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

==Cults==
Here's your Chapter Tactics/Doctrines/Specialisations, like everyone else has. These replace the {{W40Kkeyword|<Cult>}} Keyword when you choose one. Everything in your force gets these except Brood Brothers.

==={{W40Kkeyword|Cult of The Four-Armed Emperor}}===
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
In the grim Darkness of the far future, salvation is won when things go [[Just as Planned]].

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.

On the tabletop, they're all about successfully charging after deep striking and being very durable out in the open from far away as they either approach to charge in or hang back to shoot up their enemies.

<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
;Cult Creed - ''Subterranean Ambushers'':Your units can re-roll charge rolls, and you get Light Cover when targeted by an enemy over 12" away. Helpful for charging out of deep strike, though the cover is a handy advantage for gunners and anything that normally can't get Light Cover, like your vehicles.
::This takes you from successfully charging out of the Underground (so you need to roll an 8 or more to make it) 41.67% of the time to 65.97% of the time (nearly two thirds!).  
;Warlord Trait - ''Inscrutable Cunning'':Once per turn when you use a Battle Tactic or Strategic Ploy stratagem on a {{W40kKeyword|Cult of the Four-Armed Emperor}} unit within 12" of the warlord, it costs 1 CP less. Considering the bevy of stratagems you can use in each category, you'll be able to go through all of them before worrying about the part where ''you can only use this on each stratagem once''.
;Relic - ''Sword of the Four-Armed Emperor'':Replaces a bonesword or Locus blades. S+1 AP-3, and when used in the fight phase it grants ''4'' extra attacks and all 6s to hit instantly wound. Say goodbye to that MEQ squad, you're making paste outta them. 
;Stratagem - ''A Plan Generations in the Making'' (0 CP):Once per game, use when your opponent spends CP for using a stratagem that isn't Command Re-Roll. This stratagem now costs an additional 1 CP.
;Psychic Power - ''Undermine'' (Malediction, WC 7):Select a non-{{W40kKeyword|FLY}} enemy unit within 18". They suffer -3M, -2 to charge rolls, and divide advance rolls in half. It's a whole lot more annoying to memorize, but it remains a good way of crippling vulnerable foes.

'''Tactics'''
</div></div>

==={{W40Kkeyword|The Bladed Cog}}===
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
In the grim Darkness of the far future, salvation is found by [[Adeptus Mechanicus|
melding machine and flesh.]]

The Bladed Cog are, superficially, those [[Skitarii]] and other Mechanicus folk who have <s>fallen to the vile corruption</s> entered the warm and loving embrace 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.

On the tabletop, the Bladed Cog grants you cultists with the durability of the mechanicus. While it adds a few edges to damage, the advantages aren't as prevalent as the invulns.

<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

;Cult Creed - ''Cyborgised Hybrids'': Everything gets a 6++. Every time a unit is selected to shoot or fight, it can re-roll one wound roll. In addition, all your non-grenade guns aside from the cache of demolition charges add +3" to their range. You don't have any guns where +3" is a game-changer, but re-rolling 1 wound roll per unit is a strong incentive to keep things MSU and keep volume of fire per unit down, so e.g. you can field an absolutely stellar Jackal Alphus, who only makes one shot but adores being allowed to re-roll the wound roll, or Sanctus for the same reason.
;Warlord Trait - ''Single-minded Obsession (Aura)'': Before the battle, pick one enemy unit. Any {{W40Kkeyword|Bladed Cog Core}} units within 6" can re-roll all wound rolls against that unit.
::This is a great "fuck that unit in particular" pick, most useful when your opponent is running a superheavy or some other centerpiece. Pairs very well with swarms of Neophytes, to get more use out of their weapons, and makes a Nexos with Cranial Relay essentially mandatory.
;Relic - ''Mark of the Clawed Omnissiah'': The bearer has a 4++. In addition, at the start of each fight phase, roll a d6 for each enemy unit engaged with them; on a 2-3 that unit suffers 1 mortal wound, on a 4-5 they suffer 2 MWs, and on a 6 they take 3. The off-turn damage is way better as it can make for a bit of an opening wave before having your locus or patriarch go to town.
;Stratagem - ''Xenoform Bionics (1-2 CP)'': One {{W40Kkeyword|Bladed Cog Infantry}} or {{W40Kkeyword|Bladed Cog Biker}} unit gains a 5++ for the entire game while mustering. Costs 2 CP for a unit with Power Level 6 or higher.
:*Don't forget, this happening before the game means it can be spammed until you run out of CP, and since it's based on PL, it will generally ignore wargear costs - for example, you can put this on a 10-dude Neophyte squad for 1 CP regardless of loadout, including giving them a Cult Icon.  
:*You know who are already tough as nails but are lacking in a good armor/invul save? Aberrants. Give them this and the 5+++ FNP from the Biophagus (either pregame with the points upgrade or while on the table) and watch your 3-armed brutes be incredibly hard to bring down.
;Psychic Power - ''Broodvolt Surge (WC 5)'': Makes a small 3" bubble that lets a {{W40Kkeyword|Bladed Cog}} unit add +1 to their armor save when hit by a D1 attack. This lets you copy Lurk in the Shadows without spending a CP, and it can even work in melee.

'''Tactics'''
</div></div>

==={{W40Kkeyword|The Hivecult}}===
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
In the grim Darkness of the far future, salvation is won through [[dakka|firepower]].

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.

On the tabletop, the Hivecult just won't stop shooting - Falling Back, Advancing, and performing Actions will all fail to stop them from shooting.

<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
;Cult Creed - ''Disciplined Militants'': Units can shoot after Falling Back with a -1 to hit, perform actions after Falling Back or Advancing, and shoot while performing actions without the action failing. 
:*The falling back and shooting is least useful on vehicles, as even without this they can still shoot, just only at what they're engaged with.
:*The net benefit here gives you the best Neophytes from an actions perspective of any Cult, although the Rusted Claw/Custom ability shoot after moving or advancing at no penalty means you don't have the best Neophytes from an offensive perspective.
:*This should be the cult you pick if you plan on taking a secondary that requires actions, like Raise the Banners.
;Warlord Trait - ''Hivelord'' (Aura): Friendly {{W40kKeyword|Hivecult Core}} units within 6" that score unmodified 6s to hit with guns score an additional hit, which is like +1 to hit but better because it works properly in more situations, like Overwatch.
:*A Primus's aura of re-rolling 1s to hit has no particular synergy with this simply because both effects apply the same way onto a unit without any interaction with each other, but while this will work fine on a Jackal Alphus, bear in mind +1 to hit has a bigger effect the worse the BS of the unit, so the benefit of functionally +2 to hit total from a Crossfire token (from the Alphus's shooting) has diminishing returns, whereas the Primus will scale linearly: a BS4+ unit has accuracy 18/36 base, 21/36 (*7/6) near a Primus, 24/36 (+1/6) with a Crossfire token or this aura, 28/36 near a Primus and with this aura or a Crossfire token, 30/36 with a Crossfire token and this aura, and 35/36 with a Crossfire token, this aura, and a Primus.
;Relics - ''Vockor's Talisman'': A 5+ to wound with a melee weapon ignores all saves - put this on a Patriarch so you can re-roll even successful wounds to fish for 5+ and enjoy your 5/9 chance to deal a wound that bypasses invulns.  A Vockor's Talisman Patriarch trying to murder a T4-5 Sv2+/4++ target by fishing for 5+ will deal a bit more than 1.34 damage per swing, getting you 8.06 damage total (9.4 with the Biomorph Adaptation Warlord Trait).
:*Because this relic ignores all saves, not just invuls, this is one of the few things in the game that cuts straight through daemon saves, something basically only the Grey Knights Warlord Trait Daemon-Slayer can achieve. Putting your Patriarch, (because who else would you give this to?) on the same league as a [[Grey Knights|genetically augmented paladin warrior dedicated to hunting the neverborn]] in the daemon killing department, except your ability is more versatile.
;Stratagem - ''Fire Discipline'' (1 CP): When a {{W40kKeyword|Hivecult Crossfire}} unit is about to shoot, you can boop this button to apply a crossfire marker to any enemy unit (in time for the friendly unit to benefit from it), but your shooting unit can only target the marked enemy unit when it shoots until the end of the phase.
;Psychic Power - ''Synaptic Blast'' (Witchfire, WC 5): Pick the closest visible enemy unit within 18" of the psyker. Roll a d6, adding +2 for each friendly {{W40kKeyword|Hivecult Core}} unit within 6" of the psyker. If this roll is less than the target's Movement stat, they suffer d3 mortal wounds, but it maxes out if you roll equal or above.
:*Interestingly, this negligibly beats Smite even without any +2s against M6, dealing 1.81 mortals instead of Smite's 1.79.  If you add on enough bonuses for the spell to just automatically deal 3 mortals, you'll basically end up with the Thousand Sons spell Doombolt, which is WC 6 (but they get +1 to all casts from their faction bonus) and just deals 3 mortal wounds.  You don't have a great way to avoid being Thousand Sons but worse, but you ''can'' make an excellent mortal wounds inflicter by taking an Unwilling Orb Magus (or Patriarch) with Psionic Blast, Mental Onslaught, Smite, and this, as well as MSU Neophytes or Acolytes so you have abundant sources of +2 to Synaptic Blast.  Then, always cast your best two spells: Mental Onslaught if and only if the target is W1 (and has 4 or more models), Synaptic Blast provided you will beat the target's M on at least a 5+, Psionic Blast if the target is Ld9 or less, and then Smite, in more or less that order (or you can do the math out if you want more granularity - this is intended as a rule of thumb).
'''Tactics'''
</div></div>

==={{W40Kkeyword|The Pauper Princes}}===
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
In the grim Darkness of the far future, salvation will be found by the teeming masses.

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.

On the tabletop, the Pauper Princes are pretty melee-horde-centric. However, their chief focus shouldn't really be about that, it should be maximizing the protective potential of your meat-walls, with the Creed, Warlord Trait, and Relic (the best in the Codex) all adding something to keep them around on the table longer, and the Stratagem and the Psychic Power punishing your opponent for murdering your dudes.

<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*'''Cult Creed - ''Devoted Zealots'':''' Your units get +1 to hit when charging, charged, or heroically intervening. They also ignore combat attrition modifiers.
*'''Warlord Trait - ''Xenoprophet'':''' Your Warlord can use Unquestioning Loyalty at 6" rather than 3" and the check is automatically passed. In addition, any {{W40Kkeyword|Pauper Princes Core}} units within 6" can use the warlord's Leadership.
**This one makes excessive use of your <s>slaves</s> children. If you really want to protect your boss, this is perfect.
*'''Relics - ''Reliquary of Saint Tenndarc'':''' Friendly {{W40Kkeyword|Pauper Princes Core}} units within 6" get a 5++ save, which can make them a bit harder to kill against flamers and other massed fire meant to thin the herd before crushing the bearer.
**If put on a Primus standing next to a Nexos, you can broadcast the buff to far away units like Jackals or Metamorphs.
*'''Stratagems - ''Vengeance of the Martyred (1 CP)'':''' Use when a {{W40Kkeyword|Pauper Princes Character}} dies. For the rest of the battle, your {{W40Kkeyword|Pauper Princes}} units gain +1 to wound in melee when targeting the unit that dealt the killing blow. Sadly, your Brood Brothers aren't able to get in on the fun.
*'''Psychic Power - ''Last Gasp (WC 5)'':''' Select a {{W40Kkeyword|Pauper Princes Core}} unit within 18". Until your next psychic phase, any models in that unit that die in melee deal a mortal wound against their killer on a 5+, capping out at 5.

'''Tactics'''
</div></div>

==={{W40Kkeyword|The Rusted Claw}}===
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
In the grim Darkness of the far future, salvation is found through entropy.

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.

On the tabletop, these guys are highly mobile and ''relatively'' durable. Bikes and Wolfquads are best suited to this force, and all units here are especially resilient to small arms fire.

<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

;Creed - ''Nomadic Survivalists'': When making armor saves, add +1 to the result if the weapon has an AP of -1 or -2. In addition, units count as having Remained Stationary till the end of your shooting phase if they make a Normal Move or Advance.
:*The first ability is more powerful the better your save already is (so you want it on your 3+ vehicles and 4+ bikes) and the second ability is more powerful on slower units with steeper movement penalties - so it's most powerful on infantry with heavy and rapid fire weapons that advance (where it legalizes illegal shots) and also helps your assault weapons on everything advance without penalty and your heavy weapons move without penalty.  However, bear in mind it ''doesn't'' waive the movement penalty for Deep Striking with a Heavy weapon on Infantry (since that's neither a Normal Move nor an Advance), so if you Deep Strike in some Neophytes, they'll take full penalties.
;Warlord Trait - ''Entropic Touch'': Your Warlord's melee attacks with non-relics gain -1AP and on unmodified 6s to hit deal an additional 2 hits, including with relics.  Top notch on a Patriarch and shockingly good on a Primus with the Sword of the Void's Eye (the -1AP won't help the sword, but ''will'' help the Toxin Injector).
;Relic - ''Nomad's Mantle'': The bearer can Fall Back/Advance and still shoot, charge, or cast psychic powers, as well as freely move through enemy units and terrain when it makes a Normal Move, Advance, Fall Back, or Charge.
:*A Patriarch with this and the strat Rapid Advance will move 14" in any direction you wish and can still charge. While this is awesome, you must remember to end his move near minions to protect him, as even if he successfully charges your opponent will focus him down and kill him, and nobody wants that.
:*Combine this with the warlord trait Prowling Agitant on a Patriarch for a murder monster that can't be pinned down by a melee enemy, as when you're charged you can move 6" through, and on the other side of, some of your models, which, if the screen is significantly wide enough, will make their charge against the Patriarch impossible.
;Stratagem - ''Drive-by Demolitions'' (1 CP): Use on a {{W40Kkeyword|Rusted Claw Biker}} unit after it moves.  One model in it can throw one grenade at a unit the biker unit moved within 6” of at any point during that move and automatically get max shots with it.  This ''probably'' qualifies for applying a Crossfire token (update - latest errata confirms it does), but the rules aren't perfectly clear - Crossfire tokens can only be applied when a unit is selected to shoot, and while this stratagem selects a unit, for shooting purposes you select a model, not a unit, to shoot.
;Psychic Power - ''Inescapable Decay'' (Malediction, WC 6): Select a visible enemy unit within 18" and improve the AP of all attacks made by friendly {{W40Kkeyword|Rusted Claw}} models against it by 1 until the start of your next Psychic Phase
:*This is basically only the Jinx half of the Eldar psychic power Protect/Jinx, only at one less WC and without the ability to affect invuln saves.

'''Tactics'''
</div></div>

==={{W40Kkeyword|The Twisted Helix}}===
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
In the grim Darkness of the far future, salvation is found through self-improvement.

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.

On the tabletop, the Twisted Helix are your brute force faction. While other factions are better at getting into combat or scoring hits, these are the guys who have the best chances at overwhelming the enemy up close.

<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
;Cult Creed - ''Experimental Subjects'': +1 to Strength and Movement, and nothing can wound them on a 1 or 2. 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, but ''does'' apply to non-relic weapons buffed by this cult's relic (see below). Absolutely brutal on a Patriarch, allowing him to mincemeat most HQs and light tanks. You generally choose this when your enemy has many multi-wound models instead of relying on the +1 strength that the creed provides.
:*As 9th edition gives out more damage reduction to more armies, like Death Guard, this trait becomes a more interesting option to counteract it.
;Relics - ''Elixir of the Prime Specimen'': The bearer can take one of the upgrades given by the Biophagus, if your army includes a Biophagus you can instead pick two of uprades for the relic bearer. You should be putting this on a Patriarch, not an Abominant, so there's no way to stack the effects with a real Biophagus.
:*For reference, here are the Biophagus buffs:
:*# Enhanced Musculature: Extra -1 AP on all melee attacks. If you're giving this relic to a Patriarch, which you should, this one should never be considered as his claws are sharp enough to bring the enemy to a sufficiently low armour save and many things you will want to throw him at will have a decent invul - plus, his Rend effect of AP-6 on 6 to wound is static, not relative, so picking this ''won't'' upgrade his Rend AP. Pick one of the other two options for him.
:*# Enhanced Aggression: Hit rolls of 6 in melee score 1 additional hit (equivalent to +1 to hit). Best used on a melee beatstick with a lot of attacks, like a Patriarch, so this will trigger more often. 
:*# Enhanced Resilience: Unit gets a 5+++. Considering that Unquestioning Loyalty no longer works against mortal wounds, this is the choice to pick when you know you're up against a mortal wound spamming army.
;Stratagem - ''Monstrous Biohorrors (1 CP)'': Dropped down to 1 CP, but still lets your muscle boys be terrifying. Any kills they make count as two kills in regards to Combat Attrition. In addition, they have the ability to tard-rage out, granting an additional attack but reducing the damage of their weapons to 1 - which has uses when dealing with mobs of guardsmen or chaos cultists as there's less overkill to be concerned with.
;Psychic Power - ''Mutagenic Deviation (Blessing, WC 6)'': Mark one friendly {{W40kKeyword|Twisted Helix}} unit within 12" of the psyker. Until your next psychic phase, any melee attacks this unit makes auto-wound on a natural 6 to hit.

'''Tactics'''
</div></div>

===Custom Creeds===
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
In the grim Darkness of the far future, salvation is found through a great many means.

Following the uninspired shitshow of custom creeds [[Psychic Awakening]]: The Greater Good showed us, the 9E codex tried again to introduce the custom faction traits and not make it so obvious they were cribbing from the established factions. That said, these traits aren't the basic pick-and-mix provided to other factions.

<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
The new codex deals with your dudes differently than other factions. Genestealers work on a point-buy system, and you have 4 points to spend however you want. This means the valid combinations are 4, 3+1, 2+2, 2+1+1, and 1+1+1+1.

#
#;Accustomed to Toil: These units can never be wounded on a 2, regardless of strength and abilities. One half of the Twisted Helix's creed.
#;Alien Fury: +1" to Pile In and Consolidate moves.
#;Cold-Eyed Killers: Unmodified 6s to wound in melee give -1AP. 
#;Industrial Affinity: All Industrial weapons can ignore hit roll, BS, and/or WS modifiers.
#:*This trait is useless on Industrial weapons that hit automatically, of course, but for seismic cannons and mining lasers carried by {{W40Kkeyword|infantry}} - since they're Heavy - and caches of demolition charges (which are Assault and always carried by vehicles), this is '''Agile Guerillas''' but cheaper and slightly different: you can't Advance and shoot the heavy weapons, but you ''can'' Deep Strike and shoot them with no penalty.  It's also a good buff to Heavy Rock Cutters, but you're probably using the Drills anyway.  
#;Synaptic Resonance: Re-roll 1s and 2s on individual dice for psychic tests.
#;War Convoy: {{W40Kkeyword|Vehicle}}s and {{W40Kkeyword|Biker}}s get a 6+++.
#
#;Agile Guerillas: If you make a normal move or advance, the unit counts as having remained stationary in the following Shooting phase, but you cannot take the '''Martial''' Creed.  Has the most significant impact on heavy weapon toting infantry, where it both removes the penalty for moving and shooting and enables Advancing and shooting, but it doesn't let you ignore the penalty for shooting after you Deep Strike; also lets your vehicles Advance and shoot everything.  One half of the Rusted Claw's creed.
#;Deep Supplies: Each time a unit shoots or fights, it can re-roll 1 wound roll. One half of the Bladed Cog's creed.
#;Martial: Stationary {{W40Kkeyword|crossfire infantry}} models pretend they already have a crossfire marker. But you cannot take the '''Agile Guerillas''' Creed.
#:*Literally none of your infantry can be bothered standing still for a Crossfire marker rather than staying mobile.  Hard pass.
#;Thralls of the Patriarch: Ignore modifiers on your combat attrition rolls. One half of the Pauper Princes' creed.
#;Toxin Agents: When you attack anything other than a {{W40Kkeyword|Monster}} or {{W40Kkeyword|Vehicle}} in melee, unmodified 6s to hit auto-wound.
#
#;Hunter's Instincts: Re-roll charge rolls. One half of Cult of the Four-Armed Emperor's creed.
#;Impassioned: +1 to hit rolls in melee when the unit charges, gets charged, or heroically intervenes. One half of the Pauper Princes' creed.
#;Symbiotic Broodmind: Units can shoot after Falling Back with a -1 to hit. One half of the Hivecult's creed.
#
#;Splinter Cult: You get to pretend you're one of the six named cults for some reason. Don't even bother with this, just pick the cult you wanted to play with.

This leads to some obvious combinations - just remember that Pauper Princes have two traits from the above list but their total cost comes to ''5'', and a custom creed also means losing out on having a named cult's warlord trait, relic, stratagem, and psychic power, so make sure the combination is worth it.

*3+1:  Symbiotic Broodmind + Industrial Affinity means when you shoot after Falling Back, your Industrial weapons ignore the -1 to hit modifier from having Fallen Back and just shoot normally.
**This makes you the Hivecult without its non-Creed benefits, and you replace performing Actions after Advance/Fall Back/Shoot with shooting with no penalty after Fall Back, so weigh carefully which you'd prefer.
*2+1+1: Agile Guerillas + War Convoy + Accustomed to Toil gets you just about the best Atalan Jackals going - you're functionally the Rusted Claw but better for some units, since you replaced the Rusted Claw's AP reduction with a reduction to being wounded and an FNP on your vehicles and bikes.  
*2+1+1: Agile Guerillas + War Convoy + Industrial Affinity gets you Deep Striking Neophytes that don't take any hit penalty on their heavy weapons and then still don't while Advancing and Shooting, but more importantly, your Vehicles now never stop shooting Industrial weapons, since they can Advance and shoot Heavy weapons at no penalty and can stay in melee and shoot at no penalty.
*2+1+1: Agile Guerillas + Accustomed to Toil + Industrial Affinity gets you Deep Striking Neophytes that don't take any hit penalty on their heavy weapons and then still don't while Advancing and Shooting and are extra durable against S6+ weaponry.  
</div>
</div>