Editing Warhammer 40,000/8th Edition Tactics/Genestealer Cults (section)

==Cults==

==={{W40Kkeyword|Cult of The Four-Armed Emperor}}===
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In the grim Darkness of the far future, salvation is won when things go [[Just as Planned]].<br>
The Cult of the Four-Armed Emperor are the most cunning of cults. Their strategies are planned out centuries in advance, and by the time they emerge from the sewers it's already too late. <br>
On the tabletop, ...<br>

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'''Special Rules'''
'''Creed - Subterranean Ambushers:''' Until the end of the first battle round, gain +1 to advance and charge rolls. From the second round onwards, units that are set up (e.g: Cult Ambush) get this bonus. GSC's Black Heart but with an actually useful trait. Expect everyone and their mother to have a detachment of these for the things it unlocks. Very competitive choice.

'''Warlord Trait - Inscrutable Cunning''': Gain d3 bonus CP. Additionally, once per battle you can re-roll one hit, wound, or saving throw for any friendly unit (not just the Warlord) as long as the Warlord is on the field. Nice to give to a Magus via Broodcoven stratagem.

'''Relics - Sword of the Four-Armed Emperor''': Replaces a bonesword or Locus blades. S User AP-3 1 D, and when used in the fight phase it grants ''4'' extra attacks. Say goodbye to that MEQ squad. 

'''Stratagems - A Plan Generations in the Making (3 CP):''' Once per game, use when your opponent spends CP for using a stratagem but before it takes effect. Roll 1d6; on a 1, nothing happens. On 2-5, the CP used by your opponent is refunded but the stratagem does not take effect and can't be used again this phase. On a 6, the CP is not refunded and the stratagem does not take effect and can't be used again this phase. This stratagem cannot be used against a stratagem that is used before the battle or during deployment.
Every bit as potent as it is for the Kabal of the Black Heart, and your version is 1 CP cheaper too. Once use per game limits it's effectiveness for mind games, however.

'''Psykic Power - Undermine:''' WC8. Select an enemy infantry unit within 18", halve that units movement, advance and charge distances unitl your next psychic phase.

'''Tactics'''
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==={{W40Kkeyword|The Pauper Princes}}===
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In the grim Darkness of the far future, salvation will be found by the teeming masses.<br>
The Pauper Princes are a notoriously selfless cult, willing to sacrifice everything, including their lives, to protect their masters and their convictions. Unlike most cults, this is not a product of indoctrination as it is fervent belief, as the cultists are disaffected with life before joining the cult and believe the Star-Gods will grant salvation.<br>
On the tabletop, the Pauper Princes are pretty melee-centric. However, their chief focus shouldn't really be about that, it should be maximizing the protective potential of your meat-walls, with the Warlord Trait, Stratagem, and Relic all adding something to make them keep your boss alive and well.<br>

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'''Special Rules'''
'''Creed-Devoted Zealots:''' You may re-roll hit rolls for attacks made with Melee Weapons in a turn where a unit with this Creed charged, was charged or performed a Heroic Intervention. Another melee sub-faction, it competes with the Twisted Helix; The problem lies in the fact that Cult has easy access to +1 to Hit via Primus (effectively making the Creed just a reroll 1s the times it applies) and Cult Icon (which combined with Primus effectively gives you the Pauper Princes Cult Creed). Can't effectively compete with C4AE and Twisted Helix. On a side note, this will save you points on buying cult icons.This also the only way (aside of custom cults) for your aberrants to get a reroll.

'''Warlord Trait - Beloved Grandsire''': Add 2 to Unquestioning Loyalty rolls made when the Warlord fails a save or is hit by a mortal wound. 2++ against mortal wounds is incredible; literally the best save in the game. Park your guy behind a pack of Neophytes and watch your opponent rage as your Primus Matrix dodges Vindicare bullets. How does it feel to have your entire army as a T'au Drone? 
**For best the use give to a Patriarch and keep a big unit of 30 conscripts next to him (since it's the largest unit with the genestealer cult or broodbrothers keyword). The Patriarch will insure that your <s>slaves</s> servants won't run away, and in return the conscripts will happily and (more importantly) consistently jump in front of the bullets, all without wasting any useful units.

'''Relics - Reliquary of Saint Tenndarc''': Friendly Pauper Princes units within 6" are immune to morale, and if a friendly infantry or biker model dies in that range it can perform one last shooting or melee attack on a 4+.

'''Stratagems - Vengeance of the Martyrs (1 CP)''': Use when a {{W40Kkeyword| Pauper Princes Character}} dies. For the rest of the battle, your units gain +1 to hit when targeting the unit that dealt the killing blow.

'''Psykic Power - Last Gasp:''' WC7. Select a PAUPER PRINCES unit within 12", until your next psychic phase models in that unit can either shoot or fight on a 4+ when killed.

'''Tactics'''
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==={{W40Kkeyword|The Twisted Helix}}===
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In the grim Darkness of the far future, salvation is found through self-improvement.<br>
The Twisted Helix are the only cult started without a Genestealer, but instead through genetic experimentation by corporate medical overlords that sought immortality. They've only continued this self-experimentation, giving them greater strength and reflexes than any others, and spreading their infection through supplies and medical shipments.<br>
On the tabletop, ...<br>

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'''Special Rules'''
'''Creed - Experimental Subjects:''' Everyone with this Creed gets +1 Strength, and adds +2 to their advance rolls. S3, S4, and S5 are the largest jump on to wound rolls, massively increasing the effectiveness of your army across the board, melee-wise that is. Ironically this doesn't appear to be the best Creed for Aberrants based on ability alone but the related Stratagem makes up for it. Best used with Acolyte spam and one big unit of Aberrants. 

'''Warlord Trait - Bio-Alchemist''': The Warlord's weapons deal 1 extra damage. This does not apply to Relics. Absolutely brutal on a Patriarch, allowing him to mincemeat most HQs and light tanks. You generally choose this when your enemy has many multiwound models instead of the +1 attack and strength.

'''Relics - Elixir of the Prime Specimen''': The user increases their Attacks, Toughness, and Wounds by 1. There is no reason not to give this to your Patriarch, and then buff him even further using Might from Beyond too.

'''Stratagems - Monstrous Biohorrors (3 CP):''' Drop 3 CP for your big special muscle boys to attack again at the end of the fight phase. Also -1 LD for units within 6". This lets your pick aberrants totally annihilate what they touch when combined with the Abominant, who can also use this to finish off that Baneblade or eat another Leman Russ. Remember your aberrants are +1 S for being Twisted Helix too. Could be good with the Anointed Throng detachment, since a model has a chance of fighting three times a turn

'''Psykic Power - Mutagenic Deviation:''' WC6. Select an enemy infantry unit within 12" of the user. They take +1 to wound from all melee attacks until the next psychic phase.

'''Tactics'''
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==={{W40Kkeyword|The Hivecult}}===
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In the grim Darkness of the far future, salvation is won through firepower.<br>
The Hivecult is a very militant faction, chiefly comprised of soldiers and gangers. While most would suffice with merely rabble and zealots, this creed believes that warriors contribute the most to the cause. This inevitably results in their members also infiltrating PDF and Guardsman regiments so that they could gift the cult with tanks.<br>
On the tabletop, the Hivecult are the closest to the Imperial Guard. Though this gives you nothing for your Brood Brothers, it does give your forces the means to fight on no matter the odds, even with autoguns.<br>

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'''Special Rules'''
'''Creed-Disciplined Militants:''' If a unit with this Creed fails a morale test, halve the number of models that flee (rounding up). Furthermore, units with this Creed that fall back may still shoot, but they are at -1 to hit when they do so. Neophytes/Kelermorphs are incredible with this strategy; make sure to combine this with the Jackal Alphus' target marking ability to maximize shooting potential plus Hivelord Warlord Trait (preferably on a Magus with Broodcoven) and the related Creed Stratagem (Chilling Efficiency) to maximize shooting potential. It isn't a Cult Creed you willingly take as "Main" (in case of Cults mix) but has potential to be the best Cult Creed for shooting units in a specific Detachment.

'''Warlord Trait - Hivelord''': Friendly units within 6" re-roll hit rolls of 1 with ranged weapons. Also, the best option for Broodcoven Maguses since they fine staying on the board mind protecting your units, casting a buff/debuff and giving reroll hit rolls of 1s to your units.

'''Relics - Vockor's Talisman''': Re-roll hits for the user's melee weapons when targeting Characters, and on a wound roll of 6 in melee the bearer inflicts a bonus mortal wound on units that aren't vehicles or Titanic.

'''Stratagems - Chilling Efficiency (2 CP):''' This is basically 'Overlapping Fields of Fire' from Cadian guard. Activate in the shooting phase, +1 to hit vs a unit that you've done a wound against. Fits with the Hive Cults' general theme of being the shooty subfaction.

'''Psykic Power - Synaptic Blast:''' WC6. Select and enemy unit within 18", roll a D6 for each HIVECULT model within 3" of the enemy. MWs on 6's.

'''Tactics'''
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==={{W40Kkeyword|The Bladed Cog}}===
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In the grim Darkness of the far future, salvation is found by melding machine and flesh.<br>
The Bladed Cog are, superficially, those [[Skitarii]] and other Mechanicus folk who have fallen to the vile corruption of the genestealers. Whether this stems from a stowaway, willing experimentation, or a surprise raid, this cult now sees itself as a perfect amalgamation of man, machine, and xeno. They now view the Omnissiah as some sort of Tyranid.<br>
On the tabletop, the Bladed Cog grants you cultists with the minor durability of the Mechanicus. Beyond that is a bit of a disorganized mess. Their stratagem favors melee, but their rules make Heavy Weapons very attractive to take since you can move and fire without penalty.<br>

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'''Special Rules'''
'''Creed- Cyborgised Hybrids:''' Models with this Creed have a 6+ invulnerable save if they don't have an Invulnerable beforehand, and add +1 to their Invulnerable Save if they do have one. Furthermore, INFANTRY models with this Creed do not suffer the penalty for moving and shooting with Heavy Weapons. If you think about it only Characters with a built-in invulnerable save and Multiwound units really benefit from it (you want Rusted Claw to improve the survivability of the sea of Hybrids) but the Heavy Weapons bonus suggests taking Neophytes with such weapons. Also its Creed is something you can only use in the Fight phase so it's really schizophrenic after all.

'''Warlord Trait - Single-minded Obsession''': After deployment but before the first battle round begins, pick an enemy unit. Friendly units within 6" of the Warlord can re-roll failed wounds against that unit. Old Grudges but for GSC, works in Fight phase too but what kind of list are you playing then?

'''Relics - Mark of the Clawed Omnissiah''': {{W40Kkeyword|The Bladed Cog}} model only. The bearer has a 4+ invulnerable save. In addition, each time this model finishes a charge move, select one enemy within 1” of it and roll a D6; on a 2+ that unit suffers 1 mortal wound. Bear in mind that this stacks with the Bladed Cog Cult Creed, giving a non-Patriarch a 3++.

'''Stratagems - Overthrow the Oppressors (1 CP)''': Use this Stratagem before a {{W40Kkeyword|Bladed Cog}} unit (excluding {{W40Kkeyword|Genestealer}} units) from your army is selected to fight in the Fight phase. Until the end of the phase, each time you roll an unmodified hit roll of 6 for an attack by a model in that unit, that model can immediately make an additional hit roll against the same target using the same weapon. These bonus attacks cannot themselves generate any further attacks. These extra attacks are instead generated on unmodified hit rolls of 5 or 6 when targeting {{W40Kkeyword|Imperium}} units or on unmodified rolls of 4, 5, or 6 when targeting {{W40Kkeyword|Adeptus Mechanicus}} units. If you find yourself as Bladed Cog against AdMech in CQC... You ''probably'' don't need this, but there is no kill like overkill. Much more useful and will see much better results against Marines, High Invul Characters and Custodes as opposed to the Cogboys.

'''Psykic Power -Undying Vigor:''' WC6. 5+ Wound shrug for a BLADED COG unit within 18".

'''Tactics'''
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==={{W40Kkeyword|The Rusted Claw}}===
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In the grim Darkness of the far future, salvation is found through entropy.<br>
The Rusted Claw is perhaps the most anarchic of the cults, believing that all civilization and artifice will crumble before their newfound Star Gods. For this reason, they don't tend to keep very much and look a bit like a bunch of deranged skinhead three-armed hobos... with bikes<br>
On the tabletop, these guys are a highly mobile. Bikes and Wolfquads are best suited to this force, and all units here are especially resilient to small arms fire.<br>

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'''Special Rules'''
'''Creed - Nomadic Survivalists:''' When making armor saves, add +1 to the result if the weapon has an AP of 0 or -1. In addition, BIKER models with this Creed do not suffer any penalties for moving and shooting with Heavy Weapons, or for advancing and firing assault weapons. A must for Bikes and still a very decent chapter tactics if you want to improve the general survivability of your models. Best defensive Creed by a miles but considering the extremely aggressive playstyle of the army might not find universal acclaim.

'''Warlord Trait - Entropic Touch''': Friendly units within 6" of the Warlord that make an unmodified wound roll of 6 in the Fight phase improve that attack's AP by 1 (e.g. AP0 becomes AP-1). Useless since your dedicated melee units already have AP -4 on 6s to Wound so it only makes sense for Acolyte's chainsword attacks. Pass.

'''Relics - Metallophagic Staff''': Magus only, replaces a force stave. S+2 AP-5 D3 D. When attacking a vehicle, a wound roll of 4+ causes an extra mortal wound, which increases to d3 mortal wounds on a 6+. 

'''Stratagems - Drive by Demolitions (1 CP)''': Use on a {{W40Kkeyword|Rusted Claw Biker}} Unit. +1 to hit and wound rolls with grenades. After it resolves all its shooting, it can immediately make a move as if it were the movement phase, but cannot charge this turn. Combine with the Extra Explosive Stratagem and dirt cheap Demo Charges for maximum grenade shenanigans.

'''Psykic Power -Inescapable Decay:''' WC6. Select an enemy VEHICLE within 18", improve the AP of all attacks targeting that VEHICLE by 1 until the end of the turn.

'''Tactics'''
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