When I think about how to win in Warhammer Fantasy, it is all about dominating any two phases of the game– like Magic and Shooting. In Warhammer 40k I find it a harder to dominate multiple phases of the game with maybe Space Wolves having the best chance to do so. So instead I see how many range segments is my army dominating in any given game. What I mean by a “range segments” is 0”/ assault, 1”-12”, 12”-24”, 24-36”, 36-48” 48+. Knowing or unknowingly most great lists try to dominate as many range segments as possible.
If you look across codices you can find that many armies fit conveniently into certain ranges. A good, but tired example of an army dominating many range segments is Imperial Guard; competitive Imperial Guard lists have the luxury of units ranges exceeding the entire board length. Since IG have so many long-range options it is no wonder we see so many players sit back and shoot opponents off the board.
Dark Eldar as another example are par excellence at the 24-36″ range; from Dark Lances to Haywire Blasters having an army exposed to their sweet spot quickly reduces life expectancy. When comparing Dark Eldar to Imperial Guard many competitive players discount Dark Eldar’s ability to take Imperial Guard. There are many factors, but the most importantly is that for that one turn in which IG out range Dark Eldar they can reduce the effectiveness of the Dark Eldar to something more manageable for IG in following turns. Just because an army dominates the longer ranges it doesn’t necessarily mean it dominates all shorter ranges.
Why do you find Blood Angels and Deamons an effective counter to IG tank walls? To answer that question you have to ask another related one. What range segments can your army continue to dominate as the game goes on? This is where all the other parts of the game come together, wounds, saves, armor values, tactics, cost-effectiveness, melta, but first a basic understanding of what an army can and cannot do at certain ranges is paramount.
Using the poor Dark Eldar again, many of their shorter range weapons only “come online” if their opponent is not hiding inside metal box. Conversely, that is not the case with Grey Knights. Grey Knights are often described as a mid range army, with their sweet spot being 12-24” inches. Grey Knight armaments are not limited to infantry only blood-letting like Dark Eldar, with strength bonuses and rending any transport is in danger of destruction. What makes Grey Knights that much more effective is their mid-range weapons are assault.
The ability to move and fire leads to another important consideration: Movement.
Grey Knights are not a 12-24 inch range army they are an 18-30” range army. Once again compared to Dark Eldar which often utilize heavy or rapid fire weapons their movement is more fixed. Of course, Dark Eldar can compensate their relative short-range with their open-topped transports, which is the equivalent of adding inches to any weapon. Making sure to consider the added range gained in the movement phase might seem hard to forget, but I am constantly surprised how many players look at the static weapon profile and see nothing else.
What about Assault?
Assault under most circumstances falls into the 0-6” range segment and dominating it is just as important as any other segment, with the added bonus that if the opportunity presents itself you can destroy more than one unit a time.
So how does this apply to list building and army design?
If you understand the effective range segment of any particular unit you can determine what type of list any unit can supplement or design. If you enjoy fighting over the center of the board you might consider armies that dominates the 12-24 inch range of play. If your style is sit back and shoot the long-range segment is for you. As well considering units that fit multiple range segments (like Purifiers) can help you overlap any deficiencies that appear in your army.
This isn’t really brain surgery, but I have found it a simple and effective way to consider what units and armies will work for you. It is just another way of looking at units, one that I think many players overlook without ever knowing it.
So what is your range game?