hmm, cultists you say...

[*Furyou Miko]

So, I had a thought when sweeping just now.

 

Cultists are a common way to bulk out our expensive TS units, but what if our fluff doesn't support rabbles of unwashed masses?

 

What do peopkle think about converting Skeleton Warriors as cultists? We are basically 40k vampire counts to the necrons' tomb kings, after all.

[Excessus]

Either that or spireguard. :)

[Shuggnuggath]

I used empire flagellants as the basis of my Tzeentch worshiping cultists.

[Deneris]

I see cultists as an extension of the personality of your leader; He might like hordes of barely trained sewer-dwelling degenerates, or ordered ranks of trained Spireguard descendants. 

 

Or, in the OPs case, animated remains...

[Cpt Chaos]

Cultists of Tzeentch work fine , fluff wise.

Tzeentch has always used extensive cult networks (the purple hand and the red crown from Liber Chaotica come to mind.)

Our cultists, however, are not the typical unwashed rabble, but instead are a sophisticated and highly organized subversive network.

 

Your ideas for using skeleton warriors is totally valid, as the Thousand Sons have been known to replenish their ranks using resurrection rituals.

 

Using the cultists as Spireguard is also a great idea ( that is how I run mine. )

 

A fun trick which I use for cultists is to run them in blobs of 20 with MoT and auto guns.

 

6+ invul doesn't seem like much until your allied herald hits them with forewarning.

 

20 cultists with 3+ invul are a relatively cheap and surprisingly effective meat shield. Used properly, they are an excellent deterrent to deep striking units.

[*Furyou Miko]

Oh, I never meant to imply that cultists weren't fluffy, just that some armies (like my Order of Dusk) might not have the manpower or be in a situation to be able to draw on them.

[Excessus]

Skeletons sounds cool though, I say do it...and post pictures! :D

[Rune Priest Ridcully]

Problem with Spire guard is I'd say IG allies would fit them better, as they would have access to the weapons Spire guard descendents would have.
An idea I have, if I can get the models, is either a load of men in black, hooded figures or 1920's/30's gangster look alikes.

[Tenebris]

I have dabbled with the idea to use Empire Wizards of all sorts as my cultists, they are relatively cheap and you find a ton of them easily. 

[Ethrion]

Totally depends on the background of the warband you're running. If they are "evil" and don't have access to human chaff then the animation of corpses and cadavers would fit will. Personally I like the idea that my Ahriman or one of his many lieutenants have fostered and cultivated enough links and schemes that entire regiments of guard end up either directly or indirectly fighting for his warband.

The cultist units that attach to my Thousand Sons are workers from whatever world they are on at the time. I've done them all either in dark red mechanicum employee cloaks, army deserters or all in vulcanized yellow rubber jump suits - http://shaken-not-stunned.blogspot.hk/2012/09/cultists-of-drawn-blade.html
 

Admittedly, the fluff behind them on that page of the blog is for my Night Lords but well I only have one lot of cultist models and the background behind them swaps according to the army ;)

 

[Architect]

Love your stuff as always Ethrion.

[Dammeron]

Cultists are entirely appropriate for Tzeentch themed forces: the Changer of Ways seduces all manner of lesser vassals and puppets to his cause, as do his servants. In point of fact, alongside the forces of Slaanesh, I'd imagine that Tzeentchian forces have the most cults, sects and movements under their sway: bear in mind that Tzeentch favours the revolutionary and the activist: those that seek to alter and better their lot. Furthermore, he favours the scholar and the philosopher; those that would be suppressed and brutalised beneath most Imperial regimes. I have no doubt that Tzeentchian sorcerers and champions from all manner of origins are connected to any number of cults and movements one way or another; guiding the destinies of entire civilisations and star systems to their own baroque designs. We know that Ahriman and his Cabal are quite conspicuous in this regard: I imagine most of the surviving Thousand Sons sorcerers boast elaborate networks of cultists and agents throughout the material universe.