Part of our Blood Angels hub: every Blood Angels guide, lore page and painting tutorial in one place. Browse all 1000-point army lists.
Looking for a Blood Angels 1000 point army list? The Sons of Sanguinius are the face of 11th Edition, leading the Imperial relief force on Armageddon, and there’s never been a better time to start a red-armoured strike force. At 1,000 points you can field a fast, hard-hitting army of jump-pack troops, golden Sanguinary Guard or frenzied Death Company without needing a huge collection. Below are three complete lists, plus tactics, a buying order and the mistakes that cost Blood Angels players the most games.
New to the Chapter? Start with our Blood Angels army guide for the background and unit overview, then come back here to build your first list.
Why play Blood Angels at 1000 points?
Blood Angels are Space Marines built for the charge. They have access to almost every unit in the Space Marines range, plus their own Chapter units: the Sanguinary Guard, Death Company, Sanguinary Priests and famous characters like Commander Dante, Lemartes and Astorath. Where other Chapters win by shooting, the Blood Angels win by crashing into the enemy lines on jump packs and tearing them apart.
At 1,000 points this aggression is easy to learn and very satisfying. You get the durability of Space Marines (Toughness 4, 3+ saves and plenty of wounds), so mistakes aren’t as punishing as they are with fragile armies, and the game plan is simple: move fast, pick a target and hit it hard. Most lists below field 25 to 40 models, which is a very manageable painting project. If you want to get that deep red right, see our how to paint Blood Angels guide.
A quick note on points and rules
Every points value in this guide is approximate. Games Workshop adjusts points through Munitorum Field Manual and balance updates, and 11th Edition has already seen changes since launch, so check the current values in the Warhammer 40,000 app before you play.
The Blood Angels don’t have their own 11th Edition supplement yet. They use the new Codex: Space Marines for 11th Edition for core datasheets and detachments (including the new Combat Doctrines army rule, which replaces Oath of Moment) plus their existing Chapter supplement rules until a new Blood Angels book arrives.
At 1,000 points you have 2 Detachment Points to spend. Each list below names the detachment we’d build around; check its Detachment Point cost in the app, and read our Detachment Points explained guide if the system is new to you.
List 1: Armageddon Strike Force (Beginner-Friendly)
This list is built for players starting out with the Combat Patrol or the Armageddon launch box. It’s a balanced Space Marine force with a Blood Angels edge: solid Intercessors on objectives, jump-pack Vanguard Veterans and a Captain to lead the assault, and a Redemptor Dreadnought for heavy firepower. It teaches you every phase of the game while still letting you charge in like a true son of Baal.
Army composition
- Captain with Jump Pack (thunder hammer, relic shield) — ~80 pts
- Chaplain with Jump Pack — ~75 pts
- 10x Intercessors (bolt rifles) — ~160 pts
- 5x Assault Intercessors — ~75 pts
- 5x Vanguard Veterans with Jump Packs — ~100 pts
- 3x Eradicators (melta rifles) — ~95 pts
- 5x Infernus Marines — ~90 pts
- Redemptor Dreadnought (macro plasma incinerator, onslaught gatling cannon) — ~210 pts
- Impulsor — ~80 pts
Detachment: Gladius Task Force — the flexible all-rounder from Codex: Space Marines, and the detachment most players start with.
Approximate total: ~965 pts
Unit roles
Captain with Jump Pack: Your warlord and assault leader. Attach him to the Vanguard Veterans and you have a fast, hard-hitting unit that can reach almost any target on a 1,000-point board.
Chaplain with Jump Pack: A melee force multiplier. Attach him to the Assault Intercessors or the Vanguard Veterans to make their charges far more dangerous.
10x Intercessors: Your objective backbone. Park them on a key objective and use their bolt rifles to thin out enemy infantry.
Assault Intercessors: Cheap melee troops for contesting midfield objectives. Ride them forward in the Impulsor.
Vanguard Veterans with Jump Packs: Your hammer. Refreshed in the new codex, they’re the classic Blood Angels assault unit: fast, dangerous and perfect for wiping an enemy unit off an objective.
Eradicators: Your tank killers. Keep them behind cover until a vehicle or monster comes into melta range.
Infernus Marines: Flamers that auto-hit, ideal for clearing hordes off objectives and punishing charges.
Redemptor Dreadnought: Your toughest unit and your main source of ranged firepower. Use it to anchor the centre of the board.
Impulsor: A fast transport for the Assault Intercessors or Infernus Marines.
List 2: The Angelic Host (Elite Jump Assault)
This is the iconic Blood Angels army: golden Sanguinary Guard, jump-pack Assault Intercessors and Commander Dante descending on the enemy from above. Almost everything flies, so the army can reach any part of the board in a single turn. It’s an elite list with fewer models, but every unit is dangerous.
Army composition
- Commander Dante — ~120 pts
- Captain with Jump Pack (thunder hammer, relic shield) — ~80 pts
- 6x Sanguinary Guard (encarmine blades, angelus boltguns) — ~250 pts
- 10x Assault Intercessors with Jump Packs — ~180 pts
- 5x Vanguard Veterans with Jump Packs — ~100 pts
- Baal Predator (twin assault cannon) — ~135 pts
- 5x Intercessors (bolt rifles) — ~80 pts
Detachment: The Angelic Host — the Blood Angels detachment built around jump-pack units, and the natural home for this army.
Approximate total: ~945 pts
Unit roles
Commander Dante: The Chapter Master himself. Attach him to the Sanguinary Guard to create one of the most dangerous units in the army. He’s a superb duellist and makes his bodyguards even more effective.
Captain with Jump Pack: A second assault leader for the Assault Intercessors or Vanguard Veterans, giving you two separate threats.
6x Sanguinary Guard: Your elite strike unit. With Dante at the front, they can carve through almost anything. Our Sanguinary Guard guide covers their wargear and how to use them in detail.
10x Assault Intercessors with Jump Packs: Your main body of fast troops. They’re great at reaching distant objectives and tying up enemy shooting units.
Vanguard Veterans with Jump Packs: A flexible assault unit that can either support the Sanguinary Guard or go after a second target.
Baal Predator: Fast, close-range fire support. The Baal Predator keeps up with your jump-pack troops and cleans up infantry they leave behind.
Intercessors: Your home objective holders. Every elite list needs one cheap unit that stays at home and scores.
Want a centrepiece? For a more lore-heavy version, the mysterious Sanguinor is a natural swap for Dante or the Captain, and fits the Angelic Host theme perfectly. Check his current points in the app before you swap.
List 3: The Lost Brethren (Death Company)
The Death Company are Blood Angels lost to the Black Rage, battle-brothers who relive the death of Sanguinius and hurl themselves at the enemy without regard for their own survival. This themed list is built around them: two Chaplains, a Death Company Dreadnought and as many black-armoured berserkers as you can fit. It’s brutal, fast and great fun.
Army composition
- Astorath — ~90 pts
- Lemartes — ~100 pts
- Chaplain with Jump Pack — ~75 pts
- 5x Death Company Marines with Jump Packs — ~120 pts
- 5x Death Company Marines with Jump Packs — ~120 pts
- 10x Death Company Marines — ~170 pts
- Death Company Dreadnought — ~165 pts
- 5x Intercessors (bolt rifles) — ~80 pts
- 5x Assault Intercessors — ~75 pts
Detachment: The Lost Brethren — the Blood Angels detachment that focuses on Death Company units.
Approximate total: ~995 pts
Unit roles
Astorath: The Redeemer of the Lost. He leads Death Company units and makes them even more deadly. Attach him to the 10-model foot squad.
Lemartes: The Guardian of the Lost leads a Death Company jump-pack squad and turns it into a fast, hard-hitting assault unit.
Chaplain with Jump Pack: Leads the second jump-pack squad, giving you three separate Death Company threats on the table.
2x 5 Death Company Marines with Jump Packs: Fast, frenzied killers. Use them to reach the enemy’s most important units on turn two.
10x Death Company Marines: A slower but bigger unit that walks up the board and grinds down whatever it touches.
Death Company Dreadnought: A melee walker that crashes into vehicles and big monsters. It draws a lot of fire, which helps keep your squads alive.
Intercessors and Assault Intercessors: The only non-Death Company units in the list. They stay back and score objectives while the berserkers do the killing.
General tactics at 1000 points
Pick your charges carefully. Blood Angels hit hard, but a failed charge leaves your best unit stranded in the open. Use terrain to get close before you commit, and charge when you’re confident of reaching your target.
Save Assault Doctrine for your big charge. In 11th Edition Combat Doctrines replace Oath of Moment. Assault Doctrine lets a unit Advance and still charge, which gets your strike unit into combat from further away. Each doctrine can normally be used once per battle, so keep it for the turn you commit, and use Tactical Doctrine when a unit needs to Fall Back and still charge or shoot.
Don’t charge everything at once. Send in one strike unit, let the enemy react, then hit back with the next. Counter-charging is one of the best ways to win a fight.
Keep someone home. It’s tempting to send your whole army forward. Keep a cheap unit like Intercessors on your home objective to score points all game.
Remember the new stratagem limit. In 11th Edition a unit can only benefit from one stratagem per phase. Decide before you charge whether you’d rather spend it on a buff or a re-roll.
What to buy first
- Blood Angels Combat Patrol — the best starting point for a dedicated Blood Angels army. Our guide covers exactly what’s in it and how to expand it.
- Armageddon starter set — if you also want the new edition’s rules and an Ork army to fight, the launch box adds jump-pack Vanguard Veterans, a Chaplain and Eradicators that fit straight into List 1.
- Assault Intercessors with Jump Packs — the core of any fast Blood Angels army.
- Sanguinary Guard — the Chapter’s signature elite unit.
- Death Company Marines — if the Black Rage appeals, this kit is the start of List 3.
Common mistakes
- Charging into the wrong target. Blood Angels are strong in melee, but not unbeatable. Charging Terminators with Assault Intercessors rarely ends well.
- Leaving the home objective empty. Your army moves fast, but objectives win games.
- Using too many characters. At 1,000 points, more than three characters cuts too deep into your units.
- Ignoring shooting. Even a melee army needs some anti-tank. Eradicators, a Redemptor or a Baal Predator fill the gap.
- Playing as if Oath of Moment still exists. It was replaced by Combat Doctrines in 11th Edition, so there are no army-wide re-rolls against your charge target. Plan your damage without them, and time your once-per-battle doctrines.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Blood Angels good for beginners?
Yes. They have the durability of Space Marines, a simple aggressive game plan and plenty of help from the new Space Marines codex. List 1 is the easiest way to learn.
How many models do I need for a 1000 point Blood Angels army?
Roughly 25 to 40 models. An elite Sanguinary Guard list can be as small as 25.
Do Blood Angels have an 11th Edition codex?
Not their own yet. They use Codex: Space Marines for 11th Edition plus their existing supplement rules until a new Blood Angels supplement arrives.
Can I use the Armageddon starter set for Blood Angels?
Yes. The Space Marines in the Armageddon box are themed around the Blood Angels in the story and can be painted as any Chapter, so they slot straight into a Blood Angels army.
Which detachment should I use at 1000 points?
Gladius Task Force is the easiest place to start. Once your collection has more jump-pack units or Death Company, The Angelic Host or The Lost Brethren reward that focus.
What game size is 1,000 points in 11th Edition?
1,000 points is an Incursion game in 11th Edition. It uses the full 44″ x 60″ battlefield, the same size as a 2,000-point Strike Force game, and gives you 2 Detachment Points to spend. That makes 1,000-point Blood Angels lists a good fit for a fast jump-pack army, because you have room to manoeuvre and an extra bit of distance to cover on the way in.
How do I grow a 1,000-point Blood Angels list to 2,000 points?
Grow each list around the same plan rather than starting again. Add a second strike unit so you have two threats, more anti-tank such as another Eradicator squad or a Baal Predator, and another cheap unit to hold objectives at home. Check how many Detachment Points the larger game size gives you in the app, and keep the number of characters in proportion to your units.
Related guides
Blood Angels army guide · Blood Angels Combat Patrol · Dark Angels 1000 point army list