Part of our Chaos Space Marines hub: every Chaos Space Marines guide, lore page and painting tutorial in one place. Browse all 1000-point army lists.
Traitor Astartes are made for 1,000-point games. Chaos Space Marines hit hard in both shooting and melee, they have some of the best-looking kits in the range, and a 1,000-point Incursion game gives you room for a proper warband without months of painting. Most lists at this size land somewhere between 25 and 45 models, depending on how many Cultists and daemon engines you bring.
Chaos Space Marines play as an aggressive, flexible army. You have tough Legionaries for the middle of the board, cheap Cultists for objectives, Havocs and daemon engines for firepower, and Dark Pacts to push your damage when you need it. At 1,000 points you can’t take everything, so each list below picks a clear plan and sticks to it.
New to the faction? Our Chaos Space Marines army guide covers the background and every unit.
A quick note on rules and points
Chaos Space Marines 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.
Every points value below is approximate. 11th Edition points move with each Munitorum Field Manual and balance update, so check the Warhammer 40,000 app before you play, especially for a tournament or league game.
How 1,000-point games work in 11th Edition
A 1,000-point game is called Incursion. Two changes matter most for list building:
- Detachment Points. At 1,000 points you get 2 Detachment Points to spend on detachments, instead of picking one detachment. Each detachment costs 1 to 3 DP. Our detachment points explainer walks through how to spend them.
- One Stratagem per unit per phase. You can no longer stack three Stratagems on your Terminators in one Fight phase, so spreading your threats matters more.
Cover now gives -1 to Hit against incoming shots (mainly for Infantry), and objectives are terrain pieces rather than markers. For the full list of changes, see our 11th Edition rules changes guide.
All three lists use detachments from the current Chaos Space Marines codex. Check the DP cost of each one in your faction pack or the app before you finalise your list.
List 1: Black Legion Strike Force (beginner)
This is the list to start with. It’s built from the current Combat Patrol box, Zarkan’s Daemonkin (a Master of Possession, 10 Legionaries, 10 Cultists and 5 Possessed), and adds a few kits that most new players buy next. It has a little of everything: a solid block of Legionaries, Possessed as a melee hammer, a Helbrute to anchor the middle, Havocs for anti-tank and Cultists to hold home. It teaches you how every phase of the game works without any complicated tricks.
Army composition
- Master of Possession (from the Combat Patrol) — ~60 pts
- Chaos Lord (exalted weapon, plasma pistol) — ~90 pts
- 10x Legionaries (from the Combat Patrol; boltguns, special and heavy weapons) — ~180 pts
- 5x Legionaries (boltguns, plasma gun) — ~90 pts
- 5x Possessed (from the Combat Patrol) — ~120 pts
- 5x Havocs (lascannons or autocannons) — ~125 pts
- Helbrute (multi-melta, Helbrute fist) — ~140 pts
- Chaos Rhino — ~75 pts
- 10x Cultist Mob (from the Combat Patrol; autoguns) — ~50 pts
- 10x Cultist Mob (autoguns) — ~50 pts
Detachment: Slaves to Darkness, the detachment most players start with
Approximate total: ~980 pts
Unit roles
Master of Possession: the Combat Patrol’s leader (Aranis Zarkan in Combat Patrol games). Attach him to the Possessed to make them hit harder and survive longer, and ride them forward in the Rhino so they arrive in one piece.
Chaos Lord: your Warlord and a solid melee fighter. Put him with the 10 Legionaries and walk them up the middle together.
10x Legionaries: the heart of the army. Legionaries are tougher and punchier than Cultists and can fight or shoot as needed. They’re your main objective holders in the middle of the board.
5x Legionaries: a small, cheap unit for a flank objective or for actions. Don’t throw them away; they score points.
5x Possessed: your melee hammer. They have no shooting, so aim them at the enemy’s best infantry and charge.
5x Havocs: your long-range firepower. Lascannons kill tanks and monsters, autocannons are more flexible. Park them in your deployment zone with a clear line of fire and leave them there.
Helbrute: a tough walker that soaks up fire and smashes things in melee. It forces your opponent to spend anti-tank shots on it instead of your Rhino.
Chaos Rhino: a transport for the Master of Possession and Possessed. It also blocks lines of sight and can sit on an objective in a pinch.
2x 10 Cultist Mobs: cheap bodies for your home objective and for screening against Deep Strike. They won’t kill much, but they’re worth their points if they hold an objective all game.
List 2: Terminator Spearhead (elite)
This list trades bodies for quality. A Terminator Lord with a full squad of Chaos Terminators lands where your opponent least wants them, while a Maulerfiend and Forgefiend pressure the rest of the board. It’s harder to play than List 1, because every unit you lose hurts, but it hits very hard.
Army composition
- Chaos Lord in Terminator Armour — ~95 pts
- 5x Chaos Terminators (accursed weapons, combi-weapons) — ~180 pts
- Master of Executions — ~70 pts
- 10x Legionaries — ~180 pts
- 5x Legionaries — ~90 pts
- Maulerfiend — ~140 pts
- Forgefiend (ectoplasma cannons) — ~150 pts
- 10x Cultist Mob — ~50 pts
Detachment: Slaves to Darkness, or Veterans of the Long War if you want to lean harder into elite Legionaries and Terminators
Approximate total: ~955 pts
Unit roles
Chaos Lord in Terminator Armour + 5 Terminators: your hammer. Hold them in Deep Strike and drop them in on turn two next to the unit you most want dead. Use your one Stratagem per phase wisely on this unit, because it’s where most of your damage comes from.
Master of Executions: a character hunter. Lead the 10 Legionaries with him and send the unit at enemy characters or elite infantry.
10x and 5x Legionaries: your board control. The big unit pushes the middle; the small unit holds a flank.
Maulerfiend: a fast melee daemon engine. It runs at enemy tanks and backline units and tears them apart. Even if it dies, it soaks up a lot of firepower.
Forgefiend: ranged support. Ectoplasma cannons deal with elite infantry and light vehicles. Keep it in cover-giving terrain and shoot every turn.
10x Cultist Mob: home objective and screen. Same job as List 1.
List 3: Iron Warriors Daemon Engines (themed)
If you love big, horrible daemon engines, this list is for you. It’s built around a Warpsmith and four engines backed by a block of Legionaries, Cultists and a Chaos Spawn. It suits Iron Warriors in the background, but you can paint it as any warband. Our Chaos Space Marines legions guide has more on each legion’s style.
Army composition
- Warpsmith — ~70 pts
- 10x Legionaries — ~180 pts
- 10x Cultist Mob — ~50 pts
- Helbrute (twin lascannon, Helbrute fist) — ~140 pts
- Forgefiend (hades autocannons or ectoplasma cannons) — ~150 pts
- Maulerfiend — ~140 pts
- Defiler — ~190 pts
- Chaos Spawn (2 models) — ~70 pts
Detachment: Slaves to Darkness, or a daemon-engine detachment such as Soulforged Warpack if your faction pack lists it at a DP cost you can afford
Approximate total: ~990 pts
Unit roles
Warpsmith: your engine mechanic. He repairs damaged vehicles and adds a little shooting. Keep him behind your engines, not in front of them.
10x Legionaries: the only real infantry in the list, so they hold the middle objective. Protect them.
10x Cultist Mob: backfield objective and screen.
Helbrute: with a twin lascannon it becomes a durable anti-tank gun that can still fight up close.
Forgefiend: your main ranged damage. Pick a target each turn and stick with it.
Maulerfiend: fast melee pressure. Send it at the enemy’s shooting units and tanks.
Defiler: the centrepiece. It shoots, it fights, and it’s tough enough to sit in the middle of the board while your opponent tries to deal with it.
Chaos Spawn: cheap, fast and surprisingly durable. Use them to grab a distant objective or jump on an enemy unit to tie it up.
The trade-off: with only two real infantry units, you have few bodies to score objectives. Be careful not to lose the Legionaries early.
General tactics at 1,000 points
Pick your Dark Pact turns. Dark Pacts give you Lethal Hits or Sustained Hits, but a failed Leadership test costs you mortal wounds. Use them when the extra damage matters, such as charging a key target, not on every unit every turn.
Lean on cover. In 11th Edition, Infantry in terrain give enemy shooters -1 to Hit. Legionaries in a ruin are much harder to shift than Legionaries in the open.
Focus fire. At 1,000 points you don’t have the firepower to spread damage around. Kill one unit at a time.
Play the objectives. Objectives are now terrain pieces, and the mission depends on your army’s Force Disposition. Plan where your Legionaries and Cultists will stand before the game starts.
Watch the 2″ engagement range. Engagement range is now 2″, up from 1″. That makes it easier to tie up enemy units in combat and harder to slip away from them.
What to buy first
Start with the Chaos Space Marines Combat Patrol. It gives you a Master of Possession, 10 Legionaries, 10 Cultists and 5 Possessed, which is the core of List 1. From there:
- Chaos Space Marines Combat Patrol — your core.
- Chaos Cultists — cheap objective holders every list uses.
- Chaos Rhino — gets your melee units across the board.
- A second Legionaries box — more of your best core unit.
- Your first daemon engine — a Forgefiend/Maulerfiend kit (it builds either) is the most flexible choice.
Painting a big batch of power-armoured traitors? Our how to paint Chaos Space Marines guide covers Black Legion, Iron Warriors and more.
Common mistakes
- Taking too few objective holders. Daemon engines are fun, but they don’t win games on their own. Keep at least two units whose job is to stand on objectives.
- Charging everything at once. Chaos Space Marines are aggressive, but charging in one big wave lets your opponent counter-attack all your units at once. Hold back a unit to finish what survives.
- Forgetting the one-Stratagem rule. Plan which unit gets your Stratagem each phase before you start rolling dice.
- Leaving Havocs out of range. Havocs should shoot every turn. If they can’t see a target from your deployment zone, they’re in the wrong spot.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many models are in a 1,000-point Chaos Space Marines army?
Usually 25 to 45 models. Infantry-heavy lists with Cultists sit at the top end, and daemon-engine lists sit at the bottom.
Do Chaos Space Marines 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.
What is the best detachment for a 1,000-point Chaos Space Marines list?
Slaves to Darkness is the detachment most players start with because it works with any unit. Once you know the army, try Veterans of the Long War for elite infantry or a daemon-engine detachment for vehicle-heavy lists.
Is the Chaos Space Marines Combat Patrol enough for 1,000 points?
No, it’s a little under half of a 1,000-point army. Add a Chaos Lord, Havocs, a Helbrute, a Rhino and more Legionaries and Cultists, as in List 1, to reach 1,000 points.
Can I use Chaos Space Marines as any legion?
Yes. The lists above work as Black Legion, Iron Warriors, Word Bearers or any other warband. See our CSM warbands lore for inspiration.
Does the Forgefiend kit also build a Maulerfiend?
Yes. The Forgefiend and Maulerfiend come in one kit that builds either engine, which is why it’s the most flexible first daemon engine to buy. Lists 2 and 3 on this page use both, so you’ll need two boxes to run them as written. Some players magnetise the arms and weapons so one model can be used either way.
Are Chaos Space Marines good for beginners?
Yes. Legionaries are tough and flexible, Cultists are simple objective holders, and List 1 teaches every phase of the game without complicated tricks. The main thing to learn is when to use Dark Pacts, because a failed Leadership test costs mortal wounds. Start with the Combat Patrol and add kits as in List 1.
How long does a 1,000-point Chaos Space Marines game take?
Usually around two hours once both players know the rules. An Incursion game has fewer units to move and roll for than a 2,000-point Strike Force game, so it’s quicker to set up and play. Your first few games will take longer while you look up rules, so give yourself extra time.
Related guides
More 1,000-point lists: Death Guard for the Nurgle side of the Traitor Legions, and Astra Militarum if you fancy fighting for the other side.