Combat in Warhammer 40K can be deceptively complex. The Charge and Fight phases may seem straightforward, but mastering their nuances is where games are won and lost. One of the trickiest challenges is dealing with Fights First units. In this article, we’ll break down how to handle them effectively. Let’s get into it.
Understanding the Charge and Fight Phases
Before we move further, we need to understand the basics of Charging and making Charge Moves and then the order of activation to “Fight” in the Fight Phase. The Warhammer 40,000 Core Rules lay out the guidelines on making a Charge move.
To make a charge, a unit must:
- Be within 12″ of the target.
- Roll high enough to reach engagement range.
- Move as many models as possible into base-to-base contact.
Once charges are resolved, we move into the Fight Phase. Here’s the key sequence:
- The non-active player fights with units that have Fights First.
- Then, the active player’s charging units fight.
Normally, this means that if you charge into a unit with Fights First, they swing first and may destroy your unit before it can strike back. That’s what we want to avoid.
How to Get Around a Unit with Fights First
Two important details from the Charge rules:
- Models must move into base-to-base if possible.
- If not possible, they must move closer to the charged unit.
But here’s the catch: in the Fight Phase, a charging unit can pile-in and attack an enemy it didn’t declare as a target of the charge, so long as the pile-in brings it closer to the nearest enemy model.
Let’s look at this in the photo example below:
- The Chosen declare a charge against a Vindicator, not the nearby Bladeguard Veterans with a Judiciar (who have Fights First).
- All Chosen who can reach base-to-base with the Vindicator do so, while the rest move closer to the Bladeguard without entering engagement range. They have satisfied the conditions for a charge by moving closer to the Vindicator as well.
- In the Fight Phase, the Bladeguard cannot activate first as they’re not in engagement range of any enemy models.
- The Chosen now activate and pile-in. Since the Bladeguard are the nearest enemy unit to some models, those models can pile-in towards them and attack.
Result: the Bladeguard lose their Fights First advantage, and you get the first swing.
What About Heroic Intervention?
The above works only if your opponent doesn’t use a Heroic Intervention to pull the Fights First unit into combat. To prevent this, you can “lock” them with an expendable charge.
A unit that is in engagement range already cannot perform a Heroic Intervention. This tactic is key to preventing a Heroic Intervention, but may come at the cost of one of your units as a sacrifice. Let’s look at the example below.
Timing and sequencing is important here. Heroic Intervention triggers immediately after a unit makes a Charge Move. If you’re wanting to setup a play like this to prevent a Fights First unit from performing a Heroic Intervention, you need to charge with your expendable unit first. In this case, the CSM player has charged with the Rhino in order to setup a play where the Chosen can charge and possibly destroy the Vindicator, Bladeguard Veterans (by piling-into and attacking them as above) and/or take the point with OC.
Final Thoughts
Fights First can be difficult and challenging to play around with your own melee units, but not impossible. The key is understanding the rules of the Charge and Fight Phases, how to prevent Heroic Interventions and play around Fights First units to maximize your results in combat. Sure you may lose that expendable unit, but often this is a sacrifice worth making for a better play in the game.
If you’re newer to tournaments or trying to understand how all the competitive pieces fit together, I put together a complete resource guide on getting started in competitive Warhammer 40K that walks through the core rules, missions, tools, and learning resources used at events.
If you’re new to the game or want to improve quickly, then don’t forget to grab my FREE eBook: Forging Your Path to Victory: A Beginner’s Guide to Competitive 40K. A great starting point for those looking to jump into Competitive 40K. Subscribe and get your free copy!
Want to learn more in-depth strategies for Combat? I teach techniques like this all the time to my clients. If you’re interested in learning how to maximize the Fight Phase and become a master in combat, check out my coaching options. I’d love to help you level up your game!
See you on the tabletop.
