Editing Warhammer 40,000/7th Edition Tactics/Genestealer Cults (section)

==Unit Analysis==
===Ghosar Quintus Broodkin===
Not a separate FOC slot, but rather what amounts to a unit subtype, these units can be taken in a CAD or Allied Detachment, but not in any other Detachments other than their own special Formation, detailed below.  They lose, relative to their base versions:

*''Cult Ambush''
*''Return to the Shadows''
**Neither ''Cult Ambush'' nor ''Return to the Shadows'' has been FAQed to cover what happens when you mix ICs with this rule with units without or ICs without with units with these rules, so for now it appears that any mixed unit will lose both, as neither rule discusses it and that is the standard default with ICs joining units.
*''Unquestioning Loyalty''
*If a Psyker (Patriarch or Magus), access to the Biomancy and Broodmind Disciplines (i.e. can only use Telepathy).
*All equipment options are static for them, so you can't change them later - this means the HQs lose Relic access, the Troops lose Dedicated Transports, etc.

===HQ===
*'''Patriarch:''' Just under 100 points for an ML1 Super-Genestealer with access to Biomancy, Telepathy, and Broodmind; he also makes cult units within 12" Fearless. But, mind games aren’t the Patriarch’s only hobby. He also enjoys ripping out 4 S6 attacks with Rending, Shred, '''and''' AP3, and can buy familiars to add even more S4 attacks to the pile. [[Kharn|A pretty fun guy]], for a ‘nid. Ultimately, with the Patriarch's combination of psychic powers and beastly stats, with invisibility on he can go toe to toe with most characters, specially since he ''will'' beat them to the punch unless they are a daemon princes or Jain Zar. He also grants a 12" bubble of ''Fearless'' to make sure your fragile units hold the line.
*'''Magus:''' 40 points for an ML1 psyker with access to Biomancy, Telepathy, and Broodmind, as well as a whole bunch of special rules. He can be upgraded to ML2 and you should most definitely do this. He projects a 12" bubble of ''Adamantium Will''  to himself and other Cult units, so while it's not ''as'' good as a psychic hood, he's a denying machine. (Do not underestimate him. With autopass look out sir and a force stave, over a couple of turns he can and will slowly beat his way through all manner of squads and multi-wound models, if you end up in assault.)
*'''Primus:''' Cheap and cheerful. Same str 4 T3, but with the ablity to join non-genestealer units. Grants a 12" bubble of ''Hatred'' to really buff up your close combat potential.
*'''Acolyte Iconward:''' Your other HQ choice, and thankfully not limited to a one only deal in the Cult Insurrection Detachment. His statline is only marginally better than a normal Acolyte ''(+1 BS, W, A)'' and his stock gear is useless crap. He comes with a Sacred Cult Banner, granting Furious Charge to units within 12". His other rule is his ''Nexus of Devotion'' which grants all friendly cult units within 12" the ''Feel No Pain (6+)'' rule, or improves it by one. This gives a layer of protection in an army where 5+ saves essentially mean no save at all.


====Ghosar Quintus Broodkin====
Remember, none of these can take Relics; the only other upgrades they'd otherwise have access to are ML2, which they all have if possible, and Familiars, where the only ones with access have taken exactly one, and you cannot take a second or drop to 0.

*'''Patriarch Ghosar'''
**An ML2 Psyker who costs as much as any ML2 Patriarch, but has -1S and -4BS relative to a regular Patriarch.  Because he also loses access to Broodmind and Biomancy, the BS loss should never be relevant, but you'll probably notice the -1S.
**Comes with a Familiar for free.
**Does manage to keep ''Infiltrate''.
**Gains ''Stealth'' and ''Hit & Run'''.
***Both of these rules do confer to his unit.
**Keeps ''Fearless'', but loses ''Living Idol'', so no Fearless bubble.
*'''Magus Orthan Trysst'''
**A really, really terrible idea.  You pay for upgrading to ML2 and get a "free" Familiar, but on top of the usual losses, you ''also'' lose ''Adamantium Will'', both the bubble and the base rule.
**You do lose ''Infiltrate'', which does mean you can't Infiltrate him solo, but also means you can attach him during deployment in a CAD or Allied Detachment.
*'''Primus Vorgan Trysst'''
**Same cost as a regular Primus, with -1WS and +1W.
**Trades the 12" Hatred bubble for Zealot, i.e. Fearless ''and'' Hatred, but only for his unit.
**Trades having Poisoned (4+) on his Rending Claws for having Rending on his Bonesword, meaning a 6 to wound with that thing auto-wounds with Instant Death at AP2.
**Like Orthan, loses ''Infiltrate'', with the same caveats: you can't Infiltrate him solo, but you can attach him during deployment in a CAD or Allied Detachment.

===Troops===
*'''Neophyte Hybrids:''' Neophytes have the same profile as "unmodified" humans, meaning 3s across the board, as well as improved Leadership and Initiative. They have a fairly flexible loadout, and can be either configured for short-ranged firefighting or for securing objectives while providing fire support. Neophytes are armed with Autoguns/Lasguns with the option to swap out for Shotguns for free. They have the option to either take two Mining Weapons or to form a Heavy Weapon Team, and they have the option to take up to two Specials on top of that. 
**Close-quarters teams will want to stick to Shotguns and Assault weapons; Flamers or Webbers are both nice. Whether you're running the teams in Goliaths or attempting to fish for good Cult Ambush results, being able to assault without relying on Relentless buffs is nice. Longer-ranged teams will probably want to stick to the stock rifles and whatever support weapon is most appropriate. Seismic cannons are an "alphastrike" weapon that appears to rely mostly on getting good Cult Ambush rolls while the Mining Laser sacrifices less short-range damage potential to be more consistent at range; not many armies can brag about being able to bring an Infiltrating 10-man team of two Lascannon teams for 80 points (needs confirmation also 100 points), especially a team that can also strategically redeploy itself and potentially replenish its models in one go! The only IG heavy weapon team you should really consider is the Autocannon, as all the rest have the same overinflated cost the IG pays for them.
**These guys should be your bread and butter. Acolytes are great, but Neophytes are way more versatile in taking advantage of the Cult Ambush table. While Acolytes only really benefit from a 6 on the table Neophytes can basically benefit from every roll but a 1. Their S3 autoguns might not be the most exciting thing in the world, but their ability to precisely control their positioning makes them a lot more valuable than S3 guns in other armies. Plus, their heavy and special weapons can add some serious oomph and if you bring them in big squads the sheer volume of autogun fire can start to threaten more durable targets. Their flexibility in taking advantage of Cult Ambush is where their real power is. Angle your ambush so that you're hitting the enemy special/heavy weapons or characters first. Pop in where the enemy was hiding an important but flimsy character or a barrage vehicle behind terrain and mow them down. Appear in the rear arcs of dangerous vehicles like Knights and enjoy attacking their AV11. If you roll a 6, remember that these guys can actually take advantage of that opportunity pretty damn well. They're all equipped with autopistols, so if the enemy has a dangerous shooting unit that you aren't going to be able to reliably kill with shooting these guys can rush in and engage it in melee without sacrificing their shooting. All in all, these guys hold most of the tactical flexibility, while the other units in the army hold a lot of the killing power. Think carefully about using your Neophytes and they'll rarely let you down.
*'''Acolyte Hybrids''' 1st & 2nd generation hybrids. Probably some of the best close combat "Troops" in the game, With two S4 I4 attacks with Rending as standard, but also Autopistols and Close combat weapons so you are always going to get your bonus two-weapon attack even if somehow disarmed. That means four rending attacks each on the charge, so they chuck out as many attacks as Orks, but with more speed and more threat. However, they are still as flimsy as regular humans, so buy in bulk.
**Each and every Acolyte can replace his Autopistol with a hand flamer for five points. Totalling 13 points per model, which is cheaper than a Space Marine! Even though it is still only S3, the sheer number of automatic hits you can cause will inevitably mean more wounds in the long run, then follow it up with your teeth and claws because you're at the perfect distance. Though if you're intending on using cult Ambush to get the most out of a surprise flamer squad, remember that you're restricted by distance, so it may not work like you expect.
**Whilst expensive, upgrading the Acolyte leader can make him pretty frightening. With a lash whip and Bonesword, and an Icon in the squad, on the charge he's WS5 S4 A5 I7 and ap3 with instant death on to wound rolls of 6. That being said this makes him cost a little over a terminator but only having guardsmen toughness. Usually its best to spend a couple of points more and buy the squad a Goliath, but this may be very workable in a Subterranean Uprising with a Primus, if only for the look on a marine players face when your pseudo-sergeant assaults out of nowhere and puts out more pain than a Captain worth 3 times the points. Also worth noting that upgrading your Leader is a lot better if you take him as part of the Cult Insurrection detachment. Even if he flubs his rolls and gets stomped flat, you can get him back if your squad can escape and Return to the Shadows.

====Ghosar Quintus Broodkin====
Remember, these guys all have static equipment and unit size choices, which means you're going to lose out on Dedicated Transports, etc.

*'''The Faithful Throng'''
**16-strong Neophyte Hybrids with autoguns, two grenade launchers, and two mining lasers, for 10 points less than stock, but.....
**All of them lose their autopistols, so they have fewer attacks in close combat and shoot a ''lot'' less when shooting and charging.
**Can't take any other options, including an icon, shotguns, etc.
*'''The Favoured Disciples'''
**12-strong Acolyte Hybrids at an 11 point discount; not only do these guys not lose anything more than the usual compared to a regular unit, but they '''gain''' ''Fearless''.

===Dedicated Transports===
*'''Genestealer Chimera:''' What's not to love about one of the most versatile MEHTAL BAWKSES in the 41st Millennium? Unfortunately Tyranids are allies of convenience with the cult so you can't put Genestealers in these. However there is no restriction on taking purestrain genestealers or a Patriach and putting them in these lovely MEHTAL BAWKSES it's just why would you? You can't assault out of them.
**The Neophyte Cavalcade makes these into some serious killing machines. Give it a Multilaser on the turret and a hull mounted Heavy Flamer. Give the guys inside grenade launchers or flamethrowers. Use Outflank to close the gap on infantry or get to the sides and rear of enemy vehicles, then enjoy slapping down 3 flame templates (plus some lasgun array fire and a multilaser) or throwing out 5 S6 shots at the rear armor of an enemy vehicle. The Chimera was already one of the best transports in the game. Giving it Infiltrate and Outflank only makes it more insane.

*'''Goliath Truck:''' Open topped transport for your dudes, meaning guys can assault from it, plus it gives you a twin-linked Autocannon. I know what you're thinking, but unfortunately it cannot carry Purestrain Genestealers or the Patriarch (if you want Genestealers on Wheelers, take a Chimera instead (though of course the Chimeras aren't open-topped transports)). In rules terms it's like a beefed up Ork truck for just less than double the points, more armour and bigger guns. Easy to mass transport.
**Just put fucking Acolyte Hybrids in it. There's your assault transport.
*** Don't forget this baby ignores stunned, shaken and immobilized results on a 4+

*'''Chimera vs. Goliath:''' There's a lot to love about both of these transports. 
**FIREPOWER: While the Chimera is capable of putting out more shots, and more high strength shots than the Goliath with its multi-laser, heavy bolter, and lasgun arrays, the Goliath's twin-linked autocannon has a longer range and can actually threaten vehicles as well as more elite soldiers. Depending on what kinds of troops you're taking and what they're carrying, though, the Goliath's open top means that the little dudes in the back can fire their own guns as well with equal or greater effect. Overall, though, in terms of firepower, the Chimera wins out simply because it can reliably put out more shots. Counterpoint, the Chimera is limited to mostly anti-infantry firepower, which your troops already have a heap of. The Autocannon, as already stated, can threaten more vehicles at a considerable range, which is something that you are lacking.
**DURABILITY: The Chimera, with its 12 front, 10 side and 10 rear armor is a fairly standard transport armoring; its amphibious nature though allowes it to automatically pass dangerous water hazards. Though the Goliath has one less frontal armor, it does have the ability to ignore two of the most dangerous penetration roll results (crew shaken and crew stunned). However, chimeras can practically gain the same ability through cult insurrection detachment giving it the edge again, and honestly the passing water terrain ability really won't come into effect enough to matter much (In addition stopping Crew stunned and Crew Shaken really won't effect much if your glanced to death or blown up, which will happen more often with the Goliath). Being open-topped can be a liability, especially against a vanilla Leman Russ, and when your entire army is almost universally fragile anything that can stop an EXPLODES result is critical. In addition, experienced players will know how to better positions there transports so the Av 12 comes into effect more, which is essential in a game where several armies have basic troops with st 5-6 weapons. Chimera edges out Goliath.
**TRANSPORT: Twelve models with no ability to assault and one access point for the Chimera. Ten models with the ability to assault in the Goliath. Chimera can transport any troop in the army, while Goliath cannot take Genestealers, though you probably won't care much. Note that the Goliath is open topped, so you can shoot or disembark from any point on the vehicle and to that, the Goliath wins.
**IN SUMMARY: the the Chimera beats out the Goliath in overall durability which wasn't really surprising. The two transports roughly tie for firepower with Chimeras specializing better at infantry killing, while the Goliath allows for more heavier firepower. The Goliath edges out the Chimera in terms of being a pure transport thanks to it being open-topped which benefits this particular army more even though it can't transport as many troops as the Chimera. So overall both transport have merit and both match up to their intended roles(the Chimera being a tanker carrier and the Goliath being a light assault transport). 

===Elites===
*'''Purestrain Genestealers:''' They're not your normal Genestealers, these guys aren't shat out from Tyranid Hive fleets so they aren't as mutable as their Hive Mind cousins, nor do they get access to Broodlord squad leaders. But here they have 3 attacks base, ''Stealth'' and a [[Awesome|5+ Invulnerable save]], which is exactly what Genestealers needed, no joke. All for the same cost as Tyranid Genestealers, making them out to be the  poor cousins. What's not to love? Lots of S4 AP5 Rending attacks at high initiative.
**They can only be joined by the Patriarch, and this is NOT a bad thing. Primarily because what he does will synergise with them anyway, but he also confers ''Furious Charge'' on all of them while attached. Now who doesn't love the thought of 100 ''(squad of 20 with Scythes)'' S5 rending attacks on the charge? Thats before you factor in psychic buffs and other overlapping rules.

*'''Aberrant Hybrids:''' Quite costly for what they do, costing nearly as much as a basic terminator but with a 5+/5++ 2W instead, but if Cult Ambush is good (i.e. you roll a 6), they can work out. However, in a codex lacking lots of good ways to deal with AV14 vehicles and the like, you may want to include some hammer dudes in a Subterranean uprising. If your Patriarch is running Biomancy then it may be worth picking these guys up. Endurance can give them a 4+ Feel No Pain which the Iconward buffs to a 3+, with Furious Charge given by the Iconward you're also now hitting on S9 on the charge, and throw in Might From Beyond courtesy of the Magus to knock them up to S10 with Rage to turn this unit into a battering ram for when you really need a target unit dead, though this requires some luck with rolling Psychic Powers. However, a 4++ FNP will only go so far, and any S8 weapons+ will wipe this unit from the board with very little difficulty.

*'''Hybrid Metamorphs''' Acolytes with sharper teeth. They get the Metamorph weapons, which due to the wording of "A model equipped with...", lets them combine profile bonuses with the effects of other weapons (predominantly your Rending Claws). The unit can "mix-and-match" weapon upgrades in the unit as you wish. While you "could" use it for weird rule interactions (For example equal mix of Talons and other upgrades would allow the unit to strike across two different Initiative steps, while maintaining an improved "majority" weapon skill)[you have icons for that], in practice you should keep it simple.
**By default, each Metamorph starts with a Metamorph Talon, granting +1 WS for an effective WS 5. You "can" replace your Rending Claw with a second talon, but you probably don't want to. Why? Because +1/+2 Weapon Skill isn't that great when you can have normal Acolyte squads with a Cult Icon getting the same thing; while the difference between WS5 and WS6 is largely academic when most non-character units in the entire game tend to sit around WS4. 
***That said, there is one edge case where a pair of talons might be really solid; against GEQ hordes. A squad of 10 metamorphs with a pair of talons and a banner can reach WS7 (WS8 if used in brood cycle and within 6" of another unit), which is enough to make any WS3 model hit them on 5+. 10 of these guys with twin talons are pretty darn cheap, the talons are still AP5, and (provided someone else eats the overwatch) they can charge into a 50 strong guard blob and do pretty well chewing through them while minimizing the number of attacks they take in return. Still definitely less utilitarian than the other two options, but potentially very good at that one job.
**In practice you will probably want to stick to Claws: The improved damage output means you're wounding Marines on 2s while the difference between S4 and S6 is dramatic the moment your opponent brings an Knight or any other Super-Heavy Walker. Without Crushing Claws, 1 in 18 hits will result in a HP loss vs a Knight, while the Claws make this 1 in 6. 
**Lash Whips grant an effective +3 Initiative, which is more than enough to strike first in practically any engagement, and considering that your models are as flimsy as Eldar Guardians, even if you can comfortably wipe out an enemy squad in one fight sub-phase, avoiding a simultaneous combat means you can reduce how many wounds you inevitably take. If you're running the Metamorphs in a Brood Cycle, they'll probably have access to a Furious Charge Bubble anyway, thus mitigating some of the impact of not taking the Claws. Of note is that a Leader with Bonesword in this formation would make 5 S5 AP 3 attacks at I7, with potential WS 6, each 6 to-wound denying FNP to a Wraithknight/Surge on top of inflicting an automatic D3 wounds. You're paying an extra 30 points for the privilege however.

====Ghosar Quintus Broodkin====

*'''The Brothers Aberrant'''
**Just 4 Aberrants with pre-set weapons choices of two picks and two hammers.
*'''The Purestrain Princelings'''
**Two Purestrain Genestealers with -1A at 2 points more than you would theoretically pay if you could legally take a unit of two with the base unit, which you can't.
**Come with stock equipment (so no second close combat weapon), and manage to keep ''Infiltrate''.
**Lose both ''Brood Instinct'' and ''Hyper-reflexes'', but gain ''Hit & Run''.
***Note that they ''can'' be joined by non-Patriarch ICs, due to the loss of ''Brood Instinct''.

===Fast Attack===
*'''Armoured Sentinels:''' Better armored than their Scouting Brothers, but still at only 2HP you'd best take at least 2 in a squadron if you don't want to hand over First Blood to your opponent.
**Worth noting that this is one of the only ways to get Plasma into your Cults (the other being sponsons on a Leman Russ). 50 points for a 12/10/10 2 HP walker with a plasma cannon is nothing to sniff at. A squad of three of these is cheap, partially gets around their average BS by being blasts, and will easily make any squad of TEQs sweat. Just be ready for them to melt themselves with Gets Hot! rolls. Gains Outflank in a neophyte cavalcade, pair with plasma and mention it often and loudly to fuck with your enemies deployment.

*'''Scout Sentinels:''' With such weak armor, most likely they are going to die on the second turn. Fun choice of weapons. Key part here is that they have Scout. But still - they are going to die. They are open topped. They are going to die. They have 10 armor. They are going to die. They have two Hull Points. They are going to die. But they may as well take a tank or two down with them. If you want to be insane, having Heavy Flamers all around can result in hilarious infantry murder. Otherwise, most of the time you'll take them as a 40 point autocannon on legs since they are cheap and effective against most things. (Outflank you plebs, these are great.)
**Heavy flamers become amazing when combined with the Neophyte Cavalcade. Giving Scout Sentinels access to the Cult Ambush table gives them a 50-50 chance of popping up somewhere on the board within 6" of an enemy. While you won't get ideal coverage, the flame template is 8" long, so you'll be able to hit the first rank or so of the enemy, depending on how tightly packed they are. Combine that with a bit of clever Tank Shocking in order to force the enemy closer to your flamers (and bunched more tightly!) and you have a pretty serious combo against non-MEQ infantry. If you roll a 6 on Cult Ambush, put on your biggest troll face as you pop up within 3" of the enemy with 3 Heavy Flamers and then charge them with 6 hull points of 10/10/10 tarpit goodness. Absolutely hilarious against S3 armies. Torch a big blob of Hormagaunts or Conscripts, then charge in with your 105 points of walkers and spend the rest of the game kicking them across the field.

*'''Goliath Truck:''' Open topped transport for your dudes, meaning guys can assault from it, plus it gives you a twin-linked Autocannon. I know what you're thinking, but unfortunately it cannot carry Purestrain Genestealers or the Patriarch (if you want Genestealers on Wheelers, take a Chimera instead (though of course the Chimeras aren't open-topped transports)). In rules terms it's like a beefed up Ork truck for just less than double the points, more armour and bigger guns.

===Heavy Support===

*'''Goliath Rockgrinder:''' Slightly tougher than the Goliath Truck with 12/10/10 HP3. Can transport 6 dudes, but isn't open topped so they can't assault. Ignores crew stunned/shaken and immobilized results on a 4+ thanks to being built so sturdily for mining operations. Comes stock with a Drilldozer Blade and a Heavy Mining Laser which can be swapped out for a Clearance Incinerator (basically a torrent Heavy Flamer) or Heavy Seismic Cannon (basically a Seismic Cannon with 50% more shots). This thing is basically built for ramming other vehicles and tank shocking other units, but don't expect it to really provide a lot of fire power. 
**Rockgrinders aren't really worth it in a CAD due to their ranged anti-tank being fairly weak; 75 points for a single BS 3 Lascannon doesn't impress anybody. You "could" run them as a cheapish cover-busting anti-infantry platform as the Clearance Incinerator "does" make it the cheapest mobile Torrent in the game, but unlike the Hellhound, you're not fast and you don't have good Side Armor or Smoke Launchers. You can get 3 Rockgrinders for slightly less than 2 Hellhounds though.
** Did anyone else notice that, unlike the Goliath Truck, Rockgrinders can carry Stealers and the Patriarch? Might just be an omission mistake but still interesting. Unfortunately the Patriarch is Bulky, preventing him from fitting in with even a minimum sized squad. FAQ has hit, this was not a mistake apparently.
*'''Leman Russ Squadron:''' Ah yes, the famous Leman Russ Battle Tank. Perhaps the most cost-efficient and versatile tank in 40k. With very tough front armor and reasonably durable side armor, it can brush of most things while pouring dakka into your enemy. You can take any of the non-Demolisher variants as detailed below.
**'''Vanilla Battle Tank:''' You know it, you love it. A good all-rounder and safe choice to go with if none of the other options tickle your fancy. Just remember not to buy any sponson or hull upgrades, as the main gun forces the rest of the guns to snap fire.
*** The battle cannon really shines in a Genecults army. Those 72" pie plates force your enemy to spread out in the deployment phase, making it that much easier to a attack them piecemeal with your ambushers. Plus, with its 72" range and its inability to effectively use sponson weapons it really doesn't benefit from Outflanking, so it's an ideal candidate for bringing in as a Brood Brother auxiliary if you want more armor in your list, but don't want to fill out a second Cavalcade. 
**'''Exterminator:''' 4 Twin-linked Autocannon shots. Great against enemy Monstrous Creatures and light AV vehicles. Also good against flyers in a pinch due to twin-linked. Slap a trio of Heavy Bolters on it and go to town on a horde, since no Punisher for you. Your most versatile and consistently effective option. Autocannons are great. Twin linking them is better. This Russ can make good use out of almost all the sponson and hull upgrades you care to give it. A rock solid option that will almost never disappoint.
**'''Vanquisher:''' A single shot at S8 AP2, Armorbane and 72". Its biggest weakness is BS3 and 1 shot, so a 50/50 chance you miss isn't really that great. Resort to Close Combat to pop vehicles.
***'''Alternate Take:''' The Vanquisher gets a new lease on life in a GSC list. It's not great as part of the IG, as the Leman Russ has a really hard time getting close to the action. That said, a Vanquisher in a Neophyte Cavalcade can do something the IG Leman Russ can't; outflank. Give him a Lascannon and a pair of Multi-Meltas. Outflank into the side or rear armor of enemy vehicles. One or two high strength BS3 shots into the front armor of a vehicle isn't great. Four high strength shots, three of which roll two dice and add them together for armor penetration (if you can get within 12" of an enemy vehicle) into the side or rear armor of a vehicle, and all of them are AP 1 or 2? That's much, much better. Best of all? It's actually a pretty darn affordable option for what you're getting. 
**'''Eradicator:''' S6 AP4 Heavy 1, Ignores Cover Large Blast. This is what you use to fight cover-camping Eldar and Tau who you can't so easily Assault.