Spread the decay of the Death Guard with our guide to their Warhammer 40k codex, how-to-play strategies, index changes, and rules review!
The Death Guard are back, and they’re nastier, tougher, and more contagiously resilient than ever in the 10th Edition Warhammer 40k codex. Whether you’re here to spread Nurgle’s blessings across the battlefield or just love a good rot-themed aesthetic, this guide breaks down everything you need to know.
From key rule updates and index changes to game-winning strategies and that all-important PDF you’ve been hunting, we’ve got you covered—plague flies and all.
Nurgle may be the god of decay, but playing Death Guard isn’t just about shambling forward and hoping your opponent catches something. Getting the most out of this disgustingly resilient faction means knowing your synergies, leaning into attrition-based tactics, and timing your strikes with all the subtlety of a bloated daemon prince.
This guide dives into the must-use units, filthy combos, and what’s changed in the codex, so you can hit the table oozing confidence and contagion.
Death Guard Faction in 10th Edition
So, what’s coming with this update? Quite a bit of delicious decay. With six new detachments, tweaks to core units, and a reworked contagion system, the Death Guard codex 10th edition pdf rules are leaning even harder into battlefield control, attrition, and slowly suffocating their foes in filth. We’ll walk through what stands out, what looks promising, and how to play in 10th Edition!
How They Play in 10th Edition
The Death Guard rules are all about slow, deliberate dominance—marching forward with rot-soaked resilience and rotting everything in their path. They specialize in attritional warfare, controlling space with their expanding Contagion Range and punishing enemies who get too close with crippling debuffs.
They might not be fast, but they are disgustingly hard to shift. With layered durability, passive auras that weaken enemies, and units that just won’t stay dead, the Death Guard grind down opponents until there’s nothing left but sludge.
Strengths:
- Extremely durable with Feel No Pain, damage reduction, and tough profiles
- Contagion abilities that worsen enemy stats over time
- Strong mid-board presence and objective control
- Units that synergize through auras and overlapping debuffs
Weaknesses:
- Low mobility; can’t easily reposition once committed
- Limited long-range firepower
- Struggle with armies that outmaneuver or kite them
- Playstyle favors attrition over burst damage—games may be slower-paced
If you love the idea of leading a force that doesn’t just fight—but infects, endures, and outlasts—then the Death Guard are your rotting warhost. They don’t rush the battlefield—they corrupt it, and then claim what’s left.
Core Death Guard Army Rules
Their new Army Rule, Nurgle’s Gift, turns every Death Guard unit into a walking zone of rot. As the battle drags on, their Contagion Range grows—3″, 6″, then 9″—infecting nearby enemies with crippling debuffs.
Whether you want to dull their blades, melt their armor, or sap their will to fight, you choose the Plague that best punishes your opponent. It’s a passive, scaling aura of misery that rewards patient, unrelenting pressure—exactly how Nurgle likes it.
Death Guard Codex Detachment Rules: Picking Your Poison
The Death Guard aren’t getting just one detachment—six different options let you tailor your playstyle. Each one leans into a different strength, meaning you can go full speed, focus on duels, or even stack favor-based buffs. Here’s what they bring to the table:
Virulent Vectorium – Hold the Line, Spread the Rot
If you’re the kind of general who likes to dig in, hold the field, and let your opponent rot trying to push you off it, this one’s for you. Worldblight rewards patient, plague-ridden persistence by turning objectives into disease-spewing death zones.
Your units become extra sticky on objectives, gaining Nurgle’s Gifts even if they’re not technically Death Guard. Combine that with enhanced durability, bonus aura range, and explosions that make even your losses feel like wins, and you’ve got a setup that slowly strangles your opponent’s momentum turn by turn.
Mortarion’s Hammer – Smoke, Shells, and Rotting Steel
Want to roll up with tanks belching plague fog and artillery softening up the battlefield before your first move? Mortarion’s Hammer brings big guns, terrain-altering smog, and pre-game psychological warfare to the party.
This detachment inflicts debuffs before a die is even rolled, then supports your vehicles with rerolls and terrain-busting mobility. Whether you’re plowing through ruins or turning cover into a death trap, this one’s built for players who love rolling over everything—literally.
Champions of Contagion – Elite Killers with Toxic Style
If you like your Death Guard with a touch of flair—and by flair, we mean weaponized diseases stacked like buffet plates—then Champions of Contagion is your jam. Your heroes spread extra Plague Gifts, pile on debuffs, and resurrect friends with every swing.
This detachment is about stacking buffs and making key units hit like a truck made of moldy bone. Whether you’re reanimating your Plague Surgeon’s patients or doubling up on Gifts, this loadout is for players who like to fine-tune their filth.
Tallyband Summoners – Demons, Dice, and Droning Doom
Do you believe the best gifts are summoned from a diseased rift in reality? Tallyband Summoners let you mix in Nurgle’s Daemons, toss Nurglings like grenades, and watch your enemies crumble under waves of rot and warp-spawn.
This detachment thrives on synergy between Death Guard and Plague Legions, stacking buffs and battlefield manipulation.
Nurglings popping back into reserve? Check. Monsters with mega melee? Check. It’s a daemon-infested good time for the army builder who wants more of everything.
Shamblerot Vectorium – Poxwalker Problem, Wave Two
If you enjoy drowning your enemies in a tide of shambling bodies that just won’t stay dead, welcome to the Shamblerot. This detachment brings back Poxwalkers from Strategic Reserves like it’s a buy-one-get-one apocalypse.
With durability boosts, mortal wounds on death, and buffs that make Poxwalkers surprisingly punchy, this setup rewards swarm tactics and battlefield recycling. It’s death by a thousand germs—slow, inevitable, and utterly disgusting.
Death Lord’s Chosen – Terminator Death March
Big, slow, and unstoppable—this is the detachment for those who love their elite units leading the charge like a plague-drenched wrecking ball. Death Lord’s Chosen buffs Terminators into nearly unkillable, re-rolling, morale-breaking nightmares.
You’ll hit harder, soak more damage, and punish anything foolish enough to get close. With stratagems for fighting on death, re-rolling attacks, and triggering mortal wounds just by charging, this is blunt-force death delivered with festering precision.
Codex Datasheet Rules:
Let’s breakdown the key datasheets that define the army’s identity, as outlined in the codex.
Mortarion – The Aura Bomb of Nurgle’s Rot
Mortarion doesn’t just show up to a fight—he transforms the battlefield. His gimmick? Being a one-daemon contagion nuke. With an ever-growing plague aura, reroll support, resurrection tricks, and a melee weapon that can sweep or decapitate, he’s everything you want in a centerpiece model.
The tradeoff? He’s a magnet for every gun your opponent owns. You’ll need to deploy him with care and time his engagement right. Once in combat, he melts elite infantry and monsters, but he shines brightest when anchoring your board control game with overwhelming debuffs.
Lord of Contagion – The Strategic Blender
This guy’s gimmick is his ability to stack and spread multiple Plague effects like some sort of disgusting buffet. He’s slow, but that manreaper hits like a truck, and he can generate bonus auras and contagion tricks based on battlefield positioning.
The catch? He needs delivery—ideally deep striking with Terminators or walking up the board like an unkillable tank. When he hits the mid-board, though, he turns the area around him into a kill zone where enemies wither just by existing.
Lord of Poxes – The Low-Key Aura Mule
At first glance, the Lord of Poxes isn’t flashy, but he’s got a clever little trick: expanding Contagion Ranges by +1″, which lets the rest of your army project debuffs more effectively. He’s perfect for babysitting Plague Marines, and his plasma pistol plus plague blade combo means he’s not helpless.
He’s not a frontline brawler, but in a game of area denial and aura layering, he does his job beautifully. Keep him safe, let him buff, and don’t expect him to win duels—but do expect him to help everyone else win them.
Plague Marines – The Swiss Army Rot Squad
These guys don’t have one gimmick—they have like ten. Their loadout flexibility is wild: flamers, blight launchers, melee weapons—you name it. The hook? They apply the Afflicted condition via shooting, and they just don’t die easily.
The downside is they’re slow and won’t spike damage without setup. But when properly tooled, they’re your anvil—sitting on objectives, spreading contagion, and slowly grinding down anything foolish enough to fight them.
Deathshroud Terminators – The Hero’s Bodyguard and Blender
Deathshrouds are walking death clouds. Their trick is guarding your characters with a 4+ Feel No Pain aura and cutting swathes through anything in melee with sweeping or striking scythes. Also, their aura can tank enemy Leadership for that sweet psychological warfare.
The catch? You’re paying a premium for them, so mispositioning or leaving them without a leader to protect is a waste. But paired with a Lord of Contagion? They’re basically a mobile execution squad with a built-in plague aura generator.
Foetid Bloat-Drone (Fleshmower / Plaguespitter) – The Flying Area Denial Unit
This guy is all about board control. Whether it’s plaguespitter torrents or a melee mosh with the fleshmower, the gimmick is its Hovering Death rule—fall back and still shoot or charge. That’s nasty flexibility on a T9 daemon engine.
The downside? It’s not a dedicated killer. It spreads wounds around, chips away, and finishes off—not great for alpha strikes. Use it to tie up enemy lines, then reposition while they try to figure out what just hit them.
Foetid Bloat-Drone (Heavy Blight Launcher) – The Artillery Mosquito
Take everything above and strap on a 36″ anti-tank cannon. This version trades close-range aggression for reliable ranged pressure. The launcher gets better against Afflicted units, meaning your auras actually boost your firepower.
It’s not flashy, but it synergizes perfectly with your army-wide goal: wear them down, then finish the job. Just don’t expect it to solo knights—it’s more about softening threats so your real brutes can move in for the kill.
Plagueburst Crawler – The Creeping Artillery Bastion
The Plagueburst Crawler is your slow-rolling siege tank. Its gimmick? A mix of direct fire (Entropy Cannons) and indirect fire (Plagueburst Mortar), plus a hilarious “shockwave” that deals mortals to nearby Afflicted units at the end of your Shooting phase.
It’s not fast or flashy, but it’s reliable. You park it mid-board and watch as the field around it turns into a no-man’s-land of rot and explosions. Bonus: it gets worse to hit when wounded, so it often dies last.
Great Unclean One – The Walking Plague Engine
This big boy is what happens when durability and support have a baby. His gimmick? He vomits plague, reanimates Plaguebearers, and applies massive toughness debuffs via a unique blend of Plague auras.
He’s slow and doesn’t fit in every detachment (you need Pact of Decay), but when he’s on the board, he demands attention. Use him as a centerpiece in daemon-heavy lists to tank hits, buff units, and stomp anything dumb enough to get close.
Death Guard 10th Edition Codex & PDF – What’s Inside?
The latest codex for the Death Guard offers a comprehensive look into their lore, unit profiles, and unique rules that set them apart on the battlefield. Inside, you’ll find detailed datasheets for their specialized units, stratagems that emphasize their combat style, and Crusade rules that reflect their quest for perfection.
Where to Get the Death Guard Codex
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You can save even more on your purchase by using our exclusive list of redeemable discount codes from some of the best hobby retailers and miniature manufacturers!
If you’re looking for the Death Guard codex PDF, Wahapedia is the go-to spot for free reference material, but if you want the full book with lore, art, and all the extras, Games Workshop’s official version is the way to go.
Supporting your local game store or preferred retailer not only gets you the codex but also helps sustain the community.
Major Changes from the Death Guard Index to the Codex
Transitioning from the Index to the full 10th Edition Codex brings a host of meaningful updates that push the Death Guard’s identity even deeper into its rot-soaked roots:
Reworked Detachments
The codex introduces six fully fleshed-out detachments, including thematic highlights like Mortarion’s Hammer and Champions of Contagion, each offering distinct styles of plague warfare—from elite Terminator death marches to daemon-backed plague storms. These detachments add new tactical tools and amplify core strengths like durability, contagion spread, and battlefield control.
Stratagems Overhaul
Death Guard stratagems have been retooled to lean harder into their slow, suffocating playstyle. You’ll find tricks that punish enemies for charging, for being near objectives, or just for existing too close to your aura of filth. Whether it’s damage reduction, aura expansion, or mortal wound bursts, every stratagem is built to wear your opponent down like a lingering disease.
Unit Profiles and Weapon Adjustments
Several key units have been rebalanced. Plague Marines now better reflect their role as durable, mid-board bullies with huge wargear flexibility. Deathshroud Terminators provide incredible bodyguard synergy, and Foetid Bloat-Drones offer flexible harassment options. And yes, Mortarion is as brutal as ever, now with even more support power and board control baked in.
Why Play Death Guard?
Endurance, Area Denial, and Inevitable Rot
This army doesn’t rush to victory—it grinds toward it with unrelenting pressure. Death Guard units (including the monsters and vehicles) are tough, steady, and surrounded by ever-growing auras of contagion that debuff and weaken anything nearby. Your opponent’s offense crumbles not because you hit harder, but because they hit less effectively—worse to wound, worse to save, worse to fight back (almost like they are slowly being turned into a Chaos Spawn).
The longer the game goes on, the stronger your grip becomes. With Nurgle’s Gift steadily expanding your debuff range and detachments that stack on even more synergy, this is an army built to control the mid-board and force your opponent into a slow, agonizing decline. With powerful ways to give you ranged weapons lethal hits, sustained hits, and cause plenty of battle shock tests in the command phase!
Debilitating Auras and Durable Units
Forget glass cannons—this is an army of rusted tanks and plague-ridden infantry units. Units like Plagueburst Crawlers, Blightlord Terminators, and Poxwalker hordes soak up damage and dish it back slowly but surely (and with a few blast weapons in there). Add in powerful auras from your characters, and suddenly enemy units are missing more, moving less, and dying faster than they realize.
Whether you’re crippling armor saves with Rattlejoint Ague, tanking hits with Feel No Pain, or neutering enemy charges in the fight phase with stratagems like Stinking Mire, you’re always forcing your opponent to fight on your terms.
Relentless Stratagems and Synergy-Driven Tactics
Playing Death Guard isn’t about flashy combos—it’s about layering effects turn after turn. Your stratagems reward smart positioning and incremental advantage:
- Disgustingly Resilient – Reduces incoming damage to keep your key units on the board longer.
- Plaguesurge – Expands your Contagion Range to suffocate key parts of the battlefield.
- Grip of the Walking Pox – Turns Poxwalker casualties into explosive parting gifts.
Each strat feeds the grind. Every unit helps another rot more efficiently. It’s synergy through stagnation.
Weaknesses to Consider
Slow and Methodical
You’re not winning any races. Death Guard struggle with mobility, especially against armies that can kite, deep strike, or teleport away from your deadly aura range. You’ll need to plan your movement carefully or risk being outrun by faster forces.
Low Damage Spike Potential
While durable and consistent, Death Guard often lacks the burst potential to delete enemy units outright. Your strength is in sustained pressure, not alpha strikes. If your opponent can weather your storm early, they might start to tip the balance before your contagions take hold.
Positioning is Everything
Your most powerful abilities—auras, debuffs, stratagems—depend on being in exactly the right place. If you misplace a unit or overextend without support, you risk losing critical synergy. This is an army that rewards discipline and punishes sloppy movement.
Latest Death Guard 40k Rules Updates
The latest updates for the Death Guard Codex 10th Edition rules will be released in what Games Workshop calls a Balance Dataslate, sometimes along with accompanying points changes as well.
You can see all the latest Balance Dataslate updates here in our post, which breaks down the most recent changes.
How Do Death Guard Compare to Other Factions?
Strengths and Weaknesses in the Meta
Against lightning-fast armies like Aeldari or Genestealer Cults, you’ll need strong screening and smart use of terrain to avoid being danced around. Against elite, tanky foes like Custodes or Knights, you’ll rely on layering Plague debuffs and grinding them down through sheer resilience and area denial.
Strengths:
- Durability for Days – With high Toughness, Feel No Pain, and damage reduction, Death Guard units can outlast most threats.
- Aura-Based Debuffs – Nurgle’s Gift applies crippling penalties to nearby enemies, worsening their hits, saves, and even movement.
- Board Control and Objective Play – Contagion effects and slow, steady advances let you hold key ground while your opponent melts in place.
Weaknesses:
- Glacial Speed – With few ways to redeploy or react quickly, Death Guard can get outmaneuvered by faster factions.
- Limited Burst Damage – They win through attrition, not alpha strikes—making it harder to stop opponents before they act.
- Positioning-Dependent – If your auras aren’t placed precisely or you whiff a contagion bubble, your whole strategy can unravel.
Overall, we think the Death Guard codex rewards methodical play, smart positioning, and patience. You won’t win with flashy tricks—but you will win by turning the board into a death trap of rust, bile, and rot.
Final Thoughts
The 10th Edition Death Guard Codex leans hard into what makes the faction iconic—slow, steady, and inexorably lethal. It’s not just a reprint of what came before. With six richly themed detachments, enhanced Plague effects, and unit updates that reinforce a synergy-first playstyle, there’s more depth and flavor than ever.
Will the Death Guard break the meta overnight? Probably not. But what they bring is consistency, identity, and brutal attrition-based power. Whether you like elite Terminator blocks, swarming Poxwalkers, or daemon-backed synergies, this codex has something to rot with.
Death Guard Battleforce is Packed With Miniatures
What do you think about the Warhammer 40k codex rules for the Death Guard?
