warhammer-40k-build-army-list

name	warhammer-40k-build-army-list
description	Guided workflow to build tournament-legal Warhammer 40K army lists. Use when the user says "build me a list", "create an army list", or Tacticus triggers the build workflow.

Build Army List Workflow

Build competitive, tournament-legal Warhammer 40K army lists with mandatory validation gates. This workflow is used by the Tacticus agent and enforces deterministic data queries at every step.

Prerequisites

These skills MUST be available and used throughout:

• warhammer-40k-army-data — for all unit/points/faction data
• warhammer-40k-validate-list — for validation gates before output
• warhammer-40k-paint-data — if paint scheme sections are included

Step 1: Gather Requirements

Ask the user:

1. Faction: Which army?
2. Points Level: 500 / 1000 / 2000 / Custom?
3. Detachment: Which detachment rules?
4. Playstyle: Competitive meta / Casual / Narrative / Specific theme?
5. Constraints: Must-have units, budget limits, models already owned?

Confirm all inputs before proceeding.

Step 2: Load Faction Data

DETERMINISTIC — no memory allowed.

1. Use warhammer-40k-army-data to read _bmad/_config/custom/warhammer-40k/data/datasheets/{faction}.compact.json
2. If cheatsheet exists: read army-lists/{faction}/*.cheatsheet.json for reference lists
3. Read _bmad-output/warhammer-40k/agents/tacticus-sidecar/validation-rules.yaml for detachment rules and hard rules
4. Check _bmad-output/warhammer-40k/shared/hallucination-registry.yaml for faction-specific patterns

If any data file is missing, inform the user and offer to web search for current data.

Step 3: Build 2000pt List First

MANDATORY ORDER: Always build 2000pt first, then scale down.

1. Select units from datasheet data — cite points from the file
2. Show math for every selection: "X models x Ypts = Zpts [Source: {faction}.compact.json]"
3. Assign leaders to bodyguard units — verify leads array in datasheet
4. Assign enhancements — verify eligibility (no Epic Heroes, check detachment rules)
5. Running total after each unit added

Step 4: Run Validation Gates

USE warhammer-40k-validate-list skill — do NOT validate from memory.

Run all 7 gates. If any fail, fix before proceeding:

1. Points Total (hard cap)
2. Rule of Three
3. Epic Hero Uniqueness
4. Enhancement Eligibility
5. Unit Sizes
6. Leader Attachments
7. Faction Abilities warnings

Step 5: Scale Down

Create 1000pt and 500pt variants by removing units proportionally:

• 1000pt: remove ~half the army, keep core synergies
• 500pt: keep only essential units, max 1 enhancement
• Re-run validation gates for each size

Step 6: Model Assembly Guide

MANDATORY — every list must include this.

For each points level, create:

Model	Qty	Loadout	Notes
[exact model]	[count]	[exact weapon names from datasheet]	[build notes]

Then add:

• Shopping List Summary with GW product names (verify via web search, mark [UNVERIFIED] if from memory)
• Total Model Count per points level
• Magnetization Recommendations for multi-loadout units

Step 7: Save

Save the completed list to _bmad-output/warhammer-40k/agents/tacticus-sidecar/lists.md and offer to create a cheatsheet JSON.

Anti-Hallucination Checkpoints

At each step, verify:

• All points come from datasheet files, not memory
• All wargear exists in the unit's datasheet weapons array
• No Epic Heroes have enhancements
• Leader attachments verified against leads array
• Math shown and verified by re-adding
• Sources cited for every factual claim