On Wednesday, Games Workshop shed more light on the new Warhammer 40k terrain rules coming in 11th edition. The new system evolves from the 10th edition rules in interesting ways - it seems to be clearer, and hopefully, it gives incentives for players at all levels to bring more varied terrain to the tabletop. Here's everything we know so far about terrain in 11th edition.
Most of the information in this guide comes from GW's initial article on Warhammer Community - we've summarised it for easier reading. For those who are interested, we're keeping track of all the core rules changes that GW reveals in a separate guide to Warhammer 40k 11th edition.
Terrain features and terrain areas.
A terrain feature is any physical piece of scenery that sits on the battletop - a ruin, a tree, a Mechanicum power generator, a vehicle wreck, etc. etc. A terrain feature will block line of sight if it is physically in between an attacking model and its target.
A terrain area is a defined footprint that contains one or more terrain features. Generally, it will be represented by placing a flat marker on the tabletop, underneath the terrain features, to show exactly what area they occupy. If the terrain has any rules, the terrain area defines where they will apply.
Recommended terrain layouts
The new matched play scenarios for 11th edition each come with three recommended terrain layouts, which GW says are designed "to help ensure a balanced match whilst reinforcing the story told by the mission". In order to play with those recommended layouts, you'll need markers for the following areas:
- Four large rectangles - 7" x 11.5"
- Two large right-angle triangles - 8" x 11.5"
- Four medium rectangles - 6" x 4"
- Two long lines - 10" x 2.5"
- Four short lines - 6" x 2"
Games Workshop will sell a set of templates for these areas when the new edition launches.
If you want to create unique battlefields that have the same quantity of terrain but use different layouts, you'll need a total surface area of 608 square inches - a square roughly two feet and five eighths of an inch on a side. That's about two or three cereal boxes' worth, or one offcut from a carpet fitting. Get crafty, nerds.
Hidden units
Infantry, Swarm, or Beast models within a terrain area, and which did not shoot last turn, are considered to be Hidden - and yes, units can be Hidden on the very first turn of the game.
While Hidden, a unit cannot be targeted unless it is within the opponent's 'detection range', which is usually 15 inches.
Although GW hasn't specified any example yet, the the door is open for army-by-army exceptions. Perhaps Raven Guard and Drukhari Mandrakes will shrink the opponent's detection range, while Markerlight drones will extend detection range for the rest of the T'au Empire.
The Benefit of Cover
Infantry, Swarm, or Beast models within a terrain area gain the benefit of cover, which inflicts a penalty of -1 to the opponent's Ballistic Skill when they are targeted by a ranged attack.
So far, GW hasn't said anything about other scenarios in which a model could gain the Benefit of Cover. The WarCom article explicitly referenced the three listed unit types and no others, so it seems like monsters, vehicles, mounted models, and so on are excluded.
Obscuring terrain areas
Many terrain areas are 'Obscuring' - it is impossible for models to draw a line of sight that passes completely through an area of obscuring terrain.
Plunging fire
If a model is on a raised platform at least three inches high, and it targets a unit that is on the ground level of the battlefield, it benefits from Plunging Fire, getting +1 to its Ballistic Skill. Models with the Towering keyword, like Imperial Knights, also gain the benefit of Plunging Fire while they are within 12 inches of their target.
Overall, the changes to terrain look really promising. The most significant feature of terrain, the ability to block line of sight completely, either because it's Obscuring or because a unit inside it is Hidden, is connected to a terrain area, not to a specific type of terrain piece.
Since the shape of terrain affects line of sight determinations, and terrain needs to have a raised platform to enable Plunging Fire, the choice of which terrain feature sits on top of an area is not purely cosmetic, but neither is there a strict connection between the appearance of terrain and its gameplay mechanics. That will make it easier for players to use a variety of terrain on the tabletop.
If you're looking for inspiration, we wrote a guide to the best Warhammer terrain for any budget waaaay back in 2024. There have definitely been a few cool releases we've missed since then, but everything on the list is still great (and in the case of one product that we tested early, it's actually available for general sale now).
If you're excited for the new edition, and are already working on some new battlefield scenery, we'd love to see your work in progress in the Wargamer Discord community!