Death Guard Plague Company Detachment Guide (11th Edition)

Plague Company's detachment rule is built around objectives and contagion. The broad effect is that objectives you claim become soaked in Nurgle's Gift - your contagion clings to the ground you hold, so an enemy trying to take a point back walks into an Afflicting aura and a durable defender at the same time.

That makes it a natural fit for the mission game 11th edition is built on: you are rewarded for sitting on objectives, which is exactly what Death Guard's tough bodies want to do anyway. The detachment doesn't demand a narrow list - it simply amplifies the standard grind-and-hold gameplan, which is why it is the recommended starting point. Confirm the precise wording (which objectives, how long the effect lasts) on your current Faction Pack, as this is the kind of detail errata can adjust.

Plague Company is reported to have a strong, aggressive stratagem suite. Rather than quote costs (which errata changes), think in terms of roles:

• Durability / damage-reduction stratagems (the modern home of "Disgustingly Resilient"-style effects) are your reaction to alpha strikes - hold them for the moment the enemy commits to killing a key unit.
• Damage or mortal-wound stratagems punish enemies clustered in your contagion.
• Objective / control stratagems reinforce the detachment's hold-and-claim identity.

The discipline is patience: you have limited CP, so save reactive stratagems for the turn they swing a fight rather than spending on turn one. Always check current CP costs on the app before relying on a combo.

Plague Company is noted for nasty character enhancements. Broadly, prioritise enhancements that either extend or thicken your contagion (making Nurgle's Gift bite harder or reach further) or that turn a character into a durable objective-holder or damage threat.

Because enhancements go on Characters, plan them around your leaders - a Lord or Plague Surgeon babysitting a Plague Marine squad on an objective is a classic home for a control- or durability-focused enhancement. Don't over-invest points in a single character in a grinding army; spread your buffs so no one removal spike cripples the list. Confirm the current enhancement list and points on the Faction Pack, as these are frequently tuned.

Plague Company wants bodies on objectives:

• Plague Marines - your core Battleline; tough, sticky, and the natural objective-holders.
• Poxwalkers - cheap screens and horde bodies to clog the midfield.
• Plagueburst Crawler - iconic artillery/anchor that punishes the enemy from range while you hold.
• Deathshroud Terminators - bodyguards for your key characters.
• Characters (Lord of Contagion, Biologus Putrifier, Plague Surgeon, Typhus) - lead squads, carry enhancements, and keep the contagion aura where you need it.

The throughline is that Plague Company doesn't need exotic units - it simply makes your standard tough Death Guard list better at holding ground.

Take Plague Company when you want a forgiving, objective-focused list and don't want to build around a narrow gimmick. It is the best choice for a first Death Guard army, for learning the faction, and for a balanced all-comers list that expects to win on the mission rather than by tabling the opponent.

Step away from it toward a specialist detachment when you have a specific plan the toolbox doesn't reward - a vehicle-heavy list wanting mobility (Contagion Engines), an aggressive forward-deployment plan (Flyblown Host), or maximum aura reach (Paragons of Putrescence). For most players, though, Plague Company is where you start and often where you stay. See the army guide for how it fits the wider detachment landscape.