Cadian Shock Troops Guide — Astra Militarum Infantry

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Who Are the Cadian Shock Troops?

Cadian Shock Troops are the quintessential Astra Militarum infantry — disciplined, well-drilled human soldiers who hold the line against threats that dwarf them in every physical measure. They are not genetically enhanced super-soldiers, ancient alien warriors, or daemonic abominations. They are ordinary humans with lasguns, flak armour, and an iron will forged by the most demanding military training regime in the Imperium.

Cadia was a fortress world positioned at the mouth of the Eye of Terror, the great warp rift from which the forces of Chaos pour into realspace. For ten thousand years, every citizen of Cadia was a soldier. Children learned to field-strip lasguns before they could read. The planet’s entire culture was built around military readiness because the alternative — being overrun by Chaos — was not an option. When Abaddon the Despoiler finally destroyed Cadia during the 13th Black Crusade, the planet broke before its people did. That phrase — “Cadia stands” — became the rallying cry of the scattered Cadian diaspora.

Today, Cadian Shock Troops serve across the galaxy, their training methods adopted by countless regiments. They are the gold standard of Imperial Guard infantry: disciplined, accurate, and steadfast in the face of horrors that would break lesser soldiers. On the tabletop, they represent the backbone of the Astra Militarum — cheap, numerous, and surprisingly effective when properly supported.

Cadian Shock Troops Datasheet Overview

Cadian Shock Troops are a Battleline Infantry unit in the Astra Militarum faction, led by a Sergeant. Their profile reflects their nature as baseline human soldiers: standard infantry movement, the low Toughness and single wound of an ordinary human, and a 5+ flak armour save. In short, Cadians die to almost everything, and you make up for it with numbers, orders and good use of terrain. Exact characteristics, Objective Control and points can change with the codex and Munitorum Field Manual, so check the current datasheet in the Warhammer 40,000 app for the numbers.

The Shock Troops Ability

The squad’s datasheet ability is about holding ground rather than shooting: if the unit is within range of an objective you control at the end of your Command phase, that objective stays yours until your opponent’s level of control is higher at the end of a phase. That lets Cadians grab a point and move on. Check the current datasheet for the exact wording.

Lasgun and Special Weapon Loadouts

The Lasgun

The humble lasgun, mocked as a “flashlight” by the community, is the standard weapon. Individually it is unimpressive: low Strength, no AP, one damage. But Cadians don’t fire individually. Ten lasguns firing together, boosted by orders, generate a surprising number of hits, and a few squads together can strip screens and light infantry off objectives.

Special Weapons

A couple of troopers in each squad can swap their lasguns for special weapons, which changes the squad’s threat profile. The exact options and how many you can take are on the current datasheet; the common choices are:

Plasma Gun: The premium option. High Strength, good AP and solid damage turn one trooper into a real threat to elite infantry and light vehicles. Its supercharged profile carries a hazard risk to the bearer, which is usually worth it on a cheap squad.
Meltagun: Short-ranged anti-tank weapon that’s devastating up close but needs to get there. Good in squads riding in a Chimera.
Grenade Launcher: The flexible option, with frag and krak profiles for infantry and armour.
Flamer: An auto-hitting torrent weapon that ignores Ballistic Skill. Good for squads sitting in defensive positions that expect to be charged.

What About Heavy Weapons?

Heavy weapon teams such as missile launchers and lascannons are not usually part of a Cadian Shock Troops squad. Astra Militarum heavy weapons traditionally come from Heavy Weapons Squads and the standard Infantry Squad datasheet, so check the current datasheets before you build a heavy weapon into your Cadians.

Sergeant Equipment

The Sergeant starts with a laspistol and chainsword and can swap to a bolt pistol, or trade both for a Sergeant’s autogun, depending on the current datasheet. In 11th Edition [PISTOL] works the same as the new [CLOSE-QUARTERS] ability, and the chainsword gives a few extra melee attacks, though Cadians should generally avoid combat when they can.

How to Use Cadian Shock Troops: Tactics and Strategy

Orders and Officers

The single most important tactical consideration for Cadians is orders. Astra Militarum officers issue orders to nearby units, giving buffs such as better shooting, extra movement or improved durability. A Cadian squad without orders is an adequate unit; a squad with the right order at the right time is a genuinely effective one.

The old Platoon Commander and Company Commander are 9th Edition names. In current rules, Cadian officers come from datasheets such as the Cadian Castellan and the Cadian Command Squad, and some can be attached to a squad as a Leader or Support character. In 11th Edition each bodyguard unit can take one Leader and one Support, attachments are locked in when you write your list, and a Leader keeps its abilities even after its squad is wiped out. Check the current datasheets for which officers can join Cadian Shock Troops and what orders they can give.

Massed Infantry Tactics

The strength of Cadian Shock Troops is volume. One squad is expendable. Three squads are a serious problem for your opponent. Six squads are a tide of bodies that controls objectives through sheer numbers.

Deploy multiple squads across your front line and overlap their coverage so losing one squad doesn’t open a gap. Use them as screens and objective holders at the same time, and move another squad up when one is destroyed.

Use Terrain: Cover and Hidden

With a 5+ save and low Toughness, Cadians are fragile in the open. 11th Edition rewards infantry that hug terrain. Cover no longer improves your save; instead, an Infantry unit in a terrain area (or not fully visible because of intervening terrain) gets the benefit of cover, which worsens the attacker’s Ballistic Skill by 1 against ranged attacks. That helps against any weapon, regardless of its AP.

The Hidden rule helps even more. Infantry in light or dense terrain that haven’t shot this turn or last turn can only be seen from within 15″, which protects squads holding back objectives from long-range firepower. The trade-off is that shooting gives away their position, so decide which squads are there to fire and which are there to sit tight.

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Objectives are terrain areas in 11th Edition, so Cadians standing in a ruin to claim it often get cover at the same time. Deploy in terrain, advance into terrain, and leave it only when the mission demands it.

Screening and Sacrificial Units

Cadians are cheap enough to screen your more valuable units: Leman Russ tanks, artillery and characters. A squad in front of your armour stops enemies charging it and pushes deep strikers further away, since reserves have to arrive more than 8″ from your units. When the screen dies, it has done its job.

Don’t feel bad about losing Cadian squads. Part of their charm is these brave humans dying to buy one more round of tank fire, but tactically they are ablative wounds for your real firepower.

Transport Options

Chimera transports give Cadians mobility and protection. A mounted squad can move up quickly, disembark to grab an objective, and add to the Chimera’s own firepower. Mount squads with meltaguns or plasma guns so they arrive at the right range.

Cadian Shock Troops Synergies

Cadian officers: Essential. Officers such as the Cadian Castellan and the Cadian Command Squad provide the orders that make Cadians effective. Take enough officers to give your key squads an order each turn.
Leman Russ Battle Tank: Cadians screen for the tanks, tanks provide the heavy firepower. This is the classic Guard combination that has defined the faction for decades.
Basilisk / Manticore: Indirect fire support that shoots over terrain while Cadians hold objectives in the midboard.
Commissar: Keeps nearby troops in line. Battle-shock is stickier in 11th Edition (a failed test isn’t cleared until you pass a later one), so anything that helps with it is worth more. Check the current datasheet for exactly what the Commissar does and which units it can join.

Competitive Considerations

In competitive 40k, Cadian Shock Troops are valued mainly for cheap objective control and screening rather than damage. Key notes:

Squad size: Minimum-sized squads are often preferred because they are harder to over-kill and give more deployment flexibility. Larger squads make better use of each order and each Leader, so the right choice depends on your list.
Points efficiency: Cadians are among the cheapest battleline units in the game. Their value lies in what they enable rather than what they kill. Check the Munitorum Field Manual for current points.
Detachment choice: In 11th Edition you spend Detachment Points (2 DP at 1,000 points, 3 DP at 2,000) on one to three detachments. Look for Astra Militarum detachments that reward large numbers of infantry, and remember that a unit can only benefit from one stratagem per phase.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Cadian Shock Troops good in 11th Edition?

Yes, as a cheap battleline option that works with the order system. They are not individually powerful, but 11th Edition’s cover and Hidden rules favour infantry in terrain, and objectives are now terrain areas, which suits squads that sit in ruins. Their low cost makes them effective in volume, and most Guard lists include several squads.

How many Cadian squads should I run?

Most competitive lists run three to six squads depending on the overall army design. Three squads give basic objective coverage. Infantry-heavy builds can run six or more squads supported by several officers.

What is the best special weapon for Cadians?

The plasma gun is the most popular choice due to its versatility and damage output. Meltaguns are strong in Chimera-mounted squads. Grenade launchers are the budget option. Flamers are situationally useful for squads expecting to be charged.

Should I run Cadians in a Chimera?

For at least one or two squads, yes. Chimera-mounted Cadians provide much-needed mobility in an otherwise slow army. Reserve transports for squads carrying special weapons that need to reach specific ranges.

Cadians vs Death Korps of Krieg — which is better?

Both are valid infantry choices with different strengths. Cadians lean towards shooting and order synergy; Death Korps lean towards durability and holding ground. Many lists mix both depending on the role they need, so compare the current datasheets and points.

Was Cadia destroyed?

Yes. Cadia fell during Abaddon’s 13th Black Crusade, when the Blackstone Fortress Will of Eternity was crashed into the planet and broke it apart. The surviving Cadians were evacuated and scattered across the galaxy, but the regiments live on, still recruiting and training in the Cadian way, which is why ‘Cadia stands’ remains their rallying cry.

Who leads the Cadian Shock Troops?

Lord Castellan Ursarkar E. Creed is the most famous Cadian commander. He led the defence of Cadia during the 13th Black Crusade and went missing in action during the planet’s fall; his daughter, Ursula J. Creed, succeeded him as Lord Castellan and now leads the surviving Cadians. His aide, Colour Sergeant Jarran Kell, is almost as well known; he died at Abaddon’s hands covering Creed’s escape.