Editing Warhammer 40,000/8th Edition Tactics/Adeptus Custodes (section)

===Melee Weapons===

The Melee Weapons for Games Workshop's Custodes units are as follows:
*'''Guardian Spear:''' It's a S+1 (i.e. S6) AP-3 melee weapon that does DD3 damage to a target. In other words, effectively a souped-up force axe/sword, and is your most standard weapon throughout the list. At only 9 points it is a very effective weapon.
*'''Castellan Axe:'''  S+3 (i.e. S8) AP-2 D3 damage axe of crack and doom. Use when Strength 6 from the Guardian Spear isn’t quite cutting it and AP isn’t quite as important as actually landing wounds, such as when you’re going toe-to-toe with Tyranid beasties or light vehicles. Wardens and Allarus Custodians with these can threaten any Heavy Support in the game.
**Mathhammer-wise, axes are usually your best choice against T6 (both weapons are equivalent against T6/2+ with 5++ or worse, but the spear is cheaper, giving it the edge there) and T7/8 regardless of save, or anything with a 4++ or better, while spears shine against T1/2/3/5/9/10 models without a 4++. The difference in damage output between spears and axes against T4 models without an invulnerable save is minuscule (6.25% worse against 2+ and equivalent against 3+, i.e. only worse due to cost) so you should always go full Castellan when facing pure MEQ armies and keep the spears for GEQs and things with 2+ saves, although it's bad form to make your list after knowing your opponent's. The general rule, if the Custodian can take an axe he takes the axe!
*'''Interceptor Lance:''' Standard issue for your Jetbikes; same stat-wise as a Guardian Spear, but without any shooting (the guns are on the bikes) and it allows you to re-roll wounds on the charge. Tasty as hell.
**Jetbikes have the {{W40Kkeyword|Fly}} Keyword, which means they can charge and attack flyers in melee. [[Awesome|Just think about that.]]
*'''Misericordia:''' This power knife grants an additional attack at S: U AP-2 unless the model is equipped with a Storm Shield. At only 3 points, it's not too bad of a weapon, though with how expensive we already are per model, it's not an auto-include. Still, remember you could get 13 additional misericordia attacks in your army for the price of a single Custodian Guard, so it's worth taking under certain circumstances. That, and 30k Legio Custodes players won't skin you alive for [[Rage|actually having rules for the Misericordia]] [[Troll|and not using them]]. Also how you will be using any leftover points.
*'''Sentinel Blade:''' Strength User, AP-3, D3 damage; not as killy/strong as the Spear, but your only option if you take a Storm Shield. A good option if you want to outfit a unit to hunt T4 meqs and teqs since they will wound just as well as the spear but also get 2 pistol shots each in melee. Add stormshields if you anticipate said meqs/teqs having thunder hammers...

====Forge World====
The Melee Weapons for Forge World's Custodes units are as follows:
*'''Achillus Dreadspear:''' A brutal Sx2 (14) AP-3 DD6 weapon that treats all Damage rolls of 1 or 2 as 3 and also deals d3 mortal wounds on the charge. Perfect for hunting down large, single entities toughness 7 or less. [[Anal Circumference|Bend over and we'll make this quick.]] It can also handle T8-T13 thanks to its high strength, but if you charge a titan with it expect the Achillus to die immediately after attacking. 
*'''Adrasite/Pyrthite Spear:''' A Guardian spear without access to the Piercing Strike stratagem, possibly in error as they only switched out their Bolters for disintegrators or meltas.
*'''Galatus Warblade:''' A 3 Damage Power Sword that now allows your dude to do D3 additional attacks. Sounds pretty good, yeah? Now give it to a Dreadnought.
*'''Solerite Power Gauntlet:''' An upgraded power fist for Forge World's class of Custodes Terminator, the Aquilon. Essentially a power fist with Ap-4 and no -1 to hit roll. So, this means that from a unit of 3 Aquilons, you will get 12 strength 10 Ap -4 Damage d3 attacks hitting on 2s. Anything without a high invuln will evaporate. This makes the Aquilon your go-to footsloggers for killing big beasties like greater daemons or superheavies. 
**You will generally take this on your Aquilons over the Talon as the price is really the only downside to it when comparing it to the Talon (and even then the gauntlet is only 4 points more expensive), while the higher strength, ap, and damage means it can tackle a much wider range of opponents and, really, going from wounding everything T6 and above on 4s and 5s to wounding everything below Reaver Titans on 2s and 3s will make a big big difference, both to your play style and your opponent's (funnily enough, people don't like the idea of leaving A4 WS2+ relic power fists alone).  
*'''Solerite Power Talon:''' Str 6 Ap-2 damage 1, reroll failed wound rolls AND now allows you to make an additional attack with it. Now a quite decent choice if you want to gear your Aquilon for horde-crushing. It is very reliable for taking on GEQs as it can reroll failed wound rolls (which will only ever be the 1s), and Ap -2 means they don't get a save. It can't handle MEQs TEQs or vehicles as well as the Fist due to its lower Strength, AP, and only 1 Damage, although its ability to reroll all failed wound rolls does help it slightly against the MEQs and TEQs. If you take these, it will be because you're saving points for Misericordias on other units (the difference in points between the Talon and the Gauntlet is 4 - the same as a Misericordia's cost). In this lone case, combine them with the Infernus Firepike and have Aquilons with these go GEQ-hunting.
*'''Tarsus Buckler:''' Designed for destroying GEQs. Like the Power Talon, this is a S: 6 Ap: -2 melee weapon but 1 damage will limit the variety of opponents this can go up against. However, the reason you want to take this is for a) the kinetic destroyer (a two-shot S6 ap-2 D2 pistol with 18" range and what is basically a Volkite rule), and b) the fact that they reduce weapons of Ap-1 to Ap 0, limiting the consequences of having ''only a 3+/4++ save''. 
*'''Telemon Caestus:''' [[TTS|'''IT'S FISTIN' TIME!!!!!''']] *Ahem* The Imperial Fister for the Telemon Dreadnought, as the name suggests. The updated rules mean you now get +1 attack if you take two, which would translate to 5 Strength 16 AP-3 D4 attacks, and, like the Power Gauntlet, with no -1 to hit that you'd usually see on a weapon like this. This means that, while unbalancing your force, Titans will fall to something more than half their height. Get your [[Troll]] face ready. (Seriously, this things wounds Imperial Knights on 2s).
*'''Venatari Lance:''' +1 STR, AP -3, D3 damage. A Guardian Spear but without access to the Piercing Strike stratagem.
**''The 1D3 value also leads to some Damage rolls of 1 being "lost" due to the distribution of Damage between dice. Let's say you're fighting a unit of models with 2 Wounds each and you inflict two unsaved wounds. Rolling a 2 then a 1 on your Damage rolls isn't the same thing than rolling a 1 then a 2. While the two combinations are statistically identical, the later will only remove one model and leave the rest of the unit unharmed: the 1 you rolled is useless.''
**''So what is this fucking paragraph about? Just remember that weapons dealing 1D3 wounds are quite different from ones with a flat Damage value of 2 and you should take those differences into account when doing or using some mathammer. It isn't much of a problem against single tanky models like vehicles, monsters and characters since most of them have enough Wounds to smoothen the overall result of your rolls, but [[Primaris_Space_Marines|multi-wounds infantry]] may turn out to be tougher than you expected because of how the Damage mechanics work.