Kill Team Tactica: Genestealer Cults

[Dosjetka]

I played a game on Saturday with my Genestealer Cult using the following list at 100 points:

 

+++ Kill Team: GSC (Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team (2018)) [98pts] +++

 

++ Kill Team List (Genestealer Cults) [98pts] ++

 

+ Configuration +

 

List Configuration: Matched Play: Kill Team

 

+ Leader +

 

Neophyte Leader [6pts]: Autogun, Autopistol, Leader

 

+ Specialists +

 

Acolyte Fighter [12pts]: Autopistol, Combat, Heavy Rock Cutter

 

Metamorph Leader [9pts]: Autopistol, Metamorph Talon, Rending Claw, Zealot

 

Neophyte Gunner [8pts]: Heavy, Seismic Cannon

 

+ Non-specialists +

 

Acolyte Hybrid [7pts]: Autopistol

 

Acolyte Hybrid [7pts]: Autopistol

 

Acolyte Hybrid [7pts]: Autopistol

 

Acolyte Hybrid [7pts]: Autopistol

 

Acolyte Hybrid [12pts]: Autopistol, Cult Icon

 

Neophyte Gunner [9pts]: Flamer

 

Neophyte Gunner [9pts]: Flamer

 

Neophyte Hybrid [5pts]: Autogun

 

Created with BattleScribe

I didn't put much thought into it and the main factor of inclusion for all of the models is that I had them assembled and ready to go. That said I was surprised at how effective it turned out to be.

 

The duo of Neophytes with flamers has already proved its worth many times and this time was no exception. Having my Leader specialist hang back, hidden behind LOS-blocking terrain and holding an objective, was also something that I have tested a few times and it works well.

What did surprised me initially was how threatening my specialists seemed to my opponent, and it was only afterwards that I realised that

• a Hybrid Metamorph Zealot specialist dishing out five S5 attacks on the charge (with a potential for -4 AP);
• an Acolyte Fighter Combat specialist with heavy rock cutter dealing three S8 AP -4 attacks, any of which could send the target out of action if they hit and wound (which they most likely will);
• and a Neophyte Gunner Heavy specialist with seismic cannon who can lay down quite a high number of shots (especially if you use its Level 1 strat for 1CP);

accompanied by a bunch of Acolyte Hybrids and the two flamers could project such a threatening aura.

 

I'm very much enjoying exploring the options we have and discovering little gems like these that go well with my aggressive playstyle. :tu:

[Rogue]

Flamers are brilliant - auto-hitting is a valuable asset for a neophyte, as is strength 4. I have one with the demolitions specialism, making him wound on 2s against my regular Ad Mech opposition.

 

And I run the rock cutter with the combat specialism too. It's a deadly combination that can take out anything (as long as it hits).

 

I'm less keen on the heavy weapons, though. The more I use them, the more I wish I'd spent the points on another genestealer or acolyte. The combination of average BS and medium range means their threat bubble is erratic, and so much less effective than someone like the flamer.

[Orpheus108]

The flamers are just great for a cult KT, i always add 2 to 3 of them. The rock cutter is just the greatest and funniest weapon in the game i fill.

 

The reason; in the games ive played using them ive found that all firepower is aimed at them to take them out as quick as they can, as i chase marines around the board with. A poor marine running away from a little cultist with cutters. Its great fun.

 

Havent used the seismic cannon yet though, as ive tended towards using as much industrial equipment as i can. The mining laser i use when fighting marines and chaos marines for that good hitting power.

 

And for the commanders aspect for the cult, do many use them or have used them yet, im interested in how theyve played out

 

Cheers

[noigrim]

Let's make cults great again!

 

200

Magus

14 stealers

[Axineton]

Just wondering if an acolyte iconward can be taken in a GSC kill team? 
 

nevermind I found rules for it in the Commanders book. 

Edited December 7, 2019 by Fr33Dom

[Rogue]

Played a couple of games this week. it was against a couple of new players, so I thought I'd pick a left-field list rather than try to put something particularly effective together. The easiest option was just to grab five aberrants - they're all just under 20 points each, so five makes up a full team. Stick combat and zealot specialisms on the hammer guys, call the hypermorph's signpost a hammer too, and round out with the two pick guys. Job done. No shooting at all, very punchy in combat.

 

Turns out to be a pretty effective kill team. Shove them up to the front of the deployment zone, advance up on turn one, and suddenly the opposition backfield is looking pretty small - you have table control and are looking at potential charges very quickly. Plus two wounds each is a lot to get through for basic weapons like bolters - as long as you're even a bit obscured, they hit and wound on 4s, meaning that even at rapid range, bolters only have a 50% chance of landing a single wound.

 

I know the Cult are usually about cheap bodies supporting a couple of serious combat units, but i was surprised at how the aberrants really open up a more elite-style approach, even if it's completely mono-dimensional.   

[Axineton]

Played a four player game last night but only managed to get two turns in what with me having a medical emergency and a new guy playing too. All this time I’d been playing GSC wrong!! I completely overlooked cult ambush and last night was the first time I used it. We had a 125pt game so I had a Magus, 1 Abberant as leader a genestealer and a neophyte gunner and another abberant  as my specialists. Another abberant and then 7 neophyte hybrids. Managed to get the 2 abberants and a neophyte up the board a bit but the other 8 I never managed to make the rolls for. 
 

gonna actually make it a proper game next week and hopefully my dice rolls will be better on the cult ambush. 

[Rogue]

Cult ambush is a powerful tool, particularly on combat troops - getting right up in the enemy's face even before you've started the game puts serious pressure on. And then if you can couple it with a scouting move, you can see a lot of combat power closing the gap very quickly.

 

How did you get on with the aberrant leader? Did you keep him out of trouble, or go all in, hammer waving?

[Axineton]

He went straight in charging some Eldar model I’m not sure what it was and tied him up and the other aberrant charged another eldar as well. The leader survived but the other aberrant died so on turn 2 I charged my genestealer straight in and also charged 3 cultists in too much to the disgust of the eldar player. We had to call it a night there though but next week I’m gonna try again. 

[Rogue]

So after a couple of months of messing around with a pure aberrant kill team, I decided to try something different for March's KillTeam night - an (almost) straight acolyte build. It looks like this:

 

Metamorph leader, bonesword, hand flamer

Metamorph, icon, hand flamer

Acolyte (combat), cutter

Acolyte (zealot), saw

Acolyte, drill

4 acolytes, hand flamers (one has demolitions, because why not)

 

Hand flamers didn't do much for me - if I was close enough to use them, I probably wanted to be in combat anyway, and combats generally weren't lasting long enough one way or the other to let me fire them in the second round. Also, strength 3.

 

The heavy mining gear was predictably useful, with the saw having a very good day against Deathwatch marines. I still find the drill to be the least useful, despite being the most expensive, as the 2 damage of the others brings way more to the injury roll than stacking mortal wounds, and 2 damage is almost always enough to kill something outright anyway. 

 

I found the basic acolytes helpful in terms of objective grabbing (recover Intelligence) and bodies to throw off the board (terror tactics), but primarily as a way of soaking up overwatch before the important guys went in. What they can't do is then protect the mining weapons against a decisive strike, so most of my command points went on countering that with my own strike and hoping to win the roll-off.

 

It's a more flexible team, but with less stopping power, which made for a lot more thinking and careful movement around the board. But it did make me feel like I earned the wins, which is a lot more satisfying.

[Hannibal]

Hello everybody,

 

due to lockdown I´m about to start painting some GSC. And because I like to paint in smaller, easier to achieve aims I thought that it would be a good idea to start with a GSC Killteam (that will be also used as a Necromunda GAng later).

 

That being said, I´ve got a few questions:

 

1.) Genestealers (I mean the unit type): are they worth it? I like the models and therefore I like to include 1-2 of them.

 

2.) Specialists: what are your outstanding specialists? Models that you would advice to everyone.

 

3.) What are your MVPs? which models do really good work for you?

 

4.) I´d like to base my Kill Team on the Acolythes / Metamorphs sculpts. Is there any reason to run Metamorphs over Acolythes?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

HTG

[Rogue]

1. if you like them, they're worth it. I've found them to be an effective psychological weapon, but less effective practically. They're good - quick across the board, multiple attacks, and you can upgrade the first two for free using acid maw and flesh hooks. But their speed can leave them isolated up front, and if they don't kill their target quickly, they can be brought down. Like I say, good psychologically, as people want to avoid them - the genestealer reputation is definitely helpful here - but not as deadly as I want them to be. I've used them, and I like them, but I don't necessarily miss them if I leave them out.

 

2. Specialists: a flamer neophyte with demolitions - auto hits, +1 to wound obscured targets (which is usually fairly easy to set up), and another +1 with tactics. Also, an acolyte with rock cutters and combat works well - the cutters are deadly, but -1 to hit, and the extra attack of the combat specialist helps with that.

 

3. MVPs: as above - the flamer/demolitions neophyte and the rock cutter acolyte are brilliant. Likewise a rock saw with combat (or with zealot if I have both the cutter and the saw running at the same time). I've also found that aberrants can be very effective - I've had a lot of fun with five in a team, but I think they'd work in a mixed team too. Aberrants carry a serious killing threat, and feel hard to put down (with multiple wounds, and bestial vigour) - they also work well with combat and zealot.

 

4. Metamorphs bring an extra base attack for just one point more, which is nice, and still have the autopistol and blasting charges. However, it's not quite that clear cut, as the acolytes have their cultist knives, bringing them up to three attacks too. That said, the cult knife is less good than either the rending claw or the metamorph talon, so the metamorph just edges that comparison. Acolytes bring access to all the special weapons, which you really want, but if you're just taking them basic, then why not go with metamorphs?