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We have one up for most armies so figured we need one for how to use custodies now that Talons of the emperor has dropped.

Warlord traits
1. Savior of the imperium: IOM within 6” of warlord get a 6++ … meh
2. Peerless warrior: warlord can reroll to hit and wound in a challenge aka I really want slay the warlord or an epic narrative game for personal glory befitting the fluff.. decent
3. Champion of the blood games: warlord has preferred enemy.. good
4. Impregnable mind: deny the witch on a 2+ for warlord and his unit(cannot be modified by any means) either absolutely amazing vs things like tzeench demons, absolutely useless vs tau. .. situational
5. Light of the emperor: the light of the emperor grants shrouding, seems an odd name but sure maybe they are hard to look at , so bright… good
6. Emperor’s Companion: add 1 to WS and BS. Of questionable use, but hey it could make a difference for some units making them hit on 5’s, but those units were not going to hurt you anyway usually… ok

Special rule:
Aegis of the Emperor- 5++ and nonvehicle units get eternal warrior

Equipment Ranged
Bolt caster – 12” str 4 ap5 assault 2 Hail of fire (BS2 snapshots)… not many things are going to charge a custodies so not sure how much the bs2 snapshots will matter, short range too, but it is a gun built into a sword so as far as cool factor goes that is hard to beat.
Combi bolter – 24” str 4 ap5 rapid fire twin linked… it’s a combi bolter you know it, you love it.
Kheres pattern assault cannon – 24” str 6 ap 4 heavy 6 rending… assault cannon with +2 shots, only useable on the Venerable contemptor dred, BS5 is nice but giving up the multimelta for it and you lack can openers, situational depends on your meta or the allies you take.

Equipment Melee
Guardian spear- str +1 ap2 block, two-handed, block once per turn in fight sub phase you can roll off with opponent’s to hit roll (after it has hit but before roll to wound) and possibly negate it if you roll higher. So one per model in each unit with a spear, useful for hidden power fists/klaws or anything ap2. Makes an already durable unit even more tough as nails.
Power knife - str user ap3 you can trade your spear for the sentinel blade which is not two handed and if no shield is taken get +1 attack, might be worth considering as it is still str 5 ap3 and ups you to 4 attacks (5 on charge or with banner, 6 attacks if both) hitting space marines on 3’s so can rip up most of a squad, might be worth it for one model in a 5 man squad.
Sentinel blade- str user ap3, built in bolt caster, it is a sword gun, rule of cool applies, also as one handed can be used with a storm shield or the aforementioned combo with your knife for a bonus attack.

Special issue wargear
Custodes Vexilla- one per army, replaces guardian spear so you just have your ap3 knife, IOM armies in 12” are fearless (probably most useful with guard allies) IOM units attached to squad and the squad get +1 A. for just shy or the cost of a rhino I see this as situational. If you decide to have allies the fearless bubble is nice but for custodies only armies I would pass.
Storm shield – you know it, you love it, 3++ cannot get +1 attack for ccw. This invalidates your knife if you also take the sentinel blade, totally worth it.

Vehicle equipment
Atomic shielding – 5++ to shooting, 6++ to melee. If it explodes add 1” to the explosion. Cute, but you have aegis of the emperor on venerable contemptor dred so 5++ always anyway the explode might kill a few more things that attacked it, but not particularly game changing

Units: as of now only 3 options, one troop, one elite, one heavy support which can be taken as dedicated transport.

Troop:
Custodian guardian squad: 260 base for 4 guardians w/ WS 5 BS 5 S 5 T 5 I 4 A 3 LD 10 sv 2+ 5++ and one captain who gets +1 WS, +1 I, and +1 A, every one is a character so look out sir shenanigans can happen, Adamantine will, aegis of the emperor (5++ and eternal warrior for those pesky str10 shots or hits), bulky, deep strike, fearless. Standard equipment guardian spear and power knife, can take up to 5 more custodies in case you want to put down more than 500 points in one 10 man squad. May replace the spear for a sentinel blade for free for the bonus attack or for use with storm shield. Can take stormshields for the cost of extra armor on a rhino. One per army can carry the Custodes Vexilla but it costs almost as much as a rhino and situational. Can take a Venerable land raider as a dedicated transport.

Elite:
Venerable contemptor Dreadnought: 200 points nets WS5 BS 5 S7 F13 S12 R10 I4 A4 HP3. Comes with multimelta, powerfist with combi-bolter, and the redundant/outdone atomic shielding. Special rules Adamantine will, Aegis of the emperor (5++ always) deep strike (who needs a drop pod… ok drop pods are better but still nice include), Fleet, Venerable (make opponent reroll demage table on pen, must keep result of 2nd) can take the 6 shot assault cannon in place of the multimelta. Deep strike is nice obviously the drop pod is better because of the guidance system, but they only drift 1d6 (more on that later) so that multimelta is probably going to burn something down, but will it burn down 200 points is the question. I would have loved to see them outflank like Eldar war walkers, but alas they did not. Outside las cannons they are the best anti armor custodies get.

Heavy support:
Venerable landraider: 275 points, hereto and so forth to be called the pimpmobile, because… golden landraider. Pimpmobile is a 275 point landraider with +1BS has a special rule Magos-class machine spirirt to ignore crew shaken and stunned results, also have Venerable (may have opponent reroll damage table accept 2nd result). The pimpmobile comes with 2 TL lascannons, a TL heavy bolter, searchlight, smoke launchers, adamantine will, aeigis of the emperor (land raider with a 5++ yes please) assault vehicle and power of the machine spirit. Has limited upgrades because I guess the mechanicum blew the budget on gold plating (good job guys) can take Hunter killer missile, extra armor though what is the point with the magos rule, and an extra storm bolter that you don’t need. I would not put any upgrades unless I happen to have a few points to spare then maybe the hunter killer as you really lack anti vehicle it might actually be worth it to pop a rhino or devilfish if the lascannon fails, also always hilarious to pop a solo crisis suit or power armor T4 hq model with str 8 ap3 goodness that you bought with spare points, situational sure, but be sure to scream “pimpslapped” if it happens (on second thought the HK missile is now mandatory).

Golden legion task force:
min 1 troop, optional 2 troops 1 elite, grants 3 rules. The Emperor’s Chosen: If it includes 3 troops and 1 elite then units in 6” of each other can reroll inv save fails of a 1. For the Golden light to come: units arriving from deep strike only roll 1d6 scatter, and reroll and deep strike mishap (seriously though why don’t Gray Knight Paladins have this, serious question). Right hand of the emperor: If this detachment is your primary then you can reroll on the warlord table(useful when facing a non psychic army and getting the 2+ deny the witch, or facing a low WS army and getting +WS)
Thoughts:
These guys will murder in close combat, but you have to get them there I expect any game over 1200 points with just custodies to include 2 land raiders. Over 1600 3. They are going to hurt in objective games, and probably need allies. Great distraction carnifexes and I would probably say guard will be their best allies as they lack a way to deal with armor outside of the Dred and land raider lascannons. Melta vets in a chimera, a blob with max heavy weapon las cannon teams led by a commissar and maybe a valkrie support will do wonders and give bodies to hold things for cheap to let the Custodes get in and do what they need to do, wreck in close combat.

Other best ally is probably... (god I hate myself for saying it) ultramarines, good tactical doctrine, take tac marines add heavy wepaons and devistators/ thunderfire cannons for backfield fire support/opening transports. Take a grav bike squad or two and boom ranged problems fixed.

My first impressions as a standalone army is take one pimpmobile, deep strike 2 squads and a contemptor dred. In large games take 2x this. I would keep the multimelta on the dred/s and take the min squad size of 5 for the custodies. 2 shields, one with a sword and knife, and 2 spears.

Now lets play some games and get some dialogue going on what works and if my best laid plans end up being just bad, or the greatest thing since gold polish.

I'm going to test out a build with them tonight, if all goes well. I took a Custodes CAD (using Celestine as the HQ) and allied in a Riptide Wing. The Desperate Allies rule is annoying, but since the Riptides are armed with Ion Accelerators (72" range) I think it shouldn't be too hard to keep them completely away from the melee-oriented Custodes squad.

I gave one team full Storm Shields for durability. The other is shieldless, but has Celestine to tank with her Geminae. I'll see if I can get a report up tomorrow after the match.

why stop at riptides? just go full on 2 Wraithknights but in the right meta that would be a fun game. my meta is a noncompetitive narrative atmosphere where the current campaign is about genesteeler cults invading a world, if I brought tau and custodies together nobody would play me. for tournament/competitive I am certainly curious though

If you're playing fluffy then Grey Knights would make good allies, they also deepstrike and bring dreadknights. Doesn't really help you with ranged firepower, but will add to the melee units you can put in an opponents deployment zone with some psychic resistance. Custodes are just better Paladins anyway.

Well the Dreadknights and Librarians are all you need from Grey Knights. Otherwise Grey Knight troops are just expensive objective holders.
A simple Librarius Conclave would be a better choice. You'd get your choice of several excellent tables to work with.

So, my Riptides are kit bashed to look like Imperial units. They are actually made from like 35% Imperial Knight bits. I fluff that they're a radical Xenos Inquisitor's creation and hence the Desperate Allies rule.

The match ended up being against Genestealers. Problem with the Alliance Matrix and small, elite Custodes forces is I can't bubble wrap them. Genestealers got 3-4 6's on the Cult Ambush table and then seized the initiative. Riptides wiped by Turn 2.

The Custodes are doing great though. The squad with Celestine, just her and nothing else, is basically a roving butcher squad. They can hold any objective thanks to ObSec and the Genestealer player is too worried about them to even risk ambushing.

I basically split them I to 3 units, park then on objectives, hold. Seems to work reasonably well.

I think a Conclave might be a better ally though, to echo others. You can add GK Interceptors and Dreadknights without HQ and Troop taxes too thanks to C:IA. My next project is to take a Custodes CAD, a Daemon Hunter Strike Force and a Conclave.

Game 1 Custodes 1850
I took
Golden legion task force
3x custodies squads, 1 knife and sword, 2 spear, 2 shield
1 venerable contemptor dred
Ally guard
Lord commissar
Infantry platoon w/ commissar
2x infantry squad
3x heavy weapon squad 3x lascannon each
1 vendetta
Plus and ADL w/ quad gun
Faced

“1850” (actually 2270) gladius iron hands
2 chapter masters, one with gorgons chain, one with shield eternal, both on bikes gorgon’s chain had dual wielding thunder hammers that I did not know was a thing, shield had a Th attached to command squad w/ 2 power sword, 2 power axes, and apothecary all on bikes. Attached chaplain on bike
6 5 man tac squads with mixed special weapons mostly melta sargs had power swords w/ free rhinos (210 free points)
2 mm dreds w/ drop pods (also free +70)
2 assault squads w/ free heavy bolter razerback (70 more points free)
2 heavy bolter dev squads w/ free heavy bolter razerbacks (70 more free points
3x5 camo cloaked scouts footslogging (apparently they do not get free transports, small miracles I guess)

Mission: Maelstrom escalating card one (cards up to turn number)
Ended up winning (by 2 points, it was close), this was mostly thanks to some lucky explodes on transports. Seemed like each turn a heavy weapons squad would take down a rhino or razerback or at least incapacitate it leaving stranded footslogging tac marines. Other than them that special assault cannon on the contemptor was pretty amazing, that thing just acted like a blender crack a transport, pulverize what is inside, rinse, repeat.
What was most entertaining was the melee though. I managed to whittle down his bike squad before it got to me with shots and him deciding to prioritize my infantry first (not heavy weapons, though to be fair they were just running and getting objectives in a congo line for max reach) the captains did admirably in challenges and they wiped the first custodies squad, but everything other than the two chapter masters were dead from first melee most before getting to strike, and the chaptermasters were close to done. Most of the custodies were gone from mass bolter fire by the time all was said and done when it ended turn 5 but they had reaped multiple tac and assault squads to get to that point. They seem to be what assault terminators are supposed to be. They hit fast, hit hard, and treat power armor like tissue paper. Honestly the one taking a blade and knife was overkill in all but the one large melee. Not one custodies was lost to a tac marine squad either. The vendetta was also useful it caused some units to run and mostly hovered as it was immune to anything on the table outside the dreds but they got blown up the turn after they arrived (one almost when coming in thanks to quad gun)

Overall thoughts are… fun army but boy did they lack mobility. Had I not gotten some good objectives or had the cheap guard bodies it would certainly have been a loss. Next time I am going to try them allied to white scars or ravenwing. I think that might solve some of the movement problems and be much more durable plus gives me dev squads which are… just better than heavy weapons teams.