How do Detachment Points work in Warhammer 40k? In 11th Edition you no longer pick a single detachment — instead you get a pool of Detachment Points (DP) based on your game size (2 DP at 1,000 points, 3 DP at 2,000 points), and each detachment costs 1 to 3 DP depending on how much of your army it buffs. You spend your DP however you like — one big detachment or several small ones — as long as no two share the same Unique Tag. This guide explains the system step by step and walks through real army examples so you can build your first 11th Edition list with confidence.
This is the deep-dive on one specific mechanic. For the full list of 10th-to-11th changes, see our 11th Edition rules changes overview, or start with the Warhammer 40k 11th Edition hub for the wider picture.
What are Detachment Points?
Detachment Points are the currency you spend to add detachments to your army. In 10th Edition you chose exactly one detachment, and that locked in your army’s Stratagems, Enhancements, and detachment rule. 11th Edition breaks that open: you get a budget of Detachment Points and you spend it across one or more detachments to build a bespoke set of army-wide abilities.
The result is modular army building. Want one focused theme? Spend it all on a single powerful detachment. Want to blend two flavours together? Split your points across a couple of smaller detachments. The system is designed so your army’s special rules are something you assemble, not something you’re handed.
How many Detachment Points do you get?
Your DP budget scales with the size of the game. The two confirmed core brackets are:
| Battle size | Points | Detachment Points |
|---|---|---|
| Incursion | 1,000 pts | 2 DP |
| Strike Force | 2,000 pts | 3 DP |
Bigger games (Onslaught at 3,000 points and above) scale the DP budget upward on the same pattern; confirm the exact figure for your format against the current rulebook or Munitorum Field Manual before a tournament.
The 2,000-point Strike Force game is the standard for matched play and tournaments, so most of your list-building will happen with 3 Detachment Points to spend.
How much does a detachment cost?
Every detachment has a printed cost from 1 to 3 DP, set by how much of your army it affects and how strong its buff is:
- 1 DP — narrow or gentle. Detachments that focus on a specific unit type, or that give a conditional, lower-impact buff.
- 2 DP — the classic codex core. The “shapes a big chunk of your list” detachments — the closest equivalent to a typical 10th Edition detachment.
- 3 DP — army-defining. Powerful, army-wide effects that change how your whole force plays.
A detachment’s DP cost is not the same as its points cost — it’s a separate budget entirely. You still pay points for your units as normal; Detachment Points only govern which detachment rules you bring.
How to spend your Detachment Points
Here’s where the flexibility lives. At 2,000 points (3 DP) your options include:
- One 3 DP detachment — go all-in on a single army-wide theme.
- A 2 DP + a 1 DP detachment — a codex-core detachment plus a focused specialist package.
- Three 1 DP detachments — mix three narrow themes for a highly customised force.
Here’s every legal combination at the standard 2,000-point game, at a glance:
| DP spend | Detachments | Feel |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | One 3 DP detachment | All-in on a single army-wide theme |
| 2 + 1 | One 2 DP + one 1 DP | Codex core plus a focused specialist package |
| 1 + 1 + 1 | Three 1 DP detachments | Highly customised, three narrow themes blended |
Two rules keep this in check:
- The Unique Tag rule. No two detachments in your army can share the same Unique Tag. This stops you from stacking two versions of the same thing for a double dip — your detachments have to be genuinely different.
- The Incursion exception. At 1,000 points you have 2 DP, so you’d normally be limited to detachments totalling 2 or fewer. However, you’re also allowed to take a single 3 DP detachment on its own — you just can’t combine it with anything else. This exists so smaller games can still use the big army-defining detachments; you simply can’t pair one with a second detachment at that size.
Worked examples
Nothing makes this clearer than building a couple of lists. These are structural examples — swap in your own faction’s detachments.
Example 1 — The all-in build (2,000 pts, one 3 DP detachment)
You want the strongest possible single theme. You take one 3 DP detachment and spend your entire DP budget on it. Every one of your units benefits from that detachment’s rule, Stratagems, and Enhancements. This is the simplest way to build and the closest to the classic 10th Edition feel: one detachment, one identity.
Best when: you’re new to the edition, or your faction has one standout detachment that carries the army.
Example 2 — The hybrid (2,000 pts, 2 DP + 1 DP)
You want your codex-core playstyle plus a specialist edge. You take a 2 DP detachment as your backbone — it shapes most of the army — and add a 1 DP detachment focused on, say, your fast units or your characters. Your list now has two layers of rules working together, as long as the two detachments don’t share a Unique Tag.
Best when: you have a clear main plan but want to reinforce one part of your force (a hammer unit, a screen, a shooting core).
Example 3 — Small-game list (1,000 pts, Incursion)
At 1,000 points you have 2 DP. Two clean routes:
- A 2 DP detachment for a full-strength codex-core theme, or
- Two 1 DP detachments for a customised blend, or
- One 3 DP detachment on its own (the Incursion exception) if the army-defining option is what you really want.
Best when: you’re playing Combat Patrol-sized or introductory games and want your list to still feel like a “real” army.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Confusing DP with points. Detachment Points and unit points are two separate budgets. A 3 DP detachment doesn’t cost you 3 points of units.
- Trying to stack the same detachment twice. The Unique Tag rule blocks it. Your detachments must be distinct.
- Forgetting the Incursion exception. At 1,000 points many players assume big 3 DP detachments are off-limits — you can take one, just not alongside anything else.
- Over-splitting for the sake of it. Three 1 DP detachments sounds versatile, but three shallow rule-sets can be weaker than one deep one. Split only when each piece earns its place.
How this changes army building vs 10th Edition
In 10th, your detachment choice was a single fork in the road. In 11th, army building has an extra creative layer before you even pick units: you’re budgeting a resource and composing a rules package. It rewards knowing your faction’s detachments well — which are 1 DP specialists, which are 3 DP centrepieces — and it makes two armies of the same faction feel genuinely different depending on how their pilots spent their points.
It also plays directly into the new codexes. The new Orks codex, for example, ships with 15 detachments to mix and match under this exact system — a lot of DP-budgeting choices for one army.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Detachment Points do you get in a 2,000-point game?
3 Detachment Points. A standard 2,000-point Strike Force game gives you 3 DP to spend across one or more detachments.
How many detachments can you take in 11th Edition?
As many as your Detachment Points allow, provided no two share the same Unique Tag. At 2,000 points you could take one 3 DP detachment, a 2 DP + a 1 DP, or three 1 DP detachments.
Do Detachment Points cost army points?
No. Detachment Points are a separate budget from your army’s points. You pay points for units as usual; DP only decide which detachment rules you bring.
Can you take a 3 DP detachment at 1,000 points?
Yes, but only on its own. At 1,000 points (Incursion) you have 2 DP, but the rules let you field a single 3 DP detachment by itself — you just can’t combine it with any other detachment at that game size.
What is the Unique Tag rule?
Some detachments carry a Unique Tag, and your army can’t include two detachments with the same Unique Tag. It prevents you from stacking duplicate or near-identical detachments for a compounding buff.
Can you mix detachments from different codexes?
No. Your army is still built from a single faction, and your detachments all come from that faction’s rules. Detachment Points let you combine detachments within your codex, not across different armies.
Do Combat Patrol games use Detachment Points?
Combat Patrol is its own streamlined format with fixed rules rather than free army building, so the DP system belongs to the standard matched-play game (Incursion, Strike Force, and up). If you’re starting from a Combat Patrol box, see our Combat Patrol guides for how those games are structured.
Does this replace the Force Organisation chart?
Detachment Points sit alongside the rest of the army-building rules (points limits, unit caps, and your Force Disposition) rather than replacing them. DP specifically govern how many and which detachment rule packages you bring — the other constraints on unit selection still apply.
Related content
- Warhammer 40k 11th Edition rules changes explained
- Warhammer 40k 11th Edition hub
- New Orks Codex (2026): Ghazghkull, the Waaagh! Rule & Every Big Change
- Warhammer 40k Armageddon starter set guide
Rules reflect Warhammer 40,000 11th Edition as published. Anything marked is edition-specific detail that may vary by game format — check the current rulebook or Munitorum Field Manual for tournament play. For the full edition breakdown, see our 11th Edition hub.