Games Workshop spilled a ton beans today live and over the last week on the upcoming Codex: Adeptus Custodes. Come see everything we know about the 10,000 to this point.
Today on Warhammer TV Ceri sat down with rules designer Dave Sanders to discuss the new Codex: Adeptus Custodes during their Twitch livestream. This new codex contains updated lore, 27 great stratagems 2 full pages of Relics, 6 Warlord Traits, tactical objectives, and more. Ceri and Dave were gushing over just how many options and flexibility that the Custodes have.
Below are the teasers from the livestream that were not seen before in the previews from this week:
- Jetbikes are expensive.
- Custodian Guards have 3 wounds and plenty of weapon options. They cannot equip a guardian spear and stormshield. They can have a guardian spear or a sentinel blade and stormshield.
- Custodes Guard Box can give you three different units. You can have 3 Guards, a Shield Captain, and a Vexilus Praetor. See below for the vexilus banner abilites.
- Sentinel Storm Stratagem: For 2CP, at end of opponent’s Shooting phase, choose a friendly Custodes unit within 1″ of an enemy. That unit can shoot with its Sentinel Blades as if it were the Shooting phase.
- Castellan Axes for Custodian Wardens are STR 8, -2AP, and D3 Damage. Wardens have 4 attacks.
- Castellan Strike Stratagem: For 1CP, use this strat in the Fight phase on a friendly Custodees unit. As long as more than 1 model is armed with a castellan axe and they are targeting the same unit, that axe’s is improved to -3AP until the end of the phase.
- Misericordia knives cost 4 points and give an extra attack.
- Custodes have a 6+ ignore during the Psychic phase.
- There are different paint schemes for the Custodes.
- Unflinching Stratagem: Improves a unit’s Overwatch.
- Victor of the Blood Games Stratagem: Choose a Custodes character before the battle begins. That character receives 1 free re-roll in each turn.
- Shoulder the Mantle Stratagem: When Warlord is slain, use this strat to choose another Shield Captain on the field to become your Warlord. A Warlord Trait can be chosen for the new warlord.
- Praetorian Plate Relic: allows the bearer to teleport to a chosen Imperial character at the end of the opponent’s Charge phase. They are set up within 3″ of friendly models and 1″ of enemy models.
- Auric Aquilas Relic: given to a Shield Captain on Jetbike and gives them 3+ invulnerable and re-roll charge rolls.
- Auric Shackles Relic: reduces Attack characteristics of enemy characters when close to the bearer. If bearer takes out the enemy Warlord, you score additional D3 victory points.
- There are three relic Vexilus banners. Wrath Angelus allows you to call down an orbital bombardment. The Fulminarus Aggressor essentially shoots lightning bolts and can be used as a melee weapon. Fath Absolute is the last and allows the bearer to attempt to deny the witch. (pictured above is the Vexillas)
- The Obliteratum Relic: a relic grenade launcher that upgrades it to Assault 1, STR 10, -4AP, D3 Damage.
- Champion of the Imperium Warlord Trait: this allows other friendly Custodes units in your army make Heroic Interventions as if they were characters.
- Emperor’s Companion Warlord Trait: re-roll the dice for damage that your Warlord inflicts.
- Radiant Mantle Warlord Trait: gives -1 to all hit rolls that target your Warlord.
- Peerless Warrior Warlord Trait: on a hit roll of 6+, your Warlord can make an extra attack.
- Deliver Victory Tactical Obj.: you get 1 victory point for receiving a victory point.
- Keep Them At Spear’s End Tactical Obj.: have no enemies within 3″ of any Custodes units to achieve.
- Crush Their Resistance Tactical Obj.: Your enemy chooses an objective at the start. If you capture that objective and hold until the end of your turn, score D3 victory points.
Speaking of this week’s previews, here is the rest of what we know up to this point for the Custodes straight from Games Workshop:
The new Adeptus Custodes codex is on its way, and this week Games Workshop is giving us previews of what we’ll be seeing inside the covers. Let’s take a look at what they had to say about it, some of the new elites, new rules, and two new Stratagems.
Custodian Wardens may, at first glance, appear very similar to Custodian Guard, and indeed, these elite warriors perform much the same role as their brethren, but with some added benefits. The first of these is Binding Oaths, a special rule that further boosts the durability of a unit that is already very hard to kill.
With Binding Oaths, you’ll roll a D6 each time a model in this unit loses a wound, and on a 6 the damage is ignored. The chances of rolling a 6 are low, but a couple lucky rolls could save a unit that would’ve otherwise been defeated.
Custodian Wardens can also be equipped with castellan axes, deadly melee weapons that aren’t quite as effective at piercing armour as the guardian spear, but provide a massive +3 boost to the wielder’s Strength!
Allarus Custodians, on the other hand, are relentless Character hunters. Encased in Allarus Terminator armour, these warriors have 4 Wounds apiece and can teleport onto the battlefield, allowing them to close in in close combat very quickly indeed.
Slayers of Tyrants is going to allow the Allarus Custodians to get in close and stay there. After you pile in and consolidate a unit with this rule they can move up to 3″ towards the nearest enemy Character even if it’s not the nearest enemy model. The only catch is they have to finish this move within 1″ of an enemy unit. This is going to combo really well with their new Stratagem.
Inescapable Vengeance costs 2 CPs and is used when you select a unit of Allarus Custodians to attack in the Shooting phase. That unit will then be able to target enemy Characters even if they are not the closest enemy model.
The Allarus Custodians are also getting the Unleash the Lions Stratagem.
Unleash the Lions is going to cost 2 CPs and you’ll use it at the Start of your Movement phase. You’ll then select a unit of Allarus Custodians and split them into separate units, each unit containing a single model. So if you decide you want to hold to different objectives, spend the command points, split them, and send them in different directions.
The armies of the Adeptus Custodes have also received new support options in the form of Vexilus Praetors.These warriors bear the standards of the Adeptus Custodes into battle, designed not just to inspire those who fight around them, but infused with mysterious crypto-technological abilities that aid both the Golden Legion and the Imperial forces that fight alongside them.
The Vexilus Praetors can be equipped with one of the three following standards:
Vexilla Imperius will add 1 to the Attacks characteristic for Adeptus Custodes models, excluding vehicles, while they’re within 6″ of any friendly Vexilus Praetors with this vexilla.
Vexilla Defensor is going to give Imperium Infantry units a 5+ invulnerable save against ranged weapons while they are wholly within 9″ of any friendly Vexilus Praetors with this vexilla. Guardsmen and Marines everywhere are liking this one for sure!
Lastly, Vexilla Magnifica forces your opponent to subtract 1 from hit rolls in the Shooting phase for attacks that target Adeptus Custodes units within 6″ of any friendly Vexilus Praetors with this vexilla.
Every upcoming Adeptus Custodes kit has been cunningly designed so you can also use it to build an HQ option armed with the same wargear as his brethren. This means you’ll be able to take Shield-Captains in inviolate Allarus Terminator armour or mount them on fast-moving Dawneagle jetbikes.
Offensively, you’ll be able to choose from a wide array of wargear, from the classic guardian spear to the new castellan axe, a huge weapon that trades the AP of its predecessor for bonus Strength and idea for cleaving heretics in half.
The Shield-Captain’s statline is pretty impressive. He has a 6″ Movement, 2+ WS/BS, Strength/Toughness 5, 6 Wounds, 5 Attacks, Leadership 9, and a 2+ Save. This is going to be a hard hitting model, and extremely tough to defeat. But will his points match his statline?
Trajann Valoris is the Captain-General of the Adeptus Custodes, making him one of the most powerful military figures in the entire Imperium, charged with defending the Sol System, Terra, and the Imperial Palace.
On the tabletop, Valoris has a statline and set of wargear and abilities to match his reputation, and is among one of the most powerful commanders any Imperium player can field. Valoris has a similar statline to his brethren, but wields a much stronger weapon in the Watcher’s Axe, an artefact that gives him five Strength 10, AP-3 attacks on the charge, dealing D3 damage apiece. This gets even deadlier when you take Valoris’ Legendary Commander ability into account – any friendly Adeptus Custodes within 6″ of Valoris (including himself!) re-roll hit rolls and wound rolls of 1.
From what Games Workshop revealed about Trajaan Valoris he sounds like he’s going to be a force to be reckoned with. An artefact giving him five Strength 10 attacks at AP -3 that do D3 Damage, not to mention he’s dishing out re-rolling hit and wound rolls of 1…. When this guy starts swinging you’re not going to want to be in the way!
He is also armed with the Moment Shackle relic.
Once per battle, if Trajaan Valoris is on the battlefield, you’ll be able to use one of the abilities of the Moment Shackle. You can either regain D3 wounds lost by Trajan Valoris during this phase (not during an attack or if he was slain), pile in and attack with him an additional time at the end of the Fight phase, or regain up to D3 Command Points spent when you use a Stratagem not exceeding the amount that was spent on the Stratagem.
Aegis of the Emperor is giving models with this ability a 5+ invulnerable save, and you’ll roll a D6 each time a model with this ability suffers a mortal wound in the Psychic phase. On a 6 the mortal wound is ignored.
Units with The Emperor’s Chosen is improving unit’s invulnerable save by 1, to a maximum of 3+. Between this and the Aegis of the Emperor, ability Custodes are looking like a tough army to put wounds on.
Sworn Guardians is a nice ability we’ve seen before in other armies that allow units with this ability control an objective marker (as specified in the mission), even if there are more enemy models within range of that objective marker. However, if an enemy unit within range of the same objective marker has a similar ability, then it is controlled by the player with the most models within range of it.
We’re finally getting a look at new Stratagems. Piercing Strike is 1 CP, you’ll use it when you choose an Adeptus Custodes unit from your army to attack in the Fight phase. That unit will get +1 to wound on rolls made for that unit’s guardian spears until the end of the phase. This is on par with the Blood Angels ability and makes their spears effectively Strenght 6 in melee.
From Golden Light They Come is another new Stratagem that can be used during deployment, and only once per battle. For 1 CP you can set up one Adeptus Custodes Infantry, Biker, or Dreadnought unit from your army in a Godstrike-pattern teleportarium array, or two units for 3 CPs. These units can teleport in at the end of any of your movement phase and must be set up more than 9″ away from any enemy models.
Vertus Praetors hearken back to the same ancient, martial traditions that guide the Adeptus Custodes, mirroring the heavy cavalry employed by human armies since the very dawn of time. The technology may have advanced, but the principle is still the same – range ahead of the main body of the force and devastate the foe with crushing lance charges.
On the tabletop, Vertus Praetors are the fastest moving elements of the Adeptus Custodes army, boasting a 14″ move, Fly, and a straight boost of 6″ when they Advance without having to roll.
Where the Vertus Praetors really shine is in their weaponry, helping provide some much-needed anti-armour ability to the Adeptus Custodes army.
The melta missile is going to help take down enemy vehicles with a 24″ range, Heavy 1, Strength 8, AP -4, D6 Damage, and you can re-roll failed wound rolls if your target is a Vehicle.
The other option for salvo launcher is the flakkburst missile. It also has a 24″ range, but it’s Heavy D3, Strength 7, Ap -1, does D3 damage, and the ability adds 1 to all hit rolls that target units that can Fly. The downside is that if it targets any other unit you must subtract 1 from your hit rolls, good thing you have that melta missile to fall back on though.
Question is, will they have a move and fire at full BS mechanic? Either way, we’re stoked for this and some basic bolters if they are at a -1 AP profile as well.
The interceptor lance is going to be a great weapon at close range. It’s giving you +1 Strength, -3 AP, does D3 damage, and you can re-roll failed wound rolls for this weapon in which the bearer made a successful charge. Combine that with the Stooping Dive Stratagem and it could make for a pretty nasty c-c-c-combo.
Note the +1 wound stratagem from yesterday only works with Guardian Spear, so no 8 strength stacking here with this lance.
Stooping Dive is going to cost you 3 CPs, but if you need to attack before your opponent it’s well worth it. You’ll choose an Adeptus Custodes Biker unit that is within 12″ of an enemy unit. You can declare a charge as if it were your Charge phase, and if successful that unit will fight before all others in the subsequent Fight phase, even before charging units.
Networked Machine Spirits is used in your Shooting phase and for 1 CP you’ll choose a Venerable Land Raider from your army and at least one other friendly Venerable Land Raider within 6″ of that model. Neither of these models will suffer any penalties to their hit rolls until the end of the phase.
Nothing says die heretic like Lascannons and Heavy bolters hitting at full BS! However, the Custodes Land Raiders already had this rule for free in the Index. They also currently have a 5+ Invul save, and a 6+ Feel No Pain like mechanic.
Wisdom of the Ancients is going to cost 1 CP and can be used at the start of any phase. You’ll select an Adeptus Custodes Dreadnought from your army and until the end of the phase, you can re-roll hit rolls of 1 for friendly Adeptus Custodes units within 6″ of it. This will work really well with a unit that is equipped with an inceptor lance, allowing you to re-roll failed wound rolls and hit rolls of 1. Similar to their Astartes cousins, this is cool to see as well.
All in all these previews are making the Adeptus Custodes look extremely intimidating on the tabletop. Make sure you check back in with us throughout the rest of the week for the latest previews from Games Workshop.
Heres a little showcase some of the previews we say back at New Years Open Day from Garro:
There you have the latest Codex: Adeptus Custodes teasers from the Twitch livestream. They may be an elite force but that pack a brutal punch. Check back with us regularly for more teasers and previews coverage of the Codex: Adeptus Cusrtodes.
Are you going to be playing this army when the new Codex comes out? Let us know in the comments below.
Latest News & Rumors from Games Workshop
About the Author: Rob Baer
Rob Baer
Job Title: Managing Editor
Founded Spikey Bits in 2009
Socials: Rob Baer on Facebook and @catdaddymbg on X
About Rob Baer: Founder, Publisher, & Managing Editor of Spikey Bits, the leading tabletop gaming news website focused on the hobby side of wargaming and miniatures.
Rob also co-founded and currently hosts the Long War Podcast, which has over 350 episodes and focuses on tabletop miniatures gaming, specializing in Warhammer 40k. and spent six years writing for Bell of Lost Souls.
Every year, along with his co-hosts, he helps host the Long War 40k Doubles Tournament at Adepticon and the Long War 40k Doubles at Las Vegas Open, which attracts over 350 players from around the world.
Rob has won many Warhammer 40k Tournaments over the years, including multiple first-place finishes in Warhammer 40k Grand Tournaments over the years and even winning 1st place at the Adepticon 40k Team Tournament.
With over 30 years of experience in retail and distribution, Rob knows all the products and exactly which ones are the best. As a member of GAMA (Game Manufacturers Association), he advocates for gaming stores and manufacturers in these difficult times, always looking for the next big thing to feature for the miniatures hobby, helping everyone to provide the value consumers want.
While he’s played every edition of Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Fantasy (since 5th Edition) and has been hobbying on miniatures since the 1980s, Titans of all sizes will always be his favorite! It’s even rumored that his hobby vault rivals the Solemnance Galleries, containing rulebooks filled with lore from editions long past, ancient packs of black-bordered Magic Cards, and models made of both pewter and resin.
