Age of Darkness Starter Series Pt 11: Death Guard

In this ongoing series we present an accessible and thematic starting list for each of the 18 Space Marine Legions. Each list utilizes the Age of Darkness starter set as a foundation from which to build a 2,000 point list using as few additional components as possible from readily available official plastic kits.

To build this force yourself you’ll need:
1 Age of Darkness Starter Set
1 Legion Mk VI Tactical Squad
1 Special Weapons Upgrade Set

Did you ever see a warning label telling you that ingesting something could cause injury or death and think, “I’m built different,”? Then maybe the Death Guard are the legion for you! These guys drink poison for fun, let their armor go to ruin, and generally just enjoyed Having a Bad Time even before it turned out they were noxious traitors who eagerly made themselves extremely gross. The Death Guard are a Warhammer-fan favorite for a reason! Painting their grubby armor is always fun, and the pathos of a bunch of dudes on their way to turning into walking pustules makes for a compelling narrative when building your own army.

The Age of Darkness starter offers a solid place for any Death Guard commander who will probably want an infantry heavy army even as they expand. While the Death Guard’s two unique rites of war don’t make a great fit, Pride of the Legion is still a great choice, letting you give your Terminators the all-critical Line ability and a praetor to lead them alongside a champion who can be used to put an edge on one of your two tactical squads. Remorseless is a huge benefit letting all Death Guard non-Cavalry or Artillery gain the benefits of being stationary while shooting even if they have indeed moved that turn. The models in this list don’t take the best advantage of that but you will have a 10 man support squad armed with the legion’s signature Alchem flamers to provide a nasty Flesh Bane punch against enemy infantry. As usual, with our Starter Series the Terminators will benefit from a Spartan transport equipped with lascannons and a hunter killer missile to give you some extra punch, accompanied by a Contemptor dreadnought bearing a meltacannon and another alchem flamer to help deal with enemy vehicles and dreadnaughts.

After building this list you’ll have an additional 10 marines and a number of options from the Special Weapons Upgrade set, so equipping them as a 10 man support squad armed with volkite calivers might be a great way to take advantage of the benefits of Remorseless. As well, consider some Apothecaries to distribute liberally around this force alongside a rhino or two for your support squads as you build out to 3,000 points.

++ 1. Crusade Force Organisation Chart (LA – XIV: Death Guard) [2,000Pts] ++

Allegiance: Traitor

XIV: Death Guard

Rite of War: Pride Of The Legion

+ HQ: [244Pts] +

Centurion [124Pts]
. Champion [89Pts]: Artificer Armour, Bolter [2Pts], Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Meltabombs [10Pts], Refractor Field
. . Alchem Pistol [2Pts]
. . Power Weapon [15Pts]: Power Sword
. Champion [35Pts]: Paragon Blade

Praetor [120Pts]: The Reaper’s Visage (Traitor only), Warlord
. Legion Praetor [120Pts]: Artificer Armour, Frag Grenades, Iron Halo, Krak Grenades, Master of the Legion
. . Bolt Pistol
. . Chainsword: Chainsword

+ Elites: [185Pts] +

Contemptor Dreadnought Talon [185Pts]
. Contemptor Dreadnought [185Pts]: Atomantic Deflector, Gravis Melta Cannon [5Pts], Gravis Power Fist with in-built ranged weapon, Heavy Alchem Flamer [5Pts]

+ Troops: [1,571Pts] +

Tactical Squad [303Pts]: Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Power Armour
. Legion Tactical Sergeant [35Pts]: Bolter, Plasma Pistol [10Pts], Power Armour, Power Fist [15Pts], Toxin Bombs [10Pts]
. 16x Legionary [192Pts]: 16x Bolt Pistol, 16x Bolter, 16x Chain Bayonet [32Pts]
. Legionary w/ Options: [22Pts]: Augury Scanner [10Pts], Bolt Pistol, Bolter, Chain Bayonet [2Pts]
. Legionary w/ Options: [22Pts]: Bolt Pistol, Bolter, Chain Bayonet [2Pts], Legion Vexilla [10Pts]
. Legionary w/ Options: [22Pts]: Bolt Pistol, Bolter, Chain Bayonet [2Pts], Nuncio-Vox [10Pts]

Tactical Support Squad [145Pts]: Alchem Flamer, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Power Armour
. Legion Tactical Support Sergeant: Bolt Pistol, Power Armour
. Legionary [12Pts]: Bolt Pistol
. Legionary [12Pts]: Bolt Pistol
. Legionary [12Pts]: Bolt Pistol
. Legionary [12Pts]: Bolt Pistol
. Legionary [12Pts]: Bolt Pistol
. Legionary [12Pts]: Bolt Pistol
. Legionary [12Pts]: Bolt Pistol
. Legionary [12Pts]: Bolt Pistol
. Legionary [12Pts]: Bolt Pistol

Terminator Cataphractii Squad [820Pts]: Cataphractii Terminator Armour, Pride of the Legion Compulsory Troops
. Cataphractii [40Pts]: Combi-Bolter, Power Fist [10Pts]
. Cataphractii [45Pts]: Chainfist [15Pts], Combi-Bolter
. Cataphractii [30Pts]: Combi-Bolter
. . Power Weapon: Power Sword
. Cataphractii [30Pts]: Combi-Bolter
. . Power Weapon: Power Sword
. Cataphractii [30Pts]: Combi-Bolter
. . Power Weapon: Power Sword
. Cataphractii Sergeant [30Pts]: Chainfist [15Pts], Combi-Bolter, Grenade Harness [5Pts], Toxin Bombs [10Pts]
. Cataphractii w/Heavy Weapon (1 in 5) [50Pts]: Chainfist [15Pts], Heavy Alchem Flamer [5Pts]
. Cataphractii w/Heavy Weapon (1 in 5) [45Pts]: Heavy Alchem Flamer [5Pts], Power Fist [10Pts]
. 2x Cataphractii w/Lightning Claws [80Pts]: 2x Pair of Lightning Claws
. Land Raider Spartan [385Pts]
. . Land Raider Spartan [385Pts]: 2x Lascannon Array, Hull (Front) Mounted Hunter-Killer Missile [5Pts], Hull (Front) Mounted Twin-linked Lascannon [25Pts], Legiones Astartes (X), Searchlights [5Pts], Smoke Launchers

++ Total: [2,000Pts] ++