Sisters of silence heavy custodes 2+ month journey review.
I picked up custodes a little over 2 months ago, decided I wanted to play a sisters heavy list (lions detachment)
27x vigilators (3x9)
3x knight centuras (to go with vigilators)
Allarus axe captain (with the +3 strength, +1 ap and +1 damage enhancement)
29x flame sisters (2x10 and 1x9)
12 Prosecutors (3x4)
15 allarus terminators (2x6 and 1x5 with axe captain)
1 rhino
Tournament results
9th place at a 300-person super major
1x gt win
7x undefeated rtts
(This list was so fun I went to a tournament every weekend since I've picked them up)
As of time of writing, I hit rank 1 in North America with custodes and rank 3 worldwide with custodes.
MVP Units:
Vigilators: very underrated unit, I personally believe for its cost its the best unit in the custodes codex (for lions). For 145 points, you get 9x vigilators with knight centura. +2 move and charge, -1 to hit, desperate escapes to fall back and basically 21 power fist attacks hitting on 2s with devs (power fist equal with lions +1 to wound). Additionally, they have 3+ fnp against mortals and psychic. It's probably one of the best tarpit units that can actually kill things. I start 1 on the board 2 in reserves, needing only 7s to charge with the +2 charge.
Allarus axe captain: every lions player I know plays him. 10 point enhancement makes him probably the most dangerous model in the game at his price point. I usually get 3 activations out of him. One on the charge, one after I survive a counter charge (if they shot I can normally d6 move to safety when combined with his datasheet reduce damage to 1) And then another with fight on death. In the mirror he usually picks up by himself 8-12 guard models. I start him on the board as close to center objective as I can but still completely hidden from shooting. I do this to control what my opponent puts in the middle. If I go first if I deployed properly all chaff able to go to center is already dead from flame sisters.
The rest:
Allarus Terminators: they are awsome but very squishy if you can't make alot of 4+ saves. Axe captain unit should always go into space t1 unless your opponent gifted you a charge on a expensive unit (you do this for a free rapid on t2 from axe captains ability) t2 I drop 6-12 terminators that started in deepstrike. I deploy them as gun platforms, as hidden as possible as safe from counter shooting and I'll pick off as many light vehicles and chaff as possible. If my opponent doesn't gift me units and I don't need them as a deterrent I put them back into space at the end of 2 or 3 if you go second. The rest of the game I'll rapid them for a optimal shoot and charge. If possible you want to shoot at something thats not your charge target as they kill most things in the game on the charge.
Flame sisters: also kind of a mvp unit. 10d6 torrent with plus 1 to wound is silly. 1x10 unit in the rhino scouts 6, disembark 3 and move 6 with 12 inch flamers. Threat range of 27 inches, if your opponent doesn't respect them and you go first the will realize quickly they lost all the chaff on 1 side of the board and likely another none chaff unit. Additionally it leaves a scary overwatch threat denying that side of the board. Also don't sleep on the melee, with lions buff that's 20 attacks hitting on 2s with +1 wound. Bottom line is they are cheap and very deadly to anything that's not t8 or 2+ save.
Rhino: only in the list as a jumping platform for a t1 aggressive flame sister unit followed up by a Vigilator unit that gets inside t1.
Stratagems:
Guided champion: situational if you feel like you can get more out of your axe captain. I use in about half my games.
Defiant to the last: my most used stratagem, probably the best strat in the detachment. Gives that extra killing on your way out.
Peerless warrior: second most used strat, silly on a vigilator squad with dev wounds. Throw away unit that likely kills a character worth more than the unit.
Unleash the lions: very situational, good verse t3 armies that run lots of 5 person squads. Also a cheeky way to avoid battle shock tests if you really need to score a objective. Also if there is a scary overwatch threat (pactbound defilers with abandon... cough cough)
Maneuver and fire: third most used strat, speaks for itself fallback and do stuff.
Swift as a eagle: depending on matchup and mission this could be my most used strat. Very good in purge going first, castle your army deepstrike terminators with only spears seeing a chaff target kill chaff. Opponent shoots you live reactive 1 inch (worst case) with a pivot and no longer be seen. Easy kill+kill more. In all other matchups I hold cp for the threat of a reactive to deter random pop shoots and low volume shooting. This stratagem is only amazing if your very good at your positioning, allarus have spears! as much as possible that should be the only thing they see if your just shooting them.
Overall: I only lost to 2 people with the list out of 34 games.
The only hard counter I played was a very skilled tsons player playing 30x terminators.
Easiest match ups are knights (both varieties), tau, Eldar, non Terminator tsons, deathguard, daemons and necrons.
Easy match ups but you have to use your brain: Astra Militarum, gsc and mirror match (talons).