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So I'm currently putting together a custodes/Talons army and wondering about next choices.

Currently I have a Tribune (potentially used as Valdor)

3 lots of 5 Custodes. Usually running them as three 5 man squads all with a Vex.
1 Custodian Guard squad with a mix of spears.
1 Sentinel Squad (ideally with swords and some fists (trying to convert at the moment)
1 Hetaeron Squad with a mix of different spear types.

I also have 2 x 5 sisters sprues that I haven't assembled yet (I could run these as troops to use one of the above custodes squads as another Hetaeron squad)

Now I've got a free shipping voucher for FW and I'm planning my next purchase. I am aware my force isn't that mobile, but Valdor gives them deep strike at least so I'm not really leaning towards a transport though I know a lot of people would say it's beneficial.

I'm pondering what to get next. I'm torn between 3 things and can't afford all unfortunately:

A Grav Tank Annihilator to give me some longer range against enemy armour.

A Telemon Heavy dreadnaught

Contemptor-Achillus Dreadnought

The Grav Tank seems the best shooting wise and as much as I love the look of the Telemon I'm wondering how it will fair up.

The contemptor is obviously slightly weaker than the telemon, but I like the idea of the S10 spear with the potentially for a D on the charge.

I'd potentially try and get the other contemptor with the shield as well, if taking them as a pair makes better sense.

Thoughts?

I think this is what you need: https://www.forgeworld.co.uk/en-US/Legio-Custodes-Caladius-Grav-tank-Annihilator-Caladius-Grav-tank-bundle-2017

After that, I'd look into Transports- you need a way to get into close combat as fast as possible.

Unfortunately that's a bit too pricey :( I was looking at just one of the above

Telemon with a pair of guns or a pair of Achillus would be your best bet. Unfortunately flare shields neuter both of their ranged weapons.

Could also do the Telemon with fist/shock cannon. But Custodes lack ranged options, so the best bet would seem to be to pile on as much as possible on your Dread.

From what i have heard from other people, the Grav Tanks shooting is a bit disappointing. You can skip transports if you use the Tribune as Valdor, since you can teleport your golden boys for free.

Im currently in a similar position of pondering what to add to my Custodes. Im leaning to the Telemon, though the pair of Achillus is tempting for less eggs in one basket.

Of course, that begs the question of what game type, how many points are you looking at playing, what you feel your army needs help covering, etc.

Generally they’ve been quite small as the people I play against have only started building their legions up(I previously had around 4000 points of world eaters). However one of them is reaching the 3500 point mark of Emperors children with a land raider and 2 knights as allies. I also play against a sons of Horus player who has recently acquired a leviathan and possibly a land raider as well.

I wondered how effective the smaller Pallas tank is. It’s a bit cheaper so I’ll have to work out if I could squeeze for one of those and perhaps one of the spear wielding dreadnaughts

Grav tanks are only ok if you take 3 of them and outflank them. Same with outflanking the pallas (although that's small enough to deep strike and is pretty good with the adrathic upgrades). You can also outflank the transports. I would run the pallas as singular units.

Personally, if I only wanted to deep strike two or three units, I'd pay for the Teleportation Transponders then use your tribune to pick the warlord trait to pick the one that allows you to re-roll reserves which also helps with out flanking grav tanks.

If you have enough money for a telemon, it's only 12 quid extra for 3 jetbikes which are awesome deepstriking with adrathic Devastators. Same with the pallas. Deep striking terminators equipped with adrathic destructors (twin linked on them) and solarite power gauntlets are, along with the two afore mentioned units great for anti armour. All great with the tribune's re-roll reserves warlord trait. I'd only take a pallas if you have a lot of other big threats for your opponent to tackle as they will ignore it but it's still a real threat you can use against most targets.

As for the telemon, I've yet to take the plunge but I hear they are very survivable. Their shooting is somewhat lacking I am told by fellow custodes players so they are probaby better with the dual guns but come in at 360 points with that loadout which is a hell of a lot in an already expensive army.

My choice would be jet bikes. Don't glue in the weapons - you can switch them in and out that way and you don't need to magnetise as the guns stay in without them until you turn them upside down. They are incredible and they won't disappoint. My last game they deep struck in and killed 5 ursarax and 6 thallax and diverted a lot of my opponents firepower until they went down.

Funny you should mention that as I was starting to look at bikes. It's good their weapons easily swap as I thought I could take the plasma things if I know I'm up against a tank heavy army!

The outflanking sounds good. It's a shame there's not a bigger saving on the full 6 man squad - though even then it's still out my budget. But the 3 man squad is a saving so maybe that is a serious option.

I have to agree with most of ColdSadHungary’s post.
I’ve got a Telemon and Achillus the Telemon is definitely the most survivable and will rip most things apart with one of the fists mine memorable defeated Perturabo in a dual recently he was down to 3 wounds at the time.

The Achillus is my favourite model. I would not have taken a break from my World Eaters and started a Talons army if they hadn’t released it, the Galatus, Sagittarum Guard and the Kharon I just love the design of those four units.

I ordered myself 3 jetbikes for Christmas presents courtesy of my wife and son (you’ve got to get them yourself otherwise you end up with bathroom sets and socks). So I’m yet to see how they fare but I think the Corvus las pulsers or adrathic destructors will deal with most armour.

The Terminators with destructors and fists will be my next purchase and would be another good option for you against armour and high toughness units.