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Hi All,

I'm fixing for a fight with my old man this weekend - he's running Iron Warriors, I'm running the rather thematic Bladed Cog (with Kronos Tyranid warrior support). This is not meant to be the most optimised list (it's in PL so go figure), and I'm not looking for input into the Tyranid part of the army (since that's all I've got), but I'm looking for C+C on the Genestealer Cult part.

The reason I've gone with Bladed Cog is slightly increased durability, move + shoot without penalty on heavy weapons, and the reason they're all Bladed Cog is because the army is painted in one unified scheme and I think it's a bit unreasonable for my opponent to have to remember what's what in terms of different creeds when it's all sporting the same colours.
I did consider the Vigilus Specialist Detachments, and all the goodness they can bring in terms of charge modifiers, but seeing as I've only really got 2 large 'bombs' that want to get into combat, I figured why not bring them down on different turns and use A Perfect Ambush on them both? I've got enough CP to do it - would it be more efficient to use the Specialist Detachments in combination with 4AE?

The scenario will involve me ambushing an armoured convoy - so Tyranids and neophytes form the first wave, looking to wreck a few rhinos with the first volley (supported by the Jackal Alphus and the Magus with Single-Minded Obsession).

The second wave comprises of the 10 man acolyte bomb with hand flamers and demo charges - moving the Alphus up to buff their BS and take out another tank whilst flaming some of the disembarking CSM. Depending on how things are going I'm also likely to bring in the Aberrants, supported by the Abominant, the Biophagus (fishing for more attacks) and the Primus. I know the received wisdom is power picks, but to make them effective tank-killers it seems you need a lot of strength modifiers - necessitating more supporting characters/making them Twisted Helix (which I'm open to). Hammers seem to be a simpler and blunter instrument - and with the Primus around I'm still hitting on 3+s with 6s scoring additional hits from the Abominant.

Alternatively, sell me on picks! I'm open to suggestions!

The third wave is the big blob of acolytes backed up by the Patriarch, using the Crouchling to cast Might from Beyond and Unholy Vigour on them to give them an insane number of attacks, and a FNP combined with Fearless from the Patriarch making this unit the final blow which should wipe out all surviving infantry. Wondering whether these might be better in 2 10 man units - the table might be quite crowded by this point...

++ Battalion Detachment +5CP (Tyranids) [25 PL, 8CP, 413pts] ++

+ Configuration +

Battle-forged CP [3CP]

Detachment CP [5CP]

Hive Fleet: Kronos

+ HQ +

Neurothrope [4 PL, 90pts]: Catalyst, Smite

Tyranid Prime [6 PL, 77pts]: Deathspitter, Lashwhip & Bonesword

+ Troops +

Tyranid Warriors [5 PL, 82pts]: 2 Deathspitters, 1 Venom Cannon, Rending Claws

Tyranid Warriors [5 PL, 82pts]: 2 Deathspitters, 1 Venom Cannon, Rending Claws

Tyranid Warriors [5 PL, 82pts]: 2 Deathspitters, 1 Venom Cannon, Rending Claws

++ Battalion Detachment +5CP (Tyranids - Genestealer Cults) [23 PL, 4CP, 459pts] ++

+ Configuration +

Detachment CP [5CP]

Cult Creed: The Bladed Cog

Broodcoven [-1CP]

+ HQ +

Jackal Alphus [4 PL, 70pts]

Magus [4 PL, 80pts]: Broodcoven Magus: Single-minded Obsession, Mass Hypnosis, Undying Vigour

+ Troops +

Neophyte Hybrids [4 PL, 80pts]: 2 grenade launchers, 2 mining lasers, autoguns

Neophyte Hybrids [4 PL, 80pts]: 2 grenade launchers, 2 mining lasers, autoguns

Neophyte Hybrids [4 PL, 74pts]: 2 mining lasers, autoguns

++ Battalion Detachment +5CP (Tyranids - Genestealer Cults) [52 PL, 5CP, 1,030pts] ++

+ Configuration +

Detachment CP [5CP]

Cult Creed: The Bladed Cog

Grandsire's Gifts [-1CP]

+ HQ +

Abominant [6 PL, 105pts]: Mark of the Clawed Omnissiah

Patriarch [8 PL, 137pts]: Familiar, Warlord: Born Survivor, Might From Beyond, Undying Vigour, Mind Control, The Crouchling

Primus [4 PL, 75pts]: Broodcoven Primus: Alien Majesty

+ Troops +

Acolyte Hybrids [11 PL, 200pts]: Cult Icon [10pts], 3 Heavy Rock Saws, 1 Heavy Rock Drill, Leader with Lashwhip & Bonesword

Acolyte Hybrids [6 PL, 120pts]: 4 Demo Charges, Hand Flamers

Neophyte Hybrids [4 PL, 74pts]: 2 mining lasers, autoguns

+ Elites +

Aberrants [14 PL, 331pts]: Hypermorph with Improvised Weapon, Hypermorph with Heavy Power Hammer, Heavy Power Hammers

Biophagus [2 PL, 35pts]

Created with BattleScribe

You use the abberants with picks and rending claws for the ungodly amount of bonus attacks they get off the overthrow the oppressors stratagem.

Bladed cog neophytes are my jam.

If you want an unkillable warlord make your warlord and abdominant with born survivor and the bladed cog relic for the 3+ invuln.

Hi dreadly brew,

thanks for the comments! That idea about the abominant is just pure evil! Sadly so long as I've got a Patriarch it's a no-go, but something to remember for smaller games definitely!

Quick question about the picks, it says on the aberrants datasheet that 'Each time a model with a rending claw makes an attack with this weapon, it can make one additional attack with its rending claw.'

Given that aberrants have base 2 attacks with a pick, does that then mean a flat 2 additional attacks with the rending claw? And then for every additional attack triggered by Overthrow the Oppressors, that's another pick & rending claw attack? How does this interact with the Abominant's The Chosen One making unmodified 6s score 2 hits instead of 1?

That has the potential for an ungodly amount of attacks, but against T7 tanks and better, they're still only wounding on 5s... And there's only so much the Primus can do to mitigate this. I suppose I could get Aberrants to S8 with Twisted Helix, Might from Beyond and a lucky roll from a Biophagius/Iconward with Icon of the Cult Ascendant - but then that's far more support than I can afford at this PL.

Quick update: game went very well!

GSC victory! But, as usual, nearly everything was dead by the start of T4. The aberrants really hammered it home - he took so many tanks I think I was vindicated in opting for hammers. They would have bounced with picks.

Neophytes with mining lasers supported by a jackal alphus were really quite deadly, destroying a vindicator and a couple of misplaced characters after their bodyguards got whittled down. Sadly the Alphus missed every shot in the game - that's four 1s from that sniper!

The acolytes with demo charges were the biggest disappointment - turned up and hurled them at a rhino - got about 22 shots and of those only 4 hit. In the end they did 5 damage. The hand flamers completely whiffed, and the squad was naturally dead in a turn. I think I need to wean myself off this idea as it never seems to work as well as it should do - maybe a squad of Rusted Claw atalan jackals with demo charges might have better luck?

Finally the Patriarch achieved next to nothing - my plan was to deep-strike him in to support the 20 man acolyte squad with Undying Vigour and his Fearless bubble, but unfortunately I need to work on my placement - the acolytes swarmed too far ahead out of the fearless bubble, and despite obliterating everything they touched, the casualties taken in return (from a CSM squad intervening and a blown up rhino) meant they just melted away.

In the end, the Patriarch got cornered by an angry helbrute which promptly punched it to death. Thankfully my abominant was still alive and kicking to take down the enemy warlord and claim the central relic.

Much food for thought there...