What changed for Death Guard in 11th edition
11th edition gave the Death Guard a slightly upward pass. Nothing upends the plague-ridden playstyle, but enough numbers shifted to make you rethink a list. A handful of centrepieces climbed, led by the Defiler and several of Grandfather Nurgle's greater daemons and characters, while the reliable Plagueburst Crawler and a few support pieces came down. Three new characters also join the roster with no 10th-edition counterpart.
Summary
- 24 units repriced, 4 new, 11 unchanged
- Biggest drop: Plagueburst Crawler (-40)
- Biggest rise: Defiler (+50)
- Detachment Points: 2 / 3 / 3 at Incursion / Strike Force / Onslaught
Detachments
Two detachments join the Death Guard shelf, Contagion Engines and Paragons of Putrescence, and every 10th-edition option returns unchanged, with none removed. New alongside them is the cost of running one. A detachment is paid for in Detachment Points, 2 for Incursion, 3 for Strike Force, 4 for Onslaught, deducted from the army total before you buy your first unit. The rate is the same for all of them, old and new, so it never favours one over another.
New in 11th: Contagion Engines, Paragons of Putrescence. None removed.
| Detachment | DP | |
|---|---|---|
| Flyblown Host | 1 | |
| Virulent Vectorium | 3 | |
| Shamblerot Vectorium | 2 | |
| Death Lord's Chosen | 2 | |
| Mortarion's Hammer | 2 | |
| Champions of Contagion | 2 | |
| Tallyband Summoners | 2 | |
| Contagion Engines | 1 | New in 11th |
| Paragons of Putrescence | 1 | New in 11th |
Points changes
A gentle net rise: 16 datasheets were repriced, 9 up and 7 down, with three new characters on top. The two big movers are the Defiler, up 40 points from 250 to 290, and Mortarion, up 20 from 380 to 400. The Great Unclean One climbs 15 to 265, with Rotigus up 15 to 280. Balancing that, the Plagueburst Crawler drops 25 to 185, the single largest cut, and the winged Daemon Prince of Nurgle, Foul Blightspawn and Lord of Poxes each shed points too. Some units are priced per model count, so the table shows each size separately.
| Unit | Role | 10th | 11th | Δ | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Defiler | Vehicles | 250 | 300 | +50 | |
| Plagueburst Crawler | Vehicles | 210 | 170 | -40 | |
| Daemon Prince of Nurgle with wings | Characters | 180 | 160 | -20 | |
| Foul Blightspawn | Characters | 75 | 60 | -15 | |
| Great Unclean One | Characters | 250 | 265 | +15 | |
| Rotigus | Characters | 265 | 280 | +15 | |
| Chaos Rhino | Transports | 85 | 75 | -10 | |
| Daemon Prince of Nurgle | Characters | 195 | 185 | -10 | |
| Deathshroud Terminators | Infantry | 3: 160 6: 320 | 3: 150 4: 305 | -10 -15 | |
| Helbrute | Vehicles | 115 | 105 | -10 | |
| Lord of Contagion | Characters | 120 | 110 | -10 | |
| Lord of Poxes | Characters | 75 | 65 | -10 | |
| Lord of Virulence | Characters | 100 | 90 | -10 | |
| Tallyman | Characters | 50 | 60 | +10 | |
| Typhus | Characters | 100 | 90 | -10 | |
| Chaos Predator Annihilator | Vehicles | 135 | 130 | -5 | |
| Chaos Predator Destructor | Vehicles | 145 | 140 | -5 | |
| Foetid Bloat-drone with heavy blight launcher | Vehicles | 120 | 125 | +5 | |
| Mortarion | Characters | 380 | 375 | -5 | |
| Myphitic Blight-hauler | Vehicles | 1: 100 2: 200 | 1: 95 2: 190 | -5 -10 | |
| Nurglings | Other | 3: 40 6: 70 | 3: 45 4: 90 | +5 +20 | |
| Plague Drones | Mounted & Beasts | 3: 115 6: 230 | 3: 110 4: 220 | -5 -10 | |
| Plague Marines | Battleline | 5: 95 7: 130 10: 190 | 5: 90 6: 125 8: 175 | -5 -5 -15 | |
| Plaguebearers | Battleline | 110 | 115 | +5 | |
| Hellblade | Vehicles | — | 115 | — | New in 11th |
| Plague Lord | Characters | — | 80 | — | New in 11th |
| Plague Sorcerer | Characters | — | 70 | — | New in 11th |
| Tri-lobe Vectors | Characters | — | 120 | — | New in 11th |
| Biologus Putrifier | Characters | 60 | 60 | — | |
| Blightlord Terminators | Infantry | 3: 115 5: 185 10: 370 | 3: 115 4: 185 6: 370 | — | |
| Chaos Land Raider | Vehicles | 220 | 220 | — | |
| Chaos Spawn | Mounted & Beasts | 80 | 80 | — | |
| Foetid Bloat-drone | Vehicles | 100 | 100 | — | |
| Icon Bearer | Characters | 45 | 45 | — | |
| Malignant Plaguecaster | Characters | 60 | 60 | — | |
| Miasmic Malignifier | Fortifications | 105 | 105 | — | |
| Noxious Blightbringer | Characters | 50 | 50 | — | |
| Plague Surgeon | Characters | 50 | 50 | — | |
| Poxwalkers | Infantry | 10: 65 20: 130 | 10: 65 11: 130 | — |
Biggest increases
Are Defiler still worth it?
The biggest single increase in the faction, up 40 points from 250 to 290. That is a steep tax on a walker that was already a situational pick, so it now has to earn its slot harder than before. If you love the model and build around it, it still hits like a freight train. If it was only ever a points-filler, the extra 40 is the nudge to spend them elsewhere.
Are Great Unclean One still worth it?
A 15-point rise to 265 puts this greater daemon in a slightly more expensive tier, but it stays one of the most durable bodies you can plant in the middle of the board. The bump is modest enough that it settles nothing on its own. If you were running it for staying power and board presence, it still delivers exactly that. Budget the extra 15 up front.
Are Rotigus still worth it?
Up 15 points in 11th: 280 now, 265 in 10th.
Frequently asked questions
Did the Death Guard get better in 11th edition?
A very slight upward pass rather than a swing. Price a common core and it nearly cancels: two Plagueburst Crawlers save 50, a Great Unclean One and Rotigus add 30 back, and the small rises on the Tallyman, Blightbringer, Nurglings and Plaguebearers eat into what is left. Lists built around the Defiler and Mortarion pay 60 more with nothing to offset it. Lists built around armour and Plague Marines barely move.
What got more expensive for Death Guard in 11th edition?
Nine sheets. The Defiler saw the largest jump, up 40 to 290, followed by Mortarion at +20 to 400. The Great Unclean One rose 15 to 265 and Rotigus 15 to 280, with the Noxious Blightbringer, Tallyman, Nurglings and Plaguebearers each up a little. The increases sit on daemon engines and greater daemons rather than on your rank-and-file Plague Marines.
Why did the Plagueburst Crawler get cheaper in 11th edition?
The Plagueburst Crawler came down 25 points, from 210 to 185, the biggest cut in the faction. That makes the army's signature indirect-fire tank easier to double or triple up on, and it is the clearest sign that the Death Guard's core armour got more affordable even as the flashier daemon pieces climbed. Three new characters arrive alongside it: the Plague Lord at 80, the Plague Sorcerer at 70 and the Tri-lobe Vectors at 120 for three, none of which had a 10th-edition sheet.
Is now a good time to start a Death Guard army?
A solid one. The Plagueburst Crawler that most first lists are built around is 25 cheaper, the range is stable with no detachments lost, and the grinding, resilient playstyle is forgiving for a newer player. The three new characters sit at 70 to 120 points, so a starter list can afford one. The Starting a Death Guard Army guide has a buying order.