101 - Damage Type

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This article is part of Warmachine University's Crash Course (101) series, which is "Basic Training" aimed at new players who are still learning the core rules.

 

The 101 series is intended to help you understand the rulebook, but you shouldn't be reading this instead of the rulebook.

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Unlike most games, having a weapon with a Damage Type in Warmachine doesn't do anything extra for your damage output (with the exception of Corrosion continuous effect, Fire continuous effect, and Damage Type: Magical).

Generally speaking, if you have a Damage Type, then 75% of the time it'll be irrelevant, 20% of the time it is a disadvantage because your opponent is immune to it, and 5% of the time it does something worthwhile because you stacked it with a different special rule (such as Fuel for the Flames or Peel Back the Layers).

See also 101 - Card Icons

Cold

• Damage Type: Cold (Page 18) - This weapon deals cold damage
• Immunity: Cold (Page 16) - This model does not suffer cold damage

Unlike Fire and Corrosion, Cold does not have a continuous effect. However many cold-based weapons/spells will inflict Stationary for one round, which is sort of equivalent. Also, a few cold-based special rules can interact with Stationary models (such as Shatter).

Corrosion

• Damage Type: Corrosion (Page 18) - This weapon causes corrosion damage.
• Immunity: Corrosion (Page 16) - This model does not suffer corrosion damage or the corrosion continuous effect.

• Continuous Corrosion (Page 18) - A model hit by this weapon suffers the corrosion continuous effect.

Critical Continuous Corrosion (Page 18) - On a critical hit, the model hit by this weapon suffers the continuous corrosion effect.

Corrosion Continuous Effect (Page 61) - During your Maintenance Phase roll a d6 for each continuous effect; if the result is a 1 or 2, the continuous effect expires without further effect. On a result of 3 to 6, it remains in play and the affected model suffers 1 point of corrosion damage.

Electricity & Disruption

• Damage Type: Electricity (Page 18) - This weapon causes electrical damage.
• Immunity: Electricity (Page 16) - This model does not suffer electrical damage. Additionally, when lightning arcs as a result of a special rule, it cannot arc to or from this model.

• Disruption (Page 18) - A warjack hit by this attack loses its focus points and cannot channel spells or gain focus by any means, including by being allocated focus, for one round.

Critical Disruption (Page 18) - On a critical hit on a warjack, the warjack suffers Disruption.

Unlike Fire and Corrosion, Electricity does not have a continuous effect. However it is often associated with Disruption, which is kind of the same as a continuous effect.

Fire

• Damage Type: Fire (Page 18) - This weapon causes fire damage.
• Immunity: Fire (Page 16) - This model does not suffer fire damage or the fire continuous effect.

• Continuous Fire (Page 18) - A model hit by this weapon suffers the fire continuous effect.

Critical Continuous Fire (Page 18) - On a critical hit, the model hit by this weapon suffers the fire continuous effect.

Fire Continuous Effect (Page 61) - During your Maintenance Phase roll a d6 for each continuous effect; if the result is a 1 or 2, the continuous effect expires without further effect. On a result of 3 to 6, it remains in play and the affected model suffers a POW 12 fire damage roll.

There are a few things that interact explicitly with fire, such as Oil and Fire's Fury.

Magical

• Damage Type: Magical (Page 18) - This weapon causes magical damage (but not magic damage).

Damage Type: Magical is a weird beast:

• The first thing to note is that a "magical attack" is not the same thing as a "magic attack" (see LPG - Magic vs Magical for more about that little gem).
• Secondly, unlike the other damage types, there is no such thing as Immunity: Magical.

The closest thing is stuff like Incorporeal and Passage. Those special rules say the model take zero damage from attacks except attacks with Damage Type: Magical (so they're the reverse of an immunity).

• Thirdly, all spells automatically always deal Damage Type: Magical ... except for when they don't (see the Rules Clarifications below for more about that can of worms).

Rules Clarifications

Rules Clarification : Cold - None yet. (Edit)

Rules Clarification : Corrosion      (Edit) If you deploy in corrosion hazard terrain (Acid Pool), then you get corroded before the game starts. Deploying a model in a hazard counts as being "put into play" in the hazard. Being put into play counts as "entering". When you enter a hazard, you trigger the hazard. A weapon can inflict continuous corrosion without itself being a corrosion damage weapon (for example, the Acidic Touch animus). In this case, the attack can hurt models with Immunity: Corrosion it just won't apply the continuous effect.

Rules Clarification : Electricity      (Edit) When electricity arcs/leaps, you ignore models with Immunity:Electricity. The arc "skips" them. If you attack a model with Immunity:Electricity, the arc/leap won't go anywhere at all. The arc is "grounded". Incorporeal models do not have Immunity: Electricity (they just ignore non-magical damage). As such electricity can arc/leap to and from incorporeal models.

Rules Clarification : Disruption      (Edit) If a model is disrupted, it cannot get focus for any reason. Whether the rule says 'allocate', 'gain', 'receive' or 'give' ... Disruption stops it all. (Infernal Ruling) Despite being unable to channel spells, a warjack can still be the target of spells just fine.

Rules Clarification : Fire      (Edit) If you deploy in fire hazard terrain (Burning Earth), then you get set on fire before the game starts. Deploying a model in a hazard counts as being "put into play" in the hazard. Being put into play counts as "entering". When you enter a hazard, you trigger the hazard. Moving into "Shallow water" standard terrain does not cause continuous fire to expire. It's magic fire. You can always use non-standard terrain if you agree with your opponent before the game starts, however. A weapon can inflict continuous fire without itself being a fire damage weapon (for example, the Helios's fists). In this case, the attack can hurt models with Immunity:Fire it just won't apply the continuous effect. In terms of which player's clock is running down during the Maintenance Phase: The active player will roll for expiration of all the continuous effects. Then the inactive player will roll for all the damages of the continuous effects. (Judge Ruling)

Rules Clarification:  : Magical Damage      (Edit) (Click Expand to read)

* The "Damage Type: Magical" is not inherited by "secondary" damage from a weapon. That is, stuff like arcs (Electro Leap) or hazards (Scather). (Infernal Ruling) All spells have "Damage Type: Magical" (refer errata). This is inherited by "immediate" secondary damage (such as Eruption of Spines). (Infernal Ruling) and might be inherited by "lingering" secondary damage (see below). If a spell leaves a template in play that does damage to models that walk around in it, then: if it is not described as a hazard it will do magical damage to models that walk around in it. (Example: Razor Wall) if it is a hazard then it will not do magical damage to models that walk around in it. Instead, it does whatever damage type is specified by the spell description. (Example: Breath of Corruption). (Infernal Ruling) If a weapon/spell includes Magic Damage and another kind of elemental damage it will still damage Incorporeal models. Incorporeal models are not affected by the rule "if an attack does multiple types of damage and a model is immune to at least one it is immune to the entire attack." The phrase "immune to non-magical damage" should be interpreted as "immune to damage that doesn't include Damage Type: Magical" (not interpreted as "has immunity to Corrosion and Electricity and Cold and etc.")

Links for editors

• Template: Cold Damage
• Template: Cold Immunity

• Template: Corrosion Damage
• Template: Continuous Corrosion
• Template: Critical Continuous Corrosion
• Template: Corrosion Immunity

• Template: Electricity Damage
• Template: Electricity Immunity
• Template: Disruption
• Template: Critical Disruption

• Template: Fire Damage
• Template: Continuous Fire
• Template: Critical Continuous Fire
• Template: Fire Immunity

• Template:Magical Damage