Warhammer 40.000: Custodes Infos

Games Workshop haben in drei Artikeln die kommenden Neuheiten für die Custodes näher vorgestellt.

After 10,000 years as the Imperium’s final line of defence, the Adeptus Custodes are marching forth from Terra in force, and thanks to a new codex, you’ll be able to lead them in battle with new units, Stratagems, Relics and much more. In the first of our daily previews this week, we’re looking at one of the most requested additions to the arsenal of the Adeptus Custodes – dedicated HQ units!

Every member of the Adeptus Custodes is a hero in his own right. Each is a veteran of decades or even centuries of warfare, honed by constant training and the greatest wargear and gene-craft the Imperium has to offer. Each is a warrior, statesman, diplomat, historian, philosopher – a true heir to the lineage of the Emperor.

Some, however, go above and beyond even their enhanced brethren and are given the honour of Shield-Captain – commander of a portion of the strength of the Ten Thousand. Above them lies only the Captain-General, perhaps the most prestigious warrior in the entire Imperium.

The new Codex: Adeptus Custodes brings the Golden Legion to life as never seen before, delving deep into the military traditions of these renowned warriors and providing rules for them to match. One of the most requested units for the Adeptus Custodes, following their first release, was a dedicated HQ unit for the army – so we decided to give you four.

Every upcoming Adeptus Custodes kit has been cunningly designed so you can also use it to build an HQ option armed with the same wargear as his brethren. This means you’ll be able to take Shield-Captains in inviolate Allarus Terminator armour or mount them on fast-moving Dawneagle jetbikes.

However you choose to equip him, the Shield-Captain has a very impressive statline:

Strong WS and BS mean these storied champions are unlikely to miss, while Toughness 5 along with 6 Wounds makes them very hard to kill – especially when you factor in their excellent saves. Offensively, you’ll be able to choose from a wide array of wargear, from the classic guardian spear to the new castellan axe, a huge weapon that trades the AP of its predecessor for bonus Strength and ideal for cleaving heretics in half. As for the Shield-Captain on Dawneagle jetbike, we’ll be taking a closer look at what these ancient war machines can do later in the week.

Trajann Valoris is the Captain-General of the Adeptus Custodes, making him one of the most powerful military figures in the entire Imperium, charged with defending the Sol System, Terra, and the Imperial Palace. First seen in Chris Wraight’s The Emperor’s Legion, this legendary figure is among the most proactive of the Adeptus Custodes, and is responsible for bringing the Golden Legion into a more aggressive role.

On the tabletop, Valoris has a statline and set of wargear and abilities to match his reputation, and is among one of the most powerful commanders any Imperium player can field. Valoris has a similar statline to his brethren, but wields a much stronger weapon in the Watcher’s Axe, an artefact that gives him five Strength 10, AP-3 attacks on the charge, dealing D3 damage apiece. This gets even deadlier when you take Valoris’ Legendary Commander ability into account – any friendly Adeptus Custodes within 6″ of Valoris (including himself!) re-roll hit rolls and wound rolls of 1.

Valoris is also armed with the Moment Shackle, an unusual relic of Dark Age technology which lends him some extra flexibility during your games. Once per battle, you’ll be able to pick a powerful one-time ability for Valoris, from fighting again at the end of a Fight phase to regaining lost Command Points.

Whether you’re looking for a particularly powerful bodyguard for your favourite Imperial character, a deadly assassin-type unit or the leader for your own shield company, Codex: Adeptus Custodes is absolutely packed with options – and we haven’t even looked at Warlord Traits, Stratagems or Relics yet…

Warhammer 40,000 has seen rules for the Adeptus Custodes before, but in the new codex, they’re more than just a collection of units – they’re an interconnected fighting force, rich with potent synergies for those with the cunning to unlock them and a Detachment-wide special rule that significantly rewards the disciplined list builder.

Firstly, the Aegis of the Emperor has been tweaked to also provide a 6+ additional save against any mortal wounds caused by psychic powers. This is both a thematic change and a practical one, representing the Emperor’s protection of his most cherished servants. It also helps you defend your units against Smite and other attacks that would otherwise cut through your high Toughness and excellent saves.

The Emperor’s Chosen gives every Infantry and Biker unit in a pure Adeptus Custodes Detachment +1 to their invulnerable saves, to a maximum of 3+. In practice, this means that none of your units, including Custodian Guard, will ever have worse than a 4+ invulnerable save. Combine this with the high Toughness and Wounds characteristics of Adeptus Custodes units, and your army just got a lot more durable, particularly against the kind of heavy weapons – lascannons, krak missiles and Dreadnought power fists – that previously presented a more substantial threat to the Adeptus Custodes.

The second part of the Adeptus Custodes Detachment rules is less immediately powerful, but still invaluable change to the army. As you may know, with Chapter Approved and every codex so far, most Troops in the game gain some version of Objective Secured, giving them scoring priority over units without the rule. Under the current rules, the Adeptus Custodes have struggled to score objectives compared to more armies with a higher model count, unable to cover every objective at once and without the necessary squad size to outnumber other units. All that is about to change…

All Infantry and Bikers in the Adeptus Custodes army gain Sworn Guardians, meaning whether or not they’re Troops, they’ll count as controlling an objective marker if the enemy doesn’t have any units with similar rules or more models. In practice, you’ll still have to work hard to neutralise your opponents’ Troops choices, but your Terminator-armoured Allarus Custodians and jetbike-mounted Vertus Praetors will be able to dive deep into enemy lines and secure objectives, while your Custodian Guard are under much less pressure to race to critical battlefield locations.

Custodian Guard themselves have received a variety of discreet improvements in the new codex. For one, they’re now BS 2+, allowing them to get a little more out of their surprisingly powerful attacks with their Guardian Spears. For another, they can now be taken in units of three, meaning if you build a Vexilla and a Shield Captain out of your Custodes set, you’ll still be able to build a playable unit with the remaining models. Finally, the Custodian Guard combine superbly with some of the new Stratagems in the book, particularly Piercing Strike, which makes wounding larger foes much easier.

 

It’s something of a tradition of the Adeptus Custodes to deliver golden death from the doors of an equally golden Land Raider. From Golden Light They Come, on the other hand, opens up new deployment options for your Custodian Guard, as well as other units in your army.

However you build your Adeptus Custodes army, the new codex is packed with benefits for your army. If you’re yet to start an Adeptus Custodes force, the Talons of the Emperor boxed set is a great way to do it, while if you want to learn more, we’ll have an in-depth preview tomorrow of what the new codex means for the war machines of the Adeptus Custodes – including the new Vertus Praetors.

Vertus Praetors hearken back to the same ancient, martial traditions that guide the Adeptus Custodes, mirroring the heavy cavalry employed by human armies since the very dawn of time. The technology may have advanced, but the principle is still the same – range ahead of the main body of the force and devastate the foe with crushing lance charges.

On the tabletop, Vertus Praetors are the fastest moving elements of the Adeptus Custodes army, boasting a 14″ move, Fly, and a straight boost of 6″ when they Advance without having to roll.

Where the Vertus Praetors really shine is in their weaponry, helping provide some much-needed anti-armour ability to the Adeptus Custodes army. While you’re free to build yours with hurricane bolters, we’re fans of the new salvo launcher, a missile weapon that can adjust its firing profile based on target. The flakkburst missile allows you to shoot Flyers out of the sky (or soften them up for a particularly bold lance charge), while the melta missile deals hefty damage to any vehicles

Should anyone survive your ranged onslaught, interceptor lances are also brutally effective weapons:

By combining these guys with a nearby Shield-Captain on Dawneagle Jetbike (buildable using the same kit!) you’ll be able to grab objectives and hunt down choice enemy units with ease.

With the Stooping Dive Stratagem, you’ll be able to make defensive use of your Vertus Praetors too, by unleashing a deadly counter-charge upon your foes.

Meanwhile, existing Adeptus Custodes vehicles can benefit from a range of new Stratagems, as well as the helpful presence of a nearby Shield-Captain. Venerable Land Raiders are already unbelievably accurate – form a firebase with a commander nearby, and use the Networked Machine Spirits Stratagem, and you’ll be able to deal with tricky targets like Flyers with ease.

Wisdom of the Ancients, meanwhile, allows you to use your Venerable Contemptor Dreadnoughts to bolster the abilities of nearby units:

However you build your new Adeptus Custodes army – a slow-moving armoured column, a legion of Dreadnoughts, or a rapid-strike detachment of Vertus Praetors – you’ll find a range of potent and versatile options to help you out. Come back tomorrow when we’ll be checking out even more new units with a closer look at the Elites of the Adeptus Custodes.

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Quelle: Games Workshop