Warhammer 40K Army Building: Points, Detachments & List Math
Building a Warhammer 40,000 army for 10th Edition is a balancing act between points budget, detachment rules, and the unavoidable math of model count vs. cost. Whether you're prepping a 1,000-point Combat Patrol or a 2,000-point Strike Force, getting the points right is the first step before any tactic matters.
10th Edition Game Sizes (Standard Points Brackets)
| Game Size | Points | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|
| Combat Patrol | 500-600 (boxed) | Beginner-friendly, 30-45 minute games |
| Incursion | 1,000 | Quick competitive games, narrow detachments |
| Strike Force | 2,000 | The standard tournament size in 10th Ed. |
| Onslaught | 3,000 | Long campaign games and Apocalypse-lite events |
The Detachment Tax: Why Lists Don't Hit Exactly 2,000
Most competitive 2,000-point lists land between 1,975 and 2,000. Players leave a small buffer for two reasons:
- Enhancement / Warlord traits: Many 10th Edition detachments give characters paid enhancements (15-45 points each). It's easy to misremember an enhancement cost and bust over 2,000.
- Battle-line minimums: Some detachments require minimum Battle-line units. If your math is tight, swapping a single squad blows past the cap.
Points-per-Wound: A Quick Durability Heuristic
A useful back-of-envelope number for comparing units is points per wound, adjusted for Toughness, Save, and Invulnerable Save. Two units at the same points can have wildly different effective health pools:
| Profile | Wounds | T / Sv | Effective HP vs AP-1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10x Battle-line infantry @ 100pts | 10 | T4 / 3+ | ~20 wounds (33% save through AP-1) |
| Elite 3-model unit @ 100pts | 9 (3 wounds each) | T6 / 2+ | ~13.5 wounds (more durable per wound, fewer total) |
| Single character @ 100pts | 5 | T5 / 2+ / 4++ | ~8 effective (great vs AP, melts to mass fire) |
Common List-Building Mistakes
- All eggs, one basket: One huge 600-point unit gets focused down turn 1. Spread your damage across at least 2-3 threats.
- No screen units: Cheap chaff blocks deep-strike and protects priority targets. Always budget ~150-200 points for screens.
- Forgetting secondary scoring: 10th Edition's mission deck rewards mobility and board presence. A list with zero fast units struggles to score Engage on All Fronts.
- Misreading wargear costs: Some weapon upgrades that were "free" in older editions cost points now. Always re-check the most recent Munitorum Field Manual.
Bottom Line
Use our 40K points calculator to lock in a legal list before paint hits primer. Account for detachment enhancements, leave a small points buffer, and balance durable battle-line with mobile scoring units. The army that lands on the table at 1,995 points usually beats the one that lands at exactly 2,000 with a list-building error.