LPG - Power Attack: Slam
![]() |
These are the rules for doing a Power Attack: Slam. For other uses, see:
|
LPG Articles (Edit) |
---|
Gameplay
Attacks Power Attacks Model Types Unique Faction Rules Other |
101 Articles (Basic) |
LOTS Articles (Advanced) |
- This article is part of Warmachine University's Learning to Play the Game (LPG) series, which is "Intermediate Training" aimed at new players who are still learning the core rules.
- (See also Basic Training and Advanced Training.)
Contents
Recap

In a Power Attack: Slam a model rushes at enemy model and attempts to bodyslam them at full speed.
Sometimes a special effect spell or weapon will cause a model to be slammed (such as Smite) but that is not a Power Attack.
Who can do it |
|
---|---|
Who can be attacked |
|
Extra requirements |
|
Range |
|
Effects |
|
What's the Cost
You use both your Normal Movement and Combat Action to perform a Power Attack Slam, unlike most Power Attacks.
- Warjacks and Monstrosities must spend a focus to do a Power Attack.
- Horrors with a crippled outer ring must spend an essence to do a Power Attack.
- Warbeasts must be forced to do Power Attack.
- Sometimes a non-BG model will be given the ability to do a Power Attack Slam, such as the Ogrun Bokur. Non-BG models do not need to spend focus/fury/essence to do a Power Attack.
Choose a Target and make the Slam Move
- Pick a target in your LOS.
- Turn your warjack/warbeast to directly face the target.
- Advance your warjack/warbeast it's currrent SPD + 3".
- You don't ignore free strikes.
- You cannot choose to stop the slam move. You only stop your advance when either:
- You contact an obstacle, obstruction, or model (and you don't have a special rule that lets you move through them).
- Something causes the slamming model to be pushed, thrown, or placed during its advance.
- You get into "slam range" of your target.
- You run out of movement.
- You can't change your facing after finishing the move.
If you made it into "slam range" with your target, you also need to know how far you moved in total:
- If you moved 3" or more, you have a chance that your attack will knock them back.
- If you moved less than 3", you still have to make a Power Attack vs the target (as opposed to using a melee weapon), but you won't knock them back. .
If you did not make it into "slam range" with your target, your attack was Unsuccessful your activation immediately ends (even if the target is within your normal weapon's melee range).
- You may not trigger stuff like Reposition after an unsuccessful slam, because you 'skip' the "at the end of activation" portion.
The slam attack
- Make a melee attack roll to hit with the Power Attack: Slam.
- If the target has a larger base than you, you suffer -2 to the attack roll.
- If the roll misses nothing happens. You can continue your Combat Action (ie spend focus/fury to buy additional attacks)
- If it hits and you moved 3" or more, then the target is slammed.
- If it hits but you moved less than 3", then the target is not slammed.
- Determine the slam distance
- The default distance is d6".
- If the target has a larger base than you, the slam distance is halved.
- If you are a colossal or gargantuan slamming a small-based (not smaller, just small), then add 2" to the slam distance.
- Move the slammed model (refer to LPG - Being Slammed).
- Whether or not you moved over 3", the damage roll is:
- Power Attack Damage Roll: 2d6 + STR
- Collatoral Damage Roll: 2d6 + STR
- Power Attack Damage roll can be boosted, and can gain another +d6 damage if you slam the target into something (see the LPG - Being Slammed article for more detail).
- Collatoral Damage is not boostable.
- After resolving the slam attack, you can continue your Combat Action (ie spend focus/fury to buy additional attacks)
Being slammed
Refer to LPG - Being Slammed
After the slam attack
- Whether the target was slammed or not, the slamming model can buy additional attacks against anyone who is still in their melee range.
- You don't get your initial melee attacks, though.
Comparison to Non-Power-Attack-Slams
There are several weapons/spells that cause the target to be slam, you can review them at Category: Slam.
The main differences between this type of Slam and a "Power Attack Slam" that players get tripped up on are:
- The distance a model moves after a Power Attack: Slam depends on the base size of the attacker vs the target.
- The distance a model moved afeter a Other-Slam doesn't depend on base size.
- Power Attack: Slam can't be used on friendly models.
- Other-Slam can be used on friendly models.
- Other-Slam are explicitly not a Power Attack, so don't benefit from anything that specifically boosts Power Attacks (such as Borka1's feat).
Rules Clarifications
![]() |
|
Power Attack Slam
Weapon Slam (ie Smite)
|
See Also
Official rules
Power Attack Slam
- Page 43 of the 2020.02 edition of the rulebook
A model making a slam power attack rams a model with the full force of its body to send the target model flying backward and knock it to the ground. A slam combines a model’s Normal Movement and Combat Action. A model cannot make a slam power attack if it forfeited either its Normal Movement or its Combat Action that activation.
A slam power attack made by a colossal or gargantuan has a 2˝ melee range. A slam power attack made by any other model has a 0.5˝ melee range.
A model making a slam power attack during its activation can attempt to slam any model that is in its line of sight at the beginning of its Normal Movement. Declare a slam and its target before moving the slamming model. Remember, a model requires line of sight to another model to target it. After declaring a slam, turn the slamming model to directly face the slam target. The slamming model then advances its full SPD plus 3˝ directly toward its target. The slamming model cannot voluntarily stop its movement unless its target is in its melee range, but it can end this movement at any point with its target in its slam power attack’s melee range. It stops if it contacts a model, an obstacle, or an obstruction or if it is pushed, slammed, thrown, or placed during its slam movement. If a model contacts a model, an obstacle, or an obstruction while moving as part of a slam power attack but is able to move through it for some reason, the slamming model does not stop but is still considered to have contacted the model, obstacle, or obstruction.
The slamming model cannot change its facing after advancing as part of a slam.
A slamming model that ends its slam movement with its target in the melee range of its slam power attack has made a successful slam. If the slamming model advanced at least 3˝, it makes a melee attack roll against its target. A model that slam power attacks a model with a larger base suffers –2 to its attack roll. If the attack hits, the target is slammed d6˝ directly away from the attacker, becomes knocked down, and then suffers a power attack damage roll (see “Slammed,” p. 32).
If the slamming model has a smaller base than the model it slammed, the slammed model is slammed half the distance rolled.
Smaller-based models hit by a slam power attack made by a huge-based model are moved an additional 2˝.
If a slamming model makes a successful slam but moved less than 3˝, the model still makes an attack roll against its target. If the target is hit, it suffers a power attack damage roll but is not slammed. These are still slam attack rolls and slam damage rolls.
A model that does not end its slam movement with its target within its slam melee range has failed its slam power attack. If a model fails its slam power attack during its activation, its activation ends.
Slams Outside of Activation
When a model makes a slam power attack outside its activation, such as with the Counter Slam special rule, follow the rules above but ignore any references to the model’s activation, Normal Movement, or Combat Action. If the model fails its slam, it does not make any attack.
Power Attack Damage Rolls & Collateral Damage
- Page 43 of the 2020.02 edition of the rulebook
Though power attacks are melee attacks, they do not resolve damage rolls the same way. Instead of rolling 2d6 and adding both the attacker’s STR and the POW of the weapon being used, roll 2d6 and add just the attacker’s STR. If the power attack results in collateral damage, collateral damage is also determined by rolling 2d6 and adding the STR of the attacking model. Collateral damage cannot be boosted and is not considered to be damage from an attack or model.
EXAMPLE: An effect triggered by being “damaged by an enemy attack” would not trigger due to collateral damage.
- Power Attack Damage Roll = 2d6 + STR
- Power Attack Collateral Damage Roll = 2d6 + STR
Who Can Make Power Attacks
- Warjacks & Warbeasts
- Page 42 of the 2020.02 edition of the rulebook
Power attacks are attack options available to some models, such as warjacks and warbeasts. The power attacks available to other models are described in their special rules. Warjacks and warbeasts can make power attacks as follows.
- Lesser warbeasts cannot make power attacks.
- A light warjack or warbeast can make head-butt and slam power attacks. A light warjack with at least one non-crippled weapon with the Open Fist weapon quality can make throw power attacks. A light warbeast with at least one weapon with the Open Fist weapon quality can make throw power attacks.
- A heavy warjack or warbeast can make head-butt, slam, and trample power attacks. A heavy warjack with at least one non- crippled weapon with the Open Fist weapon quality can make throw power attacks. A heavy warbeast with at least one weapon with the Open Fist weapon quality can make throw power attacks.
- A colossal or gargantuan can make head-butt, slam, and trample power attacks. A colossal with at least one noncrippled melee weapon that has a location of L or R can make sweep power attacks. A colossal with at least one noncrippled weapon with the Open Fist weapon quality can make power strike and throw power attacks. A gargantuan with at least one melee weapon that has a location of L or R can make sweep power attacks. A gargantuan with at least one weapon with the Open Fist weapon quality can make power strike and throw power attacks.
A warjack must spend 1 focus point to make a power attack. A warbeast must be forced to make a power attack.
Unless otherwise noted, a model can make a power attack only during its activation. A model cannot make a power attack during an activation in which it charges. A model cannot target a friendly model with a power attack.
When a model makes a power attack, do not apply the special rules on its weapons unless they specifically reference power attacks.
A model that is able to do so can make additional melee attacks after making a power attack. A model cannot make a power attack as an additional attack.
- Page 56 of the 2020.02 edition of the rulebook
Crippled Movement: The model has its base DEF changed to 5. It cannot run, charge, or make slam or trample power attacks. A model that has its Movement system crippled while advancing as part of a charge or slam power attack immediately stops advancing, and its activation ends.
- Monstrosties
- Page 93 of the 2020.02 edition of the rulebook
Monstrosities can make power attacks. To make a power attack, a monstrosity must spend 1 focus point.
A monstrosity can make head-butt, slam, and trample power attacks. A monstrosity with at least one non-crippled weapon with the Open Fist weapon quality can make throw power attacks.
- Horrors
- Page 98 of the 2020.02 edition of the rulebook
Horrors can make power attacks. A horror can normally make a power attack without spending an essence point. A horror with a crippled outer damage ring (see below) must spend an essence point to make a power attack.
- Lesser horrors cannot make power attacks.
- A light horror can make head-butt and slam power attacks. A light horror with at least one weapon with the Open Fist weapon quality can make throw power attacks.
- A heavy horror can make head-butt, slam, and trample power attacks. A heavy horror with at least one weapon with the Open Fist weapon quality can make throw power attacks.