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

==Stratagems==
===Universal===
*'''Scanner Decoys (1 CP)''': Use when setting up a unit from your army with the Cult Ambush ability. Instead of placing one ambush marker for that unit, you place four of them, with three of the markers being fakes. Thankfully this is usable only once per battle, because the mind games Cult Ambush lets you pull off are cruel enough without infinite red herrings being thrown into the mix too. 
*'''They Came From Below (1 CP)''': Use before revealing an ambush marker. Select up to 3 non-vehicle units from your army set up in ambush. Remove their markers from the battlefield and set them up underground instead. Surprise your opponent when the flanking threat they were planning to counter suddenly disappears and leaves them poorly positioned for your real offensive. Note: The units are considered to have been put into underground instead of ambush when you play this stratagem, preventing them from being immediately deployed again as if they were in ambush which is considered to be deployed on the table. This Stratagem specifically CAN be used to bypass the "half your army" restriction on units deployed in reserve in matched play, letting you deploy half your army plus three units underground. Also no longer allows turn 1 ambushes, as clarified in Big FAQ 2019.
*'''A Perfect Ambush (3 CP)''': Use in the Movement Phase immediately after setting up an Infantry or Biker unit with Cult Ambush on the battlefield. It can either move d6 inches (even if it arrived as reinforcements!) or shoot with all its ranged weapons as if it was the shooting phase. If used on your turn, this stratagem does not stop that unit from shooting or charging later in the turn. The Sanctus can use this for free!
*'''Hyper-Metabolism (1 CP)''': At the start of your movement phase, pick a {{W40Kkeyword|Genestealer Cults}} character. That character regains d3 wounds.
*'''Lying in Wait (2 CP)''': At the end of the movement phase a unit with Cult Ambush set up in Reserves can deploy more than 3" away from an enemy but can never charge for any reason. The real beauty of this is that it lets the Kelermorph set up 3" from the enemy screen, meaning the enemy screen has to be 15" deep to truly shield his characters. Also, if you're playing a Narrative mission that allows Reserves, you can do mean things with your Vehicles, like dropping a squadron of Leman Russes onto your opponent's high value units.
*'''Brood Coven (1 CP)''': If a Patriarch is your Warlord, and you have a Magus and a Primus you can give them Warlord traits too. For rules purposes only the Patriarch is considered your Warlord. A steal at 1CP, as most of our Warlord traits are good. Strictly better than the Drukhari Alliance of Agony, as it does not require you to run 3 differently keyworded Detachments in order to get maximum value, so you can solo/Stealerbomb with the Patriarch, buff the Magus, and use the Primus to carry Creed-specific Warlord Traits as needed, in as many or as few detachments as you'd like.
**Combined with a Field Commander from both specialist detachments, this allows Genestealer Cults to be the only faction in the game that can have 5 Warlord traits active in 1 army.
**Wording is up to one of each, so could use on just a primus if you don't have a magus, or vice versa.
*'''The First Curse (1 CP)''': Use before the battle to upgrade a unit of Purestrain Genestealers with upgrades available to the vanilla Tyranid Genestealers, only randomly. roll a d6 and the result will grant either toxin sacs (6 to wound in the fight phase cause +1 damage), adrenal glands (+1 to advance and charge rolls), or extended carapace (+1 to the armor save but loses the ability to advance and charge). Normally, the extended carapace option is not worth the trade, but it becomes more useful on purestrains, as they are more likely to be charging out of an ambush. 
*'''Cult Reinforcements (1 CP)''': return d6 slain models to a troop unit. 
*'''Detonate Concealed Explosives (2 CP)''': Use at the start of the Shooting phase. Pick an enemy unit and roll a d6. -1 to the roll if its a character and +1 to the roll if the unit has 10 or more models. on a 4+, the unit takes d3 mortal wounds. on a 7+, the unit takes d6 mortal wounds. Can only use if you have a {{W40Kkeyword|Genestealer cult}} unit on the table. Genestealer Cults love their dynamite.
*'''Telepathic Summons (2 CP)''': Pick a {{W40kKeyword|<CULT>}} Psyker. they can't manifest psychic powers this turn. Instead, you roll 3d6 and create a new infantry or bike unit with a power rating equal to the result. The unit must have the '''Cult Ambush''' special rule, but can be set up anywhere more than 9" away from an enemy model. Purestrain, abominants, take your pick. We stole your cheese, Chaos, and made it BETTER! However, you still has to pay reinforcement points though, so this is probably better left for narrative play.
*'''Return to the Shadows (1 CP)''': Use at the end of the movement phase. Lets you put an Infantry or Bike unit back into tactical reserves for one turn provided that they are 3" away from an enemy model. There are a ton of tactical uses for this stratagem. Need to evacuate your Warlord from certain death? Use this. In CC with something you can't kill? Fall back, pop this stratagem, and watch your opponent rage. Need to grab a last turn objective? use this to send a unit across the entire board. Note that if the battle ends before it returns then it counts as being destroyed, though a FAQ clarified it doesn't die for being in reserves after the third battle round.
*'''Clandestine goals (1 CP)''': A copy of the Dark Angels stratagem. Lets you keep your tactical objective hidden.
*'''Lurk in the Shadows (2 CP)''':Pick an infantry unit in cover. They can't be targeted in shooting unless they are the closest unit. More expensive and limited Cloud of Flies which activates at the start of opponent's shooting phase. This could work to protect a fragile Brood Brother weapon squad, or a range oriented Neophyte squad. Also handy for denying mortars and other LoS-ignoring weapons the ability to invalidate terrain.
*'''Devoted Crew (1 CP)''': Use on a {{W40kKeyword|GENESTEALER CULTS Vehicle}}. It can use the top level of its damage chart regardless of how badly damaged it is until the end of the turn. Get that Clearance Incinerator in the opponent's face!
*'''Monstrous Vigor (2 CP)''': Your Aberrants gain +1 to their FNP saves for an entire turn.
*'''Meticulous Uprising (1 CP)''': Use this stratagem before revealing an ambush marker. You can move up to three markers. Each marker can move up to 12" but cannot move within 9" of an enemy or move out of your deployment zone.
*'''Rigged to Blow (1 CP)''': Use when a vehicle with demolition charges is destroyed. The vehicle automatically explodes.
*'''Extra Explosives (1 CP)''': Lets up to 10 models in a unit throw grenades and/or up to five models throw demo charges.
*'''Grandsire's Gift (1/3 CP)''': Your standard extra relic stratagem.

===Cult-Specific===
*{{W40Kkeyword|Cult of the Four-Armed Emperor}} - '''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.

*{{W40Kkeyword|Twisted Helix}} - '''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

*{{W40Kkeyword|Hive Cult}} - '''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.

*{{W40Kkeyword|Bladed Cog}} - '''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.

*{{W40Kkeyword|Rusted Claw}} - '''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.

*{{W40Kkeyword|Pauper Princes}} - '''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.

===Psychic Awakening===
The 14 new stratagems fall into three categories: those that boost a character's aura abilities, those that boost a specific unit's damage output or resilience, and then three stratagems that lets specific units do something they're not usually able to do. So, really, three actual stratagems and eleven boosts for specific units that you pay for with CP.
*'''Integrated Vox Net (2CP):''' Extends Jackal Alphus' targeting ability to affect any friendly models within 18"
*'''Commanding Amplification (1CP):''' Before the battle, a single Clamavus increases the range of their loud hailer by 3".
*'''The Gnarled Fist (1CP):''' Abominant's extra attack boost affects all Abberents within 9".
*'''The Heart of the Creed (1CP):''' Primus targeting ability can affect 1 extra enemy unit when set up from ambush.
*'''Prepared Ambush (1CP):''' Autoguns in a Neophyte unit become Assault 2 if that unit Ambushed in the prior Movement phase.
*'''Annihilating Advance (1CP):''' On a 2+ your Goliath Rockgrinder does D3 MW on a successful charge against infantry. Let's your Rockgrinder be a pretend carnifex, but only against infantry.
*'''Evasive Maneuvering (1CP):''' Goliath Truck or Rockgrinder ignores AP-1 and -2 for a single enemy shooting phase.
*'''Overcharged Weaponry (1CP):''' A <cult> model from a unit using an clearance incinerator, heavy mining laser or heavy seismic cannon gets +1 to wound for that phase with that gun.
*'''Close-Range Shoot-out (1CP):''' Reroll wound rolls for Assault and Pistols for Atalan Jackals shooting at an enemy within 12".
*'''Violence Unleashed (1CP):''' Increase Attack characteristic of a Metamorph unit for a single fight phase.
*'''Raking Fire (1CP):''' Archillies Ridgerunner gains +1 to hit and wound rolls for heavy stubbers for a phase.
*'''The Cults Psyche (1CP):''' Once per game, upgrades a Magus to one extra manifest and +1 to cast rolls for each <CULT> psyker within 3". Sadly this only counts other psykers, so the Magus does not boost him/herself. Might be worth considering if you want to cast the more difficult powers like undermine. 
*'''Slipping Through the Shadows (1CP):''' Cult Sanctus gains automatic 6" advance for a turn; may also advance and charge.
*'''Genetic Lineage (1CP):''' Acolyte Hybrid unit can advance and charge for a single charge phase. This is actually a pretty decent Stratagem and can be a good "gotcha" for those thinking that they might be out of reach of an Acolyte squad.