In another quick post, GW released the points for the Adeptus Custodes Blade Champion,- here’s everything we know about the release so far!
With the Shadow Throne box coming soon, the rules for the factions inside have been coming quite often.
Warhammer Community revealed the points but not much else this time around which is strange for them. However, with these and the other rules released, this should allow you to use him in your games before the codex drops next year. So, let’s first look at all the Custodes rules we’ve seen then, jump into the points!
Adeptus Custodes Codex Rules Rumors
These were the 40k codex rules rumors from Reddit that look pretty promising but have not been 100% completely accurate so far.
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 and that much came true!
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 the Misericordia up to D2 would make them even more worth it to pick up.
It will make taking them basically an auto-include unless they go way up in points as well. However, the spears, as we saw from Games Workshop are not D3, so we’ll see about the rest.
New Adeptus Custodes Weapon Rules
Unfortunately, it looks like some of these rumors may be a bit off, as actual previews for new Adeptus Custodes rules put the weapon profiles at D2
To maximise the consistency of the Custodian Guard, the melee profiles of their guardian spears and sentinel blades have been adjusted, with both weapons swapping D3 Damage for a flat Damage of 2.
They also both provide their wielder with an additional point of Strength – that’s a whopping Strength 7 with a guardian spear – so they can easily fell anything they face on the battlefield.
At a minimum of S6, you will be wounding a ton of armies on 2’s and will even be wounding some vehicles on 4’s. Then, going to flat 2 Damage instead of D3 just makes a ton of sense, it speeds the game up and gives you the average of the dice roll. With AP -3, and the other upgrades, they should be able to whip up on all kinds of armies!
What’s more, the ranged profile of the sentinel blade has been improved to match the damage output of the guardian spears – after all, they fire the same masterwork ammunition.
D2 and -1Ap isn’t too bad when you consider the fact it’s pistol 2, meaning it can be fired into combat. Also, they mention in the article that every Custodes will have a Leadership of 11. They are going full Spinal Tap on this one!
Adeptus Custodes Martial Ka’tahs Rules
Think of it as an á la carte menu of devastation. You pick three martial ka’tahs at the start of the battle, each containing two stances, and perform those ka’tahs in order.
They show us a bunch of options, but it feels very similar to how the Ad Mech rules work. With advancing the rules throughout the game depending on what you need.
Here are some, but not all, of the new selections
Calistus is the perfect opener, a light aperitif with notes of sustained gunfire. You can choose to get up-close and personal by boosting your Advance rolls or to lay a withering barrage as you approach. These may be performed in either order, so you could soften up your foes before advancing to secure the kill or vice versa.
These are two interesting ones if you need a bunch of movement to either secure objectives or to just get to your opponent!
When fighting hordes of infantry, Dacatarai is a tasty choice. The first stance allows your Custodian Guard to effortlessly manage the ebb and flow of hordes, preventing them being overwhelmed by swarms. The second stance lets you go on the offensive, allowing you to trade that extra pip of damage Custodes are set to get* for more attacks – perfect for clearing out swathes of puny foes.
If you’re fighting hordes with low wounds, this is going to destroy factions. The first stance is so insanely powerful against a horde army. Basically, you force them to a single inch of consolidation or pile, making it super hard for them to get all those models to attack. Then getting more attacks is always nice as long as they don’t have lots of wounds.
Mop up your foes with the Kaptaris Stance, which lets your Custodes parry and deflect attacks or lock units into combat, preventing them from falling back. Ideal for maintaining the upper hand by controlling the battlefield.
This stance basically turns your Custodes into Dark Eldar Wyches. It looks like they win ties, but this could really change the tide of a battle and keep your units safe from return fire.
Shield Hosts & Fighting Style Rules
Shield Hosts will be familiar to fans of Adeptus Custodes, but they’ve had upgrades befitting these golden demigods of destruction for the latest edition. There are six in total, including favourites like the Solar Watch, and each has access to unique fighting styles, warlord traits, stratagems, and relics of Terra.
No matter which Shield Host a Custodes is pledged to, they are all first and foremost servants of the Emperor, so you can always fall back on the Emperor’s Chosen Shield Host.
The template for every Shield Host, the Emperor’s Chosen gains the Magna Imperator fighting style.
Both of these are really strong. First, re-rolling hits or wounds is always going to be a powerful mechanic. Then, getting a 4+ save against all mortals is nice, especially when you have such few minis.
Each Host has a preferred Ka’tah, which unlocks additional benefits. If you activate one stance of your Shield Host’s preferred Martial Ka’tah in the command phase, you get the benefit of both stances. The stance you didn’t pick may then be used in the next turn – which makes for a potent two-turn combo.
This can really give your army a big swing turn where you combine the two stances. Then, you can still advance it next turn if you need.
The Dread Host is a great example of how all this works. They specialise in the Dacatarai Ka’tah, making them monsters against hordes. If you invoke the Dacatarai Ka’tah as the Dread Host, you can activate either stance at the start of your turn but make use of both. If you then choose to stay in Dacatarai next turn, you may still activate stance two, even though you’ve already had the benefit.
We’ve already taken a look at this stance, but having both of them in one turn would just be really strong!
Gilded Guardians
Pick this shield host when you absolutely, positively, want an enemy force incredibly dead.
We saw rumors about the entire army being able to Heroically Intervene, but this is pretty close so we’ll give the rumor a thumbs up. Then they gain some decent defense against small arms fire.
And that’s not all. Each Shield Host has its own stratagem, such as the Aquilan Shield Host’s ability to close ranks around vulnerable characters – perfect for keeping those slightly squishier Sisters of Silence characters alive.
For 1 CP, keeping your characters alive isn’t too bad.
Warlord Trait & Relic
The Solar Watch live up to their swift and merciless reputation, with a Warlord Trait that lets you get all up inside the business of an enemy force before they can react.
This could really take your opponent by surprise because you can cover a ton of ground and still charge. Even though it’s one unit, it’s still pretty strong.
Their Swiftsilver Talon relic exemplifies their rapid fighting style, a lightweight weapon that compels its bearer to acts of expeditious violence and makes them more mobile.
Falling back, shooting, and charging in the same turn really gives you a ton of flexibility.
Adeptus 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 Adeptus Custodes Codex rumors were true! Custodes have been itching for some love, and will finally receive it. First up for the Champion we get a peek at his weapon profile.
This phenomenal warrior has mastered three different fighting styles with which he can cut his way through every type of enemy with contemptuous ease. With six Attacks as standard, he can hit a whopping 12 times when using the Hurricanis technique!
The way that this is worded seems to imply you get access to all three options with one weapon loadout! If that’s true, this model will be nigh unstoppable in melee and can easily put a hurting on a variety of target types. Assuming the Blade Champion can get into melee he will be a huge force multiplier.
That’s where his Consummate Swordsman ability kicks in, for his skill with a blade enables him to fend off the attentions of even the deadliest foes.
Even more so, you can feel free to challenge any model in melee thanks to his extremely good defensive ability Consummate Swordsman which makes 1-3 hit rolls auto fail! Not to mention if they actually get a hit through, he gets a +1 bonus to his save in melee.
Another trick up the Blade Champion’s auramite sleeve is his Legacy of Combat ability, which extends the range from which he can make Heroic Interventions and, crucially, allows him to strike first in melee as well.
All that and we didn’t even mention that the Blade Champion has a Leadership characteristic of 11. That’s a statement of adamantium willpower and determination if ever there were one.
Fight first rules are critical to melee-centric models, being able to alpha strike opposing units and prevent as much swing back damage. His additional ability to intervene from further away is a great boost to mobility, allowing him to abuse his CQC defensive buffs more frequently.
Points for Adeptus Custodes Blade Champion
Unlike other members of the Adeptus Custodes, Blade Champions don’t take part in the Blood Games that constantly test the matchless defences of the Emperor’s Palace – their duty is to train relentlessly to perfect their skills as a warrior. The old adage that the best defence is a good offence is exemplified by the Blade Champions, for they protect the Master of Mankind through their ability to defeat any threat, no matter what form it takes.
At 110 points, we’ll have to see the full statline, but based on what we’ve seen so far he should be pretty strong! Especially when you consider everything in Custodes is so high costed, 110 doesn’t seem too bad.
All the Newest GW Model Rumors & Previews
Will you be picking up the new box with him in it? Do you think the points are fair?
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About the Author: Travis Pasch
Travis Pasch
Job Title: Head Writer & Editor
Socials: @paschbass
About Travis Pasch: Travis has been a Warhammer 40k hobbyist since the 1990s, playing the game since Third Edition. Through extensive traveling, he’s seen a lot of the miniatures hobby from across the world, giving him a unique perspective on the latest gaming topics and trends.
Travis’s brother even owns a commission painting studio, where he’s picked up a lot of good advice and techniques for painting Warhammer and tabletop miniatures over the years, as well. Travis joined the Spikey Bits team in 2019 and has been the lead writer since 2020.
Currently, he’s working on converting all his 40k Adeptus Mechanicus models and becoming a true tech enjoyer, complete with both sad and happy robot noises!
