A Jump Pack Chaplain leading five Vanguard Veterans, 195 points. These are honestly my favourite models from the new Space Marine range. On paper they look freakishly strong: 12" moves, Deep Strike, Lance from the Chaplain and Sustained Hits from an upgrade. I haven't played them a lot yet, so this isn't a "how I win games" guide. It's how the unit works, why I love it, and the one choice I still can't decide on.
Written for Warhammer 40,000 11th edition, November 2026. Rules checked against the official app and the current datasheets. Points and rules change with balance updates; I update this page when they do.
The unit (195 points)
| Unit | Loadout | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Chaplain with Jump Pack | Crozius Arcanum, Absolvor bolt pistol, plus the Furious Assault upgrade | 75 + 10 |
| Vanguard Veteran Squad with Jump Packs (5 models) | Sergeant with a relic blade; 4 Veterans with master-crafted power weapons | 110 |
| Total | 6 models, all Jump Pack | 195 |
A ten-model Vanguard squad is 220 points. Your third copy of the unit costs a bit more (130 for five), like most units this edition.
Why it looks so good on paper
- Speed: everyone has a jump pack, so the whole unit moves 12" and flies over terrain.
- Deep Strike: the Chaplain and the Vets can both arrive from reserves, so you can drop them exactly where you need them.
- Vanguard Assault: when the squad charges, the Veterans get +1 attack in melee.
- Litany of Hate: the Chaplain gives the unit's melee attacks Lance, so the charge hits even harder.
- Furious Assault (+10 points): the unit's melee attacks get Sustained Hits 1 against anything that isn't a Monster or Vehicle. Extra hits on 6s against infantry adds up fast.
- Exhortation of Rage: once the unit is down to half strength or less, it re-rolls wound rolls in melee. Even a beaten-up squad stays dangerous.
The detachment: Assault Brethren (1 Detachment Point)
This unit fits the Assault Brethren detachment. Its rule, Assault Mastery, lets you pick the assault doctrine one extra time per battle, and it costs only 1 Detachment Point. One catch: it's one of three "Doctrines" detachments (with Tactical Brethren and Devastator Brethren), and you can only take one of those three in the same army. The app won't let you add a second.
The stratagems that fit this squad:
- Gene-wrought Might (1 CP): the unit's melee attacks get Lance, or Lance and +1 AP if the assault doctrine is active. With the Chaplain already giving Lance, the real value here is the extra AP when you're in the assault doctrine.
- Duty in Death (1 CP): when an enemy fights this unit first, models that die can still fight back on a 4+ (3+ with the assault doctrine), then they're removed.
- Armour of Contempt (1 CP): enemy attacks against the unit get worse AP for the rest of that attack.
Furious Assault counts as an enhancement, and a unit can only have one. So if the Chaplain takes Furious Assault, this unit can't also take Imperium's Sword (20 points). I go with Furious Assault.
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How the unit is meant to play
From reading the rules and the few games I've tried, the idea is simple: keep them in reserve, drop them in where the enemy is weak or where an objective needs clearing, and charge. The +1 attack, Lance and Sustained Hits all trigger together on that first charge, which is where this unit does its best work. If the squad takes losses, Exhortation of Rage and Duty in Death help it still hit back.
The big risk is that five models in power armour don't survive long if they get shot to pieces before they charge, so timing matters more than raw damage.
The question I can't answer yet: pistol or shield?
Every Veteran can swap their heavy bolt pistol for a combat shield, which gives a 5+ invulnerable save. (Up to two in every five can also take a plasma pistol instead.)
| Option | What you get | What you give up |
|---|---|---|
| Heavy bolt pistol | An 18" shot (S5, AP-1) before the charge, and it works in close quarters | No invulnerable save |
| Combat shield | A 5+ invulnerable save against big hits | The pistol shot |
I like the pistol, and it looks great on the models. The shield sounds smarter for a unit that has to survive one turn to make its charge. I genuinely don't know which is better in practice yet, so if you run Vanguard Vets, tell me what you take.
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Want to build this squad?
The Vanguard Veteran Squad with Jump Packs kit builds five, and the Chaplain with Jump Pack is a separate model. I'm strongly considering buying more Vets myself to run a full ten.
My take
I'll be honest: I bought and painted these because they look amazing, and they're my favourite models from the new Space Marines. On paper the rules back that up, with speed, Deep Strike, Lance and Sustained Hits all in one squad. I'm still figuring out how to use them well. How do you run your Vanguard Vets, and do you go pistol or shield?
Sources
- Warhammer 40,000 app (Games Workshop): Space Marines datasheets and stratagems warhammer.com
Written by the WIZY creator
A lifelong gamer and Warhammer painter from Calgary, Canada, and the maker of the Crusade Journal and the WIZY RPG game. I write about games, hardware, Warhammer and crypto in plain English, and I check every fact against its source.
