Harlequins — Combat Patrol

Twilight Cavalcade — Full Guide

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How to Use This Guide (click to collapse)

This guide is a scaffold — not instructions.

This reference exists to help you learn what your Combat Patrol can do. Warhammer has many timing windows, abilities, stratagems, and scoring rules that can happen in different phases. Because of that, this guide may repeat certain reminders in multiple places.

These reminders are NOT commands. You do not need to use everything listed in every phase. You can skip entire sections if they are not relevant to the current situation. This guide shows your options, not the "correct" play.

Use as much or as little as you need. On your first game, you might follow the reminders closely. On later games, you may only skim or ignore sections entirely. That is normal — the goal is to reduce how much you depend on this guide over time.

You will make mistakes — that's part of learning. Spending CP too early, forgetting an ability, or using a stratagem at the wrong moment is expected for new players. This guide gives you the opportunity to try these tools so you can learn from your own decisions.

When in doubt: keep playing. If you're unsure about a rule, timing window, or reminder, keep the game moving and look it up after the turn. This guide is meant to support play, not slow it down.

Part 1: Game Setup Checklist

Use this checklist before the battle begins.

1. Create Battlefield & Choose Mission

  • Work with your opponent to create the battlefield (44"×30") and set up terrain.
  • Determine the mission (e.g., "Clash of Patrols"). This sets your deployment map and Primary Objective.

2. Determine Attacker/Defender

Roll off. The winner decides who will be the Attacker and who will be the Defender. This determines your deployment zone.

3. Make Your Army Choices

4. Declare Battle Formations

  • Attach Leaders: Secretly decide if your leader(s) will be attached.
    • Knight of Evenfall (Troupe Master) can attach to Troupe.
    • Alineth Shadespinner (Shadowseer) can attach to Troupe.
  • Both players reveal their choices simultaneously.

5. Deploy Armies

  • The Defender sets up one unit first, then alternate placing units one at a time.

6. Determine First Turn

Both players roll off. The winner chooses who takes the first turn.

7. Army Rule: Battle Focus

Timing: Start of battle round (gain token) / Various phases (spend)

Gain 1 Battle Focus token at start of each battle round. Spend tokens to trigger Agile Manoeuvres: Swift as the Wind (+2" Move), Flitting Shadows (enemy can't Overwatch), Fade Back (D6" move after being shot). Unspent tokens lost at end of round.

Part 2: Turn-by-Turn Guide

Follow this during the game. Check each phase for reminders.

YOUR TURN

1. Command Phase

• Gain 1 CP

• Check Battle-shock: Test any units Below Half-strength (roll 2D6 vs Leadership).

Core Stratagems:

1CP
Insane Bravery — Use if one of your units fails a Battle-shock test.

📊 Check Secondary (Deadly Denouement): Check if you scored VP this phase.

2. Movement Phase

• Move your units. Each unit can make a Normal move (up to M"), Advance (+D6", cannot shoot or charge), Remain Stationary, or Fall Back (if in Engagement Range).

📊 Check Secondary (Deadly Denouement): Check if you scored VP this phase.

3. Shooting Phase

• Select your units and shoot. Declare targets, then resolve attacks (Hit → Wound → Save → Damage).

• (Reminder: Vehicles and Monsters can shoot even if they're in Engagement Range — Big Guns Never Tire)

Core Stratagems:

1CP
Command Re-roll — Re-roll one Hit, Wound, or Damage roll.

📊 Check Secondary (Deadly Denouement): Check if you scored VP this phase.

4. Charge Phase

• Declare and make Charge moves. Select a unit, declare target(s) within 12", roll 2D6 to determine charge distance.

• (Reminder: Units that complete a charge get [FIGHTS FIRST] for this turn)

Core Stratagems:

1CP
Tank Shock — Use when a VEHICLE makes a Charge move to deal mortal wounds.

📊 Check Secondary (Deadly Denouement): Check if you scored VP this phase.

5. Fight Phase

(Players alternate fighting, starting with the player whose turn it is NOT. Units with [FIGHTS FIRST] go first.)

• Select units to fight. Pile in 3" → Make attacks → Consolidate 3".

Patrol Stratagems:

1CP
Blade Artists — Until end of phase, improve AP of melee weapons by 1.
1CP
Malicious Frenzy — Until end of phase, each time a model in your unit is destroyed, roll D6: on 3+, after the attacking unit finishes, it suffers 1 mortal wound.
1CP
Dance of Shadows — Remove your unit and place into Strategic Reserves. Until end of next turn, treat battle round as one higher for arriving purposes.

Core Stratagems:

1CP
Epic Challenge — Use when a CHARACTER fights to gain [PRECISION].
1CP
Command Re-roll — Re-roll one Hit, Wound, or Damage roll.

📊 Check Secondary (Deadly Denouement): Check if you scored VP this phase.

End of Your Turn

  • Check Secondary (Deadly Denouement): Score 2VP for each CHARACTER model from your army that destroyed one or more enemy models that phase.
  • Remove any abilities/effects that last "until the end of your turn".

OPPONENT'S TURN

1. Command Phase

• Your opponent gains 1 CP.

• (Reminder: Make sure your opponent checks Battle-shock for their units Below Half-strength)

📊 Check Secondary (Deadly Denouement): Check if you scored VP this phase.

2. Movement Phase

• Watch for enemies moving into range or within 24" of your units.

• (You can Fire Overwatch when an enemy starts or ends a move within 24")

Core Stratagems:

1CP
Fire Overwatch — When an enemy starts or ends a move within 24", shoot at them (hits on 6+).

📊 Check Secondary (Deadly Denouement): Check if you scored VP this phase.

3. Shooting Phase

• Make saving throws for your units. Roll saves (including any invulnerable saves) and allocate damage.

• (Reminder: Units with [STEALTH] are -1 to be hit from more than 12" away)

Core Stratagems:

1CP
Go to Ground — Use when INFANTRY is targeted. Gain 6+ Invuln and Benefit of Cover.
1CP
Smokescreen — Use when a SMOKE unit is targeted. Subtract 1 from Hit rolls.
1CP
Command Re-roll — Re-roll a key saving throw.

📊 Check Secondary (Deadly Denouement): Check if you scored VP this phase.

4. Charge Phase

• Watch for enemy units declaring charges against you.

• (You can Fire Overwatch when an enemy declares a charge or ends a charge move)

Core Stratagems:

1CP
Fire Overwatch — When an enemy ends a Charge move within 24", shoot at them (hits on 6+).
1CP
Heroic Intervention — At the end of the phase, one of your units can make a 6" counter-charge move.

📊 Check Secondary (Deadly Denouement): Check if you scored VP this phase.

5. Fight Phase

(You fight first since it's your opponent's turn — unless they have [FIGHTS FIRST])

• Make saving throws and allocate damage when your units are attacked.

Patrol Stratagems:

1CP
Blade Artists — Until end of phase, improve AP of melee weapons by 1.
1CP
Malicious Frenzy — Until end of phase, each time a model in your unit is destroyed, roll D6: on 3+, after the attacking unit finishes, it suffers 1 mortal wound.
1CP
Dance of Shadows — Remove your unit and place into Strategic Reserves. Until end of next turn, treat battle round as one higher for arriving purposes.

Core Stratagems:

2CP
Counter-Offensive — Use just after an enemy unit fights to 'cut in line'.
1CP
Command Re-roll — Re-roll a key saving throw.

📊 Check Secondary (Deadly Denouement): Check if you scored VP this phase.

End of Opponent's Turn

  • Check Secondary (Deadly Denouement)
  • Remove any abilities/effects that last "until the end of the turn".

Part 3: Unit Datasheets

Knight of Evenfall (Troupe Master)

★ Warlord
1 model
M T SV W LD OC INV
8" 3 6+ 4 6+ 1 4+
Ranged Weapons
Weapon Range A BS S AP D
Shuriken pistol ASSAULT PISTOL
12" 1 2+ 4 -1 1
Melee Weapons
Weapon Range A WS S AP D
Troupe Master's blade DEVASTATING WOUNDS
Melee 5 2+ 4 -1 2
Enhancement

Starlight Strike

Models in the bearer's unit have the Fights First ability.

Abilities

Core: Leader
Faction: Battle Focus
Cegorach's Favour

Each time this model makes a melee attack, re-roll Hit rolls of 1 and add 1 to the Wound roll.

Keywords: INFANTRY, CHARACTER, AELDARI, TROUPE MASTER, KNIGHT OF EVENFALL

Alineth Shadespinner (Shadowseer)

1 model
M T SV W LD OC INV
8" 3 6+ 4 6+ 1 4+
Ranged Weapons
Weapon Range A BS S AP D
Neuro disruptor ANTI-INFANTRY 2+ PISTOL
12" 1 2+ 3 -1 1
Melee Weapons
Weapon Range A WS S AP D
Miststave PSYCHIC
Melee 4 2+ 5 -1 D3

Abilities

Core: Leader Stealth
Faction: Battle Focus
Treacherous Illusion (Psychic)

Melee weapons equipped by enemy models have HAZARDOUS while targeting this model's unit.

Keywords: INFANTRY, CHARACTER, AELDARI, PSYKER, SHADOWSEER, ALINETH SHADESPINNER

Troupe

6 models
M T SV W LD OC INV
8" 3 6+ 1 6+ 1 4+
Ranged Weapons
Weapon Range A BS S AP D
Shuriken pistol ASSAULT PISTOL
12" 1 3+ 4 -1 1
Neuro disruptor ANTI-INFANTRY 2+ PISTOL
12" 1 3+ 3 -1 1
Melee Weapons
Weapon Range A WS S AP D
Harlequin's blade DEVASTATING WOUNDS
Melee 5 3+ 3 -1 1
Harlequin's special weapon DEVASTATING WOUNDS
Melee 4 3+ 4 -1 1
Enhancement

Starlight Strike

Models in the bearer's unit have the Fights First ability.

Abilities

Faction: Battle Focus
Dance of Death

Select one ability: Hero's Prowess (re-roll Hit rolls of 1), Villain's Doom (+1 to Wound), or Trickster's Grace (enemy -1 to Hit).

Keywords: INFANTRY, AELDARI, TROUPE

Skyweavers

2 models
M T SV W LD OC INV
14" 4 4+ 3 6+ 2 4+
Ranged Weapons
Weapon Range A BS S AP D
Shuriken cannon LETHAL HITS
24" 3 3+ 6 -1 2
Skyweaver haywire cannon ANTI-VEHICLE 4+ DEVASTATING WOUNDS
24" 2 3+ 3 -1 3
Melee Weapons
Weapon Range A WS S AP D
Zephyrglaive
Melee 4 3+ 4 -2 2

Abilities

Faction: Battle Focus
Acrobatic Grace

Each time an attack targets this unit, subtract 1 from the Hit roll.

Keywords: MOUNTED, AELDARI, FLY, SMOKE, SKYWEAVERS

Voidweaver

1 model
M T SV W LD OC INV
14" 6 4+ 6 6+ 2 4+
Ranged Weapons
Weapon Range A BS S AP D
Prismatic cannon - dispersed pulse BLAST
24" 2D6 3+ 4 0 1
Prismatic cannon - focused lance
24" 2 3+ 12 -3 4
Shuriken cannon LETHAL HITS
24" 3 3+ 6 -1 2
Melee Weapons
Weapon Range A WS S AP D
Close combat weapon
Melee 3 3+ 3 0 1

Abilities

Core: Deadly Demise 1 Stealth
Faction: Battle Focus
Keywords: VEHICLE, AELDARI, FLY, VOIDWEAVER