Tactics & strategy
Evergreen fundamentals plus the 11th shifts that change how you play. Win on objectives, not kills.
🎲 Charge probability calculator
Probability of making the charge with 2D6 (re-rolls and 3D6 approximated by enumeration).
The golden rule: play to objectives
Win on points, not kills The game is decided by Victory Points from controlling objectives, not by who has models left. You can lose every fight and still win on points.
Kill only to enable scoring Killing is a means, never the end — you kill things to enable your scoring or deny the opponent's.
The practical filter Before any move, shot or charge, ask: 'Does this help me score, or stop them scoring?' If it's 'no, but it kills something,' it's usually wrong.
Avoid the sunk-cost trap If grinding a tough unit isn't working, don't keep flailing just because you've committed resources. Cut losses and go score.
Turn order: going first vs second
Going first is the alpha strike Dead units can't shoot back. If your army has a strong first-turn punch, make it decisive and grab board space first.
Going second scores last In many missions the second player takes the final Command-phase score. Durable, reactive, objective-grinding armies often prefer second.
Deploy as though you'll go second Going all-in on turn one is high-variance. Set up in cover/out of LoS and protect key assets.
Second player always has reactive CP 11thBoth players gain 1 CP every Command phase, so the second player almost always has a Command Re-roll or reactive Stratagem on the opponent's turn.
Deployment — surviving turn zero
Deny information Place units that reveal the least first (deep strikers, fast units, backfield artillery); hold key units until last so you set up knowing the opponent's layout.
Outrange their offence Threat range = Move + weapon range (shooting), or Move + 12" charge + advance/extra moves (melee). Up to ~36" can usually be dodged; ~48" is the ceiling.
Defend what you can't dodge Hide behind LoS-blocking terrain, screen melee threats with cheap chaff, and wrap characters from all angles.
Always deploy an escape lane Castling maximises mutual support but risks being boxed in. Spreading contests more board but invites being beaten piecemeal — pick deliberately and leave an out.
Attack their weak flank Hit the side with weaker cross-support, forcing them to abandon support or split to contest — both bad for them.
Objectives & scoring
Know the mission first Missions drive almost every decision; understanding how and when points score improves results faster than any list change.
Score early — banked points are permanent A point banked on turn 2 is locked in even if that unit dies on turn 3.
Out-OC, don't over-kill You control an objective with higher total OC in range. Cheap high-OC bodies beat expensive low-OC elites. Battle-shocked / OC0 models hold nothing.
Win the midboard No-man's-land objectives usually decide games, so board control there matters more than your backfield.
Contest, don't always hold Sometimes you only need to deny a point by tying/beating its OC with a cheap fast unit — far cheaper than holding.
Terrain pieces ARE the objectives 11thYou hold by being within/touching the designated terrain area — and those scoring positions now come with cover and concealment built in.
New scoring caps 11thPrimary up to 45 VP (max 15/round); tactical secondaries draw two cards each turn and keep unscored ones, max 15 VP/turn.
Target priority
The three-question filter For any target ask: 'What's the mission? Will it kill me? Can I kill it?' Prioritise whatever threatens your ability to score or survive.
Match weapon to target Anti-tank into vehicles/monsters, anti-infantry into hordes. Don't fire weapons at units they need 5+ to wound unless you must.
Focus fire to delete whole units A half-dead unit still shoots, fights and scores at near-full effect; a dead one does nothing.
Fire fewest-options units first Shoot with units that see the fewest targets first; let flexible units pivot to remove two units instead of overkilling one.
Pick the target you can actually hit 11thWith cover now reducing the shooter's Ballistic Skill, a key enemy in terrain may be a worse target than a softer one in the open.
Movement & screening
Not getting attacked is the best defence Use True Line of Sight and obscuring terrain to hide while keeping a lane to shoot out on your turn.
Screen the deep-strike bubble Every model projects a no-deep-strike radius. Spread cheap units to zone huge areas and re-check the net every Movement phase.
The exclusion bubble is now ~8" 11thDeep Strike sets up >8" from enemy units (was >9"), so treat every model as carrying an ~8" exclusion bubble.
Cheap chaff is a winning trade A 1-wound screen blocks charges, projects the anti-deep-strike bubble, absorbs the alpha strike and can still contest.
Account for 2" engagement range 11thEngagement range is now 2" (5" vertically), so screens need a deeper gap — especially against advance-and-charge armies.
Protect characters 11thA Leader joined to a bodyguard can't be picked out; Lone Operatives can't be targeted beyond 12". Note a Leader's abilities now persist after its bodyguard dies.
Action economy & trading
Trade up, never throw units away Every engagement should leave you ahead: kill something worth more, force them off a scoring position, or bait them out of formation.
Drops and unit count both matter Fewer drops improves turn-order odds; more units gives board presence — especially valuable in 11th's alternating Fight phase.
Know when NOT to engage If a fight doesn't help you score or deny scoring and you'd come out behind, don't take it.
Manage variance to your position When favoured or even, minimise variance; when clearly outmatched, embrace the high-risk line because the safe play loses anyway.
The phases — practical tips
Spend CP early CP spent earlier is generally worth more. Spend only on high-probability, high-upside rolls.
Resolve sticky Battle-shock 11thTest units at or below half strength each Command phase; while shocked their OC is 0, they can't use Stratagems, and no longer recover automatically until they pass a later test.
Roll the charge distance first 11thDeclare a charge if any enemy is within 12", roll 2D6, then choose which target(s) to reach — though you must reach everything you declared.
Fight is alternating activations 11thPlayers take turns selecting one unit (active player first; Fights First resolves first), so having more units to activate is an advantage.
Pile-in up front, consolidate at the end 11thPile-in (up to 3") happens at the start of the Fight phase; consolidate (up to 3") happens together at the end, toward an enemy or objective.
Use consolidates as movement After fighting, consolidate onto an objective to score, out of LoS to safety, or to wrap and trap an enemy.
11th-edition cover & rules shifts
Cover reduces the shooter's BS 11thCover is now -1 to the shooting unit's Ballistic Skill instead of a save bonus, so it works regardless of AP — positioning is your primary defence over armour.
Concealment hides static infantry 11thAn Infantry/Swarm/Beast unit fully in terrain that didn't shoot last turn can't be targeted from more than ~15" away.
One Stratagem per unit per phase 11thA unit benefits from only one Stratagem per phase, and Command Re-roll counts — choose between a buff and the re-roll.
Spacing is a deliberate tool Max spread to cover board, tight to minimise attack surface, or closer than the enemy's base to block charges — never lazily ~1" apart.
Charge odds (9″ deep-strike charge)
| Scenario | Chance |
|---|---|
| 9" charge, no modifiers | ~28% |
| 9" charge, re-roll both dice | ~48% |
| 9" charge, re-roll one or both dice | ~58% |
| 9" charge, roll 3D6 keep best 2 | ~74% |
| 9" charge, turn one die into a 6 | ~92% |
Common beginner mistakes
✗ Playing to kill instead of to score.✓ Before every action ask 'does this score or deny scoring?' Banked primary beats a flashy late kill.
✗ Over-committing or chasing one target (sunk cost).✓ Have a backup plan; cut losses and go score.
✗ Lazy spacing that leaves deep-strike gaps.✓ Choose max-spread, tight, or sub-base spacing per purpose, and re-check the net every Movement phase.
✗ Hinging the game on a 9" (or any longshot) charge.✓ Don't bet the game on one low-odds roll; over-invest in reducing the distance or don't take the line.
✗ Chip damage instead of focus fire.✓ Remove whole units and fire your fewest-options units first.
✗ Wasting CP and re-rolls on small stuff.✓ Save them for high-upside, high-probability moments — doubly true with one Stratagem per unit per phase.
✗ Going all-in on first turn.✓ Deploy as if going second and protect key assets in cover or out of line of sight.
✗ Letting characters get sniped.✓ Use Leader / Lone Operative rules, screen from every angle, use transports, or hide out of LoS.
✗ Castling into a corner with no escape.✓ Always deploy an escape lane.
✗ Blaming the dice.✓ Reduce variance and do an honest post-mortem on scoring, not on the dice.
✗ Not reading the mission or the opponent's list.✓ Know how the mission scores before deploying, and ask what can deep strike, infiltrate, or charge from reserves.