Warhammer 40,000/Tactics(2E)
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This is a placeholder for 2nd edition tactics.
Building Your Army[edit | edit source]
The good news is that battles in 2nd edition are generally of a smaller scale than you're used to. While Guardsmen cost 5 to 4 points from 5th edition onward, they cost 10 points in 2nd edition, while Space Marines were 33 points per model. Likewise, the standard point value for 2nd edition is 1500 points as opposed to the 1850-2000 points of later editions. As a result, 2nd edition games are far smaller in scale by comparison.
The bad news is that a lot of the armies have special paper templates and bespoke rules, and a lot of options never had corresponding models; if you want to play a Squat army, or use old school Ork minis, you're going to either have to scrounge on Ebay or get to heavy conversion. Likewise, you will need to print out or hunt down a deck of power and warp cards if you're going to go heavy in Psykers.
The main thing to note however is that you do not have a FoC: You do not have Troops/Elites/Fast Attack/Heavy Support like editions 3rd and onward. However, you must spend at least 25% of your army's points on core units, and you have other restrictions depending on your army.
General Tactics[edit | edit source]
Movement[edit | edit source]
The 2nd Edition Movement Phase has more in common with Warhammer Fantasy than later editions of 40k. The key things to note:
- You declare charges before anything else: A unit may charge one or more enemy units, and a charge move is a straight line equal to twice the model's move characteristic.
- All "compulsory moves" (fleeing troops, out of control vehicles, etc) are resolved next. Models resolve their charges afterwards, and then the remainder of units "move as normal."
- Models that did not Charge could Run (move double movement speed in a straight line), move as normal, or forfeit movement in order to enter Overwatch.
- Hiding: If a unit was composed entirely of small enough models (Terminators and cavalry are too big!), did not Run, and ended its move in Cover, it could Hide. Hiding works similarly to Mordheim in that you cannot be targeted by shooting until the enemy gets close to you. You can spot a hidden model up to twice your Initiative in inches away, so a Space Marine can detect hidden models within 8". However, even after spotting a Hidden unit, it merely becomes Detected: although the spotting unit can see without issue, other friendlies can only attack with AOEs (flamers/blasts) and even those only hit on a 4+ on top of normal rolls. A unit exits its Hidden/Detected status the moment it Runs or Shoots (even via Overwatch).
Overwatch[edit | edit source]
A unit that forfeits its movement during the Movement Phase may enter Overwatch. (Note: Vehicles may still move and Overwatch). This section is complicated enough to have its own section, will fill out.
Psychic[edit | edit source]
Covered here.
Shooting[edit | edit source]
Shooting was mostly the same: check range; if in range roll to hit; if hit roll to wound; if wounded opponent attempts save.
What complicated the game a lot was every weapon and armor having its own profile (one of the core rulebooks, Wargear was basically just weapon profiles and each individual Codex pretty much piled it on), with possibly different hit and armor save modifiers depending on firing mode and Strength of incoming blow; and that's before bringing things like cover, marks of Chaos, wargear and other niceties in the mix. It was as you can imagine one hell of a clusterfuck at times, especially in bigger battles.
Assault[edit | edit source]
Assault was very different in 2nd edition. First, the player whose turn it was had to separate the melee and declare who was fighting who, with the only caveat that every engaged model had to have at least one opponent. Then, each player would roll an amount of dice equal to the mini's "Attack" value individually in an opposed roll. Skills like Frenzy or ganging up would give more dice to roll, and combat resolution was (result of highest die + Weapon Skill of the mini). Each "6" beyond the first added one point, each "1" substracted one point. Parry would force the opponent to re-roll one "6" if any. When all that had been added, you made the difference between rolls, the mini with the highest roll inflicting an amount of hits equal to the difference to (or distributed amongst) its opponent(s). Oh, and on a tie, the mini with the highest Initiative would get one blow in.
Army Specific Tactics[edit | edit source]
<tabs>
<tab name="10th">
| General Tactics | |
|---|---|
| Imperium | |
| Chaos | |
| Eldar | |
| Necrons | |
| Orks | |
| Tau | |
| Tyranids | |
| Votann |
</tab>
<tab name="9th">
| General Tactics | |
|---|---|
| Imperium | |
| Chaos | |
| Eldar | |
| Necrons | |
| Orks | |
| Tau | |
| Tyranids | |
| Votann |
</tab>
<tab name="8th">
| General Tactics | |
|---|---|
| Imperium | |
| Chaos | |
| Eldar | |
| Necrons | |
| Orks | |
| Tau | |
| Tyranids |
</tab>
<tab name="7th">
| General Tactics | |
|---|---|
| Imperium | |
| Chaos | |
| Eldar | |
| Necrons | |
| Orks | |
| Tau | |
| Tyranids |
</tab>
<tab name="6th">
| General Tactics | |
|---|---|
| Imperium | |
| Chaos | |
| Eldar | |
| Necrons | |
| Orks | |
| Tau | |
| Tyranids |
</tab>
<tab name="All">
| General Tactics |
|
|---|---|
| Imperium (8th) |
|
| Chaos | |
| Eldar |
|
| Necrons | |
| Orks | |
| Tau | |
| Tyranids |
</tab>
</tabs>