So far all the new 40k codex rules for the Genestealer Cults and Adeptus Custodes plus those release rumors we’ve seen so far may be true.
During the Warhammer Day Previews, we saw the two new characters featured in Shadow Throne, the previously rumored boxset featuring Custodes vs Genestealer Cults.
As with all rumors, take this with as much salt as you need, however, the rumor for the codex itself is pretty solid as they have actually been out for a few months and specifically had everything in there that Black Templars would be receiving as well.
All the Custodes & Genestealer Cults Codex & Rules Rumors
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.
The next big release for 40k has just been announced and it pits the Adeptus Custodes against the Genestealer Cults!
Looking at the contents of the box, we see mostly current models for each faction and Custodes grouped with Sisters of Silence. Plus each faction is getting a powerful new character, along with a codex release featuring the updated 9th Edition 40k rules for each faction.
Luckily for all of us, we don’t have to wait that long as Warhammer Community just released a post detailing some of the rules for the characters! Let’s check them all out.
Reductus Saboteur 40k Rules
Starting with Genestealer Cults we see a weapon that the new Reductus Saboteur will use.
As you might expect for a demolitions specialist, the Reductus Saboteur is equipped with explosives of every description, from blasting and demolition charges to frag grenades. What’s more, before battle is joined, a Reductus Saboteur will saturate the battlefield with remote explosives that they can detonate from afar when the enemy draws near – and they’re especially effective against larger, more cumbersome targets.
This new weapon Remote Explosives looks fantastic. Getting a decent amount of shots with Blast and a triple base-damage modifier against vehicles and monsters built-in, make this thing an absolute powerhouse of damage.
Because the damage bonus is so high, you’ll probably want this character to chip away at vehicles and monsters any time it can, as a damage potential of 18 is pretty dang high for a solo unit with a ranged attack…
As if that wasn’t enough, they can perform a special Plant Explosives action, leaving a booby trap in place for an area denial threat. Should your opponent ignore the danger, they’ll suffer explosive consequences.
This is a unique rule because your opponent can choose to ignore it or avoid it. If they ignore it, you get to control the field and affect your opponent’s decision-making, which is powerful in a competitive scenario. If they ignore it, you get a decent amount of mortal wounds for free!
Even if your opponent attempts to hunt them down, they’ll find that these masters of concealment are all but impossible to pinpoint while in cover thanks to their combination of Cloaked and Clandestine abilities.
Getting another +1 to saves while in cover is pretty big, making them even harder to take down if you place them correctly and thanks to their decent range, it shouldn’t be too hard to do and still be effective. Additionally, not being targetable within 12″ makes abusing its own 24″ range much easier!
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It seems like it always gets -1 to hit regardless of being in cover, which could also make this unit an absolute menace to deal with for your opponents to deal with.
Now onto the Blade Champion for Custodes!
Blade Champion 40k Rules
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 he 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.
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.
All the New 40k Adeptus Custodes Model & Rules Rumors
Let’s start with the reveal from GW as they said a Xenos and Imperial book are coming in December. Conveniently, this rumor has a Xenos and Imperial army coming in December as well!
Just to note, the artwork above is just stock, they’ve used it for every codex reveal thus far, so, unfortunately, you can’t read that much into the image itself.
Here’s the actual rumor from Reddit.
You may notice that there is not only everything in there about the Black Templars release, but they also predicted the Sisters and Tau release for Kill Team as well, both from a post back in August!
So from what we know now about the new Shadow Throne box set and all the new Cutodes and GSC reveals at the Warhammer Day preview it looks like these are the two new books coming in the December release slot!
Adeptus Custodes Rules Rumors
Next up are the 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.
New Adeptus Custodes 40k 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!
Genestealer Cults Codex Rules Rumors
Let’s take a look at the actual 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.
New Genestealer Cults 40k Rules
There are also some confirmed 40k rules updates for the Genestealer Cults now too!
Thankfully, Acolyte Hybrids get a well-deserved buff to their Toughness in the new codex, offering them greater protection against Strength 4 weapons (boltguns, we’re looking at you) and from the multi-shot Strength 6 guns that are their current nemesis.
Hey, can’t complain about a better statline with extra toughness. Plus, with the Cult icon, they will be more survivable than ever.
This calls upon reinforcements lurking in the shadows to restore them to fighting strength – in the case of Acolyte Hybrids, that’s D3 destroyed models from the unit.
This is pretty sweet and while it might not be broken, over time it can bring back a decent amount of models if you can use it for a few turns.
From the look of these rules rumors, the Blade Champion one seems to be more spot-on so far than the Reductus Saboteur. However, all her rules have yet to be seen as well.
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How do you feel about the new and rumored 40k rules for the Adeptus Custodes Blade Champion and the Genestealer Cults Reductus Saboteur?
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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.
