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The 10th-edition Codex: Adeptus Custodes, published in 2024, introduced Calladayce Taurovalia Kesh as a female Custodian. Games Workshop said the lore was not a new change: “Since the first of the Ten Thousand were created, there have always been female Custodians.” The reveal drew visible online criticism framed by some as “woke,” but contemporaneous coverage does not show that it represented the views of Warhammer players as a whole.
What the 2024 Codex said
A short story in the 10th-edition Codex: Adeptus Custodes names Calladayce Taurovalia Kesh and refers to the character with female pronouns. Wargamer described the passage as the first definitive confirmation in published lore that women were among the Custodes. Wargamer’s April 15, 2024 report also quoted Games Workshop’s clarification: “Since the first of the Ten Thousand were created, there have always been female Custodians.”
That is the company’s stated canon position: the codex made a female Custodian explicit in published lore, while Games Workshop said female Custodians had existed all along. The named character is Calladayce Taurovalia Kesh; “female Custodes” and “Femstodes” are informal terms used in discussion, not separate factions.
Why Custodes are not Space Marines
The distinction matters because the two groups have different fictional creation processes. In its January 16, 2026 FAQ, Games Workshop says Custodes are taken as infants and individually remade through an arcane, bespoke process. While some came from the sons of patriarchal noble houses, the company says noble daughters could also have been recruited, and that other recruitment methods existed. The FAQ states: “There is no difference in combat efficacy between a male Custodian and female Custodian.” This is an in-universe canon statement, not a real-world comparison or measurement.
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- Games Workshop - Warhammer 40,000 - CODEX: Orks (2024 - 10th Edition)
- A must-have guide for any budding Warlord of an Ork army
- Contains in-depth lore and the army rules needed to play
- Includes datasheets for every legal Orks unit in the game
Space Marines, also known as Adeptus Astartes, are a distinct faction with different lore. The same Games Workshop FAQ says, “There are no female Adeptus Astartes.” The 2024 reveal therefore establishes female Custodes in the fiction; it does not establish female Space Marines. Games Workshop’s Custodes FAQ explains the distinction.
| In-universe detail | Custodes | Space Marines (Adeptus Astartes) |
|---|---|---|
| Creation process | Taken as infants and individually remade through a bespoke process, according to Games Workshop’s January 16, 2026 FAQ. | The FAQ distinguishes their process from the Custodes’ but does not detail it in the cited explanation. |
| Recruitment source or age | Some came from sons of patriarchal noble houses; the FAQ says daughters could also have been recruited and other methods existed. | Not stated in the cited FAQ explanation. |
| Gender eligibility in the FAQ | Male and female Custodians; Games Workshop says there is no difference in combat efficacy. | Games Workshop says there are no female Adeptus Astartes. |
What the ‘woke’ backlash does—and does not—show
Some online critics called the female Custodian “woke,” and coverage described an uproar around the reveal. Tech Times covered the criticism on April 16, 2024, while PC Gamer’s April 19 report characterized the loudest opposition as a vocal minority and said many players appeared to move on to discussing the new rules. “Woke” and “Wokehammer” are debate labels, not neutral descriptions of the lore change.
Rank #2
- Games Workshop - Warhammer 40,000 - CODEX: Adeptus Custodes (2024 - 10th Edition)
- An elegant tome and guidebook for collecting and commanding the Adeptus Custodes
- 112 pages packed full of rules, awe-inspiring art, fascinating background material
- Includes Combat Patrol, Crusade rules, 18 datasheets, four Detachments, and more
Those reports document a visible, vocal online reaction, not a representative survey. They provide no defensible percentage for how many players supported or opposed the reveal, and they do not establish that gamers as a whole took either side. Tech Times’ April 16 coverage and PC Gamer’s April 19 coverage describe the dispute but cannot stand in for one.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Which Codex the story concerns
This controversy concerns the 10th-edition Codex: Adeptus Custodes released in 2024. Games Workshop described a newer Custodes codex on September 25, 2026, combining Warhammer 40,000 and Horus Heresy ranges in one book. That later product context does not change which book introduced Kesh; check the edition and current availability if looking for a codex. Games Workshop’s September 25, 2026 article discusses the newer book.
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Best Value
Rank #4
- A 232-page rules supplement for Warhammer 40,000
- A guide to the background and history of the Space Marines, including evocative artwork and exhilarating photography
- Includes the rules you'll need to form your own strike force, including 15 detachments, and 85 datasheets
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Rank #3
- Games Workshop - Warhammer 40,000 - CODEX: Astra Militarum (ENG)
- A rules supplement for Warhammer 40,000
- Your guide for wielding the hammer of the Emperor, the Astra Militarum - Includes Combat Patrol and Crusade rules, 64 datasheets, five Detachments, and more
- 168 pages of crucial rules, impressive artwork, and background material for various regiments
- Printed Material
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