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

===Elites===

The majority of Custodian units are Elites, from Wardens to SuperDreads. Consequently, your main detachment will probably be the Vanguard, for +1 CP. If you want more CPs, better stock up on those £70/$120 10 man Guard squads.

*'''Custodian Wardens:''' Tougher Custodian Guard that get a 6+++ FnP and +1 A and Ld (for A4 and Ld9). You know, because all those invulnerable saves didn't make them tough enough to kill already. They also trade access to storm shields for access to the castellan axes, just in case you wanted an extra unit for tank/big thing hunting. They also have a compulsory Misericordia each, which allows you to make an additional attack using it. Good to finish off that one model on a single wound, without having to waste your more useful attacks.
**After Chapter Approved 2019, the difference in cost between a Spear Guard and a Warden is 3 points- from 49 to 52.  This means you take, at best, 16.67% less damage (less as incoming damage tends to exceed 3 - for example, a lascannon will deal about 6.67% less).  If you go MSU on both, the leadership difference won't matter, so the only other differences are in melee (the Warden has 33.33% more spear swings, plus a misericordia swing) - and you have no good way to get these guys there, so you ''should not'' be looking at these guys as dedicated melee.  Axes have a similar problem - they'll get you more melee bang for your buck against many opponents, but you're still paying more points for more melee output from something too slow to guarantee you melee on your terms. On the other hand...the entire army is dedicated melee anyway and they're no longer that much more expensive than a Custodian Guard squad.
**Check out the Forgeworld Orion Gunship and Coronus Grav-carrier, the vehicles are very expensive but so good that the extra threat per model of Wardens would be worthwhile in them.
**If you already have a Battalion, it may be worth using Vanguard detachments and Wardens instead of Custodian Guard Battalions. Though you increase in (minuscule) points per model and lose access to Sentinel Blades and Storm Shields in exchange for the buffs and Castellan Axes, you do reduce your HQ tax by one HQ, ultimately saving you space and points.
*'''Allarus Custodians:''' Custodians in Terminator Armor...with four wounds each and equipped with balistus grenade launchers in addition to their guardian spear/castellan axe...and can deep strike without needing the Stratagem to do so. Ouch. They're designated character killers, with Slayers of Tyrants allowing them to move up to 3" towards the nearest character when piling in and consolidating even if the character isn't the nearest enemy model.
**These guys can do some surprisingly strong work, since you don't need to pay any CP to deep strike them, and their guns aren't shit.  The key selling point is that the launcher is "free" (i.e. it's baked into their cost), so when they deep strike to get the launcher in range, one 77 point model shooting anything all 3 points of penetration will count against, such as a TEQ, will do the work of two spears at once - which would otherwise cost you more points, since you'd have to pay for someone to carry it.  Take Allarus Custodians if you want an elite unit to disrupt and distract enemies, with deep strike, that can hunt down Characters.
**These guys should really be Dread Host, 2 units deep striking with an allarus captain each rolling 3d6 on the charge discarding the lowest is a pretty terrifying threat particularly if your shield captain has Admonimortis.  
*'''Venerable Contemptor Dreadnought:''' Uber Contemptor dreadnought. It does dreadnought things but with a 5++  and the ability to ignore regular wounds on 6s (Being nearly as tough as some Nurgle followers) thanks to the '''Unyielding Ancient''' special rule. With the From Golden Light They Come stratagem, you can now deep strike these guys right up in your opponent's face and force them to deal with it.
**Your heaviest hitting non-FW melee unit coming in at S14 with its melee weapon, and although your army is hitting with at least S5 ap-2 D1 this is not enough to take big beasties like Magnus down in one or two rounds of melee. Its incredible durability also allows it to play the role of distraction Carnifex (most custodes units can play the role of a distraction Carnifex better than an actual Carnifex), especially as deep striking one of these behind enemy lines will guarantee that your opponent is distracted. Also useful for killing vehicles, since its multi-melta is a far cheaper alternative to bringing along a Land Raider.
*'''Vexilus Praetors:''' Like their Marine cousins, the Vexilla bearers are going it alone as Characters now. Makes a huge difference to the custodes as before your banner had to be part of a unit and the +1 attack only affected that unit, and now you're not limited to one per detachment anymore. They can also keep their weapon now and have the option to take a sword, axe, spear or storm shield. It can be taken wearing Allarus Terminator armor so you can deep strike that aura anywhere you want and also really take advantage of the Vexilla Teleport Homer stratagem. They lose their close combat weapon but get the grenade launcher and can still take a Misericordia. Gloss over the impossibility of the custodian being able to hold a Misericordia, Storm Shield, and the Vexilla all at one time while in combat, this is a setting where green things fix robots by whacking a piece of metal with a spanner. Unlike the Ancients, however, they get a choice of three different Vexillas, each of which costs various points values according to what they do.
**For 20 points, the '''Vexilla Imperius''' allows non-Vehicle Custodes within 6" to make an extra attack. Effectively the old banner but with an AOE effect, thereby making it superior as you can have it affect more than one unit.
**For 20 points, the '''Vexilla Defensor''' grants a 5++ invulnerable save against ranged weapons to all {{W40Kkeyword|Imperium}} {{W40Kkeyword|Infantry}} within 9". Redundant on your forces due to all the invulnerable saves you already have; on an allied force, on the other hand...well, you can figure it out.
***Those guardsmen begin to look very, very scary when they all have 5++ saves, not to mention 2+/3++ Bullgryns. The best way to add it would be in a separate detachment so that you can still use eg Astra Militarum in your other detachments.
***Take 2 (the Magnifica and the Defensor, upgrading the Magnifica to the relic version and you once again have guard blobs that won't go anywhere. This is a key unit in a guard custodes list arguably the most important one. If you can manage to keep those guard blobs around till the end of the game this would have been with it. 
**For 30 points, the [[Sanguinius|faaabulous]] '''Vexilla Magnifica''' forces the opponent to subtract 1 from all hit rolls in the shooting phase for attacks targeting Custodes units within 6" of the Vexilla. Whether you take this or the 6” +1 attack depends on how you're running your custodes, jetbikes, and spear-wielding units will benefit from the -1 to hit against shooting attacks most, while that squad of 10 storm shield bananas with swords, a 5-man warden squad with a Shield-Captain, or just any Allarus squad will annihilate anything with that +1 attack. Great if they're deep striking in with your Allarus Custodians, if they don't make their 9-inch charge at least they'll have some durability against enemy shooting next turn.

====Forge World====

*'''Aquilon Custodians:''' More traditionally armed Custodian Terminators, bringing a Lastrum Storm Bolter and a Solerite Power Gauntlet, which is a Chainfist with no -1 to hit. They have the option of taking a Solarite Power Claw instead, a +1S Lightning Claw with plus 1 attack, to cut their cost down a bit and can also swap the Bolter out for either a Twin Adrathic Destructor, a strange, expensive Assault 2 S5 AP-3 D3 weapon, or the Infernus Firepike a +1S Heavy Flamer with ''12" range''. And you can load up all 6 of these super bananas with them! Do what every terminator enthusiast has wet dreams about and deepstrike a half dozen super heavy flamers exactly where you want them to be and carbonize your opponent's entire infantry contingent and then proceed to charge their artillery piece to turn it into mulch with their power gauntlets. Oh, and you can still take a Misericordia on each, of course.
**The Aquilons are easily the most versatile and powerful infantry unit available to Custodes. Primaris Marines? Take the gauntlets and eventually some destructors. Hordes? Solerite talons and Firepikes are here for you. They are still quite expensive when fully geared, but they can get any job done if you use them well. With the new strat that doubles rapid fire shots for an infantry unit, their Storm Bolters are probably the better option over Firepikes now. Firepikes roll randomly for shots, but each terminator gets 8 Heavy Bolter Equivalent shots hitting on 2s and cost less in points. For one CP when they drop down, that's 40 shots with a squad of 5. 
*'''Contemptor-Achillus Dreadnought:''' Though it may have lost the almighty D in its transition to 40k, the Achilus Dread still keeps its reputation as a melee monster. His shooting weapon, is a 24" Heavy 2 S8 AP-2 d3 D weapon, which means that in a pinch it can also provide some much needed anti-vehicle firepower as it gets close to the enemy; the 2 Lastrum Storm Bolters aren't quite as powerful (a Combi-Bolter with +1S and AP) but the extra shots never hurt, and actually help the Achillus put the hurt on GEQs and MEQs without needing to get up close and personal. You can replace either of the Storm Bolters with an Infernus Incinerator for 16pts or a twin-linked Adrathic destructor for 20pts. Anyway, once in melee this guy an absolute beast: it packs 4 attacks with S14 AP-3 d6 damage, where all damage rolls under 3 count as having rolled a 3. As a bonus, each time the fucker successfully charges, you can choose an enemy unit within 1"; on a 4+ it takes 1d3 mortal wounds. Deep strike it with From Golden Light They Come on turn 2, and it will fuck shit up in no time.
**At 140pts with the dreadspear and 2 Lastrum storm bolters, the Achillus is cheaper than a Venerable dread for a similar profile but much more hitting power.
*'''Contemptor-Exemplar Dreadnought:''' Achillus without a spear (yes, it can be built like that in 30k) with an upcoming weapon hand to boot. As usual it's a somewhat souped-up Contemptor, by default it comes with two normal dreadnought CCWs, but instead of regular Storm Bolters you get the Lastrum variant, which acts like a Storm Bolter (24" rapid-fire 2) firing Heavy Bolter shells (S5 AP-1), they lost their heliothermic detonation rule from Heresy, but that's to be expected since instant death and glancing/penetrating hits are a thing of the past. The Lastrum Storm Bolters can be replaced with normal heavy flamers, or fancy new plasma ejectors which are like plasma flamers (S7 AP-3 D6 auto hitting shots), no Adrathic destructors yet though. Additionally, you can swap out one of the CCWs for a Twin Las-Pulsar. Compared to a twin lascannon, it has 12" less range and only does d3 damage per shot, but compensates by being Heavy 2d3. The Las-Pulser is 60 points but due to the second CCW costing 10 points and the Lastrum Storm Bolter costing 5 it's effectively 45, you should definitely take it as it's one of this army's only sources of long-range heavy firepower, and unlike pretty much every other dread you get no bonus for having two CCWs anyway.
**Note this did NOT get an updated data sheet with the new rules, so while it retains its +2W, +1 Leadership, and better Explosion rule, you can still only have one per detachment. You also can't haul it in an Orion, so if you're planning on taking this as a melee beatstick, you'll likely have to use From The Golden Light They Come to get it where you want it quickly.
*'''Contemptor-Galatus Dreadnought:''' The new dread on the block is a sword and board monster. Its Galatus Warblade functions both as a +1S Twin Heavy Flamer and as a 3 Damage Power Sword that gives you D3 extra attacks. Yep, old school ''Rampage'' is back baby! Its shield not only gives it 4++ but also inflicts a -1 to hit penalty on anyone attacking it in Melee. This combined makes it a fantastic candidate for either From The Golden Light They Come or the Dreadnought slot on an Orion, as it will be a dead weight until it can close with the enemy and has no business footslogging across the field.
**With its extra attacks, flamers and high resistance, the Galatus is the Dread you need to deal with hard-hitting units with T6 or less. S7 isn't enough to efficiently deal with monsters or vehicles but okay for everything else, so use it as an anchor to dissuade TEQs from coming too close.

====Sister of Silence====
*'''Prosecutors:''' Imagine a Sisters of Battle Celestian squad with no acts of faith, but who can shut down Psykers by pure genetics rather than a whole lot of faith, and you'll have an idea of what Prosecutors can do. Power Armoured veteran ladies with Bolters and Psyk-Out Grenades. No bolt pistols or option for any special/heavy weapon, but they do have a 7" movement range, meaning you can move around the battlefield as quickly as Eldar. 
**Prosecutors have "Prosecution Protocols," which is a rule the other Silent Sisters do not have, giving them the ability to shoot at Psyker Characters even if they are not the closest unit. This is especially good against Psyker heavy armies such as Eldar, who can hide their warlocks, and more importantly, spirit and Farseers, behind squads of Guardians. 
**These girls are probably most useful for you as Custodians, as they allow you to take down at least a couple of the enemy’s psykers before your custodians get closer and they start smiting 50-100 points per psychic phase. Also helpful for killing said psykers without sending a 5-man Guard squad to chew through bubble wrap for two turns, all the while taking losses from the psyker they guard. Bear in mind, however, that their bolters are just bolters so will utterly wilt against high toughness and/or saves.
**These are the only models in the game we can be fairly confident have law degrees, but hopefully, we'll gain access to [[Adeptus_Arbites|judges]] at some point.
*'''Vigilators:''' A squad of battle sisters armed with what is essentially a guardian spear. This squad has the potential to do some remarkable damage to high-value targets, and not necessarily only Psykers, though the ''Witch Hunters'' rule comes into its own with this unit since it only applies in the Fight Phase. ''This means they are capable of wounding even Magnus on a re-rollable 5+, just over 55%.'' Bear in mind that multiple wounds do not carry over from slain models, so going charging into an Ork mob is still going to get you murdered. The big problem, though, is that they do not have any guns to speak of. That means no overwatch, no pistols for combat, and no way to strike at opponents at any distance, aside from 1 psyk-out grenade for the entire unit.
**Moreso than Prosecutors and Witchseekers, the ladies with swords would do better with a transport vehicle. Since they cannot shoot, they should be kept carefully encapsulated until you need them, so that when they disembark and assault for the first time, they will hit with devastating effect.
*'''Witchseekers:''' Sisters of Silence attempting to take a leaf out of the Sisters of Battle handbook and come to battle armed entirely with Flamethrowers. Their effectiveness is difficult to quantify. When compared to Sororitas Dominions with Flamers, Witchseekers are one point more expensive, but come without bolt pistols or frag/Krak grenades (they have psyk-out grenades instead, which are usually worse). If neither squad has a transport, then Witchseekers do have a movement range of 7", but Dominions get a free move at the start of the battle, and can, therefore, cover the same distance over a six turn game, and Dominions have acts of faith, allowing them to repeat certain actions. Not to knock against the Sisters of Silence though, because they still have their hard anti-psychic benefits, plus the ''entire'' squad is armed with flamers, meaning you can get 10d6 automatic hits if you go full-sized, and they are veterans, so are slightly better at melee ''(though without any actual melee weapons beyond the basic one everyone gets)''. If you're looking for an awful lot of flamers then only Tzeentch can do it better, and as a Custodes player they help out in anti-horde, making them perfect candidates for going for that Malignant Plaguecaster bubble-wrapped in Poxwalkers. Witchseekers in a Rhino can make great objective grabbers - move them forward and hose down important points, then dare the enemy to come close and take it from them.