Shooting Phase
A unit cannot shoot if: it has Rushed, is Locked in Combat or is embarked on a transport.
1. Choose the Target Unit · 2. Check the target · 3. Declare weapons · 4. Form Fire Groups · 5. Choose a Fire Group to resolve · 6. Make Hit Tests · 7. Make Wound Tests · 8. Choose the Target Model · 9. Make Saving Throws and Damage Mitigation rolls · 10. Choose the next Fire Group (repeat steps 6 to 9) · 11. Remove Casualties.
An eligible unit shoots at a single enemy unit, chosen from those that are visible and within reach — never a unit that is embarked, in Reserves, or already engaged in melee.
- Line of Sight. At least one model in the shooting unit must be able to draw Line of Sight to at least one model in the target.
- Range. A weapon is only "in range" if the distance between the shooter and the targeted model (via a valid Line of Sight) is less than or equal to that weapon's Range.
The shooter declares which weapons in their unit take part in the shooting (one weapon per model, unless a special rule says otherwise), respecting range and Line of Sight for each. They are then gathered into Fire Groups: all attacks made with weapons of the same name form a single group, resolved in one go.
Two exceptions require separate groups, even for the same weapon: if the weapon has several profiles (you then choose which one to use), or if the models shooting do not all have the same Ballistic Skill.
Groups are resolved one at a time, in the order chosen by the shooting player.
Add up the Firepower characteristic of all the weapons in the group: this total gives the number of Hit Tests to make. The score needed depends on the majority Ballistic Skill in the unit. Each success is a hit.
Key: Cr X+: hits on 2+, and on X+ it counts as a Critical Hit. Fail: automatic failure.
A Suppressed unit (see Tactical Statuses) must use the "Snap Shots" row for all of its shooting — likewise for the Intercept Reaction, or a weapon fired by a unit with the Light trait after it has Rushed.
Each hit is then converted into a Wound Test, by cross-referencing the weapon's Strength with the target's Toughness — see the table below. A "−" means the wound is impossible.
Vehicle target: no Wound Test. Instead, make an Armour Penetration test, which compares the weapon's Strength with the Armour hit.
- Choose the target model. The defending player chooses which model in the unit takes each wound. A model that is already wounded must be chosen first.
- Saving Throw. A save may be attempted for each wound or penetrating hit; if successful, it is simply discarded.
- Damage Mitigation roll. If the save is failed and a mitigation is available (Shrouded, Force field…), it is the model's last chance of survival.
- Applying Damage. Each wound that is not avoided reduces the model's Wounds by the weapon's Damage value. At 0, it is set aside as a Casualty.
A target partially obscured by terrain benefits from a Cover Save (not affected by AP), whose value depends on the type of cover (light: 6, medium: 5, heavy: 4).
Overwatch: when a charged unit reacts with it, the attacker benefits from no Cover Save or Shrouded mitigation. Details on the Reactions page.
Once all Fire Groups have been resolved, units that have suffered heavily test their morale.
- Out of coherency. Cool test; if failed, the unit becomes Suppressed.
- Panic. If the unit has lost 25% or more of its models during this Shooting Attack, Leadership test; if failed, it becomes Routed.
A unit never takes more than one test for the same status in this sub-phase, even if several rules could trigger it.
Details of the Tactical Statuses and their effects on the Tactical Statuses page.
The targeted unit fires back in turn, even with the models that are about to die in the exchange.
Legiones Astartes Advanced Reaction, costs 1 Reaction point. Declared at the start of step 3 of a Shooting Attack (or step 4 of a Charge), if the majority of the targeted unit has the Shield trait: +1 Toughness for the rest of the phase.
Legiones Astartes Advanced Reaction, costs 1 Reaction point. Declared at the start of step 3 of a Shooting Attack, if the majority of the targeted unit has the Smokescreen trait: Shrouded (5+) mitigation roll for the rest of the phase, against wounds, penetrating hits and glancing hits.
Legiones Astartes Advanced Reaction, costs 1 Reaction point. Declared at step 9 of a Shooting Attack targeting a unit that includes a Medic. When removing casualties (step 11): one recovery roll for each model that has suffered an unsaved wound (except models that themselves have Medic).