Rule question re: Cult Ambush

[ArcMek]

I'm....slowly learning all the rules and understanding 8th edition, although it's still a lot to take in. I have a couple questions about Cult Ambush, specifically the subterranean Strategic Reserves side of it. When I bring a unit from underground I understand I have to place them before the end of the third turn or they count as lost. I'm confused about how far away from an enemy model I can pop them in. I thought it was a 9" range? I ask because I've seen references to bringing 20 man neophytes with shotguns out and getting the strength bonus on their weapons, or Acolytes with hand flamers popping out and burning a unit the same turn...which they shouldn't have the range to do. Unless I'm misunderstanding and it's not actually 9"....or there's something else I'm missing?

Also for holding things in tactical reserve, I can only do so with half my army even if everything has the ambush rule. Does the points value matter or simply the number of units? I feel like this is obvious and I'm totally missing it in my new rulebook.

Sorry if any of that is incredibly basic, this is all very new for me and I've only played a few small demo games.

[Closet Skeleton]

The half your army thing is an FAQ or Chapter Approved matched play rule so yes it is confusing. I think its currently points value but it was by power level at one point. Blips count as on the table so its 50%+ of your points in blips or on the table and just under 50% underground. Then there's a 1cp stratagem for removing 3 blips and placing 3 units underground that is allowed to break the 50% limit because it happens in the movement phase not the deployment one. So you can put down blips for big expensive units like aberrants or large acolyte blobs as your 50% on the table and then remove those blips and get more like 80% of your points underground. There's an errata that stops those 3 units from turning up on turn 1 though.

 

There are two stratagems that modify cult ambush. One lets you move 1d6 or shoot after showing up for 3 cp and the other is 2 cp to come down within 3" instead of 9" but means that unit can't charge later that turn. The Assassin guy (Sanctus) has a special rule that makes the 3cp stratagem cost 0 for him but it still counts as a use of the stratagem so in matched play you can't move/shoot with him and another unit.

 

Then for 1cp there's Return to the Shadows which removes a unit from the table and makes them show up in your next turn. This unit does not go into 'reserves' because it has to show up next turn but that also means it isn't wiped out after turn 3 unless the game ends with it still off the board (probably due to random game length) so Genestealer Cult can ambush past turn 3 but only with one unit a round. It does deploy as though its Cult Ambush so you can use those other stratagems on it.

[ArcMek]

Thank you so much! Everything just made a lot more sense to me. I missed those stratagems on my first few reads but now that you say it I have the book open and looking right at them. Whew. Okay, much appreciated my friend, thought I was going crazy :p

 

Rules are tricky when you've been out of the game for so long, I feel like an idiot :p