Damage Allocation

Core Rule

When damage must be assigned to models in a target unit, assign that damage to the closest eligible models first.

Closest is measured from the closest attacking model that contributed to the attack or damaging effect, unless another rule explicitly states otherwise.

If two or more eligible models are equally close, the defending player chooses which of those equidistant models is assigned damage first.

Eligible Models

Eligible models are models in the affected unit that the resolving attack or damaging effect is allowed to affect after applying Target Limit, templates, targeting restrictions, and any rule-specific limits.

Target Limit Interaction

For ranged attacks, apply Target Limit from core/damage.md before assigning normal damage.

Damage from that ranged attack may be assigned to no more models in the target unit than the attack's Target Limit, unless another rule explicitly states otherwise.

Within that limit, assign damage to the closest eligible models first.

Sustained Damage Interaction

Sustained Damage is tracked as a unit-level pool, not as model-specific wounds.

When damage assigned to a model does not remove that model, add that damage to the unit's Sustained Damage pool according to core/damage.md.

When the unit's Sustained Damage pool equals or exceeds a model's HP, remove models according to this allocation rule and reduce the Sustained Damage pool according to core/damage.md.

Timing

Damage assignment happens when damage is determined, unless another rule explicitly states otherwise.

For non-critical shooting damage, identify the models assigned damage when the damage is determined. Those assigned models are not removed until the full shooting engagement is resolved, as defined in core/damage.md and sequences/shooting_sequence.md.

Later movement or battlefield changes during the same shooting engagement do not change which models were assigned that non-critical shooting damage.

For melee and other non-shooting damage, use the timing defined by the owning melee or damage rule.

Notes

• This file defines which models are assigned damage, not how damage dice are rolled.
• Normal damage, Target Limit, Sustained Damage, and casualty timing are defined in core/damage.md.
• Critical Damage is defined in core/critical_damage.md.