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Thanks in advance!

I am an old veteran of 40k coming back to the game. I am leaning towards 30k due to the ruleset feeling more like a ''wargame'' and less like a "board game", if that makes sense.

In any case, I have a collection of custodes and guard (DKoK!) from 40k and I am having a bit of trouble making equivalences with 30k units.

I was planning on using the guard infantry as imperialis militia (which I think can be allied with custodes), and then I imagined that Custodes would have remained more or less the same. However, to my surprise things like Allarus terminators, or Wardens, don't seem to have an immediate equivalent in 30k. I was reading through the rule books, but couldn't figure it out.

Could anyone please point me to some resources on the topic?

30k Custodes units can be used in 40k, but 40k Custodes can't necessarily be used in 30k. A summary:

Characters: 30k Shield-Captains are only allowed to be on foot, no bikes/terminators, but the models are the same otherwise. Valoris makes an acceptable proxy for Valdor.

Guard: The Troops selection is divided into Custodian Guard with spears and Sentinel Guard with sword and shield. The models are the same.

Wardens: There's a unit called Hetaeron Guard that lives in the Elites section like Wardens. I've taken to using the Warden bodies on all my infantry so I've had to differentiate my Hetaeron by equipment.

Allarus: The 30k Terminators are the Aquilon, they're about the same size as Allarus but the equipment is very different. Allarus have spear/axe and the wrist grenades, Aquilon have a powerfist or a lightning claw with a storm bolter, adrasite weapon, or a flamer. You can proxy but converting weapons is probably going to get pretty involved. It's worth noting that the Aquilon are supposed to be on 50mm bases; I've rebased my Allarus in 50mm bases for consistency.

Jetbikes: The 30k Gyrfalcon bikes ("Agamatus squad") have the same stats as the Dawneagle bikes ("Vertus Praetors") in 40k, just different guns. I've played 30k with people who were annoyed at people proxying Dawneagle bikes as Gyrfalcon bikes because they're a different size (more so than the Terminators), so check with your playgroup ahead of time, but I'd interpret them as close enough to proxy.

Vehicles: The Contemptor and the Land Raider in the 40k book are GW's attempt to extend the army with vehicles without having to make any new kits by spray-painting Space Marine vehicles gold. There's no direct parallel for the Land Raider since all the 30k tanks are skimmers, the Contemptors in 30k are way cooler but the 40k Contemptor is at least the right size.

On Equipment: Custodes in 30k have way more equipment options than the 40k ones. There are powerfists and lightning claws available to a lot of units, the melta and adrathic spears, and spear/shield squads, so even where the models are comparable you may not have the loadout you want for playing 30k.

Answer much appreciated; the detailed breakdown is very helpful!

At this point, though, I wonder if the distinctions are here to stay given that FW and GW rule teams are merging.

I don't know, though, if some units are missing due to "Inferno" being an older publication than the release of the new miniatures and equipment range (this would go for allarus and dawneagle).

Any thoughts on that?

The rules in HH: Book VII Inferno were replaced by the rules found in HH: Book VIII Malevolence. Book VII was a colossal disaster of rules for Space Wolves, Thousand Sons, and the Talons of the Emperor. Everything got FAQ'd Errata'd and or outright replaced in Book VIII.

I had not heard that the FW and GW rules teams are merging. Even so, 30K is still in 7th (more like 7.5) edition. They have at least one more book coming out- Book IX Crusade with the Dark Angels, Night Lords. Rumor has it that Dark Mechanicum, and possibly more Daemons will be in Book X. From what I understand, that's supposed to close out the "story arc" of the Horus Heresy prior to the Siege of Terra.

After that... Forge World did have plans for the Siege of Terra. They put them up at the 2019 FW Weekender, but I can't remember if they did the same in 2020. FW has always been the odd duck out for GW. GW has been saying for years they are folding FW into GW, but it hasn't happened yet. If it ever does, I'm pretty sure we can say good bye to 30K. Ever since Allan Bligh's passing, it seems like no one at FW or GW cares much about 30K or the future of 30K.

On the bright side, rumors in late April say that Book IX had arrived in the UK from China, but Coronavirus has the UK locked down, so who knows when we'll see it.

You realize you have decided to play one of the most OP armies in 30K, right? Book VIII and FAQ's/erratas did a lot to tone them down, but they are still top tier army for 30K. As a matter of fact, the top two armies Legio Custodies and Mechanicum, are like, an entire tier above the Space Marine Legions and I still scratch my head over how they ever got into 30K.

All Forgeworld rules will now be handled by Games Workshop rules team. All part of “the same ecosystem”.

Thanks for the tips on the book, I'll get the new one.

As for the army choice, I really want to play a mixed force of guard and custodes, so I am going with that regardless of their competitive status. Then I'll try to make it work choosing the right units.

Ever since Allan Bligh's passing, it seems like no one at FW or GW cares much about 30K or the future of 30K.

What gives me hope is that GWs seems to be embracing a dual system; Old world / 30k more wargamey and AoS / 40k more board gamey.

So if itis already in motion with some broader plans, less likely to drop them, right?

But a clean up of books and rules seems a tad necessary.



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PS - Any thoughts on whether newer custodes models from 40k will make it into 30k?