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This is a one-page quick reference for Warhammer 40,000 11th Edition. Keep it open at the table for the turn sequence, the numbers you’ll check most (engagement range, coherency, charges), the hit and wound tables, and the core keywords. Every section links to a fuller guide if you need the detail.
For the big picture, start at our 11th Edition hub or the 11th Edition rules changes. Brand new? Read how to play Warhammer 40k first.
Turn sequence
A battle normally lasts five battle rounds. Each round, both players take a turn. Each turn runs:
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| Start of turn | “Start of turn” rules trigger |
| 1. Command | Both players gain 1 CP, battle-shock rolls, then command abilities |
| 2. Movement | Every unit picks a move: remain stationary, normal, advance (M + D6) or fall back. Reserves arrive here |
| 3. Shooting | Units shoot using a shooting type (normal, assault, close-quarters, indirect) |
| 4. Charge | Roll 2D6, then pick targets within 12″ and within the roll |
| 5. Fight | All pile-ins (3″), Fights First units, remaining units, then consolidate (3″) |
| End of turn | Units out of coherency remove models until back in coherency |
Your mission tells you when and how you score. See 11th Edition missions explained, secondary objectives and deployment maps.
Key numbers
| Rule | 11th Edition number |
|---|---|
| Engagement range | 2″ horizontally, 5″ vertically (was 1″ in 10th) |
| Unit coherency | Within 2″ (5″ vertically) of another model, and within 9″ of every model in the unit |
| Advance | M + D6; no charging afterwards |
| Charge | Within 12″; roll 2D6 for the max distance; charging units get Fights First that turn |
| Pile-in / consolidate | Up to 3″ each |
| Deep Strike / reserves set-up | More than 8″ horizontally from all enemy units |
| Infiltrators | More than 8″ from the enemy deployment zone and all enemy units |
| Objective marker range (if used) | 3″ horizontally, 5″ vertically |
| Hidden (detection range) | Visible only within 15″ |
| Lone Operative | Can’t be seen from more than 12″ (unless attached) |
| Fire Overwatch / snap shooting | Target within 24″, hits only on an unmodified 6 |
| Hazard roll | Fails on 1–2: 1 mortal wound (3 if all Monsters/Vehicles) |
| Battle-shock test | 2D6, pass on equal to or above Ld |
| Detachment Points | 2 DP at 1,000 pts (Incursion), 3 DP at 2,000 pts (Strike Force); at Incursion a single 3 DP detachment is allowed if it’s your only one |
More on army building in Detachment Points explained.
Hit rolls
Roll a D6 per attack and compare to the weapon’s BS (shooting) or WS (melee).
| Roll | Result |
|---|---|
| Unmodified 1 | Always fails |
| Unmodified 6 | Critical hit (always hits; triggers Lethal/Sustained Hits) |
| Equal to or above BS/WS | Hit |
BS and WS can’t be improved past 2+ or worsened past 6+. Automatic hits (e.g. Torrent) are never criticals.
Wound rolls
| Strength vs Toughness | You need |
|---|---|
| S is double T or more | 2+ |
| S greater than T | 3+ |
| S equals T | 4+ |
| S less than T | 5+ |
| S is half T or less | 6+ |
An unmodified 1 always fails; an unmodified 6 is a critical wound (triggers Devastating Wounds). For how criticals interact, see Lethal Hits vs Devastating Wounds.
Saves and damage
| Rule | How it works |
|---|---|
| Armour save | Roll D6, apply AP, pass on equal to or above Sv |
| Invulnerable save | Unmodified roll vs the invulnerable save; AP doesn’t affect it |
| Save cap | Saves can’t be improved to 1+ |
| Allocation | Wounded non-Characters first; Characters last unless targeted with Precision |
| Mortal wounds | No saves; 1 wound each; resolved after normal damage |
| Feel No Pain X+ | Roll each time a wound would be lost; on X+ it isn’t |
Full walkthrough: how combat works in 40k.
Cover and terrain
| Rule | Effect |
|---|---|
| Benefit of cover | Worsen the attacker’s BS by 1 (ranged only). Replaces 10th’s +1 save |
| Who gets it | Every model is Infantry/Beasts/Swarm in a terrain area, or not fully visible due to intervening terrain |
| Plunging Fire | +1 BS when shooting from 3″+ high (or a Towering model within 12″) at targets on the ground |
| Hidden | Infantry/Beasts/Swarm in light/dense terrain that haven’t shot this turn or last turn: visible only within 15″ |
| Ignores Cover | Removes cover, including from Stealth |
See line of sight in 40k.
Objectives
| Rule | Effect |
|---|---|
| Objectives | Terrain areas are the objectives; you’re in range while inside that area |
| Control | At the end of every phase and turn, total the OC of your models in range; highest total controls |
| Ties | Nobody controls it unless one player has it secured |
| Secured objectives | Stay yours with no models nearby until the opponent’s level of control is higher at the end of a phase |
| Battle-shocked models | OC counts as “-” (contribute nothing) |
Battle-shock
| Rule | Effect |
|---|---|
| When | Your Command phase: test each unit that’s battle-shocked or at/below half-strength |
| Test | 2D6 vs Ld; pass to avoid (or clear) battle-shock |
| Effects | OC becomes “-“, no stratagems can target it, can’t start or complete actions, must use Desperate Escape to fall back |
| Change from 10th | It sticks until you pass a later test |
More in how morale works.
Command points and stratagems
| Rule | Effect |
|---|---|
| CP gain | 1 CP per player in each Command phase |
| Limit | A unit can benefit from one stratagem per phase; each stratagem once per phase |
| Command Re-roll (1 CP) | Re-roll one die (charge rolls re-roll in full) |
| Fire Overwatch (1 CP) | Snap shoot at the end of the opponent’s Movement phase |
| Heroic Intervention (1 CP, +1 CP for Into the Fray) | Charge in the opponent’s turn |
| Counteroffensive (2 CP) | Give an eligible unit Fights First; it fights next |
| Insane Bravery (1 CP) | Auto-pass a battle-shock test, once per battle |
Read what stratagems are, command points and Overwatch in 11th Edition.
Common keywords
| Keyword | Effect |
|---|---|
| Deep Strike | Arrive anywhere more than 8″ from enemies, even in their deployment zone. See Deep Strike in 11th Edition |
| Leader / Support | Attach before the battle; each bodyguard can take one Leader and one Support. See Leader rules |
| Stealth | Unit always has the benefit of cover vs ranged attacks |
| Lone Operative | Not visible beyond 12″ unless attached |
| Fights First | Fights in the Fights First step |
| Feel No Pain X+ | Ignore lost wounds on X+ |
| Scouts X” | Pre-battle move of up to X”, ending more than 8″ from enemies |
| Deadly Demise X | When destroyed, on a 6 each unit within 6″ suffers X mortal wounds |
| Heavy / Assault / Blast / Torrent… | See 40k weapon abilities explained |
Unfamiliar term? Check the Warhammer glossary, or grab the official core rules via our free 40k rules guide.
FAQ
What is engagement range in 11th Edition?
2″ horizontally and 5″ vertically, up from 1″ in 10th.
How far can you charge in 11th Edition?
You can declare a charge against units within 12″. Roll 2D6 for the maximum distance, then pick targets within that distance.
Does cover still give +1 to saves?
No. In 11th, cover worsens the attacker’s Ballistic Skill by 1 against ranged attacks.
When do you take battle-shock tests?
In your Command phase, for each unit that’s at or below half-strength or already battle-shocked.
How do Leader rules work in 11th Edition?
In 11th Edition you attach Leader characters to a bodyguard unit before the battle starts. Each bodyguard unit can take one Leader and one Support character, and the attached characters fight as part of that unit. Which characters can join which units is set by each datasheet, so check your army’s rules before you build the list.
Can you charge after advancing in 11th Edition?
No. A unit that Advances in the Movement phase adds D6 to its Move characteristic but can’t declare a charge that turn. If you want to charge, make a Normal move instead and then roll 2D6 in the Charge phase, picking targets within 12″ and within the roll.