Editing Warhammer 40,000/Tactics/Kill Team(8E) Imperium (section)

==Adeptus Custodes (Elites)==
===Why Play Adeptus Custodes===
*'''Pros'''
**You'll be fielding some of the most game-breakingly overpowered motherfuckers in all Kill Team, with the most durable baseline troops in the game - you'll have WS, BS, Sv 2+, S & T5, W3, M6 on all your troops even before you equip them with their OP-as-fuck weapons, all of which are multi-damage (except the Misericordia, but that'll still be hitting at S5 AP-2 D1, which as your backup weapon, is far better than most factions get for their main combat weapon so don't complain about it!). In a Commanders game, you'll be able to take a shield-captain as well, to give your guys rerolls to hit!
**''Almost'' all of the things that might give your golden boys trouble in 40k, hordes, heavy weapons, tanks, most mortal wounds sources, flyers, etc, are out of the equation in Kill Team. This is the game that ''really'' plays to the Custodes' strengths.
**You enjoy making people yell "What the hell am I supposed to do about ''that''?" when they see your team.
**You'll be much less vulnerable to getting swarmed in Kill Team than you are in 40k as the most models your enemy can field is 20 and all you have to do is kill half of them with your insane shooting and melee prowess. This will force their Kill Team to Break, and then it's just a case of wandering around slaying shaken models indiscriminately.
**Morale phase? Ha ha ha. We don’t do that around here.
**You get to play the [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CI0tY5PRuHs Juggernaut's theme song] as your Custodes are carving their way through the enemy team.
*'''Cons'''
**You'll be an even bigger [[that guy]] than the Deathwatch player who brings four frag cannons.
***No seriously, a guy that fields a [[Warlord Titan]] in 40k will have more people willing to go up against him than you will with your golden boys.
**You'll be able to tally off your entire list with one hand, with a normal sized Kill Team of only 2 to 3 models (even with the point increase for Elites missions, you will never field more than three models). Any losses an enemy does manage to inflict will hurt immensely.
***The cost of each individual unit is so high that in a 100 point game there is no space for any specialisms or even a fire team, you have to choose either 3 guards or one guard and one terminator, and a rank 4 commander with a sword and shield will set you back by 200 points.
**Swarms ''can'' still a problem. If you can't break a large team for one reason or another, you may have trouble killing them fast enough. Which leads to the next problem...
**Your low model count and relatively slow movement will likely see your 2-3 man squad being outmaneuvered. Controlling objectives <s>could be</s> will be a problem.
**Mortal wounds will hurt, ''a lot'', beware of snipers and psykers (and make no mistake, you ''will'' see a lot of snipers and psykers), even with your universal 6+ FNP against mortal wounds in the Psychic Phase and the Spark of Divinity tactic.
***Spark of Divinity in particular can't be relied upon to protect you against the psykers that that will threaten you the most, since it can only be used once per round, any non-GK psybolt will out-range it, and the two psychic marine factions can manifest ''twice''.
**Everyone is scared of you. Everyone will be brainstorming a way to counter you. Odds are every team you go up against ''will'' be optimized to give you as hard, and annoying, of a fight as possible. Don't expect victories to be quick or fun.

===AC Special Rules===
*'''Adeptus Custodes Kill Team:'''Custodes only require 2 models for a battle-forged Kill Team, unlike other teams. Good thing too, otherwise 3 Custodian Guard would be the only possible list.
*'''Superior Transhuman Physiology:''' Ignore ''all'' hit roll penalties from Flesh Wounds. No chipping away at their effectiveness here, they'll be deadly regardless of how many Flesh Wounds they get. 
*'''Aegis of the Emperor:''' Every model in the faction has a 5+ invulnerable save by default. In addition they get a 6+FNP against Mortal Wounds in the Psychic phase.
*'''The Emperor's Chosen:''' The AC subfaction, but given its literally impossible for a battleforged list to not qualify for it and it's your only option, it is pretty much just a straight buff. Improve all invulnerable saves by 1, up to a maximum of 3++. Coupled with Aegis, your opponent had better bring to bear a lot of mortal wounds if they want to stand a chance.

===AC Ranged Only Weapons===
*'''Ballistus Grenade Launcher:''' 12” S4 ap-3 D1 and exclusive to Allarus who all get one. Best AP you're going to get from ranged fire, needed for Concussion Grenades, and multiple weapons are good in number starved teams. Superior infantry muncher when compared to your axe/spear due to only causing 1 damage but possessing high ap.

===AC Melee Only Weapons===
*'''Misercordia:''' Everyone can take it, its free, and gives you a free extra attack using it every time you fight without sacrificing attacks from your other melee weapons (unless you also take a storm shield). There's no reason not to take it and chances are you’re going to be swamped with enemy chaff, every little helps.

===AC Ranged/Melee Hybrid Weapons===
*'''Castellan Axe:''' Trade a point of AP for two points of strength over the Spear in Melee, same shooting. Your MEQ murderer, but as there are no vehicles in kill team the axe is only useful against toughness four foes with high invulnerability saves.
*'''Guardian Spear:''' Trade two point of strength for a point of AP over the Axe in Melee, same shooting. Your go to choice as it performs the best against the most targets, butt fucking GEQ’s on a 2+ with no saves, MEQ’s and nurgle followers on a 3+, the only thing tough enough to really fight against this are the eldar constructs, but even then wounding on 4’s is respectable. Most of the time though the sword will still do the exact/almost same job but with better defence.
*'''Sentinel Blade:''' Sacrifice offense for defense by taking this and a Storm Shield instead of a Spear/Axe. 12" Pistol 2 instead of 24" rapid fire 1, only AP0 D1 ranged, and S User melee, otherwise identical to the Guardian Spear. 
**Most of the time the extra defence of the shield and sword is more useful than strength 6 and increased shooting range.

===AC Other Wargear===
*'''Storm Shield:''' Get a 3++ save. Can only be taken with the Sentinel Blade, but against most enemies it functions the same anyway. Take for those situations where there is a lot of ap-2 or better weapons being fired at you (plasma, meltas, frag cannons etc) and a 4++ doesn’t cut it.

===AC Units===
*'''Custodian Guard (Leader, Combat, Scout, Sniper, Veteran, Zealot):''' at 33pts with free wargear, obviously costed so you can take three and just as powerful as you’d expect. Can either take a spear (for better shooting and weapon strength) or a sword and shield (for when a 4++ save [[Melta|isn’t enough]]). They can all take an Uber power knife for free but it cannot be used with the sword and shield. In a one on one fight they will kill everything easily, except death guard terminators, but even then the odds are in your favour. 
*'''Allarus Custodian (Leader, Combat, Demolitions, Sniper, Veteran, Zealot):''' Your Shiny Golden Terminator at 67 points with free wargear, obviously priced so you can take 1 and a Guard with the Custards special 2-model-kill team rule. Because he's armed with 2 shooting weapons, namely a Balistus and either a Castellan Axe or Guardian Spear, he can make 2 shots per round to help make up for costing you a 3rd team member. The ability to outright disable shooting enemies with the Balistus also helps provide some balance the low numbers, but a D3 only averages 2 attacks and if your enemies are smart they'll quickly learn not to clump up.
**Most of the time there’s no point taking a terminator, as although they provide an extra attack, wound and better ap on their gun, you're sacrificing 2 wounds, 2 attacks and an extra body amongst which your opponent must divide attacks or that you can divide to attack them. What separates/makes the terminator worth taking is access to the ''From Golden Light'' Reserve Tactic for specific threat removal, however this is only available in Commander games as you can only put 1/2 your total Force in reserves and the Allarus is 67. 
====AC Commanders====
*'''Shield Captain (Ferocity, Fortitude, Leadership, Logistics, Melee, Shooting, Stealth, Strategist, Strength):''' The most powerful model in all of kill team, even before you start giving him specialisations. He’s also one of the few commanders with an actually worth mentioning command ability, that being re-rolling 1’s to hit (taking you from hitting 5/6 of the time to 35/36) for the mere cost of 1cp a turn. Consider a Storm Shield to keep him alive as long as possible. But like the rest of your team he’s a little slow and doesn’t have many wounds for his overall cost. Oh, and there's no way you'll be fitting him into a Kill-Team in games where Commanders cost points - he IS the kill team.

===AC Tactics===
*'''[Elites] Spark of Divinity (1 CP):''' When an enemy psyker manifests a psychic power within 12" of a model from your kill team that is not shaken, you can take a Deny the Witch test for that model as if it were a psyker.
*'''[Elites] Ever Vigilant (2 CP):''' If a model is set up with 12", make a shooting attack but with -1 to hit
*'''[Elites] Inspire Fear (1 CP):''' Pick a nonshaken friendly model during the Morale phase, enemies within 3" add 1 to nerve tests
*'''[Elites] From Golden Light (Reserve) (1 CP):''' Take up to 3 terminators out of reserve. Place anywhere more than 5" away from enemies
**Literally unusable outside of Commander, as a Terminator will always cost more than 1/2 your total Force. And even in Commander, you're still never getting those 3 Terminators it offers. 
*'''[Elites] Unflinching (1 CP):''' Shoot a single overwatch on a 5+ instead of 6+
*'''[Elites] Concussion Grenades (1CP):''' Use in the shooting phase, for the rest of the round the Balistus Grenade Launcher on an Allarus now has AP0 but any successful hits (not attacks or wounds, hits as in 5/6ths of models with their 2+ WS) mean the target CANNOT SHOOT in the shooting phase and take -1 to hit in the fight phase. Given the Balistus gets D3 attacks, you can potentially disable large chunks of enemy kill teams. And with only 2 models when taking the Allarus, you're going to need to use this. Use with the sniper specialism for even more reliable hits.
*'''[Annual 2019] Piercing Strike (1CP):''' When you chose a model to fight in the Fight Phase, +1 to Wound with the Guardian Spear for the entire phase.
*'''[Annual 2019] Avenge the Fallen (1CP):''' If at least one of your models is out of action, give +1d3 attacks to a model when chosen to fight in the fight phase.
*'''[Annual 2019] Sentinel Storm (2CP):''' At the start of the Shooting Phase, pick a model within 1" of an enemy. Until the end of the phase, the Sentinel Blade is considered Pistol 4.
*'''[Annual 2019] Tanglefoot Grenade (1CP):''' Pick a non {{W40kKeyword|FLY}}ing enemy model within 12" of your model at the start of the Movement phase. That model suffers -1d6" to their move characteristic and charge rolls for the phase. 
*'''[Annual 2019] Emperor's Justice (1CP):''' When you pick a model to Fight in the Fight Phase, reroll wounds against {{W40kKeyword|Heretic Astartes}} models.

===AC Commander Tactics===
*'''[Elites] Inspirational Fighter (Aura) (1CP):''' Shield Captain only, obviously, Friendly models within 6" reroll hit rolls of 1.
*'''[Annual 2019] Inescapable Vengeance (1CP):''' When an Allarus shoots in the shooting phase it can reroll wound rolls that target an enemy Commander.
*'''[Annual 2019] Swift in Thought and Action (1CP):''' After your Commander makes a Normal Move, Ready him. 
*'''[Annual 2019] Aquila Commander (3CP):''' If your Commander is on the Battlefield and not Shaken, you can add or subtract 1 from rolls to determine if the battle ends.
*'''[Annual 2019] Even in Death (2CP):'''  When your Commander is taken out of action, resolve any further attacks by the opponent then your Commander either Shoots as if it were the Shooting Phase, or Fights as if it were the Fight Phase before he's taken of the Battlefield.

===AC Strategies===
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'''Counterplay'''
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Let's all just be honest here, AC players don't actually need to be given strategies to win with Adeptus Custodes. This is why you're really looking at this section - figuring out how to ''try'' and fight Custodes with everyone else.
As a general rule, be prepared to pull out every last bit of underhanded [[Powergamer]] [[That Guy]] [[Cheese]] you can if you want any chance of victory. This isn't about about "fun" or "fair." Those ideals were thrown out the window by the guy that’s sending Custodes against you. You cannot ''afford'' to fight fair.
*A good general bit of advice for fighting against Custodians is to play using the Narrative Play missions from the Kill Team: Elites codex, which all have a 125 point limit. Because the cheapest Custodian model is 33 points, they'll be unable to spend any of the additional points, essentially giving you a 25 point advantage (''which still won't guarantee a win for you, just raise the odds in your favor a bit''). If they complain, just point out that the elites codex also includes the rules for their kill team, so if they want to use some parts of the book they should be prepared to use all of it. Plus they'll start with two extra CPs.
*'''Space Marines:''' The jack of all trades faction invariably suffers against the custodes. The basic model isn’t strong enough to ever stand a chance against a custodian, while their “relatively” high cost and lack of invulnerability saves outside of commanders means that each loss you take will hurt. Your only real option is to play like the imperial guard, take as many special weapons as you can and stay in cover/on the run. This tactic works exceptionally well with the primaris psykers, who are not only accurate with great guns, but are also exceptionally tough and hard to hit in cover. If you prefer a melee set up then your best bet is to grab a captain in gravis armour to ignore their strength 5 and 8 weapons. Either loadout you’ll want to bring psykers to both fire mortal wounds and the boost your guys to the point that they’re not horribly outclassed. 
*'''Deathwatch:''' ''This'' is where you bring your four frag cannons. And nobody will begrudge you for it, but be careful, as chances are you’ll only have one more model than your opponent and if the custodies catch you in melee you're doomed.
*'''Grey Knights:''' Considering that you're budget custodes (admittedly not by much) your fighting strategy doesn’t change too much. Mortal wound spam them from afar along with as much psi bolt ammunition as you can possibly throw. Melee will be a close call (most likely being down to who charges first) as the custodes and grey knights have very similar weapons, with the custodes having better weapons and more attacks, but the grey knights have more bodies. Overall, probably the “fairest” matchup in kill team.
*'''Astra Militarum:''' Even in swarms you're too weak to fight custodes, so your only choice is to spam special and heavy weapons. Meltas, plasma, or call in storm troopers for their special weapons, hide in cover, obscure yourself, plant explosives, just do everything you can to avoid a straight up fight against all the custodes strength 6 weapons.
*'''Adeptus Mechanicus:''' This is where you want all that minus one toughness goodness. The ad mech punch above their weight category in melee with strength 5 melee weapons, an invulnerability save and numerous buffs, so you're the best GEQ for fighting custodians. Just don’t expect a lot of your guys to live.
*'''Chaos Space Marines:'''
*'''Death Guard:''' Death Guard have two options (more than most factions). Firstly, pour everything you have into a Plague Marine (or termie) fighter with the Flail. Give him Grandfather's Blessing, bring a pair of PMs with big guns and a Champion with a Fist along for the ride and curse the errata that dropped its damage down to 1. Also, bring poxwalkers and use Cloud of Flies to stop him being sniped. If you feel like properly picking on custodes like they’re small children with milk money then there’s option two, which is to take two death shroud terminators (although only in an elite game) and something to make up the cost for a three man minimum team. Deathshrouds are the toughest thing in the game after custodes, with toughness 5, 2+/4++/5+++ and weapons which deal a straight 3 damage. They are the only thing in the game which can fight a custodes and win without cheating, making this tactic a simple matter of playing a game of tag (embarrassing for the custodes, exhausting for you with your 4” move and cataphracti armour).
*'''Thousand Sons:''' Your Brotherhood of Psykers special rule can allow you to simply overwhelm the Custodes with psychic casts. However, you're slow and you won’t get get all is dust against the custodes multi damage weapons so you’ll need to get lucky with the dice rolls.
*'''Eldar:''' For games with commanders, Farseers have multiple casts per turn, letting you reliably get at least one power off without a hitch. Use it to either spam Psybolt and/or buff one of your dudes with a Fusion Gun or a Bright Lance platform. Your Warlock's/Spiritseer's Jinx power can be incredibly useful, as it's one of the precious few ways to ''reduce'' their invuln saves. Alternatively, Wraithguard with Wraithcannons or D-Scythes can potentially kill a Custodes model with a few lucky shots. Defensively, use your slightly superior speed to attempt to kite them or at the very least duck behind cover.
*'''Dark Eldar:''' All your poison weaponry with some reasonable ap gives you a better chance of wounding a custodian than most factions, but you're extremely squishy and not as good in melee as you need to be to 1.kill a custodian or 2. Actually survive the encounter. Stay at range, stay mobile and stay hidden.
*'''Harlequins:''' 4+ invulnerability saves and large numbers of high quality attacks will serve you well, but unfortunately that’s your only option as your ranged weapons are not up to the task of fighting a custodian. Make your pistols as cheap as possible, take your best melee weapons and get the charge, which, admittedly, is precisely what the space clowns are good at.
*'''Necrons:''' Take full advantage of how resilient necrons are, the multiple damage custodes deal combined with buffs to reanimating protocols means that it will be disproportionately difficult for a custodian to kill a necron warrior. With this you either have the choice of buffed hordes, swamping your foe with all that beautiful ap-1 fire you have, or close in with necrons with pseudo storm shields and melee weapons.
*'''Orks:''' Tell the Custodian player that a Meganob costs one point more than a custodian guard despite having a worse movement, weapon skill, ballistic skill, toughness, and leadership, no invulnerable save, a worse shooting attack, worse special rules, and a comparable melee weapon that actually costs points. That way, when you inevitably lose, you might make the other guy feel a bit guilty. Seriously, there's not much you can do. You don't have any of the tools necessary to beat the bananas. Maybe just take 16 boyz and 1 grot to drown them in dice rolls before your team gets broken by morale, but even then it's a long shot.
**Counterargument: Orks are some of the best armies to play against Custodes, simply because the amount of bodies they can throw at the Emperor's caretakers. A Kommando Boss, Two Kommandoes, a Burna Boy, a Boy Gunner with the Rokkit Launcher and 15 gretchins are more than six times the amount of bodies the Custodes can kill. If you send the gretchins to block the custodes' movements by keeping them in melee, the kommandoes to get the "Kunnin’ Infiltrators" stratagem to move behind enemy lines and take difficult objectives, and the boy with the rockit just in case you get lucky and manage to get one down in one shot, you can have uncontested control of the battlefield. They can kill three of your units at most each turn (and you can improve those odds with "Just a Flesh Wound" stratagem, so your team will hardly be broken by morale before getting all of the objective points and winning the game. Throw garbage at them, one gretchin at a time, keep them from moving, and keep your leader hidden. [[lulz|That's the way the cheapest unit in the game can win against the most elite of teams]].
***This assumes that you're dedicating your entire roster to just fight AC and only works in missions that don't have killing victory conditions.
*'''T'au Empire:''' Mobility is your only option. The tau have excellent guns, but if a custodian gets into melee with any of your units (anything from warrior to battle suit) you're dead. Period. Instead, fill up on battle suits or stealth suits and keep the custodes at a distance, make maximum use of cover, line of sight and any additional buffs and hope that the boys in gold don’t catch up.
*'''Tyranids:''' Did someone say lictors? We did, and they’re right behind you. Take four lictors and dog pile the two or three custodians you’ll be fighting. The lictors high attacks count, strength 6 and good ap means that one or two lictors on the charge (which you will have) have a “good” chance of killing a banana. Downside, lictors are very squishy, if you're caught in the open, wait too long to charge or get stuck in melee you’ll be dead, 4 wounds is not enough against 4 strength 6 ap-3 DD3 attacks. As they want to get into melee range as well, if the terrain allows save your CP you normally might use for Veteran or Metabolic Overdrive and use it instead on Adrenaline Surge to try and get whoever you gang up on first dead before the other 2 join the fray. Caustic Blood and Implant Attack are less useful but given your entire battle is likely to be decided entirely in 2 or 3 fight phases, it can be worth spending the CP. 
** Pretty much uniquely, the nids have access to the only commander capable of going toe-to-toe with custodes and coming out on top: the broodlord. Make him a level 3 melee specialist, and you get 7 WS2+ attacks rerolling ones, wounding on 4s, also rerolling ones, and with AP-3 Dd3. The clincher here, however, is that on a wound roll of 6 your damage is upped to 3 (courtesy of the claws) and turned into MORTAL wounds (courtesy of the level 3 melee ability). This means if you roll one 6 out of 7 hits (and the maths is firmly in your favour here) you INSTAKILL CUSTODES. Two 6s and you're instakilling shield captains. Plus you're faster than them so they can't run away, and you can cast catalyst on yourself for a 5+++. However, your defence is far weaker than theirs, so if they charge first you can take some serious damage, and they can whittle you down in the shooting phase as well. Stick to cover and let them come close to you before charging (charging happens in the movement phase in kill team, after all, so if they want to get closer they won't be able to swing first). 

*'''Genestealer Cults:''' Rock Cutters. You have 4 of them and they're your best hope, but pray to the great devoured in the sky that the dice gods are merciful. Alternatively go as cheap as possible on your models to take one patriarch as your commander and go to town with your 6 multi damage attacks at strength 6 rerolling failed wounds. In both scenarios however you’ll need to dodge from cover to cover to avoid being blown to pieces by the custodes shooting.
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'''AC Strategies:'''
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OK fine, we'll talk about how best to use your Golden Boys.
First, its key to keep in mind that with 2-3 unit kill teams you can fit every possible kill team combination possible in 100pt games on your Roster. There's no real reason not to take the perfect list.
Second, you're godlike in melee. That is where you live. But outside of it, your D2 AP-1 might look attractive but it's low strength and there's only 3 of you putting out fire. If all three of you fired at a lowly guardsman theres a 10% he walks away. Sounds good until you realize theres 8 of them, averaging 5+W of damage against you a around, because don't doubt they'll resort to plasma spam if they're facing you. And guardsmen aren't even particularly good shots compared to some of the other things out there.
But in melee, you're safe. They can't run any more, their buddies can't shoot you and you're dishing out between 3 up to 5 attacks with a WS2+ and a strength and damage equivalent to a Supercharged Plasma Gun plus an extra attack with the Misercordia.
Terrain use is key, as is using the Balistus's Concussion Grenades if you're taking an Allarus. When losing one model is 1/2 of your team, you don't want to be at the whims of the RNGod. Coupling Take Forward Positions and the Veterans Adaptive Tactics and a first round Charge can lock down several models early and end the game before it begins. A scout can also help but keep in mind that with 2 or 3 models, Take Forward Positions 20% only applies to 1 model. 
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