Hey PI-Fans!
We know that look. You’re one of those folks who love ogling at the store display miniatures but seem intimidated by how Warhammer 40k plays.
Never fear! We’re here to break down the core game play into bite size articles so that anyone can get started and playing the game!
In the next few days, we’ll be going through the basics of Warhammer 40k:
- Part 1 – Moving and Shooting
- Part 2 – Charging and Fighting
- Part 3 – Command Phase and Applying All We’ve Learnt
Things You’ll Need
- Warhammer 40k models
- Measurers – tape measure or range rulers
- Some 6 sided dice
- A place to play at
- A friend to play with
Today, we’re going to learn how to Move and Shoot with some models in a simple scenario
We have 5 Necron Warriors and 3 Assault Intercessor Space Marines
Let’s place them like so on the table with the Space Marines facing the Necrons
Today we’re playing the Necrons side and our opponent will be the Space Marines
Step 1: Movement
To see how far a model can move, let’s check the unit’s data sheet. We’re using Necron Warriors so let’s refer to their card.
Normal Move
To see how far a model can move, let’s check the ‘M’ characteristic. ‘M’ stands for Move, it is 5″ in this case
Let’s move a Necron Warrior by checking our range ruler and moving it up to 5″ from the tip of the base. And that’s it!
To move a model further than its normal distance, we can Advance
Advancing
Roll one 6 sided die, add its result to its maximum move distance (in this case, 5″) and make the move accordingly.
In this case, we rolled a 4, so 4 + 5 = 9″. So we can move the Necron Warrior to 9″
Keep in mind: units that advanced can’t shoot that turn as they’re rushing across the battlefield.
Step 2: Shooting
Now that we’ve learnt how to move, let’s try to shoot!
Measuring Range
To check if the Necron Warrior is in shooting range, it needs to be able to see the target from its eye level.
Measure the range from the start of its base to the enemy’s start of its base. If the range is equal or less than its weapon range, you can shoot.
For illustration purposes: Picture 1 is in range, Picture 2 is out of range
Making Attack Rolls
On our Necron Warrior’s Data Sheet, there’s a bunch of weapons its equipped with. It has 2 range weapons: A Gauss Flayer and a Guass Reaper
They both have a profile of ‘Rapid Fire 1’ which means it can fire 1 shot. Don’t worry about what Rapid Fire means for now.
So we checked the enemy Space Marine is in range. Now we can attack!
Roll to Hit:
We have 2 Necron Warriors shooting at 1 Space Marine. So we are to roll 2 dice.
Now we check the ‘BS’ stat on their Data Sheet. ‘BS’ stands for Ballistic Skill which means how accurate they are at shooting.
Necron Warriors are good at shooting so 3+ means a roll of 3 or more will hit the target. Any number that’s below the BS characteristic is a fail.
We rolled two 4s so they hit their target!
Roll to Wound:
Now we have to check if the shots wound the enemy. So we roll our 2 dice again and compare the result using Weapon Strength to Enemy Toughness.
Let’s look at the Gauss Flayer’s weapon profile. ‘S’ means Strength which shows how powerful the weapon is. Its 4.
Then we ask our opponent what is the Toughness of their model. The Space Marine Assault Intercessor’s Toughness (‘T’) is 4
We rolled and got 1 and 4.
We then check the Wound Roll table. This table is to see if the wound result is a success or fail.
If our Weapon Strength is twice more than Toughness, its 2+ to wound, if its Greater than, its 3+, equal its 4+, lower its 5+ and half or less is 6+.
So basically the more powerful the weapon, the stronger it is to overcome Toughness!
Our Gauss Flayer strength is 4, the Space Marine Assault Intercessor is Toughness 4. The wound result is equal to its toughness.
So we rolled and got 1 and 4, thus 1 wound was inflicted and 1 wound didn’t cause any injury.
Enemy does Saving Throws:
Your opponent now checks to see if their models can shrug off the damage.
Let’s check the Data Sheet of the Space Marine Assault Intercessor. The ‘Sv’ stands for Save, in this case its 3+, which means a roll of 3 or more, it can shrug off the wound. If the result is less than 3, the model gains a wound. Space Marines have tough armour!
In this case, the opponent rolled 1, so the wound goes through!
Check Damage and Allocate Wounds:
Let’s refer back to the Data Sheet of the Space Marine Assault Intercessor. The ‘W’ stands for Wounds, which are its ‘hit points’ in a way. It has 2.
So the model took 1 wound, it has 1 wound left. So your opponent places a marker to indicate its remaining wounds.
If the same Space Marine takes 1 more wound, it is destroyed and taken off the table.
And there you have it!
That’s how you Move and Shoot in Warhammer 40k! Tomorrow, we’ll learn how to Charge and Fight with our units in melee combat!
Want to start your own Warhammer 40k journey? Pick up the new Recruit Box which has all the models shown in this article and more! We’re also doing a bundle set of 1 Recruit Box and 1 Hobby Starter Set for only $100! Head down to the store to check ’em out!
We’re also running a Warhammer 40k Promotion: Book and attend a ‘Learn to Play’ demo and you get 1 chance to win a limited edition Warhammer 40k Indomitus Box Set! This box set is currently not available to order anymore so its a Super Hot Item! If you bring a friend along to learn the game, you get +1 chance! Your friend ALSO gets 1 chance! Click the image for info!
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