The Battle Round

A battle is played out over a series of battle rounds, and each battle round gives both players one full turn. The mission dictates how many battle rounds are fought and which player goes first.

The shape of a battle round

Every battle round follows the same three-part structure, and the same steps repeat until the battle ends:

• Start of the battle round. Before anyone takes a turn, the players resolve any rules that are specifically triggered at the start of a battle round. Only once these are cleared do the players move on to their turns.
• Player turns. Each player takes exactly one turn during the round, one after the other. The same player always goes first in every battle round of the game, and the mission tells you who that is. When the first player finishes their turn, the opponent takes theirs.
• End of the battle round. After both turns are complete, any end-of-round rules resolve, followed by mission scoring that triggers at this point.

When the round ends, and provided the battle is not yet over, the next battle round begins and the sequence starts again from the top.

Active player and opposing player

Within a single turn, the player whose turn it is is the active player; their opponent is the opposing player. This distinction matters constantly, because most rules are written from the perspective of the active player. It is the active player who moves units, shoots, and declares charges during their own turn. Some rules, however, are available to the opposing player even while it is not their turn, such as reactive stratagems and overwatch, so always check which player a rule is addressed to rather than assuming everything happens on your own turn.

The seven parts of a turn

A player's turn is not a single block of activity. It is broken into seven parts, resolved strictly in order:

1. Start of Turn step: resolve any rules triggered at the start of a turn.
2. Command phase: gain Command Points and check the resolve of your force.
3. Movement phase: move your units, and bring on reinforcements.
4. Shooting phase: make attacks with ranged weapons.
5. Charge phase: declare and make charge moves to reach the enemy.
6. Fight phase: both players' units make melee attacks.
7. End of Turn step: resolve any rules triggered at the end of a turn.

The five phases in the middle (Command, Movement, Shooting, Charge, Fight) are the heart of the game, and they are always resolved in that fixed sequence. You finish one phase entirely before beginning the next.

Resolving end steps and mission triggers

Both the End of Turn step and the End of the Battle Round follow the same two-stage ordering. First you resolve any rules triggered at that point that are not mission rules. Then both players consult their mission, and if either player has satisfied any part of their mission that scores at that moment, it is resolved. This ordering keeps scoring predictable: non-mission effects settle the board state first, and only then do players tally what they have achieved.

Why the structure matters

Because turns are so tightly sequenced, timing is one of the most important things to get right. A rule that triggers "at the start of your Command phase" cannot be used in your Movement phase, and an ability that fires "at the end of the turn" waits until every phase is done. When two rules trigger at the same point, the active player picks the order in which they resolve, so knowing which step an ability lives in also tells you who sequences it.

Frequently asked questions

How does a battle round work in Warhammer 40,000 11th edition?

One round is two turns, yours and your opponent's, wrapped in a start step and an end step that belong to neither player. Most missions run five rounds, so each player gets five turns. The player who goes second finishes the game, which is why holding objectives at the end of round five favours them.

What are the seven parts of a turn in 40k?

Two bookend steps around the five phases: a Start of Turn step, then Command, Movement, Shooting, Charge and Fight, then an End of Turn step. The two steps are where "start of your turn" and "end of your turn" abilities live; they are not phases, so a rule that says "in any phase" does not apply in them.

What is the difference between the active player and the opposing player in Warhammer 40,000?

The active player owns the turn and does almost everything in it. The opposing player's role is reactive: Fire Overwatch at the end of the active player's Movement phase, Heroic Intervention at the end of their Charge phase, and alternating activations in the Fight phase. Note that the labels swap with every turn, so a rule written "for the opposing player" is one you use on your opponent's turn.

Who goes first in each battle round of 40k?

Whoever the mission says, and that player keeps the first turn for the whole game. Turn order never alternates between rounds. In most matched-play missions the roll-off or the attacker/defender rule at set-up decides it, and the deployment map is built around that fixed order.

When is mission scoring resolved at the end of a turn or battle round?

After every non-mission rule that triggers at that point has been resolved, whether the point is the end of a turn or the end of the round. In practice that means an ability that removes a model or moves a unit at end of turn changes who holds an objective before the objective is scored.