Editing Warhammer 40,000/9th Edition Tactics/Genestealer Cults (section)

==Unit Analysis==
The following are the eyes, ears, claws and other strange body parts that the cult uses to rinse up against their suppressors.

===HQ===
A quick reminder: the following 5 characters are the only things in the GSC codex that can take GSC warlord traits.

*'''Acolyte Iconward''': With a fairly standard statline and equipment list, the Acolyte Iconward doesn't really stand out in combat. You take the Iconward for its abilities. The first is '''Nexus Of Devotion''', which allows friendly {{W40kKeyword|CULT CORE}} units to Summon The Cult while within 6" (but somehow isn't listed as an aura, which means enemy abilities can't turn it off), so as soon as you would've bought 4 Cult Icons, 1 Iconward is a cheaper solution, provided you don't mind the positioning hassle. In addition to this, the Iconward can perform an Action at the end of your Move Units step that ends at the beginning of Charging (so just don't shoot your one shot, strength 3, no AP, damage 1 pistol and you'll be fine) that provides +1 to charge rolls for {{W40kKeyword|Infantry}}, {{W40kKeyword|BIKER}}, and {{W40kKeyword|CHARACTER}} units that ''aren't'' {{W40kKeyword|Genestealer}}s (probably because pure-blooded tyranids can't really feel emotions like inspiration) .
**You can stack an Iconward with Cult Icons, but the way it works is you roll twice and the cap per turn is 6 for Neophytes and 3 for everyone else, so the average with either one alone is 3.5 for Neophytes and 2 for everyone else base, 5.44 for Neophytes and 2.89 for everyone else with the combo, meaning you get diminishing returns.
**There's not too much to say about the Iconward. Either stick him in your backline and have him help your Neophytes regenerate or stick him in the front and have him help Acolytes charge and maybe regen if it's convenient. He's useful, he's just not complicated. He's probably worth taking in most lists.
*'''Jackal Alphus<sup>{{W40Kkeyword|Crossfire}}</sup>''': A sniper on a bike who works best with other fast units. Her sniper rifle is Heavy 1 S5 AP-3 D2, with the standard ability to ignore Look Out Sir, and inflicting a bonus MW on a 4+ to wound, not a 6+. She can use her Priority Target ability to pick a friendly {{W40kKeyword|<CULT> CORE CROSSFIRE}} (which is redundant - all of your core units are crossfire) unit within 9" and one visible enemy unit within 36". When the friendly unit you picked and/or the Alphus shoots at the enemy you picked, the enemy counts as Exposed (which, remember, does nothing unless it also has a crossfire token). She can also use Atalan Jackals and Vehicles within 6" as perfect bodyguards (they make her untargetable with ranged attacks unless she's the closest target), has a permanent -1 to be hit, and can shoot and charge after falling back.
**Because her sniper rifle is D2, whatever you hit with it gains a crossfire marker. Important to remember when you want an enemy unit to have a crossfire marker that your whole army can take advantage of without wasting valuable firepower.  In fact, this makes her functionally ''better'' at ranged support than a Primus when what you want dead has no crossfire token on it and you don't already have your units in position for exposed - a 5/6 chance of +1 to hit and wound for her supported unit on top of her radically superior shooting mean she's immediately earned her keep as soon as she starts supporting even 1 unit of neophytes with grenade launchers and seismic cannons, and the benefits are so substantial that a Primus needs to support at least 4 10-dude units (or 5 units and one 20-dude unit, because fielding a big unit helps the Alphus more than the Primus when they compete) with launchers and cannons to beat her - or, of course, you can simply shoot something that's already got a crossfire token, as +1 to wound is worse than 7/6 to hit ''and'' wound unless you wound on 1s or 2s base, and if you shoot something that already counts as exposed, the Alphus is of no benefit.  And don't forget, the Alphus and the Primus stack.
***If you're trying to support Hand Flamer spam (so the Primus can only provide 1 unit with x7/6 to wound), the Alphus is again better, because a 5/6 chance of +1 to wound (or a guaranteed chance, if the target unit already has a crossfire token) is better than x7/6 to wound unless you already wound on 5s.
***'''TL;DR''' An Alphus is generally better ranged support than a Primus unless you're supporting a lot of units or the enemy already has crossfire/exposed.
*'''Magus''': Your standard issue Psyker, comes in old man or bald lady flavors depending on whether you buy it standalone or as part of the Broodcoven set. Like the Patriarch, the Magus is a know 2+1/cast 2/deny 1 psyker. Her stats in combat are nothing to write home about, so you take her if you've already got a Patriarch or you want a cheaper caster. She also has an easy-to-forget aura that grants {{W40Kkeyword|<cult> infantry/biker}} units within 6" of her a 5+++ against mortal wounds in the psychic phase only, (don't forget that it helps protects your Magus from perils).
**She's probably best off staying back in your deployment zone, out of deny range, casting blessing powers, especially now that you have a strat that lets you apply these buffing spells at any range.
*'''Patriarch''': The Patriarch is the master of a Genestealer Cult - if you're a Tyranids player, He has a similar statline to a Broodlord (except the Patriarch can advance and charge). The Patriarch's statline and weapons make him an all-rounder blender, relatively fragile as far as melee characters go but with obscene damage output. He is also a know 2+1/cast 2/deny 1 Psyker. Unfortunately, He doesn't do much for the rest of your army - the Patriarch's only aura is one that makes nearby {{W40Kkeyword|<Cult>}} models ignore Combat Attrition modifiers, which is honestly nothing. If you take a Patriarch, He has to be your Warlord, but the Leaders Of The Cult stratagem lets you give Warlord Traits to two other models if your Warlord is a Patriarch.
**The Patriarch is a beatstick, pure and simple. With an 8" move and the ability to charge after advancing, He can go where He wants to go. Once He's there He's got 6 attacks at S5 AP-3 D2, with 6s to wound becoming AP-6 and D3, and He has full re-rolling to wound. At 140 points, this is pretty reasonable.
**Your Patriarch wants to be in the thick of things, so equip him accordingly. Biomorph Adaptation and some of the {{W40kKeyword|<Cult>}} relics are both worth looking into. It should be noted that there's unfortunately no way to stack buffs on the Patriarch to get him up to S8 and wound T4 on 2s, and his ability to hit super hard on 6s to wound has no scaling at all with higher Strength, so even with Strength buffs like Twisted Helix can give him, he won't hit significantly harder.
**Your Patriarch is probably the best choice to give melee support Psychic powers such as Might From Beyond and Mass Hypnosis, as He's more likely to be where those need to happen than your Magus is.
**Don't be afraid to let him Advance all He likes - it's Falling Back, not Advancing, that disables Psychic Powers in 9th.
**When the Patriarch fails a saving throw, unquestioning loyalty will succeed on a 3+ instead of the normal 4+, which functionally means that He has a 3+++ FNP against non-mortal wounds, without the need of stratagems, warlord traits, or relics (except it's even better, because you roll unquestioning loyalty ''before'' damage is applied, e.g. a Dd3+6 attack is ignored on a single roll), provided He has minions nearby. That's like Tau drone spam only better.
*'''Primus''': Probably the standout HQ for this edition. The Primus's statline is respectable, and for melee (he's WS2+) he has a Toxin Claw at A+1(5, or 1 with his Bonesword) SU(4) AP-1 D1, always wounds non-{{W40Kkeyword|vehicle}} non-{{W40Kkeyword|titanic}} on 2+ for, surprisingly enough, murdering hordes, not high-T targets, simply because his other weapon is better or equal for W2+ Sv4-, but the free extra attack is always nice, as well as a Bonesword at AU(4) S+1(5) AP-2 D2 for murdering anything else, although it's only particularly good at murdering MEQ and TEQ.  For range he has a Scoped Needle Pistol: BS2+ 18" Pistol 1 S1 AP0 Dd3, always wounds non-{{W40Kkeyword|vehicle}} non-{{W40Kkeyword|titanic}} on 2+, but he can't hand out Crossfire tokens, so this isn't remotely why you take him - you take him for his abilities.  His first is the very standard aura that grants re-rolls of 1 to hit to {{W40kKeyword|<CULT> CORE}} models within 6". The second, Meticulous Planner, is simple - in your command phase, pick one friendly {{W40kKeyword|<CULT> CORE}} unit within 9". That unit gets re-rolls of 1 to wound. 
**That means unless you have a very credible plan for keeping your Primus near your significantly faster Jackals or your melee-focused Acolyte Hybrids or Hybrid Metamorphs, his best use is supporting Grenade Launcher+Seismic Cannon Neophytes (especially as his accuracy buff will help them hand out Crossfire tokens more effectively).  Remember, web weapons don't roll to hit or wound, so he can't help them at all, and flame weapons don't roll to hit.  Even if you can keep him close to your Acolyte Hybrids, their best melee weapon is their Drill, which doesn't roll to wound.
***If you keep your Primus and Nexos together, which you should, you can broadcast the Primus' arua to far off units. While you can only do this to one unit at a time per Nexos, or twice with the Nexos specific relic, you'll be improving your melee damage whilst keeping your linchpin character safe. And hey, there's nothing stopping the Primus from buffing some shooting dudes while doing this via standing next to them.
**You can multiply his points cost by 6 to find out how many points he needs to support to break even on his cost, but remember if he puts his re-roll 1s to wound on a unit in range to also get re-roll 1s to hit, you need to count that unit twice.  At current costs, he's 80, so breaking even happens at 480, and a 10-dude Neophyte squad with 6 autoguns, 2 grenade launchers, and 2 seismic cannons is 100 points, so you can field him with 5 such squads if they're not in range for re-rolling 1s to wound or 4 if they are, and since he can pick an obnoxiously large unit as well, if you take a 20-dude squad (200 points) and slap re-rolling 1s to wound on it, it plus 1 10-dude squad is sufficient.
** The Primus can be upgraded with the Proficient Planning ability Exacting Planner. For an additional 1 PL and 15 pts, he gets a once per game ability to use Meticulous Planner twice in one phase, and the second target doesn't have to be {{W40kKeyword|CORE}}. This is a pretty powerful ability that, combined with other buffs like Crossfire and Exposed, can help set up a powerful alpha strike.
**It's hard to see a situation where you wouldn't want a Primus in your list. He gives out critical buffs and he can pull his own weight in combat. For all of 80 points, what more would you want?

===Troops===

*'''Acolyte Hybrids<sup>{{W40kKeywords|Core|Crossfire}}</sup>''': These guys are your melee troops; halfway between a Neophyte Hybrid and a Purestrain Genestealer, Acolyte Hybrids are BS4+ WS3+ S4 T4. Each model has 2 attacks (except for the leader, who has 3), but their default Cult Claws and Knife weapon nets them a bonus attack and makes them AP-2, and each comes stock with an autopistol, blasting charges, and frag grenades. Acolytes come in squads of 5-15. At 9 points per model, they're roughly competitive with Ork Boyz.
**Acolyte options are closely tied to the kit - for every 5 models, you can replace the pistol ''and'' melee weapon on two mooks with your choice of a pair of demolition charges or one of the three Heavy Rock Tools - Saw, Cutter, and Drill. The Saw is the standard: WS3+ Sx2(8) AP-4 D2. The Cutter is WS4+ Sx2(8) AP-4 D3. The drill is the weirdest, at WS3+ Sx2(8) AP-4 D1, but if it hits it wounds automatically (so the Sx2 doesn't matter) and on a 6 to hit, it inflicts +2 mortal wounds. All of these are ten points each, which means Drill is ''far and away'' your best choice of weapon - there are targets for which the other two weapons are better (one for MEQ and one for TEQ), but against the vast majority of the game's targets, the Drill will outperform anything else.
**Any Acolytes and/or the Leader that do not have a mining tool and hence still have their autopistol can and always should swap their pistol for a Hand Flamer for 3 PPM. This gives them a decent ranged punch, but more importantly makes them play well with the Crossfire mechanic. Either you can use a squad of 5 to drop in and get 5 auto-hits for an automatic Crossfire token, or you can drop a large squad in, get the target Exposed, and enjoy +1 to Wound on 15d6 attacks.
**The Leader can swap out its melee weapon ''and'' pistol, ''individually'', for a bonesword (S+1(5) AP-2 D2, murders MEQ delightfully) or a lash whip (lets the model re-roll melee hit rolls against non-{{W40Kkeyword|monster}} non-{{W40Kkeyword|vehicle}}s) - limit one of each.  The whip isn't a melee weapon, instead buffing the user's melee (so if you swap the Leader's only melee weapon for a whip, you end up swinging your default CC weapon with re-rolls to hit, which is a lot worse than keeping the claw+knife).  That gets you a bunch of configurations that aren't very good, like autopistol+whip.  The configuration you should care about is Hand Flamer + Bonesword, for optimal murder.
***If you field the most murderous possible unit - 3 Hand Flamers mounted on a Leader with a Bonesword and 2 Acolytes with Claws and Knives, plus 2 models carrying Heavy Rock Drills - you have a 98.15% chance of being able to drop a Crossfire token on whatever you shot (the odds of rolling at least 5 hits on 3d6) and you will absolutely destroy most anything in your path, provided you can succeed on your charge roll.
*'''Neophyte Hybrids<sup>{{W40kKeywords|Core|Crossfire}}</sup>''': Your equivalent to Guardsmen, Neophyte Hybrids come in units of 10-20 with a single leader. For every 10 models, you get two special weapon slots and two heavy weapon slots. At 6 points per model, Neophytes are just as expensive as guardsmen, which is nice. If you're running a max sized blob, it's almost always worth it to run a Cult Icon so you can replenish your losses.
**Neophyte Hybrids can swap their autoguns for shotguns, sacrificing their 1 shot at >12" for the ability to shoot after Advancing and S4, which is usually worth it within 12" in terms of what the unit can murder, but significantly detracts from the unit's capabilities at longer range, particularly since it ''can't'' lay down crossfire tokens at more than 12" away with shotguns; take shotguns if and only if you take flamers (which implies the unit's job is to deep strike in and lay down vigorous murder).
**For special weapons, Webbers have the critical flaw of not hitting anything, not even automatically, so you can't lay down Crossfire markers with them, on top of not being able to wound anything that's S6+ ''at all''.  Flamers are ''better'' than Grenade Launchers against almost all possible targets, and that includes laying down Crossfire tokens - a Flamer on average hands out 3.33/5 of a crossfire token, and a Grenade's Krak profile needs to be at least BS3+ to have the same net average (since it hands out all 5 on a hit), which you already need a token on the target to reach, unless you have another special rule like exploding 6s to hit.  The issue is the same as with shotguns: superior performance within 12" in exchange for doing nothing at all in the >12"-24" band.  Take Grenade Launchers with Autoguns, Flamers with Shotguns - the former if you plan to start on the table, the latter if you plan to Deep Strike.  Longer range offers more versatility, so if you can't make up your mind, Launchers + Autoguns will be more forgiving of you deciding late.
**For heavy weapons, the Heavy Stubber isn't particularly useful, so you're reliably best off with the Seismic Cannon: it's the best weapon the unit can carry for handing out crossfire tokens, and will outperform a Mining Laser against the majority of Exposed targets.  If you use the Overload Fuel Cells strat, the Seismic Cannon gets ''even better'' in relative terms, with its two profiles going from 6 A*D each to 12 and 9 (x2 and x1.5), whereas the mining laser goes from A*D 3.5 to 4.5 (x1.29).  Stick to the Seismic Cannons.
**For the sergeant, note that every model in the unit has an autopistol it can't avoid taking, so if you swap the sergeant's autogun for an autopistol and chainsword, you've spent 0 points going from an autogun to 2 autopistols (same output from more than 1 to within 12", no shot from there to 24", and full output at engaged targets) and gotten a free chainsword for extra melee, which is usually a good choice.  The bolt pistol is always a bad choice (since a shotgun is free) and the web pistol is ''awful'' because it can't lay down Crossfire tokens.  Neophytes aren't really built for melee, though, so you probably don't want to shell out points for a melee weapon.  If you do, the Power Pick is better than the Power Maul against most things you have any chance of killing in melee, but the rest of the unit will hit so delicately you're honestly throwing points away.
**Note that as of this writing (1/10/22), the points entry for Neophyte Hybrids says that their unit size is 5-15 models, but the datasheet says 10-20, so the points entry is probably a misprint.

===Elites===

*'''Aberrants''': Big, tough, absolutely chonky lads. Aberrants are A2 WS3+ S5 T5 W3 with a permanent -1 to incoming damage. Each model is equipped with a Heavy Power Weapon that gives them S+3(8) AP-2 D3, and the leader (who's A3) has a tail that lets it swing one more time at SU(5) AP-1 D1. These guys are your dedicated terminator-killers, and they pay for the privilege at 30 ppm. The leader can swap his hammer for a "Heavy Improvised Weapon" that spreads its D2 from model to model, so it will behave in every meaningful way like it's A6 S+1(6) AP-1 D1, but this is generally a bad idea because you're sending these boys against tanks and terminators, not infantry. 
**Aberrants' biggest weakness is their low volume of attacks - they're worse than Purestrains against almost everything in the game due to costing more than twice as much for half the attacks (but less than twice the damage) at a worse WS and AP. Look into ways to boost this, such as the Our Time Is Nigh proficient planning ability or the Might From Beyond psychic power. Either of these boost Aberrants' damage output by 50%.
*'''Hybrid Metamorphs<sup>{{W40kKeywords|Core|Crossfire}}</sup>''': The midpoint between Acolyte Hybrids and Purestrains, Metamorphs are defined by their Metamorph Weapons. S+1(5) and AP-3 makes them decent at handling medium and heavy infantry, and 3 attacks base gives Metamorphs the volume of attacks to make up for their pitiful D1. Like Acolytes, Metamorphs can take hand flamers. Since you'll probably be sending these guys against MEQ, consider giving the leader the Bonesword for some D2. But the primary feature of Metamorphs is their Savage Amalgam ability - in the fight phase, they still get to fight even if they die. That means these models never need to worry about being outbid in initiative or interrupted, so activate your other units first.
*'''Purestrain Genestealers''': The namesake of the entire faction. Purestrains have received some minor changes compared to their pre-codex versions. Notably, they gained better AP, WS and invuls, and they're a touch less expensive at 14 ppm. With they're stat line - M8 A4 WS2+ S4 AP-3 D1 T4 W1 Sv5+/4++ Ld9 - they're no joke at their (cheap) price, and they retain the ability to advance and charge. All this makes Purestrains surprisingly good hunters of light and medium targets (including medium vehicles and monsters - anything T7- is going to sit up and notice them). Like all your units, they benefit from Conceal and Unquestioning Loyalty.  Since you don't have easy access to morale immunity for them like a hive fleet would, best fielded MSU - a unit of 5 of them only needs to make morale checks when exactly 4 of them die, and it won't ever make a Combat Attrition check.
**A note for Genestealer Cult players of editions past - unlike 8E, Purestrains benefit from your Cult keyword, so they get your subfaction bonus and are eligible for every buff that doesn't need Crossfire, so you can do stuff like make them Mv9 and S5 by running them in Twisted Helix.
**Purestrains are pretty much always better than Hive Tendrils Genestealers. From WS2+, to 4++ against ''both'' melee and range, and even retaining advance and charge (I guess when 'Stears know that they'll be alive for more than a few hours, they spend their free time practicing hitting, dodging and running), these guys provide a better performance over the default genestealers. Also, as of writing this, purestrains are actually cheaper than normal genestealers (How did this happen? Who decided this?). Even the pre-game move that Hive Fleet genestealers have to set them apart from other options in the Tyranid Codex can be done by (albeit, only one) purestrain unit via the Proficient Planning: They came from below. '''TL;DR''' if you're taking both Tyranids and Genestealer Cult, you should never take the codex Tyranid version of genestealers; take these guys instead.

====Characters====
*'''Abominant''': The first of two characters that are designed to work with Aberrants, the Abominant is a lot like taking half a [[Carnifex]]. With 6 wounds on top of an Aberrant statline, their same -1 damage, and a 5+++, plus the ability to re-roll one hit roll or wound roll per fight thanks to his little buddy, the Abominant's mostly notable for his hammer, which hits like a truck (A3 S10 AP-3 Dd3+3). With only three attacks, though, he basically has the same problem as Aberrants. The main reason you take the Abominant is that he gives Aberrants within 6" full re-rolls to hit on their attacks, which means he's barely ever worth it - giving WS3+ models re-rolls to hit is exactly equivalent to making them hit a third again as hard. Since they're 30 points each he's "worth" 10 points per buffed model, and he's 95 points, so you need to buff 10 models to get ahead of the game - and the whole time you've spent enough points to buy a Primus instead with room to spare.
*'''Biophagus''': A mad scientist on the battlefield, the Biophagus is able to give your units a "Genomic Enhancement", essentially a permanent buff that sticks around for the game's duration. He's got a weapon that wounds on 2s via poison, but his buffs are the real reason to run him. By using an action that essentially takes up his shooting phase, the Biophagus can give a {{W40kKeyword|<CULT> CORE}} or {{W40kKeyword|ABERRANT}} unit within 3" (or farther 1/game, if you spring for the Alchemicus Familiar) one of the following buffs. You roll a D3 and apply the result, unless you're doing this to Aberrants, in which case you pick. Each unit can only have one Genomic Enhancement.
*# Enhanced Musculature: Extra -1 AP on all melee attacks.
*# Enhanced Aggression: Hit rolls of 6 in melee score 1 additional hit (equivalent to +1 to hit).
*# Enhanced Resilience: Unit gets a 5+++.
**The Biophagus has a unique Proficient Planning upgrade called Alchemist Supreme. For 1 PL and 15 points, the Biophagus gives a {{W40kKeyword|<CULT> CORE}} or {{W40kKeyword|<CULT> ABERRANT}} unit from your army a Genomic Enhancement before the battle begins - no need for them to be near each other, and you pick which it is. This is probably best used to buff a big melee unit of Acolyte Hybrids or Hybrid Metamorphs that plan to tunnel in and then get stuck in.  Note that if you do this, Enhanced Aggression is almost always a better choice than Enhances Musculature, since it works against anything.
*'''Clamavus''': Another support character, the Clamavus packs a pistol, but his main weapons are his sick beats and/or inspiring shouts on the loudspeaker. The Clamavus has three abilities. The first is Scrambler Array, which simply keeps enemy units from being set up as reinforcements within 12" of him. Great if you run into another GSC player. The second is Proclamation Hailer. In your command phase, you can select a {{W40kKeyword|<CULT> CORE}} unit within 12". That unit can shoot without their actions failing and ignore modifiers to Combat Attrition. The third is Voice of New Truths. In your Morale phase, you can pick an enemy unit within 12" and roll 3d6. If the roll is higher than the unit's leadership, choose one: that unit can't perform actions until your next morale phase and any action it's doing automatically fails ''or'' that unit loses Objective Secured until your next Morale phase. Both of these have the potential to be a huge deal, even game winners in the right situation. Each unit can only be selected for this ability once per phase, though, so no doubling up by taking two Clamavuses.
**The Clamavus has a unique relic, the Voice Of The Liberator, which adds 1 to the leadership of friendly {{W40kKeyword|CULT}} units in 12" and adds 6" to the range of the Proclamation Hailer and Voice Of New Truths abilities. 
*'''Nexos''': A support character with a fancy holographic map, the Nexos is best at sitting in the backfield and using his support abilities. His first ability is simple and incredibly useful. Every command phase, as long as the Nexos is somewhere on the battlefield (so not inside a transport or in reserves), he can assign one Crossfire marker to any enemy unit on the battlefield. The Nexos's second ability, Strategic Coordination, is possibly even more useful. First, in the command phase, you pick any {{W40kKeyword|<CULT> CORE}} unit on the battlefield. Then you pick one {{W40kKeyword|CULT}} Primus, Jackal Alphus, or Clamavus within 6" of the Nexos. The {{W40kKeyword|<CULT> CORE}} model you picked counts as being in range of the character's Aura abilities and can be targeted by their abilities that pick a unit regardless of range restrictions. 
**The Nexos has a unique relic, the Cranial Inlay. If a Nexos has a Cranial Inlay, it can use Strategic Coordination an extra time each turn (no need to pick different units, so you could give one unit two characters' buffs or give one character's buffs to two units) and every time you spend a command point on a stratagem, roll a d6 and you get that CP back on a 5+. If you're already taking a Nexos, this is almost an auto-pick, even if you need to pick up an extra relic as the cp regen will pay for itself.
*'''Kelermorph<sup>{{W40Kkeyword|Crossfire}}</sup>''': A support character with a very decent statline of M6 BS2+ A4 WS3+ S3 T3 W4 Sv5+/5++ Ld8, the Kelermorph has a big iron on its hip - three of them, actually. It's got three Liberator Autostubs, each of which is 18" Pistol 2 S5 AP-1 D1, for a total of 6 shots that ignore Look Out, Sir and generate +1 mortal wound on unmodified 6 to wound. For every hit, the Kelermorph gets to make a bonus attack, though sadly bonus attacks can't generate extra attacks. On average, that comes to 9 and 1/6 (9.17) hits and 1.53 mortal wounds (plus any normal damage that gets through). If it kills at least one model, the Kelermorph gains an aura ability that lets {{W40kKeyword|<CULT> CORE}} units within 6" re-roll hit rolls of 1. After shooting, the Kelermorph can make a Normal Move or Fall Back as if it were your movement phase, even if it arrived as reinforcements. All of this combines to make the Kelermorph a decent support platform - it has {{W40Kkeyword|Crossfire}}, so it can lay down a hail of shots (almost certainly - a 98.72% chance - applying a Crossfire token), then use its move after shooting to get into position to make the target Exposed, duck to safety behind a wall, or use its aura to give a shooting buff to a convenient squad of neophytes. Whether it's worth the 80 point price tag, however, is an open question. At the same time, don't let the sniper ability on its pistols fool you - it won't kill any but the most fragile characters unless they're already injured.  
**So bear in mind the Kelermorph's aura is a Primus's but worse because it has an incredibly slim chance of not turning on when the Kelermorph shoots and is always off if the Kelermorph doesn't shoot anything (likely due to being out of range), and its ability to apply a Crossfire token is similarly worse than a Nexos's because the Nexos can't fail and is infinite range - plus, if you have a Nexos and a Primus, the Nexos can just pick a unit to be within range of the Primus's buffs.  What it's ''incredibly'' good at is getting out of a Goliath Truck and then being in position to apply Exposed due to its Move-Shoot-Move (in this case Disembark-Shoot-Move) mechanic, but that's not exactly invaluable given how mobile your entire army is to begin with.
*'''Locus''': A bodyguard character; with A5 WS2+ S4 T4 Sv5+/5++, he's not a slouch in melee, thanks to an S+1 AP-1 D2 weapon. The most important feature of the Locus is his Ward ability - during deployment, you pick one other {{W40kKeyword|<CULT> CHARACTER}} that isn't a Locus to be the Ward. As long as the Locus is within 3" of the Ward, the Ward <s>can't be targeted with ranged attacks (even sniper weapons)</s> gains the benefit of "look out sir" (so, can be targeted by snipers (in fairness, unquestioning loyalty is decent enough protection against that)), and as long as the Locus is a viable target in melee, models have to target the Locus before the Ward. The Locus also fights first in combat and can do heroic interventions at up to 6".
**If you heavily invest in any character, the Locus is probably worth buying, especially for a Patriarch. If nothing else, it'll keep that character safe from ranged attacks a decent chunk longer than you'd expect.
***If you are taking a Locus for your Patriarch, you'll have you work around His mobility, as He can move 8" and advance and charge while the Locus only moves 6" and has to pick between advancing and charging.
*'''Reductus Saboteur''': What makes me a good demoman? Well, for starters, the Reductus Saboteur's weapon, Remote Explosives, is Assault 2d3 S8 AP-3 D1, D3 against {{WH40Kkeyword|Vehicle}}s and {{WH40Kkeyword|Monster}}s, can't target {{WH40Kkeyword|Aircraft}}. Her BS2+ means she'll consistently hit, and as long as she's inside a terrain feature she can't be targeted by ranged attacks unless the attacker is within 12" of her. She's got a demo charge she can throw for good measure (in case she finds herself super close to a W2+ enemy her Remote Explosives don't work on), and she can perform the Plant Explosive action (which bridges the Command and Move phases), which lets her plant a bomb marker within 1" of her once per game. At the end of any Move phase (including the one where she ended the action) or the enemy Charge phase, provided at least 1 enemy unit is within 3" of the bomb, she can detonate it to inflict mortal wounds on all non-{{WH40Kkeyword|Aircraft}} units, friend and foe, within 3" of it: average 0.50 mortals per unit base, 0.83 per {{WH40Kkeyword|biker}} unit, and 3.33 mortals per {{WH40Kkeyword|Vehicle}}/{{WH40Kkeyword|monster}} unit.
**Overall, the Reductus is fairly useless unless you take her relic, Oppressor's Bane, which grants her {{WH40Kkeyword|crossfire}}, allowing her explosives (and grenades) to apply Crossfire tokens and benefit from Exposed.  If you ''also'' give her the '''Lying in Wait''' Proficient Planning upgrade, she can use her planted bomb the turn she shows up and/or throw a crossfire-enabled demo charge, although mixing these is tough, since all the best targets for her bomb are better targets for her remote explosives than her demo charge; it can come up, though, e.g. if you find yourself fighting a foe with neither vehicles nor monsters on the table.
*'''Sanctus''': Do you want a sniper or a melee skirmisher? The Sanctus can be either one. Either way, enemy models can't target the Sanctus with ranged attacks unless they're within 12", and he gets +2 to his save from cover rather than +1. He ignores cover, and all of his attacks '''automatically hit'''. He also has a 5++ and -1 to be hit.
**If you want to build the Sanctus for melee, you take him with the Dagger of Swift Sacrifice relic on top of the Sanctus Bio Dagger. The Bio Dagger always inflicts mortal wounds on a 3+ to wound, and the Dagger of Swift Sacrifice lets you re-roll one wound roll per activation, and if the target model survives, roll a D6 - on a 3+, it suffers an additional D3 mortal wounds.
**If you want to build the Sanctus as a sniper, you can equip him with his standard Cult Sniper Rifle, which is S5 AP-3 D2, and inflicts mortal wounds on unmodified 4+ to wound. You can also give him the Gift From Beyond relic to up the damage to 3.
**A Sanctus with a sniper should be used in a similar way as the Jackal Alphus, shooting a enemy to give that unit a crossfire marker for the rest of your army, and since he auto hits he's better at this jobs then the Alphus, especially against units with -1 to hit.

===Fast Attack===

*'''Achilles Ridgerunners<sup>{{W40Kkeyword|Crossfire}}</sup>''': Fast mobile gun platforms, taken in units of 1-3. These guys have a variety of weapon and support gear options, but the best is probably Spotters and Heavy Mining Lasers - spotters boost your range, while Heavy Mining Lasers are essentially 1d3-shot lascannons. This lets each Ridgerunner put an average of two shots downrange and (with no buffs) one hit on a target, making them very effective tank crackers in an army that doesn't have many sources of ranged anti tank. The only problem is that these things will draw fire like mad, so be careful with your positioning and consider keeping them hidden until it's time to strike. Setting up a perfect shot on an Exposed target with proper buffs can be extremely valuable.
*'''Atalan Jackals<sup>{{W40kKeywords|Core|Crossfire}}</sup>''': Fast bikers with decent weapons, Atalan Jackals are between 4 and 8 bikes plus up to two heavy weapon ATVs (1 base, and a second if you take all 8 bikes). Their permanent -1 to be hit, scout move, and ability to count all targets within 6" as being Exposed gives them a decent amount of utility. The Jackals' job is to run around scoring objectives, applying Crossfire tokens, and setting up your heavy hitters for Exposed shots.
**1 bike in the base unit and a second as soon as you go to 5 bikes total can and should take grenade launchers so you can lay down Crossfire tokens with the Krak profile.
**Trying to build these guys around demo charges is a bit of a trap, as only one can be thrown at a time, but if you're playing Rusted Claw, there's a utility build. The Rusted Claw's Drive-By Demolitions stratagem lets this unit throw a demo charge in the movement phase, then throw another in shooting, putting out a significant amount of fire on one target or, if your opponent agrees that selecting a model to shoot qualifies as selecting a unit to shoot (hint: it doesn't), applying Crossfire tokens to two separate targets.
**Comparing Jackals to neophytes: each jackal cost as much as two neophytes. For your troubles, you get the same number of wounds and attacks, better toughness and saves, being harder to hit, and more than double the speed, '''but!''' you lose out on objective secured, and you can only have up to 3 units of jackals in a 2000 point game. (This isn't taking into account special weapons)

===Heavy Support and Dedicated Transport===
*'''Goliath Rockgrinder<sup>{{W40Kkeyword|Crossfire}}</sup>''': Yeah, it's your only heavy support choice, so you'll have to take 3 in a brigade/spearhead. The Goliath Rockgrinder is about as tough as a Rhino with a -1 to incoming damage via the Rugged Construction rule and a carrying capacity of 6 models (Patriarch counts as 5). The Goliath is armed with a heavy stubber, a choice of heavy weapon, and a drilldozer blade, and can also take a cache of demolition charges. The drilldozer blade gives the Rockgrinder surprisingly good melee ability. Hitting on 3s, with 6 attacks at full wounds (plus two more when charging), at S8 AP-2 D2, this thing can chew through smaller squads of medium and heavy infantry.
**For your heavy weapon, you can take a Clearance Incinerator: 15" Heavy 2d6 S6 AP-1 D1, automatically hits; a Heavy Mining Laser: 36" 1d3 S9 AP-3 D1d6, Blast; or a Heavy Seismic Cannon, which has two profiles, both at 24": Heavy 6 S6 AP-2 D2 and Heavy 3 S8 AP-3 D3.  It should be immediately obvious the Heavy Mining Laser is a terrible choice, as the HSC's 3-shot profile will usually be better against most targets (9 A*D at S8 is better than 7 A*D at S9).  Since this is on a BS4+ model (albeit a {{W40Kkeyword|crossfire}} one, so you can get it to BS3+ easily), either the Incinerator or the HSC is a reasonable choice. The Cache of Demolition Charges is the same as the single demolition charge you can give other units, but instead of being single use it can only be fired if a model is embarked in the rockgrinder, ''and it is Assault, not Grenade, so you can fire it in addition to your other guns''. 
**The Rockgrinder isn't a tank. It should be used like the infantry fighting vehicle it is - marine players who are familiar with the Razorback will know what's going on here. Fill it with a 5-model squad with a character to support them, zoom up, deploy infantry, and support them at range with guns and in melee with the drilldozer. 
**Remember that when you build the Rockgrinder, you can magnetize the drilldozer and weapons so you can swap it to a regular Goliath Truck. 
**Don't forget that the Rockgrinder has Crossfire and can be an all-important source of tokens.
*'''Goliath Truck<sup>{{W40Kkeyword|Crossfire}}</sup>''': Similar to the Rockgrinder, the Goliath Truck is the Dedicated Transport version. It trades weaker weapons and being T6 for going up to 10 transport capacity. It's only got one choice for the heavy weapon, a Twin Autocannon, though it can take a Cache of Demo Charges just like the Rockgrinder. The Goliath Truck has the Open Topped rule, which means units inside can shoot. This means you can put two 5-man units of Acolytes with demo charges, also take demo charges on the truck itself. Now, you an shoot 3d6 demo charges within 6". Now think about 4 goliath trucks with 8 units of Acolytes all spamming 3d6 demo charge shots.