Custodes of the Dread Host

[Arkaniss]

All the base work done on the Wardens now :D It's the boring, time consuming yet very important bit...

I'm starting to feel a bit more optimistic of doing this, just got to keep up the work rate :tu:

[Arkaniss]

I like Wardens. They're nice models and at this point most importantly are coming along quickly!

I should be able to get these finished off in no time. Then I need to go back to the Allarus to do the last bits on them. Then it's bases :)

I had a 1000pt game with what I had done last night and it went well. Too well. With a small table, not much terrain and no mission other than to murder each other - right up the Custodes alley it seems. By turn two I had wiped out the Black Legion to a man. Things should be more balanced at higher points levels (and with proper terrain and table, objectives etc...) I hope!

That said it was nice to get some on the table after all this effort. I can see why the Vertus Praetors are all the rage in competitive play, they are pretty awesome. Two Salvo Launchers deleted a Hellbrute in turn 1...

[WarriorFish]

Helbrutes (and Dreads) are not the toughest cookies around sadly, but Custodes seem to be deserving of their elite name. A win to start the collection off is always good though the table top is where painted armies shine best :)

[Arkaniss]

So very close now. Just a few things to do on these guys then it's just the bases. Hopefully can get all that done in two evenings!

[WarriorFish]

You have until 1700 GMT on the 1st to post completion, so it's only really the painting that needs finishing in the evenings It's cool to see so many Custodes together, they'll really pop when completed and on their bases

[Ania Redfang]

I like Wardens. They're nice models and at this point most importantly are coming along quickly!

 

 

I love everything about the Warden models except the helmets, I used some bike heads and hoods on mine.

 

I like your gold, it's worth putting in the effort :D

[Arkaniss]

Cheers WF, I shall do my best for a decent family photo when I'm all done

 

Thanks AGG that is good to hear as the gold was a right pain to do! I didn't really have any strong feelings towards the slightly different Warden helmets... until it came to gluing them. Sure, the more 3D eagle wings look nice but they limit where you can position them. A few of mine have the wings butted up to the collars where I've turned the heads as far as I can. Wardens can't look too far left or right it seems

[Arkaniss]

Last night was a bit of a long haul - I'd ran out of playing cards and super glue. However it seems box card and plastic glue works fine? So I got there in the end:

Having them on bases makes a difference and is pleasing to see :) Tonight I complete my vow!

[WarriorFish]

"Bases and faces" :) They look good so looking forward to the grand army shot when done :tu:

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

They look great Arkaniss!

[Arkaniss]

Here are the final pictures from my now completed vow

I will go back to the bases and do... something with them later. Not sure what yet! Thanks for participating in my thread everyone - it really did help me push through. Future plans (ignoring the bases) involve some more Wardens as I liked painting them and I don't have any Vexillas and at some point some FW Dreads when I can spare the cash

[WarriorFish]

Great to see so much gold, the scheme looks great in number :D I like the marble look on the bases so I hope you stick to that, especially with all the tiles laid out and cracks from battle and feet :)

[Prot]

Congratulations. It really came together beautifully and you stuck it out.

[Arkaniss]

Cheers Prot! This is, perhaps unsurprisingly for a long time player, my first completed army Never before have I had no models in the backlog for an army!

 

That said I'm already eyeing some additions... what kind of trans-human army doesn't have any Dreadnoughts? ;) I will try and keep to my dream of not buying models until I've completed what I have. For the Custodes, anyway

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

Sounds like a Telemon might be in order.

[duz_]

Well done on the ETL vows and finishing an army! Especially one that looks so good :tu:

I cant say I've done that now MTs aren't their own codex :(

 

I almost had a friend buy me a Telemon from GenCon but they're soo expensive! :ermm:

 

I've played a few games with them though its a lot of fun and definitely worth it! :D ;)

Edited August 4, 2018 by duz_

[Arkaniss]

Cheers everyone! A Telemon is on my list for sure, but as pointed out they're not cheap. I'm hoping the Contemptor patterns get updated rules soon, I think they're still in Beta and one still isn't in 40K?

I got a game in with my Custodes at 1500pts against some 'nids. I even managed to take a few photos so I'll make an attempt at a battle report from what I can recall:

We played a Chapter Approved mission but I don't remember the name - the one where you get a Victory Point for destroying an enemy unit and holding an Objective at the end of your turn.

Tyranids:

Hive Tyrant (no wings despite the model!)

Tyrant Guard

Warriors

3 'fexes

Raveners

BroodLord

'stealers

2 hordes o' Gaunts

Custodes:

Shield Captain in Allarus Armour w/Castallan Axe, Obliteratum, Radiant Mantel

Shield Captain w/Sentinel Sword/Shield

3 Custodes Squad w/2x Spear, 1x Sentinel Sword/Shield

5 Allarus Terminators w/Castellan Axes

3 Vertus Praetors w/Hurricane, 2x Salvo Launcher

Deployment:

I won first turn and my opponent failed to seize the initiative. I didn't really have much of an idea about what I wanted to do other than keep my army close enough to support each other. Against a bigger 'nid army I knew I wasn't going to win by sitting on Objectives.

Turn 1:

Fortune favours the bold it is said so I move everything up and deploy my Shield Captain and the Allarus as close as I can get to the Carnifexes. Sadly the shooting isn't as effective as I thought and I only kill a 'fex and down a few 'stealers. Suddenly my boldness seems like foolishness as the angry 'nids turn their beady eyes on my Allarus Terminators and their Shield Captain

Hidden Content

Uh oh

Aftermath of Tyranid Turn 1:

So. That went very well. The 'fex failed to make the 5" charge despite having a re-roll. I used the Strategem to make Overwatch hit on a 5+ on my Allarus Terminators and they took down some 'stealers on the charge. 2 wounds go through before they are cut down. The Broodlord fails to do any damage to my Captain thanks to poor rolling (and -1 to Hit) and is in turn cut down as well. 3 Raveners pop up by my furthest Custodes squad to claim an objective but don't attempt a charge. At this point I'm feeling very relieved and in comparison my opponent is starting to get a bit concerned

Turn 2:

The Allarus and Shield Captain move up between the two Carnifexes and the rest of my army moves up - my furthest Custodes move to take on the Raveners, taking off a few wounds before charging and finishing the job. I unleash the Vertus Praetors against the closest 'fex - 11 wounds see it killed off one in one go, leaving the Jetbikes with nothing to charge. The Hurricane Bolters and the Custodes squads thin down the shooty 'gaunt squad to one model. The Allarus and Shield Captain pile in to butcher the last 'fex before consolidating back towards the Hive Tyrant. It's gonna be a showdown in the middle of the battlefield.

Hidden Content

A sad gap where a Carnifex used to be

Tyranid Turn 2 then Turn 3:

The 'nids move up, the Tyrant Guard keeping infront of their charge to try and protect him while the remaining 'gaunts and the Warriors move on the furthest Ravener slaying Custodes but fail their charge, even with a re-roll! A Smite finishes off the Hurricane Bolter Praetor - my first model loss of the game. The two Custodes squads converge and shoot down many 'gaunts before charging to finish them off. The Vertus Praetors use their movement to get behind the Tyrant Guard and make sure they don't block my Allarus Shield Captain from charging.

The 3 Tyrant Guard selflessly sacrifice themselves in my shooting phase with only 1 Wound making it through them onto the Hive Tyrant. However he's completely open to the charge now, which I duly pull off with the Praetors, Allarus and Shield Captain.

The Hive Tyrant is mercilessly slaughtered and with only the 3 Warriors remaining my opponent concedes - 13 VPs to 1. It was a spectacular win for the Custodes, helped by a bit of bad rolling from my opponent (failing important charges when only needing a 5, then failing the re-roll too for example...) and some choice dice rolling when needed from me: stand out being the 11 Wounds on the 'fex from the two Salvo Launchers!

Now my gaming friends know about my Custodes I'm sure they'll start to adapt, but for now they've made one hell of an entrance

[WarriorFish]

Luck is how it goes sometimes... that or the Emperor's grace :P Quite the entrance indeed but a good example of how being bold and following good fortune up can really set you ahead in a game. Custodes can make mincemeat out of big fancy models but aren't lacking in dice for some horde control either so keeping your units together to make the most out of this is what helped win the game :)

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

Very impressive win !!!

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Congratulations on your victory!

[Arkaniss]

Cheers everyone! Got another game scheduled later this month, might bring out the Custodes again. Not just as they're my new shiny army but they are so easy to transport being so few in number

[Arkaniss]

Went to WHW last week and couldn't resist buying an Achillus Contemptor so here he is:

Really like how it has inbuilt magnet holes - makes a nice change not having to drill and cut up a model to do it yourself! The model itself is very nice, though unfortunately not as poseable as I had hoped so I couldn't quite get the pose I was aiming for. That and you need an extra hand or two to assemble it

[WarriorFish]

It's an impressive model, the magnet holes are great I wish more models had them! It'll help with transporting too which is important as the spear would be ripe for breaking otherwise...

[Arkaniss]

Will help with painting too! Got more DIY to do this weekend but I'm hoping that doesn't take too long so I can start painting this guy. At the very least I hope to get him undercoated

[Kolgrim DeathHowl]

You're army looks excellent, nice job!