any weapons that prevent it from charging, it hasn’t Gone to Ground, it is within 12", and so forth. A unit doesn’t need a special rule to allow it to do so. |
Q: | What happens to a unit if the Transport they are in moves over 6" and is Wrecked by your opponent in their turn? | A: | |
Unit Types
Q: | Do Jump units ignore height distances when charging and using jump packs? If a Jump unit uses its jump pack for the Assault phase, does it jump over difficult terrain? | A: | No – measure the distance between the bases of the models, ignoring any intervening terrain. |
Q: | Does vertical movement count towards the maximum movement distance on jump pack and jet pack moves? | A: | Yes, but not in the same way as for Infantry – the important distance is between the base at the starting position and ending position of the model, i.e. any intervening models or terrain will not add to the movement distance. |
Q: | Does a model with a jump pack or jet pack who leaves combat using the Hit & Run special rule do so using his jet/jump pack or moving as an Infantry unit? | A: | They use their jump/jet pack. |
Q: | Can you clarify the wording around a rider shooting from a Chariot? As written, it appears to allow an Exalted Flamer to fire both weapons from a Burning Chariot while they can only fire one while on foot. | A: | |
Q: | When the rules state that all models in a unit must use the same movement type, does that restrict Independent Characters with the Bike unit type joining Jump or Jetbike units, for example? | A: | Sometimes a unit will contain models that move at different speeds. When this is the case, each model can move up to its maximum movement allowance so long as it remains in unit coherency. |
Q: | How does a unit consisting of a mix of Cavalry, Bike, Jump Pack and Infantry models move, Run, Turbo-boost and charge? Do they all use their respective rules while maintaining squad coherency? | A: | Yes. Models move individually, so in the Movement phase each model in this unit can move up to their maximum movement allowance so long as the unit is in unit coherency at the end of the move. If the unit elects to Run, no models in the unit may shoot. The unit doesn’t benefit from the Cavalry model’s Fleet rule, as that only applies if every model in the unit has the Fleet rule. If the unit Runs, the Bike may Turbo-boost, but must finish its move in unit coherency. When charging, the Jump model may use its jump pack (if it did not do so in the Movement phase) to re-roll the charge distance – however that model, and only that model, must use the new distance rolled. |
Vehicles
Q: | Is a hull-mounted weapon’s arc of fire a total of 45° or 45° to either side? The chart seems to indicate the former, but we aren’t 100% certain. | A: | Hull-mounted weapons have a total firing arc of 45°. |
Q: | Are models in a unit that destroyed a Walker in close combat allowed to Consolidate? | A: | No. |
Q: | How can I shoot an infantry unit that stays behind a vehicle? Сan I just shoot them normally, as if the vehicle is not there, or can I not shoot them at all? Do I need to destroy the vehicle first, or is there a way to kill infantry units behind vehicles? | A: | If your firing unit doesn’t have line of sight to a unit behind a vehicle, then it can’t shoot them unless your unit has weapons that do not need line of sight. |
Q: | In a situation where there are 4 penetrating hits on a vehicle with 3 Hull Points, are they rolled one at a time or all at once? | A: | It doesn’t matter if you roll them all at once or one at a time, as long as you roll them all! You must roll on the Vehicle Damage table even if the vehicle loses sufficient Hull Points to be Wrecked, as there is still a chance that it might get an Explodes! result. |
Q: | I have a question about pivoting and moving a vehicle. When is the distance that a vehicle can move measured – before it pivots for the first time or after it pivots for the first time? Some vehicles may be able to gain an extra inch or two by pivoting, then measuring, then moving. | A: | If a model moves, no part of the model (or its base) can finish the move more than the model’s move distance away from where it started the Movement phase. |
Q: | Do vehicles in the same squadron have to shoot at the same target? I noticed recently that a squadron is never referred to as a unit, just as a group of vehicles that must stay in coherence. | A: | With noted exceptions, squadrons ‘are treated like normal units’ – in this specific case, Warhammer 40,000: The Rules states that ‘All of the weapons fired by a squadron of vehicles in each phase must target a single enemy unit’. |
Weapons
Q: | Can you clarify the use of a weapon as both a ranged and a melee weapon in the same turn? | A: | A weapon that can be used as a ranged and a melee weapon can be used as both in the same turn unless specifically noted otherwise. |
Q: | When a model has a pistol and a close combat weapon, does it gain 1 or 2 additional attacks? | A: | It gains 1 additional attack. |
Q: | A Dreadnought has Strength 6, and with power fists, has Strength x2. Does the Dreadnought have Strength 12 for the purposes of Instant Death? | A: | Strength cannot be modified above 10. |
Q: | Heavy weapons and Salvo weapons are affected by movement – how does this work when firing Overwatch in the enemy’s turn? | A: | When weapons are affected by movement in this way, it refers to movement in the preceding Movement phase. When firing Overwatch, the preceding Movement phase is your opponent’s, and your models are very unlikely to have moved in it! They would therefore count as not having moved. |
Q: | Do weapon special rules that say ‘a model equipped with this weapon’ or ‘this weapon’s bearer’ take effect even when not used as the attacking weapon? | A: | Yes. |
Q: | If I move the gun model from an Artillery unit but the crewman stays stationary, does it fire as if it had moved? | A: | Yes. |
Witchfire Powers
Q: | Does the To Hit roll for certain witchfire powers that affect ‘targeted models’ care what the result of the To Hit roll is? | A: | If a witchfire power does not have a profile, follow the instructions written for that power instead – this includes most focussed witchfire powers. If a witchfire power has a profile, and is manifested successfully, it rolls To Hit in the same manner as a shooting attack. |
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