Source: Warhammer Fantasy: 4th Edition

Psychology - Frequently Asked Questions
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What are the different psychology tests?

The psychology tests are:

  • Panic

  • Fear

  • Terror

  • Stupidity

Source: Rulebook, p. 38-40

When are Panic tests taken?

  • A unit suffers more than 25% casualties due to missile file or magical attacks.

  • A unit is within 12" of a unit that breaks in hand-to-hand combat.

  • After the rally phase, a unit is within 12" of a unit that is still fleeing. If the fleeing unit is less than 50% the size of the unit, a panic test is not needed.

  • A unit is within 12" of a unit that is destroyed.

  • A unit is engaged in hand-to-hand combat and is charged from the flank or rear. The enemy unit must be 5 figures or more to cause this test.

Source: Rulebook, p. 38

When are Fear tests taken?

  • A unit is charged by a creature that causes fear.

  • A unit charges a creature that causes fear.

Source: Rulebook, p. 39

When are Terror tests taken?

  • A unit is within 8" of an enemy creature that causes terror.

  • A unit is charged by a terror causing creature. The difference between this terror test and the fear test is that a failed terror test means the unit automatically routs. A failed fear test will cause a rout only if the testing unit is outnumbered by the charging unit.

A unit only takes 1 terror test per game.

Source: Rulebook, p. 40

If a terror causing creature is behind a wall and out of sight but still within 8" of my unit does the unit have to take a terror test?

Only take terror tests for creatures you can see, only creatures whose view is obstructed don't cause terror tests (creatures behind the unit will cause terror tests).

Source: Warhammer Design Team

If a unit is within 12" of the battle standard, can it re-roll a psychology test if it needs to?

No. The Army Standard only allows re-rolls of break tests.

Source: Rulebook, p. 83

Are units that are Immune to Psychology immune to break tests?

No, not unless the unit description specifically states that the unit is immune to break tests.

Source: Rulebook, p. 41

Do troops that have frenzy enter the battlefield frenzied?

No, troops that can frenzy do not enter the battlefield frenzied. When they enter the battlefield, they are treated just like a regular unit, with normal number of attacks and with normal psychology rules.

The only time troops may enter the frenzy is in the beginning of their own turn, and only when there are enemy troops within their charge reach. For the unit to frenzy it has to do one of the following:

  • Successfully charge the enemy unit and enter hand to hand combat.

  • Already be in hand to hand combat at the beginning of their movement phase. This means that a unit of Savage Orcs unit that is charged by an enemy, and is still in hand to hand combat at the beginning of the Savage Orcs movement phase, can frenzy.

If a unit subject to frenzy does not want to charge an enemy unit, it must take a leadership check. If it succeeds, the unit is out of frenzy and will not charge the enemy unit.

Once a unit has entered frenzy, it will remain frenzied until it is broken in hand-to-hand or there are no enemies within its charge distance. In latter case you automatically shift out of frenzy.

Source: Rulebook, p. 41 & Warhammer Design Team

Does a frenzied unit ignore blood greed?

Yes the unit is immune to all psychology.

Source: Warhammer Design Team

A Dwarf unit is in hand to hand combat with an Orc unit it hates and a Giant that uses the 'Yell and Bawl' attack. How is combat resolved?

Any wounds applied to the Giant don't affect the combat results. The Orc & Goblin player gets to add +2 to his combat result. The rest of the combat then carries on as normal.

Source: Warhammer Design Team

A unit Immune to Psychology (but not immune to break tests) lost a round of combat to fear causing creatures that outnumber it, does it automatically break?

No, because the unit ignores the fear in the first place, and thus is not effected by the automatic break rule.

Source: Warhammer Design Team

Situation: A unit that is not Immune to Psychology and Break Tests, which is joined by a Character that is Immune to Psychology and Break Tests. The unit looses a round of combat, and the unit fails his break test, what happens.

The unit & character flee.

Note: The different Chaos Champions of Slaneesh have a special rule that allows them to stay in hand to hand combat when the unit that they are in breaks.

Source: Warhammer Design Team & Warhammer Armies - Chaos, p. 42

Can a character leave a unit once it starts to flee?

No.

Note: Assassins (Skaven and Dark Elf) characters have a special rule that allows them to leave fleeing units

Source: Rulebook, p. 48, Warhammer Armies - Skaven, p. 51, Warhammer Armies - Dark Elves, p. 40