Part of our Blood Angels hub: every Blood Angels guide, lore page and painting tutorial in one place. Browse every Combat Patrol & Spearhead guide.
What’s in the Blood Angels Combat Patrol?
The current Blood Angels Combat Patrol is called the Sanguinary Spearhead. It was released in 2024 and is still the newest Blood Angels Combat Patrol box. It’s a fast, aggressive melee force: a Captain in artificer armour leading a big squad of Assault Intercessors, backed by the Chapter’s golden elite, the Sanguinary Guard. Here’s what you get:
- 1x Blood Angels Captain: your leader, in ornate artificer armour. He’s at his best leading the Assault Intercessors into combat. In the Combat Patrol rules he’s a named hero, Captain Raldeo.
- 10x Assault Intercessors: close-combat Space Marines with chainswords and heavy bolt pistols. They’re the heart of the box and the unit that does most of the fighting.
- 6x Sanguinary Guard: jump-pack-equipped elite warriors in golden armour, armed with encarmine blades and spears. They’re built as two units of three.
That’s 17 models in total. You also get two upgrade frames for the Assault Intercessors, with Blood Angels shoulder pads, chapter iconography and bare heads.
Previous box
An earlier version of this page described a box with a Librarian Dreadnought, Incursors, Aggressors and an Impulsor. That doesn’t match the current box. The older Blood Angels Combat Patrol from 9th Edition had a Primaris Librarian, Intercessors, Incursors, Aggressors and an Impulsor. Those models are all still useful in a Blood Angels army, but the current Combat Patrol rules are written for the Sanguinary Spearhead.
Which Rules Does It Use?
Blood Angels use the 11th Edition Space Marines codex, which includes their unique units and their own detachments such as Angelic Inheritors and Wrath of the Doomed. Space Marines are one of only three armies with an 11th Edition codex so far (with Orks and Adeptus Custodes), and Games Workshop has said no more codexes are coming until 2027. Our Codex: Space Marines 11th Edition guide explains what changed, and our codex release order tracker shows what’s coming next.
For Combat Patrol games, the box has its own datasheets, army rules and Enhancements. In the current 11th Edition version the datasheets use The Sons of Sanguinius army rule (the original 10th Edition rules also used Oath of Moment, which the new codex has removed), and the Enhancements boost either the Captain or the Assault Intercessors. Games Workshop moved Combat Patrol into the Warhammer 40,000 app in July 2026, so check there for the latest version. Our Combat Patrol rules guide explains how the format works.
What Each Unit Does
Blood Angels Captain
The Captain is your best fighter and your leader. Attach him to the Assault Intercessors. He makes that squad even more dangerous in combat, and they protect him from enemy fire on the way in. His Enhancement option makes him a better duellist still.
Assault Intercessors
Ten Assault Intercessors are a lot of power-armoured bodies for a Combat Patrol. They’re tough, fast enough and hit hard in melee. Their job is to cross the board, take the centre and grind down whatever they meet. Our Assault Intercessors guide covers them in more detail.
Sanguinary Guard
The Sanguinary Guard are your elite strike force. Jump packs let them reach almost any part of the board quickly, and their encarmine weapons cut through elite infantry. Use them to hit the enemy’s most important unit, or to snatch an objective at the last moment. Our Sanguinary Guard guide goes into their tactics.
How to Play the Blood Angels Combat Patrol
Blood Angels are all about the charge. The Sanguinary Spearhead has very little shooting beyond pistols, so your plan is to close the distance fast and win the fight once you get there.
Deployment
Deploy the Assault Intercessors with the Captain attached, behind terrain and as far forward as you’re allowed. Keep the Sanguinary Guard out of sight on a flank, ready to jump in where they’re needed.
Turn 1
Push the Assault Intercessors forward from cover to cover. In 11th Edition, Infantry in a terrain area have the benefit of cover, which worsens the Ballistic Skill of ranged attacks against them by 1, so avoid open ground. Move the Sanguinary Guard into a position to strike next turn without exposing them.
Turn 2
This is the turn that matters. Charge the Assault Intercessors and Captain into the biggest threat they can reach. Use the Sanguinary Guard to hit an exposed shooting unit or a character. If you strike together, your opponent can’t deal with everything at once.
Turns 3 to 5
Keep fighting, but play the mission. Objectives are terrain pieces in 11th Edition, and a few surviving Assault Intercessors on an objective can win the game. Use the Sanguinary Guard’s speed to contest objectives in the final turns.
Key Tactical Tips
- Hit together. A lone unit charging in gets surrounded and beaten.
- Keep the Captain with the Assault Intercessors. Alone, he’s a much easier target.
- Sanguinary Guard are precious. Use them for the decisive blow, not the first one.
- Remember the mission. Killing everything is nice, but objectives win games.
Building and Value Notes
This box gives you the core of a melee-focused Blood Angels army. Ten Assault Intercessors and six Sanguinary Guard are both units you’ll use in larger games. The Captain is a nicely detailed model that can lead almost any Blood Angels infantry squad.
Strengths:
- Fast, aggressive and fun to play
- The Sanguinary Guard are gorgeous models and a strong elite unit
- Ten Assault Intercessors is a big, tough core for a Combat Patrol
- Every model is useful when you expand
Weaknesses:
- Almost no ranged firepower
- No vehicles or anti-tank weapons
- Struggles against armies that can shoot you before you arrive
Painting the Blood Angels Combat Patrol
Blood Angels are one of the most striking schemes in the game: rich red armour, black and gold details, and golden Sanguinary Guard.
Recommended Colour Scheme
- Armour: Mephiston Red spray, shaded with Carroburg Crimson or Agrax Earthshade, highlighted with Evil Sunz Scarlet and Wild Rider Red.
- Sanguinary Guard: Retributor Armour, washed with Reikland Fleshshade, highlighted with Liberator Gold.
- Black details: Abaddon Black, edged with Eshin Grey.
- Weapons: Leadbelcher washed with Nuln Oil.
Painting Tips
- Red covers poorly over black. Use a red spray, or a grey or white undercoat.
- Paint the Sanguinary Guard last. Gold looks best with smooth, careful layers.
- Bare heads are a great place to practise faces before you tackle the Captain.
For a full step-by-step, see our how to paint Blood Angels guide, plus our tutorials on painting red armour and painting gold armour. For more Blood Angels painting guides and army tips, visit our Blood Angels army hub.
Expanding Beyond the Combat Patrol
Our Blood Angels 1000 point army list guide shows how to grow this force into a full army. Here are the best next purchases.
Path to 1,000 Points
- Getting Started with Space Marines: adds a Captain with Relic Shield, a Librarian, Intercessors, Vanguard Veterans with Jump Packs and a Land Speeder, plus paints. Easy to paint red, and it fills the shooting gap. See our Space Marines Combat Patrol guide.
- Death Company: frenzied melee marines and a Blood Angels signature unit.
- A Chaplain with Jump Pack: keeps pace with the Sanguinary Guard and makes your melee units better.
- A Redemptor Dreadnought: adds the firepower this box lacks. See our Redemptor Dreadnought guide.
Path to 2,000 Points
- Commander Dante: the Chapter Master of the Blood Angels. Read our Commander Dante lore.
- Mephiston: the Chief Librarian. See who is Mephiston.
- A Gladiator Lancer or other tank for anti-armour
- More Sanguinary Guard for a golden elite army
Where to Buy the Box
On Amazon US, Combat Patrol boxes are sold by third-party sellers, so check the listing before you buy. It should show the current box: the 2024 version with a Captain, Assault Intercessors and Sanguinary Guard (17 models).
Price details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.As an Amazon Associate, Warhammer Guild earns from qualifying purchases.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Blood Angels Combat Patrol good for beginners?
Yes, if you enjoy aggressive, action-packed games. The plan is simple: get forward and win the fight. The downside is that the box has very little shooting, so games against gunline armies can be tough. If you want a more balanced start, Getting Started with Space Marines works well painted as Blood Angels.
What’s the difference between the old and new Blood Angels Combat Patrol?
The old 9th Edition box had a Primaris Librarian, Intercessors, Incursors, Aggressors and an Impulsor. The current Sanguinary Spearhead box has a Captain, 10 Assault Intercessors and 6 Sanguinary Guard, making it much more melee-focused.
Do Blood Angels have an 11th Edition codex?
They use the 11th Edition Space Marines codex, which includes Blood Angels units and detachments.
Is Armageddon a Blood Angels box?
Armageddon’s story features the Blood Angels, and its transfer sheet includes Blood Angels markings, but the models are generic Space Marines with no sculpted chapter symbols. Read our Armageddon starter set review for the full contents.
What paints do I need for the Blood Angels Combat Patrol?
Essentials: Mephiston Red spray, Evil Sunz Scarlet, Wild Rider Red, Retributor Armour, Abaddon Black, Leadbelcher, Carroburg Crimson and Nuln Oil.