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Use Custodes assault units as a coordinated toolkit rather than as interchangeable elite infantry. Build the main attack around spear-armed Custodian Guard, assign Sentinel Guard to hold a position that must not collapse, commit Aquilon Terminators only when their heavy protection and close-range power justify the investment, and use Venatari to threaten a second angle with their speed and reserve options.
The winning habit is to choose the battlefield job first, then select the unit. Concentrate enough force to finish an important target, preserve expensive models from isolated counterattacks, and keep the mission objective in view. The points and profiles below come from Games Workshop’s 2025 Legacies of the Age of Darkness: Talons of the Emperor PDF; they are historical printed values, not confirmed October 2026 points. Verify the current Liber Custodes book, FAQs, errata and event pack before finalising a list.
The four jobs your assault units should perform
A Custodes force becomes easier to use when every assault element has a distinct assignment. The same unit can fight, but it should not be asked to solve every problem at once.
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- Hold a dangerous position: use Sentinel Guard where their shield and improved invulnerable save protect an approach or objective.
- Win a high-value close-range exchange: use Aquilon Terminators when a durable, heavily armed unit can influence a confined or decisive area.
- Create a second threat axis: use Venatari to pressure a flank, exposed support unit or rear objective through mobility, Deep Strike or Outflank.
These jobs are recommendations based on the units’ published equipment, characteristics and special rules. They are tactical synthesis, not a guarantee of results in every mission or matchup.
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At-a-glance comparison
| Unit | Printed starting size and cost (2025 PDF) | Key protection and movement | Distinctive tools | Best battlefield job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Custodian Guard Sodality | 3 models, 135 points; additional models 45 points each | Movement 8; Toughness 5; two Wounds; 2+ save; 6+ invulnerable save | Guardian spears, Misericordias, Lightning Blows, Vanguard (2), Eternal Warrior (1) | Main assault body and adaptable objective fighter |
| Sentinel Guard Sodality | 3 models, 120 points; additional models 40 points each | 2+ armour save; 5+ invulnerable save | Sentinel warblades, Misericordias and Praesidium shields | Hold a contested or exposed position, then counterattack |
| Aquilon Terminator Sodality | 3 models, 255 points; additional models 85 points each | Movement 7; Toughness 6; three Wounds; 2+ save; 4+ invulnerable save | Infernus firepikes, Solarite power talons, Misericordias; talon-to-gauntlet option | High-value close-range task and mobile heavy firepower |
| Venatari Sodality | 3 models, 165 points; additional models 55 points each | Movement 14 | Deep Strike, Outflank, kinetic destroyers, tarsus bucklers and optional Venatari lances | Flank pressure, screening and attacks on exposed targets |
The table compares the printed 2025 document only. It does not establish the current points, upgrades or legality for every 2026 format.
Custodian Guard: your balanced spearhead
Why they are the default assault choice
Custodian Guard occupy Troops in the Talons army list, making them the most natural foundation for a force that needs a reliable body of elite fighters. Their guardian spears combine a melee-focused profile with a ranged function, while Movement 8 lets them keep pace with an advancing battle line. Weapon Skill 5, Strength 5, Toughness 5, two Wounds and three Attacks give each model a broad combat profile rather than a narrow specialist role. The 2+ armour save supplies strong basic protection, while the printed 6+ invulnerable save is a limited safety net rather than permission to expose them to every high-quality attack.
The unit also has Lightning Blows, Vanguard (2) and Eternal Warrior (1) in the cited entry. Read those rules in the current book before relying on a particular interaction; special rules and wording can be changed by later publications.
How to deploy them
- Choose one primary target or objective. Decide what the unit must reach before deployment. A vague instruction such as “move toward the centre” often leaves an expensive unit trading into whatever happens to be nearby.
- Use terrain to shorten the dangerous part of the approach. Advance along a route that limits incoming fire and preserves a charge lane. Check the current Age of Darkness terrain and movement rules rather than assuming a shortcut is legal.
- Support the charge. Keep another unit close enough to punish a counterattack or contest the same area, but do not bunch every model into one blast-friendly cluster.
- Commit only when the exchange matters. If the opponent offers a cheap screen while a valuable unit remains behind it, remove or bypass the screen instead of sacrificing the spear unit for an unimportant kill.
When to expand the unit
The 2025 entry allows up to nine additional Guards at 45 points each. Larger units improve the chance of surviving return attacks and retaining models on an objective, but they also concentrate more of your army’s value in one target. Add models when the mission rewards a durable central block or when the army lacks another unit that can absorb casualties. Keep the unit smaller when you need several independent scoring or screening pieces and have another element ready to supply the decisive combat weight.
Sentinel Guard: hold the ground that makes the battle work
What the shield changes
Sentinel Guard carry sentinel warblades, Misericordias and Praesidium shields. Their 2+ armour save is familiar to Custodes players, but the printed 5+ invulnerable save gives them a more dependable answer to attacks that bypass ordinary armour than spear Guard possess in the cited profile. Games Workshop describes them as protectors of emissaries and holders of defensive positions, while also calling them formidable linebreakers when their resilience is used aggressively.
The key distinction is not that Sentinel Guard cannot assault. It is that their best contribution often begins before the charge: they make a position costly to contest. A shield unit on an objective can force an opponent to commit a disproportionate amount of force, allowing the spear unit to choose a better fight elsewhere.
Good Sentinel assignments
- Exposed approach: occupy the route an opponent must use to reach your vulnerable support elements.
- Contested objective: arrive early enough that the opponent must attack a prepared unit rather than simply walk onto the marker.
- Anchor for a refused flank: hold one side of the table while the rest of the army concentrates on the other.
- Counterpunch position: remain just behind the front line, then charge an enemy that has overextended into your zone.
Sentinel Guard or Custodian Guard for melee?
Choose Custodian Guard when you need a mobile, general-purpose assault unit with guardian spears and a stronger ranged-melee blend. Choose Sentinel Guard when surviving the approach and retaining a position are more important than having the same flexible spear profile. Neither is universally “better” in melee: the correct choice depends on whether the target is a unit you must break immediately or ground you must still occupy after the fight.
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Aquilon Terminators: spend the premium where it changes the game
The investment and the payoff
Aquilon Terminator Sodalities are printed at 255 points for three models, with additional models costing 85 points each in the 2025 PDF. They have Movement 7, Toughness 6, three Wounds, a 2+ armour save and a 4+ invulnerable save. That combination makes them substantially harder to remove than ordinary elite infantry, but it also means that losing them in an unimportant exchange is a major strategic failure.
The entry presents Infernus firepikes, Solarite power talons and Misericordias, with an option to exchange a talon for a Solarite power gauntlet for five points per model. Select the configuration from the current profile and the targets you expect; do not assume an older weapon interaction remains unchanged.
Where Aquilons earn their points
- Constrained terrain: use their durability and close-range output where movement lanes are limited and the opponent cannot easily avoid them.
- Priority breach: commit them to a fortified unit, command element or objective whose removal materially changes the mission.
- Mobile heavy firepower: use the armour as a platform that can advance while remaining a credible threat, especially in Zone Mortalis-style environments.
- Counterattack reserve: keep them out of the first exchange until the opponent reveals the unit that must be stopped.
Games Workshop’s 18 September 2026 preview identifies the current Horus Heresy rules for Aquilon Terminators as part of Liber Custodes: The Forces of the Emperor Army Book. Treat the older free PDF as a useful reference to the printed profile, not as the final authority for every current rule.
Venatari: make the opponent defend another angle
Mobility as a tactical weapon
Venatari have Movement 14 and the listed Deep Strike and Outflank special rules. Their equipment includes kinetic destroyers and tarsus bucklers, with a Venatari lance option. The 2025 entry starts at three models for 165 points and allows up to three additional models at 55 points each.
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Three practical Venatari missions
- Expose a support unit. Identify artillery, a small command body or another element that cannot tolerate a close-range attack. Approach from the side or rear where the opponent has fewer protective models.
- Split the screen. Use the threat of Deep Strike or Outflank to make the opponent allocate models away from the main objective. Your spear units then gain a clearer route.
- Contest late. Preserve the unit for a turn in which a distant objective or scoring action matters more than an early risky charge.
Deep Strike and Outflank do not guarantee a successful charge. Arrival zones, scatter or placement requirements, reserve timing, line of sight, terrain and charge procedures are governed by the current core rules and mission. Position for a useful shooting or objective outcome even when the charge is not available.
Build the assault in a sequence
1. Start with the mission, not the enemy’s biggest model
Mark the objectives, scoring turns and routes that the scenario makes important. A unit that destroys an expensive enemy but leaves the scoring area uncontested may lose the battle it appeared to win. Assign one unit to each necessary task before deciding which enemy is most attractive.
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2. Match the job to the unit
| Problem on the table | Preferred first choice | Reason | Backup plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| A flexible enemy formation blocks the main route | Custodian Guard | Spears, Movement 8 and balanced combat/ranged function | Sentinel Guard hold the route while another unit attacks the flank |
| An objective must survive several turns of pressure | Sentinel Guard | Shield and 5+ invulnerable save support position holding | Custodian Guard countercharge the unit that commits |
| A high-value target sits in a confined or decisive area | Aquilon Terminators | Toughness 6, three Wounds and 4+ invulnerable save justify a premium commitment | Use Guard to screen or soften the target first |
| A flank, rear objective or support unit is exposed | Venatari | Movement 14 plus Deep Strike or Outflank creates another approach | Use their threat to force a screen while the main body advances |
3. Concentrate force without overlapping jobs
Elite units are expensive in the printed list values. Sending one model group at a time into the same enemy allows the opponent to isolate and destroy each group. Instead, coordinate the arrival of the spear unit and its support: one unit makes the primary charge, another blocks the countercharge or claims the objective, and Venatari threaten a separate angle. The supporting element need not charge; its presence can be enough to change the opponent’s choices.
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4. Measure the entire delivery route
- Check the distance from deployment zone to the intended turn of engagement.
- Confirm which models can see or be seen through the chosen terrain.
- Leave room for the unit to form legally after moving and charging.
- Check reserve, transport, Outflank, Deep Strike and charge restrictions in the current rulebook.
- Plan a fallback objective if the opponent screens the original target.
The Talons PDF states that it is not standalone and requires the Age of Darkness Rulebook. Do not infer movement, reserve or charge procedures from the faction PDF alone.
Target priority: decide what deserves the charge
Targets that justify an elite commitment
- A unit whose destruction opens the only route to a mission objective.
- A high-output enemy formation that will otherwise remove several Custodes units over subsequent turns.
- A scoring or command element whose loss changes the opponent’s ability to contest the mission.
- A durable blocker in a narrow lane where avoiding combat is impossible.
Targets to avoid or delay
- A cheap screen positioned to trade for your entire unit.
- An enemy with a clear countercharge that will leave your survivors isolated.
- A unit outside the scoring area when another objective is decisive.
- A target that can be ignored while Venatari or movement pressure wins the flank.
Before declaring a charge, ask what happens in the opponent’s next turn. Count likely survivors, possible counterattacks and the distance to the next objective, not only the number of models you can remove now.
Deployment and movement patterns
Central pressure
Place Custodian Guard where they can threaten the centre without exposing themselves to every firing lane. Sentinel Guard take the objective or approach that must remain secure. Aquilons begin behind cover or in a position from which their Movement 7 can reach the decisive area. Venatari use reserve pressure to make the opponent screen a side of the table.
Refused flank
Concentrate Guard and Aquilons on one side, using terrain to reduce the number of enemy units that can engage simultaneously. Sentinel Guard hold the less important flank or the central objective. Venatari appear on the side the opponent weakened, forcing a choice between protecting the rear and reinforcing the main fight.
Objective trap
Let Sentinel Guard occupy a position that appears difficult to assault, while Custodian Guard remain close enough to charge an enemy that commits. The goal is not to bait every opponent into combat; it is to make the cost of taking the objective higher than the value of leaving you there.
Combining shooting and charges
Guardian spears, kinetic destroyers and Infernus firepikes give the army ranged functions before combat. Use shooting to remove the model that blocks movement, reduce a unit below the threshold needed to contest, or force a morale and leadership decision where the current rules allow it. Do not spend every shot on a target that your assault unit already destroys comfortably if another enemy can prevent the charge.
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Sequence the turn so that movement and shooting reveal whether the original target remains worthwhile. If the opponent’s screen disappears, the spear unit may reach the valuable formation. If the screen survives, switch to the fallback objective rather than charging simply because the unit moved forward.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.List construction and points discipline
The 2025 printed starting values illustrate the relative commitment: Sentinel Guard begin at 120 points for three, Custodian Guard at 135, Venatari at 165 and Aquilon Terminators at 255. Those figures are not confirmed current values for October 2026. Use them only to understand the historical trade-off shown in that document, then rebuild the list with the latest Liber book and official updates.
A practical list usually benefits from role separation:
- At least one unit that can occupy an objective without needing to charge immediately.
- A spear unit large enough to survive the approach but not so large that one failed attack cripples the army.
- Aquilon Terminators only when the list has a defined target or terrain problem for them to solve.
- Venatari when the mission and table provide exposed routes, distant objectives or meaningful reserve pressure.
Do not buy an additional elite unit merely to add more melee attacks. If two units perform the same job on the same route, one may spend the game waiting while another is destroyed. Add the element that solves the missing movement, protection, scoring or target-access problem.
Using Custodes as allies
Games Workshop’s 17 March 2026 allied-army article describes an Allied Detachment route for Loyalists to add a Shield-Captain and Custodian or Sentinel Guard Sodalities. It also highlights Custodes melee and durability while warning that the points investment is substantial. Because allied restrictions and force-building rules can change, check the current Liber text, FAQ and event pack before treating an allied detachment as legal for a particular game.
An allied unit should have a job that the parent army cannot perform as efficiently. A small Sentinel Guard unit can secure a critical point, while Custodian Guard can provide a compact counterattack. Avoid adding an allied unit that competes for the same deployment lane and objective as the army’s existing assault block.
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Using every unit as a battering ram
Symptom: Sentinel Guard leave a valuable objective, Venatari charge the nearest screen and Aquilons chase a low-value target. Fix: write one sentence for each unit’s job before deployment and change it only when the mission state changes.
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Drip-feeding elite units
Symptom: one Custodes unit fights alone while the rest are a turn behind. Fix: delay the charge until support can arrive, or choose a target that the isolated unit can remove and survive against.
Assuming reserve equals an automatic charge
Symptom: Venatari arrive in a legal location but cannot make a reliable attack. Fix: place them where shooting, screening or scoring is useful even if the charge fails, and apply the current reserve and charge rules exactly.
Ignoring the counterattack
Symptom: a successful charge leaves the unit in the open for several enemy formations. Fix: measure the opponent’s next-turn routes before committing and use Sentinel Guard or another body to limit those routes.
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Relying on an old profile
Symptom: a list uses a printed cost or weapon interaction that a later publication changed. Fix: check the current Liber Custodes: The Forces of the Emperor Army Book, the official FAQ and errata page, and the local event’s rules pack.
Rules and event checks for 2026
The official Talons download describes the list as a supplement to the Liber army books and says it requires the Age of Darkness Rulebook. Games Workshop also states that Legacy rules and units are official, while tournament use remains subject to the organiser. Ask the event organiser whether Legacy units, allied detachments and the exact version of the Liber book are permitted.
Before a game, confirm five items: the current points, weapon profiles, detachment and allied restrictions, reserve and deployment wording, and any FAQ or errata published after your book. Keep the relevant pages available during list submission so that a historical PDF value is not mistaken for a current tournament value.
A complete turn-by-turn assault checklist
- Mission check: identify the objective or scoring condition that matters this turn.
- Threat check: list the enemy units that can remove or trap your intended attacker.
- Role check: confirm whether Guard, Sentinels, Aquilons or Venatari is the correct tool.
- Route check: measure movement, line of sight, terrain and legal formation space.
- Support check: identify the unit that protects the charge or claims the ground afterward.
- Fallback check: decide what the unit does if the target is screened, destroyed by shooting or out of range.
- Commitment check: charge only when the expected result advances the mission more than preserving the unit for the next turn.
When the checklist points in different directions, preserve the unit whose job cannot be replaced. A lost Venatari unit may remove your only flank threat; a lost Sentinel unit may concede the objective; a lost Aquilon unit may waste the army’s largest single investment.
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Final battlefield principle
Custodes assault success comes from assigning distinct jobs and timing their arrival together. Spear Guard provide the adaptable centre, Sentinel Guard make important ground expensive to take, Aquilon Terminators deliver a premium close-range commitment, and Venatari force the opponent to defend an additional angle. Concentrate force when the target matters, preserve units that still have a mission role, and verify every current rule before relying on the historical 2025 profiles.
Quick Recap
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