Genestealer Cult are in a rough spot right now. Luckily, there’s a way to keep up speed until the codex hits, and perhaps even after as well. Check this out.
Genestealer Cult are strictly a guerilla warfare-type army. They’re designed to strike fast and fade away. Any unit that gets caught out in some gunfire is sure to get wiped away. The Cult wouldn’t be so bad if they had more speed. However, because the FAQ prevents any turn one deepstriking, Cult players essentially have to bear the wrath of the enemy for a turn.
There is one way, however, to keep your early game strong. If you haven’t seen the official ambush/stratagem previews on GSC yet, be sure to check them out!
Vigilus: Deliverance Broodsurge
It’s a risky move, but there is a way for Cult players to reach out and touch their opponent turn one. Let’s go over the Deliverance Broodsurge.
Going over the new detachment, you’re going to need a Goliath Truck and some Acolyte/Neophyte Hybrids. Gear these guys up cheap and purposed for killing screens… They’re going to die.
You want to put your Neophytes or Acolytes inside the Goliath truck from your formation and set it right on the line of your deployment. If you go first, you’ll want to move the truck and advance it. (Look for the big 6″ because you’ll be going a whopping 18 inches). Then, you’ll be popping the Reckless Maneuver Stratagem. You’ll have to treat your guys like the vehicle got wrecked by rolling a D6 for everyone inside and try to not roll any 1s. But assuming everything goes according to plan, you can hop out within 3″ of the truck. Hopefully, you’ll be in charge range (Or at least rapid fire range).
Side note: Some deployments are better than others for this strategy. If you play on table quarters, for example, there’s only a small “no man’s land” bubble separating you from the enemy. You’ll definitely be able to get well within their lines and force them to react nonetheless.
The Goal Is Making a Hole
If you used Neophytes, you can unload a flurry of twenty S3-S4 shotgun blasts. But let’s say you went with Acolytes. You’ll want to make a successful charge. If you do, you should be able to tie up a few different units or outright slaughter one. Remember, your Acolytes come stock with rending claws. If everything goes according to plan, you should have a hole big enough for your Rock Saws/ Aberrants to get through next turn.
If your Acolytes ended up bum-rushing a unit with a higher toughness like Ogryn or Nobz, you can pop the First to Draw Blood strat. This is just to help you make sure you kill the unit.
The real power in the Genestealer Cult right now is through turn two and three. Most of the time, you won’t have a hole big enough in the enemy screen until the end of turn two. Then, turn three is when you drop your hammers and bash the armor that’s been shredding your dudes.
Looking at the Deliverance Broodsurge, it is risky and deployment dependent. But it’s a great way to apply pressure turn one and distract the enemy from the rest of your force.
Hopefully, Genestealer Cult won’t be forced to take throw away units in order to stay relevant in the game when their codex hits. What do you think GSC need the most? Should they be able to deepstrike turn one? Have you used this tactic before? Let us know in the comments of our Facebook Hobby Group.
About the Author: Wesley Floyd
