The Adeptus Custodes employs squadrons of gold-hulled gunships -- some of these are the very same craft used during the Horus Heresy, painstakingly maintained and blessed each day with sacred oils and unguents. When a direct vector of invasion is called for, the Adeptus Custodes utilise Godstrike Pattern teleportarium arrays, appearing in the midst of the fray in storms of golden light. Their starships have ancient translocation bays where blessed incense drifts in the chill air, each station permanently attended to by high-ranking tech-priests and blessed to such a degree that even Contemptor Dreadnoughts can be teleported straight into battle. The warriors inside, their armour proof against the wrenching forces of this arcane technology, shake off their disorientation in a heartbeat before launching thunderous assaults their foes could not have seen coming. Only this time the Custodian Guard would be accompanied by the new gene-crafted warriors meant to replace the Thunder Warriors; the first few thousand prototype Space Marines, most of whom would go on to form the nascent I st Legion, later known as the Dark Angels. Praetorian Plate- A TERMINATOR gets a mighty +1T, and once per game they can appear within 3” of a friendly non- VEHICLE and in Engagement Range, effectively getting a boardwide Heroic Intervention, making for a potent surprise to the enemy as well as helping shore up a beleaguered part of your army.

The hour of action is nigh as the Era Indomitus dawns. With the surge of Chaos activity across the galaxy in the wake of the Great Rift's birth and the threat of eternal damnation more real than ever, the Adeptus Custodes have taken their vow of protection to its logical extreme -- they will see the destruction of those forces who pose a threat to the sanctity of Terra. First amongst these are the dread hordes of Chaos. Mark yourself out as a true hero of Terra with these themed dice, cast in luxurious red resin and detailed with burnished gold pips.Castellan’s Mark- Redeploy 2 units at the start of the First Battle Round, or put them into Strategic Reserves. Happening after knowing who has the first turn is useful, though it explicitly states the units must be set up again in your deployment zone, so no putting units into Deep Strike. Any redeploy is good to have both offensively and defensively, giving you options depending on what you might need, be it to move into a more advantageous position for Objectives or assaults, or to get out of range or Line of Sight. True to their revered and ancient origins as the Emperor’s original praetorians, the Adeptus Custodes are an elite army, featuring few named characters. In the current Edition of Warhammer 40k, there are only three characters available to Adeptus Custodes armies – and, technically, one of those characters isn’t really a member of the Adeptus Custodes at all. Any model playable as part of the Adeptus Custodes is a mighty one, though, so let’s meet them:

With gilded blade and thundering Bolter did the Ten Thousand march out to meet WAAAGH! Deffbringa. Before the gates of the Petitioner's Fortress upon sainted Argentum, no less than eight Shield Hosts marched as one. Like the Emperor's own blade they thrust deep into the Ork horde, and with a single, unstoppable blow they pierced its heart. The origins of the Custodian Guard are shrouded in myth and legend. The ancient Legio Custodes were the bodyguards and sworn protectors of the Emperor and His chosen emissaries, and when the need arose, His most deadly executioners. Genetically engineered warriors of unswerving loyalty and unshakable purpose, their might and skill-at-arms was greater even than the Space Marines of the ancient Legiones Astartes, while their weapons and wargear were uniquely potent, representing the apex of the Imperium's technology. Their history is a long one, and for centuries they have walked in the Emperor's shadow as His praetorians and the protector of His secrets. During the Great Crusade these resplendent warriors guarded the Emperor wherever He went and swore to give their lives to protect His. After His incarceration in the Golden Throne following the Horus Heresy ten standard millennia ago, they have taken a far more limited role in the Imperium of Man. They almost never leave Terra and only very rarely are seen outside the Imperial Palace as they watch over their recumbent master and patrol the precincts of the Emperor's palace, ever vigilant of threats. It is only the Adeptus Custodes who decide who may enter the Sanctum Imperialis of the Emperor at the heart of the Inner Palace, and when they may do so. Brood no more, for this purple carapace-coloured dice set is a must-have for fashion-conscious cultists. For the first time in ten millennia, the Adeptus Custodes strike out from Terra to take the fight to the enemies of Mankind.For millennia, the Adeptus Custodes have formed the unyielding core of the Emperor's multi-layered defences. Those Custodian Guard charged with the physical protection of the Master of Mankind spend every waking second devoted to their task, refining their warrior skills and constantly testing and updating their own strategies to ensure the sanctity of the Emperor's throne. They are His last line of defence against a hostile galaxy hell-bent on Humanity's destruction. If they fail in their task, the Imperium of Man will collapse from the inside out. Their duty is so sacred, their reputation so profound, that even Space Marines and Inquisitors kneel before them. Gatekeeper- A souped up Guardian Spear with +1 Shot, Str and AP to its Ranged profile, which always hits to boot. Otherwise the same in combat. Not bad, not great, probably pass.

Alas, they could not be everywhere, though, and many things were hidden from them; despite the Custodians’ incorruptible influence, Chaos successfully gained a foothold in the legions, and the catastrophic civil war that was the Horus Heresy became inevitable. Ours is the duty absolute. Ours is the vigil that must never end. Ours is the timeless honour, the willing sacrifice, the penitence enduring. We stand a watch that will never be relieved, and we stand it gladly out of adoration for he who gave us life, and whose life we must, in turn, preserve. We will never earn absolution, for we do not deserve it, but those who believe that would give us pause are fools." There are those who believe that the Adeptus Custodes stand immobilised by ritual and rote, but they are sorely mistaken. Only the Custodian Guard know what occurs behind the Sanctum Imperialis' colossal doors, and the lengths to which they have gone to keep their vigil. Their sacred task has by no means led to inactivity. Any of the rules discussed below apply only to ADEPTUS CUSTODES models with the same Keyword , so no overlapping or crossing of Auras (no SOLAR WATCH Auras or powers affecting SHADOWKEEPERS units, for example). There are occasional exceptions that will affect all SHIELD HOST units, these will be called out. The codex also brought the Sisters of Silence – anti-psykers extraordinaire, and historic allies of the Custodes in the so-called ‘Talons of the Emperor – into the Adeptus Custodes codex for the first time, with rules to fight alongside the boys in gold.During the Siege of Terra, the Custodes held fast against the rising tide of Chaos Space Marines, and assorted other servants of the dark gods. Theyguarded the Emperor with their lives,defending him unceasinglyfrom the Terran war’s twin enemies: Horus’ armies outside his palace, and the teeming daemonic masses surging through the transdimensional Webway. The histories of Old Night tell us to fear Men of Stone and Men of Iron. They should have warned us too, of the most terrible monsters of all: the Emperor's Men of Gold." Battle of Prospero (734.004.M31) - After the Triumph at Ullanor, the Emperor returned to Terra to apply himself to a task of utmost secrecy and importance. The Great Crusade continued under the Warmaster Horus of the Luna Wolves, but dark powers were at work, attempting to pervert the favoured Primarch's rule and sow discord throughout the nascent Imperium. The first outward sign of the coming catastrophe was the Burning of Prospero. Magnus the Red, Primarch of the Thousand Sons, unleashes forbidden sorceries that wreak havoc upon Terra, though most will never know whether this act was one of aggression or an attempt to deliver a desperate warning of Horus' fall. In the end, the truth is immaterial; the Emperor unleashes a censure force under the command of Constantin Valdor and Primarch Leman Russ of the Space Wolves, charged with apprehending Magnus on his homeworld of Prospero and returning him to Terra to answer for his acts. Matters escalate rapidly due to Horus' malevolent intervention and the mission of capture becomes one of wholesale annihilation, Valdor and his Custodians fighting alongside the Space Wolves to overcome the sorcery of Magnus' sons. The operative would still count as performing the action for all rules purposes. For example, if it performed it during its activation, it would not be able to perform the action again during that activation.

A Legend's End (ca. 014-021.M31) - The Emperor's surviving loyal sons lead a furious war of vengeance, hounding the Traitor Legions across the galaxy. This period will come to be known as the Great Scouring, and it is a time of violent catharsis and retribution. Yet the newly reorganised Adeptus Custodes takes no part in it, standing their sombre watch upon the Throneworld and contemplating their ultimate failure. Though records conflict as to how and when, it is during this period that Captain-General Constantin Valdor disappears from Imperial histories, along with his weapons and armour, which never make their way to the Custodes' Hall of Armaments within the Imperial Palace complex. The Custodians elect Valdor's successor as Captain-General and Chief Custodian from amongst their ranks and continue their watch.

Desperation’s Price- When a PSYKER suffers a Perils within 18” of an ANATHEMA INFANTRY unit during their turn, they take an additional D3 Mortal Wounds. Pretty niche, but can be devastating when it comes up. Clad in baroque, golden Custodian Armour and armed with priceless relic weaponry, the Adeptus Custodes make for a magnificent sight. They tower over mortals; each has the statuesque physique of an ancient hero, close to nine Terran feet in height even without his scarlet-crested helm. Yet for all their might, for all their bravery, the Custodians were unable to prevent the Emperor from falling to His traitorous son, the Primarch Horus. In the 8th Edition of Warhammer 40k, we saw the Adeptus Custodes come into their own as a fighting force. With new models, new characters, and new rules, they became far more than a diversion from Space Marines; they became something that stands alone, with a unique golden flavour.Now, in 9th Edition, they’re even more refined, benefiting from many rule changes in the newer version of Warhammer 40k, andmaking an appearance in somecompetitive lists. The warriors of the Adeptus Custodes are a department of the Adeptus Terra, the Imperial government, but its members are answerable only to the Emperor and their own leaders. The Custodes' nerve center and headquarters is the Tower of Hegemon within the Imperial Palace, while a small elite of three hundred Custodes, known as the Companions, form the Emperor's personal bodyguard and never leave His side. Host of Heroes- One of each SHIELD-CAPTAIN type per Detachment, so you can have 1 ALLARUS and 1 VERTUS SHIELD-CAPTAIN , but not 2 VERTUS .