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I find it annoying it has two kinds of neophyte hybrids in there so they won't match. I also think a lot of the value in the kit comes from the overpriced characters most of whom you wont need a lot of (max 2 primus and 2 patriarch for example) so spamming that character set in every box is unhelpful.

I like the mix of Neophyte Hybrid designs as I find it works well with the infecting the general populous design of the cult. Once the Orlock weapon sprues are released by forgeworld I will probably go for a unit of those as Neophytes as well (I know the intention was to have those models compatible with the GSC upgrade sprue but not seen confirmation yet).

I've gone nuts with my neophyte variation - I've got escher, chaos cultists, mining neophytes, guard neophytes, regular cadians, orlocks, van saar and some tau pathfinders with cult heads. Really gives it a ramshackle feel

Araablane wrote:
What is peoples opinion on Battleforce: Genestealer Cults Insurrection, i have already one painted but im thinking if i should get one before its sold out.
Definetly going to need a second Rockgrinder, Neophyte squad at some point and Primus wouldnt be bad.

it's pretty good for it's price, especially as you'll likely be running multiple primus and magus and you will be needing lots of acolytes and neophytes. The only thing in the list that makes duplicate purchases somewhat annoying is the extra patriarch and the truck (I personally prefer to ambush or use chimeras). I cannot see any reason to use more then 1 patriarch and rarely use any rockgrinders or trucks in any of my GSC lists.

C4790M wrote:
I've gone nuts with my neophyte variation - I've got escher, chaos cultists, mining neophytes, guard neophytes, regular cadians, orlocks, van saar and some tau pathfinders with cult heads. Really gives it a ramshackle feel

Nice! You mind sharing some pics? I'm currently thinking of ideas on what to do for the Neophytes I'm looking to add to my army. Any suggestions welcome.

Advice needed. I'm shaping up for a competitive game with GSC and I'm going all out to win. Expecting to be facing some knights and I'm going to run a pure GSC force.

Organised into two battalions:

Backfield force:

Patriarch (mass hypnosis, mind control) familiar
4 squads of 20 neophytes with 2 grenade launchers (cluster around patriarch for LD)
4 squads of 10 neophytes with lascannon

Cult ambush force
Primus
Patriarch (mind control and +1S +1 attack power) familiar
Magus (mind control, mass hypnosis)
20 genestealers (go with Primus for near guaranteed charge)
4 squads of 20 neophytes with 2 grenade launcher

Plan is to focus down a knight with smites and the big stealer charge, then try and win on objectives (whatever they may be)

 DoomMouse wrote:
Advice needed. I'm shaping up for a competitive game with GSC and I'm going all out to win. Expecting to be facing some knights and I'm going to run a pure GSC force.

Organised into two battalions:

Backfield force:

Patriarch (mass hypnosis, mind control) familiar
4 squads of 20 neophytes with 2 grenade launchers (cluster around patriarch for LD)
4 squads of 10 neophytes with lascannon

Cult ambush force
Primus
Patriarch (mind control and +1S +1 attack power) familiar
Magus (mind control, mass hypnosis)
20 genestealers (go with Primus for near guaranteed charge)
4 squads of 20 neophytes with 2 grenade launcher

Plan is to focus down a knight with smites and the big stealer charge, then try and win on objectives (whatever they may be)

The biggest issue with GSC as they are now is they are 100% glass cannon. If your assault stalls at all you will be chopped to pieces. I have done the 20 stealer primus rush and unless you neuter you opponent with that first charge they get gunned down very quickly. It might be better to switch the Patriarch with an Iconward and maby another Magus. This way you can get the +1 str relic and get the 6+FNP to give your stealers a bit more resilience.

Tbh I'm fully expecting the stealer squads to die straight after they hit. They're just there to nuke the thing that can kill the most neophytes per turn. I'm aiming to get round the glass cannon effect with 200 neophytes (mostly fearless)

Didn't go for the iconward with the stealers as I figured they'd have might from beyond anyway and facing knights most damage would be multiple. To be fair I do have enough points to fit one in so it'd be an option!

Genestealers won’t do much to a knight. Luckily for you we do have two of the easiest ways of murdering titans: aberrants or rock saw acolytes. Take a big squad of either, mass hypnosis the target and charge in using meticulous uprising, buff with might from beyond and shred

I'm looking to buy them, but nothing mechanical because reasons. Do you think that's worth it? Or just keep nids?

Secondly, as for price, one person is offering like 10 abberants, 10 meta, 30 acolytes, 60 neophytes, 2 Primus and 20 purestrain for $300 -- is that a good price/good start?

I have a broodlord and 4 Magus. I'm more looking to supplement my nids, not replace.

Arkengate wrote:
I'm looking to buy them, but nothing mechanical because reasons. Do you think that's worth it? Or just keep nids?

Secondly, as for price, one person is offering like 10 abberants, 10 meta, 30 acolytes, 60 neophytes, 2 Primus and 20 purestrain for $300 -- is that a good price/good start?

I have a broodlord and 4 Magus. I'm more looking to supplement my nids, not replace.

I think that's a good price if it's all good condition.

Does Salamander command vehicle work with Shadowsword and can Tank commander give orders to a Leman Russ?

"During the Shooting phase, a single friendly <REGIMENT> VEHICLE within 6" may add 1 to all hit rolls until the end of the phase. A single model cannot benefit from multiple SALAMANDER COMMAND VEHICLE auspex surveyors."

In my head the new regiment is "Brood Brothers".

C4790M wrote:
Genestealers won’t do much to a knight. Luckily for you we do have two of the easiest ways of murdering titans: aberrants or rock saw acolytes. Take a big squad of either, mass hypnosis the target and charge in using meticulous uprising, buff with might from beyond and shred

What buffs they get? 20 stealers cause about 9 wounds. Same point aberants 6,5...Rock saw's don't seem that much better. Can you have all members in squad with them?

Killing knights might be trouble but if he's mostly knights he will struggle kill cult. 8x20 neophytes? Knights will struggle to kill them all.

Araablane wrote:Does Salamander command vehicle work with Shadowsword and can Tank commander give orders to a Leman Russ?

"During the Shooting phase, a single friendly <REGIMENT> VEHICLE within 6" may add 1 to all hit rolls until the end of the phase. A single model cannot benefit from multiple SALAMANDER COMMAND VEHICLE auspex surveyors."

In my head the new regiment is "Brood Brothers".

It should. The Brood Brother's detachment is still an Astra Miltarum one so any abilities still apply. Just can't use regiment specific benefits like Cadian rerolls or so forth.

tneva82 wrote:
What buffs they get? 20 stealers cause about 9 wounds. Same point aberants 6,5...Rock saw's don't seem that much better. Can you have all members in squad with them?

I think you forgot to take into account the multi-damage aspects of Aberrant Power Hammers or Acolyte Rock Saws.


20x Purestrains
- No Buffs: 8.44 wounds
- Might from Beyond: 19.7 wounds
- Primus: 10.75 wounds
- Both: 25.08 wounds

8x Aberrants with Hammers:
- No Buffs: 13.3 wounds
- Might from Beyond: 19.95
- Primus: 17.56
- Both: 26.34

20x Acolytes with 8x Rock Saws:
- No Buffs: 14.49 wounds
- Might from Beyond: 31.51
- Primus: 18.45 wounds
- Both: 38.68

While the Aberrants numbers don't look terribly impressive, it is worth noting that they are the least expensive of the three options and the most efficient points-per-wound inflicted before buffs (about 20 points per wound vs about 23 for Acolytes and 35 for Genestealers) or with just a to-hit buff (15 points per wound vs about 18 for Acolytes and 27 for Genestealers). Acolytes run away with things if they can get both Might from Beyond on them however, since at that point they combine the volume of attacks of a 'stealer squad and similar wounding capabilities of the Hammers.

 Strat_N8 wrote:

I think you forgot to take into account the multi-damage aspects of Aberrant Power Hammers or Acolyte Rock Saws.

11 aberrants, 22 attacks. 14,6 hits(3+), 4.888 wounds(5+), 3,26 through armour(5+ save), doubled=6.5. What am I missing? Albeit I'm going on battlescribe.

tneva82 wrote:

11 aberrants, 22 attacks. 14,6 hits(3+), 4.888 wounds(5+), 3,26 through armour(5+ save), doubled=6.5. What am I missing? Albeit I'm going on battlescribe.

Well, for starters you can't take a squad of 11 Aberrants as they max out at 8-strong.

I think you're doing the calculations for the Power Pick models, which aren't really suited for taking on large targets. My calculations were done with Power Hammer equipped models.

Using the same number for consistency's sake:

11 Aberrants, 22 attacks, 11 hits (4+ due to unwieldy), 7.26 wounds (3+ due to S10), 6.0984 through armor (AP -3), 3 damage per wound = about 18 unsaved wounds (18.2952 rounding down).

Well I was looking at about same points so aiming for price of 20 stealers. Squads of 6 and 5 for 11.

And ah. I don't see hammers on my BS. That's what you get using BS.

tneva82 wrote:
Well I was looking at about same points so aiming for price of 20 stealers. Squads of 6 and 5 for 11.

That makes sense. You should be able to get about 10 Power Hammer Aberrants for about 30 points more than 20 stealers. If you go the Aberrant route you will want to have Neophytes as troops and probably want at least one brood of Purestrain 'stealers for dedicated infantry mulching.

Which AM units do you guys best feel are worth allying in?

 SHUPPET wrote:
Which AM units do you guys best feel are worth allying in?

AM for all your infantry and vehicle shooting duties when playing with GSC melee ambush (mostly Genestealers with buffs alongside our HQs and 3x10 neophytes with shotguns)

 SHUPPET wrote:
Which AM units do you guys best feel are worth allying in?

The most common advice seems to be: Leman Russes/Tank Commanders. Heavy weapon teams with mortars. Basilisks or manticores. Infantry squads and commanders. Hellhounds. Superheavies (but remember max one AM detachment per GSC). Possibly ogryns and crusaders (with a priest and/or an astropath ofc) as they have more staying power than the melee units in our army.

If you use Forgeworld units, the Power Lifter Sentinel is very good.

The theme is shooting and resilience.

What about a hydra or three to shore up antiair?

Mellon wrote:

 SHUPPET wrote:
Which AM units do you guys best feel are worth allying in?

The most common advice seems to be: Leman Russes/Tank Commanders. Heavy weapon teams with mortars. Basilisks or manticores. Infantry squads and commanders. Hellhounds. Superheavies (but remember max one AM detachment per GSC). Possibly ogryns and crusaders (with a priest and/or an astropath ofc) as they have more staying power than the melee units in our army.

If you use Forgeworld units, the Power Lifter Sentinel is very good.

The theme is shooting and resilience.

Thanks. Does that mean that if I grab a Shadowsword that's absolutely all the AM I can take for that list?

 SHUPPET wrote:

Mellon wrote:

 SHUPPET wrote:
Which AM units do you guys best feel are worth allying in?

The most common advice seems to be: Leman Russes/Tank Commanders. Heavy weapon teams with mortars. Basilisks or manticores. Infantry squads and commanders. Hellhounds. Superheavies (but remember max one AM detachment per GSC). Possibly ogryns and crusaders (with a priest and/or an astropath ofc) as they have more staying power than the melee units in our army.

If you use Forgeworld units, the Power Lifter Sentinel is very good.

The theme is shooting and resilience.

Thanks. Does that mean that if I grab a Shadowsword that's absolutely all the AM I can take for that list?

No, but you’d have to take another GSC detachment before taking another AM detachment. They’re 1:1. So to take 2 Detachments of AM you’d need 2 Detachments of GSC.

 Sinful Hero wrote:

 SHUPPET wrote:

Mellon wrote:

 SHUPPET wrote:
Which AM units do you guys best feel are worth allying in?

The most common advice seems to be: Leman Russes/Tank Commanders. Heavy weapon teams with mortars. Basilisks or manticores. Infantry squads and commanders. Hellhounds. Superheavies (but remember max one AM detachment per GSC). Possibly ogryns and crusaders (with a priest and/or an astropath ofc) as they have more staying power than the melee units in our army.

If you use Forgeworld units, the Power Lifter Sentinel is very good.

The theme is shooting and resilience.

Thanks. Does that mean that if I grab a Shadowsword that's absolutely all the AM I can take for that list?

No, but you’d have to take another GSC detachment before taking another AM detachment. They’re 1:1. So to take 2 Detachments of AM you’d need 2 Detachments of GSC.

So in most 3 source formats, yes.

However you can take it in a supreme command detachment. So, a Company Commander and two Primaris Psykers with a Shadowsword. Use that elite slot to take a big bullgryn unit, and maybe some Dedicated Transport slots. Used to be better when the Taurox Prime was cheaper.

If I was looking to get into GSC before codex, what units should I buy? Is there a good range of numbers I should get?

I would like to avoid vehicles, but not a requirement.

Small update - my 200+ strong horde got tabled! Played against one of each dominus knight, a warglaive, a punisher tank commander and 70 guardsmen with order support.

Managed to get 3 full turns of mind control on the big knights, but still wasn't enough to bring them down (though I got the valiant to smoke the punisher which was nice).

Patriarch went down to a couple of shieldbreaker sniper-missiles. Got the aberrants in on the valiant, but only did around 15 wounds (failed to cast the +1A power sadly). Guardsmen with order support really punish the neophyte hordes - they're just better troops! My lascannon neophytes did almost nothing all game - I think 5 wounds on the valiant was all they managed.

I think it would have been closer if I'd gotten first turn, being able to kill a bunch of guardsmen before they hit me with FRFSRF lasguns would have helped a lot.

Looking forward to when the codex comes out though. Will be interesting if the cults get good!

Arkengate wrote:
If I was looking to get into GSC before codex, what units should I buy? Is there a good range of numbers I should get?

I would like to avoid vehicles, but not a requirement.

The short answer is two big units of genestealers, and a primus to ambush with each.

I made a 1000p example list for you. 70 infantry models, no vehicles. The neophytes are 11+ models in each unit, that means they are worth 10 PL each. So when they and the patriarch are deployed on table (total 37 PL) you can ambush all of your genestealers and primuses (total 36 PL)


++ Battalion Detachment +5CP (Tyranids - Genestealer Cults) [73 PL, 997pts] ++

+ HQ +

Patriarch [7 PL, 150pts]

Primus [4 PL, 76pts]: Bonesword

Primus [4 PL, 76pts]: Bonesword

+ Troops +

Neophyte Hybrids [10 PL, 65pts]
. 9x Neophyte Hybrid
. Neophyte Hybrid (Special Weapon): Grenade Launcher
. Neophyte Hybrid (Special Weapon): Grenade Launcher
. Neophyte Leader: Autogun, Autopistol

Neophyte Hybrids [10 PL, 65pts]
. 8x Neophyte Hybrid
. Neophyte Hybrid (Special Weapon): Grenade Launcher
. Neophyte Hybrid (Special Weapon): Grenade Launcher
. Neophyte Leader: Autogun, Autopistol

Neophyte Hybrids [10 PL, 65pts]
. 8x Neophyte Hybrid
. Neophyte Hybrid (Special Weapon): Grenade Launcher
. Neophyte Hybrid (Special Weapon): Grenade Launcher
. Neophyte Leader: Autogun, Autopistol

+ Elites +

Purestrain Genestealers [12 PL, 225pts]: 15x Purestrain Genestealer

Purestrain Genestealers [16 PL, 270pts]: 18x Purestrain Genestealer

++ Total: [73 PL, 992pts] ++

 DoomMouse wrote:
Small update - my 200+ strong horde got tabled! Played against one of each dominus knight, a warglaive, a punisher tank commander and 70 guardsmen with order support.

Managed to get 3 full turns of mind control on the big knights, but still wasn't enough to bring them down (though I got the valiant to smoke the punisher which was nice).

Patriarch went down to a couple of shieldbreaker sniper-missiles. Got the aberrants in on the valiant, but only did around 15 wounds (failed to cast the +1A power sadly). Guardsmen with order support really punish the neophyte hordes - they're just better troops! My lascannon neophytes did almost nothing all game - I think 5 wounds on the valiant was all they managed.

I think it would have been closer if I'd gotten first turn, being able to kill a bunch of guardsmen before they hit me with FRFSRF lasguns would have helped a lot.

Looking forward to when the codex comes out though. Will be interesting if the cults get good!

If you keep the patriarch close to chaff, it takes 4 turns, 4 missiles and 8 cp to bring him down, a fair trade tbh, I think that’s just unlucky.
I think the familiars increased vastly in value, as it can make your casters missile immune.