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Primaris Space Marines

2018-07-25T13:53:09Z

2001:8003:3895:3A00:ADA8:312:6FE5:ACED: Undo revision 507951 by 2001:67C:2660:425:21B:21FF:FED3:61DC (talk) No one calls them that

[[File:New40KPrimarisArt1.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Look out Chaos, there's a new kid on the block.]]
{{Topquote|They were forged for Mankind's darkest hour, and that hour is upon us.|[[Roboute Guilliman]]}}
{{Topquote|In a galaxy wreathed in darkness, we must be the light.|Unnamed Primaris Officer}}
{{Topquote|Today, we are canceling the apocalypse!|Marshal Stacker Pentecost, from the movie Pacific Rim}}

Primaris Space Marines (also known as Primaris Marines, Ultra-Ultramarines, Space Space Marines, Primarines, NuMarines, Chadmarines, [[Ultramarines: The Movie|The Greater-est of them all]], Adeptus Restartes, Gigglymarines, Super Space Marines, Biglymarines, Space-marine Space-marine Space-Marines, 8thmarines, Bigmars, [[Stormcast Eternals|Spacesigmarines]], Guillimarines, Special Snowflake Marines, [[Mary Sue|Primarysues]], Ultra-Ultrasmurfs, Marines II: Electric Boogaloo, the Replacements and the New Kids) - are the next step forward in [[Space Marine]] evolution (not counting the [[Raptor]] supermarines by [[Corax]] during the [[Horus Heresy]] before [[Alpharius]] spiked the gene-tech with [[Daemon]] Blood). [[Roboute Guilliman|Big Bobby G]] got together with [[Belisarius Cawl]] and put together this next generation of Astartes. They are bigger, faster, stronger, and maybe smarter than all that have come before them. Buckle up boys, its about to get hot in here.

==History and Background==
Shortly after the conclusion of the Horus Heresy, Guilliman predicted that another major Chaos attack on the Imperium might come at some point in the future. Though the Space Marines had proven themselves worthy defenders of Mankind, the Primarch foresaw that there might be a time where even they would struggle against the onslaught of the Ruinous Powers - [[Derp|because Roboute himself broke Legions in chapters]], and those tend to have problems fighting Black Crusades against ''hundreds of thousands'' CSM (the reason why Dorn declined Codex Astartes at first, being one of the few after the Scouring to suppose the Traitor Legions may be back one day). But nowadays it turns out Guilliman knew about it as well - which makes the whole situation awkward to say the least.

Ahem, in a frankly extreme show of [[just as planned]], our [[Spiritual Liege]] gained the aid of Archmagos Belisarius Cawl and began a program to create a new, superior form of Space Marines in secret over the next ten millennia. To assist him, Guilliman gave Cawl a relic called the Sangprimus Portum- a device containing the purest samples of each Primarch's [[/d/|genetic material]] that outstripped even the gene-seed in its potency.

Even after he was poisoned by [[Fulgrim]], Guilliman's plan continued without anybody learning about it, and by the time of his revival, Primaris Marines were ready to be unveiled to the Imperium - the only thing needed was a sanction from the Primarch himself.

In conjunction with the [[Ultima Founding]], there are now going to be entirely new chapters composed just of Primaris Marines as well, with some taking over the [[Fortress-Monastery|fortress-monasteries]] of extinct chapters.

However, in the Black Library novel "Dark Imperium", Guilliman calls Primarises "Cawl's blasphemous hordes". So much for daddy's love, eh?

==New Stuff==
*The basic Primaris Marine is encased in [[Power Armour#Mark X: Tacticus Armour|Mark X Tacticus Armour]]. Basically, it's the best of all the suits that came before it, wrapped up into one convenient package; no [[Beakie]] schnozz, but it's got that sweet Maximus style vox grill. As usual, mechanically this is entirely cosmetic.
**[[Primarch#Two_Missing_Primarchs|We don't talk about Mark IX Power Armour]].
**Bigger, tougher Primaris Marines wear [[Power_Armour#Mark_X:_Gravis_Armour|Mark X Gravis Armour]]. As of 8E, this translates to +1T. Shiny.
**Reivers wear [[Power Armour#Mark X: Phobos Armour|Mark X Phobos Armour]], sleeker-looking, with <strike>crocs, capris, and</strike> skull-faced helmets.
*They wield the [[Bolt#Bolt Rifle|Mark II Cawl-pattern Bolt rifle]] as their standard firearm. Apparently a "perfected" version of the ubiquitous bolter, it does have an improved statline - 30" Rapid Fire 1 S4 AP-1 D1 - which appears to be a boltgun with an extended barrel.
**Its statline is one AP worse than the new "Special Issue Boltgun" Sternguard carry, but their big selling point is some combination of being cheaper/easier to manufacture and using more readily available/cheaper/easier to manufacture ammunition, reflected in their points cost - bolt rifles are the same gun for 3 points cheaper in 8E.
**At least two variants of Bolt Rifle exist- the Auto Bolt Rifle, which has lower AP and shorter ranges but offers greater mobility due to being Assault 2, and the Stalker Bolt Rifle, a Heavy 1 sniper variant with superior range and one extra point of AP.
*An enhanced [[gene-seed]], which was created by combining the purified genetic material of the Loyalist Primarchs with parts of the [[Adeptus Custodes|Custodes]] creation process (as they don't have gene-seed) that adds 3 more organs to the existing 19. It's also worth noting that Cawl did something to make the Primaris Marines physically incapable of turning traitor. Guilliman's internal monologue in Dark Imperium reveals that he considers it an impossibility for Primarines to turn, unlike "the old breed". This has interesting implications about whether or not the Primaris marines truly have free will, assuming that they truly are unable to fall to Chaos- it is just as likely that they haven't been active long enough for any corruption to take hold yet.
**The new organs are:
***'''Sinew Coils''', which turn the Primaris Marines into [[Wat|Inspector Gadget]]....okay, we may be joking here, but it's basically metallic coils wrapped around the Marine's tendons and ligaments that can contract with extreme force.
****This is particularly interesting, as it's not actually a living organ, and hence is presumably not developed from gene-seed at all.
***'''The Magnificat''', which just sets the rest of the superhuman organs into overdrive (and is itself part of a super-organ dubbed the '''Immortis Gland''' intended for Primarchs, though the information needed to complete it is lost), as well as producing additional growth hormone.
***'''Belisarian Furnace''' (because Cawl gets a robo-boner for naming things after himself), essentially a 'last-stand' organ, which gives a Primaris Marine a supercharged adrenaline rush near death while triggering rapid tissue and bone regeneration. This presumably explains the additional Wound they have.

==Potential Problems==
* Primaris marines were made from all extant Loyalist genelines, and thanks to the material made available to [[Belisarius Cawl]] through the Sangprimus Portum, show little to none of the idiosyncrasies that usually mark the bloodlines of [[Space Wolves|Russ]] and [[Blood Angels|Sanguinius]]. Not only that, but according to an (admittedly biased) in-universe source, there's only a .001% chance of genetic deviation per generation, which means that the Primaris genestock are incredibly stable as well. Interestingly, thanks to Cawl's work Chapters that have lost organs through the centuries (like the [[Imperial Fists]]) or have malfunctioning organs (like the [[Raven Guard]]) all of a sudden have a complete set of organs thanks to the influx of new Primaris blood.
** This means of course that Chapters like the [[Space Wolves]], who due to the same quirks of their genetics were unable to ''have'' successors, [[Wolfspear|can now have them]], without fear of them devolving into [[Wulfen]] in one generation. Despite this stability, some people (see [[Flesh Tearers|Gabriel Seth]]) aren't too happy at this flagrant tinkering with the Emperor's work.
** It's worth noting that in the '''Kill Team Focus: The Adeptus Astartes''', [[Black Dragons]] Reivers with bone mutations are mentioned. Maybe this is due to the purposeful mutation farming by the Black Dragons, or maybe the mutation rate is higher than Daddy Cawl cares to admit.
* Despite being bigger, stronger, and much faster than "regular" Astartes, what the Primaris initially lacked was actual battlefield experience (a fact bemoaned by Captain Felix of the [[Ultramarines]] in ''Dark Imperium'' to have been the cause of most of the initial losses to the Primaris). While this has been mostly been offset by the long and hard Indomitus Crusade campaign, even after a hundred-odd years of war the average Primaris marine is looked upon as a relative greenhorn by regular Astartes veterans. They have a lot to prove to their adopted Chapters as a result.
** We get little hints of this having to prove themselves goodness in, the Dark Angels codex. A group of Hellblasters are half put off, half inspired by the strictness of their primogenitor. After the squad gets trapped in a hive city for days fighting off enemies, they rack up so many kills even Belial can't help but smile.
*The Dark Angel example above illustrates another problem: how well will the new Primaris Marines get along with their chapter? The Dark Angels are an extreme example given their <s>issues</s> UNSWERVING LOYALTY TO THE IMPERIUM, but other chapters may have their own problems getting the first couple batches of Primaris marines to get with the traditions and cultures of their chapters.
**As the Primaris have no Terminators ([[skub|Aggressors are debatable]]) or Biker units or any real equivalents. (Yet, if GW thought that far ahead.) I.e. Hellblasters and Inceptors can be deployed in place of Sternguard and Vanguard Veterans in other chapters. With the exception of Primaris Librarians, induction into the Inner Circle or the lower ranks of the Ravenwing is unlikely.
*Chaos will be interested in the Primaris Marines. The [[Chaos Gods]] are not happy with the existence of the Primaris Marines, and are creating some warp charged warriors to counter them (enhanced Chosen, perhaps). [[Fabius Bile|Fabulous Bill]] became obsessed with "perfecting" the Primaris Marines from the moment he first encountered them and has already begun trying to kidnap Primaris Marines for dissection. They've supposedly been made resistant to Chaos influence, but "resistant" doesn't mean "immune" by a long shot, since they still have a soul. In fact a [[Noxious Blightbringer]] is able to effect them in Dark Imperium, successfully hurting and trying to get them to turn. And come to think of it, the cover image of 8th Edition does seem to partially show a [[Plague Marine]] in Tacitus armor...
**The discovery that Cawl wanted to use Traitor Legion gene-seed as well as the gene-seed of the missing legions to make Primaris Marines doesn't help the matter; Guilliman refused to let him do so, but he has a feeling Cawl will try it anyway with predictable results.
***Cawl claims that it was only due to the influence of the traitorous Primarchs that their Legions fell to Chaos. While this may be true, attempting to test that theory would almost certainly be a bad idea.
****The [[Sons of the Phoenix]] exist.
***The reasons as to why the the Lost Legions were purged so thoroughly were apparently so unthinkably horrible (so much that even after his rebellion had begun, Horus was still unwilling to break the vow he made to never speak of the Missing Primarchs) that Cawl trying to use their DNA might bite him in the ass even harder than for using gene-seed from the Traitor Primarchs.
*While barely explored in-universe so far, the various alien races in the setting may also take exception to or dangerous interest in the Primaris Marines.[[Urien Rakarth]] has expressed interest in them in spite of what he calls Guilliman's "lack of imagination", and has requested his [[Haemonculus|Haemonculi]] bring as many to him as possible; more unnervingly, he has expressed that he will be saving his best oubliette for the Primarch if he ever wished to "learn from the master". It would be equally unsurprising if [[Illuminor Szeras|a certain spider-legged robot mad scientist]] also wanted to collect a few Primaris specimens. The rest of the alien races, fortunately, are much less interested in genetic modification and would be more likely to view them as being more or less like any other Space Marine.
* The book "War of Secrets" has the Primaris Marines of the Dark Angels (and by implication, all Primaris Marines of Terran stock) heavily influenced by the culture of Mars: they call the Emperor the Omnissiah, reverently call their creator 'Pater Cawl', and swear to the glory of "chapter, Terra and Mars". This raises the question of if they are more loyal to the Adeptus Mechanicus than the Imperium or even their own Chapter. Indeed, in the book its one of the main reasons the Dark Angels don't trust them.
* Another problem is simply one of character development. If the Primaris are free of any mutation, supposedly so resistant to Chaos that they are impossible to turn, and are stronger than their older counterparts, this might create a deep plot and writing pitfall for future Black Library books. Not like they don't deal with those already of course...

==Forces of the Primaris Marines==
[[File:Blood Raven 1.JPG|300px|thumb|right|"[[Roboute Guilliman|Lord Commander]], the batch 3789-Alpha is missing! Just after the visit of..." "[[Just as Planned|I know.]]"]]
Primaris Marines don't get to select from a variety of equipment loadouts, but the equipment they do carry is designed by [[Cawl]], who is shockingly competent, so they usually outgun their non-Primaris equivalents who tried to choose an otherwise identical loadout; this forces them to depend on other units to support them to fill in any gaps (much like Eldar Aspect Warriors). They enjoy, as of 8E, +1W and +1A relative to a regular marine, making them more durable and a lot more dangerous in melee combat. Some of them wear [[Power_Armour#Mark_X:_Gravis_Armour|Mark X Gravis Armour]], for another +1T.
*'''[[Primaris Captain|Primaris Captain:]]''' Primaris Captains are the analogues of [[Space Marine]] Captains. They are decked out in the new Gravis Armor which somehow manages to be even ''MOAR'' egg-shaped than a [[Squat]] [[Hearthguard]]. They're armed with a mini-Gauntlet of Ultramar/Hand of Dominion (I.E. a three-shot bolt pistol built into a power fist) and a master-crafted power sword. Others use the Mark X Tacitus power armor and wield a power sword and their choice of Stalker Boltgun or Auto Bolt Rifle. There's also a plasma pistol and power fist model exclusive to Games Workshop stores celebrating their anniversaries.
*'''[[Primaris Librarian|Primaris Librarian:]]''' Just what it sounds like. Has a fancy-looking Force Sword.
*'''[[Primaris Chaplain|Primaris Chaplain:]]''' Self-explanatory; they wear black robes as though they're aping on the [[Interrogator-Chaplain]]s. In battle, they wear an Iron Halo and carry a Crozius Arcanum alongside a specialized Absolver Bolt Pistol. To double down on the skull motif, their breastplate looks like a ribcage.
*'''[[Primaris Lieutenant|Primaris Lieutenants:]]''' The Primaris Lieutenants are somewhere between a Captain and a Sergeant in rank, and are often the most experienced of a Primaris Squad. Their role is to take command of demi-companies when the Captain is absent, freeing Chaplains and Librarians to focus on their own specialties. Lieutenants are differentiated from their fellow marines by a red-on-white stripe on their helms. Some of them can be helmetless which often showcase an extreme amount of Hair-esy. They can either use a power sword or a master-crafted automatic version of the Bolt Rifle (shorter range and worse ap, but better rate of fire at long range, fireable after Advancing, and more damage per shot from being master-crafted).
*'''[[Primaris Ancient|Primaris Ancients:]]''' Primaris Marines dubbed honorable enough to have the privilege of carrying the Standard's Banner. Identifiable by their white helmets (although that could change depending on the Chapter), they are in no way related to another [[Tarkus|dude-clad-in-power-armor-wearing-a-white-helmet-that-also-comes-with-the-same-name-from-a-certain-WH40K-game]]. At least until he's been upgraded. In case you were wondering, "Ancient" is a corruption of the rank of "Ensign" which was a term for an army's flagbearer in the Middle Ages, so it has nothing to do with how old the Marine in question actually is.
*'''[[Primaris Apothecary|Primaris Apothecary:]]''' A specialization of Primaris Marine first seen in artwork and promo photos, and now has rules and a model. Their left bracer appears to have a screen on it for monitoring lifesigns, and they have a pistol with a reductor built into it for geneseed removal (and the occasional puncturing of enemy skulls). The Narthecium attached to a <s>cyberdong</s> mechadendrite on the Apothecary's back.
*'''Primaris Techmarine:''' One of them acts as the pintle gunner for the Repulsor Tank. That's about all we know.
*'''[[Reiver|Reivers:]]''' Reivers are Space Marines created from the gene-seed of [[Sly Marbo]]. Think [[Catachan Jungle Fighters]] in [[Power Armor]]. It's time to piss yourselves, [[Chaos Space Marines|traitorous scum.]] Reivers are the only true close-combat specialist Infantry for the Primaris and are pretty good at it overall. Compared to Intercessors they have a Combat Knife for another attack and an improved Bolt Pistol with greater Armour Penetration, and the ability to negatively effect enemy morale. They can be equipped for more ranged combat but that is not why you take them. They have Deep-Strike option like everyone else, but also a new grappling hook that allows them to both outflank and jump-up ruins like they're nothing. But arguably their biggest trump-card is their special grenade that causes effected units to lose both their overwatch and minus one to shooting. While not the most devastating CC unit in the game they make excellent back-field harassers and synergize wonderfully with the rest of your army with their ability to cripple enemy gun-lines.
*'''[[Aggressor|Aggressors:]]''' Aggressors are basically Primaris [[Terminators]] mixed in with [[Centurion Squad|Centurions]], but with a 3+ save. They have an even more specialized Gravis armor, and either an automatic version of the Primaris Captain's Boltstorm Gauntlet paired with shoulder-mounted grenade launchers or a flamer-equipped version of said gauntlet dubbed the Flamestorm gauntlet. Regardless of what they're equipped with, they specialize in close-range firepower that obliterates light infantry.
*'''[[Intercessor|Intercessors:]]''' Intercessors are the <s>standard</s> SUPER bolter Marines, having most in common with a bare-bones tactical squad as they're armed with Primaris versions of the same things (such as their super bolters and Mk X armour). Compared to tacticals, they perform better in melee and have greater armour penetration on their basic weapons along with being more survivable, making them effective in a wider variety of situations. This is both a strength and a weakness, as while they may be bigger Jacks of all trades, they're even worse masters of nothing. Compared to Tacticals they have fewer weapon and transport options and only one type of heavy weapon choice. This might be part of the reason that other Primaris Marines are more specialized: to compensate/synergize. As Primaris specialists may be more vulnerable to heavy firepower and be fire-magnets, Intercessors with their flexibility they can more reliably protect other more valuable units and plug any holes that arise from specialist losses, or make themselves useful against any foe until the hard-hitting second wave arrives (being the most versatile as far as Primaris Marines go).
*'''[[Inceptor|Inceptors:]]''' Inceptors are the <strike>[[Assault Marines]] equivalent</strike> drop troops of the Primaris Marines and are equipped with a new pattern of Jump Packs, two Assault Bolters, which are basically sawn off Heavy Bolters, a pair of hand-portable Plasma Cannons, and a pair of [[Derp|absolutely ridiculous-looking shoe-shovels.]] Unlike Assault Squads, the Inceptors' focus is on firepower and a pseudo Hammer of Wrath. This makes them closer in role to Assault Bikes as a fast moving strafing unit and harasser. They lack melee weapons of any kind; this doesn't mean they can't fight in melee, as their sheer weight allows them to crush their enemies to death, and they still have the statline of "normal" Primaris marines along with being even tougher to hurt, making them not completely useless in a scrap. Don't get it in your head that their melee ability is "good", though, or even decent, and only engage in melee if you have to; they do far better blowing things into tiny pieces.
*'''[[Hellblaster|Hellblasters:]]''' Hellblasters are Primaris Marines who make Flash Gitz green(er) with envy. They use [[Plasma#Plasma Incinerator|Plasma Incinerators]], enhanced Plasma Guns with longer range and armor piercing ability. Aside from that, there's nothing special about them as compared to "regular" Primaris marines. Very expensive and vulnerable to strong weapons, but they fuck up TEQs and can pose a threat to vehicles if they can get into Rapid Fire range, though outside of said range it's not as suicidal to unload a charged volley, so they can threaten vehicles there, too. Also, with the changes to how cover works, they are terrifying against cover campers. With how big a fire magnet these guys are, if you get these guys close to an expensive or dangerous vehicle or multiwound TEQs feel free to HELLBLAST them into oblivion in a suicide barrage. (That is, IF they're at risk of being wiped out or swarmed.)
*'''[[Redemptor Dreadnought|Primaris Redemptor Dreadnought:]]''' For no matter how great and glorious they may be, [[Grimdark|in the grim future even they are not immortal]]. Though how enough of these brand spanking-new Space Marines were curbstomped just enough to warrant Dreadnought status, we'll (probably) never know (hundreds of thousands of Primaris fighting in the over a century long indomitus crusade may be the answer). Times be desperate, yo. Probably because they're so hard to kill that just about all of them that couldn't be saved are made dread-ful.
*'''[[Repulsor_Tank|Repulsor]]:''' The Repulsor is the standard transport and/or tank (nobody's entirely sure yet) of the Primaris Marines. Which is good for them, because they can't go inside standard Space Marine transports, including ones that can hold Terminators, Centurions, and (in 30k) even fucking ''Primarchs.'' There must be [[Profit|some mysterious force surpassing even the Emperor]] blocking the door - which also blocks the door on this thing if you try to convince a ''non''-Primaris to go inside. Being a floating [[METAL BOXES|Metal Box]], it might be considered the spiritual successor to the [[Grav-Rhino]], if you covered said Grav-Rhino with missile pods everywhere, including on its rear and sides, put twin-linked lascannon in the front hull, and gave it what looks like a [[Fail|heavy stubber]] as a coaxial gun to go with the turret lascannon and pintle-mounted Gatling gun.
*'''Overlord:''' The Overlord is the Primaris-exclusive dropship used to support the bigger frames of the Primaris Marines. You would think the [[Thunderhawk]] would be big enough for them, but it seems they are ''too'' [[Mary Sue|special]] to share the same vehicle with their smaller brothers. Anyways, the Overlord is noticeable for one thing. It is '''ECKS BAWKS HUEG''', making a Thunderhawk look like a [[Stormtalon]] in comparison. In terms of specs, it is the [[Corvus Blackstar]] on steroids. Seriously, it has powerful quintuple engines and twinned hulls thick enough to permit insertion from orbit, like Thunderhawks or Stormbirds, and like Blackstars, Overlords possess twin transport bays with their own assault doors, but they're considerably bigger (they can carry up to 40 of your Chadmarines) and even more blessed with advanced technologies like fucking [[AWESOME|energy shields]] ([[Heresy|Guess Cawl kind of]] [[Blood Ravens|'borrowed']] [[Extra Heresy|some of that sweet ass energy shields from the]] [[Eldar|pointy-eared gitz]]). Additionally, the Overlord is equipped with anti-munitions cannons, wing-mounted Desolator Lascannons, nose-mounted Melta Cannons and Heavy Bolters fixed on its lower wing surfaces. This thing is pretty much a flying [[Titan (Warhammer 40,000)|Titan]] or an Imperial [[Manta]].
*'''[[Astraeus|Astraeus Super-Heavy Tank]]:''' Surely the result of a grudging 3-way between a Mastodon, a Sicaran, and a somewhat reluctant Repulsor, the Astraeus is the first Primaris super-heavy tank (implying there will be more variants on the way) and looking to be an utter beast on the tabletop - it's armed with Land Raider style frontal Heavy Bolter mount, two front angled sponsons for Las-Rippers or Plasma Eradicators, topped with a turret mounted dual Macro-Accelerator Cannon. Given how expensive it is to field a decently kitted repulsor, it remains to be seen how viable it will be to concentrate so many points into one vehicle.

==On the Tabletop==
Crunch wise, Primaris Space Marines are about as physically dangerous as Space Marines are already supposed to be fluff-wise, so they get an additional Attack and an additional Wound; weapons which deal additional Wounds seem to be fairly common now, so while it might not be a big improvement it can still be helpful. However, they also have exclusive access to shiny new toys from Cawl, including a "basically Kraken" Bolter with +6" range and -1 AP, a Plasma gun with +6" range and -4 AP, and half-range [[AWESOME|one-handed Assault Heavy Bolters and Plasma Cannons. That they dual-wield. With jump packs.]] Defensively, so far only they have access to Gravis armor, which grants +1 Toughness (and even then only the Captain, Aggressors, and Inceptors can use it). Finally, their squads don't mix weapon types, with all members carrying the same loadout; whether this will be a benefit or a downside relative to "standard" marines being able to carry a mixed loadout remains to be seen with the other new rules in 8th, such as the ability of any squad to split its fire across multiple targets.

Most of the Primaris units so far also cost nearly twice as many points as their older counterparts and have unit sizes no larger than a <del>5</del> 10 model maximum (including the Serge). This strongly suggests they will be more useful as a supplement to standard Marine forces than they might be as outright replacements; they're far too inflexible and expensive to be fielded effectively on their own, and their lack of melee specialists and access to weaponry with a range greater than 36" is a glaring flaw (for now) as well. And while their movement is no worse than any other Marine, for reasons that totally aren't financial in origin they can't take '''any''' transports usable by standard Marines. Not [[Rhino|Rhinos]], not [[Drop Pods]], not [[Land Raider|Land Raiders]], not even the motherfucking [[Mastodon]]. They can use the Thunderhawk, but odds are you're not going to have room for it in your standard 2000 points game, and even then, it has to be carrying only Primaris Marines (and in that case, it still can't carry too many). They have a special transport called a Repulsor (which is a [[Awesome|grav tank]]), which somehow can't carry non-Primaris, but besides that they have no choice but to go footslogging.

However, single-model units can be astonishingly efficient - the most extreme case is the Primaris Librarian, who has a static, unchangeable loadout, but costs the exact same as a non-Primaris Librarian with the same loadout (a bolt pistol and Force Sword).

===Rules Datasheets===
<gallery>
File:New40kPrimarisCaptainAgainFull.jpg|Stats for the Captain. GW is being awfully generous with these datasheets.
File:New40kIntercessorDatasheet.jpg|Behold the Intercessor Datasheet (thanks GW!).
File:New40kPrimarisInceptorVersion2Full.jpg|The Inceptor rules, sadly the shoe-shovels have no stats.
File:Hellblaster stats.jpeg|Hellblaster stats, because leaks are great for those on the outside. Note how when their guns explode they die, rather than take damage.
</gallery>

==Gallery==
===Miniatures===
<gallery>
File:Captain1.jpg|A Primaris Captain channeling the [[meme|Juggernaut BITCH!]]
File:Lieutenant1.jpg|Primaris Lieutenants, not quite butter bars, not quite seasoned
File:Ancient1.jpg|I am NOT [[Tarkus]]!
File:40kPrimarisLibReveal1.jpg|Being a Librarian ain't easy.
File:40kPreviewJuly23_Chaplain8h-500x466.jpg|The Chaplain. Totally not [[Blizzard|Reaper from Overwatch]].
File:40kPreviewJuly23_Apothecary2n-500x461.jpg|The Apothecary.
File:Intercessor2.jpg|Super Smurfs!
File:Reivers.jpg|Surprise Motherfucker!!
File:Helblaster1.jpg|An entire ''squad'' of Super-Smurfs with upgraded Plasma Guns.
File:Inceptor1.jpg|Inceptors! Now capable of flying and skiing! Inspired by Youjo Senki?
File:IMG-20171123-WA0005.jpg|Lieutenant Tolmeron pulling a charge pose with his saber. Now all you need to do is mount him on a horse and you're golden.
File:IMG-20171123-WA0002.jpg|Lieutenant Zakariah. Look at how smug his face is, like he has just <s>apprehended the Fallen </s> CLEARED ALL HERETICS FROM THE SECTOR
</gallery>

===Pictures===
<gallery>
File:Space_Marine_Squared.png|A Squad of Intercessors about to go to town on some greenskins. Aren't they beautiful?
File:Redemptor_Dreadnought.PNG|I HAVE LEGS! I HAVE FULLY ARTICULATED LEGS!
File:Chad marine hover tank.png|Guilliman and Cawl have figured out how to build hover tanks once more!
File:Aggressors.jpg|The Aggressors box.
File:PassiveAgressors.jpg|Passive Aggressors, ready to make catty remarks at the enemy
File:Chap&apoc.png|Grainy sighting of a Primaris Apothecary and Chaplain.
</gallery>

===Assorted===
<gallery>
File:PrimarisBigBoy.png
File:Adeptus Astronimus.jpg
File:PrimarisLightyear.jpg|Primaris Marine of the Galactic Rangers chapter.
File:Primaris_comparison.png|Numarine, the carefree playboy, and Oldmarine, the grizzled vigilante. [[Batman|Have you ever seen them in the same art together?]]
File:Primaris vs chaos by theangrymarine-dccr2jv.png|The new kid always gets picked on.
</gallery>

{{Primaris Marine-Forces}}

Rubric Terminators

2018-07-25T13:51:46Z

2001:8003:3895:3A00:ADA8:312:6FE5:ACED: Undo revision 507978 by BananaGuy (talk) Citation Needed. The HH books state that the Sekhmet WERE some of the Legion's most powerful psykers.

[[File:99120102066_ThousandSonsTerminators02.jpg|300px|right|thumb|Try and call us a walking dustbin again! Come and just fucking try it!]]

Rubric Terminators. Rubric. Terminators. Have you read the Horus Heresy novels, noticed that the [[Thousand Sons]] have these sweet ass, psychic, foreshadowingly stoic Scarab Occult Terminators, and you ever wonder what happened to them? Apparently, the Thousand Sons still had them all this time, but [[Magnus]] had stuck them into the bottom of the pantry to save them for a rainy day. War Zone Fenris was that rainy day.

While the anti-Rubric Marines group are probably groaning at the moment, they're actually pretty good. You'd probably expect the 2+/4++ saves, Fearless, and AP3 combi-bolters, what you weren't expecting was the '''lack''' of Slow and Purposeful, one of Rubric Marines' chief weaknesses just gone and resulting in the odd scenario of Tactical Dreadnought armoured Marines being faster than regular Power Armoured Marines. You probably weren't expecting the Aspiring Sorcerer to keep the good stuff and be upgraded to ML2 (which means the option to roll a power on a second psychic discipline), and ''2 wounds''. They also have weapons options for a shorter-ranged Cyclone missile launcher that shoots kraks, and AP3 heavy flamer, or that odd Assault Cannon analogue mentioned above.

However, they still share in the Rubric Marines other traditional weaknesses. No combi-weapons and no AP2 power weapons means that they're still anti-MEQ specialists with limited options for countering cover, TEQs, and walkers. And with a minimum of 5 guys, the're still not a cheap option. The lack of options to negate cover saves is a particular issue as the targets you'd want to use them against the most; MEQs and Necrons, are almost certainly going to have cover saves (and inferno bolts do nothing about RP rolls or the FNP of Slaaneshi, Nurglite, Iron Warriors, and Iron Hands marines or the added toughness of Nurglites) and they are very pricey for the rather mediocre firepower per model they bring to the table. The AP3 heavy flamer is nice for roasting cover camping marines but it will require deep striking them to point blank range to get the most use out of and you still have to pay for the other terminators. However with two wounds they're pretty good at soaking up large volumes of fire; requiring an average of 38-39 lasgun shots to kill and with their invulnerable saves and their two wounds they can tank plasma fire decently well; requiring roughly eight shots from guardsmen to kill and if you can get Endurance on them from some source they can be amazingly resilient to the point of nigh invulnerability. In conclusion their firepower is overall quite mediocre but their durability is top class among TEQs; though against the likes of meltaguns and lascannons they aren't anymore resilient than any other T4 model with a 4++ save.

====Why did they get Rubric'd?====
You may have noticed the Scarab Occult was originally composed of the legion's best and most disciplined psykers. So, if Ahriman's Rubric transformed astartes who had little to no psychic abilities into dusty power armors, why did most of the Scarab Occult also get the Rubric treatment?

Well, all members of the Scarab Occult were emotionless, detached from their sense of self, and had no other motivation than to serve as Magnus's guards, likely using only as much of their power as was necessary to accomplish any given task. [[Tzeentch]] probably wasn't very fond of their lack of ambition. Thus, this was their fate when the Rubric happened. [[Troll|Harsh]].
{{Thousand Sons}}

Imperial Ordnance

2018-07-25T10:28:28Z

2001:8003:3895:3A00:ADA8:312:6FE5:ACED: /* Grenadier Gauntlet */

Infantry win firefights, tanks win battles, artillery wins wars.

That's how the saying goes. And it's true. Without the big guns you are doomed to be [[Ork|murdered gruesomely for the lulz of it]], [[Tyranids|get eaten]] or [[Chaos|have your soul used as a condom]] for all eternity. The Imperium knows this and has devised a truly staggering amount of heavy guns dedicated to ruining your shit into next Sunday from anywhere in between half a mile to half a continent away.

== Man-portable Weapons ==
The lightest of indirect support weapons can be carried by individual or paired soldiers. While this makes them tactically more flexible, they have reduced firepower compared to their heavier counterparts.

===Grenade Launcher===
[[File:Grenade_Launcher.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Grenade Launcher]]
The grenade launcher is a light, man-portable weapon capable of firing small explosive charges. It is primarily employed by the Imperial Guard, with almost every trooper squad featuring at least one of them. Grenade launchers are a common weapon used by Imperial Guard infantry squads thanks to their ability to lob grenades greater distances and with more accuracy than can be thrown.

Their primary duty is to lay down suppressive fire and destroy light vehicles and buildings. It has a choice of two different payloads, anti infantry Fragmentation grenades, and anti-armour Krak grenades.

Space Marines scout bikers utilise a variation of this weapon, the "Astartes pattern" Grenade Launcher. It fires the same rounds, but with an increased rate of fire.

===Vengeance Grenade Launcher===
[[File:Vengeance_Launcher.PNG|200px|right|thumb|Vengeance Grenade Launcher]]
A grenade launcher only found in the [[Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine|Vidya Game of SPEEES MEHREEEEENS!]]

A much more tactical weapon than its assault-orientated cousins.

The Vengeance Grenade Launcher is an experimental Adeptus Mechanicus weapon created on the Forge world Graia just prior to the Ork invasion of Warboss Grimskull. The Vengeance Grenade Launcher is not authorized for use off world, but those Space Marines who have field tested the weapon attest to its effectiveness against a range of targets. The launcher can fire out up to five fusion charges that stick to surfaces and then be remotely detonated.

The current status of this weapon is unknown.

===Grenadier Gauntlet===
[[File:GrenadierGauntlet.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Grenadier Gauntlet]]
Think of it as a heavy grenade launcher or a sawn-off Missile Launcher.

The Grenadier Gauntlet is a type of heavy Grenade Launcher used by Imperial Guard [[Ogryn|Bullgryn.]] Like all Ogryn weapons such as the Ripper Gun, the Grenadier Gauntlet is not meant for accuracy and range, instead it is constructed like a giant baton. The grenade launching mechanism is just a feature for the Bullgryn to launch something explosive at an enemy he can't reach.

The foes are often left reeling and shell-shocked even before the maul-wielding Ogryns charge into their midst and bludgeon the survivors into a red paste.

In terms of the firing mechanism, the Grenadier Gauntlet obviously works like any normal grenade launcher. However it does have a lower set of ammunition due to the Ogryn's natural stupidity and inability to understand the concept of reloading.

Still, as a baton, it is naturally incredibly tough to withstand the immense strength of a rampaging Ogryn as well as simple enough to use for these dumbasses.

===Grenade Harness===
[[File:GrenadeHarness.jpg|150px|right|thumb|Grenade Harness]]
The Cyclone Missile Launcher of Grenade Launchers.

The Grenade Harness is a type of Grenade Launcher mounted on some Space Marine Terminator Armour. These launchers allow for a barrage of Frag grenades, usually before a charge by the Terminators.

The Grenade Harness has a lower ammunition capacity than a regular Grenade Launcher due to its smaller size. It is thus used tactically in surgical strikes in order to maximize the weapon's potential.

Like the Cyclone, it functions the same way but with an obvious decrease in weapon range and output.

===Balistus Grenade Launcher===
[[File:Balistus_Grenade_Launcher.PNG|150px|right|thumb|Balistus Grenade Launcher]]
A new type of grenade launcher wielded by the [[Adeptus Custodes|Golden Boys in Shining Armor.]]

Balistus Grenade Launchers are potent ranged weapons wielded by the Adeptus Custodes, which excel at piercing armor like a giant [[Bolter]]. The only users of these weapons are the venerable [[Allarus Custodians]]. It is unknown if the more common [[Aquilon Terminator|Aquilon Terminators]] (assuming they still exist) have permission to carry these around.

Like the wrist-mounted bolters carried around by Gray Knight Terminators, the Balistus Grenade Launcher works on the same principle. Except, instead of providing covering/suppressing fire in close to medium range, these things mulch infantry at longer ranges.

It is unknown where the Grenade Launcher stores its ammunition, given the relative size of the barrel in contrast to the size of the weapon itself. Maybe it is a single shot weapon?

==Heavy Grenade Launchers==
A much bigger variant of the standard grenade launcher that peppers the battlefield with explosive munitions.

===Auto-Launcher===
[[File:Auto-Launcher2.png|200px|right|thumb|Auto-Launcher]]
Resembling a rack/box of grenades.

Auto-launchers are vehicle-mounted grenade launchers similar to smoke launchers. They are simple, six-barreled weapons mounted on vehicle hulls, firing salvos of all three grenades types at a time.

They are used on Imperial vehicles. Loaded with frag, krak, or blind grenades, they are useful for close defense and laying smoke screens. The auto-launcher carries six grenades, all of the same type.

The Auto-Launchers are best identified by the literal racks of exposed grenade/missiles pointed randomly everywhere. Why the Imperium thought it was a good idea to place these weapons on extremely random places is unknown since these grenades would not be able to hit its targets tactically...[[Awesome|unless those grenade could home on its targets of course.]] Alternative, they are designed to lay down smoke screens, so having them cover all angles is a good thing.

The [[Repulsor Tank|Repulsor]] is the most infamous user of these weapons.

===Fragstorm Grenade Launcher===
[[File:FragstormGrenadeLauncher.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Fragstorm Grenade Launcher]]
Think the Grenade Harness for Dreadnoughts.

Fragstorm Grenade Launchers are a type of grenade launcher used by Primaris Space Marines. Like the Grenade Harness, these launchers allow for the firing of a barrage of frag grenades before a charge. However, they can also be used defensively when the Dreadnought is surrounded by enemies and they just need to pepper a targeted radius with shrapnel and explosions.

They are equipped for anti-personnel roles to Aggressor Squads and Redemptor Dreadnoughts.

Their more tank-busting equivalents is the similarly named Krakstorm Grenade Launcher.

And no, despite their appearance, they have in no way related to the Auto-Launcher by function.

===Krakstorm Grenade Launcher===
[[File:Krakstorm_GL.PNG|150px|right|thumb|Krakstorm Grenade Launcher]]
It's literally a Fragstorm Grenade Launcher that fires, you guessed it, Krak Grenades.

A Krakstorm Grenade Launcher is a type of Imperial Grenade Launcher usually wielded by the Primaris Space Marines that fires a volley of three aforementioned Krak Grenades at a time upon the enemy. It is deployed for use as an anti-armor or anti-fortification weapon by [[Repulsor Tank|Repulsor grav tanks.]]

Although there is no evidence of it being mounted on the [[Redemptor Dreadnought]], the fact that the ammunition of both the Frag and Krak are superficially similiar means it wouldn't be ''that'' out of the blue if GW decides to update the Dreadnought with these weapons.

Like the Auto-Launchers, the Krakstorm Grenade Launcher carries the same issue of it being awkward to aim, with the only logical explanation if that the Krak grenades themselves have homing features like that of a missile.

In terms of rules, they act as they are named. Good vehicle killers, although the sheer amount of anti-tank weapons that the Repulsor carries means that these weapons are best used for killing any stragglers.

== Mortar ==
A mortar is an artillery weapon that launches shells in a high arc. They tend to have relatively short barrels and fire shells at relatively low velocities. The Imperial Guard uses them in two sizes: the standard man-portable mortar, carried and operated by two Imperial Guard troopers; and the heavy mortar, which can be used in static or towed artillery mounts, or mounted in a Griffon Heavy Mortar Carrier. They can destroy light infantry and light vehicles easily enough, but are unlikely to trouble heavy infantry or vehicles with tank-grade armour.

===Light Mortar===
[[File:Mortar.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Light Mortar]]
The most common form of Mortars is...well....the Mortar. Some may call it the Light Mortar due to the smaller payload and size but whatever. The Mortar looks like...a basic modern Mortar found in use in today's armies. I guess the design haven't change for over 40,000 years, but hey, if it's not broken, don't fix it.

The Light Mortar fires an explosive shell on a high-arching trajectory capable of flying over the heads of nearby troops and crashing down on the rear ranks of the enemy. Its primary use is in the anti-personnel role, breaking up enemy infantry formations and pinning them down.

Mortars are prized for their ability to lay down a curtain of fire from behind cover, and while not particularly accurate their explosive power makes up for this deficiency. However this indirect-fire capability requires accurate targeting information to be effective and the use of spotters with proper vox-protocols in order to avoid friendly fire. Standard procedures has the spotters locate targets, whether through visual or remote-servitor means, and send a fire request to the mortar crew's [[Imperial Guard Command Squad|Platoon Command Squad,]] which plots a firing solution and relays that information to the mortar teams assembled, adjusting fire as required.

===Mole Mortar===
[[File:Mole_Mortar.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Mole Mortar]]
Basically a reverse Mortar. In that it travels ''underground'' rather than overhead. It's more of a torpedo then a Mortar, but it got 'Mortar' in the name and we need to stick it somewhere.

The missile burrows its way toward its target, bypassing all surface hazards and defenses, emerging from the ground beneath the target. The missile is self-guided and able to track its target through solid rock. [[Mole Mortar Team|As an invention of the]] [[Squats|Sphess Dorfs]], the Mole Mortar soon found its way up the ranks of the [[Imperial Guard]] due to its unorthodox firing methods.

The Mole Mortar was originally developed to destroy enemy tunneling vehicles but was so successful that now used as a [[Wat|short-ranged assault weapon,]] even though such premonitions sounds outright [[Stupid]] let alone suicidal, it is worth remembering that since vehicles have thinner bottom armor if you can get a hit on a tank it's going to be fairly devastating. It is sometimes used to breach fortifications too strong for conventional weaponry to damage. Due to the unique way it operates, the mole mortar is able to circumvent most defenses, striking from below to explode within bunkers and other structures.

Heck, the Mole Mortar was so popular in the Guard that it eventually led to the creation of the Mole Launcher. [[Original character, do not steal|Figures.]]

===Heavy Mortar===
[[File:Heavy_Mortar.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Heavy Mortar]]
The Heavy Mortar is a larger support version of the standard Mortar used by the Imperial Guard. Its primary advantages are a wide range of ammunition types, a high rate of fire, and simplicity to construct and maintain. However its massive size means the heavy mortar must either be towed into place by a [[Trojan Support Vehicle|Trojan]] or [[Centaur Utility Vehicle|Centaur]]. A special version of this is mounted on the [[Griffon Heavy Mortar Carrier|Griffon Mortar Carrier.]]

While they were once quite popular with many Imperial Guard regiments, the use of heavy mortars has fallen out of favor in recent years, since for many commanders it lacks both the heavy firepower and long reach of much larger artillery pieces, limiting its use in box-barrages or counter-battery fire. Towed heavy mortars have become even less popular, being seen as too slow to keep up with advancing mechanized units, and have largely been regulated to PDFs and Siege Regiments.

For all their faults heavy mortars also have a number of advantages. They are an excellent close support weapons for engaging enemy infantry and light vehicles, freeing the heavier artillery for use against more appropriate targets, and can maintain a steady rate of fire for hours. Its versatility also allows it to fulfill a variety of other roles, from launching illumination shells during night battles or laying down a smoke screen before an infantry attack.

===Karacnos Mortar Battery===
[[File:Karacnos_Nukes.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Karacnos Mortar Battery]]
The [[Adeptus Mechanicus]] have their own mortar and [[Lord of the Rings|it is a mortar to rule them all.]] Called the Karacnos Mortar Battery which is so named after the [[Karacnos Assault Tank|vehicle it is mounted on.]] The Karacnos Mortar Battery is special cause it uses ''[[Fallout|radioactive warheads]]'' [[Awesome|as its armaments!]] You can't get more metal than that! As it is basically firing a barrage of dirty bombs, this mortar fires its radioactive warheads which is designed to sweep an area clear of all organic life.

As you can imagine, these badboys aren't that well liked for those Imperial Commanders who want to have a idyllic and livable planet to prosper. Seriously, a couple of these batteries would turn a city into a uninhabitable wasteland that only a [[Death Korps of Krieg|Krieger from a Death Korps would enjoy.]]

On tabletop ([[Horus Heresy|The 30k rules at least]]), the Mortar is a R60 heavy bolter with barrage, small blast, fleshbane, radphage, Ignores cover and pinning which seems good on paper but with the majority of targets getting armour saves this mostly equates to a longer range Wyvern.

=={{anchor|Leman Russ}} Tank Guns ==

These guns are too large to be carried by infantry (excluding "heavy" weapons such as [[lascannon]]s and [[autocannon]]s), but are still small enough that a heavy vehicle, like the [[Leman Russ Battle Tank]], can carry and fire them while in the thick of battle. It should be noted that certain [[Autogun|Autoweapons]] are also a form of ordnance. So don't be too surprised if you see a few similiar faces around here.

===Battle Cannon===
[[File:Battle_Cannon_Leman_Russ.PNG|200px|right|thumb|Battle Cannon]]
The primary weapon of the [[Leman Russ Battle Tank]], it is the most commonly used tank gun for good reason: the Battle Cannon can pull double duty as both an anti-tank and anti-infantry weapon thanks to its considerable range (72"), strength (S8 AP3 = instant death to [[MEQ]]s and capable of damaging any vehicle) and explosion size (5" blast = blob-killer). The cannon proved so popular that it was made the primary armament of the [[Macharius (tank)|Macharius]] and [[Malcador (tank)|Malcador]] super-heavy tanks, and has been forked into several versions by the [[Adeptus Mechanicus]]:
{{40k-Ranged-Weapon-Profile|name=Battle Cannon (Leman Russ)|range=72|strength=8|ap=3|type=Ordnance|rof=|rules=Blast (5")}}
 
====8th edition====
Since the revamping of the AP-system and moving away from "blast template" mechanics, the stats for battle cannons were changed, becoming something of this 
{{40k-Ranged-Weapon-Profile-8|name=Battle Cannon|range=72|strength=8|ap=-2|damage=D3|type=Heavy D6|}}
It is worth noting that while AP-2 now allowes 3+ and 4+ armour to actually provide at least some save-roll (5+ save for 3+ armour and 6+ save for 4+ armour), 2+ armour (like that of the Terminators) now only get 4+ save instead of 2+.

==={{anchor|Conqueror Cannon}} Conqueror Battle Cannon===
[[File:LRConq.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Conqueror Battle Cannon]]
Fitted to the [[Leman Russ Conqueror]], this is essentially a lighter and smaller version of the Battle Cannon. Its shorter range and smaller blast radius is more than compensated by the reduced recoil and higher rate of fire, allowing for an even greater damage output than a Battle Cannon. Like the battle cannon the Conqueror cannon is capable of firing high explosive, anti-tank, smoke, illumination, and even Hunter shells, although not infernus rounds. The Forge World Gryphonne IV also designed a special shell just for this weapon, known as the '''Augur Shell'''. While similar to an HE shell when the Augur's impact detonator is triggered the thin shell wall splits open and the soft explosive charge is spread across the target; a microsecond later the secondary detonator in the base of the shell ignites the explosive. This causes cratering and cracking of the target's outer armor, while inside the target it produces spalling capable of damaging internal equipment and wounding or killing personnel. However the shell was not considered a success and in the end relatively few were produced.

On the tabletop, it's a "Heavy" weapon, as opposed to "Ordnance", which allows the carrying vehicle to fire its sponson weapons at full ballistic skill (though, since the Conqueror is not a heavy tank, that only applies if it holds still...).

In 8th Edition it's just a Battle Cannon with 50% of the range (36").

=== Macharius Battle Cannon ===
[[File:Malcadorbattlecannon.png|200px|right|thumb|Macharius Battle Cannon]]
The [[Macharius Heavy Tank]] has a twin-barreled variant of the Battle Cannon, because it has a bigger turret and because two barrels are better than one. It also looks like it has a larger bore which means it can fire larger calibers. For all intents and purposes, the Macharius Battle Cannon should be considered as a superheavy weapon if not for the fact that the Macharius itself is not completely in the superheavy category.

It used to actually fire two shots, but that's been changed to a single massive (7") blast in more recent publications similiar to how some video games give sawed-off shotguns a firing mechanism to blows off the two barrels at the same time. Maybe they will get around to making a single massive cannon for it, too. A Macharius Vanquisher Cannon? It exists. But a Macharius with a giant single gun? we wish.

Then 8th Edition drop and we went back to a 2-shot Battle Cannon. Lame.

==={{anchor|Vanquisher Cannon}} Vanquisher Battle Cannon===
[[File:Vanqcannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Vanquisher Battle Cannon]]
Huge gun, huge range, huge barrel, huge damage. Basically an anti-tank gun fitted on tank destroyers. The Leman Russ Vanquisher has its weapon tooled for only one purpose: to fuck enemy tanks and monsters hard using huge shells.

It sacrifices its blast radius for an improved capacity for armor penetration (AP2, S8 + 2d6 = 10-20 with an average of 15 = roll for the [[anal circumference|circumference]] of the hole that is about to get punched through your armor). The [[Macharius (tank)|Macharius]] can carry twin-linked Vanquisher cannons, and has enough internal space that it can also fire high-explosive shells like the regular Macharius Battle Cannon, so it's like two tanks in one -- and it costs about as much as regular Russ and a Vanquisher put together. 
Worth noting, that the cannon is now somewhat nerfed, being given only S=8,AP-3 while retaining Heavy 1 and gaining D=D6R (the same rule as meltagun, albeit not only when in half-range or less).

The only problem is that the [[Adeptus Mechanicus]] lost Tigrus, the only [[Forge World]] that made Vanquisher cannons, to the [[Orks]] in M35 (somehow, you'd think the Imperium would throw so much firepower in defense of such a vital world that nothing could take it), so the only way to make new Vanquisher tanks is to take the cannons off of tanks that have been immobilized -- not a simple feat, given that the cannon is so dangerous to armor and stands out as a priority target for enemies. Two other Forge Worlds, Stygies VIII and Gryphonne IV have stepped up to try and match the old cannons (read: [[Forge World]], the company, has produced two alternate turrets for [[Leman Russ Vanquisher]]s), but they're just not quite there (though it makes no difference on the tabletop, of course). And then Tyranids ate Gryphonne. (It was delicious.)

And it also seems, that as per 6-th edition Astra Militarum Codex and onwards, the fluff was changed to do away with "Vanquisher cannon being rare" altogether - now the Leman Russ Vanquisher is noted as being simply the dedicated anti-armour variant of Leman Russ, often employed as command tank in armoured formations. However, it now also seem that Vanquisher cannon now lost it's ability to fire HE rounds, being able to only fire anti-armour HEAT rounds, something ineffective against infantry formations.

It should be noted that, unlike how many on /tg/ perceive it, the Vanquisher is '''not''' just a Battle Cannon firing specialised Anti-Tank shells. The Guard does use separate specialised HEAT shells for the basic BC, but Imperial Armour shows the Vanquisher Cannon to have a smaller bore than the standard one, while the shells have a greater diameter-to-length ratio and possibly be some form of APFSDS round.

===Demolisher Cannon===
[[File:Demolisher1Cannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Demolisher Cannon]]
The Big One. Fitted onto the [[Leman Russ Demolisher]] and packing enough heat to turn [[Terminator|Terminators]] and heavy and super-heavy vehicles inside-out with a single shell, the Demolisher Cannon's short range (24" -- shorter than some infantry weapons) is the only thing that stops it from being a truly amazing weapon.

Even then, it can cause considerable damage (S10 AP2 Large Blast = kiss your everything goodbye) and because it is smaller than the other cannons, is one of the few ordnance weapons used by the [[Space Marines]], mounted on the [[Vindicator]] and [[Land Raider Ares]], and it is used as secondary armament on certain super-heavy tanks, like [[Baneblade]]s and the [[Malcador (tank)|Malcador]].

The Demolisher fires special ammunition much larger than that used in the Battle Cannon, allowing it to punch through layers of concrete and plasteel alike. A Demolisher shell is constructed with an outer layer of standard high explosive and shrapnel, which surrounds a chemical core. Upon impact, the explosive layer detonates, punching a hole in the enemy's armor and spreading shrapnel over a wide area. It also starts a chemical reaction in the core, causing it to super-heat into a jet of plasma, which lances through the compromised armor, spreading molten death over a wide area and literally ripping the target from the inside out. The tremendous recoil produced by firing the cannon is capable of lifting the front end of a tank off the ground and, were it fired while moving, risk causing it to roll over.

==={{anchor|Nova Cannon}} Eradicator Nova Cannon===
[[File:Leman_Russ_Eradicator_Cannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Eradicator Nova Cannon]]
The Eradicator Nova Cannon fires shells with an unstable "sub-atomic" core (yes, this just might be a tank cannon that fires ''mini-nukes''). These shells are somewhat hazardous to the tank and crew, as they have a non-zero probability of exploding if they get jostled while loading, so most [[Imperial Guard Regiment|regiments]] that use [[Leman Russ Eradicator]]s have a margin for crew losses, and that is without the off chance of radioactive leaks from a faulty shell.

The Eradicator is most effective supporting infantry forces fighting in areas such as cities and jungles, and it is easily replicated on dozens of Forge Worlds. For urban combat however the Eradicator does not feature the additional rear armor found on similar vehicles, leaving it vulnerable to attacks from behind.

They keep using the Nova cannon, though, because the shell's massive blast completely flattens any cover, so unless the targets are power armored, there's no escape for them (S6 AP4 = Instant Death for most standard infantry; less effective for beefier troops). Why a shell that detonates if it's shaken does not go off when it's fired from a freaking cannon is not completely explained by GW.

== {{anchor|Baneblade}} Super-Heavy Tank Guns ==

Technically, these guns can be carried and fired by a vehicle in direct combat, but because that vehicle has to be the size of a [[Baneblade]], they deserve a category of their own.

===Accelerator Cannon===
[[File:Fellblade_Cannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Accelerator Cannon]]
The main gun of the [[Fellblade]]. It fired armor-piercing explosive ''self-guided'' "darts" via either magnetic acceleration or gravity impellers. It was also twin-linked, though the Fellblade had severely limited ammunition for it, relying mostly on its other weapons until a suitable target presented itself.

This type of cannon used a complex overpressure mechanisms of a special vacuum-based system which can propel heavy shells with greater force than a conventional cannon of similar size. This system is so efficient that they provide very little recoil from every shot, making the Accelerator cannon extremely stable and accurate. The loading mechanism of Accelerator cannon is also highly advanced and served by a special loading mechanism that allows the tank’s commander to switch ammunition type at a little notice.

It was made on the [[Forge World]] of Tigrus (home of the original Vanquisher cannon -- which resembles the Accelerator Cannon quite closely, with the long barrel and large muzzle brake). It can fire high-explosive shells comparable to a super-charged Battle Cannon (S8 AP3 7" Blast) or armor-piercing shells comparable to what would later become the Vanquisher battle cannon (S9 AP2 3" Blast, rolling 2d6 for armor penetration).

Its smaller brother is the Accelerator Autocannon.

===Macro-Accelerator Cannon===
[[File:MacAccelerator_Cannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Macro-Accelerator Cannon]]
Think of the Accelerator Autocannon on steroids. The Macro-Accelerator Cannon is to the Accelerator Cannon in the same way the Accelerator Cannon is to the Accelerator Autocannon (Try and speak that sentence five times in a row).

The Macro-Accelerator Cannon is a large kinetic weapon used by the Primaris Space Marines' [[Astraeus Super-Heavy Tank|Astraeus Super-Heavy Grav Tank]] as its primary armament. The Macro-Accelerator Cannon is actually a complex mass driver that uses a potent electromagentic field to accelerate a barrage of high caliber ferro-carbide slugs to extremely high speeds. It is basically an upscaled Imperial railgun. Usually twin-linked, these weapons unleash an onslaught against which even enemy heavy armor cannot stand.

Crunchwise, the fluff seem to match the rules. The Macro-Accelerator Cannon is a vicious Heavy 12, S8, AP-2, Damage 3 that ignores all abilities that impose negative hit modifiers when targeting anything with the FLY keyword. Normal vehicles wouldn't even survive a barrage of these and superheavies would take a beating.

===Baneblade Cannon===
[[File:Banebladecannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Baneblade Cannon]]
The [[Baneblade]]'s primary cannon is an upscaled Battle Cannon, improved in strength, armor penetration, and blast radius (S9 AP2 10" blast = 10" wide [[lascannon]] pie-plate). Its special shells are not propelled by an explosion, but are rather miniature rockets that increases the shell's range and accuracy tremendously. However, this also leads to the danger of a build-up of gasses in the barrel, which can cause serious harm. To combat this the Baneblade Cannon is built with a double-sleeve design with venting ports studded around the cannon's muzzle, allowing these gasses to escape under their own pressure.

When fired the shell leaves the barrel under its own blast pressure with speed maintained whilst the rocket burns, with each booster burning out and falling away as the next one ignites. This means that the Baneblade's Cannon works on a similiar basis to a upscaled Bolter -- a feature that "counterfeit" Baneblades produced on other [[Forge World]]s are unable to reproduce, and so they substitute standard battle cannon rounds for them. There's no indication that they're much, if at all, different, though.

===Dreadhammer Cannon===
[[File:Dreadhammer.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Dreadhammer Cannon]]
Back in the [[Great Crusade]], [[Perturabo]] asked the [[Adeptus Mechanicus]] to build him a new cannon that could level buildings with a single shell and be carried at a reasonable speed. Because the [[Horus Heresy]] hadn't happened yet, and they were thus still feeling like innovating now and then, the tech-priests agreed, and built him the Dreadhammer.

It fires shells that weigh several tons, and experiences so much recoil that even the super-heavy [[Typhon Heavy Siege Tank]] has to limit the propellant used (and thus the range) if it wants to fire on the move. At first, people made fun of Perturabo for asking for (and getting) a super-Demolisher, but it has a bigger blast radius and, if the Typhon stays still, a longer range, and it really does shake buildings to their foundations. The appearance, name, and firepower of the Dreadhammer cannon suggest some connection with the [[Baneblade]]-mounted [[#Hellhammer Cannon|Hellhammer cannon]].

===Hellhammer Cannon===
[[File:Hellhammer_cannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Hellhammer Cannon]]
The comically small Hellhammer Cannon is the main weapon of the [[Hellhammer]] tank. Resembling a Baneblade with [[Lulz|micropenis issues]], this gun has spawned numerous compensation jokes at the tank's expense. Still, every nerd has its day and one thing the Hellhammer excels at is in its ability to fire [[Fallout|mini-nukes.]]

The Hellhammer Cannon fires shells with a building-busting sub-atomic charge (like the Eradicator Nova Cannon). Each shell weighs 180 kilograms and is propelled by a rocket motor, with exhaust vents on either side of the barrel allowing for the safe discharge of gas with every firing. Due to the sheer weight of the shells, an automatic loading tray assists the loader, limiting the weapon's rate of fire. The tremendous concussive explosion (S10 AP1 7" Blast) is enough to collapse a building in one shot (Ignores Cover), so crews are trained to fire at the ground floors of structures that need to come down. The short barrel and recoil compensators give the cannon a very short range (a measly 36"). As such, the Hellhammer cannon is only used on tanks that are built for urban combat, like the [[Hellhammer]] super-heavy tank.

===Quake Cannon===
[[File:Quake Cannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Quake Cannon]]
What has already been said about the Quake Cannon in the Autogun category has been said here. The Quake Cannon is an [[Awesome]] gun with a [[Stupid]] construction process. The quintessential fortress fucker supreme.

The Quake Cannon is an odd beast; its firepower is not unusual for a weapon of its size (S9 AP3 10" Blast), but it has a longer range than any other tank gun (180", only exceeded by the Earthshaker and Colossus cannons), and is normally an arm weapon for [[Warlord Battle Titan]]s.

It is occasionally mounted on a Baneblade chassis to make the [[Banesword]], essentially a super-heavy self-propelled artillery piece, primarily employed against fortifications. Also, it's ammunition is filled with the echoing shockwave of a world that was subjected to [[Exterminatus]], [[Awesome|and the sound it makes as it flies through the air is said to be the screams of those who died in the exterminatus that powered it.]]

=== Stormsword Siege Cannon ===
[[File:Stormsword_Cannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Stormsword Siege Cannon]]
The Stormsword Siege Cannon fires big bunker-busting rocket-propelled shells. Unfortunately, the [[Adeptus Mechanicus]] never considered that crews might want to fire at things other than ground floors of nearby buildings, so the cannon cannot elevate very far (though, if it did elevate too far, the recoil might just rip it out of the turret). It makes up for this by being able to turn entire city blocks to dust with a single shot.

The weapon and vehicle itself is built specifically for sieges and street-fighting, the Stormsword is geared towards providing troops close-quarter support with a variety of heavy weapons whilst its cannon is used to lay waste to entire encamped bunkers and buildings.

It used to be that the [[Stormsword]] just had a Hellhammer Cannon that couldn't swivel, but apparently that made them too similar, so in the sixth-edition version of [[Apocalypse]], GW made the Hellhammer Cannon a 7" blast and left the Stormsword with the 10" pie-plate.

===Tremor Cannon===
[[File:Tremor_Cannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Tremor Cannon]]
Most cannons launch shells that are fuzed to explode on or shortly before impact. Not the [[Banehammer]]'s Tremor Cannon: after landing it buries into the ground before it detonates. This muffles the blast (S8 AP3 is actually the lowest-strength and worst AP of all the super-heavy tank guns), but it sends a tremendous shockwave through the earth that leaves enemies not caught in the blast stumbling and slowed. The fluff describes this as ''liquifying'' the surrounding terrain.

Imagine the ground under your feet giving way, suddenly having the consistency of water. By the time you've figured out what's happened, you're partially buried in the dirt and have to dig yourself out before the enemy comes and shoots you like a horse with a broken leg. And that's if you're lucky, it's entirely possible to get buried completely and suffocate to death under several feet of earth and rubble. You can see why it would be very, very bad to be on the receiving end of this weapon.

In theory it would also make a decent wall and bunker cracker.

==Artillery==

Sometimes, the Imperial Guard can't get in range to use tanks, or could, but only at a cost that even the [[Departmento Munitorum]] would find staggering, like when they are attacking enemy fortresses. To overcome such obstacles, the [[Adeptus Mechanicus]] had a brilliant idea: make even bigger guns with a longer range. These guns are so big that they cannot be fired on the move; they are often built into static defensive positions, or for [[Imperial Guard Regiment|regiments]] that need to be more mobile, they may have guns placed on towed platforms, or on self-propelled chassis (see [[Imperial Ordnance Pieces]] for more information).

===Thunderfire Cannon===

''Not to be confused with the [[Squats|SPESS DORF's]] [[Thunder-Fire Cannon]]. For the full page, [[Thunderfire Cannon|see here.]]''

===Griffon Heavy Mortar===
[[File:Griffon_Mortar.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Griffon Heavy Mortar]]
The Griffon Heavy Mortar is the smallest and lightest of the artillery guns. This weapon has been a source of [[Skub]] in-universe.

Critics of the Griffon claim that its main weapon is too small to warrant its vehicular mounting, while tying up fire control and observation assets needed by much larger pieces. For its supporters though, the Griffon is the ideal compromise between weight, firepower, mobility and ease of use. Its heavy mortar is excellent against infantry and light vehicles, freeing heavier artillery for use against more appropriate targets, and can maintain a high rate of fire. The vehicle is also capable of keeping pace with rapid advances for which heavier vehicles like the Basilisk are too slow to maintain.

Its firepower is not impressive (it's S6 AP-1 and ignores cover), and its range is also relatively short (48"), but because it is so small and light, it can sustain higher rates of fire than other guns and, when carried in the heavy chassis of a [[Griffon Heavy Mortar Carrier]], it can be fired indirectly and roll two dice dropping the lowest for number of attacks).

===Stormshard Mortar===
[[File:Stormshard_Mortar.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Stormshard Mortar]]
Take a mortar and give it the firepower of a machinegun. [[Dakka|You get yourselves a Stormshard Mortar.]]

The Stormshard Mortar is an artillery system commonly mounted in two pairs on Imperial Guard [[Wyvern Suppression Tank|Wyverns.]] These mortars excel in urban warfare, firing shrapnel down on enemy infantry without exposing the vehicle itself to harm. It is a fairly close range weapon for artillery, but it is needed in the heavily tight space of Hive Cities where the chance of an artillery shell hitting the rooftops of some poor hobo's house is actually quite high.

Because of the chance of facing against [[Tyranids|Horde]] [[Orks|Armies]], the Wyvern mounts not one, but ''TWO'' sets of Stormshards. These means that these badboys carry four mortars on one turret. [[Rape|Add to the fact that they can fire on auto and you have a weapon system that eats Swarmers for breakfast.]] All of the fucking yes!

===Earthshaker Cannon===
[[File:Earthshaker2.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Earthshaker Cannon]]
The Earthshaker Cannon is the [[#Battle Cannon|Battle Cannon]] of artillery pieces: common, highly recognizable and very lethal (S9 AP-3 Dd3 anywhere within twenty feet). It fires its shots further than any weapon except for the [[Manticore Launcher Tank]] and [[Deathstrike Missile Launcher]].

This 132mm caliber weapon has a muzzle velocity of 814 meters per second and fires a 38 kg projectile, hitting targets over 15 km away in under 19 seconds, using the standard five powder charge.

Six and seven powder charges can be used to hit targets well beyond this range, however the additional wear and stress this causes on the barrel limits the number of overcharged rounds to twenty, with authorization for their use required. Only Earthshakers on static mounts can fire these charges, as vehicle mounts are considered too unstable for their use. The most common type of shell fired by Earthshakers are high explosive, but it can also launch incendiary, smoke, illumination, and even diamantine-tipped armor piercing shells. Shells fired by Earthshakers have been known to cause craters fifteen meters in diameter and obliterate infantry in an instant.

The Earthshaker is most often mounted on the [[Basilisk Artillery Gun|Basilisk self-propelled artillery tank,]] though it also appears in static artillery positions as well as built into fortifications.

Amusingly enough despite being depicted as an artillery gun in 40k, the Earthshaker is modeled after the long-barelled WWII German [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/8.8_cm_Flak_18/36/37/41 Flak 88] rather than a field howitzer from the same epoch.

===Medusa Siege Cannon===
[[File:MedusaGun.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Medusa Siege Cannon]]
The Medusa Siege Gun is an aging siege weapon used by the Imperial Guard both as a towed artillery piece and mounted on the [[Medusa (tank)|Medusa Siege Tank.]] Compared to the Earthshaker Cannon the Medusa fires a much larger shell at lower velocities. This gives it immense destructive capabilities, useful in breaching the walls of an enemy fortress or destroying bunkers in a single shot, but it consequently has a much shorter firing range, even compared to other siege weapons like the Bombard. For this reason they are less useful for harassing and counter-battery fire, but are still prized by many siege regiments for their ability to blast enemy walls, installations, bunkers and trenches.

The Medusa Siege Cannon is the shortest-ranged of the Imperium's artillery weapons at 36" (Breacher shells on the carriage to 48"), but it is not meant to launch munitions over fortified walls; rather, it is meant to shoot fortifications directly and destroy them (which it certainly does, at S10 AP-3 Dd3) -- and when regular shells aren't enough, they can fire special Breacher shells that sacrifice indirect fire for d6 damage to buildings.

===Colossus Siege Mortar===
[[File:Colossus_Mortar.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Colossus Siege Mortar]]
The Colossus Siege Mortar is huge, cumbersome and highly destructive, and it's so large that its shells have to be loaded by cranes instead of by hand. It fires massive concussive rounds that will turn its target to paste (as long as it's a human wearing something less than terminator armor -- S6 AP-2 Dd3 is good against infantry blobs, not so much for harder targets), even if they are hiding in cover.

Because one cannon wasn't enough, the Imperium built the Dominus Armored Siege Bombard, a variant of the [[CRASSUS ARMORED ASSAULT TRANSPORT]] that carries an automated ''trio'' of Colossus cannons (though the Dominus only costs as much as two [[Colossus Bombard|Colossi]]...which actually makes sense, as the Colossi are built on a Leman Russ chassis where-as the Dominus just has to pay for an extra cannon, not a whole new vehicle to carry it).

===Dominus Triple Bombard===
[[File:Dominus_Triple_Bombard.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Dominus Triple Bombard]]
Hey! Remember how we said that a certain Imperium vehicle was actually big enough to mount not one, but THREE Colossus Siege Mortars? Well here it is, the Dominus Triple Bombard found only on the DOMINUS ARMOURED SIEGE BOMBARD. This monster is a god damned tarpit cleanser.

An automated battery of three Bombard cannons rigged to fire together in sequence, it can pulverize anything caught within its field of fire. The Triple Bombard has two rates of fire: a slower rate the Dominus is limited to when on the move, and the second a higher rate for sustained fire when it is stationary.

In practice the Dominus throws [[Rape|10d6 S10 ap-3 shots with indirect fire when stationary,]] easily wiping any unit foolish enough to be larger than 5 models. S10 Ap3 is also a serious threat to any armor short of a titan, and the weight of shots pretty much guarantees an overkill of single model targets.

===Basilisk Magnus===
[[File:Basilisk_Magnus.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Basilisk Magnus]]
Get a Earthshaker Cannon. [[Drug|Pump it full of steroids and growth hormones]] and make it big enough to launch an [[Angry Marine]] at full force. Ladies and gentlemen, the Basilisk Magnus is born. Seriously, this thing is the size of a [[Baneblade]].

Exclusive in [[Dawn of War]] or more specifically, the Soulstorm expansion. The Basilisk Magnus is a large artillery platform, defending the 252nd Conservator Regiment's stronghold in the Dussala Precinct on Kaurava I. It fires devastating rounds that creates a wide area of destruction, though it needs a spotter to acquire targets. If the artillery spotter is killed before the Basilisk Magnus' operators receive the targeting information, it will not be able to fire.

This honking piece of [[Rape]] was notorious for hitting something as small as a [[Gretchin]] from one end of the map. Shame there isn't a tabletop conversion....yet.

===Thunder-Fire Cannon===

''Not to be confused with the SPESS MEHREEN's [[Thunderfire Cannon]]. For the full page, [[Thunder-Fire Cannon|see here.]]''

===Goliath Mega-Cannon===
[[File:GoliathCannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Goliath Mega-Cannon]]
A hilariously [[Dick|phallic]] weapon made by [[Squats|They-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named]]. The Goliath Mega-Cannon, both the gun ''and'' [[Goliath Mega-Cannon|the vehicle]] (Don't tell us why they decided to name both weapon and vehicle the same) is one of the largest artillery pieces ever known and fielded.

Basically each shell weighed several tons and was powerful enough to shatter entire fortifications and turn a fleet of Baneblades inside out. These motherfuckers were the Schwerer Gustav in all but name.

Curiously, the gun never really needed any shock absorbers to control the immense recoil. However it could be that the Goliath Mega-Cannon (The vehicle, not the gun) doesn't need one as the vehicle's own base ''is'' the gun's base.

The power of the Goliath means that each cannon fires its own barrage template. A Goliath attack is worth four barrage points plus the roll of a D6, giving a score between 5 and 10. The super heavy shells fired by the Goliath are so good at reducing fortifications to rubble that it ignores hit modifiers for cover altogether.

The Goliath lobs its shells high into the air to achieve its mammoth range, but it can't depress its barrel to hit a very close target. This means a Goliath can't shoot at targets closer than 50cm, so it has a min range of 50cm. They also don't have any self-defense secondary weapons so you need a few Thunder-Fire Cannons to offer cover support and picking off any units near the Goliath.

Of course, all of these rules are now outdated. But it is pretty cool to see the power it once had.

===Behemoth Cannon===
[[File:Behemoth_Cannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Behemoth Cannon]]
The largest artillery field piece to date. Until GW decides to one-up themselves and invent a even ''bigger'' artillery piece.

The Behemoth Cannon is a massive weapon that is the primary armament of the [[Capitol Imperialis]]. The giant landships that can be mistaken for a city block and is tall enough that a goddamned motherfucking [[Warlord Battle Titan]] can use for cover. The Behemoth Cannon is so large that four [[Leman Russ Battle Tank]]s could fit within its barrel (Although the models and artwork definitely disagrees with that statement), and the concussive force of firing the weapon can produce a mushroom cloud and shake the earth itself.

It is basically a land-bound and more mobile version of a Macrocannon.
{{clear}}
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[[Category:Warhammer_40,000]][[Category:Imperial]]

List of 40K Cheese

2018-07-25T08:47:42Z

2001:8003:3895:3A00:ADA8:312:6FE5:ACED: /* Imperial Guard */

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The history of Warhammer 40,000 is a history of violence. . . well OK yes it's part of the setting, but it's history of 40k's balance is almost as violent as the grim dark future it takes place in. No matter what people will tell you, the game has always had excessive problems with imbalance, min-maxing and blatant bullshit - From the days of [[Rogue Trader]] to modern day 8th Edition, the game has fostered many [[Cheese|cheesy]] units, army lists or deathstars, who have changed the meta and repeatably broken the game - Not through players maximizing their gear or people abusing unclear rules, but by simply being awfully balanced and written.

Fortunately, many of these, if not all of them, are the very concept of "The flame that burn twice as bright dies twice as fast", as they all got their reckoning at some point or another. Being either nerfed to the ground, changed to the core or completely removed from the game, this allowed the next-cheesy thing to step in with a silly hat and a way too small point-tax.

But life will go on. New codices will be under/overpowered and grind the others to dirt, the meta will change to deal with what-ever is the most powerful at the moment, and [[Warseer|the forums will]] be white-hot with [[Rage|rage]] over the unbalance present, but life will go on, and as soon as you accept this eternal struggle for our fun and wallets, you will be at peace.

As time goes on, this list will grow, to encompass more and more cheese as it gets released. If you feel that a unit, model or deathstar needs mentioning in the list, feel free to add to it with your own experiences and knowledge.

== 2nd Edition ==

'''Tyranids: ''' When their Codex hit, Tyranids in their entirety were absolutely insane. Units like the carnifex, which had 10 wounds(!), the equivalent of Terminator Armor in chitin (!!) and could regenerate [[bullshit|even from a negative total of hp (!!!)]], meaning it was nigh-on unkillable and would shred even a fucking Greater Daemons in tiny pieces given the chance (due to how CC worked back then only one combatant would get the chance to wound the other each turn, but since the 'fex regenerated the GD would have major trouble killing it for good even with a very good roll. Whereas on a poor rool, it would get cut to pieces.) Lictors were a nightmare to deal with (being basically undetectable until they entered CC), genestealers were already the genestealers we love (aka. fragile if spotted early, but close combat monstrosities able to butcher about anything in melee) and hive tyrants were just absolute beasts: [[rape|about as tanky and choppy as a carnifex, with decent dakka to boot and level 4 Psychic Mastery...]] On top of that, beyond how fast and tanky the models were in general, there came the army special rules. Tyranids didn't use wargear or strategy cards (comparable to what you could do during the game with CP in 8th edition), but they got something worse: Instead of buffs, each enemy model/unit had to roll for which negative effects they got right before the game started. Special mention to ''Jones is acting Strangely'', which could instantly kill off the whole enemy unit if they didn't pass a dice roll and could entangle fellow squad members. Needless to say they were more than well equipped to curbstomp Chaos and Imperial armies AND go toe-to-toe with the other armies like the Eldar and Necrons that were also incredibly strong.

'''Polymorphine:''' Assassins (and anyone else with the access to the wargear) used to be able to magically appear in the middle of a squad via Polymorphine (killing a troop when you exploded out of his body, leading to such shenanigans as [[Arseplomancer|a Guardsman hiding a dude in power armor on a bike]]). Then Jump Pack over and throw a Vortex Grenade and killing anything on a 2+.

'''Virus Weapons:''' The Virus Grenade was 50 points for a grenade with a 2 inch blast radius. Any model that was hit by the Virus Grenades (partial hits were on a 4+) was not explicitly stated to be immune (Space Marines, Terminators, Aspect Warriors and vehicles were immune) to said Virus Grenade would die on a 3+. So far, not to bad right? The problem with the Virus Grenade was that when a model was killed by it, every other model not immune that was within d6 inches would have to test, dying on a 4+ and recursively requiring every other model within d6 inches to test not to die on a 4+. Thus, a Virus Grenade could become something of a Grey Goo situation where the more enemy models are bunched up, the easier it was to spread out and kill them all. However, the real rage-inducer was the Virus Outbreak stratagem card, which acted like a Virus Grenade template that you just placed anywhere on the board without restriction; the writers went so far as to recommend that players tear up their Virus Outbreak cards from the Dark Millenium set since they hadn't intended on it being so powerful.

'''Wolf Guard Crisis Suits:''' Back in 2nd edition, the Cyclone Missile Launcher required the Terminator to replace his Power Fist with a laser targeter. However, when the Space Wolf codex first came out, it was entirely possible to make your army nothing but Wolf Guard Terminators, and to give each Terminator an Assault Cannon **and** a Cyclone Missile Launcher. Add in the fact that Terminators made their armor saves on 3+ on 2d6 (this game did use save modifiers), and it was possible for them to teleport in, weather most overwatch, fire all missiles and assault cannons, and only have to mop up the remnants from the burning wreckage. When the Space Wolf codex was reprinted, it explicitly banned Wolf Guard Terminators from going with Assault Cannon and Cyclone Launcher.

'''Deathspinners:''' Deathspinners were a flamer template in 2nd edition, that had a "save or die" initiative check. Imagine an entire squad of Warp Spiders with Jaws in flamer form. Yeah.

== 3rd Edition ==
Eldar Exarchs with the unique ability to "Build your own Exarch." You could have a bright lance that shot twice with warp spider pack that allowed you to jump all over the field, then add a Powerfield that gave you a 2+ invulnerable save). This was just one of many cheese custom Exarchs that were possible; however, they were also the only thing keeping Eldar on the table - those customizable Exarchs, though cheesy, were expensive in an army with nerfed and expensive units and weapons. Eldar were largely bottom-tier in 3rd edition.

===3.5 Edition===
In general, 3.5 had 3 specifically cheesy armies, two of which belonged to Chaos.

====Necrons====
Necrons were introduced as a stand-alone codex army for the first time in 3.5. Their release was met with immediate hostility once neckbeards read their codex; here's why:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hod0WtYE4SA|here is a video of their grand debut]
* Warscythes in abundance that ignored all saves and rolled 2D6 for pens.
* We'll Be Back made infantry immune to death as they basically had a 4++ that could be rolled after they failed their 3+ armour save and after your opponent was done shooting.
**Compounding that, the Resurrection Orb that ignored any of the restrictions previously applied to the WBB rule like instant death or bypassing armour saves in CC.
* Veil of Darkness which allowed you to Deepstrike hop a unit all over the board.
* Basic infantry guns that could kill a landraider with a lucky shot.
* The fucking Monolith - immune to anything that wasn't S9/10 and/or ordinance, could deepstrike and never suffer a mishap, fixed your broken troops and could deepstrike in any from reserves. Oh, and Melta/Ordinance rules that gave better chances to penetrate armor? Into the trash they went thanks to ''Living Metal''.
* Necron Pariahs - they lowered opponent's troops Ld to 7 unless better, made psykers piss themselves unless fearless AND had warscythes (see above) and gauss blasters (basically heavy bolters that could kill vehicles too). The only thing keeping tables from being swamped by those murder machines was the "0-1 unit per army" ''limitation''. (Oh and yeah, they lacked ''We'll be back!'' so if you somehow managed to take them down they stayed down. But yeah, good luck with that...)
* Wraiths had the only 3++ save in the game and were proper Necrons unlike today, meaning they too had WBB.
* C'tan being IMPOSSIBLY GOOD! The Nightbringer could use a Bloodthirster as a speedbump while the Deceiver allowed you to reposition your army after deployment.

Necrons earned the title "n00bcrons" for a reason; though they didn't have the sheer quantity of cheese that Chaos had at the time, what cheese they had was prevalent throughout their army and was way too good for the points paid.

====Chaos====
Going into third edition, Chaos was... unremarkable. Bland. Decent crunch-wise, but without the wealth of options to field Daemons/Cultists/Mutants/Fallen/Renegades/... they had in 2e. Pete Haines listened to the players (yes, GW did that back then) and Chapter Approved articles in White Dwarf did provide those variants over the years. Eventually GW decide to bring out a 3.5 Codex updated with all those options and a couple extra added on top... and that's where it went horribly wrong. A wealth of options meant a wealth of possible combinations and some were just... too much. Though not the same level of cheese as Necrons quality-wise Chaos Space Marines got a massive truckload of it, that went from 'strong but expensive' to 'outrageous'. Here's a smattering of what CSM had in 3.5:

''Young cheese'' (things that were a-okay on their own but could combine into ungodly monstrosities.)
* Khornate chain axes: Being one of the only things that could outright modify armour saves, reducing them to 4+ unless worse, across the board - that's right, your terminator's save is no better than carapace armour against them. Ork Choppas did the same on an army-wide level for free back then.
* Unit Champions could take Psy Powers and even Daemon Weapons. Strong, but with only 1 HP it could turn very ugly very quickly both ways.
* [[Possessed]] were expensive but they could ''buy'' their powers instead of rolling for them, which included rending, fleet ''and'' a magical bolt pistol shot, making them point-for-point one of the best assault units in the game.
*The [[World Eaters]] army list in general: Tough motherfuckers full of [[rage|RAEG]] that would murder the fuck out of everything they got their hands upon on the charge, giving the opponent the easy to understand but hard to solve problem of "shoot me before I reach you!" The only thing that kept them from being completely broken was their lack of firepower, jump packs and assault vehicles and the impredictability of their special 'rage' rule that would give them a free "run" move on a dice roll of "1" (tested each turn, roll 2 dice with the ''correct'' wargear) but they had to rush toward the enemy even if it meant disembarking or leaving cover. It would leave them helpless in the open to be shot to death just as often as it allowed them to get into charge range to murder shit, which kept the army manageable (if unpredictable) to play both with and against.

''Aged cheese'' (This is where it started to get really ugly, although those things were still within hailing distance of manageable.)
* Chaos Lords that could out-punch anything, point-for-point.
* Vehicle upgrades that could regrow lost weapons and unimmobilize themselves on 4+, ignore crew shaken/stunned ''and'' grant +1 AV on all sides.
* Bloodletters that wore power armour and wielded power weapons. Basically an evil deep-striking space marine honour guard.
* [[Sonic Weaponry]] - anything with a MoS could exchange their guns for sonic weapons (and get access to the Slaaneshi armoury if they were characters). This lead to [[Rhino]]s, [[Dreadnought]]s, Defilers, Lords, Lieutenants, regular Marines, Chosen, Possessed, Aspiring Champions, Bikers, Havocs, Terminators and ''Predators'' all sporting Sonic Weapons. They weren't as good as they would become in later editions, but they were better than the Bolters and Autocannons they replaced (almost) for free.
* [[Defiler|That enemy crab thing]] gets introduced as both a monstrous creature and a walker, which made it pretty much invulnerable in melee against anything without Power Fists (or equivalent Strength-doubling CC weapons).
* [[Obliterator]]s. Back then they were fucking GOD-TIER - S/T5, two wounds, 2+/5++, loaded with heavy and special weapons, Fearless, deep-striking. Luckily for your opponents you could only take a single squad of up to three of them. Eventually they got FAQ'd down to T 4(5) which made them more vulnerable to meltagun 'Instant Death' but they were still ''hard'' customers and an auto-take.

''Premium cheese'' (The really retarded things that could break the game. Never mind those costed arms and legs in points, unless the opponent knew what was coming and went to great lengths to avoid them, those things were "I-win" buttons.)
* A [[Daemon Prince]] with Power Armour, Wings and the Dread Axe. Tough, moved like jump pack infantry, a beastly statline, 3+/5++ and the really cheesy part: the Dread Axe ignored invulnerable saves and wounded on a 4+ unless better. Combined to the fact the DP was a monstrous creature that ignored armor saves; and you had a tough, fast motherfucker with a truckload of attacks that hit/wounded easily, ignored '''all''' saves and could easily consolidate from unit to unit, remaining locked in CC and untargetable the whole game as it solo'ed the enemy army. (And I wish I was exaggerating...)
* Siren. A Slaaneshi minor psychic power that made a model immune to shooting and blocked line of sight. Spam generously. Worst of all, it combo'd way too well with the Daemon Prince load-out above - hell, this thing could actually take on and defeat a Nightbringer back in the day with some luck.
* Veteran skills - ranging from 1-3 pts. per model, could be taken on any squad (only 1 skill for marked units) with higher costs for independent characters. You could load up whole squads that infiltrated, moved through cover and furiously charged.
* Chosen. Chosen were... absurdly powerful since you could make any member in the squad an aspiring champion, giving them access to the armoury. If they were marked and if you took a chosen squad in a multiple of the number of that God (Slaanesh 6, Nurgle 7, Khorne 8, Tzeentch 9), then the 10 pt. upgrade cost was free! Deathstar of 8 Khornate champion TERMINATORS that could butcher through anything (and I mean anything) with a truckload of [[exploding dice]] S7 attacks ignoring armor saves on the charge coming out of a Land Raider to chain-rape unit after unit, anyone? Or maybe a squad of 6 Slaaneshi Chosen all with Doom Sirens, plasma pistols and power weapons? Or if you prefer, 9 Tzeentchian Sorcerers [[troll|auto-succeeding on psychic tests thanks to the Mark of Tzeentch]] with psychic Heavy Bolters and Lascannons unleashing some next-level mind-bullet dakka (or alternatively turning everything into [[Chaos Spawn|those things]] or threw down templates that wounded on a 4+ and ignored armour and glanced vehicles)? Yeah, it was kinda like that back then...
* The [[Emperor's Children]] Legion list. Sirens, sirens you can't shoot and that will demolish you in CC everywhere.
* The [[Iron Warriors]] Legion list. Remember above where I said only one unit of god-like Obliterators? Well, nope! Take as much as you can! Oh, and you can exchange two Fast Attack slots on the FOC for one more Heavy Support choice! More Obliterators? Well, nope, since they were elite but here came the second best thing: [[derp|the only ones amongst the Chaos Legions]], Iron Warriors had access to both the Vindicator from the loyalist armoury and the Basilisk from the Imperial Guard's armoury. You know, just in case the nine Obliterators ran into some trouble and needed some long- and/or close-range fire support!

Now, you'd think that with that generous amount of cheese, GW would get the message and stop piling it on... But then the world-wide "Eye of Terror" campaign happened and Chaos got another toy to play with - the Lost and the Damned army list. Veteran Chaos players actually rejoiced when it was announced as it meant they could go back to the 2nd ed days of fielding traitor Guard, Beastmen, mutants and other dregs supported by a very small number of traitor Marines. Sadly enough, while it did allow to do that, the army list came with its own rapetrain of cheese:

* The list allowed to take units from the 3.5 CSM and Imperial Guard Codices in various FOC slots; which amounted to taking the best of all worlds.
* A cheap HQ choice (Chaos Lieutenant) that was point for point even more killy than the 3.5 Chaos Lord.
* Mutants could be taken in huge cheap hordes that could tarpit pretty much anything forever.
* Big mutants being awesome dakka blobs with 3 wounds each and great Chaos mark effects - basically, better Ogryns!
* Traitor guardsmen had better stats than loyalists, access to chaos marks, veteran skills here and there (Infiltrate ahoy!) and could wield '[[Bolter]]s'. Yes, said slapdash 'Bolters' had the same "Gets Hot!" rule as plasma weapons which meant you'd lose some traitors each time you fired but it was a very small price to pay to unleash an ungodly amount of dakka.

It's really no mystery as to why Chaos won the Eye of Terror campaign. Games Workshop, concerned with their future revenue streams from Spess Muhreen fanchildren, decided to basically reset the crunch and shift the timeline away from the event while attempting to balance (read: nerf to the ground) what it could in 4th edition.

===Honorable Mentions:===
====Blood Angels====
Blood Angels were tied with Khornate Berzerkers for the title of most killy fuckers in glorious melee. The 'zerkers were just a bit killier thanks to their chainaxes but the BA enjoyed better mobility thanks to being able to equip jump packs everywhere. That almost assured they would get that precious charge bonus of +1S and + 1I (on top of the +1A) from the army-wide Furious Charge, ensuring whatever they got their hands op would be [[rip and tear|brutally dismembered]]. For extra [[lulz]] you had the option to go for a full [[Death Company]] army that would forego any firepower for an army-wide FnP save on top of the [[rage|righteous fury at the death of Sanguinius]]. This said, each mini costed a premium when kitted-out, so it was an army of extremes: when things went right they'd table the enemy in three turns but when they went wrong they'd get tabled themselves in little more time, with few compromises due to the low model count.

====[[Imperial Guard]] Armored Division====
This one deserves an honorable mention as well, even if it quickly disappeared after the arrival of [[Necrons]] and their vehicle-killing Gauss everything and "We'll be Back!" shenanigans. Back in 3rd ed., vehicles were much less prevalent, as were the ways of dealing with them. Most armies had a couple of heavy weapons like Lascannons, some power fist equivalents and a melta-bomb here and there, and it was more than sufficient to deal with the occasional armoured behemoth. This list? It was [[rape|vehicles only!]] HQ? [[Leman Russ Battle Tank|Leman Russ]] variant. Troops? Leman Russ variants. Anything else? Leman Russ variants (with the token Infantry Squad in a Chimera). Park together covering the vulnerable rears, point battle cannons and let fly, all guns! Due to the lack of heavy weapons being able to affect the Russ' frontal AV, "all-rounder" armies stood little chance of doing anything.

== 4th Edition ==

* '''Assault Cannon Spam:''' Rending in 3rd and 4th edition Edition was far more powerful than in 5th through 7th. [[Rape|Instead of a 6 to wound ignoring armor saves, a 6 to-hit automatically wounded and ignored armor saves]]. Combine with the fact that Terminator Squads could take two of them at minimum size, and it was quite common to run a lot of them.

===[[Fish of Fury]]===

It has its own page, but the basic gist involved using a semi-invulnerable troop transport as a mobile bunker for the otherwise assault-prone Fire Warriors.

The tactic died when errata changed how skimmers worked.

===[[Imperial Guard]] 500-Point Assholery===
Take minimalist choices for the bulk of your mandatory force org setup. Use the remaining points to buy a [[Leman Russ Battle Tank|Leman Fucking Russ]] and absolutely butt-fuck the balance of low-point games. The personification of being [[That Guy]].

===[[Imperial Guard]] Unit Deletion Barrage===
In the 4th edition codex, the Hunter-Killer Missile cost a mere 5 points. Because of this, an insanely common strategy was to load basically every single vehicle you fielded that could fit one with one, and with many guard armies that could be 6-7 vehicles on a 1000-point list at the time. Once loaded, the tactic was simple: find the single most threatening enemy model on the board that could be reliably penetrated with a Krak Missile, acquire line of sight, and hammer the shit out of it with all your Hunter-Killers in one go. Even with guard accuracy being what it is, the fact that you could potentially obliterate a lynchpin unit or pesky independent character meant that this was often used to secure early dominance.

When the 5th edition Tyranid codex came out, this tactic was very often used to flat-out cripple 'Nid players by taking out their [[DISTRACTION CARNIFEX]]ES and [[Hive Tyrant]]s from standoff range, fucking over attempts to counter.

The tactic ended when 5th edition cranked the cost of HK Missiles to 15 points each.

== 5th Edition ==

===General===
* 5th edition was generally known as "Mechhammer" or "Box Hammer" due to how relatively hard it became to kill vehicles. Compared to 4th edition, the vehicle damage became more forgiving, being consolidated into a single damage chart where vehicles were destroyed on a 5+. Glancing hits subtracted 2 from this modifier, AP - weapons subtracted another -1 from this and AP 1 weapons simply added 1. Hull Points did not exist in 5th, and a vehicle that moved more than 6" in a turn was only hit in 6s on melee (stand still). Thus, most lists gradually became "Parking Lot" builds, where sheer quantity of cheap Rhino and Rhino-equivalents could jam up the board, form armored convoys, or otherwise make your enemy hate your life.
* 5th edition was also known for Musical Wounds. The owning player had to allocate wounds to each model that took a hit, with wounds allocated as evenly as possible: For example, a 5-man Tactical Squad with Combi-Melta Sergeant, 3 Bolter Marines, and a Meltagun Marine takes 9 wounds and needs to make 9 armor saves. You would need to allocate at least 1 hit to the Sergeant, 1 to the Meltagun, and 3 to the Bolters. 3 of the remaining 4 hits could be allocated to the Bolter Marines, and the last one would have to be allocated onto either the Sergeant or the Meltagunner. The problem with this system was that certain "multiwound" units (Most notably: Nob Bikers and Grey Knight Paladins) could be equipped so that each model had a unique loadout. One Grey Knight Paladin would have a Halberd, one would have a Hammer, one would have a Sword, one would have a Psycannon, one would have a Psycannon and Hammer, one would have the Standard, etc. The end result was that versus attacks that couldn't inflict Instant Death on this unit, the unit effectively got its model count's worth of ablative wounds.
* On a tamer yet more comedic note, 5th edition also had the "50% cover rule." If at least half of a unit was considered to be in cover, the entire unit was treated as being in cover. What was viewed as an amusing abstraction could quickly be gamed, either with vehicle squadrons (2 Piranhas, one Disruption Pod) or large units of light infantry. Imagine the rage a Thousand Sons player must have faced versus Guard: A Guard player could get 30 Guardsmen for the cost of 4 Rubric Marines and an Aspiring Sorcerer...and this was before the Sorcerer spent points for a mandatory Psychic Power! By combining squads into a single unit of 30, you could keep 15 models in cover and the other 15 proudly advancing in the open with 4+ saves (or 2+ saves if they use Incoming)...

===Imperial Guard===
Arguably the only army in 5th that got a stratospheric Cruddex buff, the rest getting nerfed into uselessness as [[Robin Cruddace]] hates you:

* This was the first time Guard could field vehicle squads, particularly for Basilisks and Leman Russes allowing players to cover the field in pie plates.
* Master of the Fleet, which subtracted 1 from your opponent's deep strike rolls. Particularly nasty against the above two lists which relied on deep-strike spam to get close enough to shred armies.
* Master of Ordnance, which came with its own pie plate attack.
* [[Creed|CREEEEEEEED!!!!1]]
* Hellhound squads and variants get introduced, especially the bane(wolf) of all MEQs, the banewolf.
* Veterans - particularly melta-vets. They are legend when it comes to vehicle busting.
* Valkyries and Vendettas - fucking hell, where do I even begin? Super fast chimera, identical armour and a shitload of guns; Vendettas take it to the next level with 3 TL Lascannons.
* Hydra flak tank debuts in this list outside of FW and is amazing at taking out bikers and fast skimmers with its super-long range autocannons that bypass Jink saves. Eldar tears flow unstoppably.
* Orders are introduced here as well; they weren't OP per se, but combined well with other buffs to the list for horrifying efficacy.
* Up until the release of the GK codex in 5th, Guard could still take allies with Daemon or Witch Hunters leading to the construction of the infamous Guard leaf-blower list, so named for how fast it removed your opponents models from the board. Mind, when GK came out with their Wardex, this didn't really put too much of a damper on the blower but now they had competition at least.

===[[Space Wolves]]===
The Space Wolf codex became an infamously powerful tournament army due to having ruthless point-efficiency all around. While the Blood Angels got speed and flashy toys, and the Grey Knights would get mass Force Weapons and Psybolt weapons, the Space Wolves were able to look at those armies and shut them down by pure attrition. Notable reasons for the Space Wolf hate include:

*'''Space Wolf Psykers:''' Compared to the other Marine codexes, the Space Wolf Rune Priests caused rage for several reasons.
**'''Good Blastiness:''' Rune Priests got Living Lightning instead of Smite, a Strength 7, D6+1 shot, infinite range gun. Rune Priests could also buy a Chooser of the Slain, a "counter" placed that served as a +1 BS marker when targeting enemies near it. However, the real fondue was Jaws of the World Wolf. Jaws was a 24" beam, and all non-Jump/Jetbike/vehicle models underneath had to take an Initiative Check or be removed outright. No Invuln, no Feel no Pain, no Eternal Warrior, just death. Monstrous Creatures got +1 to the test, but since many Tyranid Monstrous Creatures were only Initiative 1 anyway, Jaws meant that you had a 66% chance of losing a Carnifex, Tervigon or Tyrannofex in one go!
**'''Good Denial/Defense:''' Rune Priests also had access to good defense auras, with Storm Caller acting like a psychic Kustom Forcefield and Tempest's Wrath shutting down Bikes and Jumpers in its 24" radius bubble. Compared to regular Marines, they were arguably more reliable at shutting down Psykers; while a standard Psychic Hood required beating your opponent's Psyker's Leadership on an opposed roll, the Rune Staff would simply stop any incoming power within 24" on a 4+. You could include an allied Inquisitor if you so desired, allowing for a chance to double-deny. And remember that Chooser of the Slain? When it was placed down during deployment, no enemy units could Infiltrate near it.
**'''Njal Stormcaller:''' Njal took the strengths of the Rune Priest and amplified them. Although he didn't get the anti-Infiltration effect of the Chooser, he automatically knew every Space Wolf power, could cast two per turn, and his staff could deny any incoming powers on a 3+. However, his real claim to fame was that as the Stormcaller, you would roll a D6 at the start of each turn, add the turn number, and consult a chart to see the effects. Some were innocent yet annoying enough (the enemy suffers -1 BS for a turn), but the real fondue was rolling Chain Lightning. EVERY enemy unit within 18" of Njal would take D6 S8 AP - hits. At Nova 2011, this Chain Lighting went off against a Dark Eldar Venom Spam list with predictably destructive results.
*'''Wolfwolfwolf:''' This is the edition that saw the introduction of [[Canis Wolfborn]], Thunderwolves and Fenrisian Wolves being their own units. The Thunderwolf in particular garnered a lot of hate at the time since it increased its rider's base Strength and Toughness (in 5th, Bikes and Marks of Nurgle were not counted for purposes of checking Instant Death), meaning you now needed S10 to inflict Instant Death, while you could Instant Death T5 models in turn. Combined with super-cheap wolves to act as rapid-moving bullet catchers and you could get into melee.
*'''Long Fangs:''' Long Fangs were the Space Wolf equivalent of Devasatators. However, while Devastators were considered inefficient and fragile, Long Fangs were the peak of efficiency. Sure, they didn't get regular Bolter bullet-catchers, but when deployed well into your deployment zone while the rest of the Space Wolf army midfielded, they weren't a reliable target anyway. Instead, Long Fangs had a single throwaway sergeant and 1-5 heavy weapon guys as needed; Missile Launchers only cost 10 points, making them the default Heavy of choice. But the real kicker was that Long Fangs had Fire Control; this was the ancestor to Split Fire and superior overall. As opposed to 6th and 7th where Split Fire meant "one model in the unit can shoot at a different target unit," you could divide the Wolves to shoot at two targets however you wanted.
*'''Loganwing:''' Loganwing was and arguably the only viable foot marine list in 5th. See, taking Logan Grimnar let you take Wolf Guard as troops. Back in the day, Wolf Guard were a single customizable unit of 3-10 models, individual models being able to switch for Terminator Armor, Jump Pack or Bike; you could intentionally make your squads smaller by having Wolf Guard detach from their squad at deployment in order to lead another non-Wolf Guard unit. However, the real advantage of Wolf Guard in Loganwing lists is it let you take units each of a Cyclone Missile Launcher Terminator and 4 power-armor bulletcatchers. You would run Lone Wolf Terminators as anti-heavy support, Thunderwolves as chasers, and Long Fangs as support; Logan himself usually joined a unit of Lascannon Long Fangs to either grant them Tank Hunters or Relentless for the turn.
*'''Razorwolf:''' Space Wolves could spam Razorbacks more cost-effectively than other Marines. Compared to Tactical Marines, 5 Grey Hunters were only 75 points instead of 90. Space Wolves didn't get Sergeants, but they instead got Wolf Guard. The kicker of course was that there was no restriction that stated that a Wolf Guard squad actually needed any models. Thus, you could buy 6 squads of 5 Grey Hunters, each with Razorback, buy two units each of 3 Wolf Guard and Razorback, attach them all among the six squads, and have two "spare" Razorbacks. Since Long Fangs didn't need to stay in a transport for the most part, you could also buy even more Razorbacks, points permitting.
*'''Wolf Scouts:''' Wolf Scouts by themselves were unassuming. They could Outflank from their opponent's deployment zone and bring a Wolf Guard alongside. Their real danger came from their usage alongside mechanized Wolves and Long Fang support, as they could be used to eliminate or tie up backfield threats. It was common to equip them with a Meltagun and Combi-Melta Wolf Guard for neutralizing backfield Guard artillery.
* An honorable mention goes to the Saga of the Warrior Born, an upgrade only available to Wolf Lords. If you think this bonus gives an extra attack like the Mark of Khorne, oh you're sadly mistaken for the Wolves outbless the God of War. Rather than +1 attack, the way the Saga of the Warrior Born worked was you kept track of how many models the Wolf Lord killed in an Assault Phase, and the Wolf Lord would gain that many bonus attacks in the *next* Assault Phase. There was no theoretical cap to how many extra attacks you get if you were able to keep your Lord in assaults. In practice, the number of bonus attacks would reset if your Wolf Lord missed an Assault Phase.

===[[Blood Angels]]===
Cheesy for the [[Matt Ward|exact same reason]] as Grey Knights. Here are just a few things they received:

* Deep-striking Landraiders, because that's just great - just fucking great.
* Furioso Dreadnoughts in general. Their FA13 made them immune to Krak grenades prevalent on most infantry; coupled with Blood Talons which generated more attacks every time you caused a wound. With S6 and WS6. Fuuuuuuuuck!
* In addition to regular Furiosos, you could also take a [[Librarian Dreadnought|FLYING. LIBRARIAN. DREADNOUGHT.]] Jesus Christ...
* Death Company Dreadnoughts were also outrageous - taking up a fucking ''Troops'' slot, they were Furiosos with a more offensive focus, their WS and FA lowered by a point in exchange for fleet, more attacks and furious charge and rage.
* Blood Angels Dreadnoughts could also take a Magna Grapple on top of their arm weapons, an S8 AP2 assault 1 weapon with a 24" range that, should it pen a vehicle or wound a monstrous creature, could then drag it closer to the dreadnought.
* Mephiston - basically, a monstrous creature with psychic powers that could take cover. And fly. And reduce his opponent's WS/I to 1.
* The Stormraven gunship debuted in this list - a flying landraider with weaker armour but immune to melta weapons that could transport a squad AND a dreadnought. Oh, and it's an assault vehicle ffs. Given how powerful in CC Blood Angels infantry is as well as just how deadly their dreadnoughts are, getting them where they needed to be in a fast skimmer that was immune to melta weapons AND was heavily armed was the cherry on top of this particular cheesecake.

===[[Grey Knights]]===
Seriously, there's a shitload to explain here for the noobs:

* First and foremost, Psycannons - S7 AP4 rending on models that could otherwise always shoot them.
* Psybolt ammunition, leading to the creation of the much feared Psyfleman Dreadnought, pumping out 4 S8 AP4 twin-linked shots a turn.
* Kaldor Draigo outcreeding Creed and just generally being a monster (unless and until he fought Abaddon).
* EVERYTHING ARMED WITH A FUCKING FORCE WEAPON SERIOUSLY WTF - in particular, Force Halberds. Auto-take, granting all the bonuses of a nemesis force weapon and +2 Initiative, meaning your silver armoured Mary Sues struck before most Eldar units.
* Librarians with a flamer template that removed models from play - not just instant death, they took an initiative test or were removed from play doling out auto-pens to vehicles.
* The only list that could take Assassins or Inquisitors, which both got buffed into the fucking sky.
* The goddamn Nemesis Dreadknight debuted here - absolutely broken if not expensive (MC w/ 2+ save, psychic powers).
* Oh hey, they ''also'' got stormravens - on top of being immune to melta weapons and transporting an OP squad plus an OP dreadnought, the GK stormraven could also take psybolt ammo for its heavy bolters, assault cannons, etc.

People hated the Grey Knights - even longtime GK players hated them. A list that was built to destroy daemon armies (during a time when they didn't even need a special list to destroy them because they were so bad - seriously, it wasn't uncommon for GK players to fight demons without suffering so much as a wound!) got buffed into a list with units that were just flat-out better than anyone else could field. Some GK players took to making lists that used none of the staples mentioned above in order to give themselves a challenge.

== 6th & 7th Edition ==

7th edition came out barely two years after 6th and in many ways could be called 6.5 or so. There were differences of course, such as the reworked Psychic Phase, and shooting phase resolution, but most of the changes were small enough tweaks that it's sane enough to include entries for both editions in here.

===Allies===

A mechanic that got a mixed reception when it hit, and one it was never able to truly shake. Listed below are some of the most infamous examples that resulted from exploiting this mechanic.

*'''ChaosCrons:''' In 7th edition, Chaos Space Marines and Necrons were considered Allies of Convenience, meaning that they were treated as "enemies" for all intents and purposes except you could intentionally target your own Allies of Convenience with Warlord Traits, shooting, charging, or Psychic Powers. However, all other abilities remained in theory able to interact with each other (barring exceptions like the Genestealer Cult ruling stating that Tyranid Allies of Convenience did not cause Shadow in the Warp/hinder Return to the Shadows). However, Anrakyr's special ability "Mind in the Machine" was RAW none of the above and [[cheese|in theory could be used on your own allied Typhon to have it fire its gun twice]]. [[Derp|More amusing however was a Black Legion Spearhead using Turn 1 Deep Strike while triggering Ethereal Interception from Allies of Convenience Deathmarks for a front-loaded alphastrike that required no Drop Pods to pull off]].

*'''TauCrons:''' Necrons had a lot of good mid-strength ranged weapons that could drown enemy units in saves or strip Hull Points off enemy vehicles, but most of their weapons were confined to the 24" range-bracket. Thus Tau were popular for providing longer-range: [[Cheese|The Firebase Support Cadre added 36" threat projection via Tank-Hunting Missile Broadsides and the Riptide was always appreciated]]. However, the real comedy came from the fact that [[Nemesor Zahndrekh]] had the special rule '''Adaptive Tactics:''' Whenever an enemy unit with one or more USRs from a bucket list (Counter-Attack, Furious Charge, Hit & Run, Split-Fire, Stealth, or Tank Hunters) was within 24" of Zahndrekh, Zahndrekh's unit also benefitted from that rule as well. [[Cheese|Many Tau wargear options and abilities made it shockingly easy to acquire said USRs and provide them to Zahndrekh]]; [[Derp|perhaps he thought Puretide was actually a Necrontyr prodigy]]?

*'''TauDar:''' Allies Abuse was not entirely uncommon in 6th and 7th Edition, however the combined cheese from these two Codexes - each very powerful in their own right - resulted in a combination of Cheddar so potent it practically warped space and time. In short, imagine the best parts about both the Tau and Eldar Codexes, and fuse them together into a potent strike force. The even worse part? In 6th Edition, the two Factions were considered Battle Brothers - meaning there was no penalty for taking either one as Allies.

===Admech===

*'''[[Warhammer_40,000/Tactics/Cult_Mechanicus(7E)#Formations|Adeptus Mechanicus War Convocation]]:''' Includes units from Cult Mechanicus, Skitarii, and and Imperial Knights. Everything has Canticles of the Omnissiah, all wargear is free, and nothing Gets Hot. You like winning? Use this formation and literally pay to win.

===Chaos===

* '''[[Heldrake]]:''' The [[Heldrake]] was added to the 6th Edition [[Chaos Space Marine]] Codex as a new unique flier. It could Vector Strike like a Flying Monstrous Creature, was incredibly resilient due to numerous stacked defensive rules, all of those ultimately played second fiddle to the real reason it was so powerful: The Baleflamer. Sure, you "could" give the Heldrake a Hades Autocannon, but as it only hit on 4+s and didn't ignore Marine armor, it was pointless considering both weapons cost the same. Imagine the Inferno Cannon of a Guard Hellhound, able to project a Strength 6 flame template anywhere within 12", but make it AP 3 so even regular Space Marines don't get an armor save. 7th edition brought a series of nerfs to the Heldrake, the most notable one being to limit the fire arc of its Baleflamer to a 45-degree arc, as well as Vector Strikes only doing one AP 2 hit (instead of D3+1 AP 3 hits) versus ground targets. However, the real reason the Heldrake lost its viability was an indirect one; whereas only disembarked troops (and certain unit types depending on scenario) could score objectives in 6th, 7th allowed any units to score while giving Troops Objective Secured.

*'''The [[Screamerstar]]:''' a combination of artifacts and psychic powers that gives a unit of Screamers a rerollable 2++ Invulnerable Save, making them effectively invincible.

*'''[[Magnus the Red]]:''' Magnus the Red is one of the cheesiest units to grace this section. He got a plethora of special rules (including Eternal Warrior, It Will Not Die and Fearless) along with being a Flying Monstrous Creature for even more cheese, but wait! There's more! As befitting the Demon Primarch of Tzeentch, Magnus was a psychic powerhouse. He was the only Mastery Level 5 Psyker in the game, and knew the complete Lores of Tzeentch and Change. He could cast these powers without needing line of sight, and possessed at least two Strength D powers. His Horus Heresy incarnation wasn't much better, becoming able to completely avoid attacks if he had Invisibility cast upon himself and could boost his psychic attacks to Strength D with a 2D6 roll, for even less points than both his 40K incarnation and ''Horus''!

===Eldar===

*'''[[Warhammer_40,000/Tactics/Eldar(7E)|The Entirety of 6th and 7th Edition Eldar]]''': No really. Eldar were pretty much the pet army of [[Phil Kelly]], and it showed in how their army consistently managed to be the top or damn close to it. To include a few notable crimes against balance:

* '''Battle Focus:'''

* '''Serpent Spam:''' From 6th Edition, the Wave Serpent gained a massive upgrade in power from 5th Edition. Aside from getting a bump to Ballistic Skill 4 (as opposed to 3 in the previous Codex) for a pittance of point-costs, and all Shuriken Weapons gaining the Bladestorm upgrade (6s to wound ignore armor saves), the Wave Serpent's Shield was changed so that rather than capping the strength/removing bonus dice to penetrate it, it would downgrade Penetrating Hits into Glancing Hits on a 2+. However, the real the Serpent Shield could alternately be used "in extremis" as a glorified wave motion gun: [[Cheese|It would fire D6+1 strength 7 shots with infinite range, ignoring cover, and wrecking enemy vehicles]]. [[RAGE|Since the Serpent Shield was wargear and not a weapon, you couldn't destroy it with Weapon Destroyed]]. [[Anal_Circumference|The real fondue was taking a Twin-Linked Scatter Laser for "Laser Lock;" You got 4 S6 shots, rerolling to-hit, and if you hit with at least one, you could reroll to-hit with all other weapons being fired by the Wave Serpent. Thus, the Wave Serpent was transport, anti-aircraft, anti-everything in one go.]] Although Serpentspam got suitably nerfed in the 7th Edition update, it got replaced by the below:

* '''Scatpack Spam:'''

* '''Warp Spider Spam:''' Warp Spiders got a notable upgrade in 6th Edition, receiving a point drop and innate Hit and Run/Deep Strike, while their Deathspinners gained the '''Monofilament''' rule, making them deadlier against low-initiative models and vehicles. Although 7th Edition reworked Monofilament so they weren't innately stronger versus vehicles, they got upgraded in two additional ways: First of all, [[Cheese|Monofilament was changed so they wounded enemy models on Initiative instead of Toughness, and very few models had Initiative greater than 5]]. However, the real issue was Warp Spiders gained the ability '''Flickerjump:''' [[Cheese|If targeted by enemy shooting, the Warp Spiders could immediately move 2d6 inches, and if they ended up out of range/line of sight, the enemy attack was wasted.]] [[RAGE|Aggressively spamming Warp Spiders allowed an Eldar player to win Maelstrom objective games on your turn, after they dropped in to slag any real resistance otherwise.]]

* '''Wraithknights:''' "And you thought the Riptide was Big." The Wraithknight was the penultimate step (after the Riptide) to the reintroduction of Knights to 40k that Games Workshop was going to continue making the game revolve around giant models. It was powerful enough in 6th edition, where it cost like two Wraithlords while having twice the wounds, and extra mobility while sharing the same slot to boot, but [[Cheese|7th edition went and turned them from Jump Monstrous Creatures to Jump Gargantuan Monstrous Creatures, giving them Stomp, Feel No Pain, immunity to Instant Death (only taking D3 extra wounds instead), and the ability to fire an unlimited (rather than two) number of guns, split-fired at different units.]] [[Rage|This came with a point increase that was less than the price of an unupgraded Razorback, still making it cheaper than the Imperial Knight which it was vastly superior to.]]
**Note that despite the rage about the Wraithknight having access to D-Weapons, the most common variant was actually the Forgeworld Skatach Wraithknight. The Skatach cost a few more points than the vanilla one, but rather than having two Wraithcannons, it had two Deathshrouds. [[Rape|Imagine a Nightspinner's gun, but as a Hellstorm.]] [[Cheese|The Skatach became a tournament staple because it had innate cover-ignoring and crowd control that the rest of the Eldar army lacked, while being able to operate at optimal efficiency without needing a Farseer to buff it.]]

===Necrons===

Necrons technically got their codex update at the end of 5th Edition, but 6th really made them shine for awhile. Their 7th ed codex toned down a lot of that in exchange for adding the Decurion.

* '''ScytheWing:''' This was a build that was overpowered at the start of 6th Edition, and would only be slightly reduced in strength as 6th Edition continued. Essentially, ScytheWing (also known as Croissant Spam, 'Cron Air and a variety of other colourful names) was a build based around how many Doom Scythes and Night Scythes could be squeezed into a list - and the 'Crons could squeeze in a lot of these two units. It didn't even have the traditional weaknesses of Flyer-Heavy armies of 6th Edition usually had, as Scarabs and Canoptek Spiders were very easy to hide, minimising the odds of the army being tabled on turn one. As 6th Edition continued and factions gradually got access to actual Anti Aircraft options this died down, but it remained strong for the rest of 6th. 7th Edition finally put the Scythewing to a gradual rest, as changes to how objectives were scored, and the 7th ed codex upping the cost of Nightscythes/making Tesla no longer work on Snapshots put an damper on Necron destruction.

* '''Necron Pimpmobiles:''' The Catacomb Command Barge was infamously durable and only got moreso at the start of 7th. [[Cheese|Due to numerous rulings, taking a Phase Field gave both the Necron Lord AND the Barge a 3++]], [[RAGE|While making a successful Reanimation Protocols would bring back both the Lord, as well as the Barge at full Hull Points]]! Changes to how the Phylactery and Phase Field worked in 7th did a lot to tone the Barge to more realistic levels though it still remained a powerful unit so long as it did not come up against Destroyer weapons.

* '''Stormteks:''' The Storm Harbinger was a "free" swap for a Cryptek, that traded out its Staff of Light for a Voltaic Stave. As opposed to the S5 AP 3 3-shot weapon that the Staff of Light was, the Voltaic Stave was a 4-shot 12" Haywire projector. In 5th edition, this wasn't too dangerous but was annoying for stunlocking enemy vehicles. [[Anal Circumference|When 6th edition added Hull Points and changed how Glancing Hits worked, the Voltaic Stave became better than a Meltagun for tearing apart enemy vehicles; it was common for a Scythewing to run as multiple units of "5 Warriors, 2 Storm Harbingers" for them to drop down and zap enemy units to pieces. The Stormtek was eradicated with extreme prejudice with the 7th Cron codex.

* '''The Decurion:''' The 7th Edition Necrons got largely toned down from how they were at the start of 6th Edition. However, they would go back up to complete cheese in the same book. You see, GeeDubs had this great idea - what if we let people take armies that consisted...of nothing but Formations? Enter the Decurion, a force organization that would forever change the face of warfare for all the 7th Edition Codexes going forwards. This formation offered several, powerful bonuses to the Necrons - with individual formations granting rules like enhanced Reanimation Protocols for example. It would also make every Codex released prior to Necrons suffer from being severely underpowered for the rest of the Edition. The worst part was that every book after the Necrons had Decurions of their own, some more powerful than others but all of them making more traditional forces obsolete.

* '''The Orikanstar:''' The assorted changes to Reanimation Protocols and the introduction of the Decurion were both powerful upgrades for Necrons, but Orikan the Diviner also got a nice buff. Aside from being able to transform to have the statline of a C'tan Shard, his main ability was that he granted all models in his unit that had the Reanimation Protocols rule the ability to reroll 1s on all their Saves. Not just Armor Saves, but all Saves. Combined with Lychguard getting a point reduction and their Shields granting a 3++, this became a notoriously difficult unit to remove, and one whose defenses couldn't be debuffed by a Culexus. However, it wasn't until this unit took Zahndrekh that it became notoriously more powerful: [[Cheese|"Hit and Run" was a common ability used by tournament armies and Orikan effectively gave his unit Initiative 4 for the test, letting what should be a "slow" and frail unit pinball across the map to cap objectives and slay backfield units like.]] [[Anal Circumference|However, it was also common to swap out the Lychguard for Wraiths from a Canoptek Harvest, for extra threat range and the ability to destroy Knights with a pile of Rending attacks]].

===Space Marines===
*'''[[Chapter Master Smashfucker]]:''' Smashfucker is a character build for the [[Iron Hands]] that went through several revisions as 6th and 7th edition came along, starting from 6th ed Codex: Space Marines, getting a proper birth in Clan Raukaan, but ultimately reaching his ultimate form in the 7th edition Space Marines/Angels of Death codex and supplement. Smashfucker was a beatstick, an immovable rock and irresistable force in one that with enough buffs could beat most things into a pulp.

*The [[Warhammer_40,000/Tactics/Space_Marines(7E)#Dataslate_Formations|Skyhammer Annihilation Force]], a Space Marine dataslate formation. Two Devastator squads in drop pods that ignore Drop Pod Assault, and two Assault Squads with jump packs. The devs are Relentless on the turn they Deep Strike, and the assault squads can charge immediately.

* [[Warhammer_40,000/Tactics/Space_Marines(7E)#Gladius_Strike_Force|Gladius Strike Force]]: Space Marines' detachment-size formation. Anything in a Battle Demi-Company is Objective Secured, and any Drop Pods, Rhinos and Razorbacks taken as dedicated transport have their base cost reduced to 0 if you take two demi-companies.

===Space Wolves===

*'''The Barkbarkstar:''' Fenrisian Wolves were relatively cheap, at 8 points per model for a Beast unit with Marine statlines, but with a 6+ armor save. By themselves, they were mostly an escort of throwaway bodies for a Thunderwolf Lord. However, the real cheese came from the Fenrisian Hunting Pack, which allowed for 5 units of Fenrisian Wolves to be merged together into a blob of up to 75 Wolves. Such a huge unit could gain incredible mileage from stacking buffs on it, but the real piece de resistance was attaching Grand Commander Azrael of the Dark Angels to the unit. Azrael granted the entire unit a 4+ Invulnerable Save, while being able to choose the Warlord Trait that granted the unit Feel No Pain while within 3" of an Objective (the unit was large enough to practically cover the entire map).

===Tau Empire===

*'''[[Warhammer_40,000/Tactics/Tau(7E)|The Entirety of 6th and 7th Edition Tau]]''': This part is debatable, because Tau had weak troops (not that anyone used them, and Farsight had his Crisis suits as troops), bad leadership, and were bad at "playing the mission" due to generalized fragility (battlesuits are anything but "fragile", but not exactly tough for their points-value), but this was made up for by numerous items detailed below and generally great synergy. That said, minimaxed mono-Tau lists were great at wiping the table of almost any list, making them the bane of the local game store, if not necessarily the tournament scene due to lack of psychic powers/defense from those.

*'''Markerlights:''' The Tau Empire had access to cost effective cover removal and Markerlights, allowing them to do things like increasing their to hit rolls for Overwatch (though they were chiefly used to remove cover). The fact that Markerlights only required a To Hit roll to apply their effects cheesed the onions of many players on the receiving end. Not a game-breaking mechanics per se, but it compensated the only thing holding Tau ''horrendous'' firepower back - their mediocre BS. Oh, and with so many Ignores Cover options (not all of them from Marketlights) it was sometimes faster to just remove marked unit that had no invulnerable without resolving the hits from an actual attack - most Imperial Guard infantry squads, for example, had virtually no chance to survive.

*'''Interceptor:''' 6th Edition brought back Overwatch...as a weakened form of WHFB Stand and Shoot. It also made Interceptor a Special Rule available to some units: A unit with Interceptor could at the end of the opponent's Movement Phase, shoot at an enemy unit that had entered from Reserves. Unlike 2nd Edition, this did not require forfeiting shooting during your prior Shooting Phase, but your *next* Phase. Very few armies got access to this, but Tau could give [[Wat|each and every one of their Battlesuits this ability for the price of a Melta Bomb]], [[Rage|thus letting said Suits shoot in their turn, shoot when the enemy tried to appear from Reserves, then hightail it to safety in the Tau player's next turn.]] Oh, and it combined nicely with the ability to give those battlesuits Skyfire, blasting enemy aircraft from the sky the moment it entered play. Thanks to this, Tau were the only army able to reliably table dreaded Flytyrant list.

*'''Riptide:''' The Riptide was introduced in 6th Edition, as a Jetpack Monstrous Creature. It came with a Primary and Secondary, and was about as tough as a Dreadknight on paper. However, while the Dreadknight was primarily a melee unit (with some gun options), the Riptide mainly existed as a shooting platform that could give Tau the option for the occasional Linebreaker or finisher assault. Its main draw however was the Nova Reactor: You could pick a bonus from four options and roll a D6. On a 3+ you got the bonus, while you lost a wound otherwise. In practice, since one of the four options was to upgrade the Riptide's Invulnerable Save from 5++ to 3++, [[derp|you statistically took less wounds from Nova-Charging your Shields than from your opponent shooting you unshielded.]] In addition, the Riptide's Drones allowed it to be treated as a Unit, thus making it a Monstrous Creature that could be joined by Independent Characters, such as a Buffmander (a Tau Commander optimised to hand out supporting buffs to Units he joins) or perhaps more infamously, a character like a Space Marine Librarian or Eldar Farseer, who got a big meat shield to protect themselves while they in turn buffed the Riptide with access to the Divination table, or Space Marine Captain (eliminating close combat weakness) with Storm Shield that allowed him to tank wounds with 3++ using Riptides T saving Nova reactor of the latter for more dakka. All of this for a relatively paltry sum of points that made it cheaper than a squad of Terminators, and it didn't cost much more due to the inexpensiveness of it's upgrades. As a result, the "Triple Riptide" (or Triptide) became a common 6th Ed build, becoming less prevalent in 7th due to general scoring changes. However, the Riptide would be largely untouched for 7th Edition, remaining a very strong unit that practically made all other options in the same slot obsolete (At least until the Ghostkeel became a thing).
**'''The Riptide Wing:''' And then the Riptide Wing came out for 7th. This Formation simply required you take 3 units of Riptides, with no extra tax. In exchange, the Formation got three obscene bonuses: If a Riptide unit from the Formation was near its buddies, it could reroll the Nova Reactor, it could get +1 BS when shooting an enemy unit shot at by another Riptide unit from the formation in the same Phase, but the real fondue was that once per game, the Formation could perform a Hailfire Attack: Any Riptides that did not move in the preceding Movement Phase could shoot twice in that Shooting Phase. This formation was "no tax" for already-good units while eliminating two of their only real weaknesses (marginal damage without Markerlight support, unreliable Nova Power). That said, the sheer power of the Riptide Wing meant that this Formation was commonly used to support an Eldar army.

*'''Farsight Enclaves:''' This was the next logical step for Tau Cheese. It had access to several very good formations (most notably The Eight, a Formation of Independent Characters unique in that you could take some or all of it's members, who in turn got some of the best relics from this supplement and the OG Tau Empire Codex and allowed you to '''have two unique relics''' in a single army as members of the Eight didn't count for 1 per army relic limitation. Bears mentioning Riptide was also an Independent Character, so even in 7th edition it could be joined by Buffmander) as well as removing a key weakness of the Tau on paper, its weaksauce selection of Troops Choices. Instead of Fire Warriors or Kroot, now you could take Crisis Suits as Troops choices! This allowed for even further Min-Maxing, which capitalised on some of the other problems listed above. Compounding this, in 6th Edition it was perfectly legal to take a Tau Empire Force and a Farsight Enclaves force, and the two treated each other as Battle Brothers (meaning there were no penalties).

*'''The Firebase Support Cadre:''' Introduced in 6th, the Firebase Support Cadre was the OG Formation. Two units of 3 Broadsides and a Riptide teamed up, getting [[Cheese|Tank Hunter and Preferred Enemy(Space Marines)]]. This was a popular Formation for Necrons.

*'''The Optimized Stealth Cadre:''' The last real rage-inducer, the OSC had a Ghostkeel unit and two units of Stealth Suits. Any units from the Formation near the Ghostkeel got +1 BS, Ignore Cover, and automatically hit the Rear Armor of enemy vehicles. The OSC basically said "Flanking? Meh." That said, Stealth Suits were generally seen as a tax for this formation, which was mostly taken for the upgraded Ghostkeel(s).

===Tyranids===

Well, you see, Tyranids had bad codexes back in 6th and 7th edition. They were so bad Tyranid players still hate [[Robin_Cruddace|Threadheads]] guts, but they also had the power to create one list to rule them all...

*'''Flytyrant list:''' aka [[Flying Circus]]. You take 3 Tyrants with wings and Devourers with brainleech worms, 3 Crones, Spore Mines as Troops and Venomthrope to allow them to live through the first turn. The trick is Flying Monster Creatures were able to start on the board in 6th and 7th, but not begin in Swooping mode, therefore being hit not only on 6's. However, they still could Jink, and Venomthrope upped that save to 2+, enabling you to live through first enemy turn, reach to the sky and blast enemy below with impunity, while also being virtually unhittable, and even Invisibility-spam couldn't save from Vector-strike autohits. It was not unheard of for people to outright refuse to play with this list on tournaments. Shield of Baal even introduced formation that was basically this list, but weaker.

== 8th Edition ==

===T'au===

*'''For The Greater Good:''' Your entire army gets shared overwatch and with the T'au sept trait can overwatch on 5+. This is pretty much a 2nd shooting phase, and pretty much ensures that T'au armies will remain static firewarrior gunlines for the remainder of 8th edition

*'''Savior Protocols:''' No T'au player worth his salt shows up without at least 20 Shield Drones these days, and you have to kill every single one of them before you can even hope to scratch their precious Rapetides.

*'''Darkstrider:''' Oh what's that? Your charge actually made it through a solid wall of overwatch shooting? Hold up a minute while I move my entire gunline back 6" and gun you down. Also Structural '''Anal'''yzer.

===Eldar/Ynnari Soup===

Ironically, in what may be a case of "is it the army or is it the tournament format," the Eldar did better at LVO 2018 than they did in any 7th edition LVO tournament. Although many other aspects about why they are so powerful are being debated, there is a general consensus on what is problematic:

*'''Hard to Hit:''' The Alaitoc Craftworld grants the "-1 to be hit vs attacks >12 away" bonus that is associated with Alpha Legion and Raven Guard. Unlike Space Marines however, their entire detachment gains this bonus including vehicles; not only that, but Eldar in general have a Psychic Power to grant a -1 to-hit buff, a Stratagem to do the same, and several of their units have such an ability just because. Further making Alaitoc harder to actually hit is the fact that their unique Stratagem can be used on Rangers (which normally get taken anyway to "push back" the deep strike deployment bubble) to make it so you can only hit them on 6s.

*'''Not as Penalized going Second:''' Eldar are currently the only "main" faction (excluding Thousand Sons or other "secondary" factions) with a codex that has a Reserve stratagem that is not dependent on taking a specific subfaction. Rather than having to take Tallarn or Alpha Legion or Jormugandr, any Eldar can Webway Assault without issue. Furthermore, they have a superior equivalent of the Auspex Stratagem, which helps further protect them against Deepstrike. Said stratagem can be used against any DSer and not just those that land within 12", and does not have a -1 to-hit penalty; however, said penalty is moot since it the Stratagem tends to be used by the below.

*'''Dark Reapers are reliable when other units aren't:''' Dark Reapers are the only long-range unit that innately ignores all hit modifiers in the game, while having two firing modes that can either reliably mow down 2-wound models or blow up heavy armor. Their leader is armed with the equivalent of two Guard Mortars, if those Mortars could hit on an unmodified 3+ rerolling ones and had a -2 save mod. Furthermore, a Stratagem exists that lets an Eldar unit make a 7" move after shooting.

*'''Soup and Free Actions:''' Ynnari are infamous for getting extra "out-of-phase" actions, and despite Strength from Death being nerfed so you can use each type of action once (and only once) on your game turn, they give Eldar extra utility in general. However, the real issue with Ynnari is that if you take at least one battleforged Craftworld Detachment, the Craftworld Ynnari gain access to Craftworld Stratagems, including all Craftworld-specific ones. This means if you took an Alaitoc Craftworld Eldar detachment, Saim-Hann Shining Spears in a Ynnari detachment would have access to the Saim-Hann Stratagem, a Biel-Tan Spiritseer could take the Spirit Stone of Anathlan, etc.

*'''The Fondue:''' All of this resulted in a scenario where an Alaitoc army took several small units of Rangers to screen several two Wave Serpents, lots of small Dark Reaper units, and an allied Ynnari detachment which took a block of 10 Dark Reapers. If going second, the Eldar player could hide the Reapers in the Serpents and wait it out; alternately, the large block of Reapers could pop out of a Wave Serpent, shoot twice (the equivalent of 20 Krak Missiles or 40 Starshot Missiles), then Fire and Fade back into the Serpent before they could be targeted. Soulburst could let a Ynnari caster use Quicken to reposition an Eldar unit as well, while a unit of Shining Spears ran inference while acting as the equivalent of Bike Terminators (Protect turning their save into 2+/3++). Wheras in the 2016 LVO (which gave the "Strength 6 Intensifies" meme) where 3 of the top 8 lists were Eldar, 5 of the 8 were Eldar in 8th. Oops.

*'''The Tournament Format itself:''' It's no big secret that the ITC Format and Mission packages heavily favour armies like the Eldar due to how the scoring for missions works. Eldar have always been one of the better armies for "just playing the mission" and over the years they have become very good at this alongside being able to eliminate scoring units very efficiently (Ynnari are effectively a hard counter to MSU lists in general thanks to all of the bonus actions). It's very easy to pick a bunch of Secondary Missions that the Ynnari can very easily and reliably score, and with all the extra actions that the Ynnari get? It's very easy to build up an insurmountable lead. Compare to playing just a regular pick up game of 40k with a list designed to exploit and abuse the ITC format? The lists tend to be far less dominant compared to the armies that are strongest when playing the regular Warhammer 40k format. Would an overhaul of the Format cripple the Ynnari for ITC Tournaments? No, of course not, but it would be disingenuous to ignore the Tournament Format as a reason why the Ynnari were so dominant at the 2018 LVO, especially when combined with the above.

===Imperial Guard===
'''[[Warhammer_40,000/Tactics/Imperial_Guard(8E)|The Entirety of 8th Edition Imperial Guard]]'''. Remember Eldar and Tau in 7th Edition? Yep, that's the Imperial guard right now. Between blobs of dirt-cheap Conscripts flooding the board (thankfully nerfed into uselessness), and bringing down everything through sheer volume of fire (which is kind of the point...they're a gunline), or deep-striking Scions shoved full of Plasma or Melta as well as the best tanks in the game, and most point efficient troops choice in the game in the Infantry Squad. Like Eldar, Tau and Necrons in 7th, it's pretty bad when the only way to beat them is saying "Fuck you, I'm not playing against Imperial Guard". Of course, if you're consistently losing to a shooty army that always misses half its shots, generally sucks in melee, and is mostly valued as an ''ally''/Command Point battery to more elite armies you probably need to grow the fuck up and adjust your tactics.

Or by just bringing Guilliman, who himself has his own entry below;

Now they have a new Codex. Let us see the highlights:

*Bullgryns in general. They changed the wording for slab shields - instead of giving the unit a flat 2+ armor save, they give you +2 to all your save rolls. So if you field A Custode Vexilla, who has an aura that gives 5++ invuln, slab shields improve it to a 3++. So now they are a 2+/3++ unit. And you can take it further, with the psychic power psychic ward they get an additional +1 saves so now they are at 1+/2++ and finally with the 1CP stratagem Take Cover they get an additional save in the enemy shooting phase. Enjoy your 0+/1++ (it is important to note that ones always fail however) Bullgryn-Custode deathstar of doom that requires two Smites per Bullgryn to wear down.
**It is worth it to mention that Bullgryns have almost the exact same statline as the Custodes, proving who the true Emperor's finest are.

*HQ units can take a Relic that lets them regain spent CP on a 5+ because of course they can. Remember that the Imperial Guard are second to Chaos Daemons in cheapest Brigade Regiments in the game so if you are somehow below 12 CP you are optimising your list wrong.

*Cadians. General Rerolls of 1 for standing still, having a 2 pt stratagem that boosts their hit rate by 1 for targeting one thing of you choice so amazing for Superheavies and 40man boy squads, and then there are the Leman Russes, as not only do they also get rerolls of 1 but also have Pask who for only 10 Points more than a regular Tank Commander can do an additional order, including one for the tanks that allow them to re roll the amount of shots they get with the turret, hits on fucking 2s

*Mordians. One Mordian strategem lets you spend 1CP to give any unit exploding dice on a 6 to hit. This is ANY weapon, so have fun giving it to Mortar Teams or units stuffed full of <strike>Flamers</strike> (Flamers Auto hit) or a Leman Russ Punisher.... They also have an Order that lets units with lasguns target characters directly, pretty much making them the only counter to the Imperial Guard. It's bad when the only counter to an army is to play that army yourself.

*Valhalla can [[Skaven |fire into melee combat without any penalty other than hitting friendly units on a 1 to-hit]]. Flamers don't roll to hit. Or you could just issue the order to a heavy Weapons team and use your Conscripts like Skavenslaves... [[Commander Kubrik Chenkov |Conscript blob died? You can spend 2CP and some reinforcement points to bring them right back]] in an army where you are guaranteed a Brigade detachment for most games. Before it was FAQ'd you didn't even have to spend reinforcement points to do this in Matched Play.

*Vostroya has an order that allows them to shoot any weapon in close combat. They this includes Grenades, Flamers, you heavy Weapons teams...Oh and they can spend CP to add +1 to their hit rolls in the shooting phase meaning that all Plasma Weapons are safe to supercharge.

(<s>Note the last 4 points are army traits, so you can only take one of the four</s>) Two or more Detachments can take different Army Traits. Have fun!

No doubt [[Robin Cruddace|He]] had a part in this.

*crusaders, teamed up with a primaris psyker and ministorum priest, packed into a valkyrie. This combo will have them dumped as far as 29 inches away (though no closer to enemy models than 3 inches)essentially giving you a virtually garanteed first turn charge. Futhermore when buffed by a priest they will have 3 attacks each, rerolling hits on the charge. A full squad will be delivering an average of 27 hits per turn though only S3. They also have significant staying power with psykic barrier adding 1 to all saves giving these guys a 2++ save.if you fail the psykic power you can also use take cover! To get the 2++ from shooting attacks. Use a command point reroll and grand strategist reroll to save the couple casualties you may eventually take or just heal one back next turn with AoF. You can also bring along an inquistor and cast mental fortitude to keep these tough (and expensive) guys from falling back, or use terrify for true rage induction to deny overwatch on that first turn chage you just got. TL:DR: when comboed, thet get first turn charges, kill everything and then refuse to die.

===Space Marines===

====[[Ultramarines]]====
Have all of the best Marine toys plus a number of game breaking Chapter abilities. First all Ultramarine units can literally walk out of Close Combat and keep firing, making assault orientated armies useless against them. Second they can regain any spent Command Points on a 5+ so really can spam those Re-Rolls.This is before we even get into what Rowboat can do to your army... Falling back from combat and still being able to fire isn't as useful as it first seems, firstly there is a -1 to hit penalty for doing so but in most situations you'll have lost enough of the squad in the previous combat for the unit to be nonthreatening. You don't take the blue boys for their chapter tactic, but for the below.

=====[[Roboute Guilliman]]=====
Any keyword '''Imperium''' unit within 12" adds 1 to advances and charges, re-roll hits of 1 and can re-roll failed morale tests, meaning you can spam the '''fuck''' out of stupidly cheap [[Imperial Guard]] Plasma.

'''Ultramarines''' units within 6" re-rolls of failed hit and wound rolls as well. Guilliman himself is affected by his own aura, allowing him to add 1 to charges and advances as well as re roll failed hits and wounds. If all that wasn't enough if your army is battleforged you get 3 extra CP.). [[That Guy |It's not unusual to see him sat in the middle of a pile of Assault Cannon Razorbacks with Lascannon Squads inside, and Stormravens tossed in for good measure. Or sat behind a huge wall of Hellblasters]].

Guilliman himself is a beast in close combat, with a 3++, 9 Wounds and 6 S6, AP-4 3 Damage attacks with 6's adding d3 Mortal Wounds. He also has a Power Fist with no to hit penalty because of course he fucking does. He also revives on a 4+ with 1d6 Wounds back so good luck killing this fucker for good unless you literally send hordes of Fire Dragons or Scions after him. And even then he's just going to get back up and murder whatever downed him next turn.

So for all of this he must be expensive, right? Even Wraithknights must be cheap compared to-[[What |what he only costs 400 points?!]] Yeah. So, barring restrictions, it's possible to take him in [[Fail |500 point games...]], and is one of the few LoW choices that can be. There are countless batreps out there of him taking on entire armies alone and just crushing them.

Basically Ultramarines, and Imperium by extension, shoot better than any other army, fight better than any other army and are all but immune to morale thanks to this unbalanced cunt.

====[[Raven Guard]]====
Anything shooting at the Raven Guard are shooting at -1 to hit if outside of 12", and they can spend CP to allow infantry to Deep Strike just before Turn 1. This pretty much guarantees that you will always be going first with your Aggressors dropping in right next to an opponent without having counted as moved.

Oh and their Warlords are immune to Overwatch so [[MURDERWINGS]] is back, and it's cheaper to do than just taking Shrike.

====[[Chapter Master Smashfucker]]====
Smashfucker is back and broken as ever. Take an Iron Hands Captain on Bike with a Thunder Hammer and Shield Eternal and the Iron Resovle Warlord trait. The result is a stupidly mobile Beatstick with 7 Wounds and a 3+/3++/6+++/6++++. Plus unlike Girlyman, an Apothecary can heal him.

===[[Rage|Slamguinius]]===
Well known [[Murderwings]] variant exclusive to the [[Blood Angels]]. Take a Captain with Jump Pack and give him a Thunder Hammer & Storm Shield and Angel's Wing. It comes in at 129 points, making him cheaper than Dante. [[Awesome |Toss in Black Rage for 1 CP you get 5 S8 AP -3 3 Damage attacks that will wound all infantry in a 2+ due to Red Thirst, and Wounds T8 on a 3+, all ignoring Overwatch]]. Taking Artisan of War puts him up to 4 Damage per attack which means Knights and Spiritual Lieges aren't going to be safe. Or you can throw in Gift of Foresight so he's sitting at a 3+/3++/5+++ (3+/2++/5+++ with Celestine around). What else can be done to break him further? [[Rape |Well Throwing in Unleash Rage and Red Rampage for 1 CP puts him at 7-9 Attacks which are S8, Ap-3 and 4 Damage, and having a Sanguinary Priest around buffs those attacks up to S10!]]. If the Sanguinor is around you get another bonus attack. Did we also mention that if he's fighting Chaos marines, those attacks Explode on a 6+ with the use of Vengeance for Sanguinius? 4+ against Black Legion? Have fun!
If that is still not enough damage take "Honour the Chapter" or "Only in death does duty end" for a second fight phase.

===Chaos Daemons===

[[Chaos Daemons]] are one of two armies in the game that can fill multiple Brigade Detachments in a normal match thanks to Brimstone Horrors (the other is Imperial Guard). Plus they can cherry pick the Guard's best units via the Renegades faction, and the Chaos Space Marines best toys and characters due to the Chaos keyword.

===Adeptus Custodes Doombike===

[[Adeptus Custodes]] are very hard to kill in general, but if you're really intent on feeding off your enemy's impotent rage then you can build a nice little Doombike. Take a Shield Captain on Dawneagle Jetbike as your warlod and give him the '''Auric Aquilas''' Relic which gives him a 3+ Invulnerable save (as well as the ability to re-roll failed charge rolls). Next give him the '''Superior Creation''' Warlord Trait which gives him a 5+ FnP. Top that with the '''Victor of the Blood Games''' Stratagem right at the start of the game that allows him to re-roll a failed hit/wound or '''save roll''' per turn!

This results in a highly mobile '''character''' (which means he cant be shot at if hes not the closest target, so with clever positioning as with all characters, it will take an eternity until he even gets hit once) that has 7W, 6T, 2+/3++/5++ with the ability to re-roll one save per turn outside of command re-rolls. Besides that he is extremly mobile, meaning he will extremly hard to outmaneuver by your enemy and he is in an army that already soaks up so much firepower like nothing... ''If'' he is caught in a ''bad fight for him'', he can always disengage using his '''FLY''' keyword. Against Mortal Wounds in the Psi phase he has his Custodes standard 6+ save as well. And with all that, he is very good in close combat and very good at shooting too...!

For about 180 points quite a steal...

Get out of here, [[Smashfucker]], you've been dethroned!

===Autarch Skyrunner===

No, really.

On the opposite end of the Spectrum, [[MURDERWINGS |the Eldar are able to make an obscenely fast character that is less durable than the above, but is more mobile and hits even harder]]. 125 Points (using the Xenos 1 Index - this loadout is no longer available in the Codex) gets you a Jetbike character with 6W, T4, and 4 S6 AP3-, D2 Attacks (Hitting on 2+, Re-Rolling 1's) on the Charge (only S3 when not on the charge) that is immune to Overwatch, has a 3+/4++ (Can be boosted to 2+/3++ if a Warlock Protects them) 16" movement. They also have 4 Shuriken shots, a Meltagun shot (that they can snipe characters with, with the right trait) as well on top of all of this, as well as access to a stratagem that lets them Fall Back and Charge for one turn (for 2 command points). They also can pick a Relic that gives them a blanket -1 to hit with access to a Stratagem that can make that -2 (costs 2CP and lasts for a single shooting or fight phase) with the potential to boost that up to a -3 with a warlock casting conceal or even -4 if 12" away for Alaitoc. You can also make him more effective at shredding infantry with the Blazing Star of Vaul, if you swap out the wargear that gives -1 to hit.

So lets look at how silly the Variants are:

*'''Saim-Hann:''' With the Right Warlord Trait and Novalance, (you lose your -1 to hit, though), but you are now up to 5 S8 AP-2, D2 attacks, D4 on any 6's to wound, 5's if a Warlock casts Enhance on them. Combine this with the Supreme Disdain Stratagem and they also Explode on 5's. Oh and you can advance and charge for 1CP though you are likely reserving that strat for the huge Shining Spear blob with them. Cast Empower on him for a flat +1 to wound and even Imperial Knights are suffering critical existence failure.

*'''Ynnari''': Everything the default Autarch gets but the ability to move twice, charge again, shoot twice or attack twice. As mentioned in the Soup section, these free actions are incredibly powerful themselves, and the Autarch can benefit from the majority of the Bonus actions that Strength from Death can can grant. There's a very good reason why lists at LVO basically spammed these guys. With the Shuriken Catapult and Laser lance hits after charging, and they can easily charge twice per turn.

Looks like [[MURDERWINGS]] didn't vanish, he just ran off to race the Space Elves.

*Celestine do all that, but better

[[Category:Warhammer 40,000]] [[Category:Gamebreaking]] [[Category:Warhammer 40000 Tactics]]

Warhammer 40,000/Tactics/Talons of the Emperor (30k)

2018-07-25T08:44:18Z

2001:8003:3895:3A00:ADA8:312:6FE5:ACED: /* Heavy Support */

So we've had rules for [[First Founding|the Legions]], the [[Primarch]]s, and the [[Mechanicus|Mechanicum]]. It was only a matter of time until the [[Custodian Guard|Emprah's BFFs]] and the [[Sisters of Silence|premium in anti-psyker units]] got rules, and here they are. FAQ updated them to be alliable, they count as Agents of The Emperor. Do note that these rules for the Talons of the Emperor are only for the Horus Heresy (30k) game, if you're interested in the 40k tactics, you can find the [[Warhammer 40,000/Tactics/Sisters of Silence|Sisters of Silence tactics here,]] [[Warhammer 40,000/Tactics/Adeptus Custodes (8E)|and the Adeptus Custodes tactics here.]]

==Why play Talons of the Emperor==
There are a number of reasons for playing this army.
*Because you like gold
*Because you like eagles
*Because you like eagles made out of gold
*Because the Emperor was right all along
*Because [[Erebus]] can fuck a cactus
*Because you want to take [[Emperor's Children|Phoenix Terminators]] with a half-Primarch statline as troops
*Because you hate Psykers harder than [[Space Wolves|any furry]] can ever hope to imagine
*Because one day you will be able to take the EMPRAH as a LoW
*Because being Agents of the Emperor (per new rulebook) you can ally with any and all Loyalists as Sworn Bros

==Special Rules==
===Custodes===
*'''Preternatural Skill''': If the majority of enemy models have less Weapon Skill compared to yours when fighting in assault, you get +1I. ''(Though consider Thousand Sons' Khenetai Cabal being the only squad with potential WS6, and things that drop your WS)'' you might as well assume you're always I6 with most of your troops, unless you're facing a lone HQ model.''
*'''The Sodality''': A Custodian's unit coherency range is 3" and they always use their usual LD for regrouping. ''Representing how the Banana Custards fight as individuals rather than a squad in the lore. Use the 3" to better control the battlefield and reduce the effectiveness of Blast weapons (since a 3" blast will only touch more than one Custodes when perfectly centered between two of them, at maximum coherency).''
*'''Inviolable Psyche''': Forgeworld dancing around ATSKNF again, you are immune to Fear and Pinning and ignore all penalties when taking Morale Checks, meaning it's Stubborn 2.0, and re-roll Deny the Witch rolls. ''However, it does mean you CAN break as a result of bad combat, and you CAN be utterly wiped out. Not that that would happen often, but still.''
*'''Bulky''': Not a rule specific to the Custodes, but they all have it.
*'''Character''': Always remember that ALL Custodes are Characters. That means they can issue and accept challenges, but also benefit from Look Out, Sir. ''With some lucky rolls and a good positioning, this can really help your guys survive hails of plasma fire and assaults, especially if you have a lot of Solarite gauntlets.''
*'''Crusader''': Like Bulky, almost all Custodes have it. ''Quite powerful since your Custodians usually have better Initiative than most 30k units.''

===Sisters of Silence===
*'''Psychic Anathema''': The core defining feature of the Sisters of Silence, this is how they fuck up psykers all twenty ways from Sunday. They're immune to any psychic powers targeting them and ignores any Telepathy Blessings that would negatively affect them, because fuck invisibility cheese (you can still be raped by Biomancy user, for example, so pick your targets). Anyone within 12" takes -1 Ld (-2 if they're psykers, though anyone with Fearless is immune) while allies can re-roll Deny tests, but any Daemons in range take -1 to Toughness while Daemon vehicles take +1 to Pen. Anyone within that range that tries to use a power now needs to roll 1 higher to successfully manifest, raised to 2 higher if they're in B2B (So if they're against Magnus, he has to roll 4+ to use a power when in range, while needing 5+ when in combat).
*'''Ex Oblivio''': Another deadly null power for the Sisters, but only for the most brutal of them. Anyone within 6" can't generate WC dice, and if they want to use a power, they have to test Ld or suffer Perils at a -1 penalty, minimum 1. ''This means they can't roll a 6 for warp surge and are twice as likely to roll a one''.
*'''Fanatical Discipline''': Sisters are Fearless and Hate Psykers. Blah.
*'''Company-Cadres''': The organization of the Sisters. For every three non-HQs they bring, they need an HQ choice. If they have an HQ choice, every Sister model in the detachment gains Infiltrate, Crusader, Stealth, or +1 to Combat Resolution.

==Special Equipment==
===Ranged Weapons===
*'''Adrathic Weapons''': Yet another super special Terran-only weapon, these are proper disintegrators. As a rule, they will make Mechanicum players cry, also they are all AP2 with Instant Death, Armorbane, and Gets Hot.
**'''Adrathic Destructor''': 12" S5 AP2 Assault 1: By far the most 'common', available in some form or another on most infantry models.
**'''Adrathic Devastator''': 18" S6 AP2 Heavy 2: Dickbike and Pallas upgrade.
**'''Adrathic Exterminator''': 36" S6 AP2 Heavy 1, 3" Blast: Not yet used on any model, but it's only a matter of time. If they remember this exists. It isn't on the Telemon or the Orion. So it's now a shot in the dark if the Exterminator will be used at all.
*'''Adrastus Bolt Caliver''': 30" Assault 3 Heavy Bolter with a Disintegration Beam welded onto it. Distinctly stated as being two functional weapons with unlimited uses, but only one can be used a turn.
*'''Lastrum Bolt Weapons''': The Caladus' fixed mounts have turned into the Custodes' most prevalent vehicle mount. All weapons have '''Heliothermic Detonation''', so anybody that takes ''one or more'' unsaved wounds and ''is not slain'' has to make a Toughness roll or get '''Instant Death''' (or +1 to penetration damage table if a vehicle).
**'''Lastrum Storm Bolter''': 24" S5 AP4; only used by Aquilon Terminators and the Contemptor-Achillus.
**'''Lastrum Bolt Cannon''': 36" S6 AP3 Heavy 3; used on the Caladus, Coronus, and the Dickbikes.
**'''Iliastus Accelerator Cannon''': 60" S7 AP2 Heavy 3, Rending, Rapid Tracking (ignores Jink saves).
***Heliothermic Detonation is mostly relevant against models with a lot of Wounds. Because all models in a unit that are firing the same weapon shoot at the same time, it doesn't matter if said unit is firing one or a thousand Lastrum shells : the rule will only be triggered once against the last wounded model after all the others have been killed normaly. This greatly mitigates the efficiency of Lastrum weaponry against squads of multi-wounded models, but killing an extra bastard is always a good thing nevertheless.
*'''Infernus Weapons''': The Custodes super flamers. Only two versions, and they're both Heavy 1, but who gives a shit when they're S6!
**'''Infernus Firepike''': S6 AP6 Heavy 1, Torrent; only used by Aquilon Terminators.
**'''Infernus Incinerator''': S6 AP4 Heavy 1; used on the Contemptors, either as a replacement for the Storm Bolters or in the Galatus Warblade.
*'''Proteus Las-Lance''': 24" S7 AP2 Heavy 2, Lance; like the Adrathic Exterminator, it is not yet used on any model, come again later.
*'''Corve Las-Pulsar''': 36" S9 AP2 Heavy D3: Upgrade for the Agamatus jetbikes and found as part of the Contemptor-Achillus's Dreadspear, and most of the reason for it's 40 point upgrade cost. The Pulsar is one of the few weapons that Custodes have as a counterpart to Lascannons. So you will need it.
*'''Arachnus Blaze Weapons''': Bastard offspring of Multi-lasers and Lascannons, they have two firing modes. One is Burst for infantry shredding, the other is Concentrated for Vehicle killing with AP1 and '''Exoshock''', which gives you an automatic '''second''' Penetrating hit which ignores cover saves on a 4+ after you score one (so you roll to hit, roll to penetrate, enemy rolls invulnerable/cover, and only then...)
**'''Arachnus Blaze Cannon''': S6 AP5 Heavy Bolter, '''or''' 48" S8AP1 Heavy 1, Exoshock: In all honesty, the Burst mode is rather shitty, but Concentrated is essentially a Lascannon with nasty special rules.
**'''Arachnus Storm Cannon''': 48" S7 AP3 Heavy 7, '''or''' 72" S9 AP1 Heavy 2, Exoshock: the Telemon's big Gatling gun and perhaps the most versatile of the Arachnus weapons. This is a must take if you are facing armies with a large amount of vehicles.
**'''Arachnus Heavy Blaze Cannon''': 48" S8 AP3 Heavy 4, '''or''' 72" S10 AP1 Heavy 1, Exoshock: Optional turret replacement for the Caladus, enjoy IDing MEQs.
*'''Psyk-Out Weaponry''': Available as grenades with 8" range, in grenade launchers with 24", or in missiles with 48", each of them has Strength 2, Blast 3 and Psi-Shock, which forces Psykers to suffer perils.
*'''Stake Crossbow''': A 24" S5 AP- crossbow with Rapid Fire and Psi-shock
*'''Needle Weapons''': S2 AP5 weapons with Rending and Poisoned 4+.
**'''Needle Pistol''': 12" Pistol.
**'''Assault Needler''': 18" Assault 2.
*'''Snare Gun''': A 12" Assault 1 Pinning weapon. If it hits, it inflicts d3 hits, each of them requiring a Strength test to resist taking an unsavable wound (though Invulns work). Just don't expect Superheavies to listen to this. Hurray, the Rogue Trader Webber has finally made a return!
*'''Hellion Pattern Heavy Cannon Array''': So far exclusive to the Sisters of Silence Kharon Pattern Acquistor. It's basically two Autocannons with halved range, Twin-Linked and Pinning.
*'''Proteus Plasma Projector''': One of the few actual Plasma weapons that TOTE get besides Plasma pistols. It is currently exclusive to the Telemon Dreadnought. This is an Assault 1, Template weapon with Strength 5, and Ap2. Making it a decent weapon for roasting TEQs and anything else with inadequate saves. Forgeworld should have given Sagittarum Guard squads the Projector as an upgrade option to make them useful.
*'''Spiculus Bolt Launchers''': Vehicle only Bolt weapons introduced in datasheets for Telemon Dreadnought and the Orion Dropship. As if Forge World is already working on the next red book.
**'''Spiculus launcher''': The basic version. It's profile is Heavy 5, Range 48",Str5, AP5, with Rending and the Volley Fire rules. Volley Fire allows the weapon to fire twice if the bearer doesn't move. Making it a counter for Flyers, blobs and a decent fallow up against anything that somehow survives the deadly firepower that said vehicle will already have.
**'''Spiculus Heavy Bolt Launcher''': It is Str7, Heavy 3 and loses Volley Fire. Lowering the amount of Dakka it will spew out despite the improved strenght. Not much of a downside if taken in pairs in the case of the Orion. Otherwise not worth it.

===Melee Weapons===
*'''Custodes Spears''': Made of two parts, the power blade is AP2 +1S on the charge, and reverts to a specialist power sword afterwards. Every time you roll a 6 to hit with it, you get another attack, but those extra attacks can't generate any more. The second part depends on the spear.
**'''Adrasite Spear''': It has an Adrathic Destructor, which was 12" S5 AP2 Assault 1, Instant Death, Armorbane, and Gets Hot. Short range and nasty.
**'''Guardian Spear''': Attached with a 18" S4 AP4 Assault 2 bolt weapon. Pretty good on anything short of an MEQ, but not great.
**'''Pyrithite Spear''': Attached with a 6" S8 AP1 Melta, essentially an inferno pistol. Okay for busting light vehicles or TEQs, but 3" melta range can hurt, but it's not like you weren't planning on charging at that range anyways.
**'''Paragon Spear''': AP2 '''+2S''' on the charge (reverts to AP2 +1S when not charging, like a Paragon Blade), rather than +1, and 6s to wound always inflict Instant Death, but 6s to hit get another attack, as it is a spear. The attachment is an 18" S5 AP3 Assault 2 bolter.
*'''Misericordia''': For longer than a year this was listed with rules, and then an FAQ was released and... it wasn't supposed to be in the book at all.
*'''Paragon Blade''': Specialist +1S AP2 that inflicts Instant Death on a wound roll of 6, but you want a Paragon Spear more.
*'''Plasma Grenades''': Rare enough to mention here, they are assault grenades that can be thrown as S4 AP4 instead of S3 AP-.
*'''Sentinel Warblade''': A Specialist Power Sword with Rending. In addition, it's got an inbuilt 12" Storm Bolter that snap fires at BS2. As it exists now, it's almost entirely inferior to the Guardian Spear except when snap shooting (including overwatch), unless you're planning on using Rending to even out long assaults with high toughness models, or you need to crack open AV11+ and you can't get enough Custodes stuck in to use their Krak Grenades (a lucky rend with this sword can glance a Land Raider, though [[MathHammer]] doesn't favor your odds). But, the Sentinel Warblade does work better with the Praesidium Shield, so taking models with this is a legitimate trade of punching power for defense.
*'''Solarite power gauntlet''': AP1 mastercrafted power fist, same as Imperial Fists. However, you are Custodes, so your punches are now railguns.
*'''Solarite power talon''': +2S, master crafted lightning claw.
====Sisters of Silence Melee Weapons====
*'''Proteus Neuro-Lash:''' Flails and sectioned staves known for causing agonizing pain. Each is a two-handed melee weapon with S+1 but AP-. What they also get is the ability to hit anyone within 3" as opposed to just hitting one unit. In addition, for every hit they make, they roll a d6, with a 3+ meaning they can deliver an additional attack with Poisoned 4+ at AP-. These aren't gonna kill a marine any time soon, but Daemons will rue fucking with these ladies.
*'''Execution Blade''': Essentially Charnabal Sabres with more fancy. They're Two-Handed S+1 AP3 weapons with Duelist's Edge (+1 Initiative in a challenge) and Flawless Cut (a 5+ to hit counts as AP2)

===Equipment===
*'''Arae-shrikes''': Enemy units deep striking within 12" of a model with this wargear suffer perils on a 4+, including models that ignore the effects of mishap. In addition, barrage weapons targeting models with this wargear add 1D6 to their scatter and pick the 2 highest results, although a hit still remains a hit.
*'''Aquilon pattern Terminator Armour''' is super Cataphractii armour with Hammer of Wrath and pseudo-relentless. They can't Run, but they can make Sweeping Advances and fire Overwatch.
*'''Custodian Armour''': Artificer Armour and ''Move Through Cover'' rolled into one pimping banana suit. ''Makes footslogging and charging across difficult terrain a bit more reliable and basically means your Agamatus jetbikers can move everywhere confidently.''
*'''Praesidium Shield''': Adds +1 to the invulnerable save up to the maximum of 3++ and your opponents suffer -1 to Hit on every attack targeting the wielder in close combat up to the maximum of 6+. A Praesidium Shield precludes two-handed weapons, the +1A for 2 CCW, and the bonus for charging with a spear (this includes the Paragon Spear).
*'''Magisterium Vexilla''': A unit with this wargear can reroll failed leadership checks and gains the ''Fear'' special rule. In addition, all units within 12" add 1 to combat resolution at the end of the phase. ''TAKE IT. The vexilla compensates for the lack of Fearless and may give you the edge when charging with Guardian spears. Fear may be especially useful if you're fielding Sisters of Silence alongside your Custodes.''
*'''Teleportation Transponder''': Already known to Imperial Fists and Night Lords, this model's entire unit can deep strike.
====Sisters of Silence Equipment====
*'''Vratine Armour''': The armor of the Sisters of Silence and symbol of their oath to kill witches...otherwise known as Power Armor.

==Unit Analysis==
===HQ===
*'''Legio Custodes Shield Captain''': A <s>holy</s> [[Imperial Truth|honest]] rape machine, fit to take on a [[Chaos Lord]], a [[Chapter Master]] and a [[Warboss]] simultaneously and come out on top. His statline comes with all the best bits of a Praetor and a Custodes and gear better than both, he can take the all powerful Paragon Spear, and combine it with a Praesidium shield, Digital lasers and a Iron Halo for [[Cheese|6 S6 AP2 attacks which generate additional attacks on 6s to hit and Instant Death on 6s to wound at I6 and a 3++ in close combat with -1 to Hit malus for your adversary if they specifically target your golden dude]]. Or you can drop the Paragon Spear and go for a Solarite gauntlet for [[Rape|6 S10 AP1 master-crafted I1 attacks]] (don't forget the Praesidium shield means you don't get a bonus attack for 2 CCWs, even though the Solarite gauntlet isn't a specialist weapon and the shield captain comes with a basic ccw). And everything in between, the rape train has no brakes.
**'''Tribune''': Ooooh FW, what have you done... Here is Mr. Cheestodes, the deadliest generic character in the ENTIRE GAME. No really, this guy is the very definition of mindless rape, Slaanesh him/herself is fucking ashamed. Same as above except you get ''Eternal Warrior'' and ''Fearless'', y'know, in case you wanted to add an [[Archon_(Warhammer_40,000)|Archon]] and an [[Necron Overlord|Overlord]] to the stuff you can take on at once. At a price of [[Rage|25 more points]]. However, you can only take him in a detachment of 2000 points or more, so you're not likely going to see him in an allied force. unless you are playing HUGE games. Also, if he's in the Primary detachment he has to be the warlord ''(unless Valdor, Krole, or [[What|Emps]] are present)'', but he is able to choose his warlord trait. Needless to say, some warlord traits can be really, really good for your guys. Strategic Genius can be useful since almost all your Custodes have access to deep strike, and Master of Ambush is priceless when your cheapest transport is 135 points for a capability of only 6.
*'''Sisters of Silence Oblivion Knight-Centura''': Surprisingly has mostly ordinary human stats with WS5 BS4 I5 and Ld9, she's essentially the budget HQ at 75. She's not barebones however, as she grabs Artificer Armor with a 4+ Invuln that ups to 3+ against Blasts and Templates. She has a bolt pistol, Execution Blade, and Frag, Krak, and Psyk-out grenades, while she has the Cadre rules, Ex Oblivio, and Precision Strikes. Her melee weapon can be exchanged for a power axe (don't), a Neuro-Lash (not for Marines), or a Paragon Blade (if you just want to maul 2+ saves with a chance at ID), while her pistol can be exchanged for a hand-flamer, a plasma pistol, a needle pistol, or an archaeotech pistol - and for 10 points, any of these weapons can be Master Crafted.
*'''Sisters of Silence Excruciatus Cadre''': Something akin to a command squad, this is a squad of WS4 BS4 I4 Ld9 ladies with tools, with the Silent Judge having 2 wounds. They all hate Daemons and Psykers, get Fanatic Discipline, Night Vision, the Cadre rules (forcing them to be the mandatory HQ if the detachment is less than 500 pts, meaning they eat up at least 1/5 of the budget by themselves), and the ability to make their melee attacks ID. The Questorae only get CCWs, Bolt Pistols, Assault Needlers, and grenades alongside their armor and ''Spectra-vestments'' which force anyone to take -1 BS to hit them, while the Silent Judge adds a refractor, a Needle Pistol, a Nuncio-Vox, and a power weapon. A Questora can buy the Ardrathic Destructor, while any of them can exchange their guns for Needle Pistols or Stake Crossbows for free or buy a Snare Gun or a Flamer with a one-use boost to make them S6, and each can replace their CCW for a Charnabal Sabre or a power weapon. The Judge can swap her melee weapon for a Neuro-Lash, the Execution Blade, or a fist, while her gun can be exchanged for a Stake-Crossbow, hand flamer, plasma pistol, or a second needle pistol.

====Special Characters====
*'''Constantin Valdor''': The Captain-General of the Legio Custodes and [[Malcador|second]] best bro of the [[Emperor]] takes to the field. With his near-primarch statline he is a CC beast, with 5s across the board plus WS7, I6, Ld10, and 2+ save. He also has the ever rare Eternal Warrior, as well as Crusader, Fearless, and Counter-Attack. In terms of wargear he has the '''Apollonian Spear''', a +1s (+2 on the charge) AP2 guardian spear, with the <s>GODLY</s> MANLY ''Molecular Severance'' rule: any to-wound rolls of 4+ cause instant death or an automatic penetrating hit regardless of AV or T. In addition, [[Sigismund|successful invulnerable saves against wounds caused by this weapon]] must be rerolled! Oh, and it causes extra attacks on a 6 to hit and also it comes with an attached 18" S5 AP2 Assault 2 ''Concussive'' bolter on top! He also has lots of other gear: An Iron Halo, plasma & krak grenades, Arae-shrike, Misericordia (whatever that does), digital lasers, and custodian armour. His warlord trait allows him to re-roll Seize the Initiative, and one Legio custodes unit (including himself, and possibly Dreads depending on how you interpret 'Legio Custodes units'. Nope, GW confirmed that you cannot use Valdor to teleport dreadnoughts, it only applies to units which can take teleport-transponders) can take teleportation transponders at no extra cost. All that for just 275 points.
**This guy is your ultimate golden Swiss Army Knife. Even if he is not a good match for most of the Primarchs - let's not even talk about motherfucking [[Anacharis Scoria]] - he can fuck with a wider variety of things than most of them for a far cheaper price. Five S6 attacks (six at S7 on the charge, remember 30k Digital Lasers are +1A and the average to hit roll increases this to 6/7 attacks respectively thanks to Lightning Blow) are great against big squads, while Molecular Severance allows him to deal with any vehicle from cardbox-made Raiders from Spartans and will ruin the day of any character or multi-wound unit crossing his path. Do note that his Sigismund-ish shenanigan works ANYTIME, not just in challenge, so you can slaughter MC or even GC with your shiny spear.
**[[That guy|Some people]] may ask why you would ever take good ol' Valdor rather than the already infamous Tribune (you know, the guy who can stomp Spartans, some of the Primarchs and Scoria for the same price). Firstly, you don't want to be beaten to death by your opponent IRL. Secondly, Valdor is more versatile than the Tribune, butchering hordes, TEQs and tanks alike without sacrificing his I6. He's better at dishing out the hurt, just not as good at taking it. The possibility to '''deep-strike one of your units for free''' is something unique in 30k and may be <s>a gift from the gods</s> {{BLAM}} '{{BLAM|THERE ARE NO SUCH THINGS AS GODS YOU FOOLISH <s>HERETIC</s>}} {{BLAM}} {{BLAM|THERE IS NO DOGMA AND THEREFORE NO HERESY, NONCOMPLIANT SCUM!}} a welcome alternative if you don't want to buy some Coronus. Last thing is, you can only take the Tribune if your Detachment is over 2000 points, so Valdor is the only way to get a Custodes HQ with Fearless and Eternal Warrior if you play smaller games. And since you are probably spending a lot of points on your Shield Captain's wargear anyway, you should consider taking the golden boss instead.
*** A generic Tribune is a better bet if you are specifically picking an HQ to get into a headbutting contest with a primarch, but that's a bad use of your points just like it is in a Legion army. It's nice to think about your HQ punching out the enemy big bad, but unless one of you rolls super-badly then you're just going to get locked in combat for the whole game and you won't win anything playing like that. And you might end up playing against a real motherfucker like Horus who will slam his dick so far up your ass that you deep throat him from the other end and then you'll be a sad little custodian because your big beatstick isn't quite as boss as you thought. That doesn't mean that Valdor is just straight up better, it just means you need a better battle plan than hoping your golden-clad codpiece is bigger than your enemies. Take the HQ that helps your plan.
**If you take 55 custodes in your army and decide to have them all deepstrike, you can take Valdor for the low, low price of your warlord trait.

*'''Jenetia Krole''': Knight-Commander of the Sisters of Silence. She's got 3's across the board with WS6, BS4, I5 A4 and Ld10. On top of Psychic Anathema, she also has Ex Oblivio, Fanatic Discipline, Rage, Preferred Enemy against Psykers and Characters, Cadre rules, Eternal Warrior, and the option to upgrade an Oblivion Knight Cadre to her elite Raptor Guard, which costs 20 points to make them WS5. For gear, she has Artificer Armor with the invuln seen on the Knight-Centura, an Archaeotech Pistol, grenades, and the '''Sword of Oblivion''': a super-Execution Blade with S+2 AP2 with 5+ Murderous Strike instead of Flawless Cut. This all makes her close to a match a challenge beast against any Marine HQs without Eternal Warrior, and more than a match against Daemons. Her Warlord Trait lets her re-roll Seize the Initiative and grants d3 units Scout.

===Elites===
*'''Legio Custodes Hetaeron Guard Squad''': The Emperor's [[Companion|Companions]], [[Mary Sue|the best]] of [[Adeptus Custodes|the best]] of [[Imperium|the best]]. At 70 points per model they look REALLY expensive, but they're probably the best infantry unit in the game, bar none. So they have the same stat line as normal Custodes but with 3W and 3A. their special rules are the same as normal Custodes as well but they get ''counter attack''. They can all take a Praesidium shield, melta bombs, Arae-shrikes, and Teleporters, and any member of the squad can replace their spears with any melee weapon other than a Paragon Spear, but you can have Paragon '''blades''' for some nice AP2 at Initiative (probably [[Fail|another typo from FW]], just wait for a FAQ). One of the squad without a shielded may replace their guardian spear with the vexilla and either a MC power weapon or a sentinel warblade.
**So, super Custodes with '''S6 AP2 attacks at I5 (I6 if your opponent is WS:5 or below!), 4++ and hit on a 5+ by most units in the game''' ? Yep. Unless your opponent has something capable of insta-killing them, the Hetaeron are a real step above your other Custodes, so do not dismiss them because of their high price. Depending on the loadout, a Hetaeron can be as deadly as an Aquilon and more than twice as durable in CC for just +20 points, while remaining more flexible. Mixing Paragon blades and Solarite gauntlets in a squad allows you to mince EVERYTHING you could fight against without being stuck at Initiative 1 and still getting some Instant Death attacks thanks to Murderous Strike. Find some psyker ally with Endurance or Invisibility and you are basically unkillable in assault.
**Again, remember you can reallocate some wounds on a 4+ thanks to Look Out, Sir!, so having 3W is a real advantage over your other Custodes. When one model is worth almost 100 points, that's definitely something you MUST NOT forget.
*'''Legio Custodes Aquilon Terminator Squad''': Custodes with Terminator Armor. How terrifying. Each of them is 75 points a model, and at with 5s on every stat save W2 A3 and Ld9, they're absolutely not slouches. Aquilon Terminator Armour affords 4++, Hammer of Wrath and Pseudo-relentless. In addition, they are able to fire Overwatch and Sweeping Advance, but cannot run. Say hello to Super Cataphractii armour. Each Aquilon Terminator has Crusader, a Lastrum Storm Bolter, a Solarite Gauntlet, and a Misericordia, and each can exchange the gauntlet for a Solarite Power Talon or exchange their guns for a TL Ardrathic Destructor or Infernus Firepike. Each can also buy a Teleport Transponder and Arae-Shrikes.
**While costly (especially with special weapons), they can do the job if you use them correctly. They are the Custodes' answer against vehicles and Astartes multi-wound special units, since they can one-shot Justaerin, Firedrakes and Gal Vorbak while giving no fucks about Power Fist/Thunderhammer instakill (beware for shenanigans, like Rad Grenades, Rad Furnaces, Rad-Phage etc). Firepikes are also you best friends against hordes, something useful since tarpits are the bane of your Cutodes.
**The Firepike is arguably the best choice against most infantry units as long as you get at least 4 hits with the template. The Adrathic destructor may sound nice for TEQ-hunting, but ONE S5 AP2 shot is not that great since most TEQ in 30k are Terminators with an invulnerable save. Take it for one-shooting multi-wound models but otherwise go for the Infernus. The Lastrum is only top-tier against models with T3 and a 4+, so you should keep it when facing Solar Auxilia - remember that Void Hardened armours make the Infernus firepikes almost useless.
**'''Aquilons do not have Implacable Advance''' like the basic Legion Astartes Terminators get. So they won't be able to contest the objective even if they crack open a Spartan Deathstar. One of the four Talons of the Emperor troops choices are what you use to babysit objectives.
** These guys are worse than both Sentinels (as those cost less while having same survivability as rerollable 5++ is same as 4++, and can be tailored toward punching big targets with Solarites with almost no loss of efficiency as Misericordia does absolutely nothing now) & Hetaerons (+1 wound, better equipment & almost the same guns.) On the other hand they are, curiously, the most effective anti-horde option Custodes have - Infernus Firepikes AP may be shit, but they have great range due to Torrent and wound Space Marines on 2+ while bringing ID on Cultist blobs, so pile up those Armor Saves!
*'''Legio Custodes Contemptor-Achillus Dreadnought''': The fanciest, goldiest, and potentially deadliest non-boxiest dreadnought to ever be seen. It's got WS6 and BS5, an AV of 13/13/11, and hits at I5, meaning he'll more than match any marines on the field. He also has a Refractor Field instead of the basic Atomantic Reactor Contemptors use and comes stock with Extra Armor. For weapons, he starts with two Dread CCWs with Lastrum Storm Bolters, but he can buy the Dreadspear, a S10 AP2 MC weapon that '''turns any attack into S:Destroyer on a 6 to hit''' during the turn he charged AND has a Corvae Las-Pulser bolted on top. In addition, he can replace his Lastrum Storm Bolters with either TL Adrathic Destructors or Infernus Incinerators for a small fee.
**Do note the Dreadspear is not two-handed, and nothing is specified about the bonus attacks for every CCW after the first walkers get being included in the profile, so you may get [[Cheese|7 Destroyer attacks on the charge]] (4 base + 2 for three CCW + 1 for the charge). See page 91 of the BRB.
*'''Sisters of Silence Oblivion Knight Cadre''': The Elite among the Sisters of Silence, each comes with Ex Oblivio, Fanatic Discipline, and Precision Strikes. Each comes with Vratine Armor, cloaks that grant a 6++ Invuln or a 4++ against Templates and Blasts, Execution Blades, grenades, and Bolt Pistols. Everyone can replace their blades for Power Axes while the sergeant can buy a Neuro-Lash and replace her pistol with a Needle-Pistol, a Plasma Pistol, or a Hand Flamer.

===Troops===
*'''Custodian Guard Squad''': Think Terminators, but with all the 4s in their statline replaced with 5s (so yes, you can strike at Initiative 6 thanks to Preternatural Skill), with situational AP2 at initiative weapons, something that most Space marines (outside of Praetors or Emperor's Children) would never get. They can take the usual Arae-shrikes, Teleportation Transponders and Melta Bombs as upgrades for the whole squad, any Custodian can replace its Guardian spear by an Adrasite or Pyrithite spear and one can take a Magisterium vexilla with a master-craft power weapon or a Sentinel blade instead. They do pay for the high degrees of kickassitude they bring to the table, most notably with actual points and they are liable to get shot down before doing anything if you don't take a Coronus, though '''with 2 wounds each and a 2+ 5++''' they might pull though. With '''3 S6 AP2 attacks per Custodian on the charge''' and the buff from Crusader and a vexilla Magisterium, they have decent chances to win the first round of close combat with a good margin before AP3 becomes a problem, so make sure the situational nature of their AP2 isn't going to get them killed.
**Since Custodes pay no extra points for the base squad, it may be worth deploying a lot of small squads rather than big pseudo-deathstars if you expect a lot of 2+. AP3 and only 2 attacks by Custodian are trash if you get charged by TEQs with AP2, even if you outnumber them, so you REALLY don't want to see your 10-man squad rammed by 5 angry Tartaros with power fists. While they are more vulnerable to Moral tests if they take too many casualties, small units are also more adaptable : keep a couple of them close so you can charge with all your dudes when the opportunity presents itself without risking [[Rage|losing 550 points all at once]].
**Before bitching about your ultimate elite warriors being butchered by "mere" Terminators because of your shitty AP3, remember these guys are only ''basic Custodes'' and remain rather violent in close combat against anything else. Mathammer-wise, even a three-man squad of Custodians can withstand the charge of 20 World Eaters tactical Legionnaries with 2 CCW ''and win''. Anything with 2+ save and AP2 will quickly have the upper hand on your golden bananas if the fight turns into attrition warfare, but otherwise you may be able to murder MEQs or at least keep them locked until reinforcements arrive.

*'''Sentinel Guard Squad''': As Custodians armed with sword and board, they are somewhat less killy than their spear-wielding counterparts, but are more defensive thanks to their Praesidium shields. These are best used to guard your squishier Custodians, so they don't get wiped when they get charged by a squad with 2+ saves as your improved Invuls allow Sentinels to stick around long enough for rending to enter the equation. It's also worth noting that these guys can theoritecally deal with vehicles thanks to their rending swords, but don't expect too much from them. Anyway, you can replace your Sentinel blades with Solerite gauntlets and talons for more flexibility.
**While expensive, the Sentinels are the very definition of holding the line, as anything without S10 or Instant Death will take a lot of turns to kill them in CC. For sure, they lack AP2 against TEQs, but they can tank your opponent's most dangerous units, so they are good for preventing a deathstar from rampaging through your army.
**Worth noting that, unlike Custodian Guard, you do actually get a small discount if you run these guys in small numbers (180 for the basic unit of 3, with 65 per model, means you save points if you run small)

*'''Sisters of Silence Prosecutor Cadre''': Baseline WS4 BS4 I4 Sisters of Silence with bolters (or double bolt pistols) and grenades. They get Fanatic Discipline and can buy a Nuncio-Vox or Breaching Charge.

*'''Sisters of Silence Vigilator Cadre''': Slightly improved Sisters, they all get an Execution Blade and Pistol. They also have the ability mark a single Infantry unit or Character and they get Preferred Enemy on that one target.

===Dedicated Transports===
*'''Legio Custodes Coronus Grav-Carrier''': A 13/12/11 4HP fast skimmer with BS5 acts as the Dedicated Transport for Custodes forces. It's equipped with a TL Arachnus Blaze-cannon AND TL Lastrum bolt cannon, a Machine Spirit, and a Flare Shield, while also having Grav-Backwash (-2 to hit in close combat unless immobilized), DS, and Outflank. It can also buy Extra Armor, Armoured Ceramite, and a Searchlight. It's not an assault transport - it's an infantry supporting unit depositing gunboat in ways that a Razorback can only dream of. That thing is also bigger than ''a Spartan'', so Deep Strike with caution.
*'''Sisters of Silence Kharon Pattern Acquistor''': The DT of the Sisters, it's not Custodes-tier hax but it's got lots of weapons and is an ASSAULT VEHICLE. It's only 12/11/10 with BS4. It has a ton of guns however, with missile launchers and the Helion-Pattern Heavy Cannon Array, a super TL-autocannon with S7 AP4 Heavy 4 with Pinning. It also has an Auspex to give Night-Fighting and reduces enemy cover while also having Stealth and the ability to make anyone shooting beyond 12" shoot at -1 BS. The last trick it has is the Capture-Grid, a tank-shock attack that grants d6 S5 HoW attacks before any Death of Glory is counted. Stick any type of sisters with execution blades in it, with a character, infiltrate the Kharon Acquisitor, charge in, and rip and tear.
**After the July 2018 Errata, Acquisitors cannot transport models with the Bulky, Very Bulky, etc. special rules, so you can longer use them as a taxi for your golden boys.

===Fast Attack===
*'''Legio Custodes Pallas Grav-Attack''': A light tank with 12/11/11, but it has a TL Arachnus Blaze Cannon to attack and a Flare Shield and the Grav-Backwash of the Coronus to defend it. It also gets a Machine Spirit, Outflank, and DS, making it best suited to attack from an unexpected angle rather than be an assault weapon.

*'''Sisters of Silence Pursuer Cadre''': They're Sisters...with pets. For each sister you buy, you also have to buy a Cyber-Jackal, a powerful beast that's actually slightly stronger and tougher than the sisters and equipped with Rage, FNP, a 5+ save and the option to shoot flamers or meltas at BS2 (pick the flamer), or Razortalon Wings, birds that get more attacks at higher Initiative, but can only fight in melee. The birds are a bit cheaper, but the dogs have more utility and punch. The sisters meanwhile benefit from Fleet and Move Through Cover as well as Fanatic Discipline, though the sergeant has a small list of pistols or Charnabal/Power Weapons to use if she's unhappy with the CCW/Bolt Pistol combo.

*'''Legio Custodes Agamatus Jetbike Squadron''': RIDE THE LIGHTNING ! Custodians on super golden banana jetbikes wielding FUCKHUEG knight-style power lances. It sounds so goddamn metal, it looks goddamn metal, it fights goddamn metal. The Gyrfalcon-pattern jetbike is a jetbike that boosts the rider's Toughness by 1, [[Awesome|making you as tough as a Primarch]] so you can laugh at S10-induced instant death and allows you to re-roll failed charge distances. Your glorious steed of gold and fury comes with cool-looking leather boots and gauntlets (we're not making this up), a Lastrum Bolt Cannon and benefit from the slew of Custodes rules in addition to Split Fire. If you're not happy with the bolt cannon, the whole squadron can be 'upgraded' with Adrathic Devastators (+15 points) or twin-linked Corvae Las-pulsers (+35 points) as well as getting melta-bombs.
**Move on Boltodes, those guys can do your job better. For just 10 points above the Sagittarum guard, you have a unit that can actually move 12ps, shoot three 36" S6 AP3 and deliver three S6 AP3 attacks on the charge, so anything without a 2+ or decent invulnerable save is fucked. If you must deal with something harder, Corvae las-pulsers can ruin the day of any vehicle, TEQ or MC but the price of your squadron is increasing quickly, so just take the Adrathic Devastators if you're not afraid of short range fights. Two S6 Armourbane shots are mathematically better than 1D3 S9 ones and you get Instant Death as a bonus for far cheaper, meaning [[Warhammer 40,000/Tactics/Mechanicum: Taghmata (30k)|T5 or more characters, multi-wound units and Monstruous Creatures]] will shit in their pants too.
**Do note that the Agamatus are the only Custodes unit without Crusader (the July 2018 FAQ didn't change that), and are just jetbikes, not eldar jetbikes, so no free 2D6-not-thrust-moves, and it really sucks since you NEED to win the first round of close-combat after you charge if you don't want to be locked forever with your downgraded derp-lances. Don't be greedy and keep your precious heavy weapons away from tarpits.

===Heavy Support===
*'''Sisters of Silence Seeker Cadre''': Sisters with Flamers. Competes with Excruciatus Cadre as your "must take" gold babes. (Calling them "Golden Girls" means you earned that live grenade under your bed.) Nothing more you need to know besides the ability to grab grenades and the basic Anathema, Fanatic Discipline, and Cadre rules. The squad can take Grenade Launchers with Frag, Krak, and Psyk-Out grenades. This is your answer to Magnus and his D. Use them as a Militia Grenadier Squad with anti Psyker options. They don't get Gas or Firebust like the other guys. However a ten member squad can put out a load of hurt with ten S6 AP4 attacks at 24" or as an effective blob killer.(i.e. Chaos Daemons, when they finally have 30K compatible rules) Not quite as good as the Caladius or the Telemon but they can threaten light vehicles such as Rhinos and out range squads with Volkite Chargers. Freeing up the heavy hitters to deal with MEQs and above. Note that unlike Grenadiers they won't last as long in a shooting match. One would think the Golden Sisters would have better grenades than Cults and Militias. This oversight might be fixed when Talons get their own red book.
*'''Legio Custodes Sagittarum Guard Squad''': One of the few shitty Custodes units. For 65 points per model, you got Custodes with Adrastus Bolt Calivers and refractors. Thanks to their Caliver, they're theoretically able to cover either front. There's not much more to describe on the equipment front, being able to grab Arae-Shrikes, meltabombs, and transponders as well as one guy grabbing the Vexilla. For sure they are as tough as any Custodes and can withstand more damage than almost any shooty unit in the entire HH setting, but are very difficult to use if you want them to earn their points back. They can be useful in low point games but you are better off taking the Dreadnoughts or Grav-Tank instead.
**Why do they suck ? Here is the answer. Using the Bolt profile makes your golden Boltodes derp-tough overcosted Devastators, and basically nothing more. Unless you're fielding a big squad of Sagittarum, a 30" Heavy Bolter means you are sacrificing mobility for only a few damage against anything with an armour save of 3+ or better. As a comparison, a 8-man strong Astartes Support Squad costing the same price can deal almost thrice the amount of dakka.
**So, what about the Adrathic destructor? AP2, Amourbane and Instant Death are pretty terrifying, but you only get '''one''' shot per shooting phase, so anything with a good invulnerable save and/or some meatshields will probably survive your volley of murder beams. And since the unit you are shooting at is within charge range and will wreck/tarpit your Boltodes in assault because [[Derp|you have only 2 attacks and not even a power weapon]], you need to be lucky. Concretely, that means you must target something you're almost sure to kill in one turn, so avoid characters with Eternal Warriors and Cataphractii squads. Deep-striking behind vehicles is the best way to use your golden boys, so plan to take melta bombs if you fail at blasting this angry Contemptor before it charges you. Anyway, a squad of Custodians with Adrastite spear can do the same job and they do have power weapons.
*'''Contemptor-Galatus Dreadnought''': Another giant golden mecha for the Emperor's Firstborn. Compared to the Achilius, this one gets a fuckhuge warblade with AP2, Shred and Rampage, with a Twin-Linked Infernus Destructor built in to it. The Galatus also sports a Praesidium Shield, allowing it to re-roll invul saves taken from the front at range (and all in CC) and makes any hit rolls from any non-Gargantuans drop by 1. It also grabs Counter Attack, which lets it use that sword to its fullest. Put this in the front to take a few hits and let the other bananas smack whatever targets the big guy.
**Whilst this sexy beast occupies the sacred support slot for your Golden Bananas, and doesn't have any long-distance ranged weapons, this guy is an absolute BEAST in close combat. Even if we gloss over the Twin-linked S6 AP4 Flamer in it's sword (!), it's going to be doing some damage. On the charge, after a S8 Hammer of Wrath; you can expect 4 base attacks, +1 for charging or counterattack, and +d3 on the charge for for Rampage. '''That's between 5 and 8 attacks resolved at I5, at S10 AP2, rerolling failed to-wound rolls.''' The really nice thing is that in the event YOU are charged, you're still probably going to benefit from Wall of Death, Rampage, and (thanks to Counter Attack) +1 to your base. And if you don't sweep assault? They'll likely be hitting you on 5's in CC thanks to that shield of yours, which is also affording your AV13 a rerollable 5++. Again, it's competing with the Caladius, and the Achilius is arguably better overall, but don't discount this fella. Used correctly, he will put in some work, and is one of the few things that can take a charge of Primarch-train and hope to survive. This also makes a great but quite expensive one unit body guard for characters. The Galatus pairs well with an Achillus or Telemon to act as the defensive linebacker to their quarterback.
*'''Caladius Grav-Tank''': Take a [[Sicaran Battle Tank]], and stick it on a [[Land Speeder]]. Then give it to the most elite dudes in the Imperium and you have the Caladius. It's a fast skimmer (so you can Jink) with BS5, 13|13|11 3 HP and a flare shield, so keep it front toward your enemy and enjoy [[Awesome|your grav-Land Raider with a 4+ cover save]]. It comes with '''Outflank''', a '''Machine spirit''' (so you can Jink AND fire one of your weapons at full BS, pretty cool since the guns of your gilded podracer are nasty) and '''Grav Backwash''' (your enemy doesn't want to charge as much and suffers a -2 to Hit penalty in close combat as long as the Caladius is not Immobilised). The Caladius comes with two weapons : the turret-mounted '''Iliastus accelerator cannon''' and the hull-mounted '''Lastrum bolt cannon'''. The former is a twin-linked '''60" S7 AP2 Heavy 3''' gun with ''Rending'' and ''Rapid Tracking'' (no Jink for your enemy), while the latter is twin-linked '''36" S6 AP3 Heavy 3'''. Great, but here is the cherry on the top of the golden banana cake. Both weapons have a brand new fearsome rule : '''Heliothermic Detonation'''. If your target has suffered one or more unsaved wounds, they have must '''pass a Toughness test or suffer Instant Death''', and '''Penetrating hits adds +1 to the Vehicle Damage table'''. You get this package for just 195 points, or the same as an off the shelf Land Raider Proteus, a bargain for your golden banana warriors.
**Given some similarities with the Sicaran's accelerator autocannon, it is worth making some comparisons. Against metal bawkses, the Sicaran remains better for pure saturation and wiping out HP since it throws twice the amount of dakka the Caladius does, especially against Flyers, the Caladius' BS5 being useless in this case. HOWEVER, any Penetrating hit you may score with the Iliastus will have a 33% chance to blow your enemy up, something the autocannon can't even do. Anyway, the Sicaran looks like a jealous little bitch when coming to anti-infantry capabilities as the Caladius can tear apart MEQs and even TEQs or Monstruous Creatures better than most tanks. Well, for the same price the Sicaran can have 4 heavy bolters and will do a better job against 4+ saves and Cataphractii ([[Tyranids|by pure saturation power]]), but the golden floater remains more polyvalent overall. This Heliothermic Detonation shit means that Characters, multi-Wounds units and MC will sweat a little if they get wounded, [[Be'lakor|unless]] [[Nathaniel Garro|they]] [[Salamanders|are]] [[Sigismund|Eternal]] [[Primarchs|Warriors]].
**In book 7, we now have the option to replace the turret-mounted twin-linked Iliastus accelerator with a Twin-Linked Arachnus Heavy Blaze Cannon, for 15pts. Whilst you do lose out on AP2 and Rapid Tracking, you are gaining a Heavy 4 weapon with +1S and AP3. The real icing on this weapons cake, however, is the alternate firing mode. S10 AP1, with the Exoshock special rule from the Deredeo. With BS5 and TL, one would hope that round punches through some armour! Mathammer-wise, the concentrated mode is more efficient against Armour Value from 12 to 15, while the burst mode will wip out more HP than both the Iliastus and the concentrated blast until facing AV14 but remember you have no chance to get the Explosion! result on the chart. The Arachnus is better at tank-hunting and MEQ-killing, but if you expect a lot of skimmers, flyers, jetbikes or TEQs to show up, the Iliastus remains a more versatile (and cheaper) choice.
**All in all, the Caladius is maybe the most versatile tank in 30k for its price, both durable, fast, manoeuvrable and killy. With a main weapon firing from 48" up to 72", a 4+ cover save and a Frontal Armour of 14, it can stay away from your adversary's biggest guns while destroying light vehicles and infantry from afar and survive medium-range fire from the front when you cannot retreat. Just remember it has only a '''Rear Armour of 11''' so any deep-striking/outflanking unit with a bit of anti-armour stuff will wreck it.
*'''Telemon heavy Dreadnought''': The biggest, shiniest Dreadnought variant that ever existed and the Legio Custodes equivalent of the Leviathan. It comes with an Armour value of 13|13|12, 4HP, WS6, BS5, I5, 4 Attacks, exta armour, armoured ceramite and a 4+ invulnerable save increasing to 3+ against weapons with the Blast special rule or that use a template of any kind. Pretty good, but the giant golden Kinder has another surprise for you... The ''Unyielding Sentinel'' rule lets you roll 2 dice on the Vehicle Damage table after you suffered a Penetrating Hit, the highest being discarded. Now the time has come to punch things, the Telemon has some good tools for the job. Its basic weapons are a pair of '''Telemon Caestus''', Dreadnought close-combat weapons with ''Shred'' and ''Murderous Strike'', perfect for tearing Monstrous Creatures. Each Caestus comes with an in-built '''Proteus plasma projector''', an Assault 1 S5 AP2 Template weapon. It Gets Hot like other plasma weapons, but who cares ? AP2 flamers will make Terminators cry, especially if you're playing Zone Mortalis. You also get 1d6 Hammer of Wrath attacks instead of one when charging. If you don't want to dirty your shiny armour in close-combat, no problem, the Emprah has given you some nasty guns to do the job from afar. The '''Spiculus bolt launcher''' is a 48" S5 AP4 Heavy 5 weapon with ''Rending'' which can '''fire twice if you stay immobile during the Movement phase'''. The Telemon can also equip an '''Iliastus Accelerator Culverin'''. It is a nasty 36" S7 AP2 Heavy 5 Rending uber-autocannon, with the accustomed Heliothermic Detonation, which gives your enemies the chance of Instant Death <strike>on each unsaved wound</strike> if they suffer one or more wounds from your big gun. It's lacking the versatility of its other weapon options, but all in all, it's a great gun to fry some TEQ with and punch the occasional light vehicle. But the real star in the long-range combat department is the '''Arachnus storm cannon''', an [[Awesome|oversized laser gatling gun]] which can shoot with two profiles : 48" S7 AP 3 Heavy 7 or 72" S9 AP1 Heavy 2 with the ''Exo-Shock'' special rule. Not quite as good as the Arachnus heavy blaze cannon or the Iliastus Accelerator Culverin if you want to insta-kill MEQs or squads of T5 models, but slightly better against light vehicles, hordes and MC. You can replace one or both Caestus and Proteus projectors with this beauty for +30 points each.
**The Telemon is by far the most versatile ranged unit in the Talons of the Emperor army list. The Arachnus storm cannon makes him a threat against vehicles and infantry alike and the Spiculus launcher can add a lot of saturation fire, all this at 48" range, and the Iliastus Accelerator Culverin can ID the ubiquitous multi-wound TEQs you're likely to find in 30k. If you stay immobile, your Dreadnought can unleash [[Dakka|14 S7 AP3 and 10 S5 AP4 shots each turn]], making it a good counter-measure against the usual Nemesis of a Custodes army : hordes and flyers. It does not match the Leviathan anti-armour capabilities in close-combat, but can engage a wider variety of targets while staying away from the melee.
**Like the Achillus Dreadnought, nothing is specified about the bonus attacks for every CCW after the first walkers get being included in the profile, so you technically don't lose any attack when taking an Arachnus storm cannon.
**Take note that '''the Telemon is a Character''', so he can call and accept challenges, be your Warlord, etc.

===Lords of War===
*'''Warlord-Sinister Pattern Battle Psi-Titan''': '''<s>HO-LYYY</s> SWEEET FUCK. PSYCHIC WARLORD TITAN.''' [[Grimdark|Fueled by the powers of captured psykers, who are bled dry to power the Titan]], it's a good thing this monster is worth 3250 points. Starting off with the standard kit of a [[Warlord Battle Titan]], the Warlord-Sinister adds the Psychic Pilot rule (Mastery Level 3), knowing three set powers: a 24" d6 bolter-shot nova with Soul Blaze and Ignores Cover, a blessing which [[Cheese|restores any lost hull point on a 5+]], and a witchfire which hits all units within 24" of a point with a Haywire hit (for vehicles-EVEN FLYERS) or d6 Heavy Bolter shots (PER 5 MODELS) if it's infantry. The Psi-Titan makes all enemy units within 12" take leadership checks automatically, and any unit that wishes to charge the monstrosity (why you would do that is beyond us) must take a leadership check at -3 Ld. Its weapons are standard fare for the Warlord, except that you always carry the '''Sinistramanus Tenebrae''' , aka the gun that will ruin your day, on one arm. Fluff-wise it's an up-scaled Animus Speculum, crunch-wise it's an apocalyptic mega-blast that's Strength D/Fleshbane/Poison 4+, and AP 1/2/3 for its respective ranges. Oh, and that inner circle? Yeah, it's a Vortex, just in case anything in the blast radius thought it would survive that shot. And if you finally manage to put the Titan(ic amount of [[Grimdark]]) down, it will explode on you, which on a 4+ becomes a '''[[Rape|36 INCH DESTROYER BLAST]]'''. Honestly, even if the Emperor's rules get released, this bastard will probably be the more OP Lord of War choice.

*'''Orion Assault Dropship''': A 7 hull point, 13-12-11, 600ish point super-heavy flyer and a Lord of War for Talons of the Emperor. It's also a transport with a capacity of 24 models. (Yes, Custodians do count as two.) This golden nugget is capable of transporting a Dreadnought, (which counts as 10 models.) Along with being a super-heavy flyer, and transport, the Orion is armed with two Arachnus Heavy Blaze cannons, Two nose mounted tl Lastrum Bolt Cannons, two Spiculus Heavy Bolt Launchers (48", 7, 4, H3, Rending,) armored ceramite and cockpit as standard and the new Eclipse Shield and Macro Arae-Shrike. The Eclipse Shield provides the Orion with a -2 to blast and template weapon strength, and a -1 to all other weapon strength. If a shooting weapon inflicts a glancing or penetrating hit, the Orion immediately gains Shrouded against all subsequent hits against its front Arc during this phase. However, this has no effect on melee attacks or weapons of the Destroyer type (not a big deal as long as you're not Hovering since most of D weapons are usually blasts). Macro Arae-shrikes on the other hand, act as normal Arae-shrikes, with the addition of ''interception interference.'' When enemy units declare their interception, the intercepting player must roll a D6 for each unit attempting to intercept. If a unit rolls 3 or less, it's unable to intercept but may fire as normal in its next shooting phase. Furthermore, because He and the terrawatt clan love us so, the Orion has the Deep Strike and Assault Vehicle special rule.
**As long as you keep the enemy in front of it, the Orion is arguably more resistant (and cheaper) than a similarly geared Thunderhawk. Its firepower may seem somewhat limited for what you're paying and it clearly won't earn its points back by killing TEQ or hordes. Two S10 AP1 exo-shock shots and 3 rending autocannons are still quite good for tank-hunting and make the Orion a monster against other flyers, but you could have more big guns for the same price. Unless you really need a very reliable transport or flyer-killer, there are other units that can do the job better.

*<s>God-</s>[[Emperor of Mankind]]: '''COMING SOON!''' No actual rules yet, but a note in the Legio Custodes Tribune rules suggests he will be a future potential HQ/LoW choice for the army, similar to the Primarchs and their legions.

[[Category: Adeptus Custodes]]
[[Category:Warhammer Tactics/30k]]

Warhammer 40,000/Tactics/Talons of the Emperor (30k)

2018-07-25T08:43:54Z

2001:8003:3895:3A00:ADA8:312:6FE5:ACED: /* Fast Attack */ Ditto

So we've had rules for [[First Founding|the Legions]], the [[Primarch]]s, and the [[Mechanicus|Mechanicum]]. It was only a matter of time until the [[Custodian Guard|Emprah's BFFs]] and the [[Sisters of Silence|premium in anti-psyker units]] got rules, and here they are. FAQ updated them to be alliable, they count as Agents of The Emperor. Do note that these rules for the Talons of the Emperor are only for the Horus Heresy (30k) game, if you're interested in the 40k tactics, you can find the [[Warhammer 40,000/Tactics/Sisters of Silence|Sisters of Silence tactics here,]] [[Warhammer 40,000/Tactics/Adeptus Custodes (8E)|and the Adeptus Custodes tactics here.]]

==Why play Talons of the Emperor==
There are a number of reasons for playing this army.
*Because you like gold
*Because you like eagles
*Because you like eagles made out of gold
*Because the Emperor was right all along
*Because [[Erebus]] can fuck a cactus
*Because you want to take [[Emperor's Children|Phoenix Terminators]] with a half-Primarch statline as troops
*Because you hate Psykers harder than [[Space Wolves|any furry]] can ever hope to imagine
*Because one day you will be able to take the EMPRAH as a LoW
*Because being Agents of the Emperor (per new rulebook) you can ally with any and all Loyalists as Sworn Bros

==Special Rules==
===Custodes===
*'''Preternatural Skill''': If the majority of enemy models have less Weapon Skill compared to yours when fighting in assault, you get +1I. ''(Though consider Thousand Sons' Khenetai Cabal being the only squad with potential WS6, and things that drop your WS)'' you might as well assume you're always I6 with most of your troops, unless you're facing a lone HQ model.''
*'''The Sodality''': A Custodian's unit coherency range is 3" and they always use their usual LD for regrouping. ''Representing how the Banana Custards fight as individuals rather than a squad in the lore. Use the 3" to better control the battlefield and reduce the effectiveness of Blast weapons (since a 3" blast will only touch more than one Custodes when perfectly centered between two of them, at maximum coherency).''
*'''Inviolable Psyche''': Forgeworld dancing around ATSKNF again, you are immune to Fear and Pinning and ignore all penalties when taking Morale Checks, meaning it's Stubborn 2.0, and re-roll Deny the Witch rolls. ''However, it does mean you CAN break as a result of bad combat, and you CAN be utterly wiped out. Not that that would happen often, but still.''
*'''Bulky''': Not a rule specific to the Custodes, but they all have it.
*'''Character''': Always remember that ALL Custodes are Characters. That means they can issue and accept challenges, but also benefit from Look Out, Sir. ''With some lucky rolls and a good positioning, this can really help your guys survive hails of plasma fire and assaults, especially if you have a lot of Solarite gauntlets.''
*'''Crusader''': Like Bulky, almost all Custodes have it. ''Quite powerful since your Custodians usually have better Initiative than most 30k units.''

===Sisters of Silence===
*'''Psychic Anathema''': The core defining feature of the Sisters of Silence, this is how they fuck up psykers all twenty ways from Sunday. They're immune to any psychic powers targeting them and ignores any Telepathy Blessings that would negatively affect them, because fuck invisibility cheese (you can still be raped by Biomancy user, for example, so pick your targets). Anyone within 12" takes -1 Ld (-2 if they're psykers, though anyone with Fearless is immune) while allies can re-roll Deny tests, but any Daemons in range take -1 to Toughness while Daemon vehicles take +1 to Pen. Anyone within that range that tries to use a power now needs to roll 1 higher to successfully manifest, raised to 2 higher if they're in B2B (So if they're against Magnus, he has to roll 4+ to use a power when in range, while needing 5+ when in combat).
*'''Ex Oblivio''': Another deadly null power for the Sisters, but only for the most brutal of them. Anyone within 6" can't generate WC dice, and if they want to use a power, they have to test Ld or suffer Perils at a -1 penalty, minimum 1. ''This means they can't roll a 6 for warp surge and are twice as likely to roll a one''.
*'''Fanatical Discipline''': Sisters are Fearless and Hate Psykers. Blah.
*'''Company-Cadres''': The organization of the Sisters. For every three non-HQs they bring, they need an HQ choice. If they have an HQ choice, every Sister model in the detachment gains Infiltrate, Crusader, Stealth, or +1 to Combat Resolution.

==Special Equipment==
===Ranged Weapons===
*'''Adrathic Weapons''': Yet another super special Terran-only weapon, these are proper disintegrators. As a rule, they will make Mechanicum players cry, also they are all AP2 with Instant Death, Armorbane, and Gets Hot.
**'''Adrathic Destructor''': 12" S5 AP2 Assault 1: By far the most 'common', available in some form or another on most infantry models.
**'''Adrathic Devastator''': 18" S6 AP2 Heavy 2: Dickbike and Pallas upgrade.
**'''Adrathic Exterminator''': 36" S6 AP2 Heavy 1, 3" Blast: Not yet used on any model, but it's only a matter of time. If they remember this exists. It isn't on the Telemon or the Orion. So it's now a shot in the dark if the Exterminator will be used at all.
*'''Adrastus Bolt Caliver''': 30" Assault 3 Heavy Bolter with a Disintegration Beam welded onto it. Distinctly stated as being two functional weapons with unlimited uses, but only one can be used a turn.
*'''Lastrum Bolt Weapons''': The Caladus' fixed mounts have turned into the Custodes' most prevalent vehicle mount. All weapons have '''Heliothermic Detonation''', so anybody that takes ''one or more'' unsaved wounds and ''is not slain'' has to make a Toughness roll or get '''Instant Death''' (or +1 to penetration damage table if a vehicle).
**'''Lastrum Storm Bolter''': 24" S5 AP4; only used by Aquilon Terminators and the Contemptor-Achillus.
**'''Lastrum Bolt Cannon''': 36" S6 AP3 Heavy 3; used on the Caladus, Coronus, and the Dickbikes.
**'''Iliastus Accelerator Cannon''': 60" S7 AP2 Heavy 3, Rending, Rapid Tracking (ignores Jink saves).
***Heliothermic Detonation is mostly relevant against models with a lot of Wounds. Because all models in a unit that are firing the same weapon shoot at the same time, it doesn't matter if said unit is firing one or a thousand Lastrum shells : the rule will only be triggered once against the last wounded model after all the others have been killed normaly. This greatly mitigates the efficiency of Lastrum weaponry against squads of multi-wounded models, but killing an extra bastard is always a good thing nevertheless.
*'''Infernus Weapons''': The Custodes super flamers. Only two versions, and they're both Heavy 1, but who gives a shit when they're S6!
**'''Infernus Firepike''': S6 AP6 Heavy 1, Torrent; only used by Aquilon Terminators.
**'''Infernus Incinerator''': S6 AP4 Heavy 1; used on the Contemptors, either as a replacement for the Storm Bolters or in the Galatus Warblade.
*'''Proteus Las-Lance''': 24" S7 AP2 Heavy 2, Lance; like the Adrathic Exterminator, it is not yet used on any model, come again later.
*'''Corve Las-Pulsar''': 36" S9 AP2 Heavy D3: Upgrade for the Agamatus jetbikes and found as part of the Contemptor-Achillus's Dreadspear, and most of the reason for it's 40 point upgrade cost. The Pulsar is one of the few weapons that Custodes have as a counterpart to Lascannons. So you will need it.
*'''Arachnus Blaze Weapons''': Bastard offspring of Multi-lasers and Lascannons, they have two firing modes. One is Burst for infantry shredding, the other is Concentrated for Vehicle killing with AP1 and '''Exoshock''', which gives you an automatic '''second''' Penetrating hit which ignores cover saves on a 4+ after you score one (so you roll to hit, roll to penetrate, enemy rolls invulnerable/cover, and only then...)
**'''Arachnus Blaze Cannon''': S6 AP5 Heavy Bolter, '''or''' 48" S8AP1 Heavy 1, Exoshock: In all honesty, the Burst mode is rather shitty, but Concentrated is essentially a Lascannon with nasty special rules.
**'''Arachnus Storm Cannon''': 48" S7 AP3 Heavy 7, '''or''' 72" S9 AP1 Heavy 2, Exoshock: the Telemon's big Gatling gun and perhaps the most versatile of the Arachnus weapons. This is a must take if you are facing armies with a large amount of vehicles.
**'''Arachnus Heavy Blaze Cannon''': 48" S8 AP3 Heavy 4, '''or''' 72" S10 AP1 Heavy 1, Exoshock: Optional turret replacement for the Caladus, enjoy IDing MEQs.
*'''Psyk-Out Weaponry''': Available as grenades with 8" range, in grenade launchers with 24", or in missiles with 48", each of them has Strength 2, Blast 3 and Psi-Shock, which forces Psykers to suffer perils.
*'''Stake Crossbow''': A 24" S5 AP- crossbow with Rapid Fire and Psi-shock
*'''Needle Weapons''': S2 AP5 weapons with Rending and Poisoned 4+.
**'''Needle Pistol''': 12" Pistol.
**'''Assault Needler''': 18" Assault 2.
*'''Snare Gun''': A 12" Assault 1 Pinning weapon. If it hits, it inflicts d3 hits, each of them requiring a Strength test to resist taking an unsavable wound (though Invulns work). Just don't expect Superheavies to listen to this. Hurray, the Rogue Trader Webber has finally made a return!
*'''Hellion Pattern Heavy Cannon Array''': So far exclusive to the Sisters of Silence Kharon Pattern Acquistor. It's basically two Autocannons with halved range, Twin-Linked and Pinning.
*'''Proteus Plasma Projector''': One of the few actual Plasma weapons that TOTE get besides Plasma pistols. It is currently exclusive to the Telemon Dreadnought. This is an Assault 1, Template weapon with Strength 5, and Ap2. Making it a decent weapon for roasting TEQs and anything else with inadequate saves. Forgeworld should have given Sagittarum Guard squads the Projector as an upgrade option to make them useful.
*'''Spiculus Bolt Launchers''': Vehicle only Bolt weapons introduced in datasheets for Telemon Dreadnought and the Orion Dropship. As if Forge World is already working on the next red book.
**'''Spiculus launcher''': The basic version. It's profile is Heavy 5, Range 48",Str5, AP5, with Rending and the Volley Fire rules. Volley Fire allows the weapon to fire twice if the bearer doesn't move. Making it a counter for Flyers, blobs and a decent fallow up against anything that somehow survives the deadly firepower that said vehicle will already have.
**'''Spiculus Heavy Bolt Launcher''': It is Str7, Heavy 3 and loses Volley Fire. Lowering the amount of Dakka it will spew out despite the improved strenght. Not much of a downside if taken in pairs in the case of the Orion. Otherwise not worth it.

===Melee Weapons===
*'''Custodes Spears''': Made of two parts, the power blade is AP2 +1S on the charge, and reverts to a specialist power sword afterwards. Every time you roll a 6 to hit with it, you get another attack, but those extra attacks can't generate any more. The second part depends on the spear.
**'''Adrasite Spear''': It has an Adrathic Destructor, which was 12" S5 AP2 Assault 1, Instant Death, Armorbane, and Gets Hot. Short range and nasty.
**'''Guardian Spear''': Attached with a 18" S4 AP4 Assault 2 bolt weapon. Pretty good on anything short of an MEQ, but not great.
**'''Pyrithite Spear''': Attached with a 6" S8 AP1 Melta, essentially an inferno pistol. Okay for busting light vehicles or TEQs, but 3" melta range can hurt, but it's not like you weren't planning on charging at that range anyways.
**'''Paragon Spear''': AP2 '''+2S''' on the charge (reverts to AP2 +1S when not charging, like a Paragon Blade), rather than +1, and 6s to wound always inflict Instant Death, but 6s to hit get another attack, as it is a spear. The attachment is an 18" S5 AP3 Assault 2 bolter.
*'''Misericordia''': For longer than a year this was listed with rules, and then an FAQ was released and... it wasn't supposed to be in the book at all.
*'''Paragon Blade''': Specialist +1S AP2 that inflicts Instant Death on a wound roll of 6, but you want a Paragon Spear more.
*'''Plasma Grenades''': Rare enough to mention here, they are assault grenades that can be thrown as S4 AP4 instead of S3 AP-.
*'''Sentinel Warblade''': A Specialist Power Sword with Rending. In addition, it's got an inbuilt 12" Storm Bolter that snap fires at BS2. As it exists now, it's almost entirely inferior to the Guardian Spear except when snap shooting (including overwatch), unless you're planning on using Rending to even out long assaults with high toughness models, or you need to crack open AV11+ and you can't get enough Custodes stuck in to use their Krak Grenades (a lucky rend with this sword can glance a Land Raider, though [[MathHammer]] doesn't favor your odds). But, the Sentinel Warblade does work better with the Praesidium Shield, so taking models with this is a legitimate trade of punching power for defense.
*'''Solarite power gauntlet''': AP1 mastercrafted power fist, same as Imperial Fists. However, you are Custodes, so your punches are now railguns.
*'''Solarite power talon''': +2S, master crafted lightning claw.
====Sisters of Silence Melee Weapons====
*'''Proteus Neuro-Lash:''' Flails and sectioned staves known for causing agonizing pain. Each is a two-handed melee weapon with S+1 but AP-. What they also get is the ability to hit anyone within 3" as opposed to just hitting one unit. In addition, for every hit they make, they roll a d6, with a 3+ meaning they can deliver an additional attack with Poisoned 4+ at AP-. These aren't gonna kill a marine any time soon, but Daemons will rue fucking with these ladies.
*'''Execution Blade''': Essentially Charnabal Sabres with more fancy. They're Two-Handed S+1 AP3 weapons with Duelist's Edge (+1 Initiative in a challenge) and Flawless Cut (a 5+ to hit counts as AP2)

===Equipment===
*'''Arae-shrikes''': Enemy units deep striking within 12" of a model with this wargear suffer perils on a 4+, including models that ignore the effects of mishap. In addition, barrage weapons targeting models with this wargear add 1D6 to their scatter and pick the 2 highest results, although a hit still remains a hit.
*'''Aquilon pattern Terminator Armour''' is super Cataphractii armour with Hammer of Wrath and pseudo-relentless. They can't Run, but they can make Sweeping Advances and fire Overwatch.
*'''Custodian Armour''': Artificer Armour and ''Move Through Cover'' rolled into one pimping banana suit. ''Makes footslogging and charging across difficult terrain a bit more reliable and basically means your Agamatus jetbikers can move everywhere confidently.''
*'''Praesidium Shield''': Adds +1 to the invulnerable save up to the maximum of 3++ and your opponents suffer -1 to Hit on every attack targeting the wielder in close combat up to the maximum of 6+. A Praesidium Shield precludes two-handed weapons, the +1A for 2 CCW, and the bonus for charging with a spear (this includes the Paragon Spear).
*'''Magisterium Vexilla''': A unit with this wargear can reroll failed leadership checks and gains the ''Fear'' special rule. In addition, all units within 12" add 1 to combat resolution at the end of the phase. ''TAKE IT. The vexilla compensates for the lack of Fearless and may give you the edge when charging with Guardian spears. Fear may be especially useful if you're fielding Sisters of Silence alongside your Custodes.''
*'''Teleportation Transponder''': Already known to Imperial Fists and Night Lords, this model's entire unit can deep strike.
====Sisters of Silence Equipment====
*'''Vratine Armour''': The armor of the Sisters of Silence and symbol of their oath to kill witches...otherwise known as Power Armor.

==Unit Analysis==
===HQ===
*'''Legio Custodes Shield Captain''': A <s>holy</s> [[Imperial Truth|honest]] rape machine, fit to take on a [[Chaos Lord]], a [[Chapter Master]] and a [[Warboss]] simultaneously and come out on top. His statline comes with all the best bits of a Praetor and a Custodes and gear better than both, he can take the all powerful Paragon Spear, and combine it with a Praesidium shield, Digital lasers and a Iron Halo for [[Cheese|6 S6 AP2 attacks which generate additional attacks on 6s to hit and Instant Death on 6s to wound at I6 and a 3++ in close combat with -1 to Hit malus for your adversary if they specifically target your golden dude]]. Or you can drop the Paragon Spear and go for a Solarite gauntlet for [[Rape|6 S10 AP1 master-crafted I1 attacks]] (don't forget the Praesidium shield means you don't get a bonus attack for 2 CCWs, even though the Solarite gauntlet isn't a specialist weapon and the shield captain comes with a basic ccw). And everything in between, the rape train has no brakes.
**'''Tribune''': Ooooh FW, what have you done... Here is Mr. Cheestodes, the deadliest generic character in the ENTIRE GAME. No really, this guy is the very definition of mindless rape, Slaanesh him/herself is fucking ashamed. Same as above except you get ''Eternal Warrior'' and ''Fearless'', y'know, in case you wanted to add an [[Archon_(Warhammer_40,000)|Archon]] and an [[Necron Overlord|Overlord]] to the stuff you can take on at once. At a price of [[Rage|25 more points]]. However, you can only take him in a detachment of 2000 points or more, so you're not likely going to see him in an allied force. unless you are playing HUGE games. Also, if he's in the Primary detachment he has to be the warlord ''(unless Valdor, Krole, or [[What|Emps]] are present)'', but he is able to choose his warlord trait. Needless to say, some warlord traits can be really, really good for your guys. Strategic Genius can be useful since almost all your Custodes have access to deep strike, and Master of Ambush is priceless when your cheapest transport is 135 points for a capability of only 6.
*'''Sisters of Silence Oblivion Knight-Centura''': Surprisingly has mostly ordinary human stats with WS5 BS4 I5 and Ld9, she's essentially the budget HQ at 75. She's not barebones however, as she grabs Artificer Armor with a 4+ Invuln that ups to 3+ against Blasts and Templates. She has a bolt pistol, Execution Blade, and Frag, Krak, and Psyk-out grenades, while she has the Cadre rules, Ex Oblivio, and Precision Strikes. Her melee weapon can be exchanged for a power axe (don't), a Neuro-Lash (not for Marines), or a Paragon Blade (if you just want to maul 2+ saves with a chance at ID), while her pistol can be exchanged for a hand-flamer, a plasma pistol, a needle pistol, or an archaeotech pistol - and for 10 points, any of these weapons can be Master Crafted.
*'''Sisters of Silence Excruciatus Cadre''': Something akin to a command squad, this is a squad of WS4 BS4 I4 Ld9 ladies with tools, with the Silent Judge having 2 wounds. They all hate Daemons and Psykers, get Fanatic Discipline, Night Vision, the Cadre rules (forcing them to be the mandatory HQ if the detachment is less than 500 pts, meaning they eat up at least 1/5 of the budget by themselves), and the ability to make their melee attacks ID. The Questorae only get CCWs, Bolt Pistols, Assault Needlers, and grenades alongside their armor and ''Spectra-vestments'' which force anyone to take -1 BS to hit them, while the Silent Judge adds a refractor, a Needle Pistol, a Nuncio-Vox, and a power weapon. A Questora can buy the Ardrathic Destructor, while any of them can exchange their guns for Needle Pistols or Stake Crossbows for free or buy a Snare Gun or a Flamer with a one-use boost to make them S6, and each can replace their CCW for a Charnabal Sabre or a power weapon. The Judge can swap her melee weapon for a Neuro-Lash, the Execution Blade, or a fist, while her gun can be exchanged for a Stake-Crossbow, hand flamer, plasma pistol, or a second needle pistol.

====Special Characters====
*'''Constantin Valdor''': The Captain-General of the Legio Custodes and [[Malcador|second]] best bro of the [[Emperor]] takes to the field. With his near-primarch statline he is a CC beast, with 5s across the board plus WS7, I6, Ld10, and 2+ save. He also has the ever rare Eternal Warrior, as well as Crusader, Fearless, and Counter-Attack. In terms of wargear he has the '''Apollonian Spear''', a +1s (+2 on the charge) AP2 guardian spear, with the <s>GODLY</s> MANLY ''Molecular Severance'' rule: any to-wound rolls of 4+ cause instant death or an automatic penetrating hit regardless of AV or T. In addition, [[Sigismund|successful invulnerable saves against wounds caused by this weapon]] must be rerolled! Oh, and it causes extra attacks on a 6 to hit and also it comes with an attached 18" S5 AP2 Assault 2 ''Concussive'' bolter on top! He also has lots of other gear: An Iron Halo, plasma & krak grenades, Arae-shrike, Misericordia (whatever that does), digital lasers, and custodian armour. His warlord trait allows him to re-roll Seize the Initiative, and one Legio custodes unit (including himself, and possibly Dreads depending on how you interpret 'Legio Custodes units'. Nope, GW confirmed that you cannot use Valdor to teleport dreadnoughts, it only applies to units which can take teleport-transponders) can take teleportation transponders at no extra cost. All that for just 275 points.
**This guy is your ultimate golden Swiss Army Knife. Even if he is not a good match for most of the Primarchs - let's not even talk about motherfucking [[Anacharis Scoria]] - he can fuck with a wider variety of things than most of them for a far cheaper price. Five S6 attacks (six at S7 on the charge, remember 30k Digital Lasers are +1A and the average to hit roll increases this to 6/7 attacks respectively thanks to Lightning Blow) are great against big squads, while Molecular Severance allows him to deal with any vehicle from cardbox-made Raiders from Spartans and will ruin the day of any character or multi-wound unit crossing his path. Do note that his Sigismund-ish shenanigan works ANYTIME, not just in challenge, so you can slaughter MC or even GC with your shiny spear.
**[[That guy|Some people]] may ask why you would ever take good ol' Valdor rather than the already infamous Tribune (you know, the guy who can stomp Spartans, some of the Primarchs and Scoria for the same price). Firstly, you don't want to be beaten to death by your opponent IRL. Secondly, Valdor is more versatile than the Tribune, butchering hordes, TEQs and tanks alike without sacrificing his I6. He's better at dishing out the hurt, just not as good at taking it. The possibility to '''deep-strike one of your units for free''' is something unique in 30k and may be <s>a gift from the gods</s> {{BLAM}} '{{BLAM|THERE ARE NO SUCH THINGS AS GODS YOU FOOLISH <s>HERETIC</s>}} {{BLAM}} {{BLAM|THERE IS NO DOGMA AND THEREFORE NO HERESY, NONCOMPLIANT SCUM!}} a welcome alternative if you don't want to buy some Coronus. Last thing is, you can only take the Tribune if your Detachment is over 2000 points, so Valdor is the only way to get a Custodes HQ with Fearless and Eternal Warrior if you play smaller games. And since you are probably spending a lot of points on your Shield Captain's wargear anyway, you should consider taking the golden boss instead.
*** A generic Tribune is a better bet if you are specifically picking an HQ to get into a headbutting contest with a primarch, but that's a bad use of your points just like it is in a Legion army. It's nice to think about your HQ punching out the enemy big bad, but unless one of you rolls super-badly then you're just going to get locked in combat for the whole game and you won't win anything playing like that. And you might end up playing against a real motherfucker like Horus who will slam his dick so far up your ass that you deep throat him from the other end and then you'll be a sad little custodian because your big beatstick isn't quite as boss as you thought. That doesn't mean that Valdor is just straight up better, it just means you need a better battle plan than hoping your golden-clad codpiece is bigger than your enemies. Take the HQ that helps your plan.
**If you take 55 custodes in your army and decide to have them all deepstrike, you can take Valdor for the low, low price of your warlord trait.

*'''Jenetia Krole''': Knight-Commander of the Sisters of Silence. She's got 3's across the board with WS6, BS4, I5 A4 and Ld10. On top of Psychic Anathema, she also has Ex Oblivio, Fanatic Discipline, Rage, Preferred Enemy against Psykers and Characters, Cadre rules, Eternal Warrior, and the option to upgrade an Oblivion Knight Cadre to her elite Raptor Guard, which costs 20 points to make them WS5. For gear, she has Artificer Armor with the invuln seen on the Knight-Centura, an Archaeotech Pistol, grenades, and the '''Sword of Oblivion''': a super-Execution Blade with S+2 AP2 with 5+ Murderous Strike instead of Flawless Cut. This all makes her close to a match a challenge beast against any Marine HQs without Eternal Warrior, and more than a match against Daemons. Her Warlord Trait lets her re-roll Seize the Initiative and grants d3 units Scout.

===Elites===
*'''Legio Custodes Hetaeron Guard Squad''': The Emperor's [[Companion|Companions]], [[Mary Sue|the best]] of [[Adeptus Custodes|the best]] of [[Imperium|the best]]. At 70 points per model they look REALLY expensive, but they're probably the best infantry unit in the game, bar none. So they have the same stat line as normal Custodes but with 3W and 3A. their special rules are the same as normal Custodes as well but they get ''counter attack''. They can all take a Praesidium shield, melta bombs, Arae-shrikes, and Teleporters, and any member of the squad can replace their spears with any melee weapon other than a Paragon Spear, but you can have Paragon '''blades''' for some nice AP2 at Initiative (probably [[Fail|another typo from FW]], just wait for a FAQ). One of the squad without a shielded may replace their guardian spear with the vexilla and either a MC power weapon or a sentinel warblade.
**So, super Custodes with '''S6 AP2 attacks at I5 (I6 if your opponent is WS:5 or below!), 4++ and hit on a 5+ by most units in the game''' ? Yep. Unless your opponent has something capable of insta-killing them, the Hetaeron are a real step above your other Custodes, so do not dismiss them because of their high price. Depending on the loadout, a Hetaeron can be as deadly as an Aquilon and more than twice as durable in CC for just +20 points, while remaining more flexible. Mixing Paragon blades and Solarite gauntlets in a squad allows you to mince EVERYTHING you could fight against without being stuck at Initiative 1 and still getting some Instant Death attacks thanks to Murderous Strike. Find some psyker ally with Endurance or Invisibility and you are basically unkillable in assault.
**Again, remember you can reallocate some wounds on a 4+ thanks to Look Out, Sir!, so having 3W is a real advantage over your other Custodes. When one model is worth almost 100 points, that's definitely something you MUST NOT forget.
*'''Legio Custodes Aquilon Terminator Squad''': Custodes with Terminator Armor. How terrifying. Each of them is 75 points a model, and at with 5s on every stat save W2 A3 and Ld9, they're absolutely not slouches. Aquilon Terminator Armour affords 4++, Hammer of Wrath and Pseudo-relentless. In addition, they are able to fire Overwatch and Sweeping Advance, but cannot run. Say hello to Super Cataphractii armour. Each Aquilon Terminator has Crusader, a Lastrum Storm Bolter, a Solarite Gauntlet, and a Misericordia, and each can exchange the gauntlet for a Solarite Power Talon or exchange their guns for a TL Ardrathic Destructor or Infernus Firepike. Each can also buy a Teleport Transponder and Arae-Shrikes.
**While costly (especially with special weapons), they can do the job if you use them correctly. They are the Custodes' answer against vehicles and Astartes multi-wound special units, since they can one-shot Justaerin, Firedrakes and Gal Vorbak while giving no fucks about Power Fist/Thunderhammer instakill (beware for shenanigans, like Rad Grenades, Rad Furnaces, Rad-Phage etc). Firepikes are also you best friends against hordes, something useful since tarpits are the bane of your Cutodes.
**The Firepike is arguably the best choice against most infantry units as long as you get at least 4 hits with the template. The Adrathic destructor may sound nice for TEQ-hunting, but ONE S5 AP2 shot is not that great since most TEQ in 30k are Terminators with an invulnerable save. Take it for one-shooting multi-wound models but otherwise go for the Infernus. The Lastrum is only top-tier against models with T3 and a 4+, so you should keep it when facing Solar Auxilia - remember that Void Hardened armours make the Infernus firepikes almost useless.
**'''Aquilons do not have Implacable Advance''' like the basic Legion Astartes Terminators get. So they won't be able to contest the objective even if they crack open a Spartan Deathstar. One of the four Talons of the Emperor troops choices are what you use to babysit objectives.
** These guys are worse than both Sentinels (as those cost less while having same survivability as rerollable 5++ is same as 4++, and can be tailored toward punching big targets with Solarites with almost no loss of efficiency as Misericordia does absolutely nothing now) & Hetaerons (+1 wound, better equipment & almost the same guns.) On the other hand they are, curiously, the most effective anti-horde option Custodes have - Infernus Firepikes AP may be shit, but they have great range due to Torrent and wound Space Marines on 2+ while bringing ID on Cultist blobs, so pile up those Armor Saves!
*'''Legio Custodes Contemptor-Achillus Dreadnought''': The fanciest, goldiest, and potentially deadliest non-boxiest dreadnought to ever be seen. It's got WS6 and BS5, an AV of 13/13/11, and hits at I5, meaning he'll more than match any marines on the field. He also has a Refractor Field instead of the basic Atomantic Reactor Contemptors use and comes stock with Extra Armor. For weapons, he starts with two Dread CCWs with Lastrum Storm Bolters, but he can buy the Dreadspear, a S10 AP2 MC weapon that '''turns any attack into S:Destroyer on a 6 to hit''' during the turn he charged AND has a Corvae Las-Pulser bolted on top. In addition, he can replace his Lastrum Storm Bolters with either TL Adrathic Destructors or Infernus Incinerators for a small fee.
**Do note the Dreadspear is not two-handed, and nothing is specified about the bonus attacks for every CCW after the first walkers get being included in the profile, so you may get [[Cheese|7 Destroyer attacks on the charge]] (4 base + 2 for three CCW + 1 for the charge). See page 91 of the BRB.
*'''Sisters of Silence Oblivion Knight Cadre''': The Elite among the Sisters of Silence, each comes with Ex Oblivio, Fanatic Discipline, and Precision Strikes. Each comes with Vratine Armor, cloaks that grant a 6++ Invuln or a 4++ against Templates and Blasts, Execution Blades, grenades, and Bolt Pistols. Everyone can replace their blades for Power Axes while the sergeant can buy a Neuro-Lash and replace her pistol with a Needle-Pistol, a Plasma Pistol, or a Hand Flamer.

===Troops===
*'''Custodian Guard Squad''': Think Terminators, but with all the 4s in their statline replaced with 5s (so yes, you can strike at Initiative 6 thanks to Preternatural Skill), with situational AP2 at initiative weapons, something that most Space marines (outside of Praetors or Emperor's Children) would never get. They can take the usual Arae-shrikes, Teleportation Transponders and Melta Bombs as upgrades for the whole squad, any Custodian can replace its Guardian spear by an Adrasite or Pyrithite spear and one can take a Magisterium vexilla with a master-craft power weapon or a Sentinel blade instead. They do pay for the high degrees of kickassitude they bring to the table, most notably with actual points and they are liable to get shot down before doing anything if you don't take a Coronus, though '''with 2 wounds each and a 2+ 5++''' they might pull though. With '''3 S6 AP2 attacks per Custodian on the charge''' and the buff from Crusader and a vexilla Magisterium, they have decent chances to win the first round of close combat with a good margin before AP3 becomes a problem, so make sure the situational nature of their AP2 isn't going to get them killed.
**Since Custodes pay no extra points for the base squad, it may be worth deploying a lot of small squads rather than big pseudo-deathstars if you expect a lot of 2+. AP3 and only 2 attacks by Custodian are trash if you get charged by TEQs with AP2, even if you outnumber them, so you REALLY don't want to see your 10-man squad rammed by 5 angry Tartaros with power fists. While they are more vulnerable to Moral tests if they take too many casualties, small units are also more adaptable : keep a couple of them close so you can charge with all your dudes when the opportunity presents itself without risking [[Rage|losing 550 points all at once]].
**Before bitching about your ultimate elite warriors being butchered by "mere" Terminators because of your shitty AP3, remember these guys are only ''basic Custodes'' and remain rather violent in close combat against anything else. Mathammer-wise, even a three-man squad of Custodians can withstand the charge of 20 World Eaters tactical Legionnaries with 2 CCW ''and win''. Anything with 2+ save and AP2 will quickly have the upper hand on your golden bananas if the fight turns into attrition warfare, but otherwise you may be able to murder MEQs or at least keep them locked until reinforcements arrive.

*'''Sentinel Guard Squad''': As Custodians armed with sword and board, they are somewhat less killy than their spear-wielding counterparts, but are more defensive thanks to their Praesidium shields. These are best used to guard your squishier Custodians, so they don't get wiped when they get charged by a squad with 2+ saves as your improved Invuls allow Sentinels to stick around long enough for rending to enter the equation. It's also worth noting that these guys can theoritecally deal with vehicles thanks to their rending swords, but don't expect too much from them. Anyway, you can replace your Sentinel blades with Solerite gauntlets and talons for more flexibility.
**While expensive, the Sentinels are the very definition of holding the line, as anything without S10 or Instant Death will take a lot of turns to kill them in CC. For sure, they lack AP2 against TEQs, but they can tank your opponent's most dangerous units, so they are good for preventing a deathstar from rampaging through your army.
**Worth noting that, unlike Custodian Guard, you do actually get a small discount if you run these guys in small numbers (180 for the basic unit of 3, with 65 per model, means you save points if you run small)

*'''Sisters of Silence Prosecutor Cadre''': Baseline WS4 BS4 I4 Sisters of Silence with bolters (or double bolt pistols) and grenades. They get Fanatic Discipline and can buy a Nuncio-Vox or Breaching Charge.

*'''Sisters of Silence Vigilator Cadre''': Slightly improved Sisters, they all get an Execution Blade and Pistol. They also have the ability mark a single Infantry unit or Character and they get Preferred Enemy on that one target.

===Dedicated Transports===
*'''Legio Custodes Coronus Grav-Carrier''': A 13/12/11 4HP fast skimmer with BS5 acts as the Dedicated Transport for Custodes forces. It's equipped with a TL Arachnus Blaze-cannon AND TL Lastrum bolt cannon, a Machine Spirit, and a Flare Shield, while also having Grav-Backwash (-2 to hit in close combat unless immobilized), DS, and Outflank. It can also buy Extra Armor, Armoured Ceramite, and a Searchlight. It's not an assault transport - it's an infantry supporting unit depositing gunboat in ways that a Razorback can only dream of. That thing is also bigger than ''a Spartan'', so Deep Strike with caution.
*'''Sisters of Silence Kharon Pattern Acquistor''': The DT of the Sisters, it's not Custodes-tier hax but it's got lots of weapons and is an ASSAULT VEHICLE. It's only 12/11/10 with BS4. It has a ton of guns however, with missile launchers and the Helion-Pattern Heavy Cannon Array, a super TL-autocannon with S7 AP4 Heavy 4 with Pinning. It also has an Auspex to give Night-Fighting and reduces enemy cover while also having Stealth and the ability to make anyone shooting beyond 12" shoot at -1 BS. The last trick it has is the Capture-Grid, a tank-shock attack that grants d6 S5 HoW attacks before any Death of Glory is counted. Stick any type of sisters with execution blades in it, with a character, infiltrate the Kharon Acquisitor, charge in, and rip and tear.
**After the July 2018 Errata, Acquisitors cannot transport models with the Bulky, Very Bulky, etc. special rules, so you can longer use them as a taxi for your golden boys.

===Fast Attack===
*'''Legio Custodes Pallas Grav-Attack''': A light tank with 12/11/11, but it has a TL Arachnus Blaze Cannon to attack and a Flare Shield and the Grav-Backwash of the Coronus to defend it. It also gets a Machine Spirit, Outflank, and DS, making it best suited to attack from an unexpected angle rather than be an assault weapon.

*'''Sisters of Silence Pursuer Cadre''': They're Sisters...with pets. For each sister you buy, you also have to buy a Cyber-Jackal, a powerful beast that's actually slightly stronger and tougher than the sisters and equipped with Rage, FNP, a 5+ save and the option to shoot flamers or meltas at BS2 (pick the flamer), or Razortalon Wings, birds that get more attacks at higher Initiative, but can only fight in melee. The birds are a bit cheaper, but the dogs have more utility and punch. The sisters meanwhile benefit from Fleet and Move Through Cover as well as Fanatic Discipline, though the sergeant has a small list of pistols or Charnabal/Power Weapons to use if she's unhappy with the CCW/Bolt Pistol combo.

*'''Legio Custodes Agamatus Jetbike Squadron''': RIDE THE LIGHTNING ! Custodians on super golden banana jetbikes wielding FUCKHUEG knight-style power lances. It sounds so goddamn metal, it looks goddamn metal, it fights goddamn metal. The Gyrfalcon-pattern jetbike is a jetbike that boosts the rider's Toughness by 1, [[Awesome|making you as tough as a Primarch]] so you can laugh at S10-induced instant death and allows you to re-roll failed charge distances. Your glorious steed of gold and fury comes with cool-looking leather boots and gauntlets (we're not making this up), a Lastrum Bolt Cannon and benefit from the slew of Custodes rules in addition to Split Fire. If you're not happy with the bolt cannon, the whole squadron can be 'upgraded' with Adrathic Devastators (+15 points) or twin-linked Corvae Las-pulsers (+35 points) as well as getting melta-bombs.
**Move on Boltodes, those guys can do your job better. For just 10 points above the Sagittarum guard, you have a unit that can actually move 12ps, shoot three 36" S6 AP3 and deliver three S6 AP3 attacks on the charge, so anything without a 2+ or decent invulnerable save is fucked. If you must deal with something harder, Corvae las-pulsers can ruin the day of any vehicle, TEQ or MC but the price of your squadron is increasing quickly, so just take the Adrathic Devastators if you're not afraid of short range fights. Two S6 Armourbane shots are mathematically better than 1D3 S9 ones and you get Instant Death as a bonus for far cheaper, meaning [[Warhammer 40,000/Tactics/Mechanicum: Taghmata (30k)|T5 or more characters, multi-wound units and Monstruous Creatures]] will shit in their pants too.
**Do note that the Agamatus are the only Custodes unit without Crusader (the July 2018 FAQ didn't change that), and are just jetbikes, not eldar jetbikes, so no free 2D6-not-thrust-moves, and it really sucks since you NEED to win the first round of close-combat after you charge if you don't want to be locked forever with your downgraded derp-lances. Don't be greedy and keep your precious heavy weapons away from tarpits.

===Heavy Support===
*'''Sisters of Silence Seeker Cadre''': Sisters with Flamers. Competes with Excruciatus Cadre as your "must take" gold babes. (Calling them "Golden Girls" means you earned that live grenade under your bed.) Nothing more you need to know besides the ability to grab grenades and the basic Anathema, Fanatic Discipline, and Cadre rules. The squad can take Grenade Launchers with Frag, Krak, and Psyk-Out grenades. This is your answer to Magnus and his D. Use them as a Militia Grenadier Squad with anti Psyker options. They don't get Gas or Firebust like the other guys. However a ten member squad can put out a load of hurt with ten S6 AP4 attacks at 24" or as an effective blob killer.(i.e. Chaos Daemons, when they finally have 30K compatible rules) Not quite as good as the Caladius or the Telemon but they can threaten light vehicles such as Rhinos and out range squads with Volkite Chargers. Freeing up the heavy hitters to deal with MEQs and above. Note that unlike Grenadiers they won't last as long in a shooting match. One would think the Golden Sisters would have better grenades than Cults and Militias. This oversight might be fixed when Talons get their own red book.
*'''Legio Custodes Sagittarum Guard Squad''': One of the few shitty Custodes units. For 65 points per model, you got Custodes with Adrastus Bolt Calivers and refractors. Thanks to their Caliver, they're theoretically able to cover either front. There's not much more to describe on the equipment front, being able to grab Arae-Shrikes, meltabombs, and transponders as well as one guy grabbing the Vexilla. For sure they are as tough as any Custodes and can withstand more damage than almost any shooty unit in the entire HH setting, but are very difficult to use if you want them to earn their points back. They can be useful in low point games but you are better off taking the Dreadnoughts or Grav-Tank instead.
**Why do they suck ? Here is the answer. Using the Bolt profile makes your golden Boltodes derp-tough overcosted Devastators, and basically nothing more. Unless you're fielding a big squad of Sagittarum, a 30" Heavy Bolter means you are sacrificing mobility for only a few damage against anything with an armour save of 3+ or better. As a comparison, a 8-man strong Astartes Support Squad costing the same price can deal almost thrice the amount of dakka.
**So, what about the Adrathic destructor? AP2, Amourbane and Instant Death are pretty terrifying, but you only get '''one''' shot per shooting phase, so anything with a good invulnerable save and/or some meatshields will probably survive your volley of murder beams. And since the unit you are shooting at is within charge range and will wreck/tarpit your Boltodes in assault because [[Derp|you have only 2 attacks and not even a power weapon]] (The Misericordia might be a power sword equivalent[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misericorde_(weapon)] but until a FAQ is released we can't assume anything about it), you need to be lucky. Concretely, that means you must target something you're almost sure to kill in one turn, so avoid characters with Eternal Warriors and Cataphractii squads. Deep-striking behind vehicles is the best way to use your golden boys, so plan to take melta bombs if you fail at blasting this angry Contemptor before it charges you. Anyway, a squad of Custodians with Adrastite spear can do the same job and they do have power weapons.
*'''Contemptor-Galatus Dreadnought''': Another giant golden mecha for the Emperor's Firstborn. Compared to the Achilius, this one gets a fuckhuge warblade with AP2, Shred and Rampage, with a Twin-Linked Infernus Destructor built in to it. The Galatus also sports a Praesidium Shield, allowing it to re-roll invul saves taken from the front at range (and all in CC) and makes any hit rolls from any non-Gargantuans drop by 1. It also grabs Counter Attack, which lets it use that sword to its fullest. Put this in the front to take a few hits and let the other bananas smack whatever targets the big guy.
**Whilst this sexy beast occupies the sacred support slot for your Golden Bananas, and doesn't have any long-distance ranged weapons, this guy is an absolute BEAST in close combat. Even if we gloss over the Twin-linked S6 AP4 Flamer in it's sword (!), it's going to be doing some damage. On the charge, after a S8 Hammer of Wrath; you can expect 4 base attacks, +1 for charging or counterattack, and +d3 on the charge for for Rampage. '''That's between 5 and 8 attacks resolved at I5, at S10 AP2, rerolling failed to-wound rolls.''' The really nice thing is that in the event YOU are charged, you're still probably going to benefit from Wall of Death, Rampage, and (thanks to Counter Attack) +1 to your base. And if you don't sweep assault? They'll likely be hitting you on 5's in CC thanks to that shield of yours, which is also affording your AV13 a rerollable 5++. Again, it's competing with the Caladius, and the Achilius is arguably better overall, but don't discount this fella. Used correctly, he will put in some work, and is one of the few things that can take a charge of Primarch-train and hope to survive. This also makes a great but quite expensive one unit body guard for characters. The Galatus pairs well with an Achillus or Telemon to act as the defensive linebacker to their quarterback.
*'''Caladius Grav-Tank''': Take a [[Sicaran Battle Tank]], and stick it on a [[Land Speeder]]. Then give it to the most elite dudes in the Imperium and you have the Caladius. It's a fast skimmer (so you can Jink) with BS5, 13|13|11 3 HP and a flare shield, so keep it front toward your enemy and enjoy [[Awesome|your grav-Land Raider with a 4+ cover save]]. It comes with '''Outflank''', a '''Machine spirit''' (so you can Jink AND fire one of your weapons at full BS, pretty cool since the guns of your gilded podracer are nasty) and '''Grav Backwash''' (your enemy doesn't want to charge as much and suffers a -2 to Hit penalty in close combat as long as the Caladius is not Immobilised). The Caladius comes with two weapons : the turret-mounted '''Iliastus accelerator cannon''' and the hull-mounted '''Lastrum bolt cannon'''. The former is a twin-linked '''60" S7 AP2 Heavy 3''' gun with ''Rending'' and ''Rapid Tracking'' (no Jink for your enemy), while the latter is twin-linked '''36" S6 AP3 Heavy 3'''. Great, but here is the cherry on the top of the golden banana cake. Both weapons have a brand new fearsome rule : '''Heliothermic Detonation'''. If your target has suffered one or more unsaved wounds, they have must '''pass a Toughness test or suffer Instant Death''', and '''Penetrating hits adds +1 to the Vehicle Damage table'''. You get this package for just 195 points, or the same as an off the shelf Land Raider Proteus, a bargain for your golden banana warriors.
**Given some similarities with the Sicaran's accelerator autocannon, it is worth making some comparisons. Against metal bawkses, the Sicaran remains better for pure saturation and wiping out HP since it throws twice the amount of dakka the Caladius does, especially against Flyers, the Caladius' BS5 being useless in this case. HOWEVER, any Penetrating hit you may score with the Iliastus will have a 33% chance to blow your enemy up, something the autocannon can't even do. Anyway, the Sicaran looks like a jealous little bitch when coming to anti-infantry capabilities as the Caladius can tear apart MEQs and even TEQs or Monstruous Creatures better than most tanks. Well, for the same price the Sicaran can have 4 heavy bolters and will do a better job against 4+ saves and Cataphractii ([[Tyranids|by pure saturation power]]), but the golden floater remains more polyvalent overall. This Heliothermic Detonation shit means that Characters, multi-Wounds units and MC will sweat a little if they get wounded, [[Be'lakor|unless]] [[Nathaniel Garro|they]] [[Salamanders|are]] [[Sigismund|Eternal]] [[Primarchs|Warriors]].
**In book 7, we now have the option to replace the turret-mounted twin-linked Iliastus accelerator with a Twin-Linked Arachnus Heavy Blaze Cannon, for 15pts. Whilst you do lose out on AP2 and Rapid Tracking, you are gaining a Heavy 4 weapon with +1S and AP3. The real icing on this weapons cake, however, is the alternate firing mode. S10 AP1, with the Exoshock special rule from the Deredeo. With BS5 and TL, one would hope that round punches through some armour! Mathammer-wise, the concentrated mode is more efficient against Armour Value from 12 to 15, while the burst mode will wip out more HP than both the Iliastus and the concentrated blast until facing AV14 but remember you have no chance to get the Explosion! result on the chart. The Arachnus is better at tank-hunting and MEQ-killing, but if you expect a lot of skimmers, flyers, jetbikes or TEQs to show up, the Iliastus remains a more versatile (and cheaper) choice.
**All in all, the Caladius is maybe the most versatile tank in 30k for its price, both durable, fast, manoeuvrable and killy. With a main weapon firing from 48" up to 72", a 4+ cover save and a Frontal Armour of 14, it can stay away from your adversary's biggest guns while destroying light vehicles and infantry from afar and survive medium-range fire from the front when you cannot retreat. Just remember it has only a '''Rear Armour of 11''' so any deep-striking/outflanking unit with a bit of anti-armour stuff will wreck it.
*'''Telemon heavy Dreadnought''': The biggest, shiniest Dreadnought variant that ever existed and the Legio Custodes equivalent of the Leviathan. It comes with an Armour value of 13|13|12, 4HP, WS6, BS5, I5, 4 Attacks, exta armour, armoured ceramite and a 4+ invulnerable save increasing to 3+ against weapons with the Blast special rule or that use a template of any kind. Pretty good, but the giant golden Kinder has another surprise for you... The ''Unyielding Sentinel'' rule lets you roll 2 dice on the Vehicle Damage table after you suffered a Penetrating Hit, the highest being discarded. Now the time has come to punch things, the Telemon has some good tools for the job. Its basic weapons are a pair of '''Telemon Caestus''', Dreadnought close-combat weapons with ''Shred'' and ''Murderous Strike'', perfect for tearing Monstrous Creatures. Each Caestus comes with an in-built '''Proteus plasma projector''', an Assault 1 S5 AP2 Template weapon. It Gets Hot like other plasma weapons, but who cares ? AP2 flamers will make Terminators cry, especially if you're playing Zone Mortalis. You also get 1d6 Hammer of Wrath attacks instead of one when charging. If you don't want to dirty your shiny armour in close-combat, no problem, the Emprah has given you some nasty guns to do the job from afar. The '''Spiculus bolt launcher''' is a 48" S5 AP4 Heavy 5 weapon with ''Rending'' which can '''fire twice if you stay immobile during the Movement phase'''. The Telemon can also equip an '''Iliastus Accelerator Culverin'''. It is a nasty 36" S7 AP2 Heavy 5 Rending uber-autocannon, with the accustomed Heliothermic Detonation, which gives your enemies the chance of Instant Death <strike>on each unsaved wound</strike> if they suffer one or more wounds from your big gun. It's lacking the versatility of its other weapon options, but all in all, it's a great gun to fry some TEQ with and punch the occasional light vehicle. But the real star in the long-range combat department is the '''Arachnus storm cannon''', an [[Awesome|oversized laser gatling gun]] which can shoot with two profiles : 48" S7 AP 3 Heavy 7 or 72" S9 AP1 Heavy 2 with the ''Exo-Shock'' special rule. Not quite as good as the Arachnus heavy blaze cannon or the Iliastus Accelerator Culverin if you want to insta-kill MEQs or squads of T5 models, but slightly better against light vehicles, hordes and MC. You can replace one or both Caestus and Proteus projectors with this beauty for +30 points each.
**The Telemon is by far the most versatile ranged unit in the Talons of the Emperor army list. The Arachnus storm cannon makes him a threat against vehicles and infantry alike and the Spiculus launcher can add a lot of saturation fire, all this at 48" range, and the Iliastus Accelerator Culverin can ID the ubiquitous multi-wound TEQs you're likely to find in 30k. If you stay immobile, your Dreadnought can unleash [[Dakka|14 S7 AP3 and 10 S5 AP4 shots each turn]], making it a good counter-measure against the usual Nemesis of a Custodes army : hordes and flyers. It does not match the Leviathan anti-armour capabilities in close-combat, but can engage a wider variety of targets while staying away from the melee.
**Like the Achillus Dreadnought, nothing is specified about the bonus attacks for every CCW after the first walkers get being included in the profile, so you technically don't lose any attack when taking an Arachnus storm cannon.
**Take note that '''the Telemon is a Character''', so he can call and accept challenges, be your Warlord, etc.

===Lords of War===
*'''Warlord-Sinister Pattern Battle Psi-Titan''': '''<s>HO-LYYY</s> SWEEET FUCK. PSYCHIC WARLORD TITAN.''' [[Grimdark|Fueled by the powers of captured psykers, who are bled dry to power the Titan]], it's a good thing this monster is worth 3250 points. Starting off with the standard kit of a [[Warlord Battle Titan]], the Warlord-Sinister adds the Psychic Pilot rule (Mastery Level 3), knowing three set powers: a 24" d6 bolter-shot nova with Soul Blaze and Ignores Cover, a blessing which [[Cheese|restores any lost hull point on a 5+]], and a witchfire which hits all units within 24" of a point with a Haywire hit (for vehicles-EVEN FLYERS) or d6 Heavy Bolter shots (PER 5 MODELS) if it's infantry. The Psi-Titan makes all enemy units within 12" take leadership checks automatically, and any unit that wishes to charge the monstrosity (why you would do that is beyond us) must take a leadership check at -3 Ld. Its weapons are standard fare for the Warlord, except that you always carry the '''Sinistramanus Tenebrae''' , aka the gun that will ruin your day, on one arm. Fluff-wise it's an up-scaled Animus Speculum, crunch-wise it's an apocalyptic mega-blast that's Strength D/Fleshbane/Poison 4+, and AP 1/2/3 for its respective ranges. Oh, and that inner circle? Yeah, it's a Vortex, just in case anything in the blast radius thought it would survive that shot. And if you finally manage to put the Titan(ic amount of [[Grimdark]]) down, it will explode on you, which on a 4+ becomes a '''[[Rape|36 INCH DESTROYER BLAST]]'''. Honestly, even if the Emperor's rules get released, this bastard will probably be the more OP Lord of War choice.

*'''Orion Assault Dropship''': A 7 hull point, 13-12-11, 600ish point super-heavy flyer and a Lord of War for Talons of the Emperor. It's also a transport with a capacity of 24 models. (Yes, Custodians do count as two.) This golden nugget is capable of transporting a Dreadnought, (which counts as 10 models.) Along with being a super-heavy flyer, and transport, the Orion is armed with two Arachnus Heavy Blaze cannons, Two nose mounted tl Lastrum Bolt Cannons, two Spiculus Heavy Bolt Launchers (48", 7, 4, H3, Rending,) armored ceramite and cockpit as standard and the new Eclipse Shield and Macro Arae-Shrike. The Eclipse Shield provides the Orion with a -2 to blast and template weapon strength, and a -1 to all other weapon strength. If a shooting weapon inflicts a glancing or penetrating hit, the Orion immediately gains Shrouded against all subsequent hits against its front Arc during this phase. However, this has no effect on melee attacks or weapons of the Destroyer type (not a big deal as long as you're not Hovering since most of D weapons are usually blasts). Macro Arae-shrikes on the other hand, act as normal Arae-shrikes, with the addition of ''interception interference.'' When enemy units declare their interception, the intercepting player must roll a D6 for each unit attempting to intercept. If a unit rolls 3 or less, it's unable to intercept but may fire as normal in its next shooting phase. Furthermore, because He and the terrawatt clan love us so, the Orion has the Deep Strike and Assault Vehicle special rule.
**As long as you keep the enemy in front of it, the Orion is arguably more resistant (and cheaper) than a similarly geared Thunderhawk. Its firepower may seem somewhat limited for what you're paying and it clearly won't earn its points back by killing TEQ or hordes. Two S10 AP1 exo-shock shots and 3 rending autocannons are still quite good for tank-hunting and make the Orion a monster against other flyers, but you could have more big guns for the same price. Unless you really need a very reliable transport or flyer-killer, there are other units that can do the job better.

*<s>God-</s>[[Emperor of Mankind]]: '''COMING SOON!''' No actual rules yet, but a note in the Legio Custodes Tribune rules suggests he will be a future potential HQ/LoW choice for the army, similar to the Primarchs and their legions.

[[Category: Adeptus Custodes]]
[[Category:Warhammer Tactics/30k]]

Warhammer 40,000/Tactics/Talons of the Emperor (30k)

2018-07-25T08:43:29Z

2001:8003:3895:3A00:ADA8:312:6FE5:ACED: /* Elites */ Misericordia isn't a weapon

So we've had rules for [[First Founding|the Legions]], the [[Primarch]]s, and the [[Mechanicus|Mechanicum]]. It was only a matter of time until the [[Custodian Guard|Emprah's BFFs]] and the [[Sisters of Silence|premium in anti-psyker units]] got rules, and here they are. FAQ updated them to be alliable, they count as Agents of The Emperor. Do note that these rules for the Talons of the Emperor are only for the Horus Heresy (30k) game, if you're interested in the 40k tactics, you can find the [[Warhammer 40,000/Tactics/Sisters of Silence|Sisters of Silence tactics here,]] [[Warhammer 40,000/Tactics/Adeptus Custodes (8E)|and the Adeptus Custodes tactics here.]]

==Why play Talons of the Emperor==
There are a number of reasons for playing this army.
*Because you like gold
*Because you like eagles
*Because you like eagles made out of gold
*Because the Emperor was right all along
*Because [[Erebus]] can fuck a cactus
*Because you want to take [[Emperor's Children|Phoenix Terminators]] with a half-Primarch statline as troops
*Because you hate Psykers harder than [[Space Wolves|any furry]] can ever hope to imagine
*Because one day you will be able to take the EMPRAH as a LoW
*Because being Agents of the Emperor (per new rulebook) you can ally with any and all Loyalists as Sworn Bros

==Special Rules==
===Custodes===
*'''Preternatural Skill''': If the majority of enemy models have less Weapon Skill compared to yours when fighting in assault, you get +1I. ''(Though consider Thousand Sons' Khenetai Cabal being the only squad with potential WS6, and things that drop your WS)'' you might as well assume you're always I6 with most of your troops, unless you're facing a lone HQ model.''
*'''The Sodality''': A Custodian's unit coherency range is 3" and they always use their usual LD for regrouping. ''Representing how the Banana Custards fight as individuals rather than a squad in the lore. Use the 3" to better control the battlefield and reduce the effectiveness of Blast weapons (since a 3" blast will only touch more than one Custodes when perfectly centered between two of them, at maximum coherency).''
*'''Inviolable Psyche''': Forgeworld dancing around ATSKNF again, you are immune to Fear and Pinning and ignore all penalties when taking Morale Checks, meaning it's Stubborn 2.0, and re-roll Deny the Witch rolls. ''However, it does mean you CAN break as a result of bad combat, and you CAN be utterly wiped out. Not that that would happen often, but still.''
*'''Bulky''': Not a rule specific to the Custodes, but they all have it.
*'''Character''': Always remember that ALL Custodes are Characters. That means they can issue and accept challenges, but also benefit from Look Out, Sir. ''With some lucky rolls and a good positioning, this can really help your guys survive hails of plasma fire and assaults, especially if you have a lot of Solarite gauntlets.''
*'''Crusader''': Like Bulky, almost all Custodes have it. ''Quite powerful since your Custodians usually have better Initiative than most 30k units.''

===Sisters of Silence===
*'''Psychic Anathema''': The core defining feature of the Sisters of Silence, this is how they fuck up psykers all twenty ways from Sunday. They're immune to any psychic powers targeting them and ignores any Telepathy Blessings that would negatively affect them, because fuck invisibility cheese (you can still be raped by Biomancy user, for example, so pick your targets). Anyone within 12" takes -1 Ld (-2 if they're psykers, though anyone with Fearless is immune) while allies can re-roll Deny tests, but any Daemons in range take -1 to Toughness while Daemon vehicles take +1 to Pen. Anyone within that range that tries to use a power now needs to roll 1 higher to successfully manifest, raised to 2 higher if they're in B2B (So if they're against Magnus, he has to roll 4+ to use a power when in range, while needing 5+ when in combat).
*'''Ex Oblivio''': Another deadly null power for the Sisters, but only for the most brutal of them. Anyone within 6" can't generate WC dice, and if they want to use a power, they have to test Ld or suffer Perils at a -1 penalty, minimum 1. ''This means they can't roll a 6 for warp surge and are twice as likely to roll a one''.
*'''Fanatical Discipline''': Sisters are Fearless and Hate Psykers. Blah.
*'''Company-Cadres''': The organization of the Sisters. For every three non-HQs they bring, they need an HQ choice. If they have an HQ choice, every Sister model in the detachment gains Infiltrate, Crusader, Stealth, or +1 to Combat Resolution.

==Special Equipment==
===Ranged Weapons===
*'''Adrathic Weapons''': Yet another super special Terran-only weapon, these are proper disintegrators. As a rule, they will make Mechanicum players cry, also they are all AP2 with Instant Death, Armorbane, and Gets Hot.
**'''Adrathic Destructor''': 12" S5 AP2 Assault 1: By far the most 'common', available in some form or another on most infantry models.
**'''Adrathic Devastator''': 18" S6 AP2 Heavy 2: Dickbike and Pallas upgrade.
**'''Adrathic Exterminator''': 36" S6 AP2 Heavy 1, 3" Blast: Not yet used on any model, but it's only a matter of time. If they remember this exists. It isn't on the Telemon or the Orion. So it's now a shot in the dark if the Exterminator will be used at all.
*'''Adrastus Bolt Caliver''': 30" Assault 3 Heavy Bolter with a Disintegration Beam welded onto it. Distinctly stated as being two functional weapons with unlimited uses, but only one can be used a turn.
*'''Lastrum Bolt Weapons''': The Caladus' fixed mounts have turned into the Custodes' most prevalent vehicle mount. All weapons have '''Heliothermic Detonation''', so anybody that takes ''one or more'' unsaved wounds and ''is not slain'' has to make a Toughness roll or get '''Instant Death''' (or +1 to penetration damage table if a vehicle).
**'''Lastrum Storm Bolter''': 24" S5 AP4; only used by Aquilon Terminators and the Contemptor-Achillus.
**'''Lastrum Bolt Cannon''': 36" S6 AP3 Heavy 3; used on the Caladus, Coronus, and the Dickbikes.
**'''Iliastus Accelerator Cannon''': 60" S7 AP2 Heavy 3, Rending, Rapid Tracking (ignores Jink saves).
***Heliothermic Detonation is mostly relevant against models with a lot of Wounds. Because all models in a unit that are firing the same weapon shoot at the same time, it doesn't matter if said unit is firing one or a thousand Lastrum shells : the rule will only be triggered once against the last wounded model after all the others have been killed normaly. This greatly mitigates the efficiency of Lastrum weaponry against squads of multi-wounded models, but killing an extra bastard is always a good thing nevertheless.
*'''Infernus Weapons''': The Custodes super flamers. Only two versions, and they're both Heavy 1, but who gives a shit when they're S6!
**'''Infernus Firepike''': S6 AP6 Heavy 1, Torrent; only used by Aquilon Terminators.
**'''Infernus Incinerator''': S6 AP4 Heavy 1; used on the Contemptors, either as a replacement for the Storm Bolters or in the Galatus Warblade.
*'''Proteus Las-Lance''': 24" S7 AP2 Heavy 2, Lance; like the Adrathic Exterminator, it is not yet used on any model, come again later.
*'''Corve Las-Pulsar''': 36" S9 AP2 Heavy D3: Upgrade for the Agamatus jetbikes and found as part of the Contemptor-Achillus's Dreadspear, and most of the reason for it's 40 point upgrade cost. The Pulsar is one of the few weapons that Custodes have as a counterpart to Lascannons. So you will need it.
*'''Arachnus Blaze Weapons''': Bastard offspring of Multi-lasers and Lascannons, they have two firing modes. One is Burst for infantry shredding, the other is Concentrated for Vehicle killing with AP1 and '''Exoshock''', which gives you an automatic '''second''' Penetrating hit which ignores cover saves on a 4+ after you score one (so you roll to hit, roll to penetrate, enemy rolls invulnerable/cover, and only then...)
**'''Arachnus Blaze Cannon''': S6 AP5 Heavy Bolter, '''or''' 48" S8AP1 Heavy 1, Exoshock: In all honesty, the Burst mode is rather shitty, but Concentrated is essentially a Lascannon with nasty special rules.
**'''Arachnus Storm Cannon''': 48" S7 AP3 Heavy 7, '''or''' 72" S9 AP1 Heavy 2, Exoshock: the Telemon's big Gatling gun and perhaps the most versatile of the Arachnus weapons. This is a must take if you are facing armies with a large amount of vehicles.
**'''Arachnus Heavy Blaze Cannon''': 48" S8 AP3 Heavy 4, '''or''' 72" S10 AP1 Heavy 1, Exoshock: Optional turret replacement for the Caladus, enjoy IDing MEQs.
*'''Psyk-Out Weaponry''': Available as grenades with 8" range, in grenade launchers with 24", or in missiles with 48", each of them has Strength 2, Blast 3 and Psi-Shock, which forces Psykers to suffer perils.
*'''Stake Crossbow''': A 24" S5 AP- crossbow with Rapid Fire and Psi-shock
*'''Needle Weapons''': S2 AP5 weapons with Rending and Poisoned 4+.
**'''Needle Pistol''': 12" Pistol.
**'''Assault Needler''': 18" Assault 2.
*'''Snare Gun''': A 12" Assault 1 Pinning weapon. If it hits, it inflicts d3 hits, each of them requiring a Strength test to resist taking an unsavable wound (though Invulns work). Just don't expect Superheavies to listen to this. Hurray, the Rogue Trader Webber has finally made a return!
*'''Hellion Pattern Heavy Cannon Array''': So far exclusive to the Sisters of Silence Kharon Pattern Acquistor. It's basically two Autocannons with halved range, Twin-Linked and Pinning.
*'''Proteus Plasma Projector''': One of the few actual Plasma weapons that TOTE get besides Plasma pistols. It is currently exclusive to the Telemon Dreadnought. This is an Assault 1, Template weapon with Strength 5, and Ap2. Making it a decent weapon for roasting TEQs and anything else with inadequate saves. Forgeworld should have given Sagittarum Guard squads the Projector as an upgrade option to make them useful.
*'''Spiculus Bolt Launchers''': Vehicle only Bolt weapons introduced in datasheets for Telemon Dreadnought and the Orion Dropship. As if Forge World is already working on the next red book.
**'''Spiculus launcher''': The basic version. It's profile is Heavy 5, Range 48",Str5, AP5, with Rending and the Volley Fire rules. Volley Fire allows the weapon to fire twice if the bearer doesn't move. Making it a counter for Flyers, blobs and a decent fallow up against anything that somehow survives the deadly firepower that said vehicle will already have.
**'''Spiculus Heavy Bolt Launcher''': It is Str7, Heavy 3 and loses Volley Fire. Lowering the amount of Dakka it will spew out despite the improved strenght. Not much of a downside if taken in pairs in the case of the Orion. Otherwise not worth it.

===Melee Weapons===
*'''Custodes Spears''': Made of two parts, the power blade is AP2 +1S on the charge, and reverts to a specialist power sword afterwards. Every time you roll a 6 to hit with it, you get another attack, but those extra attacks can't generate any more. The second part depends on the spear.
**'''Adrasite Spear''': It has an Adrathic Destructor, which was 12" S5 AP2 Assault 1, Instant Death, Armorbane, and Gets Hot. Short range and nasty.
**'''Guardian Spear''': Attached with a 18" S4 AP4 Assault 2 bolt weapon. Pretty good on anything short of an MEQ, but not great.
**'''Pyrithite Spear''': Attached with a 6" S8 AP1 Melta, essentially an inferno pistol. Okay for busting light vehicles or TEQs, but 3" melta range can hurt, but it's not like you weren't planning on charging at that range anyways.
**'''Paragon Spear''': AP2 '''+2S''' on the charge (reverts to AP2 +1S when not charging, like a Paragon Blade), rather than +1, and 6s to wound always inflict Instant Death, but 6s to hit get another attack, as it is a spear. The attachment is an 18" S5 AP3 Assault 2 bolter.
*'''Misericordia''': For longer than a year this was listed with rules, and then an FAQ was released and... it wasn't supposed to be in the book at all.
*'''Paragon Blade''': Specialist +1S AP2 that inflicts Instant Death on a wound roll of 6, but you want a Paragon Spear more.
*'''Plasma Grenades''': Rare enough to mention here, they are assault grenades that can be thrown as S4 AP4 instead of S3 AP-.
*'''Sentinel Warblade''': A Specialist Power Sword with Rending. In addition, it's got an inbuilt 12" Storm Bolter that snap fires at BS2. As it exists now, it's almost entirely inferior to the Guardian Spear except when snap shooting (including overwatch), unless you're planning on using Rending to even out long assaults with high toughness models, or you need to crack open AV11+ and you can't get enough Custodes stuck in to use their Krak Grenades (a lucky rend with this sword can glance a Land Raider, though [[MathHammer]] doesn't favor your odds). But, the Sentinel Warblade does work better with the Praesidium Shield, so taking models with this is a legitimate trade of punching power for defense.
*'''Solarite power gauntlet''': AP1 mastercrafted power fist, same as Imperial Fists. However, you are Custodes, so your punches are now railguns.
*'''Solarite power talon''': +2S, master crafted lightning claw.
====Sisters of Silence Melee Weapons====
*'''Proteus Neuro-Lash:''' Flails and sectioned staves known for causing agonizing pain. Each is a two-handed melee weapon with S+1 but AP-. What they also get is the ability to hit anyone within 3" as opposed to just hitting one unit. In addition, for every hit they make, they roll a d6, with a 3+ meaning they can deliver an additional attack with Poisoned 4+ at AP-. These aren't gonna kill a marine any time soon, but Daemons will rue fucking with these ladies.
*'''Execution Blade''': Essentially Charnabal Sabres with more fancy. They're Two-Handed S+1 AP3 weapons with Duelist's Edge (+1 Initiative in a challenge) and Flawless Cut (a 5+ to hit counts as AP2)

===Equipment===
*'''Arae-shrikes''': Enemy units deep striking within 12" of a model with this wargear suffer perils on a 4+, including models that ignore the effects of mishap. In addition, barrage weapons targeting models with this wargear add 1D6 to their scatter and pick the 2 highest results, although a hit still remains a hit.
*'''Aquilon pattern Terminator Armour''' is super Cataphractii armour with Hammer of Wrath and pseudo-relentless. They can't Run, but they can make Sweeping Advances and fire Overwatch.
*'''Custodian Armour''': Artificer Armour and ''Move Through Cover'' rolled into one pimping banana suit. ''Makes footslogging and charging across difficult terrain a bit more reliable and basically means your Agamatus jetbikers can move everywhere confidently.''
*'''Praesidium Shield''': Adds +1 to the invulnerable save up to the maximum of 3++ and your opponents suffer -1 to Hit on every attack targeting the wielder in close combat up to the maximum of 6+. A Praesidium Shield precludes two-handed weapons, the +1A for 2 CCW, and the bonus for charging with a spear (this includes the Paragon Spear).
*'''Magisterium Vexilla''': A unit with this wargear can reroll failed leadership checks and gains the ''Fear'' special rule. In addition, all units within 12" add 1 to combat resolution at the end of the phase. ''TAKE IT. The vexilla compensates for the lack of Fearless and may give you the edge when charging with Guardian spears. Fear may be especially useful if you're fielding Sisters of Silence alongside your Custodes.''
*'''Teleportation Transponder''': Already known to Imperial Fists and Night Lords, this model's entire unit can deep strike.
====Sisters of Silence Equipment====
*'''Vratine Armour''': The armor of the Sisters of Silence and symbol of their oath to kill witches...otherwise known as Power Armor.

==Unit Analysis==
===HQ===
*'''Legio Custodes Shield Captain''': A <s>holy</s> [[Imperial Truth|honest]] rape machine, fit to take on a [[Chaos Lord]], a [[Chapter Master]] and a [[Warboss]] simultaneously and come out on top. His statline comes with all the best bits of a Praetor and a Custodes and gear better than both, he can take the all powerful Paragon Spear, and combine it with a Praesidium shield, Digital lasers and a Iron Halo for [[Cheese|6 S6 AP2 attacks which generate additional attacks on 6s to hit and Instant Death on 6s to wound at I6 and a 3++ in close combat with -1 to Hit malus for your adversary if they specifically target your golden dude]]. Or you can drop the Paragon Spear and go for a Solarite gauntlet for [[Rape|6 S10 AP1 master-crafted I1 attacks]] (don't forget the Praesidium shield means you don't get a bonus attack for 2 CCWs, even though the Solarite gauntlet isn't a specialist weapon and the shield captain comes with a basic ccw). And everything in between, the rape train has no brakes.
**'''Tribune''': Ooooh FW, what have you done... Here is Mr. Cheestodes, the deadliest generic character in the ENTIRE GAME. No really, this guy is the very definition of mindless rape, Slaanesh him/herself is fucking ashamed. Same as above except you get ''Eternal Warrior'' and ''Fearless'', y'know, in case you wanted to add an [[Archon_(Warhammer_40,000)|Archon]] and an [[Necron Overlord|Overlord]] to the stuff you can take on at once. At a price of [[Rage|25 more points]]. However, you can only take him in a detachment of 2000 points or more, so you're not likely going to see him in an allied force. unless you are playing HUGE games. Also, if he's in the Primary detachment he has to be the warlord ''(unless Valdor, Krole, or [[What|Emps]] are present)'', but he is able to choose his warlord trait. Needless to say, some warlord traits can be really, really good for your guys. Strategic Genius can be useful since almost all your Custodes have access to deep strike, and Master of Ambush is priceless when your cheapest transport is 135 points for a capability of only 6.
*'''Sisters of Silence Oblivion Knight-Centura''': Surprisingly has mostly ordinary human stats with WS5 BS4 I5 and Ld9, she's essentially the budget HQ at 75. She's not barebones however, as she grabs Artificer Armor with a 4+ Invuln that ups to 3+ against Blasts and Templates. She has a bolt pistol, Execution Blade, and Frag, Krak, and Psyk-out grenades, while she has the Cadre rules, Ex Oblivio, and Precision Strikes. Her melee weapon can be exchanged for a power axe (don't), a Neuro-Lash (not for Marines), or a Paragon Blade (if you just want to maul 2+ saves with a chance at ID), while her pistol can be exchanged for a hand-flamer, a plasma pistol, a needle pistol, or an archaeotech pistol - and for 10 points, any of these weapons can be Master Crafted.
*'''Sisters of Silence Excruciatus Cadre''': Something akin to a command squad, this is a squad of WS4 BS4 I4 Ld9 ladies with tools, with the Silent Judge having 2 wounds. They all hate Daemons and Psykers, get Fanatic Discipline, Night Vision, the Cadre rules (forcing them to be the mandatory HQ if the detachment is less than 500 pts, meaning they eat up at least 1/5 of the budget by themselves), and the ability to make their melee attacks ID. The Questorae only get CCWs, Bolt Pistols, Assault Needlers, and grenades alongside their armor and ''Spectra-vestments'' which force anyone to take -1 BS to hit them, while the Silent Judge adds a refractor, a Needle Pistol, a Nuncio-Vox, and a power weapon. A Questora can buy the Ardrathic Destructor, while any of them can exchange their guns for Needle Pistols or Stake Crossbows for free or buy a Snare Gun or a Flamer with a one-use boost to make them S6, and each can replace their CCW for a Charnabal Sabre or a power weapon. The Judge can swap her melee weapon for a Neuro-Lash, the Execution Blade, or a fist, while her gun can be exchanged for a Stake-Crossbow, hand flamer, plasma pistol, or a second needle pistol.

====Special Characters====
*'''Constantin Valdor''': The Captain-General of the Legio Custodes and [[Malcador|second]] best bro of the [[Emperor]] takes to the field. With his near-primarch statline he is a CC beast, with 5s across the board plus WS7, I6, Ld10, and 2+ save. He also has the ever rare Eternal Warrior, as well as Crusader, Fearless, and Counter-Attack. In terms of wargear he has the '''Apollonian Spear''', a +1s (+2 on the charge) AP2 guardian spear, with the <s>GODLY</s> MANLY ''Molecular Severance'' rule: any to-wound rolls of 4+ cause instant death or an automatic penetrating hit regardless of AV or T. In addition, [[Sigismund|successful invulnerable saves against wounds caused by this weapon]] must be rerolled! Oh, and it causes extra attacks on a 6 to hit and also it comes with an attached 18" S5 AP2 Assault 2 ''Concussive'' bolter on top! He also has lots of other gear: An Iron Halo, plasma & krak grenades, Arae-shrike, Misericordia (whatever that does), digital lasers, and custodian armour. His warlord trait allows him to re-roll Seize the Initiative, and one Legio custodes unit (including himself, and possibly Dreads depending on how you interpret 'Legio Custodes units'. Nope, GW confirmed that you cannot use Valdor to teleport dreadnoughts, it only applies to units which can take teleport-transponders) can take teleportation transponders at no extra cost. All that for just 275 points.
**This guy is your ultimate golden Swiss Army Knife. Even if he is not a good match for most of the Primarchs - let's not even talk about motherfucking [[Anacharis Scoria]] - he can fuck with a wider variety of things than most of them for a far cheaper price. Five S6 attacks (six at S7 on the charge, remember 30k Digital Lasers are +1A and the average to hit roll increases this to 6/7 attacks respectively thanks to Lightning Blow) are great against big squads, while Molecular Severance allows him to deal with any vehicle from cardbox-made Raiders from Spartans and will ruin the day of any character or multi-wound unit crossing his path. Do note that his Sigismund-ish shenanigan works ANYTIME, not just in challenge, so you can slaughter MC or even GC with your shiny spear.
**[[That guy|Some people]] may ask why you would ever take good ol' Valdor rather than the already infamous Tribune (you know, the guy who can stomp Spartans, some of the Primarchs and Scoria for the same price). Firstly, you don't want to be beaten to death by your opponent IRL. Secondly, Valdor is more versatile than the Tribune, butchering hordes, TEQs and tanks alike without sacrificing his I6. He's better at dishing out the hurt, just not as good at taking it. The possibility to '''deep-strike one of your units for free''' is something unique in 30k and may be <s>a gift from the gods</s> {{BLAM}} '{{BLAM|THERE ARE NO SUCH THINGS AS GODS YOU FOOLISH <s>HERETIC</s>}} {{BLAM}} {{BLAM|THERE IS NO DOGMA AND THEREFORE NO HERESY, NONCOMPLIANT SCUM!}} a welcome alternative if you don't want to buy some Coronus. Last thing is, you can only take the Tribune if your Detachment is over 2000 points, so Valdor is the only way to get a Custodes HQ with Fearless and Eternal Warrior if you play smaller games. And since you are probably spending a lot of points on your Shield Captain's wargear anyway, you should consider taking the golden boss instead.
*** A generic Tribune is a better bet if you are specifically picking an HQ to get into a headbutting contest with a primarch, but that's a bad use of your points just like it is in a Legion army. It's nice to think about your HQ punching out the enemy big bad, but unless one of you rolls super-badly then you're just going to get locked in combat for the whole game and you won't win anything playing like that. And you might end up playing against a real motherfucker like Horus who will slam his dick so far up your ass that you deep throat him from the other end and then you'll be a sad little custodian because your big beatstick isn't quite as boss as you thought. That doesn't mean that Valdor is just straight up better, it just means you need a better battle plan than hoping your golden-clad codpiece is bigger than your enemies. Take the HQ that helps your plan.
**If you take 55 custodes in your army and decide to have them all deepstrike, you can take Valdor for the low, low price of your warlord trait.

*'''Jenetia Krole''': Knight-Commander of the Sisters of Silence. She's got 3's across the board with WS6, BS4, I5 A4 and Ld10. On top of Psychic Anathema, she also has Ex Oblivio, Fanatic Discipline, Rage, Preferred Enemy against Psykers and Characters, Cadre rules, Eternal Warrior, and the option to upgrade an Oblivion Knight Cadre to her elite Raptor Guard, which costs 20 points to make them WS5. For gear, she has Artificer Armor with the invuln seen on the Knight-Centura, an Archaeotech Pistol, grenades, and the '''Sword of Oblivion''': a super-Execution Blade with S+2 AP2 with 5+ Murderous Strike instead of Flawless Cut. This all makes her close to a match a challenge beast against any Marine HQs without Eternal Warrior, and more than a match against Daemons. Her Warlord Trait lets her re-roll Seize the Initiative and grants d3 units Scout.

===Elites===
*'''Legio Custodes Hetaeron Guard Squad''': The Emperor's [[Companion|Companions]], [[Mary Sue|the best]] of [[Adeptus Custodes|the best]] of [[Imperium|the best]]. At 70 points per model they look REALLY expensive, but they're probably the best infantry unit in the game, bar none. So they have the same stat line as normal Custodes but with 3W and 3A. their special rules are the same as normal Custodes as well but they get ''counter attack''. They can all take a Praesidium shield, melta bombs, Arae-shrikes, and Teleporters, and any member of the squad can replace their spears with any melee weapon other than a Paragon Spear, but you can have Paragon '''blades''' for some nice AP2 at Initiative (probably [[Fail|another typo from FW]], just wait for a FAQ). One of the squad without a shielded may replace their guardian spear with the vexilla and either a MC power weapon or a sentinel warblade.
**So, super Custodes with '''S6 AP2 attacks at I5 (I6 if your opponent is WS:5 or below!), 4++ and hit on a 5+ by most units in the game''' ? Yep. Unless your opponent has something capable of insta-killing them, the Hetaeron are a real step above your other Custodes, so do not dismiss them because of their high price. Depending on the loadout, a Hetaeron can be as deadly as an Aquilon and more than twice as durable in CC for just +20 points, while remaining more flexible. Mixing Paragon blades and Solarite gauntlets in a squad allows you to mince EVERYTHING you could fight against without being stuck at Initiative 1 and still getting some Instant Death attacks thanks to Murderous Strike. Find some psyker ally with Endurance or Invisibility and you are basically unkillable in assault.
**Again, remember you can reallocate some wounds on a 4+ thanks to Look Out, Sir!, so having 3W is a real advantage over your other Custodes. When one model is worth almost 100 points, that's definitely something you MUST NOT forget.
*'''Legio Custodes Aquilon Terminator Squad''': Custodes with Terminator Armor. How terrifying. Each of them is 75 points a model, and at with 5s on every stat save W2 A3 and Ld9, they're absolutely not slouches. Aquilon Terminator Armour affords 4++, Hammer of Wrath and Pseudo-relentless. In addition, they are able to fire Overwatch and Sweeping Advance, but cannot run. Say hello to Super Cataphractii armour. Each Aquilon Terminator has Crusader, a Lastrum Storm Bolter, a Solarite Gauntlet, and a Misericordia, and each can exchange the gauntlet for a Solarite Power Talon or exchange their guns for a TL Ardrathic Destructor or Infernus Firepike. Each can also buy a Teleport Transponder and Arae-Shrikes.
**While costly (especially with special weapons), they can do the job if you use them correctly. They are the Custodes' answer against vehicles and Astartes multi-wound special units, since they can one-shot Justaerin, Firedrakes and Gal Vorbak while giving no fucks about Power Fist/Thunderhammer instakill (beware for shenanigans, like Rad Grenades, Rad Furnaces, Rad-Phage etc). Firepikes are also you best friends against hordes, something useful since tarpits are the bane of your Cutodes.
**The Firepike is arguably the best choice against most infantry units as long as you get at least 4 hits with the template. The Adrathic destructor may sound nice for TEQ-hunting, but ONE S5 AP2 shot is not that great since most TEQ in 30k are Terminators with an invulnerable save. Take it for one-shooting multi-wound models but otherwise go for the Infernus. The Lastrum is only top-tier against models with T3 and a 4+, so you should keep it when facing Solar Auxilia - remember that Void Hardened armours make the Infernus firepikes almost useless.
**'''Aquilons do not have Implacable Advance''' like the basic Legion Astartes Terminators get. So they won't be able to contest the objective even if they crack open a Spartan Deathstar. One of the four Talons of the Emperor troops choices are what you use to babysit objectives.
** These guys are worse than both Sentinels (as those cost less while having same survivability as rerollable 5++ is same as 4++, and can be tailored toward punching big targets with Solarites with almost no loss of efficiency as Misericordia does absolutely nothing now) & Hetaerons (+1 wound, better equipment & almost the same guns.) On the other hand they are, curiously, the most effective anti-horde option Custodes have - Infernus Firepikes AP may be shit, but they have great range due to Torrent and wound Space Marines on 2+ while bringing ID on Cultist blobs, so pile up those Armor Saves!
*'''Legio Custodes Contemptor-Achillus Dreadnought''': The fanciest, goldiest, and potentially deadliest non-boxiest dreadnought to ever be seen. It's got WS6 and BS5, an AV of 13/13/11, and hits at I5, meaning he'll more than match any marines on the field. He also has a Refractor Field instead of the basic Atomantic Reactor Contemptors use and comes stock with Extra Armor. For weapons, he starts with two Dread CCWs with Lastrum Storm Bolters, but he can buy the Dreadspear, a S10 AP2 MC weapon that '''turns any attack into S:Destroyer on a 6 to hit''' during the turn he charged AND has a Corvae Las-Pulser bolted on top. In addition, he can replace his Lastrum Storm Bolters with either TL Adrathic Destructors or Infernus Incinerators for a small fee.
**Do note the Dreadspear is not two-handed, and nothing is specified about the bonus attacks for every CCW after the first walkers get being included in the profile, so you may get [[Cheese|7 Destroyer attacks on the charge]] (4 base + 2 for three CCW + 1 for the charge). See page 91 of the BRB.
*'''Sisters of Silence Oblivion Knight Cadre''': The Elite among the Sisters of Silence, each comes with Ex Oblivio, Fanatic Discipline, and Precision Strikes. Each comes with Vratine Armor, cloaks that grant a 6++ Invuln or a 4++ against Templates and Blasts, Execution Blades, grenades, and Bolt Pistols. Everyone can replace their blades for Power Axes while the sergeant can buy a Neuro-Lash and replace her pistol with a Needle-Pistol, a Plasma Pistol, or a Hand Flamer.

===Troops===
*'''Custodian Guard Squad''': Think Terminators, but with all the 4s in their statline replaced with 5s (so yes, you can strike at Initiative 6 thanks to Preternatural Skill), with situational AP2 at initiative weapons, something that most Space marines (outside of Praetors or Emperor's Children) would never get. They can take the usual Arae-shrikes, Teleportation Transponders and Melta Bombs as upgrades for the whole squad, any Custodian can replace its Guardian spear by an Adrasite or Pyrithite spear and one can take a Magisterium vexilla with a master-craft power weapon or a Sentinel blade instead. They do pay for the high degrees of kickassitude they bring to the table, most notably with actual points and they are liable to get shot down before doing anything if you don't take a Coronus, though '''with 2 wounds each and a 2+ 5++''' they might pull though. With '''3 S6 AP2 attacks per Custodian on the charge''' and the buff from Crusader and a vexilla Magisterium, they have decent chances to win the first round of close combat with a good margin before AP3 becomes a problem, so make sure the situational nature of their AP2 isn't going to get them killed.
**Since Custodes pay no extra points for the base squad, it may be worth deploying a lot of small squads rather than big pseudo-deathstars if you expect a lot of 2+. AP3 and only 2 attacks by Custodian are trash if you get charged by TEQs with AP2, even if you outnumber them, so you REALLY don't want to see your 10-man squad rammed by 5 angry Tartaros with power fists. While they are more vulnerable to Moral tests if they take too many casualties, small units are also more adaptable : keep a couple of them close so you can charge with all your dudes when the opportunity presents itself without risking [[Rage|losing 550 points all at once]].
**Before bitching about your ultimate elite warriors being butchered by "mere" Terminators because of your shitty AP3, remember these guys are only ''basic Custodes'' and remain rather violent in close combat against anything else. Mathammer-wise, even a three-man squad of Custodians can withstand the charge of 20 World Eaters tactical Legionnaries with 2 CCW ''and win''. Anything with 2+ save and AP2 will quickly have the upper hand on your golden bananas if the fight turns into attrition warfare, but otherwise you may be able to murder MEQs or at least keep them locked until reinforcements arrive.

*'''Sentinel Guard Squad''': As Custodians armed with sword and board, they are somewhat less killy than their spear-wielding counterparts, but are more defensive thanks to their Praesidium shields. These are best used to guard your squishier Custodians, so they don't get wiped when they get charged by a squad with 2+ saves as your improved Invuls allow Sentinels to stick around long enough for rending to enter the equation. It's also worth noting that these guys can theoritecally deal with vehicles thanks to their rending swords, but don't expect too much from them. Anyway, you can replace your Sentinel blades with Solerite gauntlets and talons for more flexibility.
**While expensive, the Sentinels are the very definition of holding the line, as anything without S10 or Instant Death will take a lot of turns to kill them in CC. For sure, they lack AP2 against TEQs, but they can tank your opponent's most dangerous units, so they are good for preventing a deathstar from rampaging through your army.
**Worth noting that, unlike Custodian Guard, you do actually get a small discount if you run these guys in small numbers (180 for the basic unit of 3, with 65 per model, means you save points if you run small)

*'''Sisters of Silence Prosecutor Cadre''': Baseline WS4 BS4 I4 Sisters of Silence with bolters (or double bolt pistols) and grenades. They get Fanatic Discipline and can buy a Nuncio-Vox or Breaching Charge.

*'''Sisters of Silence Vigilator Cadre''': Slightly improved Sisters, they all get an Execution Blade and Pistol. They also have the ability mark a single Infantry unit or Character and they get Preferred Enemy on that one target.

===Dedicated Transports===
*'''Legio Custodes Coronus Grav-Carrier''': A 13/12/11 4HP fast skimmer with BS5 acts as the Dedicated Transport for Custodes forces. It's equipped with a TL Arachnus Blaze-cannon AND TL Lastrum bolt cannon, a Machine Spirit, and a Flare Shield, while also having Grav-Backwash (-2 to hit in close combat unless immobilized), DS, and Outflank. It can also buy Extra Armor, Armoured Ceramite, and a Searchlight. It's not an assault transport - it's an infantry supporting unit depositing gunboat in ways that a Razorback can only dream of. That thing is also bigger than ''a Spartan'', so Deep Strike with caution.
*'''Sisters of Silence Kharon Pattern Acquistor''': The DT of the Sisters, it's not Custodes-tier hax but it's got lots of weapons and is an ASSAULT VEHICLE. It's only 12/11/10 with BS4. It has a ton of guns however, with missile launchers and the Helion-Pattern Heavy Cannon Array, a super TL-autocannon with S7 AP4 Heavy 4 with Pinning. It also has an Auspex to give Night-Fighting and reduces enemy cover while also having Stealth and the ability to make anyone shooting beyond 12" shoot at -1 BS. The last trick it has is the Capture-Grid, a tank-shock attack that grants d6 S5 HoW attacks before any Death of Glory is counted. Stick any type of sisters with execution blades in it, with a character, infiltrate the Kharon Acquisitor, charge in, and rip and tear.
**After the July 2018 Errata, Acquisitors cannot transport models with the Bulky, Very Bulky, etc. special rules, so you can longer use them as a taxi for your golden boys.

===Fast Attack===
*'''Legio Custodes Pallas Grav-Attack''': A light tank with 12/11/11, but it has a TL Arachnus Blaze Cannon to attack and a Flare Shield and the Grav-Backwash of the Coronus to defend it. It also gets a Machine Spirit, Outflank, and DS, making it best suited to attack from an unexpected angle rather than be an assault weapon.

*'''Sisters of Silence Pursuer Cadre''': They're Sisters...with pets. For each sister you buy, you also have to buy a Cyber-Jackal, a powerful beast that's actually slightly stronger and tougher than the sisters and equipped with Rage, FNP, a 5+ save and the option to shoot flamers or meltas at BS2 (pick the flamer), or Razortalon Wings, birds that get more attacks at higher Initiative, but can only fight in melee. The birds are a bit cheaper, but the dogs have more utility and punch. The sisters meanwhile benefit from Fleet and Move Through Cover as well as Fanatic Discipline, though the sergeant has a small list of pistols or Charnabal/Power Weapons to use if she's unhappy with the CCW/Bolt Pistol combo.

*'''Legio Custodes Agamatus Jetbike Squadron''': RIDE THE LIGHTNING ! Custodians on super golden banana jetbikes wielding FUCKHUEG knight-style power lances. It sounds so goddamn metal, it looks goddamn metal, it fights goddamn metal. The Gyrfalcon-pattern jetbike is a jetbike that boosts the rider's Toughness by 1, [[Awesome|making you as tough as a Primarch]] so you can laugh at S10-induced instant death and allows you to re-roll failed charge distances. Your glorious steed of gold and fury comes with cool-looking leather boots and gauntlets (we're not making this up), a Lastrum Bolt Cannon and benefit from the slew of Custodes rules in addition to Split Fire. If you're not happy with the bolt cannon, the whole squadron can be 'upgraded' with Adrathic Devastators (+15 points) or twin-linked Corvae Las-pulsers (+35 points) as well as getting melta-bombs.
**Move on Boltodes, those guys can do your job better. For just 10 points above the Sagittarum guard, you have a unit that can actually move 12ps, shoot three 36" S6 AP3 and deliver three (four if you assume Misericordia to be CCW) S6 AP3 attacks on the charge, so anything without a 2+ or decent invulnerable save is fucked. If you must deal with something harder, Corvae las-pulsers can ruin the day of any vehicle, TEQ or MC but the price of your squadron is increasing quickly, so just take the Adrathic Devastators if you're not afraid of short range fights. Two S6 Armourbane shots are mathematically better than 1D3 S9 ones and you get Instant Death as a bonus for far cheaper, meaning [[Warhammer 40,000/Tactics/Mechanicum: Taghmata (30k)|T5 or more characters, multi-wound units and Monstruous Creatures]] will shit in their pants too.
**Do note that the Agamatus are the only Custodes unit without Crusader (the July 2018 FAQ didn't change that), and are just jetbikes, not eldar jetbikes, so no free 2D6-not-thrust-moves, and it really sucks since you NEED to win the first round of close-combat after you charge if you don't want to be locked forever with your downgraded derp-lances. Don't be greedy and keep your precious heavy weapons away from tarpits.

===Heavy Support===
*'''Sisters of Silence Seeker Cadre''': Sisters with Flamers. Competes with Excruciatus Cadre as your "must take" gold babes. (Calling them "Golden Girls" means you earned that live grenade under your bed.) Nothing more you need to know besides the ability to grab grenades and the basic Anathema, Fanatic Discipline, and Cadre rules. The squad can take Grenade Launchers with Frag, Krak, and Psyk-Out grenades. This is your answer to Magnus and his D. Use them as a Militia Grenadier Squad with anti Psyker options. They don't get Gas or Firebust like the other guys. However a ten member squad can put out a load of hurt with ten S6 AP4 attacks at 24" or as an effective blob killer.(i.e. Chaos Daemons, when they finally have 30K compatible rules) Not quite as good as the Caladius or the Telemon but they can threaten light vehicles such as Rhinos and out range squads with Volkite Chargers. Freeing up the heavy hitters to deal with MEQs and above. Note that unlike Grenadiers they won't last as long in a shooting match. One would think the Golden Sisters would have better grenades than Cults and Militias. This oversight might be fixed when Talons get their own red book.
*'''Legio Custodes Sagittarum Guard Squad''': One of the few shitty Custodes units. For 65 points per model, you got Custodes with Adrastus Bolt Calivers and refractors. Thanks to their Caliver, they're theoretically able to cover either front. There's not much more to describe on the equipment front, being able to grab Arae-Shrikes, meltabombs, and transponders as well as one guy grabbing the Vexilla. For sure they are as tough as any Custodes and can withstand more damage than almost any shooty unit in the entire HH setting, but are very difficult to use if you want them to earn their points back. They can be useful in low point games but you are better off taking the Dreadnoughts or Grav-Tank instead.
**Why do they suck ? Here is the answer. Using the Bolt profile makes your golden Boltodes derp-tough overcosted Devastators, and basically nothing more. Unless you're fielding a big squad of Sagittarum, a 30" Heavy Bolter means you are sacrificing mobility for only a few damage against anything with an armour save of 3+ or better. As a comparison, a 8-man strong Astartes Support Squad costing the same price can deal almost thrice the amount of dakka.
**So, what about the Adrathic destructor? AP2, Amourbane and Instant Death are pretty terrifying, but you only get '''one''' shot per shooting phase, so anything with a good invulnerable save and/or some meatshields will probably survive your volley of murder beams. And since the unit you are shooting at is within charge range and will wreck/tarpit your Boltodes in assault because [[Derp|you have only 2 attacks and not even a power weapon]] (The Misericordia might be a power sword equivalent[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misericorde_(weapon)] but until a FAQ is released we can't assume anything about it), you need to be lucky. Concretely, that means you must target something you're almost sure to kill in one turn, so avoid characters with Eternal Warriors and Cataphractii squads. Deep-striking behind vehicles is the best way to use your golden boys, so plan to take melta bombs if you fail at blasting this angry Contemptor before it charges you. Anyway, a squad of Custodians with Adrastite spear can do the same job and they do have power weapons.
*'''Contemptor-Galatus Dreadnought''': Another giant golden mecha for the Emperor's Firstborn. Compared to the Achilius, this one gets a fuckhuge warblade with AP2, Shred and Rampage, with a Twin-Linked Infernus Destructor built in to it. The Galatus also sports a Praesidium Shield, allowing it to re-roll invul saves taken from the front at range (and all in CC) and makes any hit rolls from any non-Gargantuans drop by 1. It also grabs Counter Attack, which lets it use that sword to its fullest. Put this in the front to take a few hits and let the other bananas smack whatever targets the big guy.
**Whilst this sexy beast occupies the sacred support slot for your Golden Bananas, and doesn't have any long-distance ranged weapons, this guy is an absolute BEAST in close combat. Even if we gloss over the Twin-linked S6 AP4 Flamer in it's sword (!), it's going to be doing some damage. On the charge, after a S8 Hammer of Wrath; you can expect 4 base attacks, +1 for charging or counterattack, and +d3 on the charge for for Rampage. '''That's between 5 and 8 attacks resolved at I5, at S10 AP2, rerolling failed to-wound rolls.''' The really nice thing is that in the event YOU are charged, you're still probably going to benefit from Wall of Death, Rampage, and (thanks to Counter Attack) +1 to your base. And if you don't sweep assault? They'll likely be hitting you on 5's in CC thanks to that shield of yours, which is also affording your AV13 a rerollable 5++. Again, it's competing with the Caladius, and the Achilius is arguably better overall, but don't discount this fella. Used correctly, he will put in some work, and is one of the few things that can take a charge of Primarch-train and hope to survive. This also makes a great but quite expensive one unit body guard for characters. The Galatus pairs well with an Achillus or Telemon to act as the defensive linebacker to their quarterback.
*'''Caladius Grav-Tank''': Take a [[Sicaran Battle Tank]], and stick it on a [[Land Speeder]]. Then give it to the most elite dudes in the Imperium and you have the Caladius. It's a fast skimmer (so you can Jink) with BS5, 13|13|11 3 HP and a flare shield, so keep it front toward your enemy and enjoy [[Awesome|your grav-Land Raider with a 4+ cover save]]. It comes with '''Outflank''', a '''Machine spirit''' (so you can Jink AND fire one of your weapons at full BS, pretty cool since the guns of your gilded podracer are nasty) and '''Grav Backwash''' (your enemy doesn't want to charge as much and suffers a -2 to Hit penalty in close combat as long as the Caladius is not Immobilised). The Caladius comes with two weapons : the turret-mounted '''Iliastus accelerator cannon''' and the hull-mounted '''Lastrum bolt cannon'''. The former is a twin-linked '''60" S7 AP2 Heavy 3''' gun with ''Rending'' and ''Rapid Tracking'' (no Jink for your enemy), while the latter is twin-linked '''36" S6 AP3 Heavy 3'''. Great, but here is the cherry on the top of the golden banana cake. Both weapons have a brand new fearsome rule : '''Heliothermic Detonation'''. If your target has suffered one or more unsaved wounds, they have must '''pass a Toughness test or suffer Instant Death''', and '''Penetrating hits adds +1 to the Vehicle Damage table'''. You get this package for just 195 points, or the same as an off the shelf Land Raider Proteus, a bargain for your golden banana warriors.
**Given some similarities with the Sicaran's accelerator autocannon, it is worth making some comparisons. Against metal bawkses, the Sicaran remains better for pure saturation and wiping out HP since it throws twice the amount of dakka the Caladius does, especially against Flyers, the Caladius' BS5 being useless in this case. HOWEVER, any Penetrating hit you may score with the Iliastus will have a 33% chance to blow your enemy up, something the autocannon can't even do. Anyway, the Sicaran looks like a jealous little bitch when coming to anti-infantry capabilities as the Caladius can tear apart MEQs and even TEQs or Monstruous Creatures better than most tanks. Well, for the same price the Sicaran can have 4 heavy bolters and will do a better job against 4+ saves and Cataphractii ([[Tyranids|by pure saturation power]]), but the golden floater remains more polyvalent overall. This Heliothermic Detonation shit means that Characters, multi-Wounds units and MC will sweat a little if they get wounded, [[Be'lakor|unless]] [[Nathaniel Garro|they]] [[Salamanders|are]] [[Sigismund|Eternal]] [[Primarchs|Warriors]].
**In book 7, we now have the option to replace the turret-mounted twin-linked Iliastus accelerator with a Twin-Linked Arachnus Heavy Blaze Cannon, for 15pts. Whilst you do lose out on AP2 and Rapid Tracking, you are gaining a Heavy 4 weapon with +1S and AP3. The real icing on this weapons cake, however, is the alternate firing mode. S10 AP1, with the Exoshock special rule from the Deredeo. With BS5 and TL, one would hope that round punches through some armour! Mathammer-wise, the concentrated mode is more efficient against Armour Value from 12 to 15, while the burst mode will wip out more HP than both the Iliastus and the concentrated blast until facing AV14 but remember you have no chance to get the Explosion! result on the chart. The Arachnus is better at tank-hunting and MEQ-killing, but if you expect a lot of skimmers, flyers, jetbikes or TEQs to show up, the Iliastus remains a more versatile (and cheaper) choice.
**All in all, the Caladius is maybe the most versatile tank in 30k for its price, both durable, fast, manoeuvrable and killy. With a main weapon firing from 48" up to 72", a 4+ cover save and a Frontal Armour of 14, it can stay away from your adversary's biggest guns while destroying light vehicles and infantry from afar and survive medium-range fire from the front when you cannot retreat. Just remember it has only a '''Rear Armour of 11''' so any deep-striking/outflanking unit with a bit of anti-armour stuff will wreck it.
*'''Telemon heavy Dreadnought''': The biggest, shiniest Dreadnought variant that ever existed and the Legio Custodes equivalent of the Leviathan. It comes with an Armour value of 13|13|12, 4HP, WS6, BS5, I5, 4 Attacks, exta armour, armoured ceramite and a 4+ invulnerable save increasing to 3+ against weapons with the Blast special rule or that use a template of any kind. Pretty good, but the giant golden Kinder has another surprise for you... The ''Unyielding Sentinel'' rule lets you roll 2 dice on the Vehicle Damage table after you suffered a Penetrating Hit, the highest being discarded. Now the time has come to punch things, the Telemon has some good tools for the job. Its basic weapons are a pair of '''Telemon Caestus''', Dreadnought close-combat weapons with ''Shred'' and ''Murderous Strike'', perfect for tearing Monstrous Creatures. Each Caestus comes with an in-built '''Proteus plasma projector''', an Assault 1 S5 AP2 Template weapon. It Gets Hot like other plasma weapons, but who cares ? AP2 flamers will make Terminators cry, especially if you're playing Zone Mortalis. You also get 1d6 Hammer of Wrath attacks instead of one when charging. If you don't want to dirty your shiny armour in close-combat, no problem, the Emprah has given you some nasty guns to do the job from afar. The '''Spiculus bolt launcher''' is a 48" S5 AP4 Heavy 5 weapon with ''Rending'' which can '''fire twice if you stay immobile during the Movement phase'''. The Telemon can also equip an '''Iliastus Accelerator Culverin'''. It is a nasty 36" S7 AP2 Heavy 5 Rending uber-autocannon, with the accustomed Heliothermic Detonation, which gives your enemies the chance of Instant Death <strike>on each unsaved wound</strike> if they suffer one or more wounds from your big gun. It's lacking the versatility of its other weapon options, but all in all, it's a great gun to fry some TEQ with and punch the occasional light vehicle. But the real star in the long-range combat department is the '''Arachnus storm cannon''', an [[Awesome|oversized laser gatling gun]] which can shoot with two profiles : 48" S7 AP 3 Heavy 7 or 72" S9 AP1 Heavy 2 with the ''Exo-Shock'' special rule. Not quite as good as the Arachnus heavy blaze cannon or the Iliastus Accelerator Culverin if you want to insta-kill MEQs or squads of T5 models, but slightly better against light vehicles, hordes and MC. You can replace one or both Caestus and Proteus projectors with this beauty for +30 points each.
**The Telemon is by far the most versatile ranged unit in the Talons of the Emperor army list. The Arachnus storm cannon makes him a threat against vehicles and infantry alike and the Spiculus launcher can add a lot of saturation fire, all this at 48" range, and the Iliastus Accelerator Culverin can ID the ubiquitous multi-wound TEQs you're likely to find in 30k. If you stay immobile, your Dreadnought can unleash [[Dakka|14 S7 AP3 and 10 S5 AP4 shots each turn]], making it a good counter-measure against the usual Nemesis of a Custodes army : hordes and flyers. It does not match the Leviathan anti-armour capabilities in close-combat, but can engage a wider variety of targets while staying away from the melee.
**Like the Achillus Dreadnought, nothing is specified about the bonus attacks for every CCW after the first walkers get being included in the profile, so you technically don't lose any attack when taking an Arachnus storm cannon.
**Take note that '''the Telemon is a Character''', so he can call and accept challenges, be your Warlord, etc.

===Lords of War===
*'''Warlord-Sinister Pattern Battle Psi-Titan''': '''<s>HO-LYYY</s> SWEEET FUCK. PSYCHIC WARLORD TITAN.''' [[Grimdark|Fueled by the powers of captured psykers, who are bled dry to power the Titan]], it's a good thing this monster is worth 3250 points. Starting off with the standard kit of a [[Warlord Battle Titan]], the Warlord-Sinister adds the Psychic Pilot rule (Mastery Level 3), knowing three set powers: a 24" d6 bolter-shot nova with Soul Blaze and Ignores Cover, a blessing which [[Cheese|restores any lost hull point on a 5+]], and a witchfire which hits all units within 24" of a point with a Haywire hit (for vehicles-EVEN FLYERS) or d6 Heavy Bolter shots (PER 5 MODELS) if it's infantry. The Psi-Titan makes all enemy units within 12" take leadership checks automatically, and any unit that wishes to charge the monstrosity (why you would do that is beyond us) must take a leadership check at -3 Ld. Its weapons are standard fare for the Warlord, except that you always carry the '''Sinistramanus Tenebrae''' , aka the gun that will ruin your day, on one arm. Fluff-wise it's an up-scaled Animus Speculum, crunch-wise it's an apocalyptic mega-blast that's Strength D/Fleshbane/Poison 4+, and AP 1/2/3 for its respective ranges. Oh, and that inner circle? Yeah, it's a Vortex, just in case anything in the blast radius thought it would survive that shot. And if you finally manage to put the Titan(ic amount of [[Grimdark]]) down, it will explode on you, which on a 4+ becomes a '''[[Rape|36 INCH DESTROYER BLAST]]'''. Honestly, even if the Emperor's rules get released, this bastard will probably be the more OP Lord of War choice.

*'''Orion Assault Dropship''': A 7 hull point, 13-12-11, 600ish point super-heavy flyer and a Lord of War for Talons of the Emperor. It's also a transport with a capacity of 24 models. (Yes, Custodians do count as two.) This golden nugget is capable of transporting a Dreadnought, (which counts as 10 models.) Along with being a super-heavy flyer, and transport, the Orion is armed with two Arachnus Heavy Blaze cannons, Two nose mounted tl Lastrum Bolt Cannons, two Spiculus Heavy Bolt Launchers (48", 7, 4, H3, Rending,) armored ceramite and cockpit as standard and the new Eclipse Shield and Macro Arae-Shrike. The Eclipse Shield provides the Orion with a -2 to blast and template weapon strength, and a -1 to all other weapon strength. If a shooting weapon inflicts a glancing or penetrating hit, the Orion immediately gains Shrouded against all subsequent hits against its front Arc during this phase. However, this has no effect on melee attacks or weapons of the Destroyer type (not a big deal as long as you're not Hovering since most of D weapons are usually blasts). Macro Arae-shrikes on the other hand, act as normal Arae-shrikes, with the addition of ''interception interference.'' When enemy units declare their interception, the intercepting player must roll a D6 for each unit attempting to intercept. If a unit rolls 3 or less, it's unable to intercept but may fire as normal in its next shooting phase. Furthermore, because He and the terrawatt clan love us so, the Orion has the Deep Strike and Assault Vehicle special rule.
**As long as you keep the enemy in front of it, the Orion is arguably more resistant (and cheaper) than a similarly geared Thunderhawk. Its firepower may seem somewhat limited for what you're paying and it clearly won't earn its points back by killing TEQ or hordes. Two S10 AP1 exo-shock shots and 3 rending autocannons are still quite good for tank-hunting and make the Orion a monster against other flyers, but you could have more big guns for the same price. Unless you really need a very reliable transport or flyer-killer, there are other units that can do the job better.

*<s>God-</s>[[Emperor of Mankind]]: '''COMING SOON!''' No actual rules yet, but a note in the Legio Custodes Tribune rules suggests he will be a future potential HQ/LoW choice for the army, similar to the Primarchs and their legions.

[[Category: Adeptus Custodes]]
[[Category:Warhammer Tactics/30k]]