Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team (HoR)/Tactics/Genestealer Cults(7E)

Another army now given a spotlight, though Genestealer Cults were always an army since 2E, just lost in relevance due to GW and their favoritism for the Imperium.

Similar to the Lost and the Damned army that came in the Vraks and Imperial Armour 13 flavors, the majority of the cultists are going to be flimsy, breakable humies that range from "Grots think you're weak" to "Not quite Scouts". Oh, and actual Genestealers. They also grab some other tools from the Imperial Guard, but it's not as much.

Rules

• Cult Ambush: Works the same way as the codex.
• Return to Shadows: As Above
• Our Father Watches Us: Your Leaders get an IP range of 12". You'll need it with how flimsy your basic rank-and-file are.
• They Killed the Father!: The moment your leader dies, all unengaged models within 12" of him have to test Ld or flee. They then gain Hatred so you can throw every last one of them at the enemy.
• Unquestioning Loyalty: Leaders pass Look Out, Sir! on a 2+ because of their blind loyalty. Always bring some bodies to guard your leader.
• Psychic Powers:
  • Enfeeble (Biomancy): Usefull for softening up a target for assault.
  • Psychic Shriek (Telepathy): Decent against low leadership squads. Gives your Brood Prince a ranged attack.
  • Mass Hypnosis (Broodmind): Usually good, but best against multi attack models. Use the reduction in initiative to allow your guys to strike first.
  • Psychic Strimulus (Broodmind): If you really need to get that heavy weapon in position and firing as soon as possible, this is invaluable. Otherwise, look elsewhere.
  • Psionic Blast (Broodmind): With units acting independently blasts become less useful. Usually better off with something else

Wargear

• Armour:
  • Improvised Armor: 6+ save for scrap.
  • Flak Armor/Reinforced Chitin: A Guardsman's 5+ save.
  • Reinforced Carapace/Carapace Armor: A 4+ save.
• Cult Bike: It's a bike. You get nothing else from it. For laughs, you can model them all on mopeds or segways and get the same effect.
• Firebomb: An S3 AP- grenade that can set people on fire.
• Cult Grenade Launcher: While similar to the Grenade Launchers used by the Imperial Guard, these ones come with three extra sorts of grenades to fire: A Slam Grenade with S1 AP- and Strikedown, a Stun Grenade with S1 AP- and Blind, and a Fire Grenade with S3 AP- and can set stuff on fire. That bonus flamer is a nifty bonus you can hang over the Adeptus Arbites' heads.
• Rending Claws: CCWs with Rending.
• Scything Talons: Allow you to re-roll to-hit rolls of 1. An okay buy.
• Adrenal Glands: Furious Charge. Grab to make charging worthwhile.
• Toxin Sacs: Poisoned (4+) is one of the only ways you'll be able to land a blow on things heavier than the basic Ork.

• Bio-Scanner: Gives you the option to shoot at a nearby Infiltrating model, which can be a great take to foil alpha-strikes...if you get lucky.
• Smoke Grenade: A harmless grenade that grants models under the Large Blast a 5+ cover. Take it, your men will need it.
• Infrared Goggles: A cheap buy to shoot at hidden models and gain Night Vision. It'll help make the fight go how you want it.
• Auspex: Grabbed from some inattentive Space Marines. Give up shooting to reduce the cover of a model within 12" by -1.
• Chem-Inhaler: Cheap 6+ FNP.
• Targeter: Not moving gives a model re-rolls on to-hit rolls of 1 when shooting. Use this while spamming cover.

Leaders Only

• Refractor Field: This 5++ will be your only invul save. Take it, for it may save your life.
• Patriarch Ichor Vial: Grants you random effects before battle, which can give your impressive leaders some boosts:

1. +1 Initiative so you can grab the upper hand from Eldar and Marines.
2. +1 Attack, which makes them more threatening to fight.
3. +1 Strength, so you may stand a chance at wounding Marines.
4. +1 Weapon Skill to give you a higher chance at landing a hit.
5. Re-roll all failed to-hit rolls. Twin-Linked on all things does kick ass.
6. Re-roll all failed to-wound rolls. Shred rocks.

• Sacred Item: All models within 6" re-roll failed Morale tests. Shame it's not a banner though.

FOC

• 1 Leader
• 1-30 Core
• 0-5 Special

Leaders

• Princeling/ Brood Prince: A mini Broodlord with S/T4 and WS6, but 3 I6 attacks. Can be upgraded to a Brood Prince for 25pts which improves his stats across the board. A Brood Prince can be upgraded to a ML1 psyker for 20pts. Lets you take purestrain genestealers as core. An absolute beast in close combat, but also your most expensive leader with no access to ranged weapons.
• Magus: Your Psyker HQ if you didn't got for the Brood Price upgrade, 25 points lets you upgrade to ML2, and he can take up to 2 familiars for 5 points each.
• Primus: Basically the same as the big game, with one less wound. Starts out with autopistol and rending claws though, you have to pay for the needle pistol and Bonesword. Can also take a web pistol or bolt pistol.
• Neophyte Leader: Worse than the other leaders, but a steal at only 15pts. The underhive maps rule might be handy if you find yourself ambushing a lot.
• Hybrid Metamorph Leader: A hybrid metamorph with an extra wound and attack, increases the limit on hybrid metamorphs from 5 to 10. Has access to all the metamorph weapons, and can take a bonesword for 20pts.

Core

• Neophyte Hybrid Squad: A squad of 5 basic goons. Start with autoguns but can take shotguns for free for close up firepower. One can take a special weapon, either a flamer (good for hordes, best with shotguns), a grenade launcher (versatile), or a webber (situational, and double the cost of the other two). One can take a heavy mining weapon, either a heavy stubber (underwhelming, but a steal at 5pts), mining laser (only worth it if you know you are facing transports or terminators) or a seismic cannon (versatile, probably the best choice in the list but keep in mind, it costs almost as much as another full squad, and its being held by something which is exceedingly easy to kill). Can also take a cult icon for 5pts.
• Neophyte Weapon Team: You can only take one of these for each two neophyte hybrid squads without heavy mining weapons you take. Can take a mortar, heavy bolter, autocannon, missile launcher or lascannon.
• Acolyte Hybrid: Your dedicated core melee troops, they can take hand flamers for 5pts each, and one of every 5 can take a heavy weapon. The issue is that all of the the heavy weapons costs more than twice the points of the model, and since they can be targeted individually your opponent probably wont let them live long enough to do anything.
• Hybrid Metamorph: Capped at 0-5 without the metamorph leader, very similar to the acolyte hybrids but without the heavy weapons.

Special

• Purestrain Genestealer: It's a Genestealer. It's probably going to be your assaulty guy if you opt out of the Patriarch.
• Abberant: Quite durable with 2 wounds each and feel no pain. Power picks shred MEQs, power hammers for TEQs or if you want to use them to hit vehicles, but at double the price of a purestrain genestealer make sure worth it.
• Cult Icon Bearer: Capped at 0-1, starts with the banner of wrath which gives friendly units within 6" +1WS and Furious charge, or for 10 points it can be replaced with a banner of endurance, which gives friendly units within 6" +1WS and FNP(6+). This is probably more useful considering the overall fragility of your forces.
• Scout Sentinel: Hardcapped at 0-2 for a simple walker. Make use of Scout and have them opening fire before the opposition can even set up a plan of attack.