LPG - Power Attack: Trample

These are the rules for doing a Power Attack: Trample. For other uses, see: Category: Trample Power Attack a list of models that can do a Throw Power Attack.

---

LPG Articles     (Edit)
Gameplay Movement Add, Return, and Remove From Play End of Activation LOS Oddities Vertical LOS Simultaneous Abilities & Attacks Attacks Shooting while in Melee Magic Attack vs Magical Attack Being Slammed Being Thrown Power Attacks Head-Butt Power Strike Slam Sweep Throw Trample Model Types Colossals & Gargantuans Battle Engines Cavalry 'Jack Marshal Structures Units Unique Faction Rules Cephalyx Convergence Grymkin Infernals Other Death of a Controller What is Brawlmachine? What is CID? Theme Forces Steamroller
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.)

Recap

For a Power Attack: Trample the attacker stampedes over small-based models and tries to squish them into the ground.

Trample
Who can do it	Lessers Lights Heavies Colossals & Gargantuans
Who can be attacked	Any model, friendly or enemy, with a small base size
Extra requirements	This Power Attack requires both Normal Movement & Combat Action Warjacks need to have a non-crippled Movement System
Range	Base overlap. The attacker literally has to pass over the small models it wants to squish.
Effects	Make a melee attack vs each small-based model you passed over. If you hit, the target takes a Power Attack Damage Roll (2d6 + STR)

What's the Cost

You use both your Normal Movement and Combat Action to perform a Power Attack Trample, 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 Trample, such as the Siege Animantarax. Non-BG models do not need to spend focus/fury/essence to do a Power Attack.

Choose a Direction and make the Trample Move

1. Pick a direction, any direction, it doesn't even need to be in your LOS.
2. Turn your warjack/warbeast to directly face that direction.
3. Advance your warjack/warbeast straight ahead, any distance up to it's current SPD + 3". You can stop the move at any point you like.
   • You don't ignore free strikes, but they're not resolved until later.
   • You don't get to change your facing at the end of the move.
   • You go over small-based models, but everything else stops your movement as it normally does. Rough terrain slows you as normal, too.
   • You have to have a clear "landing spot" at the end of the Trample, you can't stop your move overlapping a small-based model.
4. After completing the Trample Movement but before making any Trample attacks, end any "end of movement" triggers (such as Countercharge).

Make Trample Attacks

You get to make a Trample attack against each small-based model you passed over. These attacks are simultaneous.

If you passed over medium-or-larger models (for instance you had Flight) then you don't get to make Trample attacks vs them (unless you have a special rule like Blade Rush).

Since you move before you attack, your targets are often quite some distance away from you (and behind you!). If your attacks have a special effect related to distance (such as Bone Picker or Dark Shroud) those effects are measured from where you ended your movement.

You often swap from being in someone's front arc to their back arc as you trample over them, so:

• For the Buckler, Shield, and Shield Wall bonuses - the defender only gets that buff if you contacted them in their front arc as you trampled over them.
• For the Back Strike bonus - the attacker only gets that buff if you contacted them in their back arc as you trampled over them.

Make Free Strikes

You make free strikes after the trample attacks.

• Anyone adjacent to your trample lane get to make free strikes.
• Any small-based models that you trampled over don't get to make free strikes.
• Any medium-or-larger models that you trampled over do get to make free strikes.

Strategy for Tramples

Refer to the advanced training article LOTS - Power Attack Tactics.

Rules Clarifications

Rules Clarification:  : Trample Power Attack      (Edit) (Click Expand to read)

Can't normally trample Sometimes Power Attack: Trample is a special rule given to a model type that can't normally trample. If that model is a warjack or warbeast (such as the light warjack Shrike) then it needs to pay a focus/fury to do a trample. If that model is not a warjack/beast (such as the Battle Engine Gun Carriage) then it can trample for free. Trample Movement You don't need LOS to your trample direction. You cannot change your facing after finishing a trample. Refer main rulebook. Unless you have something that allows you to ignore contacting the obstacle or obstruction (such as Flight), your trample will stop when contacting an obstacle or obstruction during a slam and/or trample. (Infernal Ruling) If the trampler's Movement system becomes crippled (for instance by an Acid Cloud), this will not stop the trample. (Infernal Ruling) Free strikes take place after the trampler has finished its movement, not during the movement. (Infernal Ruling) If there is insufficient room to fit your base on the other side of the model, you have to "rewind" along the trample path ... you don't get to pick a different trample direction that suits you better! Yes, this does mean that in a worst-case scenario you might end up trampling 0" ! Thankfully, in Mk3, you can premeasure to avoid these issues before committing to the Trample direction. "End Movement" triggers If something triggers when a model ends its movement (such as Countercharge), this will trigger and resolve before the trampler makes any trample attacks. This can lead to a lot of oddities. (Detailed List of Oddities & Infernal Rulings on them) Contact You have to move completely over & past a model for them to be trampled, merely contacting them is not enough . You can trample over medium-and-larger based models, if you have some way of moving through them. (For instance, you have Flight or they have Incorporeal.) Note that, even though you "trample over" those medium-and-larger models, they don't suffer trample attacks and they do get to make free strikes against the trampler. Attacks Even though your attack target is out of LOS and melee range when you're at your final position, you get an attack anyway because the Trample rules override that. (Infernal Ruling) All abilities/buffs/etc involved with the attacks, both the trampler and the free strikers, are based on the models' final positions (except as noted otherwise in the core Trample rules for Shield Walls etc, where the contact point becomes important). (Infernal Ruling) So, for instance: If the trampler contacts a model and ends in its front arc, it won't get the back strike bonus (regardless of whether it 'trampled into' its back. And vice versa. (Infernal Ruling) Free strikes vs Trampler Resolve free strikes after the trample attacks. If a free striker has some sort of 'directly away/towards' movement effect on their weapon (such as Critical Smite) then the direction you move the Trampler is based on the final model positions. For instance, you trample past someone with Critical Smite, end up behind them, and when they smite you via the free strike you'll end up further behind them. Other If the trampler has a 'models within [X]" ... ' ability (such as Ruin's Soul Taker, or anyone's Dark Shroud) then it will only apply to models within [X]" of the trampler's final trample location (not every model they trampled through). Trampling with a flying model (Edit) Flight allows you to trample "over" medium- and larger-bases. Although you trample "over" them, you don't get to make a trample attack vs them and you don't ignore their free strikes. Refer the core rulebook. Unless, of course, you have an exception like Blade Rush. Dual Attack & Slam/Trample ( Edit ) Power Attack Slam and Trample combine your Normal Movement and Combat Action, and how this works with Dual Attack is: Slam: You must resolve the movement, the attack, and moving the slammed model. Only then can you make initial ranged attacks. Trample: You must resolve the movement, the attacks, and the free strikes. Only then can you make initial ranged attacks. (Infernal Ruling)

See Also

Power Attack (Edit)
Head-Butt		Category:Head-Butt
Power Strike	Being Slammed	Colossals & Gargantuans only
Slam	Being Slammed	Category: Slam
Sweep		Colossals & Gargantuans only
Throw	Being Thrown	Category: Throw
Trample		Category: Trample
Power Attack Tactics

Official rules

Power Attack Trample

Page 47 of the 2020.02 edition of the rulebook

A model making a trample power attack crashes its way through small-based models in its path. A trample combines a model’s Normal Movement and Combat Action. A model cannot make a trample power attack if it forfeited either its Normal Movement or its Combat Action.

Declare a trample power attack at the beginning of the model’s Normal Movement. Choose a direction in which you wish to trample, and turn the model to face that direction. The model then advances up to its current SPD plus 3˝ in a straight line in that direction. It moves through any small-based model in its path, but there must be room for the trampling model’s base at the end of the movement. It stops if it contacts a model with a medium or larger base, an obstacle, or an obstruction. If a model contacts a model with a medium or larger base, an obstacle, or an obstruction while moving as part of a trample power attack but is able to move through it for some reason, the trampling model does not stop but is still considered to have contacted the model, obstacle, or obstruction. The trampling model cannot change its facing during or after this movement. Do not resolve free strikes against the trampling model during this movement.

After the model has finished its trample movement, it makes a melee attack roll against each small-based model it moved through during this movement. Models hit by a trample attack suffer a power attack damage roll. These attacks are simultaneous (see “Simultaneous Effects,” p. 41). When a trampling model hits a model with a Buckler or a Shield or while a model is benefiting from the Shield Wall order, the hit model gains the shield, buckler, or Shield Wall ARM bonus only if the trampling model first contacted the model through its front arc. A trampling model gains a back strike bonus against a model only if the trampling model was completely in that model’s back arc when it first contacted that model.

Resolve free strikes against the trampling model after resolving all trample attacks. Small-based models contacted by the trampling model during its trample movement cannot make free strikes against the trampling model. Wait to resolve free strikes against the trampling model until after resolving all trample attacks. Ignore the distance between models when resolving free strikes against the trampling model; if a model was eligible to make a free strike against the trampling model during the trampling model’s movement, it can do so whether or not the trampling model ended its movement in the eligible model’s melee range.

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.