New GSC: How to play and what to get?

[General Strike]

So, I recently got a really cheap GSC lot from someone, and was wondering what to expand this army with and how I should play what I have.

 

 

+ HQ +

 

Abominant

 

Abominant

 

Acolyte Iconward

 

Magus

 

Patriarch

 

Primus: Bonesword

 

+ Troops +

 

Acolyte Hybrids: Cult Icon

. 4x Acolyte Hybrid

. Acolyte Hybrid (Hand Flamer): Hand Flamer

. Acolyte Hybrid (Heavy Weapon): Autopistol, Heavy Rock Cutter

. Acolyte Hybrid (Heavy Weapon): Autopistol, Heavy Rock Saw

. Acolyte Hybrid (Heavy Weapon): Autopistol, Heavy Rock Saw

. Acolyte Hybrid (Heavy Weapon): Autopistol, Heavy Rock Cutter

. Acolyte Leader: Autopistol, Cultist Knife

 

Brood Brothers Infantry Squad [3 PL, 40pts]: Brood Brothers Leader

. 9x Brood Brother

 

Neophyte Hybrids: Cult Icon

. 4x Neophyte Hybrid

. Neophyte Hybrid (Grenade): Grenade Launcher

. Neophyte Hybrid (Mining): Mining Laser

. Neophyte Hybrid (Seismic): Seismic Cannon

. 2x Neophyte Hybrid (Shotgun)

. Neophyte Leader: Autogun, Autopistol

 

+ Elites +

 

Aberrants

. 4x Aberrant (Pick): 4x Power Pick

. Aberrant Hypermorph (Improvised): Heavy Improvised Weapon

 

Aberrants

. 4x Aberrant (Pick): 4x Power Pick

. Aberrant Hypermorph (Improvised): Heavy Improvised Weapon

 

Clamavus

 

Kelermorph

 

Purestrain Genestealers: 15x Purestrain Genestealer

 

+ Heavy Support +

 

Brood Brothers Heavy Weapons Squad

. 3x Brood Brothers Weapons Team: Missile Launcher, 2x Mortar

 

Brood Brothers Heavy Weapons Squad

. 3x Brood Brothers Weapons Team: 3x Lascannon

[Closet Skeleton]

Weapons teams without mortars are bad.

 

Need way more acolytes.

 

Abominant spam is bad, only use of an abominant is the +1 to charges warlord trait from vigilus and his basic aura, more aberrants is always better.

 

Purestrains are not great, kraken genestealers are just far superior.

 

Heavy weapon neophytes are usually a waste of points outside of casual games but I have seen a tournament winning army use them in their own detachment with the ignore moving penalties cult.

Edited November 14, 2019 by Closet Skeleton

[Ulfast]

you can play with that list and have fun, It´s  not the strongest but can surprise someone depending how strong your friends armies are. 

 

Next thing I would buy would be more acolytes. Lot of them. They are really good. Second would perhaps be some more abberants. 

[General Strike]

So, this is just the list of stuff I received in the lot, not the list I plan to take. My mistake. Sounds like I should get more acolytes to expand the army.

[General Strike]

Okay, so I was thinking of something along the lines of:

 

Battalion: Twisted Helix

HQ

Magus

Abominant

 

Troops

4x Acolyte Squads: 10x Acolytes, 5x Flamers, 2x Cutters, 2x Saws

 

Elites

2x Aberrant squads: 10x Aberrants

1x Biophagus

1x Clamavus

1x Kelemorph

 

Patrol Detachment

Hive Fleet Kraken

 

HQ

Broodlord

 

Troop

1x Genestealer Squad: 20x Genestealers

[Exilyth]

That list is looking good.

 

I'm not sure on mixing saws/cutters and flamers on acolytes, I'd run them with either or the other, but YMMV.

 

Using the patriarch as a broodlord is a great idea - get's the most out of the model for this list and makes the 'stealers more useful.

 

 

The brood brothers & HWTs are not completely useless btw:

A BB infantry squad w/mortar could sit on & hold an objective while shelling the enemy without exposing themselves.

They're the kind of cheap unit that's great to sit on the field to allow other parts of the list to go into ambush/reserves.

[Lord Marshal]

I agree with not mixing Hand Flamers and Saws. Hand Flamers are usually stocked onto a dedicated squad all toting them and used to A Perfect Ambush screens and other juicy, squishier units. Saws you want to stack onto the squads using their standard Rending Claws/Cultist Knives to rip something apart on the charge.

 

Biophagus' are... meh, even in an Abberent-heavy list. A random stat isn't bad, but the chance to lose a model is. They're cheap, but still, I'm not fan of them.

 

Brood Brothers are better off naked, as has been said, and if you have the models then a cheap 'n cheerful Heavy Weapon Squad with mortars is never a bad thing to have. However since they are so cheap, there's not loads of harm slapping one in an Infantry Squad if they're going to be holding a backline.

Edited November 17, 2019 by Lord Marshal

[Sawtooth]

I'd toss the heavy weapons into Brood Brother squads if you want to use them, they're much safer with some bodies to protect them. The beauty of mortar teams as heavy support is not only are they cheap and easy to fill up heavy slots with if you need to, but you can hide them better because of their indirect fire.

[Fajita Fan]

 

 

and if you have the models then a cheap 'n cheerful Heavy Weapon Squad

LOL

The other great thing about mortars (and missiles) is that they’re easy to scratchbuild. I just bought some 3mm tubing to make a bunch.  The Russ option is nice and the Start Collecting kit is a decent deal to bulk out neophytes (or brood brothers depending on how you build your list) and heavy weapons.

 https://www.amazon.com/Collecting-Militarum-Warhammer-Games-Workshop/dp/B01A6RL8P2/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3JXDHYR5SRKSV&keywords=40k+astra+militarum&qid=1575947669&sprefix=40k+astra%2Caps%2C137&sr=8-1

 

The Kellermorph is fun to convert and Ridgerunners are supposedly fun but I can’t confirm...yet. 

[crownedzoidberg]

EDIT: Maybe this helps for a general overview https://youtu.be/ueuhbtPSpzU

Maybe this thread is still active, maybe not.
Points that IMO speak for Heavy Weapons on Neophytes (tested on small point values below 1000):
- CULT REINFORCEMENTS (1CP) - Return D6 slain Models from a Troop. If your opponent can't kill your Neophyte Team in one turn, you can always get back your Lasers and shoot another turn.
- BLADED COG - Creed - No heavy Penalty is the best BS-Buff we have in GSC. And the Invuln/invuln sv. improve is awesome. It makes your models a bit tankier to reach next turn's Cult Reinforcements Stratagem a bit easier.

- CULT AMBUSH - You could deepstrike a Neophyte Team for the purpose of "more reliable" anti tank. You can charge with a squishy Acolyte Anti-Tank team, that is way too pricy in a non 2k list OR you could PERFECT AMBUSH (3CP) // LYING IN WAIT (2CP) a Neophyte Team on an objective, a bit less than 24" away from your target and unload 2x 2 Krak Grenades and 2x 2 Mining Laser Shots. It's probably not the most effective Anti-Tank package because it's Shooting in a GSC Army (and it's not  a Ridgerunner), but maybe it's something you want to playtest a bit.
- BROOD BROTHER HWT's have one and one reason only to be in your List: You want a Brigade Detachment and need to find the cheapest Heavy Tax unit you can find. Yes, they are an okay unit, but I would never go out and buy some of these guys unless I plan to make a Brigade.

Form a Battalion with 2x Neophytes and 1x Acolytes for some easy 5 CP, try to use CULT REINFORCEMENTS twice and decide on the situation which Unit is going to get the improved Ambush for 2-3 CP. 

Edited April 9, 2020 by crownedzoidberg