Explanation of Damage Calculation

[Whitelion]

I realized that I didn't understand the mechanism of the clashes in 40k board games. Specifically, I did not understand how the damage calculation takes place following an attack. Do I simply have to subtract the weapon's strength value (S) from the target unit's Defense value? Or did I misunderstand? Reading the regulation I didn't understand much more.

[Panzer]

I realized that I didn't understand the mechanism of the clashes in 40k board games. Specifically, I did not understand how the damage calculation takes place following an attack. Do I simply have to subtract the weapon's strength value (S) from the target unit's Defense value? Or did I misunderstand? Reading the regulation I didn't understand much more.

Damage has nothing to do with strength or toughness. Every weapon has a damage value.

 

The procedure is:

1. Roll to hit (BS or WS)
2. Roll to wound (strength vs toughness)
3. Target rolls saves if able to (armour etc)
4. Apply damage as noted on the weapons profile
5. Remove models according to the damage dealt

[Ishagu]

IT look complicate at a glance but it's actually very straightforward.

[Exilyth]

The 'warhammer 40000 battle primer' is a shortened version of the rules and can be downloaded in multiple languages from https://www.warhammer-community.com/downloads/

Always good for quickly going over the turn sequence rules without having to flip through the bound rulebook to find that section.

[Plasmablasts]

The concept of “wounds” seemed to cause quite frequent confusion at the start of 8th edition. Previously, a successful To Wound roll, if the save was failed, would inflict a wound on the target model, so a “wound” was both the result of the To Wound roll and the effect on the target. With the introduction of the Damage characteristic on weapons, one successful To Wound roll (“a wound”) may inflict several wounds on the model.

 

It sounded as if some of the question was about how to work out the wound roll. The free Battle Primer should explain that, but if that’s causing confusion, the explanation is as follows:

 

Compare the Strength (S) of the attack with the Toughness (T) of the target. If they are equal, then a successful To Wound roll needs to be 4, 5 or 6 on a six-sided die (“4+ on 1d6”). If the Strength is higher than Toughness, a roll of 3+ is a success; if S is double or more, 2+ is a success. If S is less than T, you need 5+; if S is half of T or lower, 6+ is needed.

 

For example, if the target has a Toughness of 6:

 

Strength 2 or 3 weapons need 6+ to wound;

S 4 or S 5 weapons need 5+;

S 6 needs 4+;

S 7, 8, 9, 10 or 11 weapons need 3+ and

S 12 or higher weapons need 2+.

 

( Remember that some rules may apply modifiers or re-rolls to the To Wound roll.)

 

If an attack successfully wounds the target, your opponent may make a roll to Save (armour or invulnerable save): if this is unsuccessful, then calculate the number of wounds to be deducted from the target according to the Damage characteristic of the weapon (which might be a fixed or random number). Remember that a single hit can only cause damage to one model: e.g. a lascannon which hits a tactical marine might cause up to six wounds; all of those wounds are taken by one model and are not transferred to other members of the squad.

 

Hope this helps and does not cause more confusion!

[Panzer]

That's because people keep using the wrong terms.

A wound roll inflicts wounds as should be obvious from it being called "wound roll". Those, if unsaved, cause damage not wounds, which gets subtracted from the model's remaining wounds (which admitedly would've been more clear if called health or health points or such).

That's not really something new to this edition either. Last edition it was exactly the same except that each unsaved wound simply reduced the model's remaining wounds by 1 per default. The part after the save rolls was never officially called "wound".

[Panzer]

Anyway, if the question was actually how the wound roll works, not the damage, then it's quite simple:

 

Strength = Toughness? You need to roll a 4 or better.

Strength < Toughness? You need to roll a 5 or better.

Strength half or lower of the Toughness? You need to roll a 6 or better.

 

And similar into the other direction.

Strength > Toughness? You need to roll a 3 or better.

Strength twice or higher of the Toughness? You need to roll a 2 or better.

 

1s always fail.

[Dam13n]

Let's keep this on the topic of official rules please.

 

I've removed the off-topic tangent.

 

Further infractions will result in thread lock.

Edited November 7, 2019 by Dam13n

[Whitelion]

thanks a lot guys, it's a bit cumbersome. So it is not a simple subtraction of S - D = hit points inflicted.

 

The dice also allows a lower weapon to wound, for example S4 - D6 = no wound, unless a value 6 is obtained with a die d6, in that case S4 becomes S6. Right or wrong?

[toaae]

 

thanks a lot guys, it's a bit cumbersome. So it is not a simple subtraction of S - D = hit points inflicted.

 

The dice also allows a lower weapon to wound, for example S4 - D6 = no wound, unless a value 6 is obtained with a die d6, in that case S4 becomes S6. Right or wrong?

 

 

Are we discussing Warhammer 40k, or one of the minor, off-shoot board games? Because you're asking a question in such a way that makes it sound like it has nothing to do with regular 40k. sfPanzer described the attack sequence perfectly.

[Ishagu]

 

thanks a lot guys, it's a bit cumbersome. So it is not a simple subtraction of S - D = hit points inflicted.

 

The dice also allows a lower weapon to wound, for example S4 - D6 = no wound, unless a value 6 is obtained with a die d6, in that case S4 becomes S6. Right or wrong?

Are you confusing 40k with a different game or are you looking at old rules?

[Panzer]

 

thanks a lot guys, it's a bit cumbersome. So it is not a simple subtraction of S - D = hit points inflicted.

 

The dice also allows a lower weapon to wound, for example S4 - D6 = no wound, unless a value 6 is obtained with a die d6, in that case S4 becomes S6. Right or wrong?

 

 

 

This should be all you need to answer that question of yours.

 

Anyway, if the question was actually how the wound roll works, not the damage, then it's quite simple:

 

Strength = Toughness? You need to roll a 4 or better.

Strength < Toughness? You need to roll a 5 or better.

Strength half or lower of the Toughness? You need to roll a 6 or better.

 

And similar into the other direction.

Strength > Toughness? You need to roll a 3 or better.

Strength twice or higher of the Toughness? You need to roll a 2 or better.

 

1s always fail.

[Whitelion]

Thank you very much, I think I understood, in fact the scheme was revealing, I thought there were more rules, so it's easy to understand.

 

So assuming S = 10 vs a D = 9 then I will have a wound of 1. So the saying D6 has only the purpose of allowing or not allowing the attack, it does not have the effect of strengthening or weakening the wound, right?

 

To answer the question, I would currently like to play adeptus titanucus, but I'm also interested in w40k. So I am interested in both regulations .... I thought the damage rules were the same, since the same house produces them, but do they change?

[Panzer]

 

Thank you very much, I think I understood, in fact the scheme was revealing, I thought there were more rules, so it's easy to understand.

 

So assuming S = 10 vs a D = 9 then I will have a wound of 1. So the saying D6 has only the purpose of allowing or not allowing the attack, it does not have the effect of strengthening or weakening the wound, right?

 

To answer the question, I would currently like to play adeptus titanucus, but I'm also interested in w40k. So I am interested in both regulations .... I thought the damage rules were the same, since the same house produces them, but do they change?

 

It seems like you are still trying to subtract Strength and Toughness. That's NOT how it works. Forget subtracting and adding. That has nothing to do with it.

 

An example.

You have a Marine with a Bolt Rifle. The Marine has BS3, the Bolt Rifle has 1 shot with S4 AP-1 D1. Your target is a Guardsman with T3 Sv5+.

1. So you roll 1 d6 and need a 3+ to hit
2. If you hit you then compare the S4 of the Bolt Rifle with the T3 of the Guardsman. S4 is bigger than T3, but not twice as big so you need a 3+ to wound the Guardsman
3. If you wound the Guardsman has to take his armour save. With his Sv5+ he'd normally need a 5+ on a 1d6 to prevent the wound, however the AP-1 modifies the dice roll by -1 so a 5 would become a 4 which is not enough. So he needs a 6 to prevent the wound
4. If he fails the armour roll you look at your Bolt Rifles profile again and see that it does 1 damage. A Guardsman has only 1 wound on his datasheet so that means 1 model dies and is taken away

Edited November 9, 2019 by sfPanzer

[Slasher956]

 

Thank you very much, I think I understood, in fact the scheme was revealing, I thought there were more rules, so it's easy to understand.

 

So assuming S = 10 vs a D = 9 then I will have a wound of 1. So the saying D6 has only the purpose of allowing or not allowing the attack, it does not have the effect of strengthening or weakening the wound, right?

 

To answer the question, I would currently like to play adeptus titanucus, but I'm also interested in w40k. So I am interested in both regulations .... I thought the damage rules were the same, since the same house produces them, but do they change?

 

 

S = strength of the weapon .. in my example a boltgun is S4

T = toughness of the unit being shot... in exmaple 1.. it will be a marine so T4 in example 2 I'll use a Aeladri wraithguard T5

 

So example 1

 

I shoot my Sister of Battle (BS 3+) at your marine.. on a D6 die I need a 3 or more to hit

If my shot hits I then need to roll to wound.. looking at the table on page 7 of the primer I see I need a 4+ on a D6 die to wound

my target then rolls their save, as a marine its 3+... the fail so take the Damage of the boltgun D1 which is taken from their wounds (1) meaning they have no wounds left and so the model is removed from the table.

 

So exmaple 2

 

my Sister of Battle shoots a Wraithguard... hits on a 4

to wound its S4 v T5 so page 7 says I need a 5+ as S is lower but not half of the T

 

 

Now if you was to use a Krak missile instead of a boltgun.. the to hit stays the same (the BS stat of the firing model)

now its S8 v T4 will wound our marine on a 2+... its AP -3 will mean the marine saves on a 6+ (as his save roll has 3 taken away from the dice score)

If he fails the save he will take D6 damage .. against his wound stat of 1

 

Lets compare the krak v our wraithguard...

S8 vT5 means I need a 3+ to wound.. again AP value of -3 means the wraithguard saves on a 6+

if failed he takes D6 damage against his wound stat of 3... so If I roll a 1 the Wraithguard takes 1 damage from his wounds - left with 2

                                                                                                  If I roll a 2 the wraithguard takes 2 damage and is left with 1

                                                                                                   If I roll a 3 or more the wraithguard is dead.

I get my 5+, they then fail their 3+ save so take 1 damage against their wound state of 3 so are left on the table with 2 wounds

[Xenith]

 

Thank you very much, I think I understood, in fact the scheme was revealing, I thought there were more rules, so it's easy to understand.

 

So assuming S = 10 vs a D = 9 then I will have a wound of 1. So the saying D6 has only the purpose of allowing or not allowing the attack, it does not have the effect of strengthening or weakening the wound, right?

 

To answer the question, I would currently like to play adeptus titanucus, but I'm also interested in w40k. So I am interested in both regulations .... I thought the damage rules were the same, since the same house produces them, but do they change?

To answer your question, all the rules are different. Titanicus is set in the 40k universe, but is a different game, in the same way chess and draughts use the same board, but use different pieces and rules.

 

Do you want to know how to work out damage in the game Warhammer 40,000, or the game Adeptus Titanicus?

[Whitelion]

ok i understand. The damage point are the difference between Force and Resistance?

[Rik Lightstar]

ok i understand. The damage point are the difference between Force and Resistance?

If you're playing Adeptus Titanicus it does indeed have a completely different mechanic similar to what you described.

 

Against an enemy model with NO active Void Shields

 

You roll a single six sided dice (d6) per hit and add the value on the dice to the Strength Characteristic of the weapon in use (eg: Sunfury Plasma Cannon is 8, Vulcan Mega Bolter is 4 and Belicosa Volcano Cannons are 13).

 

Compare this total (strength +d6) the Armour value of the location hit.

 

On each Titan reference card (Terminal) it will tell you what happens based on the amount you beat the Armour by. Either 1 point of damage, 2 points of damage or 2 points of damage AND a critical damage.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Rik

[Whitelion]

OK thanks. Small off topic, but the Belicosa is not S30 in adeptus Titanicus?