Chapter One: Basic Principles



Introduction


A number of factors determine the outcome of battles in 40K. These are:

  1. Army Strategy:

  2. Unit Tactics:

  3. Countermeasures

  4. Luck

Every army list has its own strengths and weaknesses, so each army must approach these factors differently.


Terminology


Strategy - the army commander's plan for the army as a whole.

Tactics - the army commander's plans for the use of a specific unit, or units, to achieve a particular end.

Role - the part that a particular unit plays in the army commander's plan for the army as a whole.

Cost-effectiveness - How effective a unit or model will be in a particular situation, given its point cost and various characteristics.

Deployment - the placement of units at the beginning of the game.

Army Selection - the selection of units that will be on the army list.

All-Purpose Unit - a unit that is generally cost-effective on the battlefield.

Specialist Unit - a unit that is suited to one particular role. Usually, a specialist unit will specialize in shooting or close combat. A specialist unit is considered to be a specialist unit if it is very cost-effective in one role, but very cost-ineffective in another role.

Specialist Support Unit - Some specialist units or models are used for their support abilities rather than for their simple characteristics in shooting or close combat. Space Wolf Rune Priests can use Storm Caller to allow their troops to strike first in close combat. Ork Squighounds allow re-rolling of failed Leadership and Morale tests.

Tight Formation - a tightly packed formation with models in the unit in base-to-base contact with each other.

Loose Formation - a loosely packed formation with models in the unit at or near 2 inches apart from each other.


Mission Objectives


Always remember that the primary objective is to successfully complete the mission objectives.

Successfully completing the mission objectives does not always mean destroying the enemy. Destroying the enemy usually aids in accomplishing mission objectives, but destroying the enemy is not the primary objective.

Always remember the primary objective!


Preface to Chapter Two


Chapter Two describes the relation between strategy, tactics, and statistics. Various underlying principles of strategic and tactical planning are detailed.

Follow this link to the next chapter.


Table of Contents


Home Page

Prologue

Chapter One: Basic Principles

Chapter Two: Strategy, Tactics, and Statistics

Chapter Three: Calculating Basic Cost Effectiveness

Chapter Four: Formation

Chapter Five: Terrain

The Unofficial Warhammer 40,000 Army Cheese Purity Test

Sector Occultus: Background Information

Sector Occultus: Participants

Army Selection (Example: Blood Angels)

Frequently Asked Questions.

Models and Books For Sale.

Painted Units For Sale. (Pictures mean long download time!)

Copyright Details.







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