Who are the Adeptus Custodes?
Adeptus Custodes, the Emperor’s golden child, literally. These guys are dripping head-to-toe in the finest gold armour the Imperium has to offer. They guard the Imperial palace and the Golden Throne on which the Emperor sits... sort of. Each soldier is genetically enhanced and trained to an even higher degree than any Space Marine.
Their creation is shrouded in myth and mystery, but it is believed that they were created from the Emperor’s genetic make-up (gene-seed) much in the same way each Space Marine chapter was created from the Primarchs’. The creation and training of each Custodian is unique and much more time-consuming than that of their Space Marine brethren. It is said that they have been touched by the divinity of the Emperor himself. Seeing the Adeptus Custodes in battle it’s hard to argue otherwise.
What’s in the box?
At the front of patrol you have a Shield Captain, closely followed by a Vexilius Praetor (he doesn’t have a shield). Three Custodian Guards are ready for some close combat with their power weapons. Three Vertus Praetors, one of which can be build as a Shield Captain on Dawneagle Jetbike are ready to take to the skies for aerial combat. And ten Sisters of Silence Prosecutors, which can also be built as Vigilators or Witchseekers, round out the patrol. You also get two Burning of Prospero transfer sheets, which include insignia for the Talons of the Emperor.
This is a tough box to rate. The Custodes are great warriors, stronger than any Space Marine, able to deal a lot of damage and survive insurmountable odds. Unfortunately this means the Sisters of Silence pale in comparison and feel like they’re there to pad out the patrol. A couple more Custodian Guards would’ve been more useful instead, but then the Combat Patrol would have such a low model count it wouldn’t look as impressive as the others. It’s still a good box and great value, but chances are you’ll sideline the Sisters of Silence until going up against psychic opponents so you can make use of their anti-psychic protection.
Are they difficult to paint?
Much like the Grey Knights, you’ll be tackling a lot of metallics. But gold is much easier to highlight with the fine highlight being done with silver for a very striking finish.
Each model has impressive details that will deserve your attention. But with the low troop count you won’t feel overwhelmed by the task ahead and can really take your time and sink your teeth into getting everything perfect.