December Detachment Review: Solar Spearhead

The lads in gold got their detachment today and from what I’ve read online, they’re happy to have this one. Even if its competitive viability is being debated.

It’s all vehicle based which is code word for Dreadnaughts. Hell yeah.

The detachment rule was Auric Armor which has more than a few effects.

Vehicles gain 2 OC unless their battle-shocked or aircraft
Below Starting Strength Adeptus Custodes Vehicles gain re-roll hit rolls of 1.
Below half-strength Adeptus Custodes vehicles gain re-roll wound rolls of 1 in addition.
Adeptus Custodes Walkers add 2″ to their move and add +1 to advance and charges

Lastly, you can make 2 Adeptus Custodes Walkers characters. Which is super cool and fun. We like this.

Essentially what this means is you’re going to see a lot of grav-tanks re-rolling in this army with some funny dreadnaughts.

Enhancements

The enhancements are all pretty good and relatively cheap. Which is good, because Custodes are expensive.

Adamantine Talisman gives an Adeptus Custodes model +1 Attacks, Strength, and Damage to their melee weapons for 25 points. Reminder that dreads can be characters. Telemon go brrr. A

Augury Uplink goes on any Adeptus Custodes model and gives them a 5+ Feel No Pain for 25 points. Telemon go brrrr. You’ll see this in every list. A+

Honored Fallen is a 15 point Aura which lets Adeptus Custodes infantry and Adeptus Custodes mounted units within 6″ to re-roll hit rolls of 1. Its fun and fluffy, and 15 points is based. It’s main problem is that it has to go on a Adeptus Custodes Vehicle. So depending on what pans out as good, you might be dropping Adamantine Talisman for this. A

Veteran Of The Kataphraktoi is a small 10 points which you put on an Adeptus Custodes Infantry or Mounted model. It lets you pick a Adeptus Custodes vehicle or mounted within 6″ fall back and shoot with that unit. Really strong for 10 points. Would be even better if bikes didn’t suck. Solid A

Stratagem

The stratagems are a mixed bag of “This is very good, but would be even better in a different army / detachment.” And it really shows. Because many of these would be way better if it wasn’t focused on 1 man units of vehicles and dreads.

Flawless Construction is the classic: if the attackers strength is higher than your toughness, subtract 1 from the wound roll. The catch is that it’s only on a Adeptus Custodes vehicle. Which makes this slightly less good than normal, but I’m sure the dreads would appreciate it. B+

Emperors Vengeance is a 4+ fight on death, which becomes a 3+(TableTop.com) if your target a walker. I have mixed feelings on this. On one hand, Custodes fighting on death is pretty sick, but when you’re incentivized to bring mass vehicles, I don’t think I’m spending 1 CP to maybe have a Telemon fight on death. C+

Wrathful Advance makes your pile-in move D3+3″. Yeah brother this is sick. Just for the extra distance this can get you to jump onto an objective. It’s held back by the small squad sizes of Custodes not benefiting from it as much as a 10 man squad of like, Berserker would. B+

Unstoppable is part of that trend of “thing that can’t go through walls can go through walls” and this time its on Adeptus Custodes vehicles and mounted. Is gud. A+

Relentless Persecution Lets an Adeptus Custodes vehicle advance and shoot. Very, very good. It also let’s an Adeptus Custodes walker advance, shoot and charge. This is the strat that makes your heart warm as your Telemon barrels into combat. A+

Punishment Inescapable lets you give an Adeptus Custodes unit Ignores Cover and lets you ignore any/all modifiers to Ballistic skill and to the hit roll. Caladius Grav Tanks never been so hungry for a stratagem. A+, you will see this, like every game, 5 times.

Lists

This week we got Ryan Mayer and Logan Wathen (Logan agreed to try this time.)

Logan “Dreads still suck” Wathens List and Thoughts

CHARACTERS

Blade Champion (110 Points)
Adamantine Talisman (25 points)
• Warlord
• 1x Vaultswords

Blade Champion (110 Points)
• 1x Vaultswords

Telemon Heavy Dreadnought (215 Points)
Augury Uplink (25 points)
• 1x Armoured feet
• 1x Spiculus bolt launcher
• 2x Telemon caestus
• 2x Twin plasma projector

Contemptor-Galatus Dreadnought (165 Points)
Honored fallen (15 points)
• 1x Galatus warblade

OTHER DATASHEETS

Caladius Grav-tank (215 Points)
• 1x Armoured hull
• 1x Twin iliastus accelerator cannon
• 1x Twin lastrum bolt cannon

Contemptor-Achillus Dreadnought (155 Points)
• 1x Achillus dreadspear
• 2x Lastrum storm bolter

Contemptor-Galatus Dreadnought (165 Points)
• 1x Galatus warblade

Custodian Wardens (200 Points)
• 4x Custodian Warden
◦ 4x Guardian spear

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

ALLIED UNITS

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

“This detachment makes the dreadnaughts now playable.
The plus 2 movement and +1 to advance and charge with a cool aid man stratagem means they will now actually make it to your opponent’s units. The re-rolls is damaged makes them more efficient.
The enhancements are very useable. Can never argue with +1 damage on a character for melee. The +5 FNP would make a Telemon super tanky. A six inch aura of re-roll 1s’ would make Custodes infantry more efficient.
The enhancement giving a unit fall back and shoot is cute. Just not as strong or better than the other 3. If it were fall back and shoot and charge that would be different.”

Ryan “Use to play Tau” Mayers List and Thoughts

CHARACTERS

Blade Champion (110 points)
• Warlord
• 1x Vaultswords

Telemon Heavy Dreadnought (240 points)
• 1x Armoured feet
1x Spiculus bolt launcher
2x Telemon caestus
2x Twin plasma projector
Enhancment: Aurgery uplink (25 points)

BATTLELINE

Custodian Guard (180 points)
• 4x Custodian Guard
• 4x Guardian spear

OTHER DATASHEETS

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

Caladius Grav-tank (215 points)
• 1x Armoured hull
1x Twin iliastus accelerator cannon
1x Twin lastrum bolt cannon

Custodian Wardens (200 points)
• 4x Custodian Warden
• 4x Guardian spear

Telemon Heavy Dreadnought (215 points)
• 1x Armoured feet
1x Spiculus bolt launcher
2x Telemon caestus
2x Twin plasma projector

Venatari Custodians (165 points)
• 3x Venatari Custodian
• 3x Venatari lance

Venerable Contemptor Dreadnought (160 points)
• 1x Combi-bolter
1x Contemptor combat weapon
1x Multi-melta

“Overall I’m not a fan of the detachment. The forgeworld Dreadnoughts are notoriously expensive and their data sheet is still very eh to me points wise. The Telemon advancing and charging through walls sounds great on paper but it’s a heavy CP investment into something the infantry (especially the bladechamp) can do better. I’m sure there’s a way to break this but shield host and talons is still the top dogs for Custodes

I’m sure the one guy who has been trying to make all naughts work all edition is crying in joy though”

Thanks for the contributions kids.

Final Thoughts

Its awesome that this exists, but it doesn’t save the Dreads from being bad datasheets.

There’s a bit of strange design in the stratagems but this is definitely playable. It’s a 3-2 kind of detachment, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

So if you’ve been waiting for Custodes Dreads to get their time in the sun, hopefully this was enough for you.

I’m excited to see 5+ Feel No Pain advance and charge Telemons personally.

That’s it for today. Tomorrow’s **shudders** Knights. Dear god save us.

Be safe everyone. Drink water, eat three meals a day, drive safe.