It took them four editions, but Warhammer 40K creators Games Workshop have finally nailed one of their most divisive factions.

I was a massive grump when the Adeptus Custodes became a proper faction in 8th edition Warhammer 40K. These were supposed to be demigods on the battlefield — as superior to a Space Marine as they are to regular humans — so it made no sense to suddenly see an army of these guys on the tabletop, getting gunned down by Tau Fire Warriors like a bunch of scrubs.

That cat is out of the bag now, though, and the Adeptus Custodes are a staunch member of the 40K faction lineup. So, if we’re going to do the Emperor’s best golden boys (and girls), we should at least do them properly. And good news on that front, because the new 11th edition Adeptus Custodes codex is here, and they’ve finally nailed it.

One of the biggest issues with Custodes has been the disparity between their stats on the tabletop and their impressive depictions in the lore. In one short story, six Custodians defeated an entire Tyranid splinter fleet — well over a million bugs — with one of them even living to tell the tale. That’s the kind of badassery that’s hard to replicate in a tabletop game,

and while their new statlines won’t quite take them to those heights, the 11th edition codex will definitely make the “Ten Thousand” feel like the elite warriors of legend.

Let’s look at the statlines: At a minimum, you’re looking at Toughness 7, 5 wounds, a 2+ save, 4+ invulnerable save, and a 5+ feel no pain against mortal wounds. That’s for your basic rank-and-file (if you can call any Custodes model such a thing). They’re tougher than a Space Marine captain, and that’s just the basic troops; the tougher units, like the Aquilon Terminators and Gyrfalcon Jetbikes, put even chapter masters like Marneus Calgar to shame. It is going to take serious concentrated firepower to put these lads in the ground now, and even that might not be enough.

Almost every weapon profile has been improved in this codex. The Sentinel Guard’s blades have gained an extra attack and increased to damage 2; the Castellan axes wielded by Wardens and Terminators have gone to strength 10 and damage 4, and almost all ranged weapons have gained strength and doubled their shot count. When you get hit by a Custodes unit, you’re going to know about it… briefly, before you’re dead.

Not to be outdone by the techmarines of the Adeptus Astartes, the Custodes vehicles have also had a substantial glow-up for 11th edition too. Sure, they lost the Land Raider (RIP to a real one), but their own unique tanks are now a step above the competition.

The Pallas Grav Attack’s main gun has seen perhaps the biggest upgrade in 40K history, going from a one-damage chaff clearance option into a terminator-deleting machine, and the dreadnoughts are truly terrifying now. With one of the upgrades available in the dreadnought detachment (more on them in a second), the Telemon dreadnought can rival a C’tan for durability.

And as a filthy Xenos player who’s going to have to face off against these golden demigods, you know how that makes me feel? Honestly, elated, because I finally get to battle against the Custodes from the stories. In 10th edition, Custodes were an army of jumped-up Space Marine Terminators. These are the Emperor’s personal bodyguards, and now they have the stats to back it up.

It’s not just the stats that are getting a buff in this new book; the army rule of Martial Ka’tahs — affectionately known as karate amongst fans — gets a big upgrade. Custodes units now start each turn in a “readied” state and can expend this to use one of six Ka’tahs as needed. These range from tactical manoeuvres like being able to perform an action and shoot or move through enemy models, to combat buffs like gaining lethal hits or rerolling hit rolls of 1 in combat.

The codex also adds 13 new detachments that let Custodes players build armies to suit the units and playstyles they prefer. Long-time Custodes fans should be thrilled to see the return of the Shield Hosts — subfactions of the army with their own specialisations — with each of their unique detachments bringing some powerful rules, enhancements, and stratagems.

For example, the Shadow Keepers get tougher on objectives, the Solar Watch have increased mobility, and the Dread Host are masters of manipulating movement around melee combat. They also all have a favored Ka’tah, meaning units who activate that Ka’tah get a bonus. This brings a lot of the flavor that was lost in the 10th edition codex back to the army.

So, how will the new Custodes fare on the tabletop? We’re missing one key piece of information at the time of writing: the points costs. They’ve been thoroughly overhauled, and the army will play very differently now, running a few hyper-elite three-man units instead of the bigger units of Allarus Terminators and Wardens you typically see now. If the points are too low, everyone else is in danger; if the points are too high, Custodes players might find themselves stretched too thin.

Given how strong the first two Codexes — Space Marines and Orks — have come out of the gate, I’m expecting the Custodes to be a little overtuned. But points can be fixed in later balance updates. For now, Games Workshop has nailed the most important thing: the feeling of the Custodes. The vibes are correct; everything else can be fixed in post.

Not your vibe? You can always go for standard Marines instead. I’ve been hands on with all the new Warhammer 40K Space Marines, and these are the ones you should buy. With any luck, some will go on offer for Black Friday Warhammer deals…

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