Plague Marines
Corrupted sons of Mortarion, Plague Marines are suffused and bloated with rot and disease. Though compact and slow moving, Plague Marines are horrifyingly resilient, trudging relentlessly towards their objectives while spreading contagion in their wake.
Books
| Book | Kind | Edition | Version | Last update |
 Plague Marines | ||||
| Plague Marines | Faction | 3 | 1.2 | April 2025 |
Archetype: Seek & Destroy / Security
Plague Marines Kill Team
Below you will find a list of the operatives that make up a PLAGUE MARINE kill team, including, where relevant, any weapons specified for that operative.
Operatives
- 1 PLAGUE MARINE CHAMPION operative
- 5 PLAGUE MARINE operatives selected from the following list:
Nurgle’s number is 7 and his sigil shows 3. From these numbers does his corruption flow.
Faction Rules
Astartes
Space Marines are genetically augmented transhumans forged for only one purpose: war.
During each friendly PLAGUE MARINE operative’s activation, it can perform either two Shoot actions or two Fight actions. If it’s two Shoot actions, a bolt pistol, boltgun or PSYCHIC weapon must be selected for at least one of them. You cannot select the same PSYCHIC ranged weapon more than once per activation.Each friendly PLAGUE MARINE operative can counteract regardless of its order.
Poison
Nurgle deals in warp-tainted poisons, toxins, viral plagues and sicknesses of the soul that defy both natural resilience and medical intervention.
Some weapons in this team’s rules have the Poison weapon rule.*Poison: In the Resolve Attack Dice step, if you inflict damage with any successes, the operative this weapon is being used against (excluding friendly PLAGUE MARINE operatives) gains one of your Poison tokens (if it doesn’t already have one). Whenever an operative that has one of your Poison tokens is activated, inflict 1 damage on it.
Disgustingly Resilient
The followers of Nurgle possess extreme resilience to bullet and blade, for their hideous forms are swollen by death, decay and disease.
Whenever an attack dice inflicts damage of 3 or more on a friendly PLAGUE MARINE operative, roll one D6: on a 4+, subtract 1 from that inflicted damage.Strategy Ploys
CONTAGION
Plague Marines are oozing with contagion, their hideous forms emanating a miasma of decay that saps the vigour of their foes.
Subtract 2" from the Move stat of an enemy operative and worsen the Hit stat of its weapons by 1 (this isn’t cumulative with being injured) whenever any of the following are true:
- It’s within control range of friendly PLAGUE MARINE operatives.
- It has one of your Poison tokens and is visible to (or vice versa) and within 3" of friendly PLAGUE MARINE operatives.
- It’s visible to (or vice versa) and within 3" of a friendly PLAGUE MARINE ICON BEARER operative.
LUMBERING DEATH
Plague Marines are methodical and uncompromising in their approach to warfare, advancing and firing with steadfast determination.
Whenever a friendly PLAGUE MARINE operative is shooting or fighting during an activation in which it hasn’t moved more than 3", or whenever it’s retaliating, its weapons have the Ceaseless weapon rule.
CLOUD OF FLIES
Disgusting, fat-bodied flies swarm the killzone, blurring the forms of advancing Plague Marines and absorbing the enemy’s projectiles.
Place one of your Cloud of Flies markers in the killzone. Whenever an operative is shooting a friendly PLAGUE MARINE operative that’s more than 3" from it, if that friendly operative is wholly within 1" of that marker, that friendly operative is obscured. In the Ready step of the next Strategy phase, remove that marker.
NURGLINGS
The smallest of Nurgle’s daemons, Nurglings are both malicious and playful, cackling wildly as they claw and harass the Plague Marines’ foes with pestilent claws and teeth.
Select one enemy operative within 3" of a friendly PLAGUE MARINE operative, or one enemy operative that has one of your Poison tokens and is within 7" of a friendly PLAGUE MARINE operative. Until the end of the selected operative’s next activation, subtract 1 from its APL stat.
Firefight Ploys
VIRULENT POISON
The most potent of Grandfather Nurgle’s foul plagues spread swiftly through the air, breaching even enviro-seals and filtration masks.
Use this firefight ploy during a friendly PLAGUE MARINE operative’s activation or counteraction, before or after it performs an action. Select one of the following:
- One enemy operative within 3" of that operative gains one of your Poison tokens (if it doesn’t already have one).
- Roll 2D6: if the result is 7+, one enemy operative within 7" of that operative gains one of your Poison tokens (if it doesn’t already have one).
SICKENING RESILIENCE
By voluntarily offering their bodies as hosts for the Grandfather’s contagious gifts, some Plague Marines are granted even greater endurance.
Use this firefight ploy when an attack dice inflicts damage on a friendly PLAGUE MARINE operative. Until the end of the activation or counteraction, for the purposes of the Disgustingly Resilient rule for that operative, always subtract 1 from the damage inflicted (to a minimum of 2) – you don’t need to roll.
POISONOUS DEMISE
The body of a Plague Marine plays host to countless poisons and plagues. Upon death, their bloated forms may detonate, spreading foul contagion all around.
Use this firefight ploy when a friendly PLAGUE MARINE operative is incapacitated, before it’s removed from the killzone. Each enemy operative visible to and within 3" of that operative gains one of your Poison tokens (if they don’t already have one); for each of those enemy operatives that already has one of your Poison tokens (including if they gained one during this action), inflict 1 damage on them instead.
CURSE OF ROT
To engage a Plague Marine in single combat is to expose oneself to wilting contagion and soul-eroding decay.
Use this firefight ploy when a friendly PLAGUE MARINE operative is fighting against or shooting against an enemy operative within 3" of it (or within 7" of it if that enemy operative has one of your Poison tokens), after your opponent rolls their attack or defence dice. For each result of 3 they roll, inflict 1 damage on that enemy operative, that result is treated as a fail and they cannot re-roll it.
Faction Equipment
PLAGUE BELLS
When the plague bells toll, the Death Guard are infused with corrupted energy, heightening their unholy resilience to extraordinary levels.
You can ignore any changes to the stats of friendly PLAGUE MARINE operatives from being injured (including their weapons’ stats).
PLAGUE ROUNDS
Virulent toxins ooze from these projectiles, so that those struck by them are infected with deadly diseases.
Friendly PLAGUE MARINE operatives’ boltguns and bolt pistols have the Poison and Severe weapon rules.
BLIGHT GRENADES
These devices are packed with explosives, shards of jagged metal and deadly pathogens that poison any unfortunate enough to survive the initial blast.
POISON VENTS
Activating vents in their power armour, Plague Marines may unleash clouds of sickening fumes that clog the lungs of nearby foes.
Whenever an enemy operative that has one of your Poison tokens is activated within 3" of a friendly PLAGUE MARINE operative, inflict D3 damage on it (instead of the normal 1).
Datacards
APL 3 |
MOVE 5" |
SAVE 3+ |
WOUNDS 15 |
NAME | ATK | HIT | DMG | WR | ||||
| Plasma pistol (standard) | ||||||||
| Plasma pistol (standard) | 4 | 3+ | 3/5 | Range 8", Piercing 1 | Range 8", Piercing 1 | |||
| Plasma pistol (supercharge) | ||||||||
| Plasma pistol (supercharge) | 4 | 3+ | 4/5 | Range 8", Hot, Lethal 5+, Piercing 1 | Range 8", Hot, Lethal 5+, Piercing 1 | |||
| Plague sword | ||||||||
| Plague sword | 5 | 3+ | 4/5 | Severe, Poison*, Toxic* | Severe, Poison*, Toxic* | |||
Grandfather’s Blessing: Whenever an enemy operative that has one of your Poison tokens loses one or more wounds within 7" of this operative, this operative regains up to an equal number of lost wounds (to a maximum of 3 lost wounds per turning point, and only if this operative isn’t incapacitated).
*Toxic: Whenever this operative is using this weapon against an enemy operative that has one of your Poison tokens, add 1 to both Dmg stats of this weapon.
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PLAGUE MARINE, CHAOS, HERETIC ASTARTES, LEADER, CHAMPION
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⌀32mm |
| APL3 |
MOVE5" |
SAVE3+ |
WOUNDS14 |
NAME | ATK | HIT | DMG | WR | ||
| Boltgun | ||||||
| Boltgun | 4 | 3+ | 3/4 | - | ||
| Fists | ||||||
| Fists | 4 | 3+ | 3/4 | - | ||
Grenadier: This operative can use blight and krak grenades (see faction and universal equipment). Doing so doesn’t count towards any limited uses you have (i.e. if you also select those grenades from equipment for other operatives). Whenever it’s doing so, improve the Hit stat of that weapon by 1 and blight grenades have the Toxic weapon rule (see below).
*Toxic: Whenever this operative is using this weapon against an enemy operative that has one of your Poison tokens, add 1 to both Dmg stats of this weapon.
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PLAGUE MARINE, CHAOS, HERETIC ASTARTES, BOMBARDIER
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⌀32mm |
| APL3 |
MOVE5" |
SAVE3+ |
WOUNDS14 |
NAME | ATK | HIT | DMG | WR | ||||
| Flail of Corruption | ||||||||
| Flail of Corruption | 5 | 3+ | 4/5 | Brutal, Severe, Shock, Poison* | Brutal, Severe, Shock, Poison* | |||
FLAIL1AP
Inflict D3+2 damage on each other operative that’s both visible to and within 2" of this operative. Roll separately for each: if it’s an enemy operative, if the D3 result is a 3, that enemy operative also gains one of your Poison tokens (if it doesn’t already have one).
This operative cannot perform this action while it has a Conceal order, or during an activation in which it performed more than one Fight action, and it cannot perform more than one Fight action during an activation in which it performs this action.
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PLAGUE MARINE, CHAOS, HERETIC ASTARTES, FIGHTER
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⌀32mm |
| APL3 |
MOVE5" |
SAVE3+ |
WOUNDS14 |
NAME | ATK | HIT | DMG | WR | ||||
| Plague spewer | ||||||||
| Plague spewer | 5 | 2+ | 3/3 | Range 7", Saturate, Severe, Torrent 2", Poison* | Range 7", Saturate, Severe, Torrent 2", Poison* | |||
| Fists | ||||||||
| Fists | 4 | 3+ | 3/4 | - | ||||
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PLAGUE MARINE, CHAOS, HERETIC ASTARTES, HEAVY GUNNER
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⌀32mm |
| APL3 |
MOVE5" |
SAVE3+ |
WOUNDS14 |
NAME | ATK | HIT | DMG | WR | ||||
| Bolt pistol | ||||||||
| Bolt pistol | 4 | 3+ | 3/4 | Range 8" | Range 8" | |||
| Plague knife | ||||||||
| Plague knife | 5 | 3+ | 3/4 | Severe, Poison* | Severe, Poison* | |||
Icon Bearer: Whenever determining control of a marker, treat this operative’s APL stat as 1 higher. Note this isn’t a change to its APL stat, so any changes are cumulative with this.
Icon of Contagion: Whenever this operative is within your opponent’s territory, the Contagion strategy ploy costs you 0CP.
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PLAGUE MARINE, CHAOS, HERETIC ASTARTES, ICON BEARER
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⌀32mm |
| APL3 |
MOVE5" |
SAVE3+ |
WOUNDS14 |
NAME | ATK | HIT | DMG | WR | ||||
| Entropy | ||||||||
| Entropy | 4 | 3+ | 3/7 | PSYCHIC, Range 7", Saturate, Severe, Poison* | PSYCHIC, Range 7", Saturate, Severe, Poison* | |||
| Plague wind | ||||||||
| Plague wind | 6 | 3+ | 2/3 | PSYCHIC, Saturate, Severe, Torrent 1", Poison* | PSYCHIC, Saturate, Severe, Torrent 1", Poison* | |||
| Corrupted staff | ||||||||
| Corrupted staff | 4 | 3+ | 3/4 | PSYCHIC, Severe, Shock, Stun, Poison* | PSYCHIC, Severe, Shock, Stun, Poison* | |||
POISONOUS MIASMA1AP
PSYCHIC. Select one enemy operative visible to and within 7" of this operative, or one enemy operative that’s a valid target for this operative. That enemy operative gains one of your Poison tokens (if it doesn’t already have one). If it already has one, inflict 3 damage on that enemy operative instead.
This operative cannot perform this action while within control range of an enemy operative.
PUTRESCENT VITALITY1AP
PSYCHIC. Select one friendly operative visible to and within 3" of this operative, then roll 2D6: if the result is 7, the selected operative regains 7 lost wounds; otherwise, the selected operative regains lost wounds equal to the highest D6.
This operative cannot perform this action while within control range of an enemy operative, or more than once per turning point.
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PLAGUE MARINE, CHAOS, HERETIC ASTARTES, PSYKER, MALIGNANT PLAGUECASTER
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⌀32mm |
| APL3 |
MOVE5" |
SAVE3+ |
WOUNDS14 |
NAME | ATK | HIT | DMG | WR | ||||
| Boltgun | ||||||||
| Boltgun | 4 | 3+ | 3/4 | Toxic* | Toxic* | |||
| Plague knife | ||||||||
| Plague knife | 4 | 3+ | 3/4 | Severe, Poison* | Severe, Poison* | |||
Repulsive Fortitude: Whenever an operative is shooting this operative, defence dice results of 5+ are critical successes.
*Toxic: Whenever this operative is using this weapon against an enemy operative that has one of your Poison tokens, add 1 to both Dmg stats of this weapon.
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PLAGUE MARINE, CHAOS, HERETIC ASTARTES, WARRIOR
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⌀32mm |
Shoot1AP
Shoot with the active operative by following the sequence below. The active operative’s player is the attacker. The selected enemy operative’s player is the defender.
An operative cannot perform this action while it has a Conceal order, or while within control range of an enemy operative.
Fight1AP
Fight with the active operative by following the sequence below. The active operative’s player is the attacker. The selected enemy operative’s player is the defender.
An operative cannot perform this action unless an enemy operative is within its control range.
Counteract
When you would activate a ready friendly operative, if all your operatives are expended but your opponent still has ready operatives, you can select an expended friendly operative with an Engage order to perform a 1AP action (excluding Guard) for free. Each operative can only counteract once per turning point. That operative cannot move more than 2", or must be set up wholly within 2" if it’s removed and set up again, while counteracting (this is not a change to its Move stat, and takes precedence over all other rules). Counteracting is optional, so you can choose not to. In either case, activation alternates back to your opponent afterwards.Counteracting isn’t an activation, it’s instead of activating. This difference is important; for instance, it means action restrictions won't apply.
Damage
When damage is inflicted on an operative, reduce their wounds by that amount. An operative’s starting number of wounds is determined by its Wounds stat (see datacards). If an operative’s wounds are reduced to 0 or less, it’s incapacitated, then removed from the killzone. Some rules allow an incapacitated operative to perform a free action before being removed from the killzone. Such an operative cannot perform more than one free action (excluding Place Marker) in this instance, and that operative’s player decides the order of any of its rules that occur before it’s removed from the killzone (taking precedence over the player with initiative deciding).While an operative has fewer than its starting wounds remaining, it’s wounded. While it has fewer than half its starting wounds remaining, it’s also injured. Subtract 2" from the Move stat of injured operatives and worsen the Hit stat of their weapons by 1.
Keep track of each operative’s remaining wounds with dice, tokens or by writing it down.
‘Incapacitated’ and ‘removed from the killzone’ are separate. Some rules take effect when an operative is incapacitated, but before it’s removed.
‘Incapacitated’ and ‘removed from the killzone’ are separate. Some rules take effect when an operative is incapacitated, but before it’s removed.
Control Range
Many rules relate to control range such as moving, fighting and using cover. Something is within an operative’s control range if it’s visible to and within 1" of that operative.Control range between operatives is mutual, therefore operatives are within each other’s control range if one of them is visible to and within 1" of the other.
The terrain is within both operative B and C’s control range.
Because of the terrain, operative B is not visible to operative C, and vice versa, therefore they are not within each other’s control range.
Imagine control range as an area of interaction the operative has with things close to it.
Poison
Nurgle deals in warp-tainted poisons, toxins, viral plagues and sicknesses of the soul that defy both natural resilience and medical intervention.
Some weapons in this team’s rules have the Poison weapon rule.*Poison: In the Resolve Attack Dice step, if you inflict damage with any successes, the operative this weapon is being used against (excluding friendly PLAGUE MARINE operatives) gains one of your Poison tokens (if it doesn’t already have one). Whenever an operative that has one of your Poison tokens is activated, inflict 1 damage on it.
Visible
For an intended target to be Visible, the following must be true:- You can draw an imaginary, unobstructed straight line (known as a Visibility line) 1 mm wide from the head of the active operative’s miniature to any part of the miniature of the intended target (not its base).
In the rare instance that bases or parts of the active operative’s miniature prevent an intended target from being Visible to the active operative, such as when the active operative is directly below or above the intended target, treat those bases and parts as being invisible.
Some rare rules will require you to select a point that is Visible (e.g. a point on the killzone). In such circumstances, you must be able to draw an imaginary, unobstructed straight line 1mm wide from the head of the active operative’s miniature to the point you would select.
Ceaseless
You can re-roll any of your attack dice results of one result (e.g. results of 2).Disgustingly Resilient
The followers of Nurgle possess extreme resilience to bullet and blade, for their hideous forms are swollen by death, decay and disease.
Whenever an attack dice inflicts damage of 3 or more on a friendly PLAGUE MARINE operative, roll one D6: on a 4+, subtract 1 from that inflicted damage.Poison
Nurgle deals in warp-tainted poisons, toxins, viral plagues and sicknesses of the soul that defy both natural resilience and medical intervention.
In the Resolve Attack Dice step, if you inflict damage with any successes, the operative this weapon is being used against (excluding friendly PLAGUE MARINE operatives) gains one of your Poison tokens (if it doesn’t already have one). Whenever an operative that has one of your Poison tokens is activated, inflict 1 damage on it.Devastating x
Each retained critical success immediately inflicts x damage on the operative this weapon is being used against, e.g. Devastating 3. If the rule starts with a distance (e.g. 1" Devastating x), inflict x damage on that operative and each other operative visible to and within that distance of it. Note that success isn’t discarded after doing so — it can still be resolved later in the sequence.Piercing x
The defender collects x less defence dice, e.g. Piercing 1. If the rule is Piercing Crits x, this only comes into effect if you retain any critical successes.Severe
If you don’t retain any critical successes, you can change one of your normal successes to a critical success. Any rules that take effect as a result of retaining a critical success (e.g. Devastating, Piercing Crits, etc.) still do.Range x
Only operatives within x of the active operative can be valid targets, e.g. Range 9".Blast x
The target you select is the primary target. After shooting the primary target, shoot with this weapon against each secondary target in an order of your choice (roll each sequence separately). Secondary targets are other operatives visible to and within x of the primary target, e.g. Blast 2" (they are all valid targets, regardless of a Conceal order). Secondary targets are in cover and obscured if the primary target was.Saturate
The defender cannot retain cover saves.Hot
After an operative uses this weapon, roll one D6. If the result is less than the weapon’s Hit stat, inflict damage on that operative equal to the result multiplied by two. If it’s used multiple times in one action (e.g. Blast), still only roll one D6.Lethal x+
Your successes equal to or greater than x are critical successes, e.g. Lethal 5+.The PLAGUE MARINE keyword is used in the following Plague Marines datacards:
The CHAOS keyword is used in the following Plague Marines datacards:
The HERETIC ASTARTES keyword is used in the following Plague Marines datacards:
Krak grenade
NAME | ATK | HIT | DMG | |
| Krak grenade | 4 | 4+ | 4/5 | |
WR | ||||
Range 6", Piercing 1, Saturate | ||||
BLIGHT GRENADES
These devices are packed with explosives, shards of jagged metal and deadly pathogens that poison any unfortunate enough to survive the initial blast.
Brutal
Your opponent can only block with critical successes.Shock
The first time you strike with a critical success in each sequence, also discard one of your opponent’s unresolved normal successes (or a critical success if there are none).Charge1AP
The same as the Reposition action, except the active operative can move an additional 2".
It can move, and must finish the move, within control range of an enemy operative. If it moves within control range of an enemy operative that no other friendly operatives are within control range of, it cannot leave that operative’s control range.
An operative cannot perform this action while it has a Conceal order, if it’s already within control range of an enemy operative, or during the same activation in which it performed the Reposition, Dash or Fall Back action.
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Torrent x
Select a valid target as normal as the primary target, then select any number of other valid targets within x of the first valid target as secondary targets, e.g. Torrent 2". Shoot with this weapon against all of them in an order of your choice (roll each sequence separately).CONTAGION
Plague Marines are oozing with contagion, their hideous forms emanating a miasma of decay that saps the vigour of their foes.
Subtract 2" from the Move stat of an enemy operative and worsen the Hit stat of its weapons by 1 (this isn’t cumulative with being injured) whenever any of the following are true:
- It’s within control range of friendly PLAGUE MARINE operatives.
- It has one of your Poison tokens and is visible to (or vice versa) and within 3" of friendly PLAGUE MARINE operatives.
- It’s visible to (or vice versa) and within 3" of a friendly PLAGUE MARINE ICON BEARER operative.
Stun
If you retain any critical successes, subtract 1 from the APL stat of the operative this weapon is being used against until the end of its next activation.
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Valid Target
Some rules require you to select a valid target for an operative. This is most common when an operative is shooting, but some rare rules require it too.
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Army List