The Vengeful Hosts Detachment rewards every charge and ingress move with re-rolls, so jump-pack Space Marines always want to be moving.
The Vengeful Hosts Detachment is built to get jump-pack units into combat and make sure they hit harder when they arrive. It was the Space Marines’ reward for the Siege of Death Mire, and it’s free for players who logged results during the campaign (but anyone can use them). It joins the new multipart Outriders and Kaius Konorius previews in the reward pile, only this time Space Marines also got rules for a full detachment.
The Imperium didn’t actually win the campaign, though. After leading for the first two weeks, the Space Marines fell behind in Week Three (but GW still called the overall campaign a draw becasue of the in-store results). Ghazghkull’s horde won 53.7% of the battles and overran the Hive Heart and Gallows Spaceport. GW had promised the winning faction a detachment, but the campaign ended in a bloody stalemate, so both sides ended up with one.
The Orks received the Equatorial Hordes, while Space Marines got Vengeful Hosts.
For anyone running an assault army in 11th Edition, a free jump-pack detachment is worth checking out. Every rule keys off ADEPTUS ASTARTES FLY INFANTRY, and GW called it a strong fit for melee-heavy Chapters like Blood Angels.
- Imperator Unleashed re-rolls hits of 1: any FLY INFANTRY unit that made an ingress or charge move re-rolls hit rolls of 1 that turn in shooting and melee.
- A free Space Marines detachment: one rule, two Enhancements, and three Stratagems unlocked through the stalemated Death Mire campaign.
- Built to gut Orks: Orksbane hits at Strength 8 with CLEAVE 2, while Purge by Sectors gets your unit moving again after the fight.
Imperator Unleashed Wants You Charging Every Single Turn
This whole detachment is themed on movement. Imperator Unleashed lets any friendly ADEPTUS ASTARTES FLY INFANTRY unit that made an ingress or charge move re-roll hit rolls of 1 for the rest of that turn. Best of all, it works in both shooting and melee.
The bonus is decent on its own, as it adds reliable damage across a squad of Assault Intercessors or other jump-pack units. Stay still, and you get nothing, though, because in the 11th Edition, this detachment expects you to keep charging.
Avenging Angel and Orksbane Give Your Hero A Reason To Dive In
Both of these enhancements are made for jump-pack characters, so your hero stays with the squad instead of hanging around in the backfield. One weakens the target when you arrive, while the other gives your character a much nastier melee weapon.
- Avenging Angel: an ADEPTUS ASTARTES FLY INFANTRY model only. When the unit ends an ingress move, choose one enemy unit within 9″. That unit must take a battle-shock roll at -1. Use it against a damaged unit, and you may break it before the shooting starts.
- Orksbane: a FLY INFANTRY model only. The melee relic has A4, WS2+, S8, AP-2, D3, and CLEAVE 2. Against the greenskins, it was made to fight; that profile can tear through Nobz and characters.
Three Stratagems That Keep The Jump Marines Swinging
All three Stratagems support the same plan, and each costs 1CP. The first boosts the charge, one moves your unit after combat, and the last one clears battle-shock when you need the squad working again.
- Meteoric Onslaught (1CP): In the Fight phase, a FLY INFANTRY unit that charges gets +1 Strength on its melee attacks. Combined with the detachment re-roll, it makes the charge much more reliable.
- Purge by Sectors (1CP): at the end of the Fight phase, an unengaged unit that was eligible to fight can make a normal move of up to D3+3″. Use it to clear the combat area and line up your next move.
- Know No Fear (1CP): In your Command phase, one battle-shocked ADEPTUS ASTARTES unit stops being battle-shocked, even though it is battle-shocked when selected. It’s cheap insurance for an army fighting deep in enemy lines.
Final Thoughts on the Vengeful Hosts Detachment
For a free campaign reward, Vengeful Hosts is more focused than many of the Space Marines detachments players have already used. It probably won’t take over the top tables by itself, but it gives jump-pack armies a clear job again.
Use it with a melee Chapter like Blood Angels, and the rules just make sense, honestly. Plus, it also shows how hard GW may let assault armies push in 11th Edition. If future campaign rewards are this useful, they’re definitely worth unlocking.
🔗 Related Reads:
- Siege of Death Mire Global Campaign
- New Space Marines Outriders Revealed
- Kaius Konorius, Calgar’s New Blademaster
- Warhammer 40k 11th Edition News
- All Warhammer 40k Coverage
- Warhammer 40k Orks Codex
What do you think of the Vengeful Hosts Detachment, and will the free jump-pack rules pull you back to Assault Marines?
