Editing Warhammer 40,000/7th Edition Tactics/Adeptus Custodes (section)

==Unit Analysis==
===Troops===
*'''Custodian Guard Squad''': Custodes all have Terminator-grade saves and combined with being able to Look Out Sir! on each other thanks to being Characters, as well as having the Fearless rule means they can be the meatshield squad of your dreams, easily able to rival infamous ones like Lychguard. While ultimately quite expensive they are highly survivable in either weapon loadout and can match the damage output of just about any other close combat squad. Much like their fluff implies, while individually being amazing fighters they lack the tactical flexibility of their brothers the Astartes, with shortcomings in serious long-range firepower, effective anti-armour (let your other units worry about that, its beneath these guys anyway), and mobility (unless you deep strike or buy a Land Raider). Don't use them as end-all units, instead treat them as what they are, a powerful assault combat squad that can hold their own in a fight. May take a Venerable Land Raider as a DT, which is something you should likely have at least one of if you're running a pure Custodes force since your Anti-Armour's rather limited without it.
**Something worth considering is getting more Custodes for one unit, rather than multiple units of Custodes to take advantage of the '''Block''' rule.  In general the more Custodes with spears that are a part of the unit, the more attacks you can Block safely which can really help you out if you're up against a melee powerhouse.  There's no harm in attempting to block either and as a quick example, if 6 Custodes have spears, you can ignore 3 attacks on average, no matter who they're from.  You can even use the Block rule to keep somebody alive in a challenge since the Custodes can (albeit unfairly) block the enemy challenger's blows (although it is fitting for a squad of bodyguards).  Quite ironically for a group that's always made out to fight as individuals, they've better close combat teamwork than most Marines.

===Elite===
*'''Venerable Contemptor Dreadnought''': For 30 points over a regular Contemptor Dreadnought, you get a Contemptor Dreadnought with Venerable, Deep Strike, Adamantium Will, and a permanent 5+ Invuln save, making the Atomantic Shielding functionally useless unless you wanted it to explode.  If you're not happy with the multi-melta and CCW that Contemptor Dreadnoughts get, you can replace the multi-melta with a Kheres pattern assault cannon and... that's all.  Just like regular Contemptors They lack the versatility of the other Dreadnought types and have nowhere near the killing power of the 30k-era Galatus and Achillus, but the Custodes versions are tougher than regular Marine Contemptors and more mobile thanks to Deep Strike. Considering these options, the Comtemptor is arguably the best anti-armour in the army, with the far safer Deep Strike available to Custodians, you can get this little guy where you need him for some melta fun. Best focus on the things your base squads will not like, namely AV13/AV14, But don't discount a good assault cannon or the idea of a CC dread either.
**Do note that should this Dreadnought fail to kill the vehicle it's shooting at with its Multi-melta/Assault Cannon, it does stand a really good chance at finishing the job in CC.  While it's still a bad idea to charge something like GC's and Knights, it's more than capable of ripping apart Land Raiders as a quick example.

===Heavy Support===
*'''Venerable Land Raider''': YES THANK YOU GW! The solution to your footslogging and vehicle-hunting problems. It's not antigrav like the [[wat|Custodes Rhino that doesn't have rules]] or the [[Coronus Grav Carrier]], but for just 25 points above the price of a standard Land Raider you get some cool additional stuff : BS5, Adamantium Will, Aegis of the Emperor (yes, [[Awesome|your mobile bunker has a 5++ save]]), Venerable and Magos-class Machine Spirit (you ignore the Crew Shaken and Crew Stunned results on the Vehicle Damage chart). Your wargear options are limited to a storm-bolter (5pts), one hunter-killer missile (10pts) and extra armour (10pts but ultimately useless thanks to the Machine Spirit). But this is more than made up for by its inherent superiority to base-line Land Raiders. Twin-Linked lascannons that hit on twos is a great anti-everything weapon and the extra defenses mean it's not completely screwed by the usual vehicle predators (grav, melta, and lance to name a few).
**While it does still have the same issue as every other army that can have a Land Raider (that of having long-ranged weapon on a transport that needs to close in) you're going to need at least one if you're running a pure Custodes force, as you simply don't have anything aside from a Deep Striking Venerable Contemptor that can handle AV13/AV14.  Luckily the extra survivability and extra BS help make up for its shortcomings.