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Since having our Christmas 40k game (as we always do), I've been looking back at the old Warhammer 40k books that I have and have started modelling and a new Genestealer Cult Army. I've also been working on a codex for them for 5th edition. I've read through most of the threads on here and other forums, showing their modelling ideas and the rules that they elected to write. What I was wondering was, is there anyone else out there still interested in this forgotten bit of 40k?

I've been trying to make sure the background is carefully researched to fit into the current edition of the game, as well as giving the army its own theme, rather than just being a Guard army with add ons. Hopefully if I can finish the models and the list, it might open up some ideas for other privateer and cult armies in the 40k 'verse.

Hi!
Just to begin with, I want to say that I love the Genestealer Cult.
I played this army, when it officially existed, many times in the 90´s. About two years ago I wrote a homebrew codex (lots of new units, completely different from IG) and played about 10 games in 5th edition (I lost about 7, draw 3). People enjoyed it. Then real life came.

A couple of weeks ago I started to co-write a Codex: Thyrrus, so I will be busy. It is a pity, because Holidays are over. Few spare time now. I do not know if I can be of help.

However, keep on!. Many people love the Cult.

I have a friend that plays nids and loves the Genestealers, she was a little bumbed when you could no longer make an all GS list(no HQ), She is new to the game and I was just telling her about the old GS cult armys, she was quite enthused....

That's great news folks. I've done quite a lot on the first draft already (37 pages without the modelling advice). Just tidying up some points costs and doing pictures for models as I make them.

What I'd like to do is get a draft copy done, then post it up for comments. If people are happy to do that. I'm trying to make it look as much like an official codex as possible with the artwork and typefacing, so any thoughts once I start posting this would be really appreciated. I'm also ransacking my brain and links on the web to ensure I have stuck to the 40k canon as much as possible.

To give you a preview, here's the draft army list choices at the moment.

HQ - 0-1 Patriarch, 0-1 Broodlord, 0-1 Magus
Elites - Genestealer Broods, Ymgarl Genestealers, Primacii (4th generation Hybrids).
Troops - Furori (2nd Generation Hybrids), Thralls, Brethren.
Fast Attack - Maelinagi (1st generation hybrids), Brethren Bikers, ATV Patrols, Transport Shuttle.
Heavy Support - Purificati (3rd generation hybrids), Drone Squads, Leman Russ, Basilisk, Abomini.
Transport - Civilian Transports.

Armored Limos. That is all.

I'm looking forward to seeing the rough draft! : )

Mutants, not knowing what they are fight for.
Heavy Mutants.
Psykers. They love psykers. They use them for calling their father.
Armored Limos: a classic. In my homebrew codex it was a monstruous creature. Lots of problems trying to find proper rules for a MC transporting models.
Jerach: HQ choice. A political / military leader, deluded (or not). The Cult is like a magnet for any form of traitor.
Sentinels.
Heavy weapons team.

i was using the old rules recently and got mercilessly hammered.

I think tthis is an awesome idea.

I put together a Genestealer Cultist force long ago in 86 for a friend and he never lost....

HQ
Primarch+Thone and 4 bearers.

Troops
5 (10-man) units with missle launchers, hvy bolters and melta guns.

Elites
Various hybrids + psychics, armed with special and heavy weapons.

30 Gene Stealers

Fast Attack
20-25 bikes.

Hvy
4 Limo's armed to the teeth.

This army was fully painted and put together by me, I was gonna use this army but a friend started playing and had no money to buy anything. So I gave him this whole force and he was very happy.

Allen Stroud wrote:Since having our Christmas 40k game (as we always do), I've been looking back at the old Warhammer 40k books that I have and have started modelling and a new Genestealer Cult Army. I've also been working on a codex for them for 5th edition. I've read through most of the threads on here and other forums, showing their modelling ideas and the rules that they elected to write. What I was wondering was, is there anyone else out there still interested in this forgotten bit of 40k?

I've been trying to make sure the background is carefully researched to fit into the current edition of the game, as well as giving the army its own theme, rather than just being a Guard army with add ons. Hopefully if I can finish the models and the list, it might open up some ideas for other privateer and cult armies in the 40k 'verse.

It was one of y first 40k armies back in 2nd edition.

I still have the bad taste in my mouth from when GW boned my army and made it useless.

I think GW really needs to do a Codex:Cultists (Chaos, genestealer, etc.) even if it is a WD insert.

Cool idea. I wish Zoats would come back though. :(

CT GAMER wrote:
I think GW really needs to do a Codex:Cultists (Chaos, genestealer, etc.) even if it is a WD insert.

+1 TO THAT.

The empire has specific forces to created fight specific foe(GREY KNIGHTS, WITCH HUNTERS, DEATHWATCH...), let's create those foe armies to fight with.
It is simple logic.

Thanks for the encouragement, I completely agree it would be good to populate the WH40k universe a bit more with potential private armies, cults, insurrections, etc... Things that encourage modellers and gamers to really get enthused about building something different and cool.

With the codex I'm writing, I'm trying to give the army a fair amount of creative width without requiring too many specialist references and rules. I really want to allow someone to dust off a 1991 army and be able to tweak it then play it, but at the same time, I'd like the option to do something new, particularly with the mass of modelling opportunities that are available with the model ranges now.

Take the limousines as an example. I like the idea of cult limousines. But I also like the idea of camper vans, or trucks, or whatever. I also love the idea of wealthy patron stooges, corrupted Imperial officers, rogue scentists, all sorts really, which I'm hoping the arm list will reflect.

The last Codex Daemonhunters gave some rules on adding Daemon powers to existing armies to create a fun game. I think that can be an option, but at the same time it would be really nice to ensure that an army can have its own identity, so it doesn't just have to be Imperial Guard with Genestealers. I mean, that can be good, but the opportunity need to be there to be more than that.

Apologies, I'll post up the draft as soon as I'm happy with it. Should be sometime next monday I expect.

Take the time you need, but keep working.

I just finished & posted the Codex: Thyrrus v1.0. Now where was that Codex: Zoat I was writting?

Thanks for the encouragement, I completely agree it would be good to populate the WH40k universe a bit more with potential private armies, cults, insurrections, etc... Things that encourage modellers and gamers to really get enthused about building something different and cool.

With the codex I'm writing, I'm trying to give the army a fair amount of creative width without requiring too many specialist references and rules. I really want to allow someone to dust off a 1991 army and be able to tweak it then play it, but at the same time, I'd like the option to do something new, particularly with the mass of modelling opportunities that are available with the model ranges now.

Take the limousines as an example. I like the idea of cult limousines. But I also like the idea of camper vans, or trucks, or whatever. I also love the idea of wealthy patron stooges, corrupted Imperial officers, rogue scentists, all sorts really, which I'm hoping the arm list will reflect.

The last Codex Daemonhunters gave some rules on adding Daemon powers to existing armies to create a fun game. I think that can be an option, but at the same time it would be really nice to ensure that an army can have its own identity, so it doesn't just have to be Imperial Guard with Genestealers. I mean, that can be good, but the opportunity need to be there to be more than that.

Apologies, I'll post up the draft as soon as I'm happy with it. Should be sometime next monday I expect.

Ok we see, I feel the same...lets all get together and hug as yes I miss the 90's and its a GW shame. I wanna play my chaos marines from 1986. We had Hover boards for assault troops. Fliers we could build from scratch....what ever happened to "Lets have some fun" Now its spend $30 for this unit or $40 for this tank...Its now all about what they want...spend $30 for this and $40 for that because we say so....GW is getting real cheesy. no more I say...lets all do whats evil and buy....from another dealer?

da001 wrote:Take the time you need, but keep working.

I just finished & posted the Codex: Thyrrus v1.0. Now where was that Codex: Zoat I was writting?

Whaaat! You're making a Zoat Codex Too?! Oh. Should you or I stop our project?

Keep going......I love it

Who are you talking to?

The Zoat wrote:

da001 wrote:Take the time you need, but keep working.

I just finished & posted the Codex: Thyrrus v1.0. Now where was that Codex: Zoat I was writting?

Whaaat! You're making a Zoat Codex Too?! Oh. Should you or I stop our project?

I should. My real life is getting complicated and it is a time-consuming issue.
Good luck.

Thank you.

Actually, I think in the past few years we've seen a little resurgence in GCult popularity. Granted, it's all been count-as treatments, etc., but there have been some really nice armies created, some of which are on this site (see Major Tom's Space Hulk blog for a great take on Hybrids, etc.). I like to think my army inspired a few of them even as I was inspired by others.

Tim Huckelbery, formerly of GW, did an army list that appeared in the Citadel Journal back in the 3rd ed. days. You should be able to get it online with some Googling. It's a little all over the place, but certainly a work of love and he needs to be given credit for keeping the GCult torch burning through some dark days.

Getting a codex conceptually right is IMO a bit trickier than it appears at first glance. There are some very disparate elements in the army (say, Brood Bros. compared to Purestrains) that have to fit together. And the army needs to be loose in structure compared to IG etc. because it's ragtag, but still have some kind of pyramidal structure befitting a cult/family. Baking those elements into the army list entries, army structure, etc. is IMO key to making a GCult army list that stands out.l

Your army has certainly sparked a lot of ideas and reminiscence for me, though I've yet to come up with a"counts as" idea that fits comfortably in my mind. I do, one day, intend to try and create some hybrid officers for my guard force, though the idea of using Purestrains as Ogryn has always felt clunky...

I miss the 2nd edition days of taking as many hybrids as possible so you got multiples of Gate, daisy-chaining it and then running 60 purestrain through to slice and dice the enemy deployment area

Right, as promised here is a pretty early draft of what I am working on.

Lots of bits still to get right in terms of dtp layout, illustrations, playtesting, etc...

Comments good and bad really welcome.

Nice.

Not sure about the IG orders system being in there so verbatim, perhaps some other similar mechanism instead?

Somewhere I have the WD with the original cult army list, have you seen that? It's issue 114 or something close to that - I could prolly post some pics from it if that would be helpful.

I have it thanks. I have a friend working on some original art.

I've tried to avoid original rules where possible so as to make the codex as compatible with the existing game. Although I can see the point of having something else. Why specifically would you change it?

A whole army infiltrating? Sounds terrifying...

Are you thinking of a force compromised of just 1st Gen and 2nd Gen Hybrids, along with Genestealers?

Not that much different to a Tyranid army comprised of Lictors, Genestealers and Raveners is it?




Automatically Appended Next Post:
Having slept on it, I think you're probably right (if this was what you were suggesting). Furori should probably lose the infiltrate. Better to put them in cages in the back of a van...

Doesn't really make sense giving them infiltrate and a transport.

Okay am still working on this. Would have liked more comments on the draft, but I get that we're all pretty busy around here.

I've done quite a lot of the converted models now and started to get the artwork in fr the booklet. Hopefully I'll get another version of the draft out by next week.

You may see some of the models I've done in my personal gallery. More to follow!

Just a refresh on this. Nearly there now. Am up to 61 pages on the current draft.

This is great I love the idea of the geanstealer cult

Latest version attached.