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

==Special Rules==
*'''Cult Ambush:''' A unit that arrives from reserves (or ongoing Reserves) can "Ambush" rather than appear on the table normally. Units with the Infiltrate USR can also choose to use Cult Ambush instead of Infiltrating or deploying normally, which is brilliant. This means roll a dice and see what happens:
#'''Cult Reinforcements:''' Unit shows up from your table edge as normal. Possibly the worst result unless you planned to move them to the backfield anyway.
#'''Encircling the Foe:''' Unit Outflanks, appearing from a random side edge.
#'''Lying in Wait:''' Place the unit anywhere on the table more than 9" away from an enemy, or 6" if that unit can't see you.
#'''A Perfect Ambush:''' Place the unit anywhere on the table more than 6" away from an enemy. Full Stop.
#'''A Deadly Trap:''' Same as above, but your unit may immediately make an out of turn shooting attack with the pinning rule. If they have no guns, they get a free run move - unfortunately Acolyte Hybrids have to shoot with their pistols. 
#'''They Came From Below:''' Place the unit anywhere more than 3" away from an enemy, you may charge the turn you arrive.
::According to the most recent FAQ, Cult Ambush is basically a modified form of Infiltrate for the purposes of deployment. All rules that affect Infiltration, like Servo Skulls or Inquisitor Greyfax's Warlord Trait affect deployment via Cult Ambush, but they don't affect Cult Ambush once the game starts. They also FAQ'd that you can move normally in your first turn after ambushing. Yes, this means that you can potentially kill a unit as part of deployment if you roll a 5 on Cult Ambush.

::The FAQ also clarified that units count as moving when they come on via Cult Ambush regardless of the result rolled. This means that Heavy Weapons in Neophyte squads are very situation unless you've got a Magus hanging around to give them Relentless.
*'''Return to Shadows:''' Your infantry units gain the ability to be removed from the table and be placed into Ongoing Reserves, if not within 6" of an enemy model. This, coupled with Cult Ambush means you can utterly mess with your army by redeploying everything when he thinks he's got you outmanoeuvred. Your opponent will be raging when he thinks he's got you cornered when you just NOPE out of a bind. 
**However, do note that you will enter Ongoing Reserves in your movement phase to come back on the following turn, so you will forgo a shooting and assault phase.
**ALSO NOTE: As per the Return to Shadows rule, you cannot do so in the same turn that you arrive from reserve and using a Cult Ambush arrival is still arriving from reserves. So you don't get to appear and disappear in the same turn.
*'''Unquestioning Loyalty:''' Your dudes worship their leaders in ways that regular humans never seem to understand. Your HQ units automatically pass Look Out Sir rolls and can even perform them in challenges, meaning suddenly those big giant squads become meat shields while your wicked cookie monster goes to town. Effectively saving you from ''Instant Death'' Wounds so long as you have minions to throw away. Hilarious Side Note: Because you can use this ability in challenges, this becomes a very entertaining way of making CSM players furious as their HQs are forced into fights where their wound get shifted endlessly into 5 point neophytes until an Iconward Rends them to death.


===Warlord Traits===
All in all, warlord traits for Genestealer Cults are ok or good, but only one trait here really provides a massive boost to the army as a whole while most others are straight-up enhancements. Still, if you don't roll the one you want, you don't need to worry about having a wasted trait.
 
# '''Shadow Stalker''': Your Warlord gains the ''Stealth'' special rule, which helps to boost any unit he is part of. Since half of our HQs are melee based and will more often than not be able to find cover on their own, every boost helps.
# '''Focus of Admiration''': Friendly units of the Genestealer Cult faction have ''Counter-Attack'' whilst they are within 12" of your Warlord. One of the best for sure unless your HQ is a magus, who'll probably never be close enough to melee combat for his rule to apply. For everyone else, though, a [[Rip and tear|rending or strength 6-8 counter-attack will make even assault terminators buckle under the weight of hits coming their way]], and should their dear Patriarch come close enough, it gives your little guardsmen clones a little more power to keep those obnoxious boyz, witches (yes, Dark Eldar players still field witches), ogryns, striking scorpions or other anti-tarpit units from removing your psuedo-guard tarpits.
# '''Wall Creeper''': Your Warlord gains the ''Move through cover'' special rule. In addition, your Warlord and his unit never suffer the penalty to Initiative for charging through difficult terrain. Pretty straightforward, but helps a lot, especially when dealing with stealthed or entrenched units, and gives your warlord more options for where he can practically pop up to wreak havoc. If you're running a Patriarch with Genestealers, this is the one you want in lieu of Ambush Leader. 
# '''Born Survivor''': Your Warlord gains the ''It Will Not Die'' special rule. Anything without instant death is going to shit their pants if they come across your warlord now (not like they weren't doing that already). It helps make up for your warlords' low armor saves, for sure.
# '''Alien Majesty''': All models in your Warlord's detachment can use his Leadership value in place of their own. This one might be the weakest trait simply because compared to the others, you're not seeing any major combat improvements. Your army doesn't really have a lot of leadership problems, as nothing's below leadership 8. Still, could be useful for a Patriarch or Primus giving everyone Ld10.
# '''Ambush Leader''': When using Cult Ambush with any unit the Warlord has joined, do not roll on the ambush table; you can choose a result to apply instead. This one, right here, is the one you really want. Not that the ambush table is bad, but for a game that relies on dice rolls, removing the possibility of a bad redeploy could remove the chance your most useful/powerful/needed ASAP unit winds up on your side of the board instead of breathing down your enemy's neck all of a sudden or suddenly contesting an objective where it should be. Fuck the Tau's anti-deepstrike weaponry bullshit, you just brought all those tasty suits closer together to be rended into scrap metal.

===Broodmind Psychic Discipline===
*'''Primaris: Mass Hypnosis:''' Malediction that causes a chosen unit within 24" to drop it's WS, BS, I & A by -1. Very good for a primaris
#'''Psychic Stimulus:''' Blessing that grants the unit Fleet and Relentless, also allows them to charge after running.
#'''Psionic Blast:''' Witchfire, 24" S5 AP3 Assault 1, Blast. If it hits, you might kill a marine, but given base-size creep and the fact that it's a small blast weapon makes this power underwhelming compared to the others.
#'''Might From Beyond:''' Blessing, a target unit within 24" gains S+1 and ''Rage'' - this is very useful, especially on large squads - a +1 on Strength and Attacks is brilliant.
#'''Mental Onslaught:''' Focused Witchfire, compare Ld values and add D6. On a draw, the target suffers -3 Initiative for a turn. If the psyker wins, the target takes the difference in wounds. 
#'''Mind Control:''' Focused Witchfire. Choose a single non-vehicle model and make a shooting attack as if it were yours. See that Stormsurge over there with all of those one-shot missiles? The one with all of those deadly weapons? Yeah, it's yours for a turn. Use it on your buddy's Wraithguard. Watch them kill their Spiritseer. Sip martini. [[Just as planned]]
#'''Telepathic Summons:''' Conjuration, WC 2/3. Choose 2 or 3, create a single unit . If you expend 2WC = 5 Acolyte or 5 Metamorphs or 10 Neophytes. 3WC and it's 10 Acolyte or 10 Metamorphs or 20 Neophytes or 4 Aberrants or 8 Genestealers. The summoned unit can be equipped with ANY UPGRADES listed on their data sheet as per the summoning rules.
#*Telepathic summons is by far the best power in this list for general games. Being able to summon 20 Neophyte Hybrids, kitted out exactly as they need to be with a 66% chance of having them show up almost exactly where you want them to be is a HUGE deal. The other summoning options are good, however being more assault oriented they are going to require a 6 on the Ambush table or a turn of waiting to do anything. They can immediately be useful as a unit your opponent HAS to charge (I.E Distraction Carnifex) but for the most part summon hybrids. Need to stop some transports? Pop up in rear armor with two seismic cannons and two grenade launchers and blast that transport to pieces. Melee Deathstar running towards an important unit? Lay down a wall of 20 bodies to keep them busy for a turn. Pathfinders lighting up your dudes and letting those crisis suits put the hurt on you? Drop right behind them and light them up with two flame throwers, two seismic cannons and 16 rapid fire autoguns. Remember, the upgrades are free so kit them out to do whatever you need them to! You've planned this uprising for generations, it only makes sense that your guys are in the perfect place with the perfect gear!