Space Marines 1000 Point Army Lists (11th Edition)

Part of our Space Marines hub: every Space Marines guide, lore page and painting tutorial in one place. Browse all 1000-point army lists.

Space Marines are made for 1,000-point games. A 1,000-point Incursion game in 11th Edition plays in around two hours, and it gives you room for a proper strike force without months of painting. Most Space Marine lists at this size land somewhere between 20 and 35 models, because almost everything in the range is elite and well armoured.

That durability is why Space Marines are so forgiving for new players. A bad dice roll rarely wipes a unit, and the range covers shooting, melee and big walking guns, so you can pick a plan that suits you. At 1,000 points you can’t take everything, so each list below commits to one plan and gives every unit a job.

For the full faction overview, see our Space Marines army guide. For a breakdown of the new book, read Codex: Space Marines 11th Edition. If you’re still learning the basics, start with How to Play Warhammer 40K.

A quick note on rules and points

Space Marines have their 11th Edition codex, released in October 2026, so everything on this page uses that book. It has 15 core detachments, plus extra detachments for each Chapter with its own supplement rules. The lists below use the October 2026 Munitorum Field Manual, so they’ll work for any Chapter.

Every points value below is approximate (marked “~”). Points move with each Munitorum Field Manual and balance update, so build your list in the Warhammer 40,000 app before you play, especially for a league or tournament game.

A few older kits are gone from the codex. Tactical Squads and Razorbacks are among the units sent to Legends, so they aren’t in these lists. If you own old Tactical Marines, check the app’s Legendary Proxies section to see which current datasheet they can stand in for.

Army building at 1,000 points in 11th Edition

A 1,000-point game is called Incursion. Three rules matter most when you write a Space Marine list:

• Detachment Points. You get 2 Detachment Points and up to 2 Enhancements. You can spend the DP on two 1 DP detachments, one 2 DP detachment, or take a single 3 DP detachment as your only detachment. No two detachments can share a Unique Tag. See Detachment Points explained for worked examples.
• Combat Doctrines. This army rule replaces Oath of Moment. At the start of each of your Command phases you can make one doctrine active until your next Command phase: Assault (you can still charge after Advancing), Devastator (ranged attacks gain [Assault]) or Tactical (you can still shoot and charge after Falling Back). Normally each doctrine can be used once per battle. Several detachments let you pick one doctrine an extra time.
• Escalating unit costs. In the current Munitorum Field Manual, many Space Marine units cost more for your third copy onwards. Hellblasters, for example, are ~115 pts for your first two squads and ~130 pts after that. At 1,000 points you rarely want three of anything, and none of the lists below do.

Characters join units as either a Leader or a Support character, and you lock those attachments in when you write your list. A basic Captain or Chaplain is a Leader, while a Lieutenant, Apothecary or Ancient is a Support character. Each datasheet lists the units a character can join, so always check it. Our Leader rules guide explains how attached units work.

Here are the core codex detachments and their DP costs, from the October 2026 Munitorum Field Manual:

Because the three Brethren detachments share the Doctrines tag, you can only take one of them. A common 1,000-point setup is one Brethren detachment plus a 1 DP detachment for the units you lean on most.

List 1: Gladius Strike Force (beginner, all-comers)

This is the list we recommend for most new players. It covers shooting, melee, toughness and objective play. You’ll rarely feel helpless against any opponent, and it teaches you how every phase of the game works. Because Gladius Task Force costs 3 DP, it has to be your only detachment. That’s legal at Incursion, and it keeps things simple: one set of rules to learn.

Army composition

• Captain (melee loadout) with the Artificer Armour Enhancement — ~105 pts (~90 + ~15)
• Lieutenant — ~50 pts
• 10x Intercessors (bolt rifles) — ~170 pts
• 5x Intercessors (bolt rifles) — ~85 pts
• 6x Bladeguard Veterans — ~180 pts
• Redemptor Dreadnought (macro plasma incinerator, onslaught gatling cannon, Icarus rocket pod, Redemptor fist) — ~180 pts (~170 + ~10 for the macro plasma incinerator)
• 3x Eradicators (melta rifles) — ~100 pts
• 5x Infernus Marines (pyreblasters) — ~95 pts

Detachment: Gladius Task Force (3 DP, taken as your only detachment)

Approximate total: ~965 pts. You have ~35 pts spare for a second Gladius Enhancement on the Lieutenant (~15–25 pts).

Unit roles

Captain: your Warlord. He leads the Bladeguard Veterans, and Artificer Armour makes that unit even harder to shift from the middle of the table. If his datasheet has Transhuman Strategist, making him your Warlord gives you an extra CP at the start of each battle round.

Lieutenant: a Support character. Attach him to the 10 Intercessors to make your main objective holders more dangerous.

10x Intercessors: your primary objective holders. Objectives are now terrain areas, and ten Marines standing in a ruin are very hard to remove. Their bolt rifles keep enemy infantry honest.

5x Intercessors: your second scoring unit. Use them for a home objective, for actions, or to screen against deep strikers.

6x Bladeguard Veterans: your anvil. Storm shields make them very tough, and with the Captain attached they’ll beat most elite infantry in combat.

Redemptor Dreadnought: your centrepiece. The macro plasma incinerator handles armour, the gatling cannon shreds infantry, and the fist punishes anything that charges it.

3x Eradicators: dedicated anti-tank. Melta rifles delete vehicles and monsters at close range. Keep them out of sight until a big target comes close.

5x Infernus Marines: board control. Pyreblasters are Torrent weapons, so they hit automatically, which makes them ideal for burning light infantry off objectives.

Using your doctrines: Gladius lets you take one doctrine twice. For most games, take Assault on turn 1 to push the Bladeguard forward, Tactical when you need to fall back and shoot, and save the repeat for whichever doctrine the game needs most.

List 2: Assault Spearhead (melee)

If you want to charge across the board and win in combat, this list is for you. It plays aggressively from turn one, with Terminators, Bladeguard and a Brutalis Dreadnought all hitting hard in the Fight phase. It uses two 1 DP detachments with different Unique Tags.

Army composition

• Captain in Terminator Armour with the Champion of the First Company Enhancement — ~110 pts (~90 + ~20)
• Chaplain with the Imperium’s Sword Enhancement — ~80 pts (~60 + ~20)
• 5x Terminators — ~190 pts
• 6x Bladeguard Veterans — ~180 pts
• 10x Assault Intercessors (heavy bolt pistols, Astartes chainswords) — ~170 pts
• 5x Assault Intercessors — ~85 pts
• Brutalis Dreadnought — ~160 pts

Detachments: Assault Brethren (1 DP) + Terminator Storm Force (1 DP)

Approximate total: ~975 pts

Unit roles

Captain in Terminator Armour + 5x Terminators: your hammer. Terminator Storm Force gives Terminators +1 to their Charge rolls, which makes charges after arriving from reserve much more reliable. Check the datasheet for their reserve options.

Chaplain + 6x Bladeguard Veterans: your second melee threat, and the toughest unit in the army. The Chaplain makes them hit harder, and the storm shields keep them alive while they hold the middle of the table.

10x Assault Intercessors: cheap, aggressive melee troops. Use them to swarm a midfield objective and tie up enemy shooting units.

5x Assault Intercessors: your objective holder and screen. They’re expendable, so use them to block charges or grab a distant objective late in the game.

Brutalis Dreadnought: a melee walker that can trade blows with enemy tanks and monsters. Send it at whatever your Terminators can’t reach.

Using your doctrines: Assault Brethren lets you use the Assault doctrine twice. Use it on the turns you plan to Advance and charge, usually turns 1 and 2. Keep Tactical for the turn you need to fall back out of a bad combat.

Playing Blood Angels? Blood Angels can field every unit here, and they also have their own detachments, such as Angelic Inheritors (3 DP), Encarmine Speartip (1 DP) and Wrath of the Doomed (1 DP). Swap a Bladeguard squad for Death Company or Sanguinary Guard if you own them, and check the costs in the app.

List 3: Dreadnought Gunline (shooting)

This list wants to win the shooting phase and grind the opponent down before they reach you. Two Dreadnoughts and a Hellblaster squad provide the firepower, and two Intercessor squads hold the ground in front of them.

Army composition

• Captain (ranged loadout) with the Master-forged Firearms Enhancement — ~105 pts (~90 + ~15)
• Lieutenant — ~50 pts
• Techmarine — ~55 pts
• 10x Intercessors (bolt rifles) — ~170 pts
• 5x Intercessors (bolt rifles) — ~85 pts
• 5x Hellblasters (plasma incinerators) — ~115 pts
• Redemptor Dreadnought (macro plasma incinerator) — ~180 pts
• Ballistus Dreadnought — ~150 pts
• 3x Eliminators (bolt sniper rifles) — ~85 pts

Detachments: Devastator Brethren (1 DP) + Ironclad Champions (1 DP)

Approximate total: ~995 pts

Unit roles

Captain + 5x Hellblasters: your elite shooting unit. Plasma incinerators can be supercharged for extra damage, but supercharged shots are Hazardous, so pick your moments.

Lieutenant + 10x Intercessors: your main objective holders and fire base. Put them in terrain on a key objective and let them shoot.

Techmarine + 5x Intercessors: the Techmarine leads the smaller Intercessor squad, which stays close to the Dreadnoughts as a backfield screen. Check his datasheet for what he can do for nearby vehicles.

Redemptor and Ballistus Dreadnoughts: your heavy guns. Ironclad Champions lets both re-roll Hit rolls of 1, which smooths out your anti-tank shooting. The Ballistus has the range, and the Redemptor can also brawl if something reaches your lines.

3x Eliminators: sniper specialists with Precision, for picking off enemy characters. They’re cheap enough to hide in a back corner all game.

Using your doctrines: Devastator Brethren gives you the Devastator doctrine twice. It gives your ranged attacks [Assault], so you can Advance onto objectives and still shoot.

How each list plays

In 11th Edition, objectives are terrain areas, and your primary mission depends on the Force Disposition you and your opponent bring. Gladius Task Force gives you Take and Hold or Priority Assets, Assault Brethren is Take and Hold, and Devastator Brethren is Purge the Foe. Read the mission before you decide how aggressive to be. See 11th Edition missions explained.

List 1: Gladius Strike Force

Deployment: put the 10 Intercessors and Lieutenant on your most important home objective. Place the Redemptor centrally with sightlines to where enemy armour will be. Hide the Captain and Bladeguard behind line-of-sight-blocking terrain in the middle. The Eradicators go behind cover on one flank and the Infernus Marines on the other.

Turns 1–2: push the Bladeguard to a midfield objective. Shoot the Redemptor at the most valuable target it can see. Keep the Eradicators hidden until a vehicle or monster comes within melta range, then commit them.

Turns 3–5: hold two or three objectives and play for primary points. Use the 5 Intercessors for actions and late objective grabs, and don’t throw the Bladeguard away chasing kills.

List 2: Assault Spearhead

Deployment: everything starts behind cover. The Assault Intercessors go on the flanks, and the Bladeguard and Chaplain go in the centre with the Brutalis. Keep the Terminators in reserve if their datasheet allows it.

Turns 1–2: use the Assault doctrine and move fast. You want charges on turn 2. In 11th Edition you roll the charge first, then pick targets within 12″ and within your roll, and engagement range is 2″. Bring the Terminators in where they can charge something important.

Turns 3–5: pile in and consolidate to stay locked in combat and out of enemy firing lanes. Trade the cheaper Assault Intercessors to protect the Bladeguard and Terminators.

List 3: Dreadnought Gunline

Deployment: keep the army together. Place the Ballistus where it can see the most of the board, the Redemptor slightly forward, and the Techmarine’s squad between them. Put the Eliminators in a corner that can see likely character positions.

Turns 1–2: shoot the biggest threats first, starting with enemy vehicles and fast melee units. Use the Intercessor squads as a wall in front of the Dreadnoughts.

Turns 3–5: use the Devastator doctrine to Advance the Intercessors onto midfield objectives and still shoot. Keep firing to stop your opponent taking ground back.

Tips for playing Space Marines at 1,000 points

• Plan your doctrines. Each doctrine is normally once per battle, and your detachment only gives you one extra use. Decide before the game which turns get which doctrine.
• One Stratagem per unit per phase. You can’t stack buffs on one unit any more, and Command Re-roll counts as a Stratagem. Spread your threats so every phase has a good Stratagem target.
• Use terrain. Cover gives -1 to Hit against incoming shots for Infantry, so keep your Intercessors and Bladeguard in ruins. Dreadnoughts only get cover from intervening terrain, so position them carefully.
• Don’t duplicate too much. Third copies of many units cost extra, and at 1,000 points variety usually beats spam.

What to buy

Prices vary by region and change often, so check Games Workshop’s store or your local retailer for current prices. Box contents below are a guide, so check the box before you buy.

List 1: Gladius Strike Force

• Space Marines Combat Patrol box. It covers several units and is usually the most cost-effective start, though contents vary by version (see our Space Marines Combat Patrol guide)
• Intercessors box
• Bladeguard Veterans (two boxes of 3 for six models)
• Redemptor Dreadnought box
• Eradicators box (3 models)
• Infernus Marines, a Captain and a Lieutenant, if your Combat Patrol doesn’t include them

Check our best starter sets guide for current deals.

List 2: Assault Spearhead

• Assault Intercessors (enough for 15 models)
• Terminators box
• Captain in Terminator Armour
• Bladeguard Veterans (two boxes of 3)
• Brutalis Dreadnought box
• Chaplain

List 3: Dreadnought Gunline

• Intercessors (enough for 15 models)
• Hellblasters box
• Redemptor Dreadnought and Ballistus Dreadnought
• Eliminators box
• Characters: Captain, Lieutenant and Techmarine

Expanding to 2,000 points

Once you’re comfortable at 1,000 points, a 2,000-point Strike Force game gives you 3 Detachment Points, up to 4 Enhancements and the full tournament experience. Here’s how each list grows.

From List 1 (Gladius): Gladius still costs all 3 DP at 2,000 points, so it stays your only detachment. Add a second Redemptor, Aggressors for melee, a Librarian, an Impulsor to carry the Bladeguard, and Inceptors for fast firepower.

From List 2 (Assault): add a third 1 DP detachment such as Gauntlet Task Force with a Land Raider Redeemer, more Terminators, and a squad of Vanguard Veterans with Jump Packs led by a Captain with Jump Pack.

From List 3 (Gunline): add Ironstorm Spearhead (1 DP) with a Gladiator Lancer or a Repulsor Executioner, a second Hellblaster squad, and Heavy Intercessors or Sternguard to hold midfield.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I mix Blood Angels units with generic Space Marines?

Yes. Blood Angels are a Space Marine Chapter, so they can use the generic codex units alongside Death Company, Sanguinary Guard and their other unique units. They also get their own detachments, such as Angelic Inheritors (3 DP), Encarmine Speartip (1 DP) and Wrath of the Doomed (1 DP). You can’t mix units from different Chapters in one army, so an Ultramarines character can’t lead Blood Angels.

Which list is best for tournaments?

The 11th Edition codex only landed in October 2026, so there isn’t enough tournament data yet to call a best build. Treat this as a snapshot that will change with balance updates. At 1,000 points, balanced lists like List 1 usually do best because they have answers to most things. Melee lists can be kited by fast armies, and gunlines can be swamped by hordes.

Do I need to paint my army to play?

For casual games at your local store, unpainted models are usually fine. In 11th Edition matched play missions, though, a fully Battle Ready (painted) army is worth 10 VP, a tenth of the maximum score, and many events set their own painting rules. Check the event pack.

Which bolt rifle should my Intercessors use?

There’s no choice to make. Intercessors carry a single bolt rifle profile, so you can build the kit with any of the rifle sculpts and they all count as bolt rifles. If you want heavier, longer-ranged shooting, look at Heavy Intercessors or Eliminators instead.

Can I use these lists with any Space Marines Chapter?

Yes. All three lists use units and detachments from the core codex, so they work as Ultramarines, Imperial Fists, Salamanders, Iron Hands, Blood Angels, Dark Angels, Space Wolves or your own Chapter. Many Chapters also have their own detachments, such as Blade of Ultramar (3 DP) or Ceramite Sentinels (2 DP) for Imperial Fists, which you can try once you know the basics.

What if my points don’t add up to exactly 1,000?

You can be under 1,000 points but never over. Getting within 10 to 30 points of the limit is normal. If you’re short, add a second Enhancement (you can have up to 2 at Incursion) or increase a unit to its larger size.

Can I build a 1,000-point Space Marine army from a Combat Patrol?

Yes. A Combat Patrol or the Space Marines half of a starter set is the most cost-effective foundation, but on its own it’s only around half of a 1,000-point army. Add a Dreadnought, an anti-tank unit such as Eradicators and a second infantry squad to reach a full Incursion force like List 1.

How many Detachment Points do Space Marines get at 1,000 points?

2 Detachment Points, like every army in an Incursion game. You can take two 1 DP detachments (as long as they don’t share a Unique Tag), one 2 DP detachment, or a single 3 DP detachment such as Gladius Task Force as your only detachment. Check current DP costs in the Warhammer 40,000 app before you finalise your list.