On this page:
A4: Resolve combat attacks
Use units' assault values to make combat attacks and determine whether there is a swift outcome at this step in the assault procedure or whether the assault stalls and moves to another step.
Assault values
In general, a unit has two values on its datasheet that may come into effect during an assault:
- Close Combat (CC) Use this value when units are in base-to-base contact with the enemy.
- Firefight (FF) Use this value when units are not in base contact but are within 15cm of the enemy and have a line of fire.
Units that are armed only with Assault Weapons and that do not have any Small Arms or other ranged weapons have no FF value and may only attack if they are in base-to-base contact with the enemy (using their CC value).
Assault Weapons and Small Arms
Many unit datasheets include weapons that are noted as being either Assault Weapons or Small Arms.
Assault Weapons: This term covers all of the diverse close combat weapons of the 41st Millennium, including chainswords, power weapons and Ork choppas. A unit can use these weapons only during an assault, when it reaches base-to-base contact with an enemy. The effect of these weapons is included in the unit’s Close Combat value.
Assault Marines are equipped with chainswords. Their Close Combat value of 3+ takes into account the effect of these weapons and the marines' expertise with them.
Small Arms: This term covers a dizzying array of short-range weapons used by units in the 41st Millennium, including lasguns, bolters and Ork shootas. A unit can use these weapons only during an assault, when it reaches firefight range (15cm) of an enemy. The effect of these weapons is included in the unit’s Firefight value.
Although Small Arms have a nominal range of 15cm on unit datasheets, this only reflects firefight range during an assault and is not for normal shooting. This represents the limited amounts of ammunition that units carry for such weapons, and also the fact that in combat most soldiers will keep their heads down and only shoot when the situation is really desperate! In general, neither of these problems apply to heavy weapons teams, which is why such weapons get to shoot all of the time.
Tactical Marines are equipped with boltguns. Their Firefight value of 4+ takes into account the effect of these weapons and the marines' expertise with them.
Check which units can attack
First, only units in the formations that are actually part of the assault (attacking or defending) can attack in this step. Second, of these units, only those that are directly engaged can attack in this step.
Directly engaged units are those units in the assault that, after charge and counter-charge moves are complete, are:
- in-base-to-base contact with an enemy unit — they can attack using their CC value
- within 15cm of, and have a line of fire to, enemy units engaged in the assault — they can attack using their FF value
Make combat attacks
- For each unit that can attack (is directly engaged), roll a D6 and compare the score to the unit's Close Combat or Firefight value as appropriate. If your score equals or exceeds the required value then you score a hit on the enemy.
- No modifiers ever apply to these rolls. Cover to hit modifiers for infantry apply only in the shooting procedure.
- Note that Blast markers only suppress units during the shooting procedure, not during the assault procedure — we assume that the proximity of the enemy means that everyone joins in!
- Allocate the hits you receive against your units and make saving throws, in the same way as for hits from shooting (that is, allocate hits to units in base contact first because they are nearest to the enemy, then the next nearest, and so on). Your opponent does the same. Remove the casualties, but keep note of how many there are.
- You may only allocate hits to units that were directly engaged in the assault.
- The Crossfire bonus does not apply during an assault.
- The attacking player's infantry units do not benefit from cover saves — they have to leave cover and expose themselves to engage the enemy.
- The defending player's infantry units benefit from cover saves as normal — they make the most of their position as their enemies bear down on them.
Keep a running total of the number of casualties inflicted by each side in the assault.
Do not place Blast markers or consider whether a formation is Broken until the final steps in the assault procedure tell you to.
To speed things up, organise your dice into batches. For example, roll for all 4+ values in one batch, then all 5+ values and so on.
Keep a running total of the number of hits you score — your opponent will allocate hits once you have a final total.
Determine the outcome
- If all of the units in the defending formation have been killed and at least one unit in the attacking formation survives, then the attacker wins and the assault is over. Go to A7: Loser: Break, and withdraw from the assault.
- If all of the attacking units directly engaged in the assault are killed then the assault stalls and the defender wins. Go to A7: Loser: Break, and withdraw from the assault.
- If even one of the attacking units that were directly engaged survives, then the combat is stalled and both sides can call for supporting fire. Go to A5: Resolve stalled combat with supporting fire.
- In any other case, the combat is stalled and both sides can call for supporting fire. Go to A5: Resolve stalled combat with supporting fire.
To be clear, each side has only one way to win immediately at this stage without a stalled combat and supporting fire:
- The attacker must destroy every unit in the defending formation.
or
- The defender must destroy every attacking unit that is directly engaged.
FAQ
Q. During an assault, how do I allocate attacks with special abilities like Ignore Cover and Lance?
A. This was never covered in the rules. The unofficial consensus is that you should allocate them in such a way as to use their special rules, if possible. So, allocate Ignore Cover hits to units that are benefiting from a cover save, and allocate Lance hits to units with Reinforced Armour. In tournament games, this is something you should bring up with your opponent during the five minute warm up.
Q. How do we interpret 'directly engaged' in assaults that go on for multiple rounds in the assault procedure?
A. Check and re-evaluate after every counter charge move is complete. In a multi-round assault, counter charges and casualties can mean that some units are directly engaged in some rounds and not in others.