It depends on what you mean by “wounds.” In the reviewed 11th-edition wording, mortal wounds are allocated one at a time, while Devastating Wounds have a specific limit that can leave some mortal wounds unused. The reviewed sources do not establish the current 11th-edition rule for excess normal damage from an ordinary attack, so a simple yes or no would be misleading.
First identify the kind of damage
Players often use “wounds” to mean either the damage characteristic of a weapon attack or mortal wounds. Those are handled differently, and the answer can also depend on a special rule and the edition being played.
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- Normal attack damage: Damage from a weapon’s ordinary attack. The current 11th-edition rule for excess damage after a model is destroyed is not established by the sources cited here.
- Mortal wounds: A separate type of damage. In the reviewed 11th-edition rules transcription, these are resolved one at a time.
- Devastating Wounds: A special rule that converts critical wounds into mortal wounds and limits how many models those mortal wounds can damage.
How mortal wounds are allocated in the reviewed 11th-edition wording
The transcription says to allocate mortal wounds one at a time: select a model according to the applicable selection order, then that model loses one wound. When an attack’s dice inflict both normal damage and mortal wounds, the reviewed wording resolves the normal damage first and the mortal wounds afterward. This wording comes from a third-party transcription, so check the current Games Workshop Core Rules for the controlling text.
Devastating Wounds can leave excess mortal wounds unused
For mortal wounds inflicted by Devastating Wounds, the reviewed 11th-edition transcription says each critical wound can damage at most one model; any remaining mortal wounds from that attack are lost.
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For example, its rules example describes a Damage 3 attack causing three mortal wounds against a two-wound Intercessor. Two mortal wounds destroy the Intercessor, and the third is lost under this Devastating Wounds limit. This example reflects that transcription, not independently verified official wording.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is known about excess normal damage
The current 11th-edition rule for excess normal attack damage has not been established from the sources cited here. Do not assume that mortal-wound allocation rules answer this separate question, or apply older wording as if it were current.
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For historical context, the official 10th-edition Core Rules said that if a model lost several wounds from an attack and was destroyed, excess damage from that attack was lost. They treated excess mortal-wound damage separately, allowing it to be allocated to another model when possible, with exceptions including Hazardous and Devastating Wounds. Those are 10th-edition rules, not a verified statement of the current 11th-edition rule. Official 10th-edition Core Rules (historical)
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Check the rule for your game
- Confirm whether the question is about normal attack damage or mortal wounds.
- Check whether a special rule such as Devastating Wounds changes how the damage is handled.
- Use the Core Rules for the edition you are playing. Games Workshop announced the launch of 11th edition in June 2026; its official announcement said the Armageddon box includes a physical rulebook and that a standalone rulebook would follow.
- Check Games Workshop’s Warhammer 40,000 downloads page for current rules documents, FAQs and errata.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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