Following on from the first teasers at the Big Warhammer Autumn Preview, Games Workshop has revealed datasheets for the updated Adeptus Custodes in Warhammer 40,000 - and they're absolute monsters. Fortunately for all the other Warhammer 40k factions, while the Custodes' power level is higher than ever, it seems like their armies will have 33% fewer models than they do right now!
Games Workshop dropped three new datasheets on the Warhammer Community website on Thursday, for the Custodian Guard Sodality, Captain-General Trajann Valoris, and the Telemon Heavy Dreadnought. They build on information that Warhammer spokespeople hinted at during the Preview stream: a single Custodian Guard, from the most basic Sodality squad, has better stats than a Space Marine captain.
Each member of a Custodian Guard Sodality has Toughness 7, Auramite Armor that gives an impressive 2+ save and 4++ invulnerable save, five wounds, and Leadership 5+. An upgraded movement speed of eight inches also make them far better able to close distance for a fight.
The caliber of the bolt rounds in their guardian spears have increased to strength 5, and they've been working on fire frequency with Rapid Fire 2. In melee they swing those shiny sticks with the strength of power fists and six attacks each. Every attack his on a 2+ (natch), and if they or their targets are in range of an objective, they get Sustained Hits 1 thanks to the ability 'Impenetrable Defence'.
While those stats are intimidating, there's one other important piece of the picture - the squad size is shrinking from five models to three. When you compare the effectiveness of the whole squad it has the exact same number of wounds, shoots more shots at close range and fewer at long range, and while its melee attacks are stronger they're not meaningfully better against most tanks or most Space Marines.
They've also lost some useful abilities, particularly a once-per-battle ability to shoot twice in a round, and an ability to re-roll ones to wound (or all wound rolls, when holding an objective). They're definitely more survivable and faster, while their offensive output looks like a sidegrade that leaves them weaker when targeting vehicles and monsters.
Speaking of monsters, Captain-General Trajann Valoris is back and ready to delete things. He gets the same movement speed and toughness upgrade as his warriors, but he's now up to 10 wounds - making him a valid target for the Bring It Down objective. The Eagle's Scream has been sidegraded with an increase in strength and Rapid Fire 2 but a decrease in damage, but the Watcher's Axe is brutal. With Cleave 1 he'll have 10 attacks if he makes contact with an untouched squad of 20 models, and its damage stats go up to S12, AP-3, D4.
His once per battle Moment Shackle has been toned down, now granting him either a 3+ Invulnerable Save or +3A for one phase. But his Captain-General ability has been upgraded in-line with the Primarch Roboute Guilliman - friendly Custodes infantry and jetbikes within 6″ get to re-roll hit rolls and wound rolls of 1. That puts Custodes accuracy up from 83% to 97% (and an average a little bit over 100% if they also have Sustained Hits 1).
Valoris' can still join a unit, though his aura emanates from him specifically, not his bodyguard. With smaller unit sizes that's going to be tricky to apply - it's also hard to think of any threat you might send Valoris and a bodyguard unit into that needs another unit nearby to finish it off.
Last, and absolutely not least, is the Telemon Heavy Dreadnought. With toughness 11 and 14 wounds it's now firmly into battle-tank survivability, especially thanks to the returning 'Guardian Eternal' ability that reduces the damage from attacks that wound it. One key feature for anyone with a resin Telemon is that you can only field it with weapon options you can build from the plastic kit - you can't double up on its ranged weapons.
You may be tempted to take two melee mitts instead, thanks to a new 10″ movement speed. A pair of Caestus Fists grants it seven attacks that hit on 2+, have S14, deal 4 damage, and they're twin-linked. Expect to deal 20 or more damage to any target without an invulnerable save or serious wound mitigation.
Those fists also come with 'Twin Neutronium Cascade-Projectors' built in, flamer weapons that deal a fixed 3 hits and have Blast 1, and are S7 and AP-2 with the twin-linked ability. While it's not mathematically certain that unloading those fists on a squad of 10 guardsmen will kill them all, it's pretty close.
It's clear how you would give the Telemon an anti-infantry ranged loadout, between the Arachnus Storm Cannon - with its masses of shots, Devastating Wounds, and now Sustained Hits 1 - and the Spiculus Bolt Launcher, which has gained Blast 2 on top of a fixed six attacks and an additional point of AP.
The other two guns are odd. With AP-2, D4, and four attacks, the Adrathic Desolator is almost an anti-tank gun, but it's only S10; while the Iliastus Accelerator Culverin's S10, D3, and six attacks when in Rapid Fire Range make it look like a Terminator hunter, except it's AP-1. Both will hurt light vehicles, but the Custodes don't have problems with those.
Even with the recent army-wide power inflation to the Space Marine, and the less extreme but still noticeable tune-ups to the Orks, the Custodes look like absolute beasts. We haven't seen the points yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if armies end up about 40% smaller than before, in model count if not in number of units on the table. That's a great fit for Custodes lore, and will goes even deeper into their current playsty le that makes every model essential.
If you've got a Custodes army, opinions on these changes, or just want to rave about how much they steal the show every time they get a point of view character in a 40k novel, share your thoughts (or army pictures!) in the Wargamer Discord community.