Death Guard or World Eaters: which Chaos Combat Patrol first?
Game facts checked 29 October 2026. Prices and stock are read live.
Death Guard is the slow, tough force: 13 miniatures, a Rhino and a leader who helps your shooting. World Eaters charge across the board with 22 miniatures and no vehicle. Start by counting how many models you are willing to paint.
Both boxes cost £86.11; the table below gives the stock for each. Games Workshop described both in April 2025, before the 11th edition, so check the app for their Combat Patrol rules.
What is in each box
| Box | What is inside | Models | Stock |
|---|---|---|---|
| Death Guard | Lord of Virulence, Tallyman, 3 Deathshroud Terminators, 7 Plague Marines, Chaos Rhino | 13 | sold out at the moment |
| World Eaters | Daemon Prince, Master of Executions, 10 Khorne Berzerkers, 10 Jakhals, 2 transfer sheets | 22 | sold out at the moment |
How the two are meant to play
Warhammer Community, Games Workshop's news site, says the Death Guard force stands alone in short Combat Patrol games and is a sound start for a bigger army. The Lord of Virulence makes coordinated fire work better, and the Rhino carries Plague Marines forward.
World Eaters are described as furious assault troops ready to tear their foes to pieces. Twenty infantry plus a Daemon Prince and a Master of Executions mean you will charge and swing early. Replies in a beginner thread warned that a pure melee army has a hard time against a shooting army that sits in cover. Others said the choice matters less than people think, because most players only ever own one or two armies.
How much painting each box means
Players call Death Guard forgiving, because dirt and washes hide small errors, but slow, because every model carries different textures. They say World Eaters have the most trim of the two, with brass edging and a lot of skin to do. The Death Guard box has 13 models to paint and the World Eaters box has 22. The number of models can matter more than the colour.
The spray we list for the army is Death Guard Green, which is sold out at the moment.
A simple rule
- Count the models you are willing to paint in the next two months. Our rule of thumb: under 15 models suits Death Guard, which has 13. Over 20 suits World Eaters, which has 22. Between 15 and 20, decide on how you want to win and on whether you already own one of the boxes.
- Think about how you want to win: sitting on objectives with tough infantry, or charging at them.
- If you already own one box, paint it before you buy the other. That was the top reply when someone asked on Reddit which of the two to pick.
Common questions
Is Death Guard or World Eaters better for a first Chaos army?
Neither is better. Death Guard suits a slow, tough army with a Rhino and fewer models to paint. World Eaters suit a fast melee army with more models. Pick the one you would happily paint for the next two months.
How many models are in the Death Guard and World Eaters Combat Patrols?
Death Guard has 13 miniatures: a Lord of Virulence, a Tallyman, three Deathshroud Terminators, seven Plague Marines and a Chaos Rhino. World Eaters has 22: a Daemon Prince, a Master of Executions, ten Khorne Berzerkers and ten Jakhals. It also has two transfer sheets of 200 transfers each, according to Warhammer Community.
Can I use these Combat Patrols in 11th edition?
That is not confirmed yet. Combat Patrol launched in the Warhammer 40,000 app in July 2026 with the core boxes, and older sets were to follow. Games Workshop did not list which boxes count as core. Look for these two in the app's Combat Patrol section, and read our app page for what else it covers.
Death Guard box: Warhammer Community, 20 April 2025. World Eaters box: Warhammer Community, 26 April 2025. Miniature counts: box photos on our listings, read 29 October 2026. Combat Patrol in the app: Warhammer Community, 23 July 2026. Painting views and the first-army question: Reddit hobby threads, 2026. Prices and stock: this shop, read live.