Command points can be spent during the battle to use Stratagems. All players can use the Core Stratagems presented here. Additional Stratagems can be found in Codexes and other publications.
When you use a Stratagem, reduce your CP total by the amount listed on that Stratagem. If you do not have enough CP for a specific Stratagem, you cannot use it. You can use the same Stratagem multiple times during a battle, but you cannot use the same Stratagem more than once in the same phase.
The same Stratagem cannot be used more than once in the same phase.
To use a Stratagem you must pay the CP specified.
Stratagem Categories
Each Stratagem belongs to one of four categories, as described below. There are some rules (especially in Crusade games) that interact with Stratagems of a particular category.
Battle Tactic: These Stratagems bolster a unit’s efficacy in battle, boosting their attacks or defensive capabilities at a critical moment.
Epic Deed: These Stratagems are used by individual models or units to perform mighty feats of heroism.
Strategic Ploy: These Stratagems enable units to gain new strategic insights, granting them a small but valuable window of opportunity.
Wargear: These Stratagems represent the effects of using specialised items of equipment in battle.
Stratagems That Worsen Armour Penetration
If a Stratagem has an effect that says ‘until the end of the phase, each time an attack targets your unit, worsen the Armour Penetration characteristic of that attack by 1’ (e.g. Armour of Contempt, Shield of Aversion, Unfailingly Obdurate, Reinforced Hive Node, etc.), that effect is changed to say ‘until the attacking unit has finished making its attacks, each time an attack targets your unit, worsen the Armour Penetration characteristic of that attack by 1.
Modifying A Stratagem’s CP Cost
Rules that enable you to target a unit from your army with a Stratagem for 0CP, but that do not specify the name of the Stratagem (e.g. a Captain’s Rites of Battle ability), instead reduce the CP cost of that use of that Stratagem by 1CP.
If a model has a rule that would, once per battle, increase the CP cost of an opponent’s Stratagem (e.g. a Callidus Assassin’s Reign of Confusion ability), that rule is replaced with the following ability:
‘Lord of Deceit (Aura): Each time your opponent targets a unit from their army with a Stratagem, if that unit is within 12" of this model, increase the cost of that use of that Stratagem by 1CP.’
Stratagems That Can Be Used More Than Once Per Phase/Turn
Parts of a rule that allow a player to use a Stratagem even if they have already targeted another unit with that Stratagem in the same phase can only be used if the name of the Stratagem is specified in that rule. Similarly, if a Stratagem is limited to one use per player per turn (e.g. Fire Overwatch), per battle round or per battle, such parts of that rule can only be used if the name of the Stratagem is specified in that rule.
Stratagems That Prevent Units From Being Targeted
If a Stratagem has an effect that says the target unit ‘can only be selected as the target of a ranged attack if the attacking model is within 12"’, or ’cannot be targeted by ranged attacks unless the attacking model is within 12"’ (e.g. Haloed in Soulfire), that effect is changed to say ‘can only be selected as the target of a ranged attack if the attacking model is within 18".’
Stratagems That Add New Units To Your Army
If a Stratagem has the effect of adding ‘a new unit to your army that is identical to your destroyed unit’ (e.g. Join the Hunt, Unending Waves, Reinforcements, etc.), add the following Restriction to that Stratagem:
‘RESTRICTIONS: You can only use this Stratagem once per battle.’
Command Re-roll - 1CP
When:
Any phase, just after you make an Advance roll, a Charge roll, a Desperate Escape test or a Hazardous test for a unit from your army, or a Hit roll, a Wound roll, a Damage roll or a saving throw for a model in that unit, or a roll to determine the number of attacks made with a weapon equipped by a model in that unit. If you are using fast dice rolling, this Stratagem can still be used after rolling multiple rolls or saving throws at once.
Target:
That unit or model from your army.
Effect:
You re-roll that roll, test or saving throw. If you are using fast dice rolling, select one of those rolls or saving throws to re-roll.
Counter-Offensive - 2CP
When:
Fight phase, just after an enemy unit has fought.
Target:
One unit from your army that is within Engagement Range of one or more enemy units and that has not already been selected to fight this phase.
Effect:
Your unit fights next.
Epic Challenge - 1CP
When:
Fight phase, when a CHARACTER unit from your army that is within Engagement Range of one or more Attached units is selected to fight.
Target:
One CHARACTER model in your unit.
Effect:
Until the end of the phase, all melee attacks made by that model have the [PRECISION] ability.
Insane Bravery - 1CP
When:
Battle-shock step of your Command phase, just before you take a Battle-shock test for a unit from your army.
Target:
That unit from your army.
Effect:
Your unit automatically passes that Battle-shock test.
Grenade - 1CP
When:
Your Shooting phase.
Target:
One GRENADES unit from your army (excluding units that Advanced, Fell Back or have shot this turn) that is not within Engagement Range of one or more enemy units.
Effect:
Select one GRENADES model in your unit and one enemy unit that is not within Engagement Range of one or more units from your army and is within 8" of and visible to your GRENADES model. Roll six D6: for each 4+, that enemy unit suffers 1 mortal wound.
Tank Shock - 1CP
When:
Your Charge phase, just after a VEHICLE unit from your army ends a Charge move.
Target:
That VEHICLE unit.
Effect:
Select one enemy unit within Engagement Range of your unit, and select one VEHICLE model in your unit that is within Engagement Range of that enemy unit. Roll a number of D6 equal to the Toughness characteristic of the selected VEHICLE model. For each 5+, that enemy unit suffers 1 mortal wound (to a maximum of 6 mortal wounds).
Rapid Ingress - 1CP
When:
End of your opponent’s Movement phase.
Target:
One unit from your army that is in Reserves.
Effect:
Your unit can arrive on the battlefield as if it were the Reinforcements step of your Movement phase, and if every model in that unit has the Deep Strike ability, you can set that unit up as described in the Deep Strike ability (even though it is not your Movement phase).
Fire Overwatch - 1CP
When:
Your opponent’s Movement or Charge phase, just after an enemy unit is set up or when an enemy unit starts or ends a Normal, Advance or Fall Back move or declares a Charge.
Target:
One unit from your army (excluding TITANIC units) that is within 24" of that enemy unit and that would be eligible to shoot if it were your Shooting phase.
Effect:
If that enemy unit is visible to your unit, your unit can shoot that enemy unit as if it were your Shooting phase.
Go To Ground - 1CP
When:
Your opponent’s Shooting phase, just after an enemy unit has selected its targets.
Target:
One INFANTRY unit from your army that was selected as the target of one or more of the attacking unit’s attacks.
Effect:
Until the end of the phase, all models in your unit have a 6+ invulnerable save and have the Benefit of Cover.
Smokescreen - 1CP
When:
Your opponent’s Shooting phase, just after an enemy unit has selected its targets.
Target:
One SMOKE unit from your army that was selected as the target of one or more of the attacking unit’s attacks.
Effect:
Until the end of the phase, all models in your unit have the Benefit of Cover and the Stealth ability.
Heroic Intervention - 1CP
When:
Your opponent’s Charge phase, just after an enemy unit ends a Charge move.
Target:
One unit from your army that is within 6" of that enemy unit and would be eligible to declare a charge against that enemy unit if it were your Charge phase.
Effect:
Your unit now declares a charge that targets only that enemy unit, and you resolve that charge as if it were your Charge phase.