40K Visual Dice Calculator

Quick answer

A 40K dice calculator turns a weapon profile and a target into exact odds for the attack sequence: hit rolls, wound rolls, saving throws and damage. Ten attacks hitting on 3+, wounding on 4+, into a 3+ save with AP -1, average 6.67 hits, 3.33 wounds and 1.67 failed saves, with a 51.5% chance to destroy a 2-wound model.

Updated 2026-09-30Reviewed by Prof. Dr. Khalil Mudassar, PhD
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Tabletop attack odds
Total attacks for the whole unit, for example 10 for ten boltguns.
Extra attacks rolled as dice, for example 2 for 2D6. Leave 0 for none.
D3 is a D6 halved, rounding up.
Torrent attacks hit automatically, so they never score critical hits.
Enter 3 for 3+. Ignored for Torrent.
Hit rolls can never be modified past -1 or +1.
A die can be re-rolled only once.
A critical hit (unmodified 6) wounds automatically.
Each critical hit scores X extra hits.
The weapon Strength characteristic.
The target Toughness characteristic.
Capped at -1 or +1, like hit rolls.
Twin-linked weapons re-roll the wound roll: pick failed rolls.
A critical wound skips the save and deals mortal wounds equal to D, one model at most.
Enter -1, -2 and so on. 0 for none.
Enter 3 for 3+. Leave blank or 7 for no armour save.
Enter 4 for 4+. AP never changes it. Leave blank if none.
Enter 5 for 5+. Rolled for each wound the model would lose. Blank if none.
Flat damage, or the +1 in D3+1.
Number of damage dice, for example 1 for D6 damage.
D3 or D6.
The W characteristic of each target model.
Up to 20. Damage never carries over from one model to the next.

Average models destroyed

--
Average attacks and hits--
Average wounds--
Average failed saves--
Average damage after Feel No Pain--
Chance to destroy at least 1 model--
Chance to destroy the whole unit--

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How to Use the 40K Visual Dice Calculator

  1. Enter the attacker: fixed attacks and any attack dice, BS or WS, Strength, AP and Damage, plus weapon abilities such as Lethal Hits or Sustained Hits.
  2. Enter the target: Toughness, Save, any invulnerable save or Feel No Pain, Wounds per model and the number of models.
  3. Read the funnel. The bars show how attacks shrink into hits, wounds, failed saves and damage, and the result shows the models destroyed on average.
ResultWhat it means
Average models destroyedThe long-run mean number of models removed, after damage is lost on each destroyed model.
Average hits and woundsExpected successes at each step, including extra hits from Sustained Hits.
Average failed savesAttacks that inflict damage, including Devastating Wounds that skip the save.
Average damage after Feel No PainTotal damage points before any is wasted on overkill.
Chance to destroy at least 1 modelHow often the attack removes one or more models.
Chance to destroy the whole unitHow often every model in the target unit is destroyed.

What Is a 40K Dice Calculator?

A 40K dice calculator is a probability tool for the Warhammer 40,000 attack sequence. It answers one question before you commit a unit: how much damage will this weapon do to that target, on average and at the extremes?

Players call this "mathhammer". It helps with target priority, list building and comparing two weapon profiles. It does not roll dice for you. The old version of this page rolled one random sample per click, which told you nothing about the odds. This version averages every possible roll exactly. For crit-based damage in other games, see how to calculate crit chance and damage.

How Does the 40K Attack Sequence Work?

The 11th edition Core Rules resolve each attack in four steps: hit roll, wound roll, save roll and inflict damage (section 05). The chance of damage is the product of the chances at each step.

Formula: P(damage per attack) = P(hit) x P(wound) x P(save fails)
  1. Hit roll (05.01): an unmodified 1 always fails and an unmodified 6 is a critical hit. Any other roll hits when it equals or beats BS or WS after modifiers.
  2. Wound roll (05.02): compare Strength with Toughness. S at least twice T wounds on 2+, S greater than T on 3+, S equal to T on 4+, S less than T on 5+, and S half of T or less on 6+. An unmodified 1 fails and an unmodified 6 is a critical wound.
  3. Save roll (05.03 and 05.04): an unmodified 1 always inflicts damage. The roll saves if it meets the invulnerable save, or if it meets the armour save after AP is applied. AP -1 turns a roll of 3 into a 2.
  4. Inflict damage: the model loses wounds equal to D. Extra damage past 0 wounds is lost, so D3 damage into 1-wound models wastes the surplus.

The tool then combines every attack exactly. Random attacks and random damage are spread over all their outcomes, never averaged first.

40K Dice Example: 10 Shots into Elite Infantry

Ten attacks with BS 3+, S4, AP -1 and D1 target five models with T4, a 3+ save and 2 wounds each.

  1. Hits: 3+ succeeds on 4 of 6 faces, so 10 x 4/6 = 6.67 hits.
  2. Wounds: S4 equals T4, so 4+ is needed, which is 3/6. That gives 6.67 x 1/2 = 3.33 wounds.
  3. Saves: AP -1 makes the 3+ save work like a 4+, so it fails half the time. That leaves 1.67 failed saves.
  4. Models: each 2-wound model needs two failed saves. The exact result is 0.59 models destroyed on average, with a 51.5% chance to destroy at least one.

Averages hide the spread. The kill-chance bars show that destroying two or more models is much less likely than destroying none.

Factors That Change Your Damage Output

Strength Versus Toughness Breakpoints

The wound roll jumps at S = T, S greater than T and S = 2T. S5 into T4 wounds on 3+ (67%), but S4 into T4 needs 4+ (50%). One point of Strength can matter more than an extra attack.

AP Against the Save

Each point of AP worsens the armour save by one. An invulnerable save ignores AP, so high AP gains less against a 4+ invulnerable save.

Critical Hit Abilities

Lethal Hits and Sustained Hits trigger only on an unmodified 6, so each adds about one sixth of an extra effect per attack. Torrent attacks hit automatically and cannot score critical hits.

Damage and Wounds per Model

Damage is lost on overkill. D2 into 1-wound models is no better than D1. D3 into 3-wound models destroys a model only on a 3.

Re-rolls and Modifiers

Re-rolls happen before modifiers, and a die can be re-rolled once. Modifiers to hit and wound rolls stop at -1 or +1, no matter how many apply.

Lethal Hits vs Sustained Hits vs Devastating Wounds

AbilityTriggers onEffectBest against
Lethal Hits (24.23)Critical hitWounds automaticallyHigh Toughness targets
Sustained Hits X (24.36)Critical hitX extra hitsLow Toughness, many wounds
Devastating Wounds (24.10)Critical woundNo save; mortal wounds equal to D, one model at mostStrong armour and invulnerable saves
Twin-linked (24.38)Any wound rollRe-roll the wound rollAny target

Lethal Hits and Devastating Wounds interact. An automatic wound from Lethal Hits is not a critical wound, so it cannot trigger Devastating Wounds. This tool assumes you take the automatic wound. The rules let you decline it.

When to Use the 40K Dice Calculator

Choosing a Target in the Shooting Phase

Compare the same weapon into two enemy units and shoot where the kill chance is highest.

Building an Army List

Test two weapon options into the targets you expect to face. A small gain in average damage may not be worth the points.

Checking a Close Game

Before a key charge, see the chance to finish a unit. A 40% wipe chance calls for a backup plan.

Common 40K Dice Math Mistakes

1. Getting AP Backwards

AP makes saves worse. A 3+ save against AP -1 acts as a 4+, not a 2+. The old tool on this page made this error.

2. Stacking Modifiers Past One

Two -1 hit penalties still give only -1. Adding them wrongly makes a weapon look weaker than it is.

3. Counting Overkill as Damage

Six D3 damage into 1-wound models can destroy at most six models, whatever the damage rolls.

4. Using Both Saves

A model makes one save roll. The invulnerable save and armour save are two ways to pass that one roll, not two chances.

5. Forgetting That a 1 Always Fails

Even at BS 2+ with +1 to hit, a 1 misses. Your best hit chance is 5/6 without re-rolls.

6. Trusting One Roll

A single roll can swing wildly. Use averages and chances, then plan for bad luck. The same idea drives dice probability in general.

Accuracy and Limitations

The odds are exact for the rules modelled here, because the tool sums every outcome instead of simulating.

What it calculates accurately

  • Hit, wound and save chances with modifiers capped at -1 or +1.
  • Re-rolls of 1s or failed rolls, Lethal Hits, Sustained Hits, Devastating Wounds, Torrent and Feel No Pain.
  • Random attacks and damage, damage lost on overkill and the full models-destroyed distribution.

What it does not account for

  • Mixed units with different saves or wounds, CHARACTER allocation and damage reduction.
  • Cover, Anti-X critical wounds, Blast, Melta, Rapid Fire and Precision.
  • Faction, detachment and stratagem rules beyond the options shown.
  • Rules changes after the Universal Rules Updates version 1.1 (26 August 2026).

How We Calculate 40K Attack Odds

Method
Exact probability. Each attack becomes a small distribution of damaging attacks (0, 1 or more with Sustained Hits). These are convolved over every possible attack count, then a model-by-model state model tracks wounds lost and models destroyed.
Rules edition
Warhammer 40,000 11th edition Core Rules, released 1 June 2026 (sections 01.05, 05.01 to 05.04 and 24).
Inputs used
Attacks, BS or WS, S, AP, D, weapon abilities, T, Sv, InSv, Feel No Pain, W and models.
Assumptions
One target unit of identical models, fresh at the start, fair D6s, Lethal Hits always taken.
Rounding
Averages to 2 decimals, chances to 1 decimal.
Testing
Matched against an exact Python fraction model and a 60,000-trial simulation for six profiles.
Sources
Games Workshop Core Rules and rules appendix, listed below.
Last reviewed
2026-09-30.

Frequently Asked Questions About 40K Dice Odds

What do I need to wound T4 with a Strength 4 weapon?

You need a 4+, a 50% chance, because Strength equals Toughness. At S5 you need 3+, and at S8 you need 2+.

Does AP affect an invulnerable save?

No. AP modifies only the armour save roll. An invulnerable save is checked on the unmodified result.

How often does a 3+ hit roll succeed?

A 3+ hits 4 times in 6, or 66.7%. Re-rolling 1s raises it to 77.8%, and re-rolling all misses raises it to 88.9%.

How much does Sustained Hits 1 add?

It adds one extra hit for each unmodified 6, so about one sixth of a hit per attack. Ten attacks gain 1.67 hits on average, whatever the BS.

Can Lethal Hits trigger Devastating Wounds?

No. A Lethal Hits auto-wound skips the wound roll, so it cannot be a critical wound. You can decline the auto-wound to roll instead.

How is a D3 rolled in 40K?

Roll one D6 and halve it, rounding up. A 1 or 2 gives 1, a 3 or 4 gives 2, and a 5 or 6 gives 3.

Why is my average damage higher than the wounds I remove?

Damage past a model's last wound is lost. D6 damage into 2-wound models wastes most of each roll.

Does Feel No Pain stop mortal wounds?

Yes. Feel No Pain is rolled for each wound a model would lose, from normal damage or mortal wounds.

Which edition does this calculator use?

It follows the 11th edition Core Rules released on 1 June 2026, with the Universal Rules Updates version 1.1 that applies from 26 August 2026.

Can I use it for melee attacks?

Yes. Enter WS in the BS or WS field. Melee and ranged attacks use the same hit, wound and save steps.

Is this calculator official?

No. It is a free fan-made tool. Warhammer 40,000 and 40K are trademarks of Games Workshop Limited. This fan-made calculator is not affiliated with or endorsed by Games Workshop.

Sources

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Free fan-made planning tool for general information only. Results are averages and chances, not guarantees, and they model only the rules listed on this page. Games Workshop updates the rules through Faction Packs and rules updates, so check the current documents before a tournament. Warhammer 40,000 and 40K are trademarks of Games Workshop Limited. This fan-made calculator is not affiliated with or endorsed by Games Workshop. Spotted an error? Let us know.

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shakeel-Muzaffar
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Shakeel Muzaffar is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of MultiCalculators.com, bringing over 15 years of experience in digital publishing, product strategy, and online tool development. He leads the platform's editorial vision, ensuring every calculator meets strict standards for accuracy, usability, and real-world value. Shakeel personally oversees content quality, formula verification workflows, and the platform's commitment to publishing tools that are genuinely useful for students, professionals, and everyday users worldwide.