In the vast and brutal universe of Warhammer 40,000, every warrior, every vehicle, and every monstrous creature has a story to tell on the battlefield. That story is encapsulated within the 40k Datasheet. This crucial document is more than just a stat block; it's the operational manual for your units, dictating their capabilities, their strengths, and their weaknesses. Understanding the 40k Datasheet is fundamental to mastering the game and ensuring your forces achieve victory for the Emperor (or your chosen faction).
Unpacking the 40k Datasheet: What It Is and How It Works
At its core, a 40k Datasheet is a detailed profile for a specific unit or character in Warhammer 40,000. It provides all the essential information needed to field that unit on the tabletop. Think of it as the instruction manual for your miniature. Without it, you wouldn't know how your army fights, how much damage it can inflict, or how resilient it is to enemy fire. Understanding the 40k Datasheet is the bedrock of effective strategy and tactical decision-making.
The information presented on a 40k Datasheet is typically organized into several key sections:
- Unit Name: The designation of the unit (e.g., Space Marine Tactical Squad, Ork Boyz, Imperial Knight).
- Points Cost: The number of points required to include this unit in your army.
- Abilities: Special rules that grant the unit unique advantages or modify its behavior in specific situations.
- Stats: The core combat statistics of the unit, usually presented in a table.
The combat statistics are particularly vital. They determine a unit's effectiveness in different phases of the game. Here's a breakdown of the most common ones:
| Stat | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Movement (M) | How far the unit can move each turn. |
| Weapon Skill (WS) | How likely the unit is to hit in close combat. |
| Ballistic Skill (BS) | How likely the unit is to hit with shooting attacks. |
| Strength (S) | The power of the unit's attacks. |
| Toughness (T) | How resilient the unit is to damage. |
| Wounds (W) | How much damage the unit can sustain before being removed from play. |
| Attacks (A) | The number of attacks a unit makes in close combat. |
| Leadership (Ld) | The unit's morale and ability to resist breaking. |
| Save (Sv) | The unit's armor protection, determining its chance to ignore incoming damage. |
Furthermore, each 40k Datasheet will detail the unit's available wargear (weapons and equipment). This includes the range, type, strength, armor penetration (AP), and damage of each weapon. A good example of how this information is presented is with a unit's basic armament:
- Weapon Type: Boltgun
- Range: 24"
- Type: Rapid Fire 1
- S: 4
- AP: -1
- D: 1
This allows you to understand precisely what your unit can do and how effective it will be against different enemy units. Combining this with the unit's abilities, like the iconic 'Feel No Pain' that allows a unit to ignore wounds, or 'Adeptus Astartes,' which grants bonuses for staying near other Space Marines, paints a complete picture of its battlefield role.
Now that you have a foundational understanding of the 40k Datasheet, it's time to delve deeper and see how these principles translate into actual gameplay. The resources available are extensive and will provide practical examples.