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Goatboy’s Grimdark Armylist: Adeptus Custodes “Lions of the Emperor” ROAR!

4 Minute Read
Mar 28 2025
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Goatboy here with an Warhammer 40K Adeptus Custodes armylist that uses the new Lions of the Emperor, AND is quick and easy to build!

This is a Custodes list that isn’t full of Forge World nonsense and just uses nice plastic kits to go beat up the enemy. This might be the best “cheap” army we currently have in 40K right now but let’s build it out and price it out in the end. Strap in, get your gold paint out, and get ready to beat up bad guys for the Emperor. First let’s look at the armylist.  It is designed to utilize the rules from the Detachment and the Stratagem – Gilded Champion.  It is the one that let’s you reuse a once per game rule which can be combo’d with your Shield Captain discount CP rules to have some fun.

Custodes “Lions of the Emperor” ROAR

Adeptus Custodes
Lions of the Emperor
Strike Force (2000 Points)

CHARACTERS

Blade Champion (145 Points)
• 1x Vaultswords
• Enhancements: Praesidius

Blade Champion (120 Points)
• 1x Vaultswords

Shield-Captain in Allarus Terminator Armour (155 Points)
• 1x Balistus grenade launcher
• 1x Guardian spear
• Enhancements: Superior Creation

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Shield-Captain on Dawneagle Jetbike (160 Points)
• 1x Interceptor lance
• 1x Salvo launcher
• Enhancements: Admonimortis

Trajann Valoris (140 Points)
• Warlord
• 1x Eagle’s Scream
• 1x Watcher’s Axe

BATTLELINE

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Custodian Guard (215 Points)
• 5x Custodian Guard
◦ 4x Guardian spear
◦ 1x Misericordia
◦ 1x Praesidium Shield
◦ 1x Vexilla

OTHER DATASHEETS

Allarus Custodians (130 Points)
• 2x Allarus Custodian
◦ 2x Balistus grenade launcher
◦ 2x Guardian spear

Custodian Wardens (260 Points)
• 5x Custodian Warden
◦ 5x Guardian spear
◦ 1x VexillaCustodian Wardens (260 Points)
• 5x Custodian Warden
◦ 5x Guardian spear
◦ 1x Vexilla

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Prosecutors (40 Points)
• 1x Prosecutor Sister Superior
◦ 1x Boltgun
◦ 1x Close combat weapon
• 3x Prosecutor
◦ 3x Boltgun
◦ 3x Close combat weapon

Prosecutors (40 Points)
• 1x Prosecutor Sister Superior
◦ 1x Boltgun
◦ 1x Close combat weapon
• 3x Prosecutor
◦ 3x Boltgun
◦ 3x Close combat weapon

Vertus Praetors (150 Points)
• 2x Vertus Praetor
◦ 2x Interceptor lance
◦ 2x Salvo launcher

ALLIED UNITS

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Callidus Assassin (100 Points)
• 1x Neural shredder
• 1x Phase sword and poison blades

Culexus Assassin (85 Points)
• 1x Animus speculum
• 1x Life-draining touch

“Lions of the Emperor” ROAR! Tactics & Collecting

It is pretty simple list to use, as you have a ton options to utilize the Cheaper CP options, a bunch of different rules to reuse, and just a ton of hard kicking Adeptus Custodes.  There is a good chance you will get to reuse stuff a bunch of times, be a pain in the butt for the enemy, and get to look cool rolling 4+ saves.

On he collecting and bilding side of things, let’s see how much this ends up costing if you wanted to play it.  We’ll take it at 15% discount but if you look around you could find things cheaper.

Custodes Combat Patrol – $143.00
Gets you 1 Blade Champion, 1 Box of Wardens, Custodian Guard, and your Allarus Custodians.

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This just leaves you needing a Blade Champion, Trajann, Warden Box, Vertus Praetors Box, 2 Prosecutor Boxes, and the two Assassins.

Blade Champion – $35.00
Trajann – $38.00
Warden Box – $53.00
Vertus Praetors – $53.00
Prosecutor X 2 – $100.00
Assassins X 2 – $68.00

Total $490! But you could easily get it cheaper if you looked around but that is one of the few armies you can fully get ready for less than 500 bucks.  It also gives you a ton of different options to do goofy stuff all for the Imperium.

For the Emperor!

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