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The safest way to build a Custodes army for Warhammer: The Horus Heresy is to begin with the current Liber Custodes: The Forces of the Emperor Army Book and the Age of Darkness Rulebook, then decide whether your Custodes will be a complete Talons of the Emperor force or a Loyalist Allied Detachment. For the physical collection, the Legio Custodes Battle Group is a strong starting point: it contains a Shield Captain, 6 Custodian Guard, 6 Sentinel Guard, a Contemptor-Achillus or Contemptor-Galatus, and a Caladius Annihilator.
Do not treat the contents of a box as an automatic legal army or assume that older PDFs replace the current book. Points, detachment requirements, errata, event restrictions, retail stock and prices are all version- or region-sensitive, so verify them in the latest rules and live listings before buying or submitting a list.
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Start with the correct Horus Heresy rules
Custodes army construction depends on the edition of Horus Heresy you are playing. Use the current Age of Darkness Rulebook for the core game and Liber Custodes: The Forces of the Emperor Army Book for faction rules, unit profiles and army-building guidance.
Liber Custodes
Games Workshop describes Liber Custodes as a 120-page hardback covering the Legio Custodes, Anathema Psykana and Divisio Assassinorum. It provides rules for a complete Custodes army as well as Loyalist allied contingents. This is the primary faction reference for a current list, so use it when checking units, detachments, Force Organisation and points.
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Legacy PDFs are supplements, not replacements
The official Talons of the Emperor legacy PDF, version 1.1, contains Legio Custodes and Anathema Psykana army lists and Divisio Assassinorum agents. Its own wording says it supplements the Liber army books, is not a stand-alone product and requires the Age of Darkness Rulebook. The 2026 Legio Custodes Legacies of the Age of Darkness PDF likewise supplements Liber Custodes and requires both that book and the rulebook.
Use these PDFs for the profiles and rules they still cover, but do not build a list from a legacy document alone. Check the current Warhammer Community downloads page for a newer PDF, FAQ or errata before a game, particularly if a unit appears in both an older document and the current book.
Choose what role Custodes will play
There are two fundamentally different ways to collect Custodes. Decide between them before buying multiple boxes, because the same models serve different purposes in a primary army and in an allied contingent.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute| Route | What it means | Rules check | Best starting question |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standalone Talons of the Emperor force | Custodes form the main army and fill the detachment with the units permitted by the current Legio Custodes rules. | Use the current detachment, Force Organisation and unit requirements in Liber Custodes. | Do you want most of your collection, games and future expansions to be Custodes? |
| Loyalist Allied Detachment | Custodes join a separate Loyalist army as a contingent rather than replacing its main force. | Use the allied detachment rules and the permitted Command and Troops slots in the current book. | Do you already own a Loyalist army and want elite Custodes support? |
Standalone force
A standalone force lets you build around Custodes’ own identity and use additional Talons of the Emperor options as the rules allow. Your initial purchases should therefore cover the required elements of the selected detachment before you add specialist units. The Battle Group is described by Games Workshop as a foundation for a dedicated Talons army, but the box contents alone are not a substitute for checking the legal points total and detachment structure.
Loyalist allies
Official guidance describes a Loyalist Allied Detachment with a Shield Captain in the Command slot and Custodian Guard or Sentinel Guard in Troops slots. Custodes are loyal to the Emperor, which is why this route is presented on the Loyalist side. The exact number of units, upgrades and points must come from the current rules rather than from a box description.
For an allied project, buy only enough Custodes to meet the detachment you intend to field, then spend the rest of the budget on the army that remains your primary force. A Shield Captain, one or more legal Guard units and a vehicle can make a useful collection, but whether all three are legal together depends on your chosen detachment and current points.
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What is in the Legio Custodes Battle Group?
The named physical starting set supported by the official material is the Legio Custodes Battle Group. Its published contents are:
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| Contents | Quantity or build | Collection role |
|---|---|---|
| Shield Captain | 1 | Command character for a Custodes force or Loyalist allied detachment |
| Custodian Guard | 6 | Hard-hitting infantry core |
| Sentinel Guard | 6 | Additional infantry option for the collection |
| Contemptor dreadnought | Build as either a Contemptor-Achillus or Contemptor-Galatus | Heavy combat platform; choose one configuration when assembling |
| Caladius Annihilator | 1 | Grav-tank option for engaging heavy enemy vehicles |
| Transfer sheets | 2 | Faction markings and finishing details |
The Battle Group’s launch description said it was available while stocks lasted and that its units would become available separately soon. That was launch-period wording, not a guarantee of current stock. Check the live listing in your region before planning a purchase around this set, and do not assume a historical bundle price still applies.
Why the box works as a first collection
The set gives you a commander, two infantry groups and two different vehicle profiles in one purchase. Games Workshop developer Quinn, identified as responsible for the Liber Custodes book, called it “an incredibly solid foundation” either for a dedicated Talons of the Emperor army or as allies for another faction. The same official discussion characterizes Custodian Guard as a hard-hitting core and identifies the Caladius Annihilator and Contemptor-Achillus as capable of tackling heavy enemy vehicles.
Those statements are developer guidance, not independent tournament testing. They explain the intended collection roles; they do not establish a win rate, points efficiency or guaranteed battlefield performance.
Build the army in a controlled sequence
- Confirm the edition and mission pack. Ask your gaming group or event organiser which Horus Heresy rules set is in use. A list built for a different edition may use the wrong profiles, points or detachment structure.
- Get the two core books. Keep the Age of Darkness Rulebook for the game rules and Liber Custodes for faction rules and profiles. Download any current official FAQ or errata that changes them.
- Choose primary or allied status. Decide whether Custodes are the army’s main faction or a Loyalist Allied Detachment. Write this decision down before selecting models; it determines which units and slots you need to verify.
- Select a detachment and Force Organisation. Follow the Custodes section in the current book rather than copying another faction’s slots. Games Workshop specifically cautions that factions can have variations.
- Identify mandatory selections. For an allied project, start by checking the Shield Captain Command requirement and the permitted Custodian Guard or Sentinel Guard Troops choices. For a standalone project, list every compulsory choice in the selected Custodes detachment.
- Build the first legal draft before buying expansions. Enter the models you own, apply their current wargear and upgrades, and verify the points total in the current book. The Battle Group’s model count is a kit inventory, not a legal points list.
- Add units by battlefield job. After the required selections are covered, choose infantry, dreadnoughts, tanks or allies to solve a specific problem in your planned games. Avoid buying a second copy of a unit until the first draft shows that you can use it legally and that it fills a role you actually need.
- Check local restrictions. Ask whether your club or event permits legacy profiles, Lords of War choices, allies and the exact edition of the PDFs you are using. Tournament packs can be stricter than the core rules.
How to assemble the Battle Group intelligently
Shield Captain
The Shield Captain is the obvious command model in a first collection and is specifically identified for the Command slot of a Loyalist Allied Detachment. Build and equip the character only after checking the current profile and wargear options in Liber Custodes; do not assume an older PDF uses the same options.
Custodian Guard
The six Custodian Guard provide the box’s primary infantry core. In a standalone force, they are the models around which you can test the army’s basic identity. In an allied force, confirm how many models and units your chosen detachment permits before deciding whether to field all six together or divide your collection into legal units.
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Sentinel Guard
The six Sentinel Guard give the collection a second infantry route and are named as a possible Troops choice for a Loyalist Allied Detachment. Their presence makes the Battle Group more flexible than a box containing only one infantry type, but flexibility still depends on the current Force Organisation rules and points.
Contemptor-Achillus or Contemptor-Galatus
The dreadnought can be built as a Contemptor-Achillus or alternatively as a Contemptor-Galatus. Choose one configuration after reading the current profiles and considering your planned detachment. If you need both versions, treat the alternative build as a separate future purchase or confirm that a conversion is acceptable to your gaming group; the box does not provide two complete dreadnoughts.
Caladius Annihilator
The Caladius Annihilator is the collection’s grav-tank option. The official developer discussion specifically places it among the units able to tackle heavy enemy vehicles. Include it because your list and games need that role, not simply because the model is in the box, and verify its current points and battlefield rules before finalising the army.
Expanding a standalone Talons force
Once the Battle Group or equivalent core is legal, expand in the order your games reveal a need:
- More core infantry: add the Custodes infantry type required by your detachment or the unit size your current rules support.
- Additional dreadnoughts or tanks: use these when your list needs more durable pressure or anti-vehicle capability, subject to the available slots.
- Anathema Psykana and Divisio Assassinorum options: check the current Talons rules and profiles before adding them, because the available units and restrictions are book-dependent.
- Lords of War: treat these as a separate rules decision. The official developer discussion names Orion and Ares flyers, Imperial Knights and Space Marine super-heavy tanks as examples, but you must confirm the exact current eligibility and event approval.
Do not assume that every model associated with the Emperor can be placed in every Custodes list. The book’s detachment, allied and Lords of War provisions control the final army.
Adding allies to a Custodes army
Legio Custodes armies can include allies with the Talons of the Emperor Trait under the current guidance. The named options are Sisters of Silence and Assassins. Their inclusion is not a blanket permission to add any Imperial unit: use the current book to verify the trait, detachment and unit restrictions.
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The same official discussion notes that Lords of War selections are not subject to that same allied restriction and gives Orion, Ares, Imperial Knights and Space Marine super-heavy tanks as examples. This is an important distinction, but it does not remove the need to check the current list rules, points, publication version or event pack.
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No exact Custodes points total is established here. Points can change through a new book, FAQ or errata, and the same model collection can produce different legal lists depending on upgrades, unit sizes and detachment. Build the list from the latest rules rather than copying a points total from an old article, forum post or product page.
Retail availability and price are equally volatile. The Battle Group’s “while stocks last” statement describes its launch period, while current regional stock was not established. If the set is unavailable, use the published contents as a shopping checklist and compare current individual kits against the units your legal draft actually requires. Do not pay a premium for a bundle merely to obtain models that your detachment cannot use.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Common mistakes and how to avoid them
Using the legacy PDF as the whole rulebook
Problem: You download the Talons PDF and treat it as a complete, current game system.
Fix: Pair it with the Age of Darkness Rulebook and the current Liber Custodes. The PDF explicitly says it is not stand-alone.
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Problem: You count the models and assume the collection automatically satisfies the points and Force Organisation requirements.
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Fix: Choose the detachment first, then build a legal list with current unit sizes, upgrades and points.
Copying another faction’s Force Organisation
Problem: You transfer slots from a Space Marine or another Age of Darkness army without checking Custodes-specific variations.
Fix: Use the Custodes section of the current book. Games Workshop warns that factions can vary.
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Problem: You buy Custodes intending to ally them but have not selected the primary Loyalist army or checked the allied detachment.
Fix: Identify the primary army, confirm the Shield Captain Command and Guard Troops requirements, and then test the combined list before expanding.
Assuming every Imperial unit is a normal ally
Problem: You add Sisters of Silence, Assassins, Knights, flyers or super-heavy tanks without checking the relevant restriction.
Fix: Separate ordinary Talons-trait allies from Lords of War provisions and verify both in the current rules and event pack.
Confusing official enthusiasm with tested performance
Problem: You read that the Battle Group is a solid foundation and treat that as proof of a particular competitive result.
Fix: Use the developer comments to understand intended roles, then judge performance through your own games and the rules currently in force.
Quick Recap
Two practical starting plans
Plan A: a dedicated Custodes collection
- Buy or recreate the Battle Group contents if the current price and stock make sense.
- Build a first Talons list using the Shield Captain, the infantry units and one dreadnought configuration.
- Check whether the Caladius Annihilator fits the selected detachment and points at your intended game size.
- Play several games before buying another large kit, recording which role your list lacks.
- Expand with legal Talons allies or additional Custodes units only after the current book confirms their place in the list.
Plan B: Custodes as Loyalist allies
- Choose the Loyalist army that will remain your primary force.
- Use the current allied rules to confirm the Shield Captain Command slot and the available Custodian Guard or Sentinel Guard Troops choices.
- Start with only the models needed for that contingent, then add the dreadnought or tank if the points and detachment permit it.
- Keep a separate Custodes list file so that a future expansion can become a standalone Talons force without invalidating your allied list.
Pre-game legality checklist
- Are you using the correct Horus Heresy edition and mission pack?
- Do you have the Age of Darkness Rulebook and current Liber Custodes?
- If using a legacy PDF, have you confirmed that it supplements rather than replaces those books?
- Is the army standalone or a Loyalist Allied Detachment?
- Does the chosen detachment contain every required Command, Troops and other compulsory selection?
- Are unit sizes, wargear, points and profiles taken from the current rules?
- Are Sisters of Silence, Assassins or other allies permitted in this exact list?
- Have Lords of War selections been checked against both the rules and the event pack?
- Does the assembled dreadnought match the profile you intend to use?
- Have you confirmed current regional stock and price before treating a particular box as your purchase plan?
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
