Warhammer 40,000: The Golden Knights

Ever since Games Workshop started making models for the Adeptus Custodes, I've wanted to make some. The Custodes are the Emperor's bodyguards, who as far as I know existed for two decades as brief mentions in the fluff only because of John Blanche's artwork. Now, though, they have models and a codex, and I am here for it.

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Given the Imperial armies I've been fighting, my first question on getting the Codex was: what are the anti-tank options? The answer seems to be the Venerable Contemptor Dreadnought, so since GW was giving away Total War: Warhammer codes if you ordered anything from them, I decided to get one. I was actually a little bit surprised by how simple the model was; there are what, all of ten components, and the only real choice you can make is whether to have the assault cannon or multi-melta. I wouldn't like to have to make many of them, as you'd have to start chopping bits off to change the pose even a little bit. Anyway here she is!

Venerable Contemptor Dreadnought Aurelia Ancharia

Aurelia Ancharia has served with the Terai-Duar Rangers longer than any living Custodian there can remember. She is believed to be a veteran of the original Custodian Legion who fell during the War of the Beast, but records are uncertain. Her indomitable presence anchors the Custodes battle line and serves as a living reminder of the glorious heritage of the Ten Thousand.

Because the Rogue Trader campaign that our Warhammer 40,000 games are based on is set before any of the latter-day fluff innovations, my Custodes still wear their mourning black. Their shield company is the Terai-Duar Rangers, who patrol the areas south of the Imperial Palace. They wear a dark green shoulder guard. I used my favorite dark green, Vallejo's Luftwaffe Camo, for the company color, and the body is Old Gold with a brown ink wash. The joints and exhausts are just black drybrushed with Gunmetal Grey and given a light wash with Black Glaze. Painting gold is tricky at the best of times, but I'm actually really happy with how the model ended up looking.

The Dreadnought is an Elite choice, and another Custodes Elite I simply have to have is a Vexilus Praetor. I've enjoyed several of the Warhammer 40,000 video games, but what kind of bugs me is that you never get to play an Imperial army: it's always just Space Marines or some other single faction. What I always loved about 40k was all the different organizations of the Imperium working together. So when I'm presented with the option of a Vexillus Praetor whose standard gives all Imperial infantry within its radius an invulnerable save, of course I'm making one. She's a Custodian Warden with a Statuesque Miniatures techno roider head.

Vexillus Praetor Domitia Symmachia

A long-serving Custodian Warden and veteran of the Siege of the Eternity Gate, Domitia Symmachia distinguished herself during the Years of Madness, when the Terai-Duar Rangers suppressed several queue wars and Chaos cults. She now bears the Vexilla Defensor, bringing the Emperor's protective blessing to her comrades in arms.

In order to get the Praetor, I had to buy a box of Custodian Wardens, so I already have the models for a third Elite choice. Even though the Wardens don't really have a squad leader as such, I decided to give one of the models a Statuesque head anyway. Oddly, these models are quite highly detailed and come in lots of parts - and are effectively single-pose. There are several helmet and, erm, leg armor plate thing options, but if you want anyone posed differently, it's converting time. I mean I guess most people aren't going to be fielding too many Custodians, but still. Her armour is Old Gold and Flesh Wash, which I think worked unexpectedly well.

Custodian Warden Squad Fulmen Australe

The Wardens of the Terai-Duar company combine the stealth and reconnaissance skills of the Rangers with the unyielding discipline and endless patience of all Custodian Wardens. They know exactly when and where to strike the most precise hammer-blow to utterly vanquish their enemy, and their squad names reflect this. Squad Fulmen Australe is led by Warden Aisha Agrippa Aikaterine Mater Misericordiae, a veteran of centuries of duty before the ramparts of the Imperial palace.

Finally, an HQ choice. I could have a Shield-Captain on foot running around with my Wardens, sure. But then I could also have a jetbike.

Shield-Captain Elektra Cassandra Lysimachia on Dawneagle Jetbike

The model is a Vertus Praetor with a Statuesque head, and I am delighted with how she turned out.

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So we have a 629-point Adeptus Custodes vanguard detachment! This was a lot of fun to build and paint, and must be the fastest 600 points I've ever built. I'm thinking about building a second Imperial army around these ladies, and since Warlord Games was coming out with their Judge Dredd game when I was painting all this gold, I got the next piece of that army already. One of the few weaknesses of the Custodians is their lack of psychic powers and psychic defense. Therefore, meet Inquisitor Anderson.

I saw a sort of grittier version of the Mega-City Judge uniform on Warlord's Instagram and I loved it, but since she'll be joining my Custodians, gold is clearly indicated! Her uniform is Blue with a Black Glaze wash; the boots and accessories are Deep Green. I quite like the model, and I'm happy with my paint job!

Because Custodians also don't really have a lot of long-range weapons, I also made a Brother Vinni Vindicare Assassin for them.

And here they all are.

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So this the start of a completely different Imperial army! I'm very happy I got my golden ladies, as I'm very pleased with how I did with them. Later on, I'm going to see about maybe getting them some allies.