Starting a Warhammer 40,000 Crusade campaign begins with drafting your Order of Battle. This is your master roster — the registry of all the units, leaders, and vehicles available to your Crusade Force. Unlike matched play, where you construct a fixed army list for a single game, building a Crusade Force is about assembling a thematic pool of units that will grow, level up, and fight together.
Step-by-step force building guide
To create a legal starting Crusade Force, follow this simple sequence between campaigns or before your first match:
1. Select your Faction and Detachment
Choose a primary army faction (such as Space Marines, Necrons, or Orks). All units on your Order of Battle must share this Faction keyword. You also select a Detachment, which grants your army specific rules and access to character Enhancements.
2. Establish your starting Supply Limit
A new Crusade Force begins with a Supply Limit of 1000 points. The cumulative point costs of all units listed on your Order of Battle cannot exceed this limit.
3. Recruit starting units
Add units to your roster within the 1000-point limit. For each unit you add, record their starting points cost, equipped wargear, and initial Crusade Card. Every unit starts at the Battle-ready rank with 0 XP.
Character requirements and limits
Your starting Crusade Force must include at least one CHARACTER unit to lead them. Furthermore, you cannot include the same Epic Hero (such as Guilliman or Ghazghkull) more than once, and you can have a maximum of 3 units with the same datasheet name (or 6 if they have theBattleline or Dedicated Transport keyword).
4. Allocate starting Requisition Points
Your Crusade Force begins with 5 Requisition Points (RP). You can spend these points immediately to purchase character upgrades (like Enhancements via the Renowned Heroes requisition) or save them for future supply expansion and unit recovery.
Mustering your army list for battle
When it is time to play a match, you and your opponent will agree on a Battle Size(such as an Incursion game at 1000 points).
You then select units from your master Order of Battle to form your army list for that specific match. The point cost of the chosen units must fit within the agreed Battle Size, and you must select one of your Character units to be your Warlord.
Any units left behind remain in reserve on your Order of Battle. They do not participate in the match or earn XP, but they are safe from injury and ready for the next deployment.
This guide explains how to draft a Crusade Force and Order of Battle in Warhammer 40,000. For official rules and datasheets, please refer to Games Workshop rules. Echelon is an independent campaign tracker and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Games Workshop.