Editing Adeptus Custodes (section)

==="Default" Custodes===

As detailed in early Horus Heresy material, before the specialty groups were conceived, the Custodes had a fairly generalized color scheme. Duncan covers this paint scheme [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dm8J-kaezWM here], but in general: The armor is almost entirely gold, with some silver bits such as the faceplate and some cables and some pipes. The plume and some bits -- decorative cords over the leather -- are red (other GW painters during the era paint the cords a sky blue), but the pauldrons are not given this base color with gold trim, instead remaining entirely gold. The guardian spear is majority black in both the haft and bolter, with gold trim, some silver mechanics, and a blue power blade. Gemstones are painted silver and then a blue technical paint is used to make them gemstones.

The differences between this and the later paint style can be seen throughout page 44 through 55 of the 8E codex, with page 48 and 49 showing some of the Specialty Adeptus Custodes Groups such as the Solar Watch and the Shadowkeepers, while page 46 has detail pictures of 3 miniatures in the old style, while a batrep style army photo of models in the newer style behind them.

In general, the newer style picks a secondary color -- usually red -- to break up the gold by giving the pauldrons a base of that color, using gold instead to color the trim and detail on top of the pauldrons. For those who have used Space Marine Pauldrons that have 3D detail, it's basically that. Newer models such as the Custodian Warden or Terminators also have more cloth material which is also (but not always, see below) this color. The newer style also seems to use more silver, although this may be the result of modern GW's addiction to edge highlighting everything like it's something out of a bad Tron themed fever dream.