40k 11th Ed - How to read a Datasheet

zakludick(74)

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Beyond just understanding of a few stats, it is a good idea to know HOW to look at a Datasheet to get the best information out of it.

In the picture above, you get the first thing you see when you open a Datasheet. The Statline.
Or, as we like to break it down: Movement, Defensive and Control profiles.

What models do in Shooting and Melee depends on the weapons they have, which is why I don't read the weapons statlines first.

So let's put the sequence into the way we usually look at a Datasheet.

1. Main Statline - Movement, Defensive and Control Profiles.

Here we will find:

Movement
M - Movement in inches per turn. Most units can also Advance and add D6 inches to their movement.

Defensive
T - Toughness level
Sv - Their Saving throw (armor class)
W - Wounds, their Health, 0 W equals dead.

Control
Ld - Leadership value, lower the better
OC - Objective control, higher the better.

2. Unit Composition

This should either be the first or second place you should look. It will help to put the rest of the Datasheet into perspective.

In Unit Composition, we find out how many models are in a unit, what each unit is armed with before Wargear option are selected and how many points they cost.

This is vitally important. High points equal high stats and abilities. It frames out if they are a good deal or not.

Unit Composition will tell you that there is a Sergeant with certain weapons and then 4-9 other guys with other weapons. Then the modifiers make sense.

3. Wargear Options

Now that you looked at what models comes armed with, the Wargear options will say things like: "The Sergeant can exchange his melee weapon with these melee weapons." Or "For every 5 models in this unit, 1 model may take one of the following weapons."

This gives you an idea on how you may customize your squad.

4. Ranged Weapons and Melee Weapons

Now look back and forth between standard weapons and other weapon options.

A unit of Guardsmen are all armed with lasguns, that is the profile there is many of. Only 1 or 2 of them per 10 are armed with say, a Meltagun or Plasmagun.

5. Abilities

Finally, each unit has an abilities, sometimes several. These abilties can be used to enchance their performance.

So if a unit gets bonuses to melee attacks then giving the unit lots of ranged wargear would be senseless.

6. Keywords

Do not Neglect this section! Keywords allow units to use certain universal rules, stratagems or even the Detachment Stratagems only working on certain unit Keywords.

And there you go!

Datasheets incoming! Now you should understand them better!

Cheers!

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