The Attack Sequence

The attack sequence turns gathered dice into casualties through four steps — Hit rolls, Wound rolls, Save rolls, then Inflict Damage — with the attacker rolling to hit and wound and the defender rolling saves and allocating damage.

Rolling the Sequence

Each time you are told to resolve the attack sequence, you work through Hit rolls, Wound rolls, Save rolls and Inflict Damage in order. Within any step, if there is more than one die to roll, roll them all simultaneously. An individual attack drops out of the sequence the moment it fails or the moment it inflicts damage; once every attack has either failed or dealt damage, the sequence ends and those attacks are resolved.

1. Hit Rolls

Roll one D6 for each attack die. Read each result against the first matching condition:

• An unmodified 1 always fails.
• An unmodified 6 is always a Critical Hit (and still counts as a hit).
• A result equal to or greater than the weapon's BS/WS characteristic is a hit.
• Anything else fails.

Critical Hits matter beyond simply hitting, because rules such as [LETHAL HITS] and [SUSTAINED HITS] trigger on them.

2. Wound Rolls

Roll one D6 for each hit. Compare each to the first condition that applies:

• An unmodified 1 always fails.
• An unmodified 6 is always a Critical Wound.
• A result equal to or greater than the required number below is a wound.
• Anything else fails.

The number needed depends on the attack's Strength (S) against the target's Toughness (T):

• S is twice or more the T: wounds on 2+.
• S is greater than T: wounds on 3+.
• S is equal to T: wounds on 4+.
• S is less than T: wounds on 5+.
• S is half or less of T: wounds on 6+.

3. Save Rolls

The defending player resolves saves in three parts. First, create groups: split the target unit into one group per CHARACTER model, plus one group for every other set of models that share the same Wounds (W), Save (Sv) and Invulnerable Save (InSv) characteristics. Second, set the allocation order in which those groups will take wounds, respecting all of these:

• Any non-CHARACTER group that already contains a wounded model must go first.
• No CHARACTER group may be placed ahead of a non-CHARACTER group.
• A CHARACTER group holding a wounded model must come before CHARACTER groups with no wounded models.

Third, make save rolls: the defender rolls one D6 for each wounding attack.

4. Inflict Damage

Resolve the save results from lowest to highest, one at a time, until all attacks are dealt with or the whole unit is destroyed — any leftover attacks against a wiped-out unit are simply lost.

1. Select Model. Choose a model in the current allocation group; if any model there has already lost wounds, you must pick that one. (The first group in the allocation order is the current group; once every model in it is destroyed, the next group becomes current.)
2. Check Save Roll. Read the result against the first condition that applies:

• An unmodified 1 always inflicts damage — a natural 1 never saves.
• If the models have an InSv and the result equals or exceeds it, the attack fails (is saved). The defender picks whichever save is better.
• Otherwise, modify the result by the weapon's AP characteristic; if it then equals or exceeds the group's Sv, the attack fails. An AP of -1 turns a rolled 3 into a 2, so a 3+ armour save no longer holds.
• Any other result inflicts damage.

1. Resolve Damage. A model that suffers damage loses wounds equal to the attack's Damage (D) characteristic. If its remaining wounds reach 0 or below, it is destroyed. Excess damage from a single attack does not spill over to other models.

Frequently asked questions

What is the attack sequence in Warhammer 40,000 11th edition?

The attack sequence turns gathered attack dice into casualties through four steps resolved in order: Hit rolls, Wound rolls, Save rolls, then Inflict Damage. An attack drops out the moment it fails or inflicts damage, and once every attack has failed or dealt damage the sequence ends.

What do you need to wound based on Strength and Toughness in 40k?

An attack wounds on 2+ if its Strength is twice or more the target's Toughness, on 3+ if S is greater than T, on 4+ if S equals T, on 5+ if S is less than T, and on 6+ if S is half or less of T. An unmodified 1 always fails and an unmodified 6 is always a Critical Wound.

How do Critical Hits work in Warhammer 40,000?

On a hit roll an unmodified 6 is always a Critical Hit and still counts as a hit. Critical Hits matter beyond just landing because rules such as [LETHAL HITS] and [SUSTAINED HITS] trigger on them.

How does Armour Penetration affect a save roll in 40k?

After checking for an Invulnerable Save, you modify the save roll by the weapon's AP characteristic; if the modified result still equals or beats the group's Sv, the attack is saved and fails. For example, an AP of -1 turns a rolled 3 into a 2, so a 3+ armour save no longer holds. An unmodified 1 always fails to save.

How do you allocate wounds in Warhammer 40,000 11th edition?

The defender splits the unit into groups — one per CHARACTER model plus one for each set of models sharing the same W, Sv and InSv — then sets an allocation order where any wounded non-CHARACTER group goes first and no CHARACTER group is placed ahead of a non-CHARACTER group. Damage is then resolved from the lowest save results upward, and a model reduced to 0 wounds is destroyed with no spillover.