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Unit Types

This section describes the different types of units that can wage war in the 41st Millennium and the rules you will need to use them.

So far, we’ve discussed the basic rules as they pertain to Infantry, the most important and common unit type in the Warhammer 40,000 game. However, whilst the definition of Infantry is incredibly broad (it can cover anything from the most diminutive Gretchin to the mightiest Space Marine), it’s not enough to capture the full variety, scope and splendour of a war-torn galaxy teeming with all manner of alien beasts.

To do justice to the full pomp and panoply of xenos creatures (as well as some of the weirder beings in service to the Emperor of Mankind), we will now cover a series of unit types, each with their own abilities and special rules. Vehicles are distinct enough to require their own section later on.

In most cases, it will be fairly obvious which unit type category a model falls into, but as unit type is essentially an extension of the characteristic profile, you’ll be able to find that information in the relevant codex or Army List Entry.

Characters

In addition to their unit type, some models might also be noted as being Characters. We’re not going to worry about characters here, however. They are such a powerful and important part of Warhammer 40,000 that they have a section all to themselves later in the book.

FAQ

Artillery

 Q: When firing at artillery units, does the gun’s Toughness value apply for the purposes of resolving Instant Death against any Independent Characters that have joined the unit?
 A: 
No, Instant Death is worked out each time a Wound is allocated to an individual model.
 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.

Monstrous & Gargantuan Creatures

 Q: How does a Flying Monstrous Creature’s Hard to Hit rule work when part of a unit without the rule?
 A: 
It cannot be used.
 Q: How does a Gargantuan Creature move through difficult terrain? A previous official FAQ clarified that a Super-heavy Walker rolls 2D6 and doubles the highest result, but said nothing about Gargantuan Creatures.
 A: 
Roll 3D6 (due to the Move Through Cover special rule) and double the highest result.
 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: Do Monstrous Creatures fire Overwatch with one weapon or up to two (they can use up to two during each Shooting phase)?
 A: 
Up to two.
 Q: If there are no models left in close combat with a Super-heavy Walker or Gargantuan Creature at the Initiative 1 step, can it still make a Stomp attack?
 A: 
No.
 Q: Do Gargantuan Creatures/Super-heavy vehicles need to declare all of the targets for all of their weapons before resolving any of the shooting attacks?
 A: 
Yes.
 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: Can a Swooping Flying Monstrous Creature or Zooming Flyer be targeted by a Blast or Template weapon with the Skyfire special rule?
 A: 
No.
 Q: Can Swooping Flying Monstrous Creatures be hit by nova and beam powers?
 A: 
Yes for nova powers, no for beam powers.
 Q: Does Jinking prevent a Flying Monstrous Creature from Vector Striking?
 A: 
No.
 Q: Can Swooping Flying Monstrous Creatures be hit with Blast or Template attacks that don’t target them, such as scattered Blasts and vehicle explosions?
 A: 
No.
 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.
 Q: Do Flying Monstrous Creatures have the Deep Strike special rule?
 A: 
Yes.
 Q: Does a Gargantuan Creature gain the benefit of Strikedown on its shooting attacks?
 A: 
No.
 Q: Are Gargantuan Creatures Monstrous Creatures with additional rules, or are they their own creature type?
 A: 
They are both Monstrous Creatures and Gargantuan Creatures – special rules which affect Monstrous Creatures will affect them; any units eligible to transport Monstrous Creatures cannot transport Gargantuan Creatures unless specifically stated otherwise.
 Q: Are Swooping Flying Monstrous Creatures scoring units?
 A: 
No, as it’s one of the exceptions listed in the ‘Scoring Units’ section of Warhammer 40,000: The Rules.

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: Are Beasts and Cavalry reduced to Initiative 1 when charging through difficult terrain?
 A: 
Yes.
 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: 
A rider can shoot ‘any ranged weapon’ (that is, any single weapon) they are equipped with – counting as stationary even if the Chariot moved in the previous Movement phase – alongside the Chariot’s weapons, though the Chariot and rider must target the same unit. In the specific example, the Burning Chariot itself has no weapons – the Daemonic Gifts are marked as belonging to the ‘Exalted Flamer only’ – and therefore the Exalted Flamer can use either the Blue Fire of Tzeentch or the Pink Fire of Tzeentch.
 Q: Can a Jet Pack unit that has joined a different unit (e.g. a Necron Destroyer Lord joining Canoptek Wraiths) still use its jet pack move in the Assault phase?
 A: 
Yes, but the model cannot leave its unit and must stay in unit coherency.
 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.