In most cases it will be fairly obvious which troop type category a model falls into, but as troop type is essentially an extension of the characteristic profile, you'll find that information in the relevant Warhammer Armies book. Most units in Warhammer conform to one of the following types.

Characters

In addition to their troop type, some models might also be noted as being characters. We're not going to worry about characters here, however – characters are such a powerful and important part of Warhammer that they have a chapter all to themselves later in the book.

Complete Ranks

There are multiple instances where the rules will mention a "complete rank of models". What constitutes as a complete rank of models varies for each troop type, and is specified for each of them in this chapter. Note that if the unit has an incomplete rear rank, but that rear rank still has the minimum number of required models according to its troop type, that rank still counts as being complete.

Unit Strength & Line of Sight

The values listed in this chapter are the default for each troop type. However, there may be some exceptions to this in the various Warhammer Armies book.

Models and Base Sizes

Each model should be mounted on a base to determine the width and depth of the unit. Each troop type has different generally approved base sizes, which are listed in each army book.

In some cases, you might be using a model that requires a larger base than described. This is completely fine, as long as you try to keep it as close as possible to the normal approved base sizes. However, you may never have a base size that is smaller than the approved base sizes listed.

Reference Chart