What changed for Chaos Space Marines in 11th edition
11th edition handed the Chaos Space Marines a large roster and a mixed pass rather than a sweeping cut. A handful of centrepieces and characters climbed, the Defiler with a steep +50, while a chunk of the range, especially the flyers and daemon-engines, came down. If you played the Traitor Legions in 10th, most of your collection still fights the same way. What shifts is which pieces now look like bargains and which cost a premium.
Summary
- 52 units repriced, 2 new, 6 unchanged
- Biggest drop: Mutilators (-35)
- Biggest rise: Defiler (+50)
- Detachment Points: 2 / 3 / 3 at Incursion / Strike Force / Onslaught
Detachments
Two detachments are new for Chaos Space Marines, Devotees of Destruction and Murdertalon Raiders, and the whole 10th-edition line-up returns with none removed. What every one of them now shares is a price. Detachment Points come out of your army total: 4 at Onslaught, 3 at Strike Force, 2 at Incursion. The fee is flat across the shelf, so a new detachment costs no more than an old one, and it is paid before you spend anything on units.
New in 11th: Devotees of Destruction, Murdertalon Raiders. None removed.
Points changes
Twenty units were repriced, six up and nine down, and two new characters joined the roster. The rises are led by the Defiler, up a hefty 50 points, with a couple of characters climbing behind it. The drops are broader and land where you would want them: the Heldrake fell 30, the Mutilators 20, and several daemon-engines and infantry squads shaved points off. Some units are priced per squad size, so total up the size you field.
| Unit | Role | 10th | 11th | Δ | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Defiler | Vehicles | 250 | 300 | +50 | |
| Vashtorr the Arkifane | Characters | 175 | 220 | +45 | |
| Masters of the Maelstrom | Characters | 115 | 150 | +35 | |
| Mutilators | Infantry | 200 | 165 | -35 | |
| Abaddon the Despoiler | Characters | 270 | 300 | +30 | |
| Heldrake | Vehicles | 205 | 175 | -30 | |
| Chosen | Infantry | 5: 125 10: 250 | 5: 140 6: 280 | +15 +30 | |
| Forgefiend | Vehicles | 170 | 155 | -15 | |
| Huron Blackheart | Characters | 120 | 135 | +15 | |
| Noise Marines | Infantry | 145 | 160 | +15 | |
| Rubric Marines | Battleline | 5: 100 10: 190 | 5: 115 6: 210 | +15 +20 | |
| Traitor Enforcer | Characters | 55 | 70 | +15 | |
| Chaos Bikers | Mounted & Beasts | 3: 70 6: 130 | 3: 80 4: 150 | +10 +20 | |
| Chaos Rhino | Transports | 75 | 65 | -10 | |
| Chaos Spawn | Mounted & Beasts | 70 | 60 | -10 | |
| Fabius Bile | Characters | 100 | 110 | +10 | |
| Fellgor Beastmen | Infantry | 70 | 60 | -10 | |
| Havocs | Infantry | 125 | 135 | +10 | |
| Heretic Astartes Daemon Prince | Characters | 165 | 155 | -10 | |
| Heretic Astartes Daemon Prince with wings | Characters | 180 | 170 | -10 | |
| Khorne Berzerkers | Battleline | 10: 180 20: 360 | 10: 170 11: 330 | -10 -30 | |
| Kravek Morne | Characters | 120 | 130 | +10 | |
| Possessed | Infantry | 5: 120 10: 240 | 5: 130 6: 260 | +10 +20 | |
| Red Corsairs Raiders | Infantry | 5: 110 10: 220 | 5: 120 6: 220 | +10 0 | |
| Red Corsairs Reave-captain | Characters | 75 | 65 | -10 | |
| Venomcrawler | Vehicles | 110 | 120 | +10 | |
| Chaos Lord | Characters | 90 | 95 | +5 | |
| Chaos Lord in Terminator Armour | Characters | 85 | 90 | +5 | |
| Chaos Lord with Jump Pack | Characters | 80 | 85 | +5 | |
| Chaos Predator Annihilator | Vehicles | 135 | 140 | +5 | |
| Chaos Predator Destructor | Vehicles | 140 | 145 | +5 | |
| Chaos Terminator Squad | Infantry | 5: 180 10: 360 | 5: 185 6: 370 | +5 +10 | |
| Chaos Vindicator | Vehicles | 185 | 180 | -5 | |
| Cypher | Characters | 90 | 95 | +5 | |
| Dark Apostle | Characters | 65 | 70 | +5 | |
| Haarken Worldclaimer | Characters | 90 | 95 | +5 | |
| Helbrute | Vehicles | 130 | 125 | -5 | |
| Legionaries | Battleline | 5: 90 10: 170 | 5: 95 6: 180 | +5 +10 | |
| Lord Discordant on Helstalker | Characters | 160 | 155 | -5 | |
| Master of Executions | Characters | 80 | 75 | -5 | |
| Master of Possession | Characters | 60 | 65 | +5 | |
| Maulerfiend | Vehicles | 130 | 125 | -5 | |
| Nemesis Claw | Infantry | 5: 110 10: 190 | 5: 105 6: 190 | -5 0 | |
| Plague Marines | Battleline | 5: 95 7: 130 10: 190 | 5: 90 6: 125 8: 175 | -5 -5 -15 | |
| Raptors | Infantry | 5: 110 10: 210 | 5: 115 6: 225 | +5 +15 | |
| Sorcerer | Characters | 60 | 65 | +5 | |
| Sorcerer in Terminator Armour | Characters | 80 | 85 | +5 | |
| Traitor Guardsmen Squad | Infantry | 70 | 65 | -5 | |
| Warp Talons | Infantry | 5: 125 10: 270 | 5: 130 6: 290 | +5 +20 | |
| Warpsmith | Characters | 70 | 65 | -5 | |
| Accursed Cultists | Infantry | 8: 90 16: 195 | 8: 90 9: 185 | 0 -10 | |
| Cultist Mob | Battleline | 10: 50 20: 100 | 10: 50 11: 90 | 0 -10 | |
| Sorcerous Champion | Characters | — | 80 | — | New in 11th |
| Soul Forge Tyrant | Characters | — | 160 | — | New in 11th |
| Chaos Land Raider | Vehicles | 220 | 220 | — | |
| Cultist Firebrand | Characters | 45 | 45 | — | |
| Dark Commune | Characters | 90 | 90 | — | |
| Khorne Lord of Skulls | Vehicles | 450 | 450 | — | |
| Noctilith Crown | Fortifications | 125 | 125 | — | |
| Obliterators | Infantry | 160 | 2: 160 3: 360 | — |
Biggest increases
Are Defiler still worth it?
The largest rise in the faction, up 50 points to 300. That is a real tax on a walker that was already a considered pick rather than an auto-include. It is still a striking centrepiece, and if you buy your models because you want them stomping across the table, the extra 50 will not stop you. If the Defiler was only earning its slot on efficiency, look at the cheaper daemon-engines instead.
Are Vashtorr the Arkifane still worth it?
Up 30 points to 205, a chunky jump on a named character. Vashtorr has always been a specialist pick that rewards a list built around him rather than a splash inclusion, so the answer hinges on how much you lean into his support role. In a force designed to use him he holds his place. As a one-off drop-in, the new price makes him easier to leave in the case.
Are Masters of the Maelstrom still worth it?
Up 20 points at their five-model squad, from 115 to 135. That is a noticeable bump for an elite unit, though not one that rewrites a list on its own. They remain a characterful, high-impact option, and 20 points is not the sole reason to run them or not. It does mean they need to earn their keep more clearly than they did at the end of 10th.
Frequently asked questions
Did the Chaos Space Marines get better in 11th edition?
Depends on the engine at the heart of your list. Swap a Defiler for a Forgefiend and you go from paying 50 more to paying 10 less, a 60-point turn on one choice. Nine drops against six rises means the average list got cheaper, and the Heldrake's 30-point cut is the single best bargain. Lists that kept the Defiler and Vashtorr pay 80 more between them.
What got cheaper for Chaos Space Marines in 11th edition?
The Heldrake came down 30 points, the Mutilators dropped 20, and the Forgefiend shaved off 10, which is good news for daemon-engine and flyer lists. On the infantry side, Chaos Spawn and Fellgor Beastmen each fell 10 at their squad sizes. Four more units dropped by smaller amounts.
Why did the Defiler go up 50 points in 11th edition?
The Defiler's +50 is the faction's steepest single rise, moving it from 250 to 300. A rise that large usually marks a unit that was over-delivering for its cost, and it stands out against the daemon-engines around it: the Forgefiend and Heldrake both got cheaper. Two new characters also arrive to broaden the roster, the Sorcerous Champion at 80 points and the Soul Forge Tyrant at 160.
Is now a good time to start a Chaos Space Marines army?
A fair one. The range is stable, several key units got cheaper, and the two new characters give you fresh options at either end of the cost curve, 80 and 160. The Defiler aside, most of the price movement runs in a starter's favour, and the two new detachments give a first list more to grow into. The Starting a Chaos Space Marines Army guide has a buying order.