A host of Legio Custodes miniatures are heading for pre-order this weekend, so we sat down with an expert to learn how to take a fledgling force and grow it into an army worthy of defending the Emperor.
We spoke with Quinn, one of the Warhammer: The Horus Heresy games developers responsible for the Liber Custodes book, for advice on what to add to the miniatures from the Legio Custodes Battle Group boxed set to have the Traitors quaking in their boots.
Quinn: The Legio Custodes Battle Group provides Custodian players with an incredibly solid foundation for their collection, whether intended as the start of a dedicated Talons of the Emperor Army or as Allies for another faction. Custodian and Sentinel Guard provide a hard-hitting core as tough and aggressive as other armies’ elites, the Shield Captain can go toe-to-toe with almost any character, and the Caladius Annihilator Grav-tank and Contemptor-Achillus Dreadnought are both capable of tackling the heaviest of enemy vehicles.
From this foundation, adding an extra Custodian or Sentinel Guard Sodality would provide you with additional board control and allow you to leverage another Magisterium Vexilla to counter your opponents' scoring – vital for an army which relies on Vanguard (X) over Objective Control to rack up those crucial Victory Points. Despite having an impressive 8” of Movement, Custodian Guard in particular benefit from the added protection and mobility of a Coronus Grav-carrier, letting them push up the battlefield and avoid any incoming firepower which might overcome their 2+ Armour Saves.
To round out the army, the Caladius Grav-tank can make the most of the Rapid Sub-Type, shared with its Annihilator variant, because unlike the Annihilator, it doesn’t need to remain stationary to get the most out of its main gun. This allows the Caladius to push around the flanks of enemy vehicles and easily chew through targets like medium tanks and automata. Finally, the Contemptor-Galatus Dreadnought* helps tackle the fact that Custodian armies will usually be outnumbered, being perfect for not only scything through enemy infantry but also Routing them from battle with Panic (X) and Aflame (X) on its weapons.
Looking beyond the Custodians themselves, Legio Custodes armies can only include Allies with the Talons of the Emperor Trait, which currently extends to the Sisters of Silence and Assassins. The Anathema Cadres of the Silent Sisterhood provide not only Objective-scoring utility with their lack of Vanguard (X), but also help make the Magisterium Vexillas of the Custodians more effective thanks to Fear (X), while Assassins are a grab-bag of individual specialists that players can sprinkle in to taste.
Beyond Allied Detachments, however, Legio Custodes armies aren’t restricted in their selection of Lords of War, allowing the inclusion of their own dedicated Orion or Ares flyers, Imperial Knights or even Space Marine super-heavy tanks – even Legionaries are unlikely to deny the commands of the Emperor’s Custodians.
If painting an all-gold army doesn’t appeal, Custodians make a powerful (if points-intensive) Allied force for any Loyalist army, with all of their units boasting extremely deadly weaponry. They pair well as Allies for more numerous, objective-focused contingents, be they the ubiquitous Legion Tactical Squad or Solar Auxilia Lasrifle Sections. Mechanicum Castellax, accompanied by Tech-priests, make an equally potent combo for players who want to double down on the Legio Custodes’ low model-count approach!
Thanks, Quinn! Get ready to grow your army when the new Legio Custodes miniatures go on pre-order from Saturday. Start planning your colour scheme and get inspired by painted examples from across the Warhammer community.
* The Custodian Dreadnought kit can be assembled as either the sword-wielding Contemptor-Galatus or the spear-armed Contemptor-Achillus.
