Warhammer 40,000/7th Edition Tactics/Genestealer Cults

Everyone's favorite gribbly army is back on the tabletop! After getting hints of a codex in Deathwatch: Overkill, the full codex is finally here. They seem to have upgraded their iconic limos to more practical infantry fighting vehicles, though. Sadface.

Why Play Genestealer Cults?

• Because you've got the models from the late '80s and have long been itching to use them again!
• Because you finally have a workable ally force with Tyranids.
• You like Genestealers.
• You like Tanks.
• You like Genestealers in Tanks.
• You want to troll your opponent by playing peekaboo with your infantry units.
• The army list can be fielded with a mostly Human appearance, you don't even need three or four armed xenos monstrosities anywhere to actually play with them. Just proxy your guard army as Neophyte Hybrids. They'll never know!
• You have a lot of money to spare - it costs £25/$40/€33 for an unupgraded 50 point troops unit. Remember, you only have two kidneys.
  • This is somewhat alleviated by the fact that you can fairly reliably get 16 Neophytes, 12 Acolytes, and the Characters for (usually) about half the cost of the Deathwatch: Overkill box. That said, the expensive single kits are the only place to get the other upgrades, so you're gonna have to buy at least a couple.

Special Rules

• Cult Ambush: When a unit Infiltrates or arrives from reserves (or ongoing Reserves) you can "Ambush" rather than appear on the table normally. You can also use this to deploy, which is brilliant. This means roll a dice and see what happens:

1. 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.
2. Encircling the Foe: Unit Outflanks, appearing from a random side edge.
3. 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.
4. A Perfect Ambush: Place the unit anywhere on the table more than 6" away from an enemy. Full Stop.
5. 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.
6. They Came From Below: Place the unit anywhere more than 3" away from an enemy, you may charge the turn you arrive.

• 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 be 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.
• 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.

Warlord Traits

1. Gives you Stealth
2. Friendly units of the Genestealer Cult faction have Counter-Attack when within 12" of the Warlord.
3. Gains Move through cover, the Warlord and his unit never suffer penalty to Initiative for charging through difficult terrain
4. Gains It Will Not Die
5. All model in your Warlord's detachment can use his Ld
6. When using Cult Ambush with any unit the Warlord has joined, do not roll on the ambush table, you can choose a result.

Broodmind Psychic Discipline

• Primaris: Mass Hypnosis: Malediction that causes a chosen unit within 24" to drop it's WS, BS, I & A by -1.

1. Psychic Stimulus: Blessing that grants the unit Fleet and Relentless, also allows them to charge after running.
2. Psionic Blast: Witchfire, 24" S5 AP3 Assault 1, Blast
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Mind Control: Malediction. 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.
6. 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 Neophyte, 3WC and it's 10 Acolyte or 10 Metamorphs or 20 Neophyte or 4 aberants or 8 genestealer, these model can be equipped with ANY UPGRADES list on their data sheet as per the summoning rules.

Wargear

Melee

• Rending Claws: start here, most of your units get them. S:user, AP5, Rending. They only count as one weapon no matter how many arms your model has. But thankfully in most cases you can fill those extra hands with other weapons to gain your bonus +1 attack.
• Scything Talons: These are mostly just to give your Purestrain Genestealers an extra Attack. Upgrade half the unit and let the cheaper models take the brunt of the enemy shooting, while the heavy hitters bring up the rear.
• Bonesword: Str User, AP3, rolls of 6 to wound are instant death. Good against MEQ Multiwound models.
  • Lashwhip & Bonesword: same as above, but also add +3 to Initiative for the added whip. Still counts as one weapon despite being a pair.
• Metamorph Weapons: available to your Metamorph Hybrids. All are S:user, AP5, but each version comes with specific rules. Note that the rules say "A model equipped with...", so you can still use your Rending Claws to Attack with these benefits.
  • Claw: gain +2 Strength.
  • Talon: gain +1 WS, but increases to +2 WS if you have a pair.
  • Whip: a lash whip without the Bonesword, gives you +3 Initiative.
• Power Pick: +2 Str, AP3, unwieldy. This is not a specialist weapon, so it grants +1 attack when stacked with the abberant's rending claws (2 combat weapons)
• Power Maul: S+2 AP4 and Concussive. Useful against Imperial Guard, Eldar of all kinds, Orks, Necrons, and Daemons since all Daemons have are invulns and S6 can even harm the tough GD if you can survive against them.
• Power Hammer: Almost a Thunder Hammer, but not quite. It still strikes last, but still causes concussion. It doesn't double the users strength but adds +3, which on Aberrants is still S8, so it might as well be a Thunder Hammer, however it is a Two-Handed weapon, so there is no way to ensure you get the extra close combat attack.
• Heavy Rock Saw Str x2, AP2, Two-handed, Unwieldy, Armourbane
• Heavy Rock Cutter:Str x2, AP2Two-handed, Unwieldy, Snip. If you take a wound and somehow the model survives it, then pass a toughness test or be removed from play. Gives you a lucky chance to get rid of those Eternal Warriors or high toughness Monstrous Creatures. Though bear in mind harder opponents are more likely to pass the test.
• Heavy Rock Drill: Str x2, AP2, Two-handed, Unwieldy, Pulverise. Instead of attacking normally, you can instead make a single attack at S10 AP1. Good if you don't get the charge or against those wraithknights or Land Raiders where S8 might not cut it, though if you're targeting vehicles with an AV of 12 or less, the extra attacks will serve you better.

Ranged

• Autoguns: Crappy on their own, bog standard weapon. S3 AP- weapons.
• Demolition Charge: Oh boy, S8 AP2 Assault 1 Blast, One Use Only with 6" range. Often used as a last ditch attempt to finish off vehicles or go Jihad on a unit of Terminators since you're likely to blow your own squad up using this too. As risky as it is in the Astra Militarum codex; one unlucky roll and you could see your own squad removed from the table.
• Shotgun: S3 AP- Assault 2 12". This is my boomstick.
• Hand Flamer: Interesting tool from the Sisters of Battle and Blood Angels Codices. Gives +1 attack and is a shittier flamer, but it still makes hordes cry.
• Web Weapons: Interesting new weapons that have AP values equal to the target's strength. Meaning that bigger, meaner victims can comfortably ignore it but weaker targets get taken out. Compare to a grenade launcher: They are preferable to frag grenades against the things you'd normally use a frag grenade against (GEQs), but are inferior to Krak grenades against things you'd use Krak against (MEQs & TEQs). Also makes Eldar cry.
  • Webber: Special weapon for Neophyte squads, you get an Assault 1, S4 blast.
  • Web Pistol: S3 and uniquely a pistol with a blast marker.

Heavy Mining Weapons

Considering the sheer volume of firepower a Neophyte squad can put out with two specials, a weapon team or two of these; it is tempting to make yourself a micro-Devastator squad. Just remember that while you can freely escape the table in sticky situations; moving around or ambushing will cause you to snap fire, and Neophytes don't really have the staying power to weather standing around for a turn.

• Mining Laser: A lascannon with half the range for ten points less than a lascannon.
• Seismic Cannon Up to 12 inchs its a 2 shot missile launcher, at 12-24, its a 4 shot heavy bolter. oh yes its also got rending resolved at AP1. fucking ACE.
• Heavy Stubber: S4 AP6 Heavy 3 36", what this has to do with mining, nobody knows (Probably protection. In the grim darkness of the future you aren't the only monstrosity underground). Maybe the Imperium has so many bullets they just shoot rocks out of the ground?

Heavy Weapons

• Mortar: Shoot a small blast over a hill and maybe hurt something if you're lucky. The worst weapon in this list because you can't even snap fire it. Better in other armies when you can take them in multiples.
• Heavy Bolter: an acceptable compromise of rate of fire vs damage output. Since your Neophytes only have BS3 you are going to hit half the time, taking this means you can hit and hurt most infantry. Higher rate of fire also means you have better odds when snap firing if you spring from reserves or like to move around a lot.
• Autocannon: Lots of people swear by Autocannons: strong enough to hurt anything except land raiders and two shots with BS3 means you can expect to hit something every turn. Probably suffers when measured against the mobility and range of the army though, since in many cases you'll want to keep moving and the rest of your guys are armed with 12" shotguns.
• Missile Launcher: Good old faithful, particularly if you don't know what you're fighting against. Also with Flakk missiles will be your army's primary source of Anti-Air defense short of using fortifications.
• Lascannon: One lascannon? For 5 points more you can get two shorter ranged ones. Of course range becomes relevant if you have no intention of hopping in and out of reserves, so you can set it up and hopefully leave it where it is. But perhaps best to leave this attached to vehicles for now.

Special Issue

• Genestealer Familiar: Gain 2 attacks rolled separately at S4 with Rending. Fucking. Tasty.
• Cult Icon: A unit with one of these adds +1 to their WS, availably on Neophyte and Acolyte Hybrids. The Iconward also comes with one to attach to squads that can't get it themselves.

Sacred Relics of the Cult

• Icon of the Cult Ascendant: Friendly Genestealer Cult units within 12" get Furious Charge and can re-roll failed Morale, Pinning and Fear tests. In addition, all models in the same unit gain +1 attack. Take this relic to turn your army into a horde of death blenders.
• Dagger of Swift Sacrifice: trade in all attacks for one S:User, AP-, Instant Death, Poisoned (2+)
• Scourge of Distant Stars: The bearer of this relic can force his opponent in a challenge to take a toughness test. If the opponent fails, he takes a Wound with no saves allowed and gets his Attacks and Initiative characteristics reduced by 1 until the end of the Fight subphase
• Staff of the Subterranean Master: Range 18", S2 AP-, Assault 10, Ignores Cover, Rending. Good against T3 models with a good armour save, otherwise its mediocre to decent depending on situation.
• Sword of the Void's Eye: S+1, AP3 melee weapon that rerolls failed To-Hit and To-Wound rolls of 1, also causes instant death on a wound roll of 6.
• The Crouchling a unique Genestealer familiar that allows you to generate you an additional psychic power without increasing your mastery level. It also has teeth and claws like a regular familiar. Considering how good the powers are, this is a good take.

Vehicle Equipment

• Drilldozer Blade: Your army of deathblenders have blenders on their vehicles. This adds D6 to the strength of a ramming attack and adds +1 to the vehicle damage table. If you tank shock, the target has to take an initiative test or suffer D3 S10 AP2 hits as guys get pulled in to the whirling blades. Nasty.

Unit Analysis

HQ

• Patriarch: Just under 100 points for ML1 Super-Genestealer with access to Biomancy, Telepathy and Broodmind, he also makes cult units within 12" Fealess. But, mind games aren’t the Patriarch’s only hobby. He also enjoys ripping out 4 S6 attacks with Rending, Shred, and AP3, and can buy familiars to add even more S4 attacks to the pile. A pretty fun guy, for a ‘nid. Ultimately, the Patriarch's combination of psychic powers, beastly stats, with invisibility on he can go toe to toe with most characters, specially since he will beat them to the punch unless they are daemon princes or Jain Zar. He also grants a 12" bubble of Fearless to make sure your fragile units hold the line.
• Magus: 40 points for a ML1 psyker with access to Biomancy, Telepathy and Broodmind, as well as a whole bunch of special rules. He can be upgraded to ML2 and you should most definitely do this. He projects a 12" bubble of Adamantium Will to himself and other Cult units, so whileit's slightly situational, he's a denying machine.
• Primus: Cheap and cheerful. Same str 4 T3, but with the ablity to join non-genestealer units. Grants a 12" bubble of Hatred to really buff up your close combat potential.
• Acolyte Iconward: Your other HQ choice, and thankfully not limited to a one only deal in the Cult Insurrection Detachment. His statline is only marginally better than a normal Acolyte (+1 BS, W, A) and his stock gear is useless crap. He comes with a Cult Icon, granting +1 WS to his unit, but Acolyte squads can buy this anyway, so you want to replace this with a Relic if possible. His other rule, and the real reason you want him is his Nexus of Devotion which grants all friendly cult units within 12" the Feel No Pain (6+) rule, or improve it by one. Giving a layer of protection in an army where 5+ saves essentially mean no save at all

Troops

• Neophyte Hybrids: AKA generic Cultists for the price of Guardsmen. These are absolutely GEQs with the same profiles and many of the same options, use these for objective grabbing because all your other units do better at chasing enemies around and eating them. Your Autoguns can be swapped for Shotguns/Lasguns for free, so take shotguns when you need these guys in melee combat when your formations start layering rules over them. However just like Imperial Guard, two guys can form a heavy weapons team and have access to the usual suspects, though be aware that popping in and out of reserves forces snapshots. Two guys can also take a special weapon, such as a flamer, grenade launcher or the new Webber. In place of a Heavy Weapons Team, two guys can take mining weapons, such as the Mining Laser or Seismic Cannon, so giving up long range for additional mid/close ranged potential which is more appropriate alongside shotguns/lasguns. So in all your basic squad can really bring the ranged pain.
• A highly versatile unit, these culty fellows seem to be the disposable razor of the GSC arsenal. There are numerous visibly good ways to field them, but it seems best to tend towards a Goliath truck or chimera if not ambushing, and no transport if ambushing. For the first build, skip the heavy weaponry, but for the second you can absolutely get use out of it as plenty of Ambush table results don't require you to move. Shotguns, banner, and melee squad leader are also a big consideration, because assault is much more of an option for these squads than their loyal AM cousins. If you're running Goliath cultists, go either for close up (flamers, banner, melee sarge, shotguns) or arms-length (lasguns/autoguns and webbers). And for infiltrators, you should strongly consider seismic cannons and grenade launchers, as infiltrating into the sides or rear of an unsuspecting vehicle is going to be something you really want to try to do with these dudes.
• Seismic cannons seem to be the standout heavy weapon. Multiple shots to offset BS3, a special rule that resolves any to-wound or pen roll of a 6 at AP1, and the ability to take 2 per squad makes this a powerful option. The only AM heavy weapon team you should really consider is the Autocannon, as all the rest have the same overinflated cost the AM pays for them. The reason you may want it over the seismic cannon is for insurance against awkward 1-3 results on the Ambush table leaving you out of reach of enemy units.

• Acolyte Hybrids 1st & 2nd generation hybrids. Probably some of the best close combat "Troops" in the game, With two S4 I4 attacks with Rending as standard, but also Autopistols and Close combat weapons so you are always going to get your bonus two-weapon attack even if somehow disarmed. That means four rending attacks each on the charge, so they chuck out as many attacks as Orks, but with more speed and more threat. However, they are still as flimsy as regular humans, so buy in bulk.
  • Each and every Acolyte can replace his Autopistol with a hand flamer for five points. Totalling 13 points per model, which is cheaper than a Space Marine! Even though it is still only S3, the sheer number of automatic hits you can cause will inevitably mean more wounds in the long run, then follow it up with your teeth and claws because you're at the perfect distance. Though if you're intending on using cult Ambush to get the most out of a surprise flamer squad, remember that you're restricted by distance, so it may not work like you expect.

Dedicated Transports

• Genestealer Chimera: What's not to love about one of the most versatile MEHTAL BAWKSES in the 41st Millennium? And unlike the rock grinders, in its profile it doesn't explicitly say it can't take Genestealers either. Load up your four-armed gribblies and go forth.

Elites

• Purestrain Genestealers: They're not your normal Genestealers, these guys aren't shat out from Tyranid Hive fleets so they aren't as mutable as their Hive Mind cousins, nor do they get access to Broodlord squad leaders. But here they have 3 attacks base, Stealth and a 5+ Invulnerable save, which is exactly what Genestealers needed, no joke. All for the same cost as Tyranid Genestealers, making them out to be the poor cousins. What's not to love? Lots of S4 AP5 Rending attacks at high initiative.
  • They can only be joined by the Patriarch, and this is NOT a bad thing. Primarily because what he does will synergise with them anyway, but he also confers Furious Charge on all of them while attached. Now who doesn't love the thought of 100 (squad of 20 with Scythes) S5 rending attacks on the charge? Thats before you factor in psychic buffs and other overlapping rules.

• Aberrant Hybrids: Quite costly for what they do, costing nearly as much as a basic terminator but with a 5+/5++ 2W instead, but if Cult Ambush is good, they can work out. However, in a codex lacking lots of good ways to deal with AV14 vehicles and the like, you may want to include some hammer dudes in a Subterranean uprising.

• Hybrid Metamorphs Acolytes with sharper teeth. They get the Metamorph weapons, which let them add +1WS (or +2WS at the loss of the Rending Claw - not sure why anyone would do this?), +2S or +3I. The best part is they get to use their Rending Claws while still claiming this bonus due to the wording of "A model equipped with...".
  • Lash Whips are probably the way to go. Why? Because +1/+2 Weapon Skill isn't that great when you can have normal Acolyte squads with a Cult Icon getting the same thing; while the difference between WS5 and WS6 is largely academic when most non-character units in the entire game tend to sit around WS4. Having S6 with a claw sounds good on paper, but Rending remains the same regardless of your strength, so while your chance of wounding certainly increases, the odds of your opponent shrugging off the wound remain the same, while if you're aiming to take out vehicles with your giant club-hand, remember that normal acolytes get access to mining drills which are far more effective. Lash Whips bump you to I7, which is more than enough to strike first in practically any engagement, and considering that your models are as flimsy as Eldar Guardians, even if you can comfortably wipe out an enemy squad in one fight sub-phase, avoiding a simultaneous combat means you can reduce how many wounds you inevitably take.
  • Alternate opinion: The difference between S4 and S6 is dramatic the moment your opponent brings an Knight or any other Super-Heavy Walker. Without Crushing Claws, 1 in 18 hits will result in a HP loss, while the Claws make this 1 in 6. The case "could" be made for the Lash Whips for Metamorphs taken in a Broodcycle where they'll most likely have access to superior Weapon Skill and Furious Charge from the improved Iconward. If you roll the Broodmind Power to grant them +1 Strength and Rage, you're in business.

Fast Attack

• Armoured Sentinels: Better armored than their Scouting Brothers, but still at only 2HP you'd best take at least 2 in a squadron if you don't want to hand over First Blood to your opponent.

• Scout Sentinels: With such weak armor, most likely they are going to die on the second turn. Fun choice of weapons. Key part here is that they have Scout. But still - they are going to die. They are open topped. They are going to die. They have 10 armor. They are going to die. They have two Hull Points. They are going to die. But they may as well take a tank or two down with them. If you want to be insane, having Heavy Flamers all around can result in hilarious infantry murder. Otherwise, most of the time you'll take them as a 40 point autocannon on legs since they are cheap and effective against most things. (Outflank you plebs, these are great.)

• Goliath Truck: Open topped transport for your dudes, meaning guys can assault from it. I know what you're thinking, but unfortunately it cannot carry Purestrain Genestealers or the Patriarch (if you want Genestealers on Wheelers, take a Chimera instead (though of course the Chimeras aren't open-topped transports)). In rules terms it's like a beefed up Ork truck for just less than double the points, more armour and bigger guns.

Heavy Support

• Goliath Rockgrinder:Slightly tougher than the Goliath Truck with 12/10/10 HP3. Can transport 6 dudes, but isn't open topped so they can't assault. Ignores crew stunned/shaken and immobilized results on a 4+ thanks to being built so sturdily for mining operations. Comes stock with a heavy mining laser (36" range lascannon) and a beefed up dozer blade in the Drilldozer Blade. This thing is basically built for ramming other vehicles and tank shocking other units, but don't expect it to really provide a lot of fire power.
  • Rockgrinders aren't really worth it in a CAD due to their ranged anti-tank being fairly weak. You "could" run them as a "cheapish" cover-busting anti-infantry platform as the Clearance Flamer "does" make it the cheapest mobile Torrent in the game, but unlike the Hellhound, you're not fast and you don't have good Side Armor or Smoke Launchers. You can get 3 Rockgrinders for slightly less than 2 Hellhounds though, and squadroned in a pair of 2, they can increase their Front Armor arc to mitigate one of their main weaknesses.
• Leman Russ Squadron: Ah yes, the famous Leman Russ Battle Tank. Perhaps the most cost-efficient and versatile tank in 40k. With very tough front armor and reasonably durable side armor, it can brush of most things while pouring dakka into your enemy. You can take any of the non-Demolisher variants as detailed below.
  • Vanilla Battle Tank: You know it, you love it. A good all-rounder and safe choice to go with if none of the other options tickle your fancy.
  • Exterminator: 4 Twin-linked Autocannon shots. Great against enemy Monstrous Creatures and light AV vehicles. Also good against flyers in a pinch due to twin-linked. Slap a trio of Heavy Bolters on it and go to town on a horde, since no Punisher for you.
  • Vanquisher: A single shot at S8 AP2, Armorbane and 72". Its biggest weakness is BS3 and 1 shot, so a 50/50 chance you miss isn't really that great. Resort to Close Combat to pop vehicles.
  • Eradicator: S6 AP4 Heavy 1, Ignores Cover Large Blast. This is what you use to fight cover-camping Eldar and Tau who you can't so easily Assault.

Formations

Cult Insurrection Detachment:

If a Patriarch is the Warlord (no other type of character mentioned), he may reroll Warlord Trait, you may also not include more than one Patriarch, Magus and Primus in the detachment. ALL non-vehicle units gain Infiltrate. If the unit already has Infiltrate, they gain Shrouded for the first turn of the game. Also, but they get to add +1 to reserve rolls and apply -1 to enemy reserve rolls. This detachment will really mess with your opponent's head.

Oh, and another thing: each time a unit returns to the battlefield from ongoing reserves they get reinforced with D6 models that have been previously slain. This works best with larger units, as you have to have at least one model left in the unit for this to work. Don't expect to roll a 6 every time.

• The real advantage of the "Returning models" is there is no restriction on the order in which the models must be brought back. Say you lost several Mining Lasers or your Cult Icon from focused fire but the rest of the unit is relatively intact? Return to the Shadows lets you revive key models in a unit.

So perfect for hopping around with your cult ambush then.

Command (0-3)

• Lord of the Cult: Just a Patriarch, Magus, Primus or Cult Iconward. No rules.
• The First Curse: Patriarch, plus a unit of Genestealers, must total 20 models though, so it's your boss man with a great big bodyguard of teeth and claws. The formation bonus is a randomly determined buff for your unit of Genestealers that lasts for the game.
  1. Fleshhooks: Grenades for your Genestealers.
  2. Hardened Carapace: 4+ saves
  3. Toxin Glands: attacks are Poisoned
  4. Adrenal Sacs: gain Rage USR
  5. Feeder Tendrils: gain Preferred Enemy USR
  6. Perfect Killing Machine: choose your result.
  • The problem is that each of these upgrades has its own bits for modelling, but because it's randomly determined you've got no way of guaranteeing if your feeder tendril squad that you built will accurately represent your actual rules.
• Broodcoven: 1 Patriarch, 1 Magus, 1 Primus. Deploy as a single unit, but may still join squads. Rules gained dependent on models left in the unit: Patriarch confers Fleet, Magus confers Counter-Attack, Primus confers Preferred Enemy

Core (1-6)

• Brood cycle: 1 Cult Iconward, 3 units of Acolyte Hybrids, 2 units of Neophyte Hybrids, 1 unit of Metamorph Hybrids, 1 unit of Purestrain Genestealers, 0-1 unit of Aberrants, 0-1 Goliath Rockgrinder unit and a partridge in a pear tree. Any unit within 6" of another unit in the formation gains +1 WS & Ld and gain Furious Charge while within 24" of the Cult Iconward and increase his Feel No Pain bubble to 24" as well.
  • This is a very £xp€n$ive and time consuming formation to put together considering that it involves pretty much every Genestealer unit in the codex, you're starting at 46 models before you even consider increasing squad sizes and/or dedicated transports. Also using that many models in this formation stops you using them in Auxillary formations, so you'd need even more of the same types of units afterwards.

• Neophyte Cavalcade: Genestealer Mechanised Company! 2 units of Neophyte Hybrids that must take a Chimera Transport and must start the game embarked in them, you also get a Leman Russ Squadron and 1-2 units of Sentinels (either type). All vehicles here get the Outflank special rule. So your Leman Russes can ruin the day of some guys artillery line, while Scout Sentinels share the Cult Ambush rule, being able to pop out of reserves and mess with your enemy's unprotected rear.
  • Summary: The bonuses are minor, but the tax is easy to fill in. The problem is that if you're taking this formation as part of a Cult Insurrection, the Chimeras would already be able to Outflank, and you don't particularly care about Outflanking a Russ or taking Armored Sentinels. What may be the saving grace for the formation is the fact that regular Scout Sentinels get Cult Ambush. As long as you don't roll a "1" on the Ambush table, you can use them either as a "Land Speeder" equivalent, where rather than "Turbo-Jinking" to move-block trouble units or Deep-Striking for better shots, you instead Cult Ambush and deliver a stream of Autocannons to a vulnerable point.
  • Much cheaper than the Brood Cycle, and easily filled by players who already have guard collections. That means you can add other Hybrid units piecemeal in Auxillary formations at your leisure.

Auxillary (1+)

• Subterranean Uprising: 0-1 Primus, 1-3 Hybrid Metamorph units, 2-4 Acolyte Hybrids units, 0-3 Aberrant units. All units gain Infiltrate and if they deploy by Ambush at the start of the game they roll 2 dice on the table to choose how they arrive, or 3 dice if the Primus is attached. Note that when this is coupled with Cult Insurrection, everyone gets Shrouded on the first turn.

• Deliverance Broodsurge: 2-6 units of Neophyte Hybrids, each must take a Goliath Truck transport and start the game embarked upon it. During the game, they may dismount their vehicle even if it moves at Cruising Speed. But have to take a dangerous terrain check, because they've just leapt off at full speed. Also, the Goliaths just ignore Crew Shaken/Stunned results. So basically this formation is a good way to deliver your Neophyte squads around the battlefield, and as open topped vehicles it means they have quite a considerable charge radius, if a bit risky to undertake.

• Demolition Claw: 2-3 units of Acolyte Hybrids (and each unit must take at least one Demolition Charge) team up with 2-3 Goliath Rockgrinder units (which must take the "Cache of Demolition Charges" upgrade for free). They all get Tank Hunter and may reroll scatter on their Demolitions charges. What's more, if they throw the charge while within 6" of one of the Goliath's, they replenish it on a D6 roll of 4+.
  • 'Summary:' This formation looks meant to team up with the Neophyte Calvacade for players wanting to do a mechanized Cult. The formation's implementation is somewhat Skornergestic at first. The Acolytes receive assorted bonuses to throwing Demolition Charges...while they're embarked on a Goliath Rockgrinder from the formation itself. The problem is that the Acolytes have Infiltrate and want to get up-close to the fight, while the Rockgrinders must deploy conventionally. Add to the fact that the Rockgrinders have abysmal side armor and their only "firing point" is from the rear of the vehicle, and using the Claw for its intended role of chucking lots of Demolition Charges will fall flat the moment you come across any army that can bring flanking S6 shots. Rather, consider the fact that the entire formation gets Tank Hunter, and there remains no restriction on the Acolytes taking their own Goliaths as dedicated transports. You have the potential to bring 2-3 Infiltrating twin-linked Tank-Hunting autocannons to the fray in a lightly-mechanized alphastrike that would have old-school Dark Lance DE players fits of envy. The Goliaths in turn have the option to more comfortably run Clearance Flamers for anti-infantry duality since their Drilldozers would also benefit from Tank Hunters.

• The Doting Throng: 0-1 Magus, 3-6 units of Acolyte or Neophyte Hybrids (in any combination). They all get Zealot while within 12" of a Magus and any unit joined by a Magus rerolls fails to hit in every round of close combat, not just the first. Also, any blessings that fail to get cast on the Doting Throng may be rerolled. Seeing as this formation is so heavily invested in having a Magus, you'd wonder why the guy is optional. But remember: your Cult Insurrection can only ever have one in the entire detachment, so this formation loses effectiveness the larger it becomes or if you have more than one (in a cult detachment)

• Shadow Skulkers: 1 unit of Purestrain Genestealers. No rules, but a good way to squeeze in more squads without paying the huge brood cycle taxes.

• Cult Mutants: either 1 unit of Aberrants or 1 unit of Hybrid Metamorphs. Again, no rules but another way to get these units while avoiding taxes you've already paid.

• Brood Brothers: here, have a Leman Russ Squadron, or some Sentinels. After filling your Core requirement you can have as many of these as you like, so Genestealers can spam tanks if they wanted.

Allies

Battle Brothers

No battle brothers for you.

Allies of Convenience

• Tyranids: Makes up for the lack of a good Tyranid ally. Shame that you cannot share Psychic Powers and Warlord traits due to AoC, but them's the breaks. This gives you access to even cheaper tarpits plus the famed Monstrous Creatures the 'Nids are known for. Recommended to grab a Flying Hive Tyrant as allied HQ for some form of flyer/AA.
• Imperial Guard/Astra Militarum: Yes. Apparently IG can ally at AoC with GSC as well. This gives you access to Valkyries, Vendettas, Hydras, and any Imperial Guard vehicle you don't get in the main Cult Codex. For fun, include a Deathstrike in your Astra Militarum detachment for full-on, mustache-twirling*, super-villain doomsday weapon hilarity. (* If Genestealer Hybrids had hair that is!)

Desperate Allies

No desperate allies for you either.

Come the Apocalypse

• Space Marines
  • Blood Angels
  • Dark Angels
  • Deathwatch: Extra Heretical.
  • Grey Knights: Also extra Heretical
  • Space Wolves
• Chaos Space Marines
• Chaos Daemons
• Adepta Sororitas (Sisters of Battle)
• The Inquisition
• Eldar
  • Eldar Harlequins and Corsairs
• Dark Eldar
• Tau
• Necrons
• Orks