Part of our Death Guard hub: every Death Guard guide, lore page and painting tutorial in one place. Browse all 1000-point army lists.
Nothing grinds an opponent down like the Death Guard. Mortarion’s sons are slow, horribly tough and very hard to shift from an objective, which makes them one of the most forgiving armies for a new player. At 1,000 points (an Incursion game) you get a compact, tanky force of roughly 30 to 50 models, depending on how many Poxwalkers you take.
The playstyle is simple to learn: walk forward, take the middle of the board, and let your opponent break themselves against Plague Marines and Terminators. Your units spread disease that weakens nearby enemies, and your tanks lob blast weapons from range while the infantry hold ground.
New to the faction? Our Death Guard army guide covers the background and every unit. For the Daemon Primarch himself, read our Mortarion lore.
A quick note on rules and points
Death Guard don’t have an 11th Edition codex yet. They’re using their existing 10th Edition codex rules, with the 11th Edition core rules on top, until their new book arrives in 2027 or later. Our codex release order tracker shows the current schedule.
Every points value below is approximate. 11th Edition points change with each Munitorum Field Manual and balance update, so check the Warhammer 40,000 app before you play.
How 1,000-point games work in 11th Edition
At 1,000 points you get 2 Detachment Points to spend on detachments, rather than picking a single detachment. Each detachment costs 1 to 3 DP depending on how much of your army it affects. Our detachment points explainer shows how to spend them.
A few other 11th Edition changes suit the Death Guard nicely:
- Cover is now -1 to Hit against ranged attacks for Infantry in terrain. Plague Marines in a ruin get even harder to remove.
- Objectives are terrain pieces. Slow, tough armies that sit inside them love this, and some units and detachments can also secure an objective so it stays yours after they leave.
- Engagement range is 2″, up from 1″. It’s easier to tie enemy units up in combat with Poxwalkers.
- One Stratagem per unit per phase. Plan which unit gets your key defensive Stratagem.
The full list is in our 11th Edition rules changes guide.
All three lists below use Plague Company, the long-standing Death Guard detachment most players start with. Once you know the army, look through the other detachments in your codex and faction pack. Check each detachment’s DP cost in the app before finalising your list.
List 1: Plague Company Starter (beginner)
This list is built around the current Combat Patrol box, the Maggot Lords (a Lord of Virulence, a Tallyman, 3 Deathshroud Terminators, 7 Plague Marines and a Rhino), and the kits most players add next. It has a tough Terminator spearhead, a solid core of Plague Marines, a big screen of Poxwalkers, a Plagueburst Crawler for long-range firepower and a Bloat-drone to harass the enemy. It’s the best way to learn how the army works.
Army composition
- Lord of Virulence (from the Combat Patrol) — ~80 pts
- Tallyman (from the Combat Patrol) — ~45 pts
- Typhus — ~80 pts
- 3x Deathshroud Terminators (from the Combat Patrol) — ~130 pts
- 10x Plague Marines (the Combat Patrol’s 7 plus 3 from a Plague Marines kit) — ~185 pts
- 20x Poxwalkers — ~100 pts
- Plagueburst Crawler — ~180 pts
- Foetid Bloat-drone (plaguespitters) — ~90 pts
- Death Guard Rhino (from the Combat Patrol) — ~75 pts
Detachment: Plague Company
Approximate total: ~965 pts
Unit roles
Lord of Virulence: your Warlord (Sholgor the Putrid in Combat Patrol games). Attach him to the Deathshroud and push them up the board together as a very hard-to-kill spearhead.
Tallyman: a fragile support character (Septimol Fulg in Combat Patrol games). Keep him with the 10 Plague Marines, away from enemy melee units.
Typhus: a tough, hard-hitting character who works best leading Poxwalkers. With him attached, the 20 Poxwalkers become a real threat rather than just a screen.
3x Deathshroud Terminators: elite melee bodyguards for the Lord of Virulence. Send them at the unit holding the objective you want.
10x Plague Marines: the heart of the army. They’re tough, they hit hard enough, and they’ll hold the central objective for most of the game.
20x Poxwalkers: a cheap, annoying wall. Led by Typhus, they march up the board, tie up enemy units, soak firepower and screen your home objective.
Plagueburst Crawler: your long-range gun. Its mortar and other weapons hit infantry hiding behind terrain, and it’s tough enough to survive a lot of anti-tank fire.
Foetid Bloat-drone: a fast, floating harasser. Use it to grab objectives, threaten backline units and pull fire away from the infantry.
Death Guard Rhino: carries the 10 Plague Marines and the Tallyman and blocks lines of sight.
List 2: Terminator Spearhead (elite)
This list goes heavy on Terminators. A Lord of Contagion leads Blightlords, a squad of Deathshroud protects the line, and two small Plague Marine squads hold objectives. It has fewer models than List 1, so each loss hurts, but your opponent will struggle to kill anything.
Army composition
- Lord of Contagion — ~100 pts
- 5x Blightlord Terminators — ~185 pts
- 3x Deathshroud Terminators — ~130 pts
- Foul Blightspawn — ~55 pts
- 5x Plague Marines — ~95 pts
- 5x Plague Marines — ~95 pts
- Plagueburst Crawler — ~180 pts
- Foetid Bloat-drone — ~90 pts
- 10x Poxwalkers — ~50 pts
Detachment: Plague Company
Approximate total: ~980 pts
Unit roles
Lord of Contagion + 5 Blightlords: your hammer. Hold them in Deep Strike and drop them onto a contested objective on turn two. They’re very hard to kill and dangerous in melee.
3x Deathshroud Terminators: elite melee bodyguards. They can push forward on their own or protect a key objective.
Foul Blightspawn: a flamer character who makes enemy units think twice about charging. Attach him to a Plague Marine squad.
2x 5 Plague Marines: your objective holders. One takes the middle, the other a flank.
Plagueburst Crawler: long-range support so the list isn’t purely melee.
Foetid Bloat-drone: mobile objective grabber and harasser.
10x Poxwalkers: home objective and screen.
The trade-off is board control. With three Terminator-sized units and only two small Plague Marine squads, you need to pick your fights carefully and avoid spreading out too thin.
List 3: Engines of Contagion (themed)
If you like big, rusting tanks and bloated daemon engines, this is your list. Two Plagueburst Crawlers anchor the backfield, a Blight-hauler and Bloat-drone race forward, and a small infantry core holds the objectives. It’s a ranged-heavy Death Guard force that still has the army’s trademark toughness.
Army composition
- Lord of Virulence — ~80 pts
- Malignant Plaguecaster — ~65 pts
- Plagueburst Crawler — ~180 pts
- Plagueburst Crawler — ~180 pts
- Myphitic Blight-hauler — ~80 pts
- Foetid Bloat-drone — ~90 pts
- 5x Plague Marines — ~95 pts
- 5x Plague Marines — ~95 pts
- Death Guard Rhino — ~75 pts
- 10x Poxwalkers — ~50 pts
Detachment: Plague Company
Approximate total: ~990 pts
Unit roles
Lord of Virulence: your Warlord. Keep him near the vehicles and Plague Marines, where his abilities do the most good.
Malignant Plaguecaster: psychic damage to pick off weakened units.
2x Plagueburst Crawlers: your main damage. Between them they can shell infantry hiding in terrain and still hurt vehicles.
Myphitic Blight-hauler: a fast, tough anti-tank engine. Send it at enemy armour.
Foetid Bloat-drone: objective grabber and distraction.
2x 5 Plague Marines + Rhino: one squad holds the middle on foot; the other rides the Rhino to a flank.
10x Poxwalkers: home objective holders.
General tactics at 1,000 points
Take the middle and hold it. Death Guard are slow, so don’t chase fast units. Get to the central objectives early and make your opponent come to you.
Use your toughness, not your speed. You’ll rarely win a race. You win by making the enemy spend two or three turns trying to kill one squad.
Screen with Poxwalkers. Poxwalkers are cheap. Put them between your Plague Marines and the enemy so that charges hit zombies first.
Stay in cover. With the new -1 to Hit cover rule, Plague Marines in terrain are some of the hardest infantry in the game to shift.
Keep your auras in range. Your army’s disease aura and character abilities work at short range. Keep the army close together rather than scattered.
What to buy first
Start with the Death Guard Combat Patrol. It gives you a Lord of Virulence, a Tallyman, Deathshroud Terminators, Plague Marines and a Rhino, which is the core of List 1. From there:
- Death Guard Combat Patrol — your core.
- Plagueburst Crawler — long-range firepower that every list above uses.
- Foetid Bloat-drone — fast, flexible and useful in every list above.
- More Plague Marines — more of your best core unit.
- Poxwalkers and Typhus — the cheap screen and its leader from List 1.
- Blightlord Terminators — if you want to build towards List 2.
Ready to start painting? Our how to paint Death Guard guide covers the classic weathered green armour.
Common mistakes
- Rushing forward too fast. Death Guard win by holding ground. If you sprint across the board, your slow units arrive one at a time and get picked off.
- Leaving characters on their own. Most Death Guard characters do their best work leading a squad. Attach them.
- Ignoring fast enemies. Fast armies will try to score objectives you can’t reach. Keep a Bloat-drone or Rhino free to contest distant points.
- Forgetting the one-Stratagem rule. You can only use one Stratagem on each unit per phase, so pick the one that matters most.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many models are in a 1,000-point Death Guard army?
Usually 30 to 50 models. Poxwalker-heavy lists sit at the top end, and Terminator or tank lists sit at the bottom.
Do Death Guard have an 11th Edition codex?
Not yet. They use their existing 10th Edition codex rules with the 11th Edition core rules until their new codex arrives in 2027 or later.
Is the Death Guard Combat Patrol enough for 1,000 points?
No. It’s the core of a 1,000-point army, but you’ll need a few more units, such as a Plagueburst Crawler, a Bloat-drone and some Poxwalkers, to reach 1,000 points.
Are Death Guard good for beginners?
Yes. They’re tough, the plan is simple, and your mistakes are less punishing because your units refuse to die. The main thing to learn is patience.
What is the best detachment for a 1,000-point Death Guard list?
Plague Company is the detachment most players start with because it works with every unit. Once you know the army, explore the other detachments in your codex and faction pack.
Are these Death Guard lists competitive in 2026?
They are built to be solid and easy to learn rather than tuned for tournaments. Competitive Death Guard lists change with every balance update and points change, so for events, compare recent tournament results and check the Warhammer 40,000 app. Starting from List 1 or List 2 still gives you the core units most competitive lists use, such as Plague Marines, Terminators and Plagueburst Crawlers.
Related guides
More 1,000-point lists: Chaos Space Marines if you want a second traitor force, and Adeptus Custodes for another small, elite army.