LAST UPDATED - 3.17.26

CHANGE NOTES
-Clarification on disembarks after advancing and the Secure Positions stratagem.
-Clarification on the Aeldari stratagem Vengeful Sorrow and attached characters.

(NOTE) Rulings in this document marked (FAQ) describe how common rules interactions function together, but do not add new interpretation or information. Rulings marked (JUDGEMENT) are rules judgements to resolve ambiguous or novel interactions and may represent new or uncommon interpretations of rules that may be played differently in other communities. Entries marked (NOTE) are just explanatory and don't represent any rules implications.
Related rulings are grouped together where possible.

In all cases, rules predence should be considered to follow the hierarchy below (entries on the left being of the highest authority):
This Document > Balance Dataslate > Faction Packs > Rules Commentary > Core Rules

++CORE RULES++
CORE CONCEPTS
- (FAQ) Abilities that require a model to be on the battlefield to be used... cannot be used when the model is not on the battlefield. (duh)

- (FAQ) A player with no remaining units in play can still complete their turns (this is for the purpose of passive VP scoring or abilities that explicitly work while a unit is destroyed).

(NOTE) The base of base-measuring models, and the hull of hull-measuring models, will collectively be referred to as the measurement surface of that model.
- (FAQ) The measurement surface of models may not intersect that of other models or terrain. While a model is moving, only its measurement surface is considered for the purpose of moving over or intersecting terrain features, however in order to end a movement or be set up, miniatures (regardless of their measurement surface) may never intersect other models or terrain.

- (JUDGEMENT) When measuring any distance to or from a model that base measures, ignore any parts of that model that are not its base. Models are wholly within an area if all parts of their measurement surface are within that area.

- (FAQ) If a rule or effect applies a keyword to a unit (such as the Phantasm Grenade Launcher wargear option), that keyword is applied to each model in that unit.


EFFECT TIMING
- (FAQ) If a player has multiple rules they use to use at exactly the same time (such as multiple effects that take place at "the start of the shooting phase"); all of these must be decisions must be made simultaneously before any are resolved (in the order in which simultaneously effects are declared as described in the rules commentary). The active player then chooses the order in which they resolve as normal. If no player is active at that time, players roll off and the winner decides the order in which they are resolved.
(NOTE) This can allow a player to trigger multiple effects 'just after' a single trigger - which are all then sequenced according to the normal rules. Note that while WCW used a house ruling to disallow this interaction in explicit instances, since the verbiage of such a rule has neither been made public nor incorporated into the rules commentary, it will be ignored until such time that it is widely released.

- (JUDGEMENT) If an effect that explicitly occurs "at any time" can be used simultaneously with effects that occur at the start of a phase. In such cases it must be sequenced and resolved as described in the FAQ above.
(NOTE) This is not the case for effects used during a phase but not "at any time"; those effects must be resolved after any that occur at the start of that phase as normal.
(NOTE) I don't think anything in the game currently has this timing but you never know.

- (FAQ) Effects that occur when a unit was "just destroyed" (such as the Reinforcements! Stratagem) do so immediately after it is removed from the battlefield.

- (JUDGEMENT) Effects with the "When" timing occur before effects with the "immediately", "after", or "just after" timing (which are considered synonymous as per the Rules Commentary).


PRE-GAME EFFECTS
- (JUDGEMENT) During Step 11 (Resolve Pre-Battle Abilities) of the Game Sequence, the player taking the first turn must resolve *all* of their pre-battle abilities first.

- (JUDGEMENT) Effects that occur at the 'start of the battle' do so at the beginning of Step 12 (Begin the Battle) of the Game Sequence. Resolve effects not controlled by either player first, then resolve *all* of the first player's abilities.

- (FAQ) Avalailable bodyguards for a unit with the Leader ability may refer to a datasheet name and/or unit keywords. For example; a Leader that can join a TZAANGOR ENLIGHTENED unit may join units with the Tzaangor Enlightened name, and/or units with the TZAANGOR ENLIGHTENED unit keyword(s).


MOVEMENT PHASE
- (FAQ) The height of a terrain feature (for the purposes of ignoring it for movement) is measured from a highest point of that terrain feature, regardless of the dimensions of the specific component of the terrain feature model being moved over.
(NOTE) Keep in mind that measurement Through The Air is still based on the actual movement of moving model, so the height of the specific component of the terrain feature model being moved over is taken into account, and that some abilties (such as Titanic Walker) check the height of the specific sections of a terrain feature being moved through.
(NOTE) The T5S2 map pool specifies the intended height of each terrain feature at their highest points.
(NOTE) Keep in mind that some effects allow models to ignore 'portions' of a terrain feature' which allows them to measure each individual part of the terrain feature for movement.

- (FAQ) Effects that allow models to be added or returned to a unit cannot be used in same phase after the unit was set up on the battlefield from reserves (because such a model cannot be set up in coherency with a model from their unit that was on the battlefield at the beginning of that phase).

- (FAQ) Models can move through other friendly models (provided that they are not both MONSTERs or VEHICLEs) when executing moves in ANY phase.

- (JUDGEMENT) Models need only take a Desperate Breakout test while falling back if a part of their measurement surface would need to pass through that of an enemy model while moving (unless that unit is battleshocked or affected by a special ability as normal).

(NOTE) A unit currently performing a Surge move is referred to here as a Surging unit.
- (JUDGEMENT) When resolving Surge moves that require that the surging unit ends the move as close as possible to the closest enemy unit; after determining the distance of the move its controlling player can choose whether or not to execute the move. If they choose not to, the move is considered to have been performed to a distance of 0" (per the Rules Commentary). If they choose to do so, they may then choose any distance up to the maximum distance determined. After deciding on the maximum distance that the move will travel, determine the closest enemy unit and the closest possible legal point to that unit the Surging unit could reach with that move. Then, perform the move, with at least one model in the unit performing the move ending the move at the predetermined point (for example; if it is possible for one member of the Surging unit to legally move into base contact with the closest enemy, at least one member of the Surging unit must do so). Other members of the Surging unit may then move in any direction, following all rules pertaining to that Surge move.


REINFORCEMENTS
- (JUDGEMENT) Units being selected to arrive and subsequently set up on the battlefield are independently resolved one at a time (i.e. one unit is selected to arrive, then setup, then the next unit is selected to arrive and is then set up, etc.).

- (FAQ) In order for a Strategic Reserve unit to be selected to arrive during the first battle round, it must already have a method to arrive (such as via the Deep Strike ability).

- (FAQ) Stratagems used on a unit in Stratagic Reserve that is arriving on the battlefield that allow a unit arriving from Strategic Reserve to use a new method of setting up (such as Cosmic Precicision or Twisted Mirage) do not automatically make such a unit eligible to arrive in the first Battle Round (since they are not eligible to be selected to arrive as described above).


CHARGE PHASE
- (FAQ) The only requirement for a charge to by successful is that the distance allowed by the charge roll can in theory bring its targets into engagement range - however the actual moves followed by the charging models are not required to follow the same path. Since charge movements following a successful charge roll must only bring a model into base contact if possible, and there is no requirement for the unit to enter engagement range while resolving a charge movement, it is possible in some circumstances to legally resolve a successful charge without engaging any of the original charge targets.


MAKING ATTACKS
- (FAQ) Fast dice rolling may be used in the following circumstances:
-When resolving hit and wound rolls for weapons with identical profiles, abilities, targetting the same unit.
-When resolving saving throws for non-random damage attacks with identical target numbers.
(NOTE) Per the Fast Dice Rolling rules, saving throws and damage for random damage weapons MUST be resolved individually for dice manipulation to be used.

- (FAQ) Effects that trigger or are used when a unit is selected to shoot or fight (such as Dark Pacts or Unparalelled Foresight) are not in effect when making attacks at other times (such as fighting on death).
(NOTE) Per the June 2024 FAQ, a unit targeted by Fire Overwatch is immediately considered to be 'selected to shoot'.
(NOTE) Per the June 2024 FAQ, a unit that is fighting outside of the Fight Phase is NOT considered to be 'selected to fight'.

- (FAQ) A unit must not be currently affected by rules that would make it ineligible to shoot in order to make use of effects that allow it 'shoot as if it were the shooting phase.'

- (JUDGEMENT) The keywords possessed by a unit at the time the last model in that unit is destroyed constitute that unit's keywords when destroyed. Keywords of models in the unit that have already been destroyed and removed from play are not considered at that time.
(NOTE) This is relevant for some on-death triggered effects.

- (JUDGEMENT) When a model is reduced to zero wounds, it is simultaneously both destroyed at the removed from the battlefield. The active player may sequence the order that these apply (in case it matters for the use of some abilities etc).
(NOTE) As described in the ABILITIES section below, effects that resolve when a unit is destroyed will still apply regardless.

- (FAQ) The Blast keyword only adds additional attacks to weapons that make a random number of attacks. Applying the Blast keyword to any weapon without a random attacks characteristic only has the effect of making it unable to target engaged enemies.


ABILITIES
- (JUDGEMENT) Any abilities that a model has that do not explicitly work while that model is destroyed (such as Angron's Reborn in Blood), or resolve when/just after they are destroyed (such a Roboute Guilliman's Armour of Fate), do not apply while it is removed from the battlefield as a result of being destroyed.
(NOTE) This means that effects such as a Canoness' Sacred Command is NOT able to be used on stratagems such as Divine Intervention if it is removed from the battlefield first, functionally preventing it from being used during its opponent's turn since they can choose to sequence the Canoness' removal from the battlefield BEFORE the stratagem usage.


LEADERS
- (JUDGEMENT) If a bodyguard unit is destroyed by Fire Overwatch at the beginning of a move, each character that was attached to the unit will still resolve that move independently, based on any restrictions or rolls made for unit while it was attached.

- (JUDGEMENT) If an attached unit is composed of only CHARACTER models, attacks may be assigned to those CHARACTER models despite the Leader ability normally preventing it.
(NOTE) This isn't explicitly RAW, but prevents rare situations where multiple characters could join one another and become immune to being assigned attacks.

- (FAQ) If a bodyguard unit provides a persistent benefit to an attached leader (such as the Feel No Pain ability) and that bodyguard unit is destroyed, that benefit persists until the of the attacking unit has resolved all of its attacks.
(NOTE) This is because the units are still considered attached, and thus the leader still Leading that bodyguard unit, until the attacking unit has resolved all of its attacks.


TRANSPORTS
- (FAQ) A unit cannot be targeted or selected by ANY rules or abilities while they are embarked in a transport (unless otherwise specified in the ability).

- (FAQ) Embarked units may not resolve, use, or benefit from any abilities, except those with explicit effects that occur while they are embarked. This include abilities that select targets for future effects.

- (FAQ) Enhancements that improve the characteristics of an equipped weapon do not apply when that weapon is used to attack using Firing Deck.

- (FAQ) A transport with Firing Deck must still be able to be selected to shoot in order to use the Firing Deck ability (meaning that it must have eligible targets BEFORE it selects weapons to use via Firing Deck).
(NOTE) This means that embarked models with weapons with the Indirect Fire keyword do not automatically allow a transport to shoot indirectly - the transport must have a target for one or more of its own weapons in order to be selected.

- (FAQ) Units embarked within a transport that advanced or fell back may not disembark for any reason, unless the transport is destroyed or the effect specifies otherwise.

- (FAQ) Effects that allow units to disembark AFTER a transport has advanced (such as the Blistering Assault ability) must be resolved just after the advance move is performed, and do not allow units to disembark at other times.


AIRCRAFT
- (JUDGEMENT) Aircraft models using the Hover ability still use their base to measure between models (instead of their hull), even though they are not AIRCRAFT. They will still interact with terrain features as normal.
(NOTE) This is not technically correct, but ruled so to streamline gameplay because of the difficulties measuring to colliderless vertical models on the TTS platform.


MUSTERING AN ARMY
- (JUDGEMENT) An army cannot include two instances of EPIC HERO units with identical datasheet names (such as the LEGIONES DAEMONICA Shalaxi Helbane and the LEGION OF EXCESS Shalaxi Hellbane).


++FACTION RULES++
AELDARI
- (JUDGEMENT) Since a Fire Prism is not required to be selected to shoot in order to use the Linked Fire keyword of its Prism Cannon, enemies that could be targeted using Linked Fire are considered eligible targets and thus allow the Fire Prism to be selected to shoot.
- (FAQ) If an Infantry unit is targeted and destroyed during the opponent's shooting phase, but attached characters are NOT destroyed, they are not eligible to be targeted by the Corsair Coterie stratagem Vengeful Sorrow (because they are considered to be seperate units once the last bodyguard model is removed).


ADEPTA SORORITAS
- (FAQ) Miracle dice gained from Saintly Example are added to the miracle dice gained due to Acts of Faith when that unit is destroyed, and so can be manipulated by effects such as the Imagifier's Litany of Deeds.


ADEPTUS CUSTODES
- (JUDGEMENT) A unit targeted by Unleash the Lions is considered to have been removed and replaced by a number of units equal to the remaining models. This will effect the resolution of some Secondary objectives (such as Marked for Death) and the use of the unit's From Golden Light, but does not change the model's remaining wounds or affect abilities possessed by attached characters.


ASTRA MILITARUM
- (FAQ) The Order issued by Kasrkin's Warrior Elite ability only applies alongside *other* orders issued by OFFICERS, and as such cannot be used to apply the same order twice.
- (JUDGEMENT) Kasrkin units in a Grizzled Company detachment may select the Target Weak Spot or Move to the Shadows orders when resolving their Warrior Elite ability.


IMPERIAL KNIGHTS
- (JUDGEMENT) Any effects that occur when a *model* is destroyed do so when Canis Rex is destroyed. Any effects that occur when a *unit* is destroyed do not resolve when Canis Rex is destroyed until its controlling player's Sir Hektur is also destroyed.
(NOTE) This is not the case for other occurances of single-model units; for which model and unit are used synonymously.
- (JUDGEMENT) A character must STILL be selected at the start of the battle for the Deed 'We Vow to Lay Low the Tyrants' even if that vow is not selected at the start of the game by an army using the Questoris Companions detachment. If the chosen Character is destroyed prior to the Deed being selected, it will be automatically be completed at the end of the next turn.


LEAGUES OF VOTANN
- (FAQ) The Brandfast Oathband stratagem Secure Positions does NOT allow units to disembark in the same turn that their transport advanced or fell back, since performing those moves explicitly disallow disembarkation for the remainder of the turn, and the stratagem does not contradict this restriction.


NECRONS
- (JUDGEMENT) The Cosmic Precision stratagem can be used to affect units arriving from Strategic Reserve provided that unit was last placed into Strategic Reserve by the Hyperphasing ability.
- (JUDGEMENT) A unit placed into Strategic Reserves using the Hyperphasing ability is not eligible to be selected to arrive from reserves during the first battle round unless it has the Deep Strike ability (or another similar method to arrive from Strategic Reserve); and thus cannot be targeted by Cosmic Precision.
- (JUDGEMENT) If a unit is destroyed by the Blood-Fuelled Cruelty stratagem, the resulting Normal move has no additional restrictions beyond those imposed on Normal moves.
(NOTE) This is because any position on the battlefield can be considered to be as close as possible to the current position of a destroyed unit.


SPACE MARINES
- (FAQ) The Sanguinor cannot be set up on the battlefield during the first Battle Round using Miraculous Saviour.


THOUSAND SONS
- (JUDGEMENT) Cabal of Sorcerers is considered to be a single rule used at the start of the shooting phase. During the resolution of this rule, its controlling player chooses models to attempt rituals and fully resolves those rituals one at a time, and in the order they choose, however all rituals are to be fully resolved before moving on to any other rules that would take effect at the start of the Thousand Sons player's Shooting phase.
NOTE: this also means that the resolution of Cabal of Sorcerers may be sequenced by the active player at the start of the shooting phase before other abilities that would take effect at that time.
- (FAQ) Rolls for the resolution of the Doombolt Cabalistic Ritual do not constitute hit, wound, or damage rolls.


TYRANIDS
- (FAQ) Shadow In The Warp MUST be used before the end of the Command Step of a Command Phase, but can be used any time before the end of that step.
- (JUDGEMENT) The Swarmlord replaces their Malign Presence ability with "Lord of Deceit" only if they are the army's Warlord.
- (FAQ) Tunnel Markers present on the battlefield (from the Subterranean Assault detachment) enable units in Strategic Reserves that were placed there from the battlefield to be selected to arrive during the first Battle Round, since they are currently providing a method for those units to arrive from reserve.
- (FAQ) Since a unit embarked within a transport in Reserves it itself is considered a unit in Reserves, a Tyrannocyte may begin the battle embarked into another Tyrannocyte.


WORLD EATERS
- (FAQ) A Helbrute destroyed by a melee attack while under the effects of both Total Carnage and its own Frenzy ability triggers both attack activations simultaneously (after the attacking unit has finished making its attacks), thus they must be ordered by the active player. Because Total Carnage automatically removes the Helbrute as a casualty after its attacks have been completed, sequencing the Total Carnage resolution first prevents the Frenzy attacks from resolving, functionally preventing both from triggering during its opponent's Fight Phase (but allowing both to trigger as normal during its controller's turn).