New Adeptus Custodes and Genestealer Cults are here along with their 40k codex books and Shadow Throne the new 2-player box set!
Another big online GW Preview for all things Warhammer is here! Catch all the latest reveals from Warhammer TV and Warhammer Community along with our team’s commentary!
Warhammer Day Preview
Saturday the 30th of October is Warhammer Day and there’s no better way to celebrate than with an online preview! There are going to be massive reveals for a whole host of games and we’ve got all of the details you need to ensure that you don’t miss any of them.
We’ve already shown off the incredible new models that you’ll be able to pick up as part of the Warhammer Day celebrations. On the day itself, we’ll have all of the latest news about the following games.
New Shadow Throne 40k box Announced
The Genestealer Cults have found their way to the heart of the Imperium, and when such a threat to the Emperor rears its head the elite Adeptus Custodes will stop at nothing to stamp it out.
Now onto the Shadow Throne box set, which contains a total of 25 minis with 2 new characters for each 40k faction. Let’s start with the Genestealer Cults value then go to the Adeptus Custodes.
- Broodcoven $60
- Neophyte Hybrids $44
- Reductus Saboteur $35 (Based on recent characters, might be as high as $40)
Genestealer Cults MSRP: $139-$144
- Allarus Custodians $50
- Witchseeker Squad $49
- Blade Champion $35 (Based on recent characters, might be as high as $40)
Adeptus Custodes MSRP: $134-$139
Overall MSRP: $273-283
Cost of Box: $170
Total Estimated Value: $103-113
So, if you break it down with a friend, you’ll be paying right around $85 a person and getting about $55 in value each. So, honestly, there is solid value inside (but still less than Hexfire, which got $80 in value per person) and the units included are pretty decent judging from their new rules.
If the retail price does go up, it could be a reflection of increasing prices as we have seen with the Warcry Red Harvest and Harrowdeep starter prices creeping up as its rumored raw components like paper and pulp may be affected by supply chain issues now as well.
Is Shadow Throne Worth It?
Assuming the retail price ends up being $170 as we saw above, Shadow Throne is a solid value at release and probably worth it for anyone looking to start either of these armies or bolster existing ones.
While the Genestealer Cults side gets a bit more value, the total overall is a little less than both the recent Hexfire and Piety & Pain battlebox sets.
Plus you can always sell off the side you may not want if you can’t find someone to split it with on Shadow Throne release weekend (that we assume will be early to mid-December now).
But there are also two new models! One for GSC and one for the Custodes, so let’s check those out in more detail.
Custodes Blade Champion
Leading the charge into the Cult’s lair is Aristothes Carvellan, a Blade Champion whose prodigious swordsmanship puts even his fellow Custodes to shame. Blade Champions are a new type of Character for Adeptus Custodes armies, who can switch between three different fighting styles to chop up any opponent, be they a colossal monster, a skilled leader, or a swarm of lesser creatures.
Looks like the rumors were true! Custodes have been itching for some love, and will finally receive it! On the stream, this model was compared to a Lieutenant, so expect to see some abilities to reflect a decent leader.
Reductus Saboteur
To face such powerful warriors is to court death, and the Cult of the Pauper Prince knows that well. They turn to a hero of the Star Children’s revolution, Mersea Thrayk, a Reductus Saboteur who seeds the battlefield with explosives before battle is joined. Even the mighty Adeptus Custodes are hard-pressed to survive a mining charge detonating under their feet.
The Genestealer Cults new model is of course much more sneaky! In-stream, they described it as having unsuspecting enemies randomly blown up as they were actually standing on one of their buried bombs. We will just have to wait and see more on official rules to see how it actually works in-game.
New MKII Design- Get it Now!
They also announced two new Codexes that now have been slightly delayed…
Games Workshop updated everyone on the latest news for the release of both the new Adeptus Custodes, Genestealer Cults Shadow Throne box for Warhammer 40k, and their codex books.
You can learn more about the Talonhunt – the deadly quest undertaken by an elite strike team of Adeptus Custodes and Sisters of Silence to capture the Begator alive – next month, when Warhammer 40,000: Shadow Throne hits the shelves. And, of course, you’ll also get two armies, including the shiny new Blade Champion and Reductus Saboteur miniatures that are exclusive to the battlebox at time of launch, all in time for Christmas.
A heads-up on codex release dates:
While we previously expected the Adeptus Custodes and Genestealer Cults codexes to arrive alongside Shadow Throne, it’s fair to say that the process of shipping things around the world is still not without its challenges.
Despite the Herculean efforts of the teams that work to get new Warhammer into stores and homes every week, these codexes are now expected to land early next year.
Disappointing for sure, but given the current state of world affairs, not 100% unexpected.
9th Edition Adeptus Custodes Codex
The Shadow Throne box also contains Sisters of Silence. That’s because the new Codex: Adeptus Custodes combines the Talons of the Emperor into one book, adding the psyker-killing power of the Silent Sisters to your Shield Host.
As we hinted at, Sisters of Silence join the Custodes in a more direct fashion this time around, which might make Custodes better overall. Expect to see a full revamp as this is a stand-alone codex, not just a supplement for the other Space Marine chapters we have seen so far.
In the stream, they also mentioned that Sisters could be played as their own army, but you might be heavily restricting yourself.
Next up are the rumored rules we’ve seen. Let’s take a look at the actual rules rumor from Reddit.
With so many other armies moving up in wounds, it makes sense they would give the buff to Custodes as well. The rumors say they are getting a new Lieutenant, so we’re not sure about the other new character rumors here, so we’ll see about that.
Adding army-wide heroic intervention could be a really cool idea, but they would need more if they tone down all their Stratagems. Bumping up the damage on weapons to D3 is seriously nice, especially bumping the Misericordia up to D2. It will make taking them basically an auto-include unless they go way up in points as well.
9th Edition Genestealer Cults Codex
Offer praise to the Many-armed Emperor, dear child, for he has delivered a tome full of new and updated rules for the Genestealer Cults. Infiltrate a planet’s key institutions and ready your cult for the Day of Ascension with thematic Crusade rules, and ambush your prey with updated units and new abilities.
Of course, it couldn’t just be Custodes getting their update, so Genestealer Cult is also receiving their full 9th Edition codex this year! They were sure to mention a new point system to help prevent Genestealers from using up all of their CP on turn 2 as they are famous for their CP use, and in turn, running out of them quickly.
Let’s take a look at the Genestealer Cults rules rumor from Reddit.
There are some decent changes here, most notably, the change to ambush. While it’s a really cool mechanic, over time it sort of makes all your games feel similar.
The Saboteur is supposedly the new unit coming along with the Custodes/GSC Battlebox, and DS only 3″ away from something is really nice, but no charging is pretty lame.
Overall, the changes to the deployment side of things just seem like something they needed, so let’s hope that all comes true. Gaining cult creeds would be super strong for everything and adding some strength to Rending Claws would give the army a nice boost.
Wondering what’s still out there? Check out all the latest from Games Workshop below!
All the GW 2021 Previews:
- GW Christmas Day Preview
- GW New Years Day Preview
- GW Dead & Divine Preview
- GW Mortal Realms Preview
- Faith & Damnation Preview
- Warhammer Fest 2021
- AoS 3.0 Dominion Preview
- Dominion Celebration Preview
- Octarius Preview
- Gen Con Reveals & Preview
Latest GW Model Previews For November & Beyond
How do you feel about a GSC vs Custodes box set? Are you a player of any of the focus factions? Are you excited?
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About the Author: Andrew Schrank
Andrew Schrank
Job Title: Miniatures & Warhammer Hobby Staff Writer
Socials: Facebook
About Andrew Schrank: Over the past 15 years, Andrew has played all the games, including tabletop and video games, and immersed himself in the associated lore. Andrew joined the Spikey Bits team in 2018 and covers the Warhammer hobby and tournament scene, along with the latest in tabletop miniatures, each week.
Aspiring diplomat, Lord of Fluff, and Master of Ice Hammer, He loves Star Wars, Chaos Undivided, and Gundam. During his free time, he hunts Platinum trophies on PS5 and reads international news. On weekends, Andrew plays commander and cEDH games, often with unique strategies that push the limits.
He believes each day presents a new opportunity to grow and be challenged.
