The fate of Holy Terra hangs in the balance as the Adeptus Custodes attempt to drive a perfidious Genestealer Cult from beneath the Imperial Palace. You can pick a side with the Shadow Throne battlebox very soon.
The resplendent yet stoic Adeptus Custodes are big strapping gold warriors, and when they’re not standing guard on Terra, they’re jetting about the galaxy, enforcing the will of the Emperor.
As far removed from Astartes as Astartes are from regular humans, the Custodian Guard are probably the deadliest fighters in the galaxy, human or otherwise.
Set to arrive with us shortly after the release of Shadow Throne, Codex: Adeptus Custodes underlines the brilliance of these legendary warriors with rules for martial ka’tahs, a series of power stances adopted in unison by entire Shield Hosts, bringing centuries of training to bear with violent precision.
Think of it as an á la carte menu of devastation. You pick three martial ka’tahs at the start of the battle, each containing two stances, and perform those ka’tahs in order.
Calistus is the perfect opener, a light aperitif with notes of sustained gunfire. You can choose to get up-close and personal by boosting your Advance rolls or to lay a withering barrage as you approach.
These may be performed in either order, so you could soften up your foes before advancing to secure the kill or vice versa.
For the main course, we’re recommending the Dacatarai stance.
When fighting hordes of infantry, Dacatarai is a tasty choice. The first stance allows your Custodian Guard to effortlessly manage the ebb and flow of hordes, preventing them being overwhelmed by swarms. The second stance lets you go on the offensive, allowing you to trade that extra pip of damage Custodes are set to get* for more attacks – perfect for clearing out swathes of puny foes.
Finally, a delicious dessert of domination.
Mop up your foes with the Kaptaris Stance, which lets your Custodes parry and deflect attacks or lock units into combat, preventing them from falling back. Ideal for maintaining the upper hand by controlling the battlefield.
What’s devilish about stances is the flexibility as you progress. You chose when to advance and which stance to take, pivoting with the ebb and flow of battle.
That’s quite a lot to take in, but such challenges are nothing to the Adeptus Custodes and their commanders.** They’ve been practising these combat forms for hundreds of years, if not thousands, and they’ve got rather good at them.
Certain Shield Hosts favour particular stances, which we’ll touch on soon.
If these rules have whet your appetite for an Adeptus Custodes force, then the Shadow Throne battlebox is the perfect place to start – especially with its enormously powerful Blade Champion.
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* Check out how Custodian Guard are changing in last week's article on Troop updates in the latest codexes.
** That’s you. We believe in you.