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I wrote a little combat simulator and 10 Genestealers beat 10 Terminators 57% of the time due to Rending.

Mind you that assumes they start in melee :]

Genestealers, make no doubt, Rock face in close combat, the problem is they are relatively expensive, only have a 5+ save (or 4+ if you want to make them MORE expensive) and they are easy to deal with from any mechanized army.

As long as people are careful with not getting in too many firing lanes with them, Genestealers can be more than just a nuisance to any player. They are expensive but IMO one of the most effective units the 'Nids can put out.

Can't they outflank? That is soooooo useful, if only they could be put in a dedicated transport. Nid taxi.

BoLS's Genestealer Cult codex allows you to take a limo to carry your Patriarch.

I take em on the cheap, with just two units of six Scuttlers and Feeder Tendrils, outflank em, and they have only once failed so give excellent contribution to the game, and that was because of Spearhead deployment and coming in on the wrong end.

Take a little unit of them, give them a gaun screen, turn them loose. put them in cover...move through cover. eat face.

Really the main thing that hurts them now, is the current 5th edition rending rule. It friggin sucks now. Used to, rending auto wounded ona to HIT roll of a 6 (which makes better sense to me but whatever) now its an auto wound on a WOUND roll of 6.
I think thats what makes people complain about how sucky they are.

Eh, the way things were in 4th ed, army lists simply attempted to cram as much rending as possible into a list.

Harlequins
Genestealers
Ass Cannons

PotMS at BS2 was actually quite desirable on Land Raider Crusaders because it meant a higher probability of rolling 6s to hit.

Rending now is manageable. A good ability, in some cases still a great ability, but not the ridiculous iwin button that it used to be.

As long as you have something to deal with vehicles, very reliably I might add, then stealers would be ok.

Since 'nids don't, stealers are not an optimal choice.

sourclams wrote:Eh, the way things were in 4th ed, army lists simply attempted to cram as much rending as possible into a list.

Harlequins
Genestealers
Ass Cannons

PotMS at BS2 was actually quite desirable on Land Raider Crusaders because it meant a higher probability of rolling 6s to hit.

Rending now is manageable. A good ability, in some cases still a great ability, but not the ridiculous iwin button that it used to be.

Hmmmmmm, I've never met an "Ass cannon", but I imagine the reunion would be as disturbing as it was messy.

Here's the quick and informative version.

Good sides: can outflank, rending, high I, 4+ save, rerolls to hit.

Bad sides: small unit size, fearless, no ranged attack, cost (24 ea.)

They can be effective IF they get to the enemy. An opponent who stays away from table edges or denies them the charge can easily come out on top against genies. Their small unit size of 6-12 is not enough wounds to really weather causalities. Their effectiveness is reduced dramatically with each one lost.

Stay away from table edges, shoot at them, deny their charge. An opponent that does one of those things is a problem for genies. I've been running an all outflank/deepstrike list recently and that is what kills me. I gamble on my opponent being careless. Smart movement and placement destroys bugs since we don't have transports.