RULES / POINTS VERSION:

10th Edition, 2025 – 2026 Chapter Approved

September 2025 Balanced Dataslate and MFM Points Update

MATCHUP:

Faction: Chaos Knights

Detachment: Infernal Lance

VS

Faction: Adeptus Custodes

Detachment: Lions of the Emperor

MISSION:

Primary: Purge the Foe

Terrain: GW Terrain Layout 1

Twist: None

RESULT:

95 – 52 Win for Custodes

OVERALL TAKEAWAYS:

• Overall game
  • Caveat – I’m not sure this was a fair fight as it featured a Custodes list that I have several reps into and feel very comfortable playing vs a Chaos Knights detachment that I have never tried before (even if it is the “meta” choice).
  • I think Chaos Knights played this game too aggressively as I was worried about the Calladius Grav Tanks outranging the Knights and picking them off at range if I didn’t get into action early.
  • I also banked on Purge the Foe playing to the Knights favor as they had an advantage based on the number of units when it came to getting “Kill More” primary points.
  • The game was close through 2 rounds as both sides traded shots in the midfield but turned into a route in Round 3 when the Custodes effectively tabled everything except for a lone War Dog Huntsman. 
• CK
  • I think my first mistake was during list building as I probably included 1 to many big knights.  I really want the Abominant to be good, but probably need to drop him or the Lancer in order to optimize this list better.
  • My second mistake was during deployment.  The Terrain Layout 1 board favored Custodes as it offered lots of move blocking terrain and little “nooks and crannies” for them to hide in, but I started 2 of the 3 War Dogs in Strategic Reserves.  Hind sight 20/20, I should have started at least 1 more on the board, probably the Carnivore, which I could have paired with the Lancer for Advance and Charge via the Lancer’s datasheet ability.
  • Lastly, I played way too aggressively, which is a common theme when I play Chaos Knights.  In hindsight, I should have kept back a little bit more and played a more methodical game.  By doing this, I could have forced the Custodes’ infantry to come out into the open more and burned through the Wardens 4+ FNP ability before they got into melee range.  Instead, I got too excited and charged both the Abominant and Lancer in before the Wardens used this once per battle ability.  This resulted in a large % of those attacks bouncing and the Custodes being able to setup a clap back that destroyed both Knights in consecutive turns.  That, plus me overexposing the Assault Despoiler in order to get shots off on Trajan’s Warden squad, which also got scammed by the 4+ FNP ability, ended up losing me the game.
  • Not a mistake as I was doing it purposely, but this detachment is so CP hungry.  I found myself purposely not scoring secondaries in order to get extra CP so that I could use all of the Strats.
  • Key Combos:
    • Malefic Surge is amazing as a detachment rule.  Especially the Unholy Hunger for movement buff’s.  Moving a Knight Lancer 17 inches before charging or a Despoiler with the Bestial Aspect Enhancement for an additional 7 to 12 inches of movement with Advance and Shoot is insane. 
    • Profane Symbiosis on a Knight Despoiler with Bestial Enhancement for Sustained or Lethal Hits on 36 gatling cannon shots after going 17 to 22 inches.
  • Key Stratagems
    • Corrupting Taint – Sticky objectives is always awesome in Knights.
    • Profane Symbiosis – See above
    • Tank Shock – Lancer gets it for free and in addition to another, so you can potentially tank shock twice in a turn.
    • Hellforged Construction – Armour of Contempt for Knights went a long way to keeping the Abominant alive in melee for a turn longer than he deserved.
    • Warp Vision – Hindsight 20/20, I should have used this on the Despoiler when shooting at Wardens as it would have removed their ability to save on 3’s via Ignores Cover.
    • Diabolic Bulwark – 4+ Invulnerable Save in shooting on 1 big Knight.  This is always good, especially when you get arrange the board so that only one big shooting unit can see the Knight in question.
• Custodes
  • This is another detachment that just feels right when I play it.  Everything feels logical and natural and it seems to come easy.
  • My game plan was to keep the Grav Tanks out of range of the Knights and to try to take down one Knight per turn with their shooting.  I then wanted to tank as much of the Knights attacks on the Wardens before clapping back with everything that I could in melee.  The Shield Captains in Terminator Armour were Deep Strike threats as I anticipated Knights would want to push up the board.
  • Suffice it to say that approach worked as the Custodes tanked the Knights “go turn” in the top of Round 2 and then clapped back by killing 2 big Knights and 2 little ones, while also doing significant damage to 2 other Knights and dropping the Shield Captains in the Knights back field and on their expansion objective.  This effectively broke the Knights back.
  • Key Combos:
    • Shield-Captain on DawnEagle Jet Bike + Admonimortis Enhacnement + Gilded Champion stratagem.  I love using this guy like a heat seeking missile to fly in and kill something in melee, then execute a normal move via his Sweeping Advance ability to jump behind cover, and get a free stratagem via his Strategic Mastery ability to rerack the combo for execution again next turn.
    • Blade Champion + Martial Inspiration ability + Gilded Champion.  Similar to the Shield-Captain, I love advance and charging this guy in to kill something and then spending 1 CP to rerack the ability for another use.
    • Shield-Captain in Allures Terminator Armour + Auramite and Adamantine ability + Superior Creation enhancement + Gilded Champion stratagem.  Another familiar pattern, I love dropping this guy in and then tanking a ton of damage by covering all incoming damage to 1 for a phase, dying, getting back up on a 2+, and then reracking the ability for free via Strategic Mastery ability.
  • Key Stratagems
    • Gilden Champion – See above
    • Maneuver and Fire – Fall Back and Shoot/Charge is soooooo good on Wardens if they can tank a phase of fighting.
    • Swift as the Eagle – Reactive D6 move if you are shot makes the Jet Bike Captain even more mobile.

WHAT I WOULD CHANGE NEXT TIME:

• CK
  • Change my list and play more patiently.  
• Custodes
  • Not much.  For some reason, this list and detachment just jive with me.

EARNED HIMSELF A NAME:Trajan.  My man tanked 3 whole turns of damage from a Knight Despoiler and Knight Abominant while taking both down and then heading off to take down a Huntsman as well.  Turns out just rolling 4+ saves, timing your 2+ Moment Shackle Invulnerable save well, and then 4+ or 5+ FNP’s is good.

MAGNUS OF THE GAME: War Dog Huntsman #1.  Not his fault as I mis-deployed him, but he took a Caladius Grav Tank to the face turn 1 and instantly died.

LISTS:

Chaos Knights

Infernal Lance

Strike Force (2,000 Points)

CHARACTERS

Chaos Cerastus Knight Lancer (420 Points)

  • 1x Cerastus shock lance

  • Enhancements: Blasphemous Engine

Knight Abominant (380 Points)

  • 1x Balemace

  • 1x Diabolus heavy stubber

  • 1x Electroscourge

  • 1x Volkite combustor

  • Enhancements: Knight Diabolus

Knight Despoiler (395 Points)

  • Warlord

  • 1x Daemonbreath meltagun

  • 1x Despoiler gatling cannon

  • 1x Despoiler gatling cannon

  • 1x Havoc missile pod

  • 1x Heavy darkflamer

  • 1x Heavy darkflamer

  • 1x Titanic feet

  • Enhancements: Bestial Aspect

Knight Despoiler (375 Points)

  • 1x Daemonbreath meltagun

  • 1x Despoiler gatling cannon

  • 1x Despoiler gatling cannon

  • 1x Havoc missile pod

  • 1x Heavy darkflamer

  • 1x Heavy darkflamer

  • 1x Titanic feet

OTHER DATASHEETS

War Dog Huntsman (140 Points)

  • 1x Daemonbreath meltagun

  • 1x Daemonbreath spear

  • 1x Reaper chaintalon

War Dog Huntsman (140 Points)

  • 1x Daemonbreath meltagun

  • 1x Daemonbreath spear

  • 1x Reaper chaintalon

War Dog Karnivore (150 Points)

  • 1x Havoc multi-launcher

  • 1x Reaper chaintalon

  • 1x Slaughterclaw

Adeptus Custodes

Lions of the Emperor

Strike Force (2,000 Points)

CHARACTERS

Blade Champion (120 Points)

  • 1x Vaultswords

Shield-Captain in Allarus Terminator Armour (155 Points)

  • 1x Balistus grenade launcher

  • 1x Guardian spear

  • Enhancements: Superior Creation

Shield-Captain in Allarus Terminator Armour (155 Points)

  • 1x Balistus grenade launcher

  • 1x Guardian spear

  • Enhancements: Praesidius

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

Valerian (110 Points)

  • 1x Gnosis

OTHER DATASHEETS

Caladius Grav-tank (215 Points)

  • 1x Armoured hull

  • 1x Twin arachnus heavy blaze cannon

  • 1x Twin lastrum bolt cannon

Caladius Grav-tank (215 Points)

  • 1x Armoured hull

  • 1x Twin arachnus heavy blaze cannon

  • 1x Twin lastrum bolt cannon

Custodian Wardens (210 Points)

  • 4x Custodian Warden

     ◦ 4x Guardian spear

     ◦ 1x Vexilla

Custodian Wardens (210 Points)

  • 4x Custodian Warden

     ◦ 4x Guardian spear

     ◦ 1x Vexilla

Custodian Wardens (210 Points)

  • 4x Custodian Warden

     ◦ 4x Guardian spear

     ◦ 1x Vexilla

Prosecutors (40 Points)

  • 1x Prosecutor Sister Superior

     ◦ 1x Boltgun

     ◦ 1x Close combat weapon

  • 3x Prosecutor

     ◦ 3x Boltgun

     ◦ 3x Close combat weapon

Witchseekers (50 Points)

  • 1x Witchseeker Sister Superior

     ◦ 1x Close combat weapon

     ◦ 1x Witchseeker flamer

  • 3x Witchseeker

     ◦ 3x Close combat weapon

     ◦ 3x Witchseeker flamer