Learn more about the insidious Genestealer cults and the facade of the Four Armed Emperor, as he does NOT protects us from the foul darkness!
Source: our friends at Lexicanum
A Genestealer Cult is a community of Genestealers, genestealer hybrids, as well as the completely human convert-hosts, infected victims and genetic relatives known as Brood Brothers, existing within another society.
Background
Such a cult forms if a Genestealer infects members of another species with its genotype. The resultant changes in the genome of the host cause a fanatical loyalty to the Genestealers as well as a drastic change to their reproductive system; their firstborn children will be Hybrids, a grotesque mixture of the host’s race and Genestealers. These hybrids infect further victims, and the infection spreads exponentially. Fourth generation hybrids produce Purestrain Genestealers, and the cycle starts once again.
This brood of Purestrains, hybrids and Brood Brothers is held together by strong psychic and genetic bonds, and assembles around the original Genestealer which becomes the Patriarch. Because this community is often hidden behind the facade of a religion or political movement, it is called a Genestealer Cult by the Imperium.
Hierarchy
At the top of a Genestealer Cult stands the Patriarch – he determines every action of the cult as its progenitor – he is beloved and seen as a kind of father-figure or, in the case of the Brood Brothers, as a god. Besides him in the hierarchy stands the Magus and Primus, hybrids of the fourth generation, who operates as a public leadership figure. Patriarch, Magus, and Primus form, together with the other hybrids and Genestealers, an inner circle which is responsible for leading the cult. Beneath them are the Genestealer Hybrids, Genestealer Aberrants, and Genestealer Familiars.
Brood Brothers may exist outside the cult but are still ultimately part of the clan. Even further outside stand the uninfected allies of the cult, mostly members of suppressed minorities, social fringe groups as well as mutants. These groups are not considered ideal hosts as they cannot contribute to the cult’s political power. They are mostly seen as unessential elements, of use only when the cult actively rebels, and are exploited ruthlessly. The Patriarch and the Magus hold the highest level of leadership within the cult. The death of either, or worse, both figures causes at first confusion among the cult members. The order structure, however, can adapt and recover rather fast, and even the deaths of both figures will not shatter or destroy a cult. In the case of the Patriarch’s death, the Magus assumes the sole leadership over the cult, until the next oldest Purestrain Genestealer becomes the new Patriarch.
Genestealer Cults and Tyranids
Genestealer Cult forces
Genestealers are effectively the heralds of Tyranid invasions, because the psychic power of the Patriarch shines like a beacon in the Warp and is perceived by the Hive Fleets of the Tyranids. As the cult’s power grows over the world, the beacon becomes stronger, signaling to the Tyranids the location of a biologically rich world. By the time the Hive Fleets arrive, the world may already be completely in the hands of the genestealer cult, or torn apart by civil war between the cult and the remaining free society, or at least weakened and rife with traitors. However, after the planet comes to the Hive Fleet’s notice, the destiny of the cult is sealed, because all surviving members are absorbed like the rest of the planet.
Genestealer Cults in the Imperium
Even before Genestealers were revealed as being a part of the Tyranid race, their infiltration of human worlds was a dire threat. A single Genestealer or infected human on a planet can easily lead to the corruption of the planet’s entire human population. Once a cult achieves numerical advantage, the planet becomes doomed. At a certain point the only sensible option would be to sterilize the planet through exterminatus.
At first Genestealers and their methods of reproduction were poorly understood, and the menace they presented terribly underestimated. With the investigation of the reproductive cycle and the aggressive propagation resulting from it, this changed. As deeper knowledge of Genestealer cults was gained by the Imperium and the Inquisition, subtle hints could uncover the existence of Genestealer cults within human societies. Infiltrated planets could be recognized and cleansed of Genestealers and infected humans by Space Marine troops or even by Exterminatus.
A cult is often not recognized as a threat to the planet – its activity in achieving power at first being purely through subvert, non-violent means. If it is recognized for what it is, the cult takes overt military action to survive.
The following planets are examples of Imperial worlds infiltrated by Genestealer Cults:
Genestealer Cults in alien societies
An Ork/Genestealer Brood
Genestealers are not limited to infecting humans; virtually any race or species can be infested, including Orks. However, broods within a society such as Orks are seldom big or long-lasting on account of the special life cycle and the extremely intolerant structure of society of the Orkoid species. In fact, Orks seem to be rather unpopular hosts, and serve mostly only as a kind of interim solution, until more worthwhile victims are available. Genestealer infections can only thrive in large, and relatively open societies such as those of humanity.
Background Information
Genestealers were introduced in the First Edition of Warhammer 40,000. At the time, though Genestealers could infect and reproduce with any type of creature, purestrain Genestealers could originate only from the infection of a creature known as aCsith. There was no Genestealer cult, as a host died with the “birth” of the hybrid-genestealer.
With the appearance of the board game Space Hulk and extensive articles in White Dwarf issues 114, 115 and 116, the Genestealers and their offspring were newly conceived as cult-like communities of Genestealers, hybrids and fully human Brood Brothers, with a strict hierarchy, and a complicated and unique generation cycle. They represented a terribly insidious threat to the Imperium, infecting it from within and spreading like a virus. These Genestealer Clans could also become “Genestealer Cults” by worshipping Chaos. Such Chaos cults included Beastmen, mutants and daemons in the army.
With the board game Advanced Space Crusade, the Genestealers were associated with the Tyranids and now their infiltration served as a preparation for the invasion by a Hive Fleet. This version has remained the same to this day and led to a certain decrease of the importance of Genestealer cult armies in Warhammer 40,000. While in the Second Edition they were still a separate army, and an additional force list in Codex: Tyranids (2nd Edition), in the Third Edition the Genestealer cult army appeared only as a semi-official Chapter Approved army list in the Citadel Journal (40 and 41), written by Tim Huckelbery.
About the Author: Rob Baer
Rob Baer
Job Title: Managing Editor
Founded Spikey Bits in 2009
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About Rob Baer: Founder, Publisher, & Managing Editor of Spikey Bits, the leading tabletop gaming news website focused on the hobby side of wargaming and miniatures.
Rob also co-founded and currently hosts the Long War Podcast, which has over 350 episodes and focuses on tabletop miniatures gaming, specializing in Warhammer 40k. and spent six years writing for Bell of Lost Souls.
Every year, along with his co-hosts, he helps host the Long War 40k Doubles Tournament at Adepticon and the Long War 40k Doubles at Las Vegas Open, which attracts over 350 players from around the world.
Rob has won many Warhammer 40k Tournaments over the years, including multiple first-place finishes in Warhammer 40k Grand Tournaments over the years and even winning 1st place at the Adepticon 40k Team Tournament.
With over 30 years of experience in retail and distribution, Rob knows all the products and exactly which ones are the best. As a member of GAMA (Game Manufacturers Association), he advocates for gaming stores and manufacturers in these difficult times, always looking for the next big thing to feature for the miniatures hobby, helping everyone to provide the value consumers want.
While he’s played every edition of Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Fantasy (since 5th Edition) and has been hobbying on miniatures since the 1980s, Titans of all sizes will always be his favorite! It’s even rumored that his hobby vault rivals the Solemnance Galleries, containing rulebooks filled with lore from editions long past, ancient packs of black-bordered Magic Cards, and models made of both pewter and resin.
