The Custodes are masters of war and six new abilities give them the edge in a wide variety of battlefield situations. Learn about their new martial ka’tah army rules.
Myriad martial arts and combat stances, known as martial ka’tahs, have been developed and drilled over millennia to give the Adeptus Custodes an edge no matter what situation they find themselves in. Some keep teeming hordes at bay so the Custodian can accomplish important tasks with a clear mind, while others focus on bursts of extreme violence to slay enemy monsters and champions.
In the new Codex, your Custodians become readied at the start of their Command Phase, and can choose one ka’tah during the turn when certain conditions are fulfilled. After they’ve used the ka’tah ability, the unit is no longer readied, so make sure you use the right one at the right time.* Unlike the previous Codex, ka’tahs aren’t solely used in the Fight phase, and now you have six options rather than just two.
CONSERVAI
Ka’tah Ability
WHEN: Your Command phase.
TARGET: One friendly readied unit.
EFFECT: Until the end of the turn:
Being engaged/battle-shocked does not prevent your unit from being eligible to start an action.
Starting an action does not prevent your unit from being eligible to shoot.
CALISTUS
Ka’tah Ability
WHEN: Your Movement phase, when a friendly readied unit is selected to move.
TARGET: That readied unit.
EFFECT: When your unit makes a normal/advance/fall-back move, your unit can move through all types
of model.
SALVUS
Ka’tah Ability
WHEN: Your Shooting phase, when a friendly readied unit is selected to shoot.
TARGET: That readied unit.
EFFECT: Your unit can ignore modifiers to your unit’s:
BS.
Hit rolls and wound rolls.
These new and flexible ka’tahs give your units far more versatility than they’ve ever had in the past, which is especially important now that their pumped-up datasheets come hand-in-hand with a reduced model count for Adeptus Custodes armies overall. Getting locked in combat will no longer prevent you from starting mission actions, and if you have to sit in an awkward place to hold an objective, you can at least activate Salvus to ignore the BS penalties from cover when shooting.
Custodians still shine most in melee combat, however, and the other three ka’tahs are geared towards their favourite pastime of scything down everything that looks at them funny.**
DACATARAI
Ka’tah Ability
WHEN: Start of the Fight phase.
TARGET: One friendly readied unit.
EFFECT: Your unit’s melee attacks that target an enemy unit (excluding MONSTER/VEHICLE units) can re-roll hit rolls of 1.
KAPTARIS
Ka’tah Ability
WHEN: Start of the Fight phase.
TARGET: One friendly readied unit.
EFFECT: Melee attacks that target your unit have -1 to hit rolls.
RENDAX
Ka’tah Ability
WHEN: Fight phase, when a friendly readied unit is selected to fight.
TARGET: One friendly readied unit.
EFFECT: Your unit’s melee attacks have [LETHAL HITS: MONSTER/VEHICLE].
These abilities are powerful enough at face value, but if you have one that you’re particularly fond of, there is a detachment in the Codex to help you get even more out of it. Six of the 13 detachments in the book have a Favoured Ka’tah that adds an extra effect when their corresponding ability is activated – such as Rendax dealing mortal wounds to an engaged Vehicle or Monster when used by the Emperor’s Chosen. We’ll have a look at these in detail when we cover the Adeptus Custodes detachments next week.
In addition to martial ka’tahs, the new Codex also welcomes the return of Aegis of the Emperor, a powerful defensive ability from the faction’s past, and adds Aquila Commander to several Character units. Where previously it conferred the Custodians invulnerable saves, Aegis of the Emperor is now a simple but effective Feel No Pain 5+ against mortal wounds, while Aquila Commander grants an extra Command Point at the start of every battle round.
AEGIS OF THE EMPEROR
The Adeptus Custodes are the shield of the Emperor: indomitable and nigh unbreakable.
Friendly ADEPTUS CUSTODES units with this ability have Feel No Pain 5+ against mortal wounds.
Finally, the Sisters of Silence stand steadfast alongside the Adeptus Custodes, and their unique Daughters of the Abyss ability lets them serve as a potent defensive locus against the rising tide of psychic attacks. Not only are they highly resistant to this warp trickery, but they also protect anyone else nearby to a lesser degree, so you’ll always want a squad or two along when enemy witches and sorcerers rear their heads.
DAUGHTERS OF THE ABYSS
Bearers of the Pariah gene, Null Maidens are inured to psychic powers. Their Warp-smothering aura also provides limited protection for the Custodians at whose side they fight.
Friendly ANATHEMA PSYKANA units with this ability have Feel No Pain 3+ against psychic attacks.
Friendly ANATHEMA PSYKANA units with this ability have the following ability:
Psychic Null (Aura): Friendly ADEPTUS CUSTODES units within 6" of this unit have Feel No Pain 5+ against psychic attacks.
We’ll have news about impending pre-orders for Adeptus Custodes miniatures and their brand new Codex very soon. Join us again next week for more rules reveals.
* Certain Characters have abilities to make your unit readied again and there are stratagems to do the same.
** Which, in the 41st Millennium, is pretty much everything.
