AOS Damage Calculator
The definitive combat simulator for Age of Sigmar strategists. Calculate expected damage and optimize your warscrolls.
Average damage dealt after all saves and wards.
Expected Hits
Expected Wounds
Unsaved Wounds
Damage Distribution Visualization
Comparison of Raw Potential vs. Expected Output vs. Post-Ward Damage.
What is an AOS Damage Calculator?
An aos damage calculator is an essential tool for players of Age of Sigmar who want to move beyond guesswork and embrace mathematical probability. In the heat of battle, knowing the statistically likely outcome of a combat engagement allows you to allocate resources efficiently, choose the right targets, and understand the true value of buffs like +1 to hit or additional rend.
The aos damage calculator accounts for the multi-stage rolling process characteristic of Warhammer games: the Hit roll, the Wound roll, the Save roll (modified by Rend), and finally, any Ward saves. By calculating the “Expected Value” (EV) of an attack sequence, players can determine if a unit of Liberators can realistically take down a Mega-Gargant or if they need magical support.
Common misconceptions about the aos damage calculator often involve the “gambler’s fallacy.” While the calculator provides the average result, dice are inherently random. However, over the course of a 5-round game, your results will gravitate toward these averages, making the aos damage calculator a powerful predictive model for competitive play.
AOS Damage Calculator Formula and Mathematical Explanation
The math behind the aos damage calculator follows a chain of independent probability events. Here is the step-by-step derivation:
- Step 1: Hits. Attacks × ((7 – Hit Requirement) / 6)
- Step 2: Wounds. Hits × ((7 – Wound Requirement) / 6)
- Step 3: Post-Save Wounds. Wounds × (1 – Adjusted Save). The adjusted save is (Target Save + Rend). If the result is 7 or more, no save is possible.
- Step 4: Total Damage. Post-Save Wounds × Damage Characteristic.
- Step 5: Final Damage. Total Damage × ((Ward Requirement – 1) / 6).
| Variable | Meaning | Unit | Typical Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attacks (A) | Number of dice rolled | Integer | 1 – 100 |
| To Hit (H) | Roll needed to hit | Dice Face | 2+ to 6+ |
| To Wound (W) | Roll needed to wound | Dice Face | 2+ to 6+ |
| Rend (R) | Save modification | Negative Integer | 0 to -4 |
| Ward (Wd) | Damage negation | Dice Face | None to 4+ |
Practical Examples (Real-World Use Cases)
Example 1: Stormcast Eternals Vindictors vs. Chaos Warriors
Imagine 5 Vindictors (10 attacks) hitting on 3+, wounding on 3+, with Rend -1 and 1 Damage. They are attacking Chaos Warriors with a 3+ save and no ward.
Using the aos damage calculator:
- Expected Hits: 6.67
- Expected Wounds: 4.44
- After Save (3+ becomes 4+ due to Rend -1): 2.22 Damage.
Interpretation: You can expect to kill roughly 1.1 Chaos Warriors (who have 2 wounds each) in a single round of combat.
Example 2: Gotrek Gurnisson vs. A Standard Infantry Unit
Gotrek has 6 attacks, hitting/wounding on 2+, Rend -2, and Damage 3. Against a 4+ save unit:
- Expected Hits: 5.0
- Expected Wounds: 4.17
- After Save (4+ becomes 6+ due to Rend -2): 10.42 Damage.
The aos damage calculator highlights how high rend and high damage characteristics multiply effectively against mid-tier armor.
How to Use This AOS Damage Calculator
- Input Attacks: Enter the total attacks for the unit (e.g., 2 attacks per model x 10 models = 20).
- Select Hit/Wound: Choose the values from the warscroll. Don’t forget to adjust for buffs like “All-out Attack.”
- Determine Rend: Input the weapon’s Rend characteristic as a positive number.
- Set Target Stats: Select the enemy’s Save and Ward value.
- Analyze Results: View the primary aos damage calculator result to see the average lethal output.
Key Factors That Affect AOS Damage Calculator Results
- Volume of Attacks: High attack volume reduces variance. The aos damage calculator shows that more dice often beat better quality in many scenarios.
- Rend Efficiency: Rend is most valuable against targets with a 3+ or 4+ save. Against 6+ saves, high rend is often wasted.
- Damage Spillage: While the aos damage calculator provides a raw number, remember that 3 damage against a 1-wound model still only kills one model.
- Ward Saves: These act as a final “filter” for damage. A 5+ ward reduces all incoming damage by 33% regardless of rend.
- Save Stacking: Since AOS limits modifiers to +1/-1, the aos damage calculator helps you decide if it’s worth using “All-out Defense” to ignore rend.
- Mortal Wounds: This calculator focuses on standard attacks. Mortal wounds bypass Hit, Wound, and Save rolls entirely, only stopping at Wards.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. Does Rend -1 mean the enemy adds 1 to their dice roll?
No, Rend -1 subtracts 1 from their save roll. An aos damage calculator treats this as making a 4+ save effectively a 5+.
2. Can a save roll ever be better than 2+?
A natural roll of 1 always fails in Age of Sigmar, so even if the aos damage calculator shows a high probability, there is always a 16.6% chance of failure per die.
3. How does “Damage D3” work in the calculator?
For D3 damage, use the average value of 2 in the aos damage calculator input field.
4. Why is the aos damage calculator result a decimal?
Combat is probabilistic. A result of 2.5 damage means over two identical combats, you would likely deal 5 damage total.
5. Does this calculator include “6s explode” mechanics?
This version uses standard math. For exploding hits, you would manually increase the “Attacks” input to reflect the extra dice generated.
6. What is the most important stat in the aos damage calculator?
Usually, Rend and Damage characteristics have the highest impact on final output against elite targets.
7. Can I use this for Warhammer 40k?
The core math is similar, but 40k uses Toughness/Strength vs. fixed Wound rolls. This aos damage calculator is optimized specifically for Age of Sigmar warscrolls.
8. How do I account for re-rolling 1s?
Re-rolling 1s effectively improves a 3+ to hit to roughly an 83% success rate instead of 66%. You can adjust your inputs to reflect these odds.
Related Tools and Internal Resources
- Combat Phase Rules – Master the flow of battle.
- Warscroll Database – Check the stats for every unit.
- Points Efficiency Guide – Find out which units deal the most damage for their cost.
- Army Building Tips – Synergize your units using our aos damage calculator insights.
- Movement Phase Math – Calculate charge probabilities.
- Victory Points Tracker – Keep track of your path to glory.