Warhammer 40K Battle-shock, Explained
A plain-English rules guide
Battle-shock replaced the old Morale phase in 10th edition, and it trips up a lot of newer players. Here's exactly when you test, how to roll it, and what actually happens to a unit that fails.
When do you take a Battle-shock test?
Battle-shock tests happen in your Command phase — the very first phase of your turn. You take a test for each of your units that is Below Half-Strength.
A unit is Below Half-Strength when it has lost half or more of its starting models. For a single-model unit (like a Monster or Character), it counts as Below Half-Strength when it has lost half or more of its starting Wounds. Units at more than half strength don't test at all.
How to roll the test
Roll 2D6 and compare the total to the unit's Leadership (Ld) characteristic:
- Result equals or beats the unit's Leadership → the test is passed, nothing happens.
- Result is lower than the unit's Leadership → the unit is Battle-shocked until the start of your next Command phase.
Remember that Leadership in 10th edition is written as a target number, like "6+". So a unit with Leadership 6+ passes on a 2D6 roll of 6 or more.
Your 10-model squad has taken 6 casualties, leaving 4 models — that's below half of 10, so it's Below Half-Strength. In your Command phase you roll 2D6 for its Battle-shock test and get a 5. The unit's Leadership is 6+, so 5 fails: the squad is now Battle-shocked until your next Command phase.
What happens to a Battle-shocked unit?
While a unit is Battle-shocked, three things apply:
- Objective Control becomes 0. The unit can't hold or contest objectives — even a big squad standing on an objective marker stops controlling it.
- It can't use Stratagems. You cannot target that unit with any Stratagem while it's Battle-shocked.
- Desperate Escape if it Falls Back. If the unit Falls Back while Battle-shocked, it must take Desperate Escape tests — rolling a D6 per model and losing a model on each 1 or 2.
The condition wears off at the start of your next Command phase, at which point you'd test again if the unit is still Below Half-Strength.
Common questions
Yes. Battle-shock doesn't stop a unit shooting, charging, or fighting — its main bite is losing objective control and Stratagem access.
Only if you have a rule that allows it (for example, the Insane Bravery Stratagem lets you auto-pass one test per battle). The core Command Re-roll Stratagem can also be used on the roll.
No — you only test your own eligible units, and only in your own Command phase.
This guide explains the rule in our own words as a reference aid — always confirm the exact wording against Games Workshop's free official 40K core rules for tournament or rules-critical play.
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