New 40k support characters are a very easy way GW can make 11th Edition feel fresh without dumping another giant release wave on the schedule.
With characters getting split into leaders and support in 11th Edition, the factions currently missing them look like prime candidates for that classic “one new character with the codex” release slot. Not every army is guaranteed to get one, but this would be one of the easiest ways for Games Workshop to add new models that could change how the best Warhammer 40k armies are built, not just be another damage-dealing character.
A good support character can change list-building, open up new combos, and give players a reason to revisit units they already own. GW’s trying to move away from boring lists in 11th, and this could be an easy way to do it. Before you look at our choices, though, keep in mind these are all just our own ideas. So take this with all the salt you need, because nothing is official until GW says it is.
- Leader and support split opens an easy codex slot: 11th Edition’s character rework gives GW a natural “one new model with the codex” lane that doesn’t require a full release wave.
- Ten factions are currently missing support characters: Drukhari, World Eaters, Custodes, Chaos Daemons, Death Guard, Emperor’s Children, Grey Knights, Votann, T’au, and Thousand Sons all have obvious holes a single new kit could fill.
- Support models change list-building without breaking the meta: a Dracon, Butcher-Surgeon, Custodian Apothecary, or Brotherhood Apothecary reshapes how armies stack leaders and trade units without dumping another damage-dealer on the table.
Support Characters Could Be GW’s Easiest 11th Edition Win
A single new character is already GW’s favorite thing to release with a codex, and support characters fit that model almost too well.
They also solve a problem for armies, because most don’t need another duelist, warlord, or named character with a tragic paragraph of lore and the melee power of Angron. They need tools.
Armies in 11th edition need a reason to stack leaders, protect key units, repair important pieces, or push certain builds in a new direction.
This is also the perfect kind of release for existing players, since a new support character is an easy add-on purchase for a rules drop, etc. It’s also a great weekend painting project, and a fast way to test a new list without rebuilding your whole army.
The factions currently missing support characters in the first Field Munitorum include Drukhari, World Eaters, Adeptus Custodes, Chaos Daemons, Death Guard, Emperor’s Children, Grey Knights, Leagues of Votann, T’au Empire, and Thousand Sons. That’s a hefty list, and several of those armies have super-easy options to slot in, but for others, we might have had to reach a little with our list.
The Missing Support Character Picks Practically Write Themselves
Drukhari: A Dracon Gives Archons Backup Again
For Drukhari, the obvious pick is a Dracon. This unit used to be part of the army’s identity, and it fits neatly under the Archon.
A modern Dracon could help Drukhari do what they’re supposed to do: hit fast, hit mean, and vanish before the return punch turns them into very stylish paste. Rules-wise, this could mean buffing Kabalite units, improving shooting or movement from transports, or helping fragile infantry trade up.
World Eaters: The Butcher-Surgeon Rumor Still Makes Sense
Someone even made a fake box already.
World Eaters have had the Butcher-Surgeon floating around in lore and rumors for years, and it still feels like the easiest missing character for the faction.
A Butcher-Surgeon shouldn’t be calmly handing out bandages either. It should be stapling Berzerkers back together, pushing the army harder, and getting your Berzerkers to melee with enough models left to dish out real damage.
Adeptus Custodes: A Custodian Apothecary Fills The Golden Gap
Adeptus Custodes could use a Custodian Apothecary, or something in that Sagittarum-Chirurgeon lane. GW has leaned into the idea that Custodes can be wounded, recover, and return to battle.
A healer-style support character would be huge for the faction. Custodes are an elite army where every failed save can take away more than other factions, so giving them a character that helps preserve those expensive bodies would be very advantageous.
Chaos Daemons: A Scribe Of Ruin Could Tie The Pantheons Together
Chaos Daemons are trickier because each god already has herald-style characters, but most of them are combat-focused or locked into one pantheon’s lane. Plus, GW has more or less pushed them to a side role with their index and not full codex support.
A neutral Scribe of Ruin or banner-style buffer could give Daemons something different: a true support model that works across the army. That would fit especially well if GW wants Daemons to feel less like four separate family arguments sharing a deployment zone and more like one terrifying warp-spawned problem.
Death Guard: A Banner Character Is The Obvious Hole
Death Guard already have several support-adjacent characters, including pieces like the Tallyman and Biologus Putrifier, so another “weird guy with a job” needs to fill a different slot.
A Bearer or ancient-style standard character makes the most sense. Something like a “Banner of Nurgle’s Bounty” could lean into attrition, objective control, or durability.
Emperor’s Children: A Lord Chirurgeon Practically Builds Itself
Emperor’s Children practically beg for a Lord Chirurgeon or Flawless Host-style Apothecary. Slaanesh’s obsession with perfection, sensation, mutation, and bodily excess writes half the model brief by itself.
The new Emperor’s Children range is still pretty small and new, so a support character could flesh out the line (pun intended). A twisted perfectionist surgeon could support elite infantry, restore damaged units, or enhance already-dangerous fighters in ways that feel very on-brand and unpleasant to play against.
Grey Knights: Just Give Them A Brotherhood Apothecary Already
Grey Knights are the simplest call on the list: give them a Brotherhood Apothecary.
They’re still Astartes, so the lore supports it, and Grey Knights players have wanted something like this for years. In an army where every model matters, a revive or healing support piece would instantly change how Grey Knights approach mid-board trading. It also gives them a practical character that isn’t just another flavor of psychic knight with a fancy stick.
Leagues Of Votann: A Brôkhyr Wayfinder Fits The Army’s Tech Identity
Leagues of Votann could use a Brôkhyr Wayfinder or similar support engineer. The tech-worker identity is already part of the faction, but the army still has room for a true utility character that helps vehicles, repairs key units, or improves targeting support.
Votann recently received a huge wave of support, so we wouldn’t be surprised if GW relegates them to one new character this edition, and it could easily be a support character.
T’au Empire: An Earth Caste Engineer Is Sitting Right There
T’au are another fairly simple call (at least to us). An Earth Caste Engineer character supporting battlesuits, drones, or vehicles would make perfect sense.
T’au don’t need another Commander variant as badly as they need a ground-level support piece that makes their technology feel like an actual battlefield network. Repair drones, defensive systems, vehicle buffs, or drone coordination would all fit without stealing the spotlight from battlesuit heroes.
Thousand Sons: A Scribe Of Prospero Adds Something Different
Thousand Sons could go in a more interesting direction with a Scribe of Prospero. The army already leans hard on Magnus, sorcerers, and psychic dominance, so another wizard in power armor isn’t exactly breaking new ground.
A non-psyker support character tied to knowledge, time, or ritual bookkeeping would be a fun addition for the army. Something that manipulates Cabal points, protects key units, or improves ritual play could feel very Thousand Sons without just being another sorcerer on the table.
11th Edition Could Make Small Character Releases Feel Big Again
Support characters let GW add meaningful new models without really changing GW’s current cycle for new codex drops. A single good support character can change army construction, shift how units trade, and make older kits feel relevant again.
There’s no guarantee that any of these will come true in 11th Edition, but to us, it makes a lot of sense. Some armies may wait, get skipped, and some may get something completely different because GW does enjoy taking thier own left turn from time to time too.
Still, support characters feel like one of the easier ways for GW to make 11th Edition feel less vanilla. Support characters give armies identity, give players new list-building puzzles, and give hobbyists a reason to care about that one new codex model beyond whether it looks cool or not.
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- 11th Edition roadmap, new previews, and battleforces update
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What support characters would you like to see in 11th Edition 40k?
