At a Glance
- Games Workshop revealed female head options for Adeptus Custodes miniatures during Friday’s “New Year Preview” livestream
- The Emperor’s elite guard had been exclusively male-presenting since the 1987 launch of Warhammer 40K
- A 2024 rulebook short story and animated series already introduced named female Custodians, sparking right-wing backlash
- Why it matters: The move locks in broader representation and signals the company is ignoring reactionary complaints
Games Workshop ended a three-decade tradition on Friday by unveiling Legio Custodes and Adeptus Custodes kits that include female-presenting heads, making the Emperor’s legendary bodyguards no longer an all-male faction.
During the “New Year Preview” livestream, presenters highlighted the Shield Captain’s unhelmeted head sporting “golden leaf woven into her hair,” wording chosen to pre-empt arguments that the model might simply depict a long-haired man. The reveal confirms that the 2024 lore additions-first seen in a short story featuring Custodian Calladayce Taurovalia Kesh and later in the animated series Tithes with Custodian Tyrith Shiva Kyrus-now carry over to the tabletop game itself.
A Quiet but Firm Lore Shift
The company stressed that the change is not a retcon. The livestream explained that while first-born sons were historically taken to become Custodes, “noble daughters could also have been taken. And at some point, you run out of noble houses – even after you’ve conquered all of Terra, the inexorable war machine of the Imperium still requires a constant churn of recruits.”
In other words, the Imperium’s need for recruits eventually overrode any prior all-male selection process, allowing women to enter the Custodes ranks without contradicting established continuity.
Fan Reaction and Right-Wing Pushback
Each earlier mention of female Custodians-Kesh in print and Kyrus on screen-drew criticism from right-wing corners of the Warhammer community. The livestream reveal is expected to provoke similar complaints, but Games Workshop appears ready to weather them. By embedding the option directly into a flagship model kit, the company signals the decision is permanent and not merely a niche lore footnote.
What’s in the Box
The upcoming kits will work in both the Horus Heresy and Warhammer 40K systems. Exact pricing and a street date were not announced, only that the sets will arrive “later this year.”
Key Takeaways
- Female head bits are now standard in Custodes kits, ending 37 years of male-only representation
- Lore justification frames the shift as a practical response to recruitment demands, not a timeline rewrite
- Games Workshop is doubling down after earlier right-wing backlash to named female Custodians in 2024
- The models serve both flagship games, ensuring the change reaches the widest player base
For players who have wanted female Custodes on the table, the wait ends when the kits hit shelves-no conversion work required.
