Thousand Sons — Combat Patrol

Warptongue's Hex-pact — 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.
    • Madrax Warptongue can attach to Rubric Marines.
  • Reserves: Secretly decide which units start in Reserves.
    • Deep Strike: Flamers, Screamers
  • 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: Blessings of Change

Timing: Start of Shooting Phase

One PSYKER can attempt a Ritual. Roll 2D6 for Psychic test. Optional: roll extra dice but suffer D3 mortal wounds on doubles/triples. Rituals: Destiny's Ruin (WC 5) - re-roll 1s to Hit against target, Temporal Surge (WC 6) - friendly unit moves D6" but can't charge.

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.

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).

Patrol Stratagems:

1CP
Intimidating Intrusion — Select one PSYKER model in your unit, then select one enemy-controlled objective within 12" with no enemy models with OC 1+ in range. Take Leadership test — if passed, objective is no longer under opponent's control.

3. Shooting Phase

• Blessings of Change: Start of Shooting Phase

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

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
Wrath of the Warp — Until end of phase, when a PSYKER or SCINTILLATING LEGIONS model from your unit is destroyed, roll D6 (add 2 if PSYKER): 2-4 = 1 mortal wound, 5+ = 2 mortal wounds to attacking unit.
1CP
Cursetouch — Until end of phase, add 1 to Damage of melee weapons equipped by PSYKER and SCINTILLATING LEGIONS models in your unit.

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 (Corrupting Congregation): Objective markers with both THOUSAND SONS and SCINTILLATING LEGIONS units in range are 'Cursed'. Score 1VP at end of your turn, 2VP at end of opponent's turn, if any objectives are Cursed.
  • 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)

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")

Patrol Stratagems:

1CP
Intimidating Intrusion — Select one PSYKER model in your unit, then select one enemy-controlled objective within 12" with no enemy models with OC 1+ in range. Take Leadership test — if passed, objective is no longer under opponent's control.

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.

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
Wrath of the Warp — Until end of phase, when a PSYKER or SCINTILLATING LEGIONS model from your unit is destroyed, roll D6 (add 2 if PSYKER): 2-4 = 1 mortal wound, 5+ = 2 mortal wounds to attacking unit.
1CP
Cursetouch — Until end of phase, add 1 to Damage of melee weapons equipped by PSYKER and SCINTILLATING LEGIONS models in your unit.

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 (Corrupting Congregation)
  • Remove any abilities/effects that last "until the end of the turn".

Part 3: Unit Datasheets

Madrax Warptongue

★ Warlord
1 model
M T SV W LD OC INV
6" 4 3+ 4 6+ 1 5+
Ranged Weapons
Weapon Range A BS S AP D
Inferno bolt pistol PISTOL
12" 1 3+ 4 -1 1
Pandaemonic Delusion PSYCHIC SUSTAINED HITS 3
24" 6 3+ 5 -1 1
Melee Weapons
Weapon Range A WS S AP D
Force weapon PSYCHIC
Melee 4 3+ 6 -1 D3
Prosperine khopesh
Melee 3 3+ 5 -2 2
Enhancement

Worthy Offerings

The bearer's ranged weapons have PISTOL and PRECISION.

Abilities

Core: Leader
Faction: Blessings of Change
Empyric Guidance (Psychic)

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

Keywords: INFANTRY, CHARACTER, PSYKER, CHAOS, TZEENTCH, SORCERER, MADRAX WARPTONGUE

Rubric Marines

10 models
M T SV W LD OC INV
6" 4 3+ 2 7+ 2 5+
Aspiring Sorcerer: W 3, LD 6+
Ranged Weapons
Weapon Range A BS S AP D
Inferno bolt pistol PISTOL
12" 1 3+ 4 -1 1
Inferno boltgun
24" 2 3+ 4 -2 1
Malefic Curse ANTI-INFANTRY 4+ DEVASTATING WOUNDS PSYCHIC
24" 3 3+ 4 -3 1
Soulreaper cannon DEVASTATING WOUNDS
24" 6 3+ 6 -2 1
Warpflamer IGNORES COVER TORRENT
12" D6 N/A 4 -1 1
Melee Weapons
Weapon Range A WS S AP D
Close combat weapon
Melee 2 3+ 4 0 1
Force weapon PSYCHIC
Melee 3 3+ 6 -1 D3

Abilities

Faction: Blessings of Change (Aspiring Sorcerer only)
Keywords: INFANTRY, BATTLELINE, CHAOS, TZEENTCH, RUBRICAE, RUBRIC MARINES

Flamers

3 models
M T SV W LD OC INV
9" 4 7+ 3 8+ 1 4+
Ranged Weapons
Weapon Range A BS S AP D
Flickering flames IGNORES COVER PSYCHIC TORRENT
12" D6 N/A 4 -1 1
Melee Weapons
Weapon Range A WS S AP D
Flamer mouths
Melee 3 4+ 4 0 1

Abilities

Core: Deep Strike
Bounding Leaps

This unit is eligible to shoot in a turn in which it Fell Back.

Keywords: INFANTRY, FLY, CHAOS, DAEMON, TZEENTCH, SUMMONED, FLAMERS

Screamers

3 models
M T SV W LD OC INV
14" 4 6+ 3 8+ 1 4+
Melee Weapons
Weapon Range A WS S AP D
Lamprey bite ANTI-MONSTER 4+ ANTI-VEHICLE 4+
Melee 3 3+ 6 -2 2

Abilities

Core: Deep Strike
Slashing Dive

Select one enemy unit it moved over. Roll D6 for each model in this unit: for each 4+, enemy suffers 1 mortal wound.

Keywords: BEAST, FLY, CHAOS, DAEMON, TZEENTCH, SUMMONED, SCREAMERS