Rules Primer

Every unit in the game has a datasheet that defines how it moves, fights and survives. The stat line runs across the top of the datasheet. Here is what each value means:

Some models also have an Invulnerable Save listed separately (e.g. 4++). This save can never be modified by Armour Penetration — it always works on the listed roll regardless of what hit it.

A game of Warhammer 40,000 is played over a series of Battle Rounds. Each Battle Round consists of two player turns — one for each player. At the start of each battle round both players roll a die; the player who rolls highest chooses who goes first.

During your Movement phase you may move any or all of your units. Each model in a unit can move up to its Movement (M) characteristic in inches. Models cannot move through other models or impassable terrain, but they can move over terrain that is lower than 1" tall without penalty.

Unit Coherency: All models in a unit must remain within 2" horizontally and 6" vertically of at least one other model in the same unit at the end of every move. If a unit cannot maintain coherency, models are removed until it can.

Reinforcements: Units held in reserve arrive at the end of your Movement phase. Unless their rules specify otherwise, they must be set up within your own deployment zone or wholly within a certain distance of your table edge — they cannot be placed freely in the middle of the battlefield. This is distinct from Deep Strike (see below).

Deep Strike is a specific ability listed on a unit's datasheet. Only units with the Deep Strike ability can be set up anywhere on the battlefield more than 9" from any enemy model. Examples include Terminators, Crisis Battlesuits, and units arriving via Drop Pod. Without this ability, a unit arriving from reserve must come on from the table edge.

Psyker models can attempt to manifest psychic powers listed on their datasheet. Each Psyker knows the power Smite unless stated otherwise, plus any additional powers listed on their datasheet or chosen from their faction's psychic discipline.

Manifesting a Power: Declare which power you are using, then roll 2D6. If the result equals or exceeds the power's Warp Charge value, the power takes effect. If you roll a double 1 or double 6, the Psyker suffers Perils of the Warp — roll a D6: on a 1 or 6 they suffer D3 mortal wounds, and on a 1 they are removed if this kills them.

Deny the Witch: The opposing player may attempt to negate a successfully manifested power. Roll 2D6 — if the result exceeds the manifesting player's roll, the power is cancelled. Only one attempt to Deny each power may be made, and only by a Psyker within 24" of the manifesting Psyker.

Mortal Wounds bypass armour and invulnerable saves entirely — each mortal wound deals 1 wound directly. Excess mortal wounds carry over to other models in the same unit.

Each unit that is eligible to shoot may do so once in your Shooting phase. A unit cannot shoot if it Advanced (with most weapons), Fell Back, or is within 1" of an enemy unit. Each model in the unit can fire all of its ranged weapons.

Resolving a shooting attack follows a sequence of dice rolls:

Step 1 — Roll To Hit: Roll a number of D6 equal to the weapon's Attacks characteristic. Each die that equals or exceeds the model's BS characteristic is a hit. A roll of 1 always fails regardless of modifiers.

Step 2 — Roll To Wound: For each hit, roll a D6 comparing the weapon's Strength to the target's Toughness:

Step 3 — Saving Throw: The target player rolls a D6 for each wound. The die must equal or exceed the model's Save characteristic. Subtract the weapon's Armour Penetration (AP) value from the die roll — AP-1 means subtract 1, AP-2 means subtract 2, and so on. A roll of 1 always fails. If the model has an Invulnerable Save, use that instead (AP does not apply).

Step 4 — Allocate Damage: Each failed save causes wounds equal to the weapon's Damage characteristic. Apply this to one model at a time — you must finish killing a model before moving damage to the next. Excess damage does not carry over between models.

During your Charge phase, any eligible unit may attempt to charge an enemy unit that is within 12". A unit that has Fallen Back or Advanced cannot charge that turn (unless a special rule permits it).

Declaring a Charge: Choose the charging unit and one or more target units, all of which must be within 12". Roll 2D6 — this is your charge distance. The result must be sufficient to move any model in the charging unit to within 1" of any model in every target unit it declared a charge against. If the roll is insufficient, the charge fails and the unit does not move.

Overwatch: Before rolling the charge, each target unit may fire Overwatch. Overwatch works exactly like shooting, except all hit rolls of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 automatically miss — only a 6 hits. A unit can only fire Overwatch once per phase. Some special rules allow Overwatch on 5+ or even 4+.

Heroic Intervention: After charges are resolved, any enemy Character models within 3" of the charging unit may perform a Heroic Intervention — moving up to 3" to get within 1" of the charging unit. They may not end their move further from the charging unit than they started.

In the Fight phase, all units within 1" of an enemy unit fight. The two players alternate choosing units to fight with — but units that charged this turn always fight before any others.

Pile In: Before attacking, each model in the fighting unit may move up to 3" toward the nearest enemy model. This free move is called a pile-in and helps models get into base contact.

Making Attacks: Each model makes a number of attacks equal to its Attacks characteristic, using its melee weapons. The sequence is the same as shooting: roll to hit (using WS), roll to wound, opponent makes saving throws, allocate damage. A roll of 1 to hit in melee always fails.

Consolidate: After all of a unit's attacks are resolved, each model may move up to 3" toward the nearest enemy model. This is the consolidate move — it can be used to engage additional enemy units.

At the end of each player's turn, any unit that had models destroyed during that turn must take a Morale test. Units with only one model, or that lost no models, do not test.

Taking the Test: Roll a D6 and add the number of models that were destroyed in that unit during this turn. If the result is greater than the unit's Leadership characteristic, the unit fails. For each point by which the total exceeds Leadership, one additional model flees and is removed from play.

Command Points: A player may spend 1 Command Point to automatically pass a Morale test for one of their units. This is called the Our Finest Hour Stratagem and can be used at any time during the Morale phase.

Every ranged weapon has a type that determines when and how it can be fired. The weapon's profile lists its type followed by the number of shots (e.g. "Rapid Fire 2" or "Heavy D6").

Weapon profiles also list the following stats:

Terrain pieces provide cover and can block line of sight. Before the game begins, players should agree on how terrain features will be treated.

Cover: A unit that is partially obscured from the attacker by a terrain feature, and is not a Vehicle or Monster, can claim a cover save. When claiming cover, add 1 to all saving throws for that unit (including invulnerable saves). Cover has no effect on Mortal Wounds.

Dense Cover: Some terrain pieces are dense enough to fully block line of sight. If all models in a target unit are on the other side of dense terrain, the unit cannot be targeted at all.

Difficult Ground: Moving through certain terrain (such as ruins, woods or water features) may be treated as difficult ground — models moving through it treat the terrain as costing 2" of movement per 1" moved through it. Agree before the game which pieces count as difficult ground.

Buildings: Models can garrison buildings if they have sufficient capacity. Models inside a building can shoot from windows and fire points, and count as being in cover. They cannot be directly targeted unless the attacker also has models inside the same building.

In Matched Play armies are organised into one or more Detachments, each of which has required slots (minimum numbers of certain unit types) and optional slots (maximum numbers). Meeting the requirements of a Detachment earns Command Points (CP).

Command Points are spent to use Stratagems — powerful one-off abilities that can tip the balance of a key moment. Each army starts with 3 CP plus whatever is earned from Detachments. Common uses include:

Every unit has a list of Keywords on its datasheet. Keywords have no inherent rules effect on their own — they exist to be referenced by other rules. If a rule says it affects "INFANTRY" units, it affects any unit with the INFANTRY keyword.

Some keywords appear in angled brackets, such as <CHAPTER> or <REGIMENT>. These are placeholder keywords — when you build your army, you replace the placeholder with your chosen sub-faction. A Space Marine Captain's <CHAPTER> keyword becomes ULTRAMARINES, RAVEN GUARD, or whichever chapter you have chosen, and his abilities then apply to units of that same chapter.

Common keywords worth knowing: