The Command Phase

The Command phase is the first phase of every turn, where both players top up their Command Points and the active player tests whether their damaged and rattled units keep their nerve. It resolves in five fixed steps before the Movement phase begins.

The five steps

The Command phase always follows the same sequence:

  1. Start of Command phase: resolve any rules triggered at the start of the phase.
  2. Gain Core CP: both players gain Command Points.
  3. Battle-shock: the active player tests the resolve of certain units.
  4. Command Abilities: resolve remaining Command-phase rules.
  5. End of Command phase: resolve end-of-phase and mission triggers.

Because the order is fixed, an ability written to trigger "at the start of the Command phase" cannot be held over to the Command Abilities step, and a battle-shock roll can never happen before Core CP is gained.

Gaining Core CP

During the Gain Core CP step, both players gain 1 Command Point, regardless of whose turn it is. Command Points are the resource you spend to activate stratagems, so this step guarantees a steady trickle of CP to both armies across the game. Although these are labelled "Core CP" to distinguish them from CP generated by other rules, they are ordinary Command Points in every respect. Any effect that refers to Core CP is simply pointing at the Command Points gained during this step.

Battle-shock

Battle-shock is the game's morale mechanic, and it is checked here. The active player must make one battle-shock roll for each unit in their army that meets one or both of these conditions:

A unit is at half-strength once its remaining models number half or fewer of its Starting Strength; a single-model unit such as a VEHICLE or MONSTER checks its Starting Strength of 1 against its remaining wounds versus its full Wounds characteristic instead. So a unit that started with 10 models and has 5 left is at half-strength and must test; a unit that started with 5 and has 2 left is below half-strength and must test; and a lone VEHICLE with a Wounds characteristic of 11 that has 3 wounds remaining is below half-strength and tests as well.

A battle-shock roll is a 2D6 test against the unit's Leadership characteristic. If the total equals or beats the required value the test passes; otherwise the unit becomes battle-shocked. A unit that was already battle-shocked at the start of this step recovers if its roll during this step succeeds. This is the main opportunity each turn for a shaken unit to pull itself back together.

Being battle-shocked carries penalties elsewhere in the rules, most notably a loss of Objective Control and restrictions on falling back, which is why clearing the condition here matters.

Command Abilities

After battle-shock is resolved, the Command Abilities step handles every other rule that triggers "in the Command phase." This deliberately excludes anything already covered: start-of-phase and end-of-phase rules, the Gain Core CP step, and the battle-shock rolls themselves. Detachment rules, character abilities and stratagems that key off the Command phase generally land in this step.

Ending the phase

The End of Command phase step follows the standard end-step ordering. First resolve any triggered rules that are not mission rules, then both players consult their mission and score anything triggered at this point. With the phase closed, the active player advances to the Movement phase.

Frequently asked questions

What happens in the Command phase in Warhammer 40,000 11th edition?

Nothing moves and nothing shoots. CP arrive for both sides, the active player's battered units test their nerve, and then any rule that says "in your Command phase" fires. Keep that order every turn.

How many Command Points do you gain each turn in 40k?

One each, for both players, in every Command phase including your opponent's. Over a five-round game that is 10 CP per side from this step alone, before any army rule adds to it.

When do you take battle-shock tests in Warhammer 40,000?

Only in your own Command phase, and only for units that are already shaken or have lost half their starting models (or half their wounds, for a lone VEHICLE or MONSTER). A unit that drops to half-strength during your opponent's turn keeps its full Objective Control until your next Command phase comes round and it rolls.

How does a battle-shock roll work in 40k 11th edition?

Two dice, add them, compare to Leadership. A Leadership 6+ unit passes 72% of the time; a Leadership 7+ unit passes 58% of the time. The same roll is also the way out, since a shaken unit that passes here shrugs the condition off.

When is a unit at half-strength for battle-shock in 40k?

Count survivors against how many the unit started with, and test when survivors are half or fewer. Attached units count their combined starting size, so a 5-model squad with a character is a 6-model unit that tests at 3 remaining. A single-model unit uses its wounds instead of a model count.