Space Marines — Combat Patrol

Strike Force Octavius — 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.
    • Captain Octavius can attach to Terminator Squad.
    • Librarian Tantus can attach to Terminator Squad.
  • Reserves: Secretly decide which units start in Reserves.
    • Deep Strike: Captain Octavius, Librarian Tantus, Terminator Squad
  • 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: Oath of Moment

Timing: Start of Command Phase

Select one enemy unit to be your Oath of Moment target. Until your next Command phase, each time a model with this ability attacks that target, re-roll the Hit roll.

Part 2: Turn-by-Turn Guide

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

YOUR TURN

1. Command Phase

• Gain 1 CP

• Oath of Moment: Start of Command Phase

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

Patrol Stratagems:

1CP
Duty and Honour — That objective marker remains under your control (even with no models in range) until your opponent controls it at the start or end of any turn.

Core Stratagems:

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

2. Movement Phase

• Reserves: Units in Deep Strike can arrive (not Turn 1). Set up more than 9" from enemy models.

• 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).

3. Shooting Phase

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

Patrol Stratagems:

1CP
Gene-Wrought Resilience — Until end of phase, each time an attack targets your unit, if the Strength is greater than your Toughness, subtract 1 from the Wound roll.

Core Stratagems:

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

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)

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
Gene-Wrought Resilience — Until end of phase, each time an attack targets your unit, if the Strength is greater than your Toughness, subtract 1 from the Wound roll.
1CP
Veteran Instincts — Until end of phase, re-roll Wound rolls of 1. If targeting a MONSTER or VEHICLE, re-roll the Wound roll instead.

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.

End of Your Turn

  • Check Secondary (Shock Tactics): Score 5VP if you control one or more objective markers that your opponent controlled at the start of that turn.
  • 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)

Patrol Stratagems:

1CP
Duty and Honour — That objective marker remains under your control (even with no models in range) until your opponent controls it at the start or end of any turn.

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+).

3. Shooting Phase

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

Patrol Stratagems:

1CP
Gene-Wrought Resilience — Until end of phase, each time an attack targets your unit, if the Strength is greater than your Toughness, subtract 1 from the Wound roll.

Core Stratagems:

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

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.

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
Gene-Wrought Resilience — Until end of phase, each time an attack targets your unit, if the Strength is greater than your Toughness, subtract 1 from the Wound roll.
1CP
Veteran Instincts — Until end of phase, re-roll Wound rolls of 1. If targeting a MONSTER or VEHICLE, re-roll the Wound roll instead.

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.

End of Opponent's Turn

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

Part 3: Unit Datasheets

Captain Octavius

★ Warlord
1 model
M T SV W LD OC INV
5" 5 2+ 6 6+ 1 4+
Ranged Weapons
Weapon Range A BS S AP D
Storm bolter RAPID FIRE 2
24" 2 2+ 4 0 1
Melee Weapons
Weapon Range A WS S AP D
Relic weapon
Melee 6 2+ 5 -2 2
Enhancement

Champion Duellist

The bearer's melee weapons have PRECISION and LETHAL HITS.

Abilities

Core: Deep Strike Leader
Faction: Oath of Moment
Unstoppable Valour

You can re-roll Charge rolls made for this model's unit.

Keywords: INFANTRY, CHARACTER, IMPERIUM, TERMINATOR, CAPTAIN, OCTAVIUS

Librarian Tantus

1 model
M T SV W LD OC INV
5" 5 2+ 5 6+ 1 4+
Ranged Weapons
Weapon Range A BS S AP D
Smite - witchfire PSYCHIC
24" D6 3+ 5 -1 D3
Smite - focused witchfire DEVASTATING WOUNDS HAZARDOUS PSYCHIC
24" D6 3+ 6 -2 D3
Storm bolter RAPID FIRE 2
24" 2 3+ 4 0 1
Melee Weapons
Weapon Range A WS S AP D
Force weapon PSYCHIC
Melee 4 3+ 4 -1 D3

Abilities

Core: Deep Strike Leader
Faction: Oath of Moment
Veil of Time (Psychic)

While this model is leading a unit, weapons equipped by models in that unit have SUSTAINED HITS 1.

Keywords: INFANTRY, CHARACTER, PSYKER, IMPERIUM, TERMINATOR, LIBRARIAN TANTUS

Infernus Squad

5 models
M T SV W LD OC INV
6" 4 3+ 2 6+ 1 -
Ranged Weapons
Weapon Range A BS S AP D
Bolt pistol PISTOL
12" 1 3+ 4 0 1
Pyreblaster IGNORES COVER TORRENT
12" D6 N/A 5 0 1
Melee Weapons
Weapon Range A WS S AP D
Close combat weapon
Melee 3 3+ 4 0 1

Abilities

Faction: Oath of Moment
Keywords: INFANTRY, IMPERIUM, TACTICUS, INFERNUS SQUAD

Terminator Squad

5 models
M T SV W LD OC INV
5" 5 2+ 3 6+ 1 4+
Ranged Weapons
Weapon Range A BS S AP D
Assault cannon DEVASTATING WOUNDS
24" 6 3+ 6 0 1
Storm bolter RAPID FIRE 2
24" 2 3+ 4 0 1
Melee Weapons
Weapon Range A WS S AP D
Power fist
Melee 3 3+ 8 -2 2
Power weapon
Melee 4 3+ 5 -2 1

Abilities

Core: Deep Strike
Faction: Oath of Moment
Fury of the First

Each time a model in this unit attacks your Oath of Moment target, add 1 to the Hit roll.

Keywords: INFANTRY, IMPERIUM, TERMINATOR, TERMINATOR SQUAD