With the latest models, Games Workshop has introduced female Adepta Custodes for the first time in Warhammer 40,000. What has been on fans’ minds for almost 2 years is now causing heated discussions. MeinMMO editor and Warhammer expert Benedict Grothaus believes that the Custodes themselves are not the problem, but how they were introduced.
Since Friday, there has been a major topic in the community: the new female Custodes in Warhammer 40,000. With the New Year’s preview on Friday, January 16th, Games Workshop has officially shown Custodes minis with female heads for the first time.
As a fan of the hobby, the world, and the minis, I think the new models are really great. The detailed bolter spears alone (Hello?!) almost convinced me to put my beloved Sororitas aside for a while. However, regarding the lore side, I have to agree with the other fans who are currently outraged.
If you don’t know what this means exactly: the Adeptus Custodes are the elite guard of the Emperor of Mankind and the only soldiers in the Imperium that – aside from Primarchs – are even more powerful than Space Marines. They serve as the Emperor’s personal guard at the Golden Throne and are only subordinate to the Emperor himself.
Just like the Astartes, they are genetically modified, bred superhumans with almost god-like superpowers. And just like the Astartes, who consist only of men, the Custodes are also an all-male unit. At least that’s what was assumed until now.
In 2024, Games Workshop then claimed that there have always been female Custodes, even though they had never been seen until then. There is even a new official post about it (on Warhammer Community). Some fans felt almost tricked by this change. However, the situation is a bit more complicated.
Do female Custodes lead to less focus on established power women?
The strong criticism comes from a rather small part of the community, while the larger part mocks the uproar, posts memes, or simply discusses it rationally. However, this does contribute to an overall large discussion.
But what are people actually upset about? Even though the discussion is often reduced to the point that men
feel attacked, this is a very one-sided view. Because that is not the case, at least not for the most part.
As can be seen in the comments here on MeinMMO, as well as in many comments on Reddit, the topic is mainly heating up the emotions of lore fans. Reader Neni states:
I think the new Custodes models are great (except for the legs, which look too bulky to me). Lore-wise, however, it’s a disaster to introduce female Custodes after almost 50 years of established lore and to claim they have always been there. Why the established Sisters of Silence are not being developed is a mystery to me.
Neni on MeinMMO
To clarify: In Warhammer, there is a pure female counterpart to every all-male unit with its own rules and lore:
- The female super soldiers are the Adepta Sororitas, who have similar powers as Space Marines, but get along without genetic alteration. They fight with the power of faith.
- Women who are on par with the Custodes are – in theory – the assassins of the “Sisters of Silence.” They are “naturally” mutated, not genetically altered, and although they are not as martial as Custodes, they also have a specific area of expertise. Both troops are not intended to be used extensively in wars.
Many players, however, realistically just use the most powerful units in the game. If these models become more popular, more will be produced, and in the past, it has happened that unpopular armies were reduced. Games Workshop has stopped models when they did not sell enough. Therefore, some players’ fear of losing something is based on experience.
Absolute freedom is not always what one should strive for
One could argue that this way there is freedom of choice. That may also be true, but it was already not a problem to adjust one’s armies according to personal wishes, and it has often happened. Just look at the bright pink Space Marines, who enjoy great popularity.
However, limitations provide character and even promote creativity. When I am limited in my options, I have to think more about how to achieve what I want. Personally, I like to see limitations not as restrictions, but as guidelines for possibilities.
Moreover, Warhammer 40,000 is a dystopian world full of stark extremes and contrasts. There are no “good” people, war reigns everywhere, and the Imperium is a military autocracy. That there are limitations here is simply part of the narrative.
No direct lore break, but…
A large part of Warhammer lore is intentionally kept vague. Games Workshop tends to be reticent and does not release specific information; much “knowledge” comes from the world and is based on the current state of research of the Imperium.
The lore is thus more flexible; some “retcons” or retroactive changes to the past can be explained with new insights in the world. However, the situation with the Custodes is different:
- In the early rulebooks, it is stated that the recruits of the Custodes are selected from the “sons of the noble houses.”
- However, Games Workshop has simply claimed that nowhere has it ever been stated that women cannot become Custodes.
Both statements are correct. Just because an imperial text states that sons are selected does not mean that only men are trained, and even if it does, it does not state that it is not possible for women. The specific wording here is important.
However, it is known about the Astartes, that women would not survive the process of creation. As the Custodes are comparable super soldiers, it would seem that the same applies here – exactly what Games Workshop makes clear in the new blog post. The problem is that the creators had never commented on this before.
The minor mention diminishes the impact of a significant change
Retcons have occurred frequently in Warhammer’s history and have enabled some of the coolest armies – Necrons, for example, who were massively changed for the 5th edition. Originally, they were mindless slaves of the C’tan, their (now) fallen gods. Today, they are perhaps the most powerful species in the galaxy.
When such retroactive changes come with cool lore justifications, they are rarely a problem. However, Games Workshop completely missed this with the female Custodes and deprived players of a potentially cool moment.
That women can become super soldiers is not excluded. Research is officially at a standstill at Warhammer 40,000, but the Adeptus Mechanicus is continually working on new possibilities in all areas.
Cool models and great possibilities are being lost in the discussion
If one of the high magi of the Mechanicus or an Apothecary of the Astartes had simply found a way to turn women into super soldiers, it would have opened up completely new paths and could have been accompanied by books and codices. As it is, the whole situation is simply a disheartening footnote, with female Custodes being a side note somewhere in imperial writings.
This is especially regrettable because the models really look good. I’ve even read more frequently on Reddit that some fans want to sell their current Custodes to get the new ones, because they just have more details.
The whole fuss about the new models is perhaps less a revolt of the nerds, but more an expression of frustration and disappointment – and rightly so, in my opinion. Games Workshop could have gotten much more out of this with less trouble and a big event. Unfortunately, such situations keep occurring, most recently with Terminus Decree: Games Workshop officially unveils one of the biggest secrets from Warhammer 40,000 and seals a cruel fate for the Emperor
