The Shooting Phase

The Shooting phase is where the active player resolves ranged attacks, selecting eligible units one at a time and firing them until every unit they want to shoot with has done so. Each firing unit picks a shooting type that governs which weapons it may use and which targets it may pick.

Sequence of the phase

The phase runs in three steps: the start of the phase (when any "start of the Shooting phase" rules resolve), the shooting itself, and the end of the phase (when any "end of the Shooting phase" rules resolve). Only the active player shoots.

During the shoot step, you work through your army one unit at a time. A unit can be selected to shoot as long as it is on the battlefield and hasn't yet been picked to shoot this phase. For each unit you take, follow two steps:

• Select Unit. Choose one eligible friendly unit; it is now selected to shoot.
• Select Shooting Type. Choose one shooting type that unit qualifies for and resolve it. The four standard types are Normal, Assault, Close-quarters and Indirect; individual rules may grant others.

Repeat until you have fired every unit you intend to. In every case, the actual attacks are worked out using the Making Attacks rules (hit rolls, wound rolls, saves and damage).

Normal shooting

This is the default option. A unit qualifies if it is unengaged and did not Advance this turn. It simply shoots as normal, using any weapons it carries. Once it has fired, starting an Action is off the table for that unit until the phase ends.

Assault shooting

Assault shooting lets a unit fire even after Advancing, but only with certain weapons. A unit qualifies if it is unengaged, made an Advance move this turn, and carries one or more weapons with the [ASSAULT] ability. While shooting this way, you may only make attacks with its [ASSAULT] weapons; its other guns stay silent. As with every type, the unit cannot begin an Action afterwards.

Close-quarters shooting

This type lets a unit fire while it is locked in melee. A unit qualifies if it is engaged, did not Advance this turn, and is either a MONSTER or VEHICLE unit or carries at least one [CLOSE-QUARTERS] weapon. While shooting, models may target enemy units their own unit is engaged with. Two different rules apply depending on the model:

• MONSTER and VEHICLE models. Each attack suffers a -1 penalty to the hit roll unless it is made with a [CLOSE-QUARTERS] weapon against a unit yours is engaged with. A [BLAST] weapon still cannot fire at any unit your unit is engaged with.
• Other models. You may only make attacks with [CLOSE-QUARTERS] weapons, and you may only pick enemy units engaged with your unit as targets.

Firing this way spends the unit's Action for the phase as well: a unit that has shot from combat cannot begin one before the phase ends.

Indirect shooting

Indirect shooting reaches targets your models cannot see, at a cost of accuracy. A unit qualifies if it is unengaged, did not Advance this turn, and carries one or more [INDIRECT FIRE] weapons. While shooting this way:

• The unit's [INDIRECT FIRE] weapons can target enemy units that are not visible to the firing model.
• Each attack made with an [INDIRECT FIRE] weapon gives the target the benefit of cover.
• You cannot re-roll the hit rolls for those attacks.
• An unmodified hit roll of 1 to 5 counts as a miss. The exception: if your unit stayed stationary this turn and the target is visible to at least one friendly unit, only an unmodified 1 to 3 misses instead.

A unit selecting indirect shooting can still fire its non-[INDIRECT FIRE] weapons at other visible targets in the normal way. Afterwards, no Action may be started by that unit for the remainder of the phase.

Points to remember

The distinction between shooting types matters most for edge cases: Advancing turns off normal fire but leaves Assault weapons available, being locked in combat opens close-quarters fire, and hidden targets demand the accuracy penalty of indirect fire. A single unit only ever picks one type per activation, so weigh which set of weapons and targets you most want before committing.

Frequently asked questions

What are the shooting types in Warhammer 40,000 11th edition?

Normal, Assault, Close-quarters and Indirect, and what the unit did in the Movement phase usually decides which are open to it. A unit that Advanced can only pick Assault; an engaged unit can only pick Close-quarters. The choice covers every weapon the unit fires that activation.

Can a unit shoot after Advancing in 40k?

Yes, if it has an [ASSAULT] weapon, and only with those weapons. A charge later that turn is barred too, so an Advancing unit with Assault weapons is a shooting unit for the rest of the turn.

Can you shoot while in melee in Warhammer 40,000?

Some units can. A MONSTER or VEHICLE fires everything except [BLAST] weapons at the units it is fighting, paying -1 to hit on anything that is not a [CLOSE-QUARTERS] weapon. Anyone else needs a [CLOSE-QUARTERS] weapon and fires nothing but those, at nothing but the units they are engaged with. A unit with no such weapon that is not a MONSTER or VEHICLE simply does not shoot that phase.

How does Indirect Fire work in 40k 11th edition?

The weapon trades accuracy for reach: no line of sight needed, but the target always gets cover, hit re-rolls are off, and a natural 5 or under misses. The forgiving version (a natural 3 or under misses) needs both a stationary firing unit and a spotter, meaning any friendly unit that can see the target. Note that even a BS 2+ model is hitting on a 6 without that spotter.

Can a unit still shoot other weapons when firing Indirect in Warhammer 40,000?

Yes. Choosing Indirect only changes how the [INDIRECT FIRE] weapons behave; the unit's other guns pick visible targets and roll normally, and they may target a different unit from the one the indirect weapons are firing at. The one shared cost is the Action ban for the rest of the phase, which applies whichever type you pick.