Time to crank it up to 11! Genestealer Cults have been operating on three psychic powers since the start of 8th edition, but now they just got MORE!
The new Cult Psychic power table is out there in the latest round of previews. Let’s break each one down and go over some of the best ways to use them.
Genestealer Cults Psychic Powers Table
Let’s go over the three we know from the index so far.
- Mass Hypnosis- (WC 7) Select an enemy unit within 18″, That unit can not overwatch, it fights last, and at a -1 penalty. You get a lot of use out of something that only costs 7. This is the perfect setup to getting the charge off on a unit that absolutely needs to go. You can use this on something like a Y’vharra and shut down the flamer overwatch hell.
- Mind Control- (WC 7) Select an enemy model within 12″ of the psyker and roll 3D6 against its leadership. If you match or exceed the leadership, you can immediately shoot or make a single close combat attack. What’s so brutal about this power is that it says You may immediately shoot…Not only one gun, but everything. If a Stormraven gets too close to you, you can take it over and fire every single weapon at the enemy. It may be worth it to have a few Maguses underground to be able to pop up and take something over (once you clear all the screen, of course).
- Might from Beyond- (WC 7) Select a friendly GSC Infantry or Biker unit from your army. Add +1 Strength and attack to all the models of the unit. This is exceptionally brutal when combined with a Genestealer blob. If you’ve got a pack of twenty rolling around with a Patriarch, that’s five attacks a piece hitting on a 2+ at S5.
Now let’s check out the new stuff we’re getting.
- Psionic Blast- (WC5) Select an enemy unit with 18″ of the Psyker and roll 2D6. If the result is less than the leadership, the unit suffers 1 mortal wound. If it is higher, it suffers D3 instead. This is literally just a targettable smite. It’s decent, but most GSC Psykers can only cast one spell and they already know smite. There may not be a real reason to take this.
- Mental Onslaught- (WC 6) Select a model within 18″ of the Psyker. Both players roll a D6 and add their leadership. If your result is higher, the enemy model suffers a mortal wound. Repeat this process until the model dies or you fail to roll higher than your opponent. This is just another poor mortal wound trick. The only thing that makes it decent is that you can target certain things. You’re still only going to get maybe one or two mortal wounds from it.
- Psychic Stimulus- (WC 6) Select a Genestealer Cults unit within 18″ of the Psyker. That unit can charge after advancing (but not falling back). In addition, it always fights first unless your opponent has a similar ability. Genestealers already have this ability with their Swift and Deadly rule. However, this is great if you wanted to use a Goliath Truck to tie up a unit for a turn, or maybe just extend the reach of your Aberrants. There’s actually quite a few decent uses for this power.
All in all, it looks like the Cults strongest powers are what was in the Index to start with. Psychic Stimulus is also very good, but the other two new powers look to be mediocre mortal wound tricks.
What do you think about the Psychic support for the GSC? Let us know in the comments of our Facebook Hobby Group.
About the Author: Wesley Floyd
Wesley Floyd
Job Title: Staff Writer
Joined: 2018
Socials: @RealmbrushPainting
About Wesley Floyd: Wes has been in the Warhammer hobby since 2015 and joined the Spikey Bits writing team in 2018. He is known for his satirist takes on trending topics and imaginative yet amazingly affordable hobby solutions to painting Warhammer miniatures.
Imperial fanboy, tabletop fanatic, and the self-proclaimed King of Sprues. He knows for a fact that Mephiston red is the best-tasting paint and is the commission painting equivalent of a Wendy’s 4 for $4. If you like what he writes and want to contact him or have your tabletop minatures painted (to a mostly okayish standard), message him on Instagram.
