Matchup analysis → Priority Assets vs Disruption
Priority Assets vs Disruption — Extract Relic / Locate and Deny
Warhammer 40,000 11th edition · GDM 2026 matched play · primary mission matchup
Priority Assets holds a clear edge here.
| Force disposition | Primary mission card | Edge |
|---|---|---|
| Priority Assets | Extract Relic | 14 |
| Disruption | Locate and Deny | 6 |
The matchup in a nutshell
Almost the same card, with one word reversed — and that word decides the matchup. Both pay 4 VP a turn and 5 VP at the end of battle for a marker condition. But Extract Relic keys off the opponent's marker count, while Locate and Deny keys off its own. The Disruption player sets the number for both cards. Edge to Disruption.
| Priority Assets | Disruption | |
|---|---|---|
| Card | Extract Relic | Locate and Deny |
| Scores at | mixed | mixed |
| Hold window | 0 enemy turns | 0 enemy turns |
| Exposure | 13/20 | 12/20 |
| Activation cost | 15/20 | 13/20 |
A hold window of zero changes where the fight is. Nobody has to survive anything: you walk on, the turn ends, you get paid. Which means there is no window to shoot them off the marker afterwards — by the time it matters, they have already banked it. Denial on this card happens before the grab, not after. You are not buying reactions. You are buying space.
Playing Priority Assets
Your card: Extract Relic. Scoring checkpoint: mixed. Hold window: 0 enemy turns.
How you score
4 VP any turn a unit performs a sensor sweep, 3 VP for killing an enemy that started the turn near an objective, 4 VP at your Command phase for holding anything, and 4 VP a turn plus 5 VP at the end of battle when only one of their markers is on the board, your unit is in that terrain area, and none of theirs is.
What it costs you
The sweep and the kill rider are cheap and dependable. The marker clause is not a cost problem — it is a control problem, because you do not control the condition. Exposure 13/20, activation cost 15/20.
How you break them
Their marker clause needs exclusive presence in a terrain area: 1 model of yours inside it breaks 4 VP a turn and their 5 VP finish. That is the cheapest denial in the entire matrix, and it should be your first plan, not your last. Meanwhile treat your own marker clause as a bonus you may never get, and bank the sweep and the kill rider instead — those they cannot touch.
What your list needs
- Two or three cheap units to sweep on rotation, so a kill does not stop the engine.
- One expendable model whose whole job is to walk into their marker's terrain area and stand there.
- Shooting that reaches units sitting near objectives, for the 3 VP rider.
- One holder for the flat 4 VP.
Playing Disruption
Your card: Locate and Deny. Scoring checkpoint: mixed. Hold window: 0 enemy turns.
How you score
4 VP for killing an enemy that started the turn near objectives. 4 VP at your Command phase for holding anything. And 4 VP a turn plus 5 VP at the end of battle when only one of your own markers is on the board, your unit is in that terrain area, and none of theirs is.
What it costs you
Genuinely low: you choose the ground and the timing. The only real demand is holding one terrain area exclusively, all game. Exposure 12/20, activation cost 13/20.
How you break them
Their identical clause keys off your marker count, so run 1 marker when your area is secure and two or more the moment their clause could come online. One decision drives both cards — that is the whole matchup. Their sensor sweep is an action, so killing or engaging the sweeper stops 4 VP a turn. And their 3 VP kill rider needs your units near objectives, so hold from the edge of control range rather than on top of the marker.
What your list needs
- A terrain area you can hold alone — one with a single approach beats a central one.
- A cheap guard for that area; one enemy model inside it ends the clause.
- Reach onto their sweeper.
- Restraint on markers: the count is a weapon, not a fixture.
The three layouts
Priority Assets vs Disruption is played on one of three boards, and they are not the same game. All three are transcribed and measured below.
| Board | Deployment | Openness | Centre exposure | Cost to raid a home marker | No-man's-land |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Layout 1 | diagonal across the short axis | 3/20 | 6.9% | 18% | 6.1% |
| Layout 2 | diagonal across the long axis | 5/20 | 15% | 35.2% | 1.5% |
| Layout 3 | diagonal halves | 6/20 | 20.3% | 64.7% | 0% |
- Layout 1 — diagonal across the short axis, openness 3/20. The middle is free real estate: there is a legal spot within range of a central marker that only 6.9% of the enemy deployment zone can see. Home markers are soft: walking onto one of theirs exposes you to only 18% of their zone. No-man's-land markers sit at 6.1%. Almost anywhere you stand near a marker (95% of legal spots) can be put fully out of sight.
- Layout 2 — diagonal across the long axis, openness 5/20. The middle is contested ground — the best holding spot on a central marker is still visible to 15% of the enemy deployment zone. Raiding a home marker costs 35.2% exposure — real, but payable with one screened unit. No-man's-land markers sit at 1.5%. Almost anywhere you stand near a marker (96% of legal spots) can be put fully out of sight.
- Layout 3 — diagonal halves, openness 6/20. The middle is contested ground — the best holding spot on a central marker is still visible to 20.3% of the enemy deployment zone. Home markers are a fortress: taking one means standing in front of 64.7% of their deployment zone. No-man's-land markers sit at 0%. Almost anywhere you stand near a marker (95% of legal spots) can be put fully out of sight.
If your plan needs enemy ground, Layout 1 is where it is cheapest (18% exposure against 64.7% on Layout 3) — the same raid can be a bargain or a suicide depending on which board you drew.
Numbers are measured on the transcribed sheets: every legal spot within control range of each marker is tested, and the best one is reported — the way a real player looks for the safest place to stand, not the middle of the marker.
Decision points
- Deployment — Disruption picks the terrain area it can hold alone.
- Every turn — Disruption re-evaluates its marker count against the opponent's clause.
- Round 5 — contesting their marker area is almost always cheaper than satisfying your own.
Ratings and why
Every score is an integer out of 20. For edge, 10 is dead even and the score is given for side 0; the other metrics are absolute, per side. How these are derived →
| Metric | Score | Confidence | Basis | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| edge (for Priority Assets) | 14/20 | medium | theory | Verified against the printed cards, not read off them: Extract Relic pays 4 VP for performing a sensor sweep and Locate and Deny pays nothing for the identical action, while Locate and Deny takes only 1 VP more for a kill on an objective. Priority Assets also banks 8 VP a turn from its own half and the centre against 4, and runs 35 VP past the primary cap against 20. The marker clauses look mirrored; the payouts are not. |
Priority Assets
| Metric | Score | Confidence | Basis | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ceiling | 14/20 | medium | theory | Sensor sweep, a kill rider and the marker clause stack to a good turn, but nothing pays big alone. |
| floor | 12/20 | medium | theory | The 4 VP hold line and the sensor sweep are dependable; the marker clause is not. |
| tempo | 12/20 | medium | theory | Actions and kills resolve at the end of your turn. |
| complexity | 13/20 | medium | theory | You have to read the opponent marker plan to know whether half your card is live. |
| exposure | 13/20 | medium | theory | The marker clause demands exclusive presence inside a terrain area — you must both be there and keep them out. |
| activationCost | 15/20 | medium | theory | A sensor sweep every turn plus contesting a marker area is 2 units permanently occupied. |
Disruption
| Metric | Score | Confidence | Basis | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ceiling | 15/20 | medium | theory | Same shape, with the marker clause under your own control. |
| floor | 14/20 | medium | theory | Holding 1 objective plus a self-controlled marker clause is a stable base. |
| tempo | 11/20 | medium | theory | Same shape. |
| complexity | 11/20 | medium | theory | You choose when the clause is live, but you must also deny theirs. |
| exposure | 12/20 | medium | theory | Your own marker clause is satisfied on ground you choose, which is the cheapest version of this mechanic in the matrix. |
| activationCost | 13/20 | medium | theory | Holding a terrain area exclusively means a unit sits in it and stays. |
Playbook
Playing Priority Assets
- Extract Relic requires that only ONE of the OPPONENT operation markers is on the battlefield — a condition the Disruption player controls, and can deliberately deny by keeping two or more out.
- This card moves its checkpoint during the game, so the same grab costs a full enemy turn early and nothing late — price the grab accordingly before committing a unit to it.
- Their marker clause needs exclusive presence in a terrain area: 1 model of yours inside it breaks 4 VP a turn and their 5 VP finish. That is the cheapest denial in the entire matrix, and it should be your first plan, not your last. Meanwhile treat your own marker clause as a bonus you may never get, and bank the sweep and the kill rider instead — those they cannot touch.
- Priority Assets needs: Two or three cheap units to sweep on rotation, so a kill does not stop the engine. One expendable model whose whole job is to walk into their marker's terrain area and stand there. Shooting that reaches units sitting near objectives, for the 3 VP rider. One holder for the flat 4 VP.
Playing Disruption
- Locate and Deny requires that only one of YOUR OWN markers is on the battlefield, so the Disruption player can satisfy their clause and break the opponent identical clause with the same decision.
- This card moves its checkpoint during the game, so the same grab costs a full enemy turn early and nothing late — price the grab accordingly before committing a unit to it.
- Their identical clause keys off your marker count, so run 1 marker when your area is secure and two or more the moment their clause could come online. One decision drives both cards — that is the whole matchup. Their sensor sweep is an action, so killing or engaging the sweeper stops 4 VP a turn. And their 3 VP kill rider needs your units near objectives, so hold from the edge of control range rather than on top of the marker.
- Disruption needs: A terrain area you can hold alone — one with a single approach beats a central one. A cheap guard for that area; one enemy model inside it ends the clause. Reach onto their sweeper. Restraint on markers: the count is a weapon, not a fixture.
Applies to both sides
- Both clauses also require one of your units inside the marker terrain area with no enemy unit in it — exclusive presence in a terrain area, not just proximity.
- Measured across all 45 transcribed layouts: a central objective can be held from a spot only 4.6% of the enemy deployment zone can see (best board 0%), while taking an enemy home objective means standing where a median of 47.7% of their deployment zone has line of sight, rising to 91.7% on the most exposed board. Cards that pay for enemy home objectives are charging you that difference, and the board decides the price.
- All three boards for this pairing are transcribed and measured. Layout 1 (diagonal across the short axis) reads 3/20 for openness, Layout 2 (diagonal across the long axis) reads 5/20 for openness, Layout 3 (diagonal halves) reads 6/20 for openness. Taking a home marker off the opponent costs 18% deployment-zone exposure on Layout 1 and 64.7% on Layout 3 — the same play, priced very differently. Central markers stay the safest ground on all three, bottoming out at 6.9% on Layout 1.
Frequently asked
Is Priority Assets or Disruption favoured in this matchup?
Priority Assets holds a clear edge here.
How do you stop Disruption scoring when you are playing Priority Assets?
Their marker clause needs exclusive presence in a terrain area: 1 model of yours inside it breaks 4 VP a turn and their 5 VP finish. That is the cheapest denial in the entire matrix, and it should be your first plan, not your last. Meanwhile treat your own marker clause as a bonus you may never get, and bank the sweep and the kill rider instead — those they cannot touch.
What units does a Priority Assets list need against Disruption?
Priority Assets needs: Two or three cheap units to sweep on rotation, so a kill does not stop the engine. One expendable model whose whole job is to walk into their marker's terrain area and stand there. Shooting that reaches units sitting near objectives, for the 3 VP rider. One holder for the flat 4 VP.
How do you stop Priority Assets scoring when you are playing Disruption?
Their identical clause keys off your marker count, so run 1 marker when your area is secure and two or more the moment their clause could come online. One decision drives both cards — that is the whole matchup. Their sensor sweep is an action, so killing or engaging the sweeper stops 4 VP a turn. And their 3 VP kill rider needs your units near objectives, so hold from the edge of control range rather than on top of the marker.
What units does a Disruption list need against Priority Assets?
Disruption needs: A terrain area you can hold alone — one with a single approach beats a central one. A cheap guard for that area; one enemy model inside it ends the clause. Reach onto their sweeper. Restraint on markers: the count is a weapon, not a fixture.
How do the Priority Assets and Disruption primary mission cards score?
Extract Relic requires that only ONE of the OPPONENT operation markers is on the battlefield — a condition the Disruption player controls, and can deliberately deny by keeping two or more out. Locate and Deny requires that only one of YOUR OWN markers is on the battlefield, so the Disruption player can satisfy their clause and break the opponent identical clause with the same decision. Both clauses also require one of your units inside the marker terrain area with no enemy unit in it — exclusive presence in a terrain area, not just proximity.
Related matchups
Disruption mirror — Outmanoeuvre
Disruption and Disruption come out dead even.…
Priority Assets mirror — Sabotage
Priority Assets and Priority Assets come out dead even.…
Purge the Foe vs Disruption — Punishment / Delaying Action
Disruption holds the slight edge here.…
Purge the Foe vs Priority Assets — Destroyer’s Wrath / Vital Link
Left alone, both players score exactly 45 — the cap. The printed rate buys margin rather than points, and only 1 of the 2 denials in this matchup remo…
Reconnaissance vs Disruption — Surveil the Foe / Smoke and Mirrors
Reconnaissance holds the slight edge here.…
Reconnaissance vs Priority Assets — Search and Scour / Vanguard Operation
Reconnaissance holds the slight edge here.…
Provenance
- Status: draft — ratings carry their own confidence and basis above.
- Written against the GDM 2026 matched play data snapshot pinned as
2026-05-09 23:42:21. - Subjects analysed:
gdm:disposition/priority-assets,gdm:disposition/disruption,gdm:primary/priority-assets/extract-relic,gdm:primary/disruption/locate-and-deny. - Machine-readable: JSON · Markdown source