The Death Guard are a Chaos Space Marine Legion in Warhammer 40,000, originally known as the Dusk Raiders. Led by their Primarch Mortarion, they were renowned for their resilience and grim combat tactics. During the Horus Heresy, Mortarion allied with Horus and pledged to Nurgle, the Chaos God of decay, transforming his Legion into the Plague Marines.
As servants of Nurgle, the Death Guard are characterized by their incredible toughness and the ability to spread disease and corruption. Their units, like Plague Marines and Blightlord Terminators, are slow but nearly unkillable, wielding diseased weapons and fighting alongside Nurgle’s daemons. The Death Guard excel in close-quarters combat and attrition warfare, slowly advancing and wearing down their enemies.
Notable characters include Mortarion, now a Daemon Prince of Nurgle, and Typhus, the Herald of Nurgle, who commands the zombie plague. The Death Guard’s aesthetic is defined by decayed armor and grotesque mutations, making them a popular and visually distinctive faction.
In gameplay, the Death Guard’s durability and ability to mitigate damage make them formidable opponents. Their lore and unique visual style, filled with themes of decay and resilience, have cemented their place as a significant and intriguing faction in the Warhammer 40,000 universe.