Take the field with the new Adeptus Custodes 40k 10th Edition codex and our guide to all the how-to-play strategies, index changes, and rules review!
The Adeptus Custodes are stepping back into the limelight, gleaming brighter than ever with their new 10th Edition Codex, and it’s pure gold. Packed with revamped Martial Ka’tahs, new detachment rules, and some serious tweaks to how these golden demigods fight, this book is a love letter to players who like their armies elite, efficient, and a little bit smug about it.
From precision strikes to unshakable defense, the Adeptus Custodes Codex polishes their identity as the Emperor’s ultimate hammer; unstoppable, unyielding, and stylishly lethal.
Let’s crack open the book and see what makes the Emperor’s chosen warriors tick in 10th Edition.
Why Play Adeptus Custodes in Warhammer 40k 10th Edition
Updated November 5th, 2025, by Rob Baer with new information and links to relevant content.
If you like your armies fewer in number but dripping with power, the Adeptus Custodes Codex is calling your name. These are not just soldiers, they’re walking monuments to the Emperor’s perfection. Every Custodian is a one-man army, and in 10th Edition, their new rules make them deadlier, smarter, and somehow even shinier.
Custodes reward tactical precision and patience. You won’t be flooding the board with bodies; you’ll be carefully placing living demigods who can shrug off punishment that would vaporize most armies. Their Martial Ka’tah system has been fine-tuned, letting each unit strike with calculated grace.
Whether you’re holding key objectives or cleaving enemy elites in half, the Custodes excel at doing exactly what needs to be done, beautifully.
Characters like Trajann Valoris and the Blade Champion turn every fight into a golden highlight reel, adding buffs and brutal synergy to your already absurdly strong units. If you enjoy playing an army that laughs in the face of danger and looks incredible doing it, you’ve found your match.
Adeptus Custodes Codex Strengths and Weaknesses Explained
Strengths:
- Every model hits like a freight train and takes punishment like a tank.
- The updated Martial Ka’tahs make each Custodian a tactical chameleon, adapting to the flow of battle.
- Characters like Trajann Valoris, the Shield-Captain, and the Blade Champion redefine “table presence.”
- Shield Hosts offer multiple detachment options, letting you choose between pure defense or aggressive dominance.
- Incredible synergy between Custodes and Sisters of Silence for anti-psyker protection and board control.
Weaknesses:
- You’ll have a small model count, which means every loss hurts.
- The army demands tight positioning and smart timing; one wrong move can cost you the game.
- Custodes aren’t cheap in points or dollars, so prepare to guard your wallet as fiercely as they guard the Emperor.
Playing Custodes isn’t about subtlety; it’s about precision, pride, and making every swing of your Guardian Spear feel like a holy event.
Adeptus Custodes Rules and Playstyle Guide
The Adeptus Custodes 10th Edition Codex turns the Emperor’s golden warriors into the ultimate blend of style, strength, and strategy. These guys don’t win through numbers or flashy gimmicks, they dominate through precision, durability, and sheer presence. Every model you put on the table matters, and every move you make feels like a calculated strike from a master tactician.
In this Warhammer 40k Adeptus Custodes Codex, the army doubles down on what makes them so terrifying: flawless defense, brutal counterattacks, and detachment options that let you decide whether your golden titans play the immovable wall or the unstoppable spear.
Between their improved Martial Ka’tahs, deadly characters like Trajann Valoris, and elite detachments built for total board control, the Custodes continue to prove that quality beats quantity every time.
Adeptus Custodes Rules and Playstyle Guide
This is the signature Adeptus Custodes rule, and it defines how they play in 10th Edition.
When: Each unit chooses its stance when it fights or shoots, allowing on-the-fly adaptation to your opponent’s tactics.
Effect: Gain access to specific combat buffs, such as improved attacks, enhanced defense, or armor-piercing strikes.
Limits: You’ll need to read the room; pick the wrong stance, and your opponent might catch you off guard.
Each Ka’tah empowers your Custodians to perform at their peak. Dacatarai keeps you efficient against swarms, Rendax crushes monsters and tanks, and Kaptaris helps you play defense like a gold-plated fortress. Together, they make your army a flexible and devastating force that’s always fighting on its own terms.
The Adeptus Custodes Codex 10th Edition takes the strengths of the Adeptus Custodes Index and polishes them into a finely tuned war machine. Sure, managing stances and stratagems might take a little getting used to, but when you’re commanding literal demigods in gold armor, every decision feels epic.
For anyone wondering how to play Adeptus Custodes, the secret is simple: play smart, strike hard, and never forget; you’re not just rolling dice, you’re commanding the Emperor’s personal army.
Adeptus Custodes Codex 10th Edition Detachments Guide
Shield Host Detachment: Defensive Strategy in Adeptus Custodes Codex
Adeptus Custodes Codex Detachment Rule:
The Shield Host detachment is all about defense that borders on divine. Units gain access to Aegis of the Emperor, granting them incredible durability through invulnerable saves and layered protection. In true Adeptus Custodes codex 10th edition fashion, your golden warriors can hold objectives like they’re welded to the floor.
Playstyle:
Think of this detachment as the “you shall not pass” mode of how to play Adeptus Custodes. It’s built for board control, objective holding, and counterpunching when the enemy finally dares to get close.
Enhancements:
- Buffed invulnerable saves for your core units.
- Reduced damage from enemy attacks.
- Improved Leadership auras to make your already fearless units truly immovable.
- Trajann Valoris turns into a walking fortress of rerolls and command point efficiency.
Stratagem Highlights:
Pop stratagems that shrug off mortal wounds, force re-rolls on hits, and lock down the board with an unbreakable golden grip. This detachment rewards patience and precise timing.
Auric Champions Detachment: Character Buffs and Aggression
Adeptus Custodes Codex Detachment Rule:
This detachment shines a literal spotlight on your heroes. Characters hit harder, lead stronger, and make nearby units fight like they’ve got something to prove to the Emperor himself.
Playstyle:
If you like your games loud, fast, and full of glorious duels, this is the detachment for you. It’s about taking your Blade Champion, Shield-Captain, or Trajann Valoris and letting them lead from the front, carving through the enemy line while your army follows like a golden avalanche.
Enhancements:
- Boosted melee output for characters and their bodyguards.
- “Fight First” bonuses for your most elite units.
- Command aura expansions that supercharge your army’s efficiency.
- Re-rolls galore for when you really want something dead.
Stratagem Highlights:
Unleash heroics like double-fighting, damage boosts, and glorious interventions. It’s the “power fantasy” detachment of the Adeptus Custodes Codex PDF, perfect for players who love cinematic moments and unstoppable charges.
Talons of the Emperor Detachment: Custodes and Sisters Synergy
Adeptus Custodes Codex Detachment Rule:
This detachment brings back the dynamic duo of the Adeptus Custodes and the Sisters of Silence, letting you combine gold-plated muscle with psychic-silencing precision. The rule emphasizes synergy; Custodes protect, Sisters disrupt, and your opponent wonders why their psychic phase suddenly stopped working.
Playstyle:
For players who love balance and versatility, this is the detachment. You get anti-psyker dominance, tactical flexibility, and that sweet, sweet lore flavor straight from the Adeptus Custodes Index.
Enhancements:
- Buffs to nullify psychic abilities within aura range.
- Improved objective control when Custodes and Sisters operate together.
- Extra movement for key units to close gaps fast.
- Stratagem refunds when both halves of the army work in tandem.
Stratagem Highlights:
Turn off enemy psychic buffs, redeploy your units at the perfect time, and counter-charge with righteous fury. If you like clever positioning and elite coordination, this detachment will make you feel like the Emperor’s personal chessmaster.
Null Maiden Vigil Detachment: Anti-Psyker Adeptus Custodes Strategy
Adeptus Custodes Codex Detachment Rule:
This detachment flips the script by letting the Sisters of Silence take center stage. Backed by their golden bodyguards, these Null Maidens form a terrifying psychic vacuum that shuts down enemy powers and cripples psyker-heavy armies. Think of it as a calm, quiet storm until the Custodes arrive to finish the job.
Playstyle:
This is how to play Adeptus Custodes when you want surgical control, battlefield denial, and pure anti-psyker dominance. Perfect against Thousand Sons, Chaos Daemons, or anything with too much Warp flavor for its own good.
Enhancements:
- Sisters of Silence gain expanded anti-psyker aura ranges.
- Custodes units near Sisters benefit from improved saves or hit bonuses.
- Bonus points for precision redeployment and objective lockdowns.
- Leadership debuffs for psykers within range, because fear is a weapon too.
Stratagem Highlights:
Use stratagems that nullify psychic powers, paralyze key enemy units, or supercharge your Sisters’ efficiency when standing alongside the Custodes. The Adeptus Custodes Codex 10th Edition makes it clear: silence isn’t weakness, it’s the Emperor’s most terrifying weapon.
Adeptus Custodes Codex Datasheets and Unit Breakdown
Trajann Valoris
Role: The Emperor’s right-hand man and walking embodiment of “don’t mess with me.”
Highlights: The Captain-General is an absolute powerhouse in the Adeptus Custodes Codex 10th Edition. His Moment Shackle lets you pull off a clutch ability, either fight again, heal back wounds, or reroll a critical roll, right when the odds look grim. His Watcher’s Axe slices through elite targets like they’re training servitors, and his auras supercharge nearby Custodians with rerolls and toughness buffs.
How to Play Adeptus Custodes with Trajann: Keep him in the thick of it but not recklessly so. Park him near your Custodian Guard or Allarus units, and watch your army turn from “hard to kill” into “borderline immortal.” In the Adeptus Custodes rules, Trajann is your ultimate force multiplier, a true golden wrecking ball wrapped in perfect strategy.
Blade Champion
Role: Duellist supreme and the Emperor’s answer to anything foolish enough to challenge him.
Highlights: With three unique combat stances, the Blade Champion adapts to any enemy, more attacks for hordes, heavier blows for monsters, and precision strikes for elites. His Vaultswords carve through armor like parchment, and his Fights First ability means he’s often cutting before anyone else even blinks.
How to Play Adeptus Custodes with the Blade Champion: Use him as a precision scalpel; send him after key targets or to clean up weakened squads. In the Adeptus Custodes Codex, he’s the poster boy for flexible aggression. Pair him with a Shield-Captain or Trajann for devastating hero combos. Think of him as your stylish executioner who always gets the last word, and the kill.
Shield-Captain
Role: The all-purpose commander, adaptable and deadly.
Highlights: The Shield-Captain in the Adeptus Custodes Codex PDF is whatever you need him to be: bike-mounted missile, tanky footslogger, or Allarus Terminator leading the charge. His command aura allows nearby Custodes to reroll 1s to hit, which sounds minor until you realize every hit he buffs comes from a demigod with a relic-tier weapon.
How to Play Adeptus Custodes with the Shield-Captain: Use him as your frontline anchor or mobile commander. His flexibility makes him a perfect match for any list, from defensive Shield Host builds to hyper-aggressive Dread Host setups. In Warhammer 40k Adeptus Custodes Codex terms, he’s the backbone of your army; tough, efficient, and dependable enough to make even Guilliman raise an eyebrow.
Final Thoughts On How to Play the Adeptus Custodes
Choosing an army in Warhammer 40k is a bit like picking a car. Do you want something fast and flashy, or are you more into a tank that’ll crush anything in its path? When it comes to the Adeptus Custodes, think of them as a top-tier, gold-plated juggernaut.
They’re not for the faint of heart, but if you like the idea of commanding the Emperor’s finest warriors, clad in armor that’s more valuable than a small planet, then you’re in the right place. But before you go all-in, let’s weigh the pros and cons.
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If you’re looking for the Adeptus Custodes PDF codex, Wahapedia is the go-to spot for free reference material, but if you want the full book with lore, art, and all the extras, Games Workshop’s official version is the way to go.
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