40k damage calculator

Understanding Warhammer 40,000 Damage Calculation

Warhammer 40,000 is a complex tabletop wargame where strategic decisions often come down to understanding probabilities. One of the most crucial aspects of this is damage calculation – how many wounds your units are likely to inflict on an enemy, and vice-versa. This calculator aims to demystify that process, allowing you to quickly assess the effectiveness of different loadouts and tactics.

Why is Damage Calculation Important?

• List Building: When creating your army list, knowing the offensive output of your units helps you choose the right tools for the job. Do you need more anti-infantry, anti-tank, or a balanced approach?
• Tactical Decisions: During a game, you'll constantly be deciding which unit to shoot at which target. A quick understanding of expected damage can inform these critical choices.
• Unit Efficiency: Is that expensive unit truly pulling its weight? Calculating its average damage against common threats can help you evaluate its battlefield role.
• Learning the Game: For new players, the multitude of dice rolls can be intimidating. Breaking down the process into predictable averages helps build intuition.

The Phases of Damage

Damage in Warhammer 40,000 is resolved in a series of distinct phases, each involving a dice roll:

1. The Hit Roll

The first step is to determine how many attacks actually hit their target. Each attack roll requires you to roll a D6 (six-sided die) and get a result equal to or greater than the attacker's Ballistic Skill (BS) for shooting attacks, or Weapon Skill (WS) for melee attacks. Modifiers (like +1 to hit) and re-rolls (like re-rolling 1s or all failed hits) can significantly alter the outcome.

2. The Wound Roll

Once an attack hits, you then roll to wound. The target number for this roll depends on the attacker's Strength (S) characteristic compared to the defender's Toughness (T). The general rules are:

• S ≥ 2x T: 2+ to wound
• S > T: 3+ to wound
• S = T: 4+ to wound
• S < T: 5+ to wound
• S ≤ T/2: 6+ to wound

Similar to hit rolls, wound rolls can also be affected by modifiers and re-rolls.

3. The Save Roll

If an attack successfully wounds the target, the defender gets a chance to make a save. This is where Armor Penetration (AP) comes into play. The attacker's weapon's AP value reduces the defender's Save characteristic. For example, an AP -1 weapon against a 3+ Save target would require a 4+ save. If the modified save is worse than 6+, it becomes a 6+. If it's better than 2+, it becomes a 2+. Some units also have an Invulnerable Save (Invul), which ignores AP entirely and is often a fixed value (e.g., a 4+ invulnerable save means you save on a 4+ regardless of AP). Defenders typically choose the better of their modified normal save or their invulnerable save.

4. Damage and Feel No Pain

For every wound that is not saved, the target unit suffers damage. The amount of damage is determined by the weapon's Damage (D) characteristic. Many units have multiple Wounds, so they can absorb several damage points before being removed. Finally, some units have a "Feel No Pain" (FNP) ability (sometimes called a "Deneal of Death" or similar). This allows them to ignore damage on a successful dice roll for each point of damage taken, effectively reducing the total damage suffered after all other saves have failed.

How to Use This Calculator

Simply input the relevant statistics for your attacking unit and the target unit into the fields provided. Make sure to select the correct re-roll options and any applicable modifiers for hit and wound rolls. The calculator will then provide the average damage you can expect to inflict. Remember that dice rolls introduce variance, so this is an average over many attacks, not a guaranteed outcome for a single turn.

• Attacks (A): The total number of attacks made by the unit.
• BS/WS: The target number needed for a successful hit roll (e.g., 3 for a 3+ BS/WS).
• Strength (S): The attacking weapon's Strength characteristic.
• Target Toughness (T): The defending unit's Toughness characteristic.
• Armor Penetration (AP): The weapon's AP value (e.g., -1, -2). Input as a negative number.
• Damage per Wound (D): The damage value of the weapon.
• Target Save (Sv): The defending unit's normal Save characteristic (e.g., 3 for a 3+ save).
• Invulnerable Save (Invul): The defending unit's Invulnerable Save characteristic (e.g., 4 for a 4+ invul). Enter '7' if the unit has no invulnerable save.
• Feel No Pain (FNP): The target number needed for a successful FNP roll (e.g., 5 for a 5+ FNP). Enter '7' if the unit has no FNP.
• Re-roll options: Select 'None', '1s', or 'Failed' for hit, wound, and save rolls based on unit abilities.
• Modifiers: Enter +1 or -1 for hit/wound rolls if applicable (e.g., from auras or psychic powers).

Beyond the Numbers: Context is Key

While this calculator provides valuable insights, remember that Warhammer 40,000 is more than just math. Factors like line of sight, unit positioning, objectives, and stratagems can all influence the actual outcome of a game. Use this tool to enhance your understanding and decision-making, but always consider the broader tactical picture!