Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I am running my GSC for the first time next week. I have a ton of purestrain genestealers from my tyranid army (and boxed sets). I am looking at the squad size, and the glass cannon issue. It seems to me a number around 12ish is the right amount? Enough to get 10 into CC for the extra attack, but not so many I am wasting extra models that will just be gunned down by opponent in their following shooting phase.
Any thoughts?

The right answer is ZERO, they're horrible and worse than any other option in GSC codex

Anyone with a useful suggestion on the actual topic? Blanket absolutes essentially based on opinion never help discussion much.

edwardmyst wrote:
Anyone with a useful suggestion on the actual topic? Blanket absolutes essentially based on opinion never help discussion much.

I gave you the right answer at the start, they serve no purpose in GSC codex due to:

1) Lack of decent Stratagems (First Curse isn't good)
2) Lack of Chapter Tactics Bonuses
3) Overpriced at 15 PPM
4) Almost same damage output as Metamorphs whom are not used (and they cost 5/6 points less too)
5) 8" Charge at best with no rerolls like Acolytes in a Deliverance Broodsurge (and you can take double the bodies for nearly the same price).
6) Move, Run and Charge is useless when you appear over 9" away at the end of the Movement phase.
7) Lack of Scything Talons and Acid Maws.
You want some more?

Lucky #13. Gives you three bodies to soak up overwatch with so you have a reliable chance at keeping the +1 attack after deep-striking in, without breaking 200 points.

I have to agree with Kurt though, I just don't see what role purestrains fill better than other Cult units, even Metamorphs can outperform them in CC — and they can all take hand flamers for less points than the genestealer unit.

Purestrain's one gimmick is advance & charge, but when you can deep strike all your infantry 9" away and get charge bonuses for them, you don't really need that ability. There are edge-case situations where their movement range will give them a good advantage, but is it worth 150+ points per unit? I remain unconvinced, although I'm definitely open to hearing how people have effectively used them in pure GSC armies...

 Khorzain wrote:
Lucky #13

I have to agree with Kurt though, I just don't see what role purestrains fill better than other Cult units, even Metamorphs can outperform them in CC — and they can all take hand flamers for less points than the genestealer unit.

Purestrain's one gimmick is advance & charge, but when you can deep strike all your infantry 9" away and get charge bonuses for them, you don't really need that ability. There are edge-case situations where their movement range will give them a good advantage, but is it worth 150+ points per unit? I remain unconvinced, although I'm definitely open to hearing how people have effectively used them in pure GSC armies...

They killed the unit when they they didn't give them Chapter Tactics... That would have made them somewhat viable with their profile

( I edited this because my first response was a bit defensive and that isn't needed, as was my earlier one. I apologize if it felt like an attack, that was foolish.)

Everyone plays on different tables with different metas and for different reasons.

In my area, terrain plays a bigger factor I suspect, and therefore deep striking is not an essential thing and I'd like to save my great strategem for another unit to use. I have had good luck with them against horde style troop armies because of their great movement, as well as units sitting on flanking objectives with units deployed nearby to stop deep striking (a common tactic here is to not surround units, but to cover just enough to use the table edges and the 9" range on the corners. Fast units can use those open edges to race through). It is a rare game indeed where you cannot advance and keep hidden a unit on the first turn at my FLGS. And they are an effective second turn charge.

Thanks for some answers and some insight. The question probably wasn't that deep or required any brilliance. I am stuck between 11, 12, and 13.

edwardmyst wrote:
Anyone with a useful suggestion on the actual topic? Blanket absolutes essentially based on opinion never help discussion much.

It's a different story if you add Hive fleet ones into the mix, as the issue is that cult ambush isn't worth losing the Hive fleet options and paying more points (I think) to do so. Plus troops vs elites, so easy to bring in as an ally and get more CP.
If you're just using them as GSC ones, then they don't really bring anything new into the mix that isn't done better elsewhere (especially if you need to use the stratagem to get them into charge range from ambush). So if you are going to use them, then the numbers are going to be more personal - you're taking them because you have them and don't have the alternatives or a unit that also really wants the perfect ambush strat. In which case you probably know their likely targets, so can calculate how much overwatch fire you're going to take. So take enough to have 10 after that - or to do what you want them to do.

If you know what you want them to do, we can help with the maths to say whether they can or not or how likely they are to succeed. But as a general strategy, the rest of the codex is just so good in comparison that the better use of them is abducting and infecting people in back alleys off the table.
But if you really want to use them, and make them work for you - take them as allies, and then they can bring something unique to the table. Kraken's blistering speed is most popular, but I could also see a use for Kronus or Behemoth too.