Every Warhammer 40,000 unit has a datasheet, the compact card that tells you its stats, weapons, and special rules. Learning to read one is the fastest way to get any unit onto the table and actually know what it does.
What’s on a datasheet
A datasheet is a reference card for a single unit. It lists the unit’s name, its battlefield role, a power rating, one or more stat profiles, its wargear, any abilities, and its keywords. The full version lives in your codex or index; a shorter version often comes in the box with the miniature so you can start playing right away.
The layout is consistent across the game. Once you’ve read one datasheet properly, you can pick up any other unit and know where to look.
Reading the stat line
The stat line is the row of numbers and letters that defines how a model performs. Movement, Weapon Skill, Ballistic Skill, Strength, Toughness, Wounds, Attacks, Leadership, and Save. A dash in a characteristic means the model can’t do that thing at all, so a Move of ‘-‘ means it can’t move, and a Ballistic Skill of ‘-‘ means it can’t shoot.
Some big models have a degrading profile. As they lose wounds, you read a different row further down the datasheet, and their stats get worse. Check remaining wounds first, then use the matching row.
| Characteristic | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Move (M) | How far the model can move |
| Weapon Skill (WS) | How good it is in melee |
| Ballistic Skill (BS) | How accurate it is when shooting |
| Strength (S) | How hard it hits |
| Toughness (T) | How hard it is to wound |
| Wounds (W) | How much damage it can take |
| Attacks (A) | How many melee strikes it makes |
| Leadership (Ld) | How brave and self-controlled it is |
| Save (Sv) | How good its armour is |
Weapons, wargear, and abilities
Weapons get their own profiles. Range tells you how far they shoot, and anything marked Melee can only be used in hand-to-hand combat. Some weapons have a minimum and maximum range, so they can’t target units that are too close.
Wargear and composition tell you what models are in the unit and what they’re carrying by default. If you don’t have enough models for a minimum-sized unit, you can still field an understrength unit with whatever you’ve got. Abilities are the special rules that make a unit unique, and they’re often where most of its power actually lives, so read them carefully.
- Range: how far the weapon shoots, or Melee for close combat only
- Attacks: how many shots or strikes it makes
- Strength: how likely it is to wound
- Damage: how many wounds each hit takes off
- Armour penetration: how well it cuts through saves
Keywords and battlefield role
Keywords are the tags that let rules interact with a unit. Faction keywords decide what can go in your army, and unit-type keywords like Infantry or Vehicle matter for many abilities. Battlefield role is mainly used when building a Battle-forged army, which is covered in the core rulebook.
Power rating is a rough measure of how strong a unit is. Higher is more powerful, and it’s a quick way to eyeball a unit before you’ve read every line.
How to read one quickly
Start with the unit name and keywords so you know what you’re looking at. Then scan the stat line for movement, toughness, and save. Read the weapons to see how it deals damage, then read the abilities because that’s usually where the real tricks are. Finish with the keywords to see how it fits into your army.
- Identify the unit’s role: damage, support, or holding objectives
- Check movement, toughness, and save first
- Review weapon profiles to see its damage output
- Read abilities carefully, they often matter most
- Check keywords for army-building and synergy
Key facts
- A datasheet lists stats, weapons, abilities, and keywords for one unit
- Stat lines cover Move, WS, BS, Strength, Toughness, Wounds, Attacks, Leadership, and Save
- A dash in a characteristic means the model can’t perform that action
- Large models use degrading profiles that get worse as they lose wounds
- Weapons have their own profiles with range, attacks, strength, damage, and AP
- Keywords control army building and how rules interact with a unit
FAQ
What is a datasheet in Warhammer 40k?
It’s a reference card for a single unit that lists its stats, weapons, abilities, and keywords. Every unit in the game has one.
What does a dash mean on a stat line?
It means the model can’t do that thing. A dash in Move means it can’t move, and a dash in Ballistic Skill means it can’t shoot at all.
Why do some units have more than one stat row?
Big models degrade as they take damage. You check their remaining wounds and read the matching row, which shows weaker stats.
What’s the difference between the box datasheet and the codex one?
The box version is condensed, sometimes with numbered weapon pictures instead of names. The full codex version has more detail and is the one to use in matched play.