Warhammer 40,000 rules

Core Rules

06. Other Concepts

06.00Other Concepts#

This section contains some additional rules concepts that are most frequently used while making attacks.

06.01Visibility#

Line of sight is used to determine visibility between models. For an observing model to have line of sight, it must be possible to draw an imaginary straight line, 1 mm wide, from any part of that model to any part of the model being observed. This line is the line of sight. While doing so, other models in the observing model’s unit and in the observed model’s unit are ignored. Other models and units can be either visible or fully visible to the observing model, as shown in the example. Note that terrain applies additional rules to visibility (13.07).

06.01.01 - Describing Visible Units#

When a rule references a visible unit but does not state which units that unit must be visible to, it must be visible to the unit that is using that rule.

Example: You target a friendly unit with a stratagem that says 'select one visible enemy unit'. That enemy unit must be visible to the friendly unit you targeted with the stratagem.

Model Visible

If any part of another model is *visible* to the observing model, that model is *visible*.

Model Fully Visible

If every part of another model that is facing the observing model is *visible* to the observing model (so the only thing blocking visibility to any part of that other model is that model itself), that model is *fully visible*.

Unit Visible

If one or more models in a unit are *visible* to the observing model, that unit is *visible*.

Unit Fully Visible

If every model in a unit is *fully visible* to the observing model, that unit is *fully visible*. When determining this, the observing model can see through other models in that unit.

06.02Mortal Wounds#

Some attacks or rules inflict mortal wounds on units. Each time a unit suffers one or more mortal wounds, its controlling player must resolve the following sequence for each of those mortal wounds, until either all of them have been inflicted or that unit is destroyed:

1. Select Model: Select one model in that unit by following the first instruction below that applies:

  • If a non‑CHARACTER model in that unit has lost one or more wounds, you must select that model.
  • Otherwise, if that unit contains one or more non‑CHARACTER models, you must select one of those models.
  • Otherwise, if one or more CHARACTER models in that unit have lost one or more wounds, you must select one of those models.
  • Otherwise, you must select one CHARACTER model in that unit.

2. Resolve Damage: The selected model loses 1 wound. If this reduces that model’s remaining wounds to 0, it is destroyed.

MORTAL WOUNDS AND NORMAL DAMAGE

When resolving attack dice, if those attacks inflict a mixture of both mortal wounds and normal damage, resolve all of the normal damage first, then resolve all of the mortal wounds.

06.02.01 - Normal Damage#

Normal Damage is damage that was inflicted on a model as a result of a weapon’s D characteristic, rather than by other means such as mortal wounds. Mortal wounds dealt in addition to normal damage from an attack are part of that same attack.

FAQ

Q I have a rule that triggers when a mortal wound is allocated to a model, when does this happen?

When you select a model in the Select Model step of Mortal Wounds (06.02).

in the full FAQ

06.03Hazard Rolls#

To make a hazard roll for a unit, roll one D6: on a 1-2, that roll fails and that unit suffers:

  • 1 mortal wound (06.02)
  • Or 3 mortal wounds instead if each model in that unit is a MONSTER/VEHICLE model.

If more than one hazard roll is required for a unit, make all of those rolls simultaneously.

06.03.01 - Hazardous Test#

The term 'Hazardous test' is the same as hazard roll.

FAQ

Q I failed hazard rolls from [Hazardous] weapons, do those mortal wounds have to be allocated to the models with the [Hazardous] weapons?

No, you allocate the mortal wounds to the unit as per Mortal Wounds(06.02). (This represents Bob the guardsmen picking up his fallen squad mates plasma gun or that the twisting power of James the Chaos Sorcerer pulling his followers into the warp.)

in the full FAQ
Q If a rule says my unit must make a hazard roll does every model in the unit make a hazard roll?

No, the unit would make 1 single hazard roll.

in the full FAQ