Warhounds Ballistics & Combat — How the Physics System Works

Warhounds' combat is built around a ballistics system that replaces hidden probability rolls with physical reasoning. There are no point-blank misses caused by the dice — but shots can still miss for real, traceable reasons. Understanding those reasons is the skill that separates good play from bad in Warhounds.

Warhounds ballistics combat showing trajectory lines and cover interaction

Trajectory lines show the actual path a bullet will take. Intervening cover — even partial — affects the shot, not a hidden hit-chance number.

Why Shots Miss

A miss in Warhounds has a physical explanation. The most common causes:

Poor line of sight — an obstacle partially blocks the firing path even when the unit appears to have a clear angle. Check the trajectory indicator, not just visual proximity.
Wrong angle — distance and angle interact. A shot that would connect at 45 degrees misses at 30 because the target is behind partial cover that only the tighter angle bypasses.
Burst penalties — each shot in a burst suffers increasing accuracy degradation. The Machine Gunner's sustained fire becomes less precise as the burst continues. Shorter controlled bursts are more accurate than full auto.
Effective range exceeded — weapons have optimal ranges. Beyond that, accuracy drops sharply even when line of sight is clear.

Crits and Grazes

Warhounds includes crits and grazes tied to positioning. A shot that catches a target in the open at ideal range and angle has a higher chance of a critical hit. A shot that just clips a target through deteriorating cover is more likely to graze — dealing partial damage. This is a small randomness band within otherwise deterministic outcomes; the positions you choose determine the probability bracket you land in.

Destructible Cover

All cover in Warhounds is destructible. Soft cover — walls, crates, vehicles — can be chewed down by sustained fire or eliminated by Grenadier ordnance. A position that feels safe at the start of a turn may be an open lane by the end of it. Two implications:

Do not anchor your squad around a single piece of cover expecting it to last the whole mission.
Destroying enemy cover is often more efficient than flanking — a Grenadier who strips a wall gives every other unit a clean shot on the newly exposed enemies.

Verticality

Height advantage creates firing lines that do not exist at ground level. A Sniper on a rooftop can engage targets that are completely blocked to ground-level units. Vertical positioning also affects risk: shots that miss from elevation can ricochet downward and hit friendly units on lower levels, so be careful about elevation angles when allies are below your firing line.

Seize high ground before opening an engagement. Position your Sniper first, while enemies have not yet activated.

Cone Overwatch

Overwatch in Warhounds is directional — a cone aimed at a specific approach, not a 360-degree reaction. Point the cone at the doorway, alley, or open ground you expect enemies to cross, not at empty space. Overlapping cones from two units on the same chokepoint creates a reliable kill zone; a single cone pointed in the wrong direction is wasted AP.

A common mistake: placing overwatch cones where enemies have already moved from, rather than where they are likely to move next.

Warhounds overwatch cone placement covering a choke point

Overwatch cones cover a directional arc. Aim them at routes, not at where enemies currently are.

Flanking

Flanking is the superior alternative to sustained cover-to-cover trading. The sequence: use smoke to block enemy sight lines, relocate one or two units around the flank while others hold the enemy in place, then engage from an unexpected angle before the enemy can reposition. Smoke grenades are essential here — they create the movement window that makes flanking work without exposing units to open fire.

Action Points

Each unit has a pool of Action Points (AP) per turn. Moving, firing, using gadgets, and setting overwatch each cost AP. Planning the most efficient AP spend per unit each turn — especially deciding when to hold AP for overwatch vs. spend it on attacks — is central to Warhounds' tactical depth.