How are your Custodes doing?

[rcoon]

I overall just dislike Trajaan. For his cost you can get two regular shield captains, or a bike and used the spare points to flesh out another squad for numbers. His moment shackle and watcher's axe is cool and all, but 250 points is just... not economical.

[Frater Cornelius]

All Custodes (HQ included) are susceptible to MW as is any unit in the game so that is not a good reason not to take him. Positioning is how you stop your characters from being the target of enemy smites .

 

Custodes are not very good Smite catchers. You'd need chaff for that. Besides, this only solves half of the problem. Tzeentch, for example, has three of four spells that are targetable. If a psyker-heavy list wants to see a character dead, he will be dead. This match-up is literally a race against time.

[rcoon]

Basically add a Culexis Assassin, or a Null Maiden Task Force detachment to deal with psykers when playing pure custodes. It's the only way aside from character hunting with Allarus terminators, but that's just character psykers.

[swordofmandulis]

All Custodes (HQ included) are susceptible to MW as is any unit in the game so that is not a good reason not to take him. Positioning is how you stop your characters from being the target of enemy smites .

You aren't wrong, all Custodes units are highly susceptible, Trajann's wounds cost the most each so it's extra painful when he does get hit as he is wanting to be in the thick of it, he's far too expensive to just be a buffing character. Actually he's just too expensive in general, which is why I advised to drop him.

[Frater Cornelius]

Had a 1250 tournament today. I played this:

Hidden Content

AC Patrol Detachment

2 Shield Captains on Jetbike (Hurricane)

3 Custodian Guards with Spears

1 Vexillus Praetor with Misericordia and Vexilla Magnifica

5 Jetbikes (Hurricane)

 

AM Battalion

Lord Commissar (Warlord: Grand Strategist)

Commander Dudebro (Kurov's Aquila)

3 Infantry Squads with Heavy Bolter

 

1249pts

 

The reason I ran AM is because I considered the Vexilla to be too important to not include, but it would not fit into an AC battalion.

 

We were playing ITC missions 2, 5 and 6, using the most recent ITC rules update.

 

Games one and two were not very noteworthy. Game one was a board control with SM battallion and AM battalion with loads of infantry and Hellhounds. The second game was a Nurgle Daemon list with 2 DP, Epidemus, Nurglings, PB, 2 DG flamer drones, one of those drivig DG drones and one of those big DG tanks. Both of the games were good match-ups for Custodes and the players did not have much experience playing against them and overextended in both cases, thinking they could do more damage to the bikes. In both cases they were wrong and were counter-charged and destroyed.

 

The third game was very interesting. The guy was an ETC regular and he actually did what I did not want to, he took pure Custodes, which meant 3x3 Guard and no Vexilla. We had the same amount of jetbikes and captains. I was afraid to face him, because my AM would melt against the Hurricanes, we had the same amount of Jetbikes and he had a better melee punch because he had more Guard, while my Vexilla would be not as useful.

However, I managed to pull it off. For starters, I considered it to be a very slow match, so I gave him first turn and did not seize, so that I could play reactive and have the last say on secondary objectives and deep strikes. The deciding factor was that I had more characters, which gave extra points in this mission when they were scoring 3 markers, and with the Move, move, move! order, the Company Commander could outrun the bikes. Both our bikes moved around the edges, keeping around 23-26" distance. However, I had more characters and picked better secondary objectives. I also put the Vexilla on the central objective to score the character points. His shooting could not kill him and he would not charge, because that would open his Jetbikes to a charge from my end. As such, I ran away with the points, until he realized he needed to make a risky play. Unfortunately, he did not make the 11" charge, so that is where the game essentially ended.

 

Verdict? Always play the mission, because it can turn an unfavourable match-up into a favourable one ;) I took first place, which gave me store credit, so that I can buy some bloody paints, because I left mine in Germany when moving :D

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

Well played Cornelius!

 

I agree unfortunately Valoris is not worth his points because he’s overcosted... really ashame too considering how cheap is the Shield-Captain on a Dawneagle with 3++.

 

I had an intense game last night versus three Knights (two were FW - one was the Atropos and I can’t remember the other), the third was a Gallant... he also had the Lucky 32 CP farm and Guilliman. I had him down to one wounded Knight, Guilliman on his last wound and his last IG squad but still lost. Wow he was generating so much additional CPs it was just ridiculous - and my dice were ice cold. It just wasn’t my day. Oh well.

[Crabstuffed Mushrooms]

My local meta has been changing recently and my Custodes have been getting shot to pieces. Any tips you guys can give me to help spice things up? We've been playing at 1750pts. I've been running with the following:

 

***************

 

1st Detachment: Battalion - Custodes

 

HQ:

Trajann

Bike Captain w/ Super Bike, Warlord - Superior Creation

 

Elites:

Vertus Praetor w/ Vex Magnifica

 

Troops:

3 x 3 Custodes (each squad has a Stormshield)

 

Fast Attack:

5 Vertus Praetors

 

2nd Detachment: Vanguard - Assassins

 

Culexus

Eversor

Vindicare

 

***************

 

So far I've played against the following:

 

1) Shooty Necrons that don't stop regenerating with ultra tough units of Wraiths and Destroyers

2) Shooty Sisters with loads of melta, plasma, free moves, Celestine and AM Scion Plasma detachment

3) Shooty Space Marines (3 Dev Squads, Shrike, Relic Banner that lets people fight again on a 4+, Psyker with Null Zone, Max Smash Captains)

 

***************

 

I'm going to drop the Eversor and Vindicare. They're awesome models but they haven't lived up to the hype. Eversor keeps failing 3D6 charges and Vindicare fails to remove anything.

 

One of my challenges is the new terrain rule that prevents charges if you don't have enough room to fit a model on it. We're using a lot of the old City-fight terrain which means people turn them into pillboxes. Someone pointed out that if I can kill at least one model, I might be able to fit a base on there - but the old terrain is too small and our custodes bases are pretty big.

 

I think I'm going to give Allarus a try: I need more units that can deep strike without costing precious CP. Any other tips you guys have to avoid getting taken out at range?

[Prot]

1750 is tough to get enough stuff in and use the Assassins together on top of it.

 

I've always been a fan of a cheap detachment with Greyfax. Before the soup nerf, it was so easy to take her, and a Culexus solving a lot of those MW issues. Now it's definitely tougher. I often swap WL traits to the denial one if I go against heavy psyker.

 

With Necrons they are tough, but they really don't do a heck of a lot in CC to Custodes. I do think you need to play the mission and don't just play 'shoot 'em up' games. Hopefully you are playing real scenarios, maelstrom, itc, etc, whatever, just not gunline missions or you're toast.

 

When it comes to the newer modeling/terrain rule I think it's really a sticky situation because they never invalidated the 'wobbly model syndrome'. It still exists. If you're able to fit most of a base on ledge while assaulting (for example) we almost never say you can't make it in. They've left a lot open to debate there though so it's really tough. I mean if you are climbing a sheer wall and the floor you need to reach is completely consumed by opposition models, then you really can't make it. That being said if there's a ledge, I think often wobbly model can kick in. It really does require a common sense thing between you and your opponent.

 

I do love Allarus. Very hard to fit in under 2K though. Especially with allies, you gotta love them though.

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

How is Trajan working for you ? I want to work him back into my list again.

[Prot]

How is Trajan working for you ? I want to work him back into my list again.

 

For me? I love him but I play a wonky list with a shooty fire base that moves up (I use Contemptors, Telemon with two shooty arms, and/or Achilus) and basically the whole thing moves up re-rolling like crazy under the Magnifica banner. Eventually the Allarus come in about halfway to help clean up.

 

Again though I haven't taken these guys to a tournament but they do seem to bust up the meta here.

[Ishagu]

Trajan will probably get a point reduction in CA

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

I hope so very much. He is definitely over-pointed.

[rcoon]

I think his warlord trait will always be something that makes me not want to run him... it's so damn useless and completely pointless in a pure list. If he had the option to choose from the other traits I might look more favourably on him.

Edited September 11, 2018 by rcoon

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

His other buffs are really good though.

[DietOfLiquor]

Question for you all. Have any of you utilized any of the beta rules for the FW units and are there any that you'd recommend as necessary at a 1500 point game? I'll have a main core of 2 shield captains on foot and 3x3 custodians with 1 sword/shield and two spears along with 3 dawn eagle jetbikes. Just wanted to see if things like the Caladius or Coronus were actually worth their weight in gold.

[rcoon]

Question for you all. Have any of you utilized any of the beta rules for the FW units and are there any that you'd recommend as necessary at a 1500 point game? I'll have a main core of 2 shield captains on foot and 3x3 custodians with 1 sword/shield and two spears along with 3 dawn eagle jetbikes. Just wanted to see if things like the Caladius or Coronus were actually worth their weight in gold.

Telemon with Culverin's is definitely worth its weight in gold.

[MeatGrinder]

I think his warlord trait will always be something that makes me not want to run him... it's so damn useless and completely pointless in a pure list. If he had the option to choose from the other traits I might look more favourably on him.

 

Just don't make him your warlord.

 

On trajann though, as many disadvatages as he has (slow, expensive), if the change that rumored from the Euclidian Starstriders codex, where you can only use the command points from a detatchment on stratagems from that faction, hes going to be a bit better for regenerating those d3 CP.

[Frater Cornelius]

 

 

I think his warlord trait will always be something that makes me not want to run him... it's so damn useless and completely pointless in a pure list. If he had the option to choose from the other traits I might look more favourably on him.

Just don't make him your warlord.

 

On trajann though, as many disadvatages as he has (slow, expensive), if the change that rumored from the Euclidian Starstriders codex, where you can only use the command points from a detatchment on stratagems from that faction, hes going to be a bit better for regenerating those d3 CP.

Instead of paying his price, you can use the points to tweak your list and maybe include one of the 1CP detachments, which is 1CP less on average, but better battlefield performance. Whichever way you slice it, this guy needs one major drop. I doubt he'll become a serious consideration until he drops sub 200. Edited September 12, 2018 by Frater Cornelius

[MeatGrinder]

 

 

I think his warlord trait will always be something that makes me not want to run him... it's so damn useless and completely pointless in a pure list. If he had the option to choose from the other traits I might look more favourably on him.

Just don't make him your warlord.

 

On trajann though, as many disadvatages as he has (slow, expensive), if the change that rumored from the Euclidian Starstriders codex, where you can only use the command points from a detatchment on stratagems from that faction, hes going to be a bit better for regenerating those d3 CP.

Instead of paying his price, you can use the points to tweak your list and maybe include one of the 1CP detachments, which is 1CP less on average, but better battlefield performance. Whichever way you slice it, this guy needs one major drop. I doubt he'll become a serious consideration until he drops sub 200.

 

 

Unless you can make a custodes 1cp detachment for sub 250pts, then if this change goes through trajann will be better.

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

I looked at changing up my current list to work him back in but I think I’ll just wait and see what happens first.

[DietOfLiquor]

Yesterday played my first game of 8th with my Dread host Custodes. 1250 points

 

Shield Captain x2

2 squads of three custodes, 2 spear 1 sword/shield

1 squad of four custodes, 2 spear 2 sword/shield

vexilus praetor with castellan axe

1 squad of 3 vertus praetors

 

I went against dark eldar playing a game of progressive objectives. I lost on that last shot from his army on the last turn. It was a fun game though. Custodes are definitely durable and I dig it! Playing non-competitively made the game more enjoyable too.

 

Dark Eldar Shredders are freaking nasty for only being 8 points and wracks are dirty.

[Ania Redfang]

This weekend I played in GT heat 2 at Warhammer World. After shamefully failing to paint up my Helverins, I had a pure Custodes army. My list was:

 

Shield Captain

Shield Captain on Bike

3x3 Guard (one shield in each)

1x5 Guard (2 shields)

-1 to hit vexilla

2x3 bikes

 

Oh boy there were some nasty lists here. I didn't face anything too hardcore. My lack of experience with the list really showed I think, and the fact that whilst bikes are good, when they're the only real threat in the list they get focussed down.

 

Quick run through of my games.

 

Game 1 was vs Ad Mech. Four shooty robots, Cawl, Neurlaser thing and screens. I thought that this was going to go really well. he deployed forwards, my bikes screamed up and eliminated all his screens, then charged some tracked grav cannon guys. Unfortuantely they didn't do too much damage. In his turn they fell back and then everything opened fire. A combination of strategems and abilities on the robots meant they were putting out 18 shots each re rolling hits, with 6s to wound being a mortal wound. He split his fire and eliminated both bike units. When my second wave of custodes arrived it was too little too late, they could not dent the robots. He also seemed to roll a mortal wound every time he fired the snipers.

 

Highlights of that for me was using the vexilla teleport homer. 3CP is a lot, but If you advance your vexilla for the first 2 turns he can get super close and bring down the 5 man guard unit which is an amazingly killy unit when they don't face 30 odd overwatch hits from the robots. I lost this game.

 

Game 2 was against blood angels and guard. I was confident going in because I felt that I could take the sanguinary guard and death company in melee. In this game I saw the power of the CP farm, he had basically unlimited CP to do what he wanted, boost attacks, boost movement, rerolls etc. I used the bikes to eliminate scouts, then positioned them as bait for the death company and sanguinary guard. The bikes were destroyed again, but custodians counter charged both units and destroyed them. Unfortunately we just couldn't get enough guard downfield after wiping all his threats to get to his objective, and mine was taken by 2 smash captains who I could just not deal with... Close, one more turn and I would have at least drawn the game.

 

Highlights include vexilla teleporting again and wiping the sanguinary guard, and those smash captains (more a highlight for him lol) I feel that custodes need some melee weapons which are not D3 damage.

 

Game 3, Ultramarines. This was a really really nice looking army, if someone had said it was the studio Ultramarine army I'd have agreed. We were playing lengthways so I had a way to get up there. I tried to be a bit more conservative with the bikes this time. his shooting was good but not spectacular (devs and hellblasters) so I tried to keep my blob together, advancing as a unit. It sort of worked but the bikes still died before they hit, though it did leave pretty much all my custodian guard alive to hit his lines. But, Guilliman could not be denied. I wiped his intercessors and a couple of other units but like good ultramarines they fell back and destroyed me with disciplined hellblaster fire.

 

Highlights for me include the last bike dying, me thinking how will I take out the stormtalon now, then downing it with guardian spears.

 

Another loss unfortunately.

 

Going into day 2 with three losses meant that there's no way to qualify so we were just here for a good time. Played Ultramarines again in round 4, a very old school list with a land raider, terminators, 2 dev squads and tacticals in rhinos. In this game I finally saw Custodians do what they do best. Bikes wiped scouts then carried on and took out the devastators. Other bikes tied up the land raider turn one, then next turn it was charged by guard, piercing strike killing it. When the terminators came down I used tanglefoot to ensure he couldn't charge, then wiped them. Game ended with me tabling him. Finally a win.

 

Last game was against a friend of mine's Imperial Guard. 3 Basilisks, 6 Leman Russ and infantry screens. This was pretty much a non game. He seized, I lost one unit of bikes turn one, then used the second unit to tie up the basilisks, though there was only one bike left when he got in. Custodians ran across the table and tied up a couple of tanks but there were always enough not falling back to wipe me in the last turn.

 

I had a good time at the event, but I can see that the list I took was not really going to compete. Not enough threats, not enough cP and not enough board control. I'll have to think about what to bring if I decide to attend a "competitive" event again.

 

I really like Vexilla Teleport Homer, I think it should be 2 CP though...

 

Cheers! 

[John Thompson]

Nice read, AnnieGreenGable! Too bad about the losses, but having fun games is a lot more important that winning, IMHO. 

[swordofmandulis]

Winning much with a pure Custodes list at an event like that is always going to be an uphill struggle. I'm a fan on the vexilla teleport, I always want to use it but never seems to present it's self, the one time I did I dropped the Achillus in and then he proceeded to fail a 4 inch charge even with a reroll lol.

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

Had a fantastic game yesterday versus Custodes with Helverins... my Deathwatch managed to shoot down his Warlord biker plus a Guardian Squad while my Custodians and Wardens did a number on his Vertus Praetors. We were playing ITC Mission 4 and I was behind in points the first three turns then took a commanding lead the last three turns.