Combined Arms plus Abhuman Auxiliaries: The Best First Astra Militarum Army in 11th Edition

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Common questions

Is Combined Arms plus Abhuman Auxiliaries legal?

Yes. Combined Arms costs 2 DP and Abhuman Auxiliaries costs 1 DP, which is exactly the 3 DP budget at a 2,000-point Strike Force game. Combined Arms carries no Unique Tag in any source, and Abhuman Auxiliaries carries ABHUMAN, which it shares only with Grizzled Company, so nothing blocks the pairing. Confirm current Detachment Point costs in the Warhammer 40,000 app.

Do the two detachment rules stack on the same unit?

No, and that is deliberate. Born Soldiers is a shooting rule keyed to REGIMENT and SQUADRON units; Absolutist Principles is an Order-access rule keyed to BULLGRYN SQUAD, OGRYN SQUAD and RATLINGS. Your Ogryns do not get [LETHAL HITS] from this list and your tanks do not get a Commissar's Order. What you get is two independent threats that require different answers from your opponent.

What should I buy first for this list?

Combat Patrol: Astra Militarum covers the Combined Arms core, giving you a command element and infantry. Add a Leman Russ Battle Tank for the SQUADRON half of Born Soldiers. For the abhuman package you need a Commissar and the Bullgryns / Ogryns kit, which builds either unit, plus Ratlings if you want the second enhancement to matter. Total enhancement spend across both detachments is only 35 points.

Why not just take Grizzled Company for my Ogryns?

You can, but it costs 3 DP, which is your entire Strike Force budget, so you get no second detachment at all. Its Abhuman Detail enhancement is stronger in one way, because it lets a Commissar attach to an Ogryn or Bullgryn squad rather than just order it, but it covers Ogryns only and not Ratlings. You also cannot take both: the two share the ABHUMAN Unique Tag.

Can I swap Abhuman Auxiliaries for a different 1 DP detachment?

Yes, and Combined Arms pairs legally with all three. Bridgehead Strike is the best alternative because Tempestus Scions are REGIMENT, so they receive Born Soldiers' [LETHAL HITS] and Bridgehead Strike's +1 to hit in the same shooting phase. Designation Force is the choice if your list leans on long-range shooting and needs help reaching distant targets.

Combined Arms plus Abhuman Auxiliaries: The Best First Astra Militarum Army in 11th Edition

Why this is the right first list

What the two rules do together

How to build it

How to play it

What to take instead, and what you cannot take