101 - Movement & Combat

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LPG Articles (Intermediate)
LOTS Articles (Advanced)

This article is part of Warmachine University's Crash Course (101) series, which is "Basic Training" aimed at new players who are still learning the core rules.

 

The 101 series is intended to help you understand the rulebook, but you shouldn't be reading this instead of the rulebook.

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A model chooses one option for its Normal Movement, then another option for its Combat Action. However some kinds of Movement restrict what kind of Action you can take, and some things merge Movement and Action together.

To summarise, a model's options normally boil down to:

• Run and do nothing else. Note that, even though a run is "move only", it still requires you to have a Combat Action available.
• Charge and make melee attack(s).
• Walk and make either melee attack(s), ranged attack(s), or a single Special Action.
• Walk and use a single Magic Ability. (Note that the spells that Warcasters and Warlocks cast don't count as Magic Abilities, and they can cast as many as they like).
• Stand still, aim, and shoot its gun(s)
• Combine Movement and Action into a Slam Power Attack or Trample Power Attack.
• Walk and do one of the other types of Power Attacks.

Tip ! If you decide to make attacks, you need to choose between all your initial attacks (one with each weapon) or a single Special Attack or a single Power Attack. More about that below.

Normal Movement

General

When a model makes a Normal Movement, it chooses one of these options:

• Forfeit its Normal Movement.

  You only forfeit your Normal Movement if an enemy effect forces you to.

• Make a full advance.
• Run.

  You cannot run if you've forfeited your Combat Action.

• Charge.

  You cannot charge if you've forfeited your Combat Action.

• Aim.
• Combine Normal Movement with Combat Action to perform a Power Attack: Trample or Power Attack: Slam.

  Most models can't do power attacks.

"Full Advance" vs "Advance" vs "Place"

A full advance is when a model moves at what is effectively their "walking speed". They get to move their current SPD stat.

An advance is every time a model moves any distance, whether it is during their activation or not. Spinning around and staying in the same place is an advance. Unintentional movement is not an advance (unintentional is when you're pushed, slammed, or thrown).

• Sometimes a special ability will give you a bonus full advance (such as Sprint).
• Other times, a special ability will tell you to advance a specific distance; advance up to 2" or make a 5" advance or etc (such as Road to War).
• Many abilities will trigger whenever an enemy advances near them (such as Countercharge).

If a model gets to place itself instead of moving (such as with Teleport), that never counts as an advance. Places are covered in more detail in LPG - Movement.

Aim, Charge, or Run

A model can aim to gain +2 to hit with ranged attacks. An aiming model cannot move, it cannot even change which way it is facing.

You cannot aim if you're in melee, even if you have an ability that lets you shoot while in melee (such as Gunfighter).

Charges are an important part of Warmachine/Hordes gameplay, so important that they get a completely separate basic article: 101 - Charges.

A model that runs moves 2x its current SPD stat, then its activation immediately ends. As a result:

• You cannot use "At any time" abilities after running.

You can use "At any time" abilities before running - except spells or feats (more on that below).

• You cannot use anything that happens "at the end" of your activation (such as Reposition).

I know this sounds strange, it is explained further in the intermediate article LPG - End of Activation.

Extra Movement

Lots of abilities grant extra movement. It is best to think of them in three different categories, mainly to help you know when to apply various bonuses (see next section).

1. Extra Normal Movement.

   This is stuff like Boundless Charge which increases your charge range.

2. Bonus In-Activation Movement.

   This is stuff like Sprint or Sidestep which gives a model an extra move if they meet certain conditions during their activation (such as killing an enemy)

3. Bonus Out-of-Activation Movement.

   This is stuff like Locomotion or Road to War, where one model casts a spell and a different model gets to move.

Bonus during Movement

Many abilities give a model a bonus for certain types of movement, however these abilities can have slight differences so you need to read the rule carefully to know whether to apply the bonus. For instance Relentless Charge gives a model Pathfinder but only if they charge, Rush gives a model +2" to any advance but only during their Normal Movement, etc

• "Gains [X] when advancing" - Gets the bonus every time it moves.
• "Gains [X] when advancing as part of its Normal Movement" - Gets the bonus on runs, charges, full advances (walks), slams, and tramples. But it doesn't gain it on Sprint, Sidestep, etc.
• "Gains [X] when it makes a full advance as part of its Normal Movement" - Gets the bonus when it full advances (walks) but not if it runs or charges.
• Etc

Movement - More Complex Aspects

The intermediate training article LPG - Movement covers more complex movement, such as "Replace vs Place" and "Flying models getting knocked down while they were moving over impassable terrain".

Combat Action

This section goes over your options for your Combat Action. There are several more articles in the 101 series about how to do sprays, AOEs, and rolling dice.

You have to complete your Normal Movement before you make a Combat Action. When a model makes a Combat Action, it chooses one of these options:

• Forfeit its Combat Action.
• Make its initial melee attack(s).
• Make its initial ranged attack(s).
• Make a single power attack.
• Make a single special attack (★ Attack).
• Make a single special action (★ Action).

You only forfeit your Combat Action if an enemy effect forces you to.

Most models can't do power attacks. A couple of the power attacks combine movement and action.

Special Attacks/Actions are not on every model, but they're relatively common.

Tip - Number of Attacks If you make initial attacks you get one attack with each weapon (either ranged or melee). If you pick any other option you get just that option. So you "give up" all your normal attacks to make one special attack, for instance. Either way, some models can buy additional attacks.

Melee Attacks

Initial Melee Attacks - Make one initial attack with each of its melee weapons.

Special Melee Attack - See Special Attack, below.

Additional Melee Attacks

Models getting additional melee attacks is quite common. It's less common with normal infantry, but super common for your battlegroup.

There is no limit to the number of additional melee attacks you can make. For instance, a warcaster can buy extra attacks by spending focus, so if it has 4 focus it can buy 4 attacks.

You have to choose which weapon you're buying attacks for. Normally it'll be your strongest weapon.

All additional attacks are basic attacks. You cannot get additional (★ Attack)s.

Ranged Attacks

Initial Ranged Attacks - Make a number of initial attacks with each of its ranged weapons equal to the weapons’ rate of fire (ROF).

Most guns have a ROF = 1 so only get one attack.

Special Ranged Attack - See Special Attack, below.

Additional Ranged Attacks

Models getting additional ranged attacks is very rare. The most straightforward way is models with the Reload ability and, even then, less than 3 dozen models in the entire game have that rule.

Unlike melee attacks, you cannot simply use focus/fury to "buy" as many shots as you like.

ROF does not limit the number of extra ranged attacks you can make (it used to in previous editions though).

If you have a high ROF gun, and you get to make an additional ranged attack, then it is only one attack. You don't get your full ROF a second time.

All additional attacks are basic attacks. You cannot get additional (★ Attack)s.

Tip ! Remember, if a model used its Normal Movement to aim, it gains +2 to all ranged attack rolls for its activation.

Special Attack

Special Attack - Make one special attack (★ Attack) allowed by its special rules.

Special Attacks can be listed under the special rules for a melee weapon (special melee attack), a ranged weapon (special ranged attack), a magic ability (special magic attack), or they can even be listed under nothing at all, just listed under the model special rules (special 'type-less' attack).

If on a melee weapon, after resolving the special attack you can buy additional melee attacks as per normal.

You cannot switch to ranged attacks.

You cannot buy more special attacks, only basic attacks.

If on a ranged weapon, you can buy extra ranged attacks only if you have a rule that says you can (such as Reload).

If not on a weapon, you can only buy extra attacks if the special attack says you can (such as Rain of Death).

Very, very rarely a model will be able to make two special attacks per activation (such as Share the Load).

Special Attacks and charging

If you charge, you can make a special melee attack listed under a melee weapon.

If you charge, you cannot make a special attack listed under a ranged weapon - even if you have a rule that lets you shoot in melee (such as Gunfighter).

If you charge, you cannot make a special attack listed under no weapons ... unless that special attack specifically says you can (such as Rain of Death).

If you charge, and your special melee attack damages multiple models (such as Thresher) then only the damage roll vs the charge target is auto-boosted.

Special Action

Special Action - Make one special action (★ Action) allowed by its special rules.

Special Actions are nearly always support stuff like Repair and Empower. Occasionally you'll get a quasi-offensive action like Sacrificial Strike.

Many support models have 2 or 3 Special Actions to choose between. You can only do one per activation.

Power Attack

Power Attack - Make one power attack allowed by its special rules.

How to do Power Attacks are covered in the intermediate LPG series.

The tactics of when to do Power Attacks is covered in the advanced LOTS - Power Attack Tactics article.

Units

All models in a unit must complete their Normal Movement before any model starts their Combat Action. If you skip ahead, you miss out on incomplete movement.

Occasionally you'll encounter a unit that can use focus/fury to buy additional attacks. All models need to complete their initial attacks before any model starts making additional attacks. If you skip ahead, you miss out on incomplete initial attacks.

Units are covered further in LPG - All About Units.