Custodes Info

[pretre]

7 minutes ago, WestRider said:

Here's the thing I don't get about the Custodes. They talk all the time about how this is the first time they've left Terra since the Heresy, but they also say that they have "centuries of battlefield experience". Where were they getting this battlefield experience if they weren't leaving Terra? I don't think there's been any real fighting on Terra since Sebastian Thor's Crusade toppled Vandire's reign.

[InfestedKerrigan]

6 hours ago, WestRider said:

Here's the thing I don't get about the Custodes. They talk all the time about how this is the first time they've left Terra since the Heresy, but they also say that they have "centuries of battlefield experience". Where were they getting this battlefield experience if they weren't leaving Terra? I don't think there's been any real fighting on Terra since Sebastian Thor's Crusade toppled Vandire's reign.

Hunger Games

[Psilence]

Currently reading this one.  

It sheds a little light onto their combat experience.

Its set right as the poop hits the fan at the start of 8th ed.  Pretty enjoyable so far.

[InfestedKerrigan]

Adeptus Custodes Preview Part 5: Stratagems

After 10,000 years as the Imperium’s final line of defence, the Adeptus Custodes are marching forth from Terra in force, and thanks to a new codex, you’ll be able to lead them in battle with new units, Stratagems, Relics and much more. In today’s preview, we’re checking out the cunning tricks you’ll be able to play on your opponents with the new Adeptus Custodes Stratagems.

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While the martial might of the Adeptus Custodes is legendary, it’s not just wargear or training that makes them a terrifying force on the battlefield, but their strategic genius. Each member of the Adeptus Custodes is a honed statesman and commander, sharpened by psycho-indoctrination, careful study of history and the constant oversight of one of the most important military operations in the Imperium – the continued defence of Terra from threats both without and within.

Thanks to the new Codex: Adeptus Custodes, you’ll be able to represent this tactical mastery with no fewer than 27 Stratagems, providing new opportunities for matched play gamers to outsmart their foes, giving narrative fans thematic ways to roleplay with their army and even offering a sneaky reference or two to Rogue Trader…

The Tanglefoot Grenade is a new Stratagem representing one of Warhammer 40,000’s oldest pieces of wargear. Back in the day, grenades and missiles could bear a dizzying array of payloads, with tanglefoot ammunition being one of them. These have been re-canonised as ancient relics in the new Codex: Adeptus Custodes, and a pretty handy one at that – whether you’re trying to wreck an enemy charge or stop a particular target getting away, you’ll find them very useful indeed.

Concussion Grenades are another returning relic from Rogue Trader, designed to work with the Allarus Custodians. Use them before charging into combat and you’ll be able to neutralise your opponent’s most dangerous units

Of course, with an elite army like the Adeptus Custodes, you’ll be very vulnerable should you start taking casualties, but thankfully, the Stratagems in the book contain several ways to overcome this. One combination in the book we particularly like is following Even in Death – which allows your Custodians to attack after they’re slain – with Shoulder the Mantle – which allows you to nominate a new character in your army as the Warlord. By doing so, you’ll be able to deny your enemy the crucial Slay the Warlord secondary objective in most missions while doing some damage on your way out.

Meanwhile, for your larger units, the Avenge the Fallen Stratagem allows any unit your opponent has decided to focus on in any given Fight phase to hit back, and hard.

As befits an army that fights alongside the wider Imperium, acting as bodyguards or agents to other Imperial figures, there are tools in the codex to support mixed armies too. If you’re fielding an Astra Militarum army, for instance, you’ll find a nearby unit of Custodian Guard a valuable source of extra morale thanks to the Avatars of the Emperor Stratagem.

Between the new Stratagems and units, the armies of the Adeptus Custodes offer surprising tactical depth to the canny general, making them a rewarding choice for the cerebral player. Come back tomorrow for our final preview, where we’ll be checking out the various Warlord Traits and Relics you’ll be able to use to customise your Adeptus Custodes Characters…

[InfestedKerrigan]

13 hours ago, Psilence said:

Currently reading this one.  

It sheds a little light onto their combat experience.

Its set right as the poop hits the fan at the start of 8th ed.  Pretty enjoyable so far.

I read the first couple chapters and I maintain "Hunger Games" as my answer.

[Swan-of-War]

Are Sisters of Silence going to be in this codex or are they still split off separately?

[InfestedKerrigan]

All signs point to separate.

[Swan-of-War]

20 hours ago, InfestedKerrigan said:

All signs point to separate.

Thank you!

[InfestedKerrigan]

22 hours ago, Swan-of-War said:

Thank you!

The future is hazy 

[InfestedKerrigan]

Adeptus Custodes Preview 6: Warlord Traits and Relics

After 10,000 years as the Imperium’s final line of defence, the Adeptus Custodes are marching forth from Terra in force, and thanks to a new codex, you’ll be able to lead them in battle with new units, Stratagems, Relics and much more. In our final preview, we’re checking out the Relics and Warlord Traits you’ll be able to use to customise your characters:

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As the guardians of Terra and the Imperial Palace, the Adeptus Custodes aren’t just bodyguards but the stewards of that which the Imperium holds most dear – or finds most fearful.

The new Codex: Adeptus Custodes features one named Character, but by the same coin, also contains all sorts of tools for creating storied heroes of your own. Every Shield-Captain you make represents a hero without peer, armed with a unique set of skills and wargear, and you’ll be able to use Relics, Warlord Traits and differing wargear options to suit your needs.

Firstly, the Adeptus Custodes have a much larger selection of Relics than other armies. All in all, you’ll have 13 Relics of Terra, including items that provide support to your whole army and archeotech weapons which improve combat prowess.

The Adeptus Custodes have a variety of roles in the Imperium, acting to protect Terra according to their own mysterious motivations. Some, such as the Aquilan Shield, escort and protect individuals they believe to be essential to the Emperor’s safety, and with the Praetorian Plate, you’ll be able to turn a Shield-Captain into the ultimate bodyguard.

Suddenly, your commander just got a lot harder to kill – or Saint Celestine just gained a deadly friend in your opponent’s Charge phase.

Perhaps you instead want your Shield-Captain to belong to the ebon-clad Shadowkeepers, guardians of those last terrors of Old Night that dwell in the Black Cells. In this case, you can use the Auric Shackles:

In Warhammer 40,000, killing one another is all well and good, but to win your games, you’ll need more victory points than your foe. In a closely matched scenario, an extra couple of points from killing your opponent’s leader could well spell the difference between victory and defeat.

As a highly elite, specialised fighting force, any casualty the Adeptus Custodes suffer is going to sting, and making your opponent bleed for every loss they inflict is the best revenge. The Raiment of Sorrows means that every Infantry and Biker model standing near the wielder has the chance to make one final attack, meaning enemies are forced to consider the risk of enduring another volley from your Vertus Praetors’ salvo launchers or hail of blows from a Custodian Warden’s castellan axe.

Of course, providing a measure of protection for your troops is one thing, but most of all, you’ll want to keep your Characters safe. Should your superb saves and high Wounds count not prove up to the task, there are a couple of easy ways to give yourself a 3+ invulnerable save:

The latter is particularly useful, providing a straight 3+ save for a Shield-Captain mounted on a Dawneagle jetbike, even if he leads a mixed Imperium Detachment.

It’s not just Shield-Captains who can benefit from Relics – your Vexilus Praetors can also arm themselves with rare Vexilla that provide bonuses to ALL Imperium forces nearby. The Fulminaris Aggressor, for instance, lets all nearby Imperium Infantry and Bikers pass Morale tests AND smites your foes with righteous lightning! Nifty, right? Just imagine combining it with an Astra Militarum gunline…

Of course, Relics are only one of the ways in which you can customise your Adeptus Custodes Characters, and if you’re using an Adeptus Custodes Warlord, you’ll be able to pick from a range of Warlord Traits to improve their already prodigious personal prowess even further.

Champion of the Imperium is the ideal choice for more cunning Adeptus Custodes commanders, allowing every single Custodian close to your leader to make Heroic Interventions.

Suddenly, charging your units becomes very risky indeed and, used in conjunction with other forces of the Imperium, you’ll be able to use your Custodians to counter-attack anyone charging more fragile units.

One Warlord Trait, in particular, can prove extremely useful if you’re using a pure Adeptus Custodes army and encounter a powerful enemy Psyker.

Impregnable Mind allows your Warlord to Deny the Witch and adds one to the test – not enough to stand up to a dedicated psychic onslaught, but certainly enough to deny your opponent a particularly critical power.

Finally, everyone hates watching their favourite Characters get killed, so more durability is always welcome. The Superior Creation Warlord Trait helps your leader resist mortal wounds or deal with anything that manages to pierce their impressive saves.

You won’t have to wait long to start writing your own Shield-Captains’ legends – Codex: Adeptus Custodes is available to pre-order right now!

[InfestedKerrigan]

Yup, I'm sold on conscripting Custodes into Legio Pinktus.

[InfestedKerrigan]

Heroes of the Imperium

It’s a bumper week for the Imperium of Man, as heroes old and new are released, along with a brand new codex!

For ten thousand years, the Adeptus Custodes have been confined mostly to the Sol System, bound by ancient dictates to defend the Throneworld from threats internal and external and standing vigil over the Emperor. But with the Cicatrix Maledictum splitting the galaxy in twain and darkness falling over swathes of the Imperium, the Golden Host marches forth once more – and they’ve brought a new codex with them.

Codex: Adeptus Custodes is your essential guide to the Ten Thousand, featuring army background, miniatures showcases (including variant colour schemes if you want your host to be slightly less golden) and all the rules you need to field your Adeptus Custodes miniatures in games of Warhammer 40,000. There are 12 new and updated datasheets covering the entire range of models usable in an Adeptus Custodes force, plus loads of rules that can be used by Battle-forged Detachments of the Emperor’s guardians. These include 27 unique Stratagems, 13 Relics of Terra, 6 Warlord Traits and 6 Tactical Objectives, and of course, there are points values for every model and piece of wargear, allowing you to build a force for matched play.

The codex is available in hardback and eBook formats, as well as an iBooks-exclusive Enhanced Edition that is packed with features to make browsing the book and finding rules a breeze. If you want something as lavish as Custodian armour, you can pick up either the Collector’s Edition or Limited Edition. The former has a soft touch cover with artwork on the front and back (and the original codex art inside), plus black page edges and a marker ribbon. The Limited Edition has a unique cloth-bound cover and gold-edged pages, and it’s packaged in a slipcase with loads of goodies – 6 Adeptus Custodes-themed metal Tactical Objective markers, cards for the datasheets in the book, and a double-sided poster that includes the codex cover art, six different Custodian colour schemes and a map of the Imperium.

In addition to the codex, you can pick up a pack of Datacards: Adeptus Custodes, which includes all 36 Tactical Objectives and 30 Stratagems, all on handy cards with themed artwork on the card backs. And if you want to roll dice worthy of your warriors, the Adeptus Custodes Dice set contains 20 golden dice with black symbols, each of them a formidable 16mm in size. Each face has a stylised border, and the 1s have been replaced with skulls, while the 6s have the sigil of the Adeptus Custodes.

However, dice are no good without models to roll them for… and this week also sees the first releases in the new Adeptus Custodes range. First up are the Allarus Custodians. Considered elite even among the storied ranks of the Custodian Guard, these heroes are clad in Allarus Terminator armour, the finest war-plate the Imperium has to offer. The models can be armed with either a guardian spear or a castellan axe, along with their deadly balistus grenade launchers, and the kit also comes with optional misericordia (the power knives many Custodians carry) as well as alternative heads for each of the three models. This versatile kit can also build leaders for your army, including options for a Shield-Captain and Vexilus Praetor.

Speaking of leaders, also available to pre-order now is Trajann Valoris, Captain-General of the Adeptus Custodes. One of the Imperium’s greatest heroes, he is the commander of the Ten Thousand with all the power of one of the High Lords of Terra – and he’s just as powerful on the tabletop as well! His Watcher’s Axe (incorporating the ancient bolt weapon, the Eagle’s Scream) can deal heavy damage to even the mightiest of foes, while his ornate armour and the Dark Age relic known as the Moment Shackle are proof against most attacks. His Legendary Commander ability also powers up all Adeptus Custodes around him, allowing them to re-roll hit and wound rolls of 1, making him the lynchpin of a Custodian assault.

But Trajann Valoris is not the only Imperial hero on pre-order now. Several of the models from last year’s Triumvirate of the Imperium and Triumvirate of the Primarch are now available separately. Roboute Guilliman, Primarch of the Ultramarines, brings the power of the Emperor’s sons to the tabletop and is actually a perfect accompaniment to an Adeptus Custodes army, as several of his abilities work on any models with the Imperium keyword (plus it makes narrative sense to have the Imperial Regent accompanied by the Custodians). Celestine, the Living Saint and her two Geminae Superia can bless nearby allies with the Emperor’s grace, as well as being powerful – and extremely difficult to kill – heroes in their own right. Finally, the prodigious psychic might and steely determination of Inquisitor Greyfax make her a valuable ally against enemy Psykers and Daemons.

There is one fly in the Imperial ointment, however… also available to pre-order is Cypher. This mysterious, robed Fallen Angel, wielding twin pistols and with a suspiciously lion-y sword on his back, is loyal to none but himself, and his motives are shrouded in mystery. He aided Guilliman during the events of the Gathering Storm, but who can say what his eventual goals are? Appropriately, he can be used in both Imperial and Chaos armies, where his gunslinging abilities and the favour of some sort of gods (but which ones?) make him a useful figure to have in a close-range firefight.

Each of these kits, along with the new codex, datacards and dice, can be pre-ordered now, ready for release next weekend, and to pass the week while you wait to pick them up, you can see the Adeptus Custodes in battle in the Black Library novel The Emperor’s Legion, or catch up with Roboute Guilliman in Dark Imperium and Saint Celestine in Shroud of Night.

[SPaceORK]

I really wanna know points here! If they are like 40ish points for basic dudes they will be super fun. Lots of dudes in glittery armor! But I'm guessing it's closer to 60 and they will be gimped by points like sm termies.

[WestRider]

sauce

[AgentP]

Points costs with basic gear

Basic Dude 52

bike 90

terminators 84

 

 

[InfestedKerrigan]

Next Week’s pre-orders: The Ever-changing and the Ever-vigilant

Next week, the Adeptus Custodes are receiving some reinforcement from two new elite units – but they’re followed closely by the sinister forces of the Thousand Sons and their Tzaangor servants.

Every member of the Adeptus Custodes is a master of warfare in all of its forms, but certain members show particularly notable talents. Those who excel at surgical strikes and hold particular loathing for enemy commanders serve with the Allarus Custodians (now available for pre-order), while some can take their enhanced reaction speeds and immense dexterity and marry them to a Dawneagle Jetbike; part bike, part indomitable weapons platform. These are known as the Vertus Praetors, and next week, you’ll be able to pre-order them for your army.

On the tabletop, you’ll find these guys invaluable, capable of surging up the table ahead of your main force and tying up key enemies or taking objectives. Alternatively, equip yours with salvo launchers and they’ll act as versatile tank and aircraft hunters – indeed, thanks to the Fly keyword, you’ll even be able to bring down particularly stubborn Stormravens with a concentrated lance charge – how very Warhammer 40,000! You’ll be able to use your kit to build a Shield-Captain on Dawneagle Jetbike, too, a great HQ for a rapid-assault Adeptus Custodes army.

Some members of the Adeptus Custodes have something that can’t be manufactured or trained – raw experience. The very oldest of the Golden Legion are known as Custodian Wardens, each several centuries old and imbued with several lifetimes worth of practice overseeing the greatest military operation in the Imperium – the defence of Terra.

In your army, Custodian Wardens boast additional wargear compared to their less experienced brethren, such as the mighty castellan axe, and, thanks to their oaths of service, can resist wounds that would lay another man low. They’re perfect for defending objectives or holding your opponent’s most dangerous units with. Like the Vertus Praetors kit, you’ll be able to use this set to build a Shield-Captain, as well as a Vexilus Praetor, a support unit whose abilities can boost both Adeptus Custodes and Imperium armies as he bears aloft the vexilla of his shield company

[spagunk]

On 1/18/2018 at 10:30 AM, WestRider said:

Here's the thing I don't get about the Custodes. They talk all the time about how this is the first time they've left Terra since the Heresy, but they also say that they have "centuries of battlefield experience". Where were they getting this battlefield experience if they weren't leaving Terra? I don't think there's been any real fighting on Terra since Sebastian Thor's Crusade toppled Vandire's reign.

The way I heard it is that they capture various chaos entities/Marines and what not and practice combat against them. Additionally, their blood games include setting up and executing invasion games to test defenses and offensive. From what I know, they aren't mock ups either and they do end up killing each other doing these. Don't know enough to have the whole picture but the idea is that they aren't as idle as it seem even if they rarely leave Terra itself.

[WestRider]

6 hours ago, spagunk said:

The way I heard it is that they capture various chaos entities/Marines and what not and practice combat against them. Additionally, their blood games include setting up and executing invasion games to test defenses and offensive. From what I know, they aren't mock ups either and they do end up killing each other doing these. Don't know enough to have the whole picture but the idea is that they aren't as idle as it seem even if they rarely leave Terra itself.

I've seen some bits about that since I made that post. Still doesn't seem like enough to capture the full scope of warfare against all the different foes of the Imperium, on all the different battlefields, in the way that, say, a Space Marine of similar seniority would have experienced.

[dalmer]

Hello there,

... and don't forget that the Custodes are "built" from the flesh and blood of the Emperor himself, so with that genetic coding / experience and the fact that they do not age biologically, each Custodes could be survivors from whence they were first created around the Unification Wars.

And thus 1000 years' of battle experience probably leads to a few skill sets.  With the return of Guilliman (who they allowed to see papa for one day) they're re-energized, have cast off their cloak colors of shame and are going forth.  Same Custodes as prior to the Heresy.  That's some battlefield experience there.

 

Stay safe,

don

[WestRider]

I thought I read somewhere that even the oldest are "only" a couple thousand years old at this point. Pretty sure there aren't any Unification/Crusade/Heresy era Custodes around anymore.

[dalmer]

"The Emperor's Legion" by Chris Wraight is the most recent book about them.  Some good stuff in there about them. 

Also if you have the 7th edition codex from "Talons of the Emperor" there's their history in their along with this blurb:  "Near immortal are the Adeptus Custodes, for the golden elixir of the Emperor's own blood runs in their veins. Though outwardly resplendent, there is a scar upon the soul of the Custodian Guard, an inescapable disgrace that has tainted their history and lives in the heart of every warrior, from fresh inductees to veterans over a thousand years old."  etc etc etc

 

[WestRider]

If they're putting "over a thousand years old" as the upper range, that strongly suggests to me that there aren't any that are over 10,000 years old, or even close to it.

[InfestedKerrigan]

On 1/18/2018 at 10:30 AM, WestRider said:

Here's the thing I don't get about the Custodes. They talk all the time about how this is the first time they've left Terra since the Heresy, but they also say that they have "centuries of battlefield experience". Where were they getting this battlefield experience if they weren't leaving Terra? I don't think there's been any real fighting on Terra since Sebastian Thor's Crusade toppled Vandire's reign.

Sure, if you subscribe to Imperial Propaganda that is going to say Holy Terra and Sol have been peaceful sanctuaries, sure.

[dalmer]

Aye, the never-ending battle at the warp breach keeps them honed.  And, as another has already mentioned, the Blood Games.  That's the best part about 40k's lore... nuggets here, nuggets there, interpretations abound.

And in the book "The Emperor's Legion" it's detailed that they didn't ASK to be confined to the Imperial Palace... Robbie G enacted that into law.  Which they didn't fully abide by, sending folks abroad for their own missions.

So again, lots open to interpretation which is a good thing. 

[InfestedKerrigan]

the Adeptus Custodes are receiving reinforcements!

Two new kits are available to pre-order now. The first is the Custodian Wardens. Consisting of five models armed with either castellan axes or guardian spears, these ever-vigilant watchmen wear ceremonial robes over their armour and are sculpted to stand upright and ready for any threat to the objective they are defending. The kit includes the parts to turn one warrior into a Shield-Captain to lead your force, and another into a Vexilus Praetor, who will inspire your forces with his Custodes Vexilla.

Excitingly, also out are the Vertus Praetors. These are Custodians riding jetbikes of an ancient design – the Dawneagle pattern – which carry interceptor lance-wielding Custodians to destroy mankind’s enemies. The kit builds three models, each jetbike bedecked in ornate iconography that matches the riders’ armour and can be armed with either a hurricane bolter or a deadly salvo launcher. The latter can ravage armoured foes with melta missiles, or rake the sky with flakkburst missiles to take down enemy Flyers. And if you want to get loads of these and put together a rapid response force of Adeptus Custodes, there are parts in the kit to turn one into a Shield-Captain, meaning you can have a Dawneagle jetbike-mounted commander for your Detachment too!