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For a new, dedicated Horus Heresy Legio Custodes force, buy the Legio Custodes Battle Group first. Games Workshop presents it as a foundation for a Talons of the Emperor army, with Custodian and Sentinel Guard as the hard-hitting core, a Shield Captain for command, and a Caladius Annihilator Grav-tank plus Contemptor-Achillus Dreadnought for confronting heavily armoured targets. If you already own a Loyalist army, the same Battle Group can instead be the starting point for a smaller allied contingent. Before building, add the current Talons of the Emperor rules PDF (version 1.1) and the Warhammer: The Horus Heresy – Age of Darkness Rulebook, which the PDF requires for complete use.
The best first purchase depends on the army you actually intend to play
There are two sensible ways to enter Horus Heresy Custodes: build a dedicated Legio Custodes army, or add Custodes to an existing Loyalist force as allies. The first purchase is similar in both cases, but the amount you ultimately need is different.
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| Starting goal | Best first step | What to decide next |
|---|---|---|
| Dedicated Legio Custodes army | Legio Custodes Battle Group | Expand the core into the unit roles your full army requires |
| Loyalist allied contingent | Legio Custodes Battle Group, or only the parts that fit your allied plan | Keep the Custodes force compact and coordinate it with your existing army |
Games Workshop’s own buying guidance describes the Battle Group as a solid foundation for either a dedicated Talons of the Emperor army or an allied force. That is manufacturer guidance, not an independent test of competitive performance, points efficiency or monetary value. No current price, regional stock position or confirmed retail availability is established here, so check a local retailer before ordering.
Why the Legio Custodes Battle Group is the logical first box
The Battle Group gives a new collector several battlefield functions in one purchase rather than forcing an early choice between infantry, a character and a vehicle. Games Workshop’s description highlights four elements:
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- Custodian and Sentinel Guard: the army’s hard-hitting core in the official description.
- Shield Captain: a command character that gives the collection a clear leader.
- Caladius Annihilator Grav-tank: a heavy vehicle intended to challenge enemy armour.
- Contemptor-Achillus Dreadnought: another hard-target threat that can contest heavily armoured opponents.
The important buying advantage is role coverage. You are not purchasing several versions of the same battlefield idea and then discovering that the collection lacks a leader or a way to address large enemy vehicles. The box gives you a starting structure that can be expanded in more than one direction.
Do not read “foundation” as a promise that the box is a complete army for every mission, points level or local format. The available guidance does not state the number of models in the box, the points total, its current price, or a guaranteed tournament configuration. Treat those details as things to verify on the current product page or with your retailer.
Choose dedicated force or allied detachment before buying more models
Starting a dedicated Talons of the Emperor army
Choose the dedicated route if Custodes are meant to be your main Horus Heresy collection. The Battle Group is the most coherent first purchase because it gives you the core infantry, a commander and two units that Games Workshop identifies as capable of challenging heavy vehicles. From there, add models according to the army list and the kinds of games you expect to play, rather than buying isolated miniatures simply because they are visually impressive.
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A dedicated force also justifies learning the full Talons of the Emperor rules. The current cited PDF, version 1.1, contains the Legio Custodes and Anathema Psykana army lists and the rules needed to select a complete Legio Custodes army. It is a supplement, not a standalone ruleset: the PDF explicitly requires the Age of Darkness Rulebook for full use.
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Adding Custodes to an existing Loyalist army
An allied contingent makes sense when you already own a Loyalist main force and want Custodes to supply elite capabilities without replacing that army. Games Workshop’s March 2026 guide says the allied detachment can include a Shield Captain in its Command slot and Custodian and Sentinel Guard Sodalities in Troops slots.
That structure changes how much you should buy. You may not need every element of the Battle Group immediately if your main army already supplies the roles that the Caladius Annihilator or Contemptor-Achillus would otherwise fill. Conversely, if the purpose of the allies is to add a durable elite presence and a distinctive armoured threat, the complete Battle Group remains a practical starting point.
Check allegiance before planning allies
Custodes allegiance is not optional. Games Workshop’s guide states that Custodes are loyal to the Emperor and cannot be taken as Traitor allies. A Traitor army therefore cannot use a Custodes allied detachment under that guidance. Confirm the allegiance of the army you intend to pair with them before purchasing models for an allied plan.
What each Battle Group element contributes to a first collection
Custodian and Sentinel Guard
These units form the infantry base identified by Games Workshop. They are the part of the starting collection that gives a dedicated army bodies capable of contesting the table while keeping the army’s identity unmistakably Custodes. For an allied player, they are the most obvious way to make the detachment perform a distinct Custodes role instead of functioning as an extra generic character.
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Because the supplied guidance does not state exact model counts or a points value, do not assume the box automatically satisfies a particular event’s minimums. Use the current army list and the rules for the format you play to determine whether the included Guard Sodalities are enough for your first games.
Shield Captain
The Shield Captain is the Battle Group’s command anchor. Games Workshop calls the character a strong choice, and its March 2026 allied-detachment guide specifically places a Shield Captain in the Command slot. That makes the model useful whether you are building a complete force or adding a compact contingent to another Loyalist army.
Build and paint the Captain as a clear leader from the start. Doing so makes the collection easier to identify on the table and leaves you with a defined command model when you begin reading the army list and planning later additions.
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Caladius Annihilator Grav-tank
The Caladius Annihilator is included in Games Workshop’s description as a unit able to challenge heavy enemy vehicles. That gives the first purchase an answer to a threat that infantry alone may struggle to address. It also means the Battle Group is not limited to close-range or purely infantry-based play.
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Do not convert that role description into an unsupported claim about damage numbers, guaranteed destruction or competitive ranking. The official buying guidance does not provide a weapon profile, points efficiency figure or performance test.
Contemptor-Achillus Dreadnought
The Contemptor-Achillus Dreadnought is the other named heavy-threat option in the official recommendation. Its inclusion gives a dedicated force a second way to contest armoured targets and gives an allied player a distinctive Custodes centerpiece rather than only another infantry unit.
Before expanding with additional large models, decide whether you want the Dreadnought and tank to remain the main heavy elements or whether your eventual list will need more infantry and support. The Battle Group starts that decision; it does not answer it for every army size.
A practical buying order after the first box
- Confirm your army path. Decide whether Custodes are your primary army or an allied detachment for an existing Loyalist force. Write down the army’s allegiance and the game format you normally play.
- Buy the Legio Custodes Battle Group. Verify the live contents, edition information, price and stock with your local retailer. The available guidance does not establish those details for your region.
- Obtain the rules before purchasing expansions. Download or otherwise acquire the current Talons of the Emperor PDF, version 1.1, and the Age of Darkness Rulebook required by that PDF. Read the army-list sections that apply to your chosen force size.
- Assemble the command and core infantry first. Build the Shield Captain and Custodian and Sentinel Guard before deciding what the next purchase should be. This gives you a playable identity and lets you understand how the army’s core units function.
- Add the heavy elements when they match your plan. Include the Caladius Annihilator and Contemptor-Achillus in the first gaming package if you want the complete Battle Group experience. If you are testing a small allied force, assemble the minimum legal combination for your format first and add the heavy units when they support a specific role.
- Play a few learning games before expanding. Note which battlefield jobs your collection cannot currently perform. Use those observations and the army list—not assumptions about internet “must-buy” rankings—to choose the next models.
- Only then branch into specialist options. Consider Sisters of Silence or Divisio Assassinorum agents after you understand whether your army needs another detachment direction, a different set of battlefield roles or a broader Talons of the Emperor collection.
Rules and books you need for a usable army
The Talons of the Emperor PDF is the key faction supplement in the cited material. Version 1.1 contains the Legio Custodes and Anathema Psykana army lists and rules for including Divisio Assassinorum agents in Loyalist armies. It also includes rules for Sisters of Silence detachments and Loyalist Assassin inclusion.
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The PDF is not a complete rules replacement. You need the Warhammer: The Horus Heresy – Age of Darkness Rulebook to use it fully. Buying models first and postponing both books creates avoidable uncertainty: you may not know which detachment structure applies, what your chosen format permits, or how a planned allied force must be organised.
Use version 1.1 specifically when checking the current cited rules. If Games Workshop publishes a later revision, use the newest official version available for your games and confirm that any printed references or event pack you use are compatible.
Dedicated army versus allied contingent: a decision framework
| Question | Dedicated Custodes answer | Loyalist allies answer |
|---|---|---|
| How many Custodes units do you need? | Enough to form a complete army at the points level and format you play; the supplied guidance gives no universal model count. | Only the units required for the allied detachment and the role you want it to perform. |
| Do you already own a main force? | No existing army is required; Custodes are the main project. | Yes. The main army supplies the broader force while Custodes add elite capabilities. |
| Which starting roles are covered? | Guard infantry, a Shield Captain, a Caladius Annihilator and a Contemptor-Achillus are the named Battle Group roles. | The same roles are available, but you can stop once the allied detachment does its intended job. |
| What rules are required? | Talons of the Emperor version 1.1 plus the Age of Darkness Rulebook. | The same rules, with additional attention to Loyalist allied restrictions. |
| Can Traitor armies use them? | No Custodes Traitor allegiance is established by the cited guide. | No. The guide says Custodes cannot be taken as Traitor allies. |
If you cannot answer the first two questions, do not place a large second order yet. The Battle Group is flexible enough to begin either route, but the expansion path is not identical.
Where Sisters of Silence and Assassins fit
The Talons of the Emperor rules support more than a pure Custodian collection. The PDF includes Anathema Psykana army-list material, rules for Sisters of Silence detachments and rules for including Divisio Assassinorum agents in Loyalist armies. These are legitimate later directions for a broader Talons force or a themed allied plan.
They should normally be second-stage decisions rather than the first purchase when your goal is to establish a recognizable Custodes core. The cited material does not establish current prices, box contents or availability for Sisters of Silence or Assassins, so check the current official or local retail listings before budgeting for them.
Common first-buy mistakes
- Buying for a Traitor army: Custodes cannot be taken as Traitor allies under Games Workshop’s March 2026 guidance.
- Assuming the supplement is standalone: Talons of the Emperor version 1.1 requires the Age of Darkness Rulebook.
- Expecting a universal points total: no points, cost, win rate or value statistic is established in the cited buying guidance.
- Assuming exact box contents: verify current contents and regional availability before ordering; the named roles do not establish model quantities.
- Expanding before playing: a second large purchase can duplicate a role you already have while leaving another requirement untested.
- Treating manufacturer guidance as independent proof: Games Workshop’s recommendation explains the intended foundation and roles, but it is not an independent competitive test.
Pre-order checklist
- Custodes are intended for a dedicated army or a Loyalist allied detachment.
- Your main army’s allegiance is compatible with Custodes allies.
- You have identified the current Talons of the Emperor PDF, version 1.1.
- You have access to the Age of Darkness Rulebook.
- You have checked the live Battle Group contents, local price and stock.
- You know whether your first games require a complete force or only an allied detachment.
- You have a plan for the Shield Captain, Guard infantry and the two named heavy units.
What to buy first, in one sentence
Buy the Legio Custodes Battle Group first if you are starting a Horus Heresy Custodes army; use it as the core of a dedicated Talons of the Emperor force or trim the follow-up purchases to a Loyalist allied role, and pair the models with Talons of the Emperor version 1.1 plus the required Age of Darkness Rulebook.
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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.
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