GW has stealthily revealed one big change to how the Warhammer 40k Battle-shock rules work in 11th edition; once a unit fails a battle shock test, it remains Battle-shocked until it can pass another test. This small but impactful rules change was revealed in a video discussing new detachments for the Space Marines.
Otherwise, it seems that Battle-shock will remain the same for Warhammer 40k 11th edition. We’ll update this guide if we learn more.
How does Warhammer 40k Battle-shock work?
During your Command Phase, you make a Battle-shock test each unit you control that’s below half strength. A unit is below half strength when at least half of its starting models have been destroyed, or if it was a single model unit, when it has lost at least half of its starting wounds.
To make a Battle-shock test, roll 2D6 and compare it with the units Leadership. If it’s equal to or greater than the unit’s leadership, the test is passed. If the test fails, the unit becomes Battle-shocked, and will remain Battle-shocked until it can pass a Battle-shock test in a future turn.
While a unit is Battle-shocked:
- Its Objective Control characteristic is 0, so it cannot control objectives.
- If it Falls Back, its controller must take a Desperate Escape test for each model that is not Titanic and cannot Fly. This is a D6 roll: on a one or two the model is destroyed.
- Its controller cannot affect it with Stratagems.
As well as taking Battle-shock tests due to suffering damage, many Warhammer 40k factions have ways to force enemy units to take Battle-shock tests at other points in the game. Chaos Knights project an aura of palpable dread, the Death Guard Plagueburst Mortar forces a Battle-shock test on any enemy unit it hits, and the Tyranids can force a Battle-shock test on the whole enemy army once per game using The Shadow in the Warp.
In 10th edition, these abilities only had an impact for the turn they were used. In 11th edition, there’s a chance that the Battle-shock they cause will persist, greatly downgrading the effectiveness of a unit even when it’s at full health. This change may make pro-active Battle-shock strategies a viable tool.
If you like to run armies that Battle-shock their opponents into submission, come and tell us about them in the Wargamer Discord community!
Source: Wargamer
