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pinecone77 wrote:
Yep, hardcore Tyranids players are thinking of running all GSC.

So...100 Stealers/Purestrain, and 50 Conscripts, and some artillery?

Stealing my list I see

And don't be ridiculous. 60 Stealers is more than enough


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zamerion wrote:
Purestrain 10 points, its a joke? XD

And big nerf to cult icons.. 20 points...

So.. 100 neophytes and 100 genestealers will be the new list?

I'm sure they just meant to make it so that they're 12 points like Tyranid Genestealers....but forgot that rending claws are free for GSC

In any case, even at 12 ppm, they'd be a steal and I'd be down for 60 of them. At 10 ppm....that's just dirty. (Am still going to play 60 of them, but only in my tournament list)


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To be honest, this does to me mean that a pure GSC detachment is stronger than a Nids detachment with GSC support because now there are no tax units. GSC assaulty goodness and AM gun line support....it's going to be super deadly. Just watch the GT scene (not for me this year sadly, but someone's going to do it)

zamerion wrote:
Purestrain 10 points, its a joke? XD

And big nerf to cult icons.. 20 points...

So.. 100 neophytes and 100 genestealers will be the new list?

I dont think it counts as a nerf.. when it is something they forgot to put a cost in for in the first place... it was never meant to be 0

vyse.04 wrote:
The problem I see with loading up Goliaths is that you've already paid more per model for Ambush and their +4 BS limits the effectiveness of the Heavy Weapons (on Rockgrinder) firing. You also have to disembark before it moves again, so you may not always have a good choice available for Turn 2 charges. I do like that you can hold off on Ambushing to link up with the Trucks though.

The nice thing about the Trucks is that they are flexible. If you desire more ambushes they act as a descent drop so more of the army can go into ambush while if you are opposing a foe where ambush isn't as likely to be useful you can simply deploy units in the Trucks and thereby increase the likelihood of going first (happened in my last game incidentally, I had 13 units and deploying in Trucks brought my deployment count down to 8 units).

vyse.04 wrote:

I'm still ordering two Trucks for a bit more variety, but I think they will be better suited for moving my Neophytes. I'm going to try the Demo Charges out to see how well they work as well, but I still have a few more models to build (and a bunch more to paint)

So far I've had better luck with 10-strong Acolytes riding around in the trucks while Neophytes ambush. Neophytes are perfectly happy to pop up in a ruin or industrial scaffolding and camp for the rest of the game, while Acolytes need mobility and the Trucks in turn need some defense against melee threats since apart from the Rockgrinder they are horrible at it.

I do really like the demo charges, they are excellent for knocking wounds off big things so you can finish them in melee with Rending Claws. Another reason why I like the Acolytes in Goliaths, the trucks get them into throwing range quickly and they don't have to leave the relative safety of the truck and risk retaliation if they kill the target outright (and if they fail to kill the target with demo charges, they can get out and charge next turn).

So I've moved over a bit from the Tyranids tactica, as although I have a detachment that has all faction keywords "Tyranid", it's actually a GSC Detachment (which is the elites one again? I forget) plus an Imperial Guard Detachment

I'll post it here for consideration:



TLDR: I have a ton of Genestealers that want to eat stuff, so I brought some guns to clear out the chaff units and let them get to the meaty stuff on turn 1

I also am planning on making it as Tyranid as possible in flavor with the GSC. Have a ton of Zoats to use as the conscript and commissar, and as sentries for the Searchlights. They'll also man the earthshakers (I'm using the variant that doesn't need a gunner but it totally adds to the flavor). And I'm going to have a 2nd edition zoanthrope sort of be the overlord chilling on the back roof of each Taurox prime. I think it'll really feel like the guard are being subjugated and forced to help the Tyranids, which I think is about as fluffy as you could make such a list.

Elite one is the Vanguard detachment if I remember correctly.

As said in the Tyranid thread, the list looks quite nasty and your thematic modeling ideas sound superb. My only real concern tactically with the list is that the 'stealers are going to be very vulnerable to getting isolated with most of the army being a dedicated gunline. Once their alpha strike is done they will probably be wiped out, so the question is if they can do enough damage so the rest of the list can finish up.

Very quick question but if I am lookin to get into GSC whats my best options for starting up...

I was thinking of getting the Deathwatch Overkill box and addtionally the imperial guard starter with GSC conversion bits.... is this just a waste of money?

any brief suggestions based on whats working so far tactics wise?

Thanks

Overkill is the only place to get Abberrants at the minute so you want at least one set, plus you get all the HQ options in as well.

Deathwatch Overkill is an excellent place to start with just shy of 750 points worth of models in it, and the game itself is actually pretty fun too if you elect to keep the Deathwatch half of it. I've mostly been using the industrial side of the faction, so I'm not sure how to configure the brood brothers, but they do have some flexibility in that you can use them in-faction or as an allied AM detachment. You'll probably want to pick up a box of Genestealers too, as they received a huge buff in the recent FAQ/Errata and Overkill only comes with 2 individual 'stealers.


As for what works, it is hard to say as activity in here has dropped rather badly since 8th dropped. I've personally been going with a combined arms list with footslogging/ambushing Neophytes backed up with leader buff auras and Acolytes riding in Goliaths to provide counter-assault and anti-armor functions.

C0deb1ue wrote:
Very quick question but if I am lookin to get into GSC whats my best options for starting up...

I was thinking of getting the Deathwatch Overkill box and addtionally the imperial guard starter with GSC conversion bits.... is this just a waste of money?

any brief suggestions based on whats working so far tactics wise?

Thanks

I think this is a good start. Imho the GSC is at the moment not really an army, which can fight on its own. It needs support from Tyranids or AM to be viable. However, this is no real wonder since they do not have a lot of GSC specific units and have to rely on their buddies to do some things.

Deathwatch overkill is amazing to get a lot of GSC models for cheap. And Astra Militarum is probably better as a support for them then Tyranids.

Thanks for the advice!

The Overkill Box is a great starting point, and from there you can pick up some more Neophytes/Acolytes/Genestealers. If you buy the other boxes before DW plan ahead, as you do not have any options for the loadouts. If you want some Neophytes with shotguns or special weapons on Acolytes, build them up from those respective boxes.

OK, I was noodling around over breakfast, and I had a weird thought...So I'll ask the experts.

Can I use Mind Control to eliminate Conscript spam? Conscript spam is only a problem because of the Commisar, so 24" Mind Control, and the Conscripts are filled with love for the four armed Emp, and Rapid Fire the Commisar, the closest unit?

Sorry, I'm still waiting for my Indexes to arrive.

Sadly mind control is a model not unit, so this would be more effective on a Tank that happens to be closest to that Commissar

 jifel wrote:
Sadly mind control is a model not unit, so this would be more effective on a Tank that happens to be closest to that Commissar

Dang! That is...not good. Oh, well I was looking foward to hilarity.


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Well, maybe a Lascannon, or Plasma guy then...

Just fyi, Mind Control doesnt have to shoot the closest enemy. You can use the Lascannon to take out a tank for example.

Fragile wrote:
Just fyi, Mind Control doesnt have to shoot the closest enemy. You can use the Lascannon to take out a tank for example.

True, I was just thinking that it'll have to be the closest tank to the commissar you're trying to shoot, since he is a character. But, technically it isnt in the shooting phase...

 jifel wrote:

Fragile wrote:
Just fyi, Mind Control doesnt have to shoot the closest enemy. You can use the Lascannon to take out a tank for example.

True, I was just thinking that it'll have to be the closest tank to the commissar you're trying to shoot, since he is a character. But, technically it isnt in the shooting phase...

Yeah they actually call this out in the FAQ pretty clearly. Psychic powers are free to target whomever they'd like, and by extension, our psychically piloted model can do so as well. Thankfully, IG has plenty of single model units that can more than sufficiently kill a commissar...to the point where I wonder if some of them aren't best just used killing the conscripts outright


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 Strat_N8 wrote:
Elite one is the Vanguard detachment if I remember correctly.

As said in the Tyranid thread, the list looks quite nasty and your thematic modeling ideas sound superb. My only real concern tactically with the list is that the 'stealers are going to be very vulnerable to getting isolated with most of the army being a dedicated gunline. Once their alpha strike is done they will probably be wiped out, so the question is if they can do enough damage so the rest of the list can finish up.

Hopefully there is enough gunline to help them get to the good stuff when they come in. Also, I can have them come in piecemeal if I need to wait to clear out the chaff.

I've also substantially altered my list, replacing the Earthshaker batteries with Manticores and the Quad Mortar Batteries/Taurox Primes with Vultures and their godly twin punisher cannons. That kills a lot with adequate searchlight support. Sadly, the vulture has no care for the Searchlights. But that's fine. I still like them both quite a bit.

Played one game with them vs a Tau gunline. Went first. Didn't end well for the Tau

 Astmeister wrote:
@luke1705

Do you actually own all these models you are using? That would indeed be quite impressive.

Borrowing the manticores until GW gets their act together and makes more for me to buy.

Proxying the Searchlights until I settle on a conversion that I'm happy with.

But otherwise yeah. I've been playing for a while

vyse.04 wrote:
The Overkill Box is a great starting point, and from there you can pick up some more Neophytes/Acolytes/Genestealers. If you buy the other boxes before DW plan ahead, as you do not have any options for the loadouts. If you want some Neophytes with shotguns or special weapons on Acolytes, build them up from those respective boxes.

I'd suggest ebaying two sets of the overkill GSC. I made a full GSC army with that +genestealer box. The only thing to add to it now is some goliaths.

You can get creative and convert icons with toothpicks that have random bits glued to the ends, and for special weapons like drills, saws it's cheaper to buy those bits and hack them onto the overkill acolytes. The only other thing you'll need is some way to make unit leaders since it doesn't come with any, if you have any guard/ skitarii bits with pistols and melee weapons those fit on the overkill models also.

With a little kit bashing you can actually make a GSC army fairly cheaply.

so much people playing proper gsc these days?

I haven't had a chance to play lately myself

Is the Primus a valid HQ option for running GSC? Or is the Patriarch the only way to go?

I think the Patriarch is really nasty but if you compare that to a Primus with 7 extra PureStrains Genestealers I start to wonder.

any thoughts?

Ferrus126 wrote:
Is the Primus a valid HQ option for running GSC? Or is the Patriarch the only way to go?

I think the Patriarch is really nasty but if you compare that to a Primus with 7 extra PureStrains Genestealers I start to wonder.

any thoughts?

They are both great

Just a thought for GSC for 8th. If you wanted to have more options with neophytes you could run a detachment of astra militarum Elysian drop troops with GSC neophyte models. Deep striking without scatter more than 9 inches away feels very similar to cult ambush.

This would give you access to special weapon squads, veteran squads, IG infantry squads and orders, and heavy weapon squads. All popping up wherever you like - just like GSC should be

GodDamUser wrote:so much people playing proper gsc these days?

I haven't had a chance to play lately myself

I've been running them at our weekly gaming night at our local shop. Mine focus on the industrial side of the army, so thus far they have been run without allies. My last list was:

Battalion Detatchment:
HQ: 1x Primus
HQ: 1x Iconward

ELITES: 4x Aberants with 2x Power Picks, 2x Power Hammers
ELITES: 4x Aberants with 2x Power Picks, 2x Power Hammers
ELITES: 4x Aberants with 2x Power Picks, 2x Power Hammers

TROOPS: 20x Neophytes with Power Pick, 2x Grenade Launchers, 2x Mining Lasers
TROOPS: 20x Neophytes with Power Pick, 2x Grenade Launchers, 2x Seismic Cannons
TROOPS: 5x Acolytes with Bonesword, 2x Demolition Charges

DT: 1x Goliath Truck
DT: 1x Goliath Truck

HEAVY: 1x Goliath Rockgrinder with Heavy Mining Laser
HEAVY: 1x Goliath Rockgrinder with Heavy Mining Laser

We were trying out power levels and settled at a total of 75 points if I remember right (in normal points the list is just shy of 1500) with my opponent running a combination of AM and Primus Marines. Since it was using power points I tried out some configurations that I probably would not have used had points been involved (such as the Bonesword on the Acolyte leader). The match ended in a draw with fairly even casualties on both sides.

I'm actually liking the Aberrants. I initially was unsure of how well they would do since they lost their FNP, but they pulverized everything they came into contact with before getting cut down by opposing HQ models. The Seismic Cannons also did better than expected arriving out of Ambush, I might consider putting them in shotgun squads since both will want to get close to use their high strength profile and it adds two shotguns worth of fire at longer range.

Ferrus126 wrote:Is the Primus a valid HQ option for running GSC? Or is the Patriarch the only way to go?

I think the Patriarch is really nasty but if you compare that to a Primus with 7 extra Purestrain Genestealers I start to wonder.

any thoughts?

Currently I'm more fond of the Primus, but to be fair that is in part due to the semi-mechanized nature of a lot of my lists lately. Cult Demagogue works on every unit in the army (Rockgrinders and Neophytes especially appreciate it) while Brood Telepathy only applies to Purestrain Genestealers, and the Living Idol rule isn't quite as important when most units are riding in transports. Meticulous Planner in turn isn't quite as vital to the mechanized list either, but it does allow the Primus to reliably deploy where he is needed with his own meatshield or else deliver a larger melee squad where it is needed.

As I was running my genestealers as purestrains, I grabbed myself a deathwatch overkill box to make running them less loop-hole-ey.

What would you guys recommend running out of that box? I have 45 genestealers which I've been running with a patriarch in their own detachment for the time being, along with a bunch of big bugs (Swarmlord, old one eye, a couple of carnifex and a tyrannofex), and some artillery bugs (biovore and hive guard). I'm definately going to be running the primus, but what else is good?

C4790M wrote:
As I was running my genestealers as purestrains, I grabbed myself a deathwatch overkill box to make running them less loop-hole-ey.

What would you guys recommend running out of that box? I have 45 genestealers which I've been running with a patriarch in their own detachment for the time being, along with a bunch of big bugs (Swarmlord, old one eye, a couple of carnifex and a tyrannofex), and some artillery bugs (biovore and hive guard). I'm definately going to be running the primus, but what else is good?

The neophytes are pretty good screening units. Think of them like Gants that can start in reserves. The acolytes are unfortunately like 50% of a Genestealer for like 90% of the cost, but that's not their fault. It's the Genestealers' fault.

The Magus is great. The more you look at the psychic powers from the GSC, the more you're going to fall in love with them. The range doesn't matter because they can just pop up anywhere, and the Magus being a character means that he has a TON of ablative wounds.

 luke1705 wrote:

The neophytes are pretty good screening units. Think of them like Gants that can start in reserves.

The Grenade Launcher/Mining Laser combination in the Deathwatch Overkill box are actually pretty descent as a generalist unit that is quite comfortable sitting on objectives in cover (5+ armor = 4+ while in cover). They also benefit immensely from the force multiplying effects of the HQ options, with the Primus making them more competent in melee than most GEQs, Patriarch makes them immune to moral, Iconward adds a 6+ FNP and provides a reroll for moral if a Patriarch isn't around, and the Magnus allows them to deny enemy powers as though they were psykers themselves and provides psychic shenanigans.

 luke1705 wrote:

The acolytes are unfortunately like 50% of a Genestealer for like 90% of the cost, but that's not their fault. It's the Genestealers' fault.

Well, more like the FAQ's fault. Before the cost reduction they felt fairly reasonable as cheaper Genestealers with access to additional anti-armor specific weaponry in the troops slot, whereas post FAQ they cost more than a base purestrain and simply can't compete. I still like them as Demolition Charge caddies though. 75 points isn't terrible for a pair of battle cannon shots followed up by 7 rending claw attacks.

 luke1705 wrote:

The Magus is great. The more you look at the psychic powers from the GSC, the more you're going to fall in love with them. The range doesn't matter because they can just pop up anywhere, and the Magus being a character means that he has a TON of ablative wounds.

Agreed, the Magnus is pretty solid. Don't forget about Unquestioning Loyalty for a 4+ look out sir to just about any infantry model to soak wounds that bypass the Character targeting restrictions and the Spiritual Leader rule for the extra deny the witch attempts.


Apart from that, Aberrants are also pretty nice as armor crackers that are also fairly resilient against plasma and autocannon fire due to their bestial vigor ability. Bit on the expensive side though and will draw fire once people know what they can do in assault (they love catalyst if it can be spared).

There is a new FAQ.

The Purestrain Genestealer go back up to 15 points.

They started at 18, then 10, then 15.

I'm not sure what happened at that 10. It's the same cost that the tyranid version but maybe the cult ambush made them overpowered. The ammount of genestaler spam we where seing here is proof to that.

To me 15 seems a bit much, specially compared to the tyranid version but, of course, I'm not an impartial party.

Link to the FAQ

I wish they had 4+ armor with their 5+ inv
but as is with cult ambush they are worth 15 pts as mentioned not as auto win as the 10pts but we don't want auto win just good.