Document Text Contents
Page 1
Bell of Lost Souls Presents:
GENESTEALER
CULTS
Children of the Great Father v1.0
Bigred; Adeptus Administratum Curator
Mkerr; Autosavant
Page 2
INTRODUCTION
Welcome, friend, to an index of forbidden lore. Find herein details of the
nefarious Genestealer Cults, who lie in wait, patiently gnawing at the
underbelly of the Imperium. Their number is unknowable; their determination
is absolute. When the Children of the Great Father rise, calamity, destruction
and despair walk in their wake.
FROM THE AUTHOR
We hope this will be an exciting and fun-filled
Warhammer 40,000 supplement. The Genestealer Cult
has been with us from as far back as Rogue Trader in the
late 1980s. Back then, we had no idea of the connections
between the utterly alien Genestealers and the Tyranid
Hivefleets; one of the great “unveilings” GW has ever
pulled off in the history of Warhammer 40,000. The list
however has stuck with us and stayed in a nice warm
part of our hearts.
The Cult list saw several iterations over the years,
starting with a couple of simple lists back in Rogue Trader
(including a Chaos-infused Genestealer Cult variant, no
less) and an update in the Citadel Journal many years
later during 3rd Edition. The list saw its golden era
during the days of Space Hulk and its expansion packs
and it seemed back then that everyone and their brother
had a bagful of genestealers and hybrids.
This list is an effort to refresh the Genestealer Cult for
the first time since its link to the Tyranid Hivefleets was
established, and in general to bring it forward into the
“present” of Warhammer 40,000. The army has been
updated and brought into the “new-style” codex layout
we have seen out of GW of late.
The list will get your creative juices flowing and allow a
set of enthusiast gamers and modelers a chance to dive
into fun games with a host of exotic but very familiar
(and probably dusty) units.
It is a labor of love and I sincerely hope you have a great
time taking the Genestealer Cult out for a spin.
-bigred
WHY COLLECT A GENESTEALER CULT?
At the end of the day, the Genestealer Cult is an army for
true believers. If you are looking for whiz-bang weapons,
ceramite encased warriors or unstoppable tanks, you’ve
found the wrong list. If however you have a bent towards
the subversive, if you root for the underdog, or if you
just want to show the Imperium what a band of raging
fanatics backed up by their scheming masters can do,
then look no further.
The Genestealer Cult is a list that combines some of the
cheapest, lowest quality units in the game with some
aggressive elites and heavy support choices. It is an
army that can be built out in a great variety of ways and
is a blast to play. As the Orks say; “If you win, you win
and if you lose it don’t count”...as you can always try, try
again.
HOW THIS MINI-DEX WORKS
This mini-dex is split into three main sections that deal
with different aspects of the army.
Children of the Great Father: This section goes over
the background of Genestealer Cults, how they are
formed, and how they fight. It describes the lifecycle
of the cult from initial infection all the way through to
planetary uprisings and assimilation by the Tyranid
Hivefleets.
Hobby Section: This section shows the cult in action on
the tabletop with an emphasis on painting and modeling
the army.
Genestealer Cult Army List: This section covers the
special rules and wargear available to the army and
presents each unit arranged so you can easily choose
an army for your games. A Force Organization chart is
listed along with the point values of each unit so army
construction can be done easily.
Legal Disclaimer
The authors of this document make no claims on the ownership of Warhammer 40,000 and the other fictional
residents of that universe. They are property of Games Workshop, Black Library, and undoubtedly other individuals
of whom I am only peripherally aware. The authors of this work receive no monetary benefit from their work and
intend neither copyright infringement nor slight to the actual owners. We love the game and the fiction; otherwise we
wouldn’t be doing this.
2
Page 9
0-1 GENESTEALER PATRIARCH COST: 90 POINTS
WS BS S T W I A Ld Sv
Patriarch 6 0 5 5 3 5 3 10 4+
Unit Type:
Infantry•
Number/squad:
1•
Wargear:
Rending claws•
Unit Type:
Infantry•
Number/squad:
1•
Wargear:
•
Laspistol•
Power weapon•
Biomorphs:
May have one of the following •
Tyranid Biomorphs:
- Reinforced Chitin for +10pts
- Implant attack for +12 pts
- Flesh hooks for +4 pts
Transport:
The Patriarch and up to one •
Genestealer bodyguard brood
may select a Coven Limousine
as a dedicated transport vehicle
for +35 pts
Transport:
The Magus and up to one •
Hybrid bodyguard brood with
no heavy weapons may select a
Coven Limousine as a dedicated
transport vehicle for +35 pts
Special Rules:
Independent character•
Psyker•
Fearless•
•
•
Inhuman strength•
Special Rules:
Independent character•
Psyker•
Fearless•
Voice of reason•
•
Options:
May replace laspistol with one •
of the following:
- Bolt pistol for +1 pt
- Plasma pistol for +10 pts
SPECIAL RULES:
Inhuman Strength. So powerful is the Patriarch that all wounds caused by it ignore armor saves in the same manner
as power weapons.
Live to Fight. Cult Leaders have a strong sense of self-preservation. At the beginning of the Leader’s movement
phase, and for his Movement phase only, the model is not considered locked in close combat. This means that he can
move normally; leaving an ongoing close combat, ignoring any units with which he was engaged. A Leader may not
assault on the turn he uses the Live to Fight ability.
HQ
0-1 GENESTEALER MAGUS COST: 50 POINTS
WS BS S T W I A Ld Sv
Magus 3 4 3 3 2 4 1+1 9 -
SPECIAL RULES:
Live to Fight. Cult Leaders have a strong sense of self-preservation. At the beginning of the Leader’s movement
phase, and for his Movement phase only, the model is not considered locked in close combat. This means that he can
move normally; leaving an ongoing close combat, ignoring any units with which he was engaged. A Leader may not
assault on the turn he uses the Live to Fight ability.
9Genestealer Cults
Page 10
Unit Composition:
3 Genestealers•
Unit Type:
Infantry•
Wargear:
Rending claws•
Special Rules:
Fleet•
Move through cover•
Unit Composition:
3 Hybrids•
1 Acolyte•
Unit Type:
Infantry•
Wargear:
Laspistol•
Frag grenades•
Scything talon•
Special Rules:
Infiltrate•
Transport:
The squad may select a Coven •
Limousine as a dedicated
transport vehicle for +35 pts
Up to two Hybrids may use the •
following options:
Replace their laspistol with one
of the following:
Autocannon for +15 pts-
Missile Launcher for +15 pts-
Flamer for +8 pts-
Transport:
A squad with no heavy weapons •
may select a Coven Limousine
as a dedicated transport vehicle
for +35 pts. They lose the
Infiltrate special rule.
Options:
The unit may include up to •
three additional Genestealers
for +16 pts each
The entire squad may have any •
of the following biomorphs if
they do not have a transport
option:
- scuttlers biomorph for
+3 pts each
- extended carapace
biomorph for +4pts each
Character:
The Acolyte may have the •
rending claw biomorph for +5
pts
The Acolyte may have a second •
scything talon biomorph for +3
pts
Options:
The squad may include up to •
four additional Hybrids for +10
pts each
GENESTEALER BROOD COST: 50 POINTS
WS BS S T W I A Ld Sv
Genestealer 6 0 4 4 1 6 2 10 5+
Note: A Genestealer Cult that includes a Patriarch may also include one Genestealer Brood as a
bodyguard. Only this unit gains the Devoted special rule. Additionally, the Genestealer bodyguard brood
The bodyguard’s only transport option is the Patriarch’s Coven Limousine.
HYBRID BROOD COST: 45 POINTS
WS BS S T W I A Ld Sv
Hybrid 4 3 3 3 1 5 1+1 8 5+
Hybrid Acolyte 4 3 3 3 1 5 2+1 8 5+
Note: A Genestealer Cult that includes a Magus may also include one Hybrid Brood as a bodyguard. Only
this unit gains the Devoted special rule. Additionally, the Hybrid bodyguard brood does not take up any
transport option is the Magus’s Coven Limousine.
SPECIAL RULES (bodyguard unit only):
Devoted: The elite forces of a Genestealer Cult surround their masters, and willingly lay down their lives to defend
them. If a Patriarch or Magus suffers a wound from any enemy source, he may allocate that wound to any model
within 6” with the devoted rule. The wound is allocated before saving throws are attempted.
SPECIAL RULES (bodyguard unit only):
Devoted: The elite forces of a Genestealer Cult surround their masters, and willingly lay down their lives to defend
them. If a Patriarch or Magus suffers a wound from any enemy source, he may allocate that wound to any model
within 6” with the devoted rule. The wound is allocated before saving throws are attempted.
ELITES
10
Page 17
17 www.belloflostsouls.blogspot.com
GENESTEALER CULT UPRISING POINTS: 150 + MODELS
FORMATION:
1 Patriarch (genestealer brood optional)
1 Magus (genestealer hybrid brood optional)
2-3 Genestealer or Genestealer Hybrid units
3-6 Brood Brother units
3+ Brood Initiate units
Note: All units must come from the Genestealer Cults army list.
SPECIAL RULES:
“Watch for Civies”: All formation infantry units gain a 5+ cover
save on turn one. Cult vehicles cannot be selected as targets on
turn one unless they move, fire or no other target is in line of sight.
Jammers: The formation gains the Jammers strategic asset.
Genestealer Cults are among the most insidious threats to the
Imperium. These secret covens spread their combination of false
belief and Tyranid infection throughout a world’s society, subverting
it completely in mere decades. It is only through the unwavering
vigilance of both the Inquisition and the Ministorum that the
majority of these cults are uncovered and destroyed in brutal purges.
Once rooted out and brought to battle, a Genestealer Cult is a terrible
foe. Led by their Patriarch and Magus leaders, hundreds of the infected
followers take to the streets. The Cult throws itself at opponents in a
mass of mob violence, backed up by the Cult’s inner coven of Hybrids and
Genestealers. Their enemy are often caught up in the sudden and chaotic
civilian violence and find themselves surrounded and overrun by the
seething masses.
B
R
O
O
D
IN
IT
IA
T
E
S
Unit 10
B
R
O
O
D
B
R
O
T
H
E
R
S
Unit 7
B
R
O
O
D
IN
IT
IA
T
E
S
Unit 8
B
R
O
O
D
B
R
O
T
H
E
R
S
Unit 5
G
E
N
E
S
T
E
A
L
E
R
S
Unit 3
P
A
T
R
IA
R
C
H
Unit 1
B
R
O
O
D
IN
IT
IA
T
E
S
Unit 9
B
R
O
O
D
B
R
O
T
H
E
R
S
Unit 6
G
E
N
E
S
T
E
A
L
E
R
H
Y
B
R
ID
S
Unit 4
M
A
G
U
S
Unit 2
Page 18
www.belloflostsouls.blogspot.com
Legal Disclaimer
residents of that universe. They are property of Games Workshop, Black Library, and undoubtedly other individuals
wouldn’t be doing this.
The Great
Father
Approaches
The Great
Father
Approaches
Bell of Lost Souls Presents:
GENESTEALER
CULTS
Children of the Great Father v1.0
Bigred; Adeptus Administratum Curator
Mkerr; Autosavant
Page 2
INTRODUCTION
Welcome, friend, to an index of forbidden lore. Find herein details of the
nefarious Genestealer Cults, who lie in wait, patiently gnawing at the
underbelly of the Imperium. Their number is unknowable; their determination
is absolute. When the Children of the Great Father rise, calamity, destruction
and despair walk in their wake.
FROM THE AUTHOR
We hope this will be an exciting and fun-filled
Warhammer 40,000 supplement. The Genestealer Cult
has been with us from as far back as Rogue Trader in the
late 1980s. Back then, we had no idea of the connections
between the utterly alien Genestealers and the Tyranid
Hivefleets; one of the great “unveilings” GW has ever
pulled off in the history of Warhammer 40,000. The list
however has stuck with us and stayed in a nice warm
part of our hearts.
The Cult list saw several iterations over the years,
starting with a couple of simple lists back in Rogue Trader
(including a Chaos-infused Genestealer Cult variant, no
less) and an update in the Citadel Journal many years
later during 3rd Edition. The list saw its golden era
during the days of Space Hulk and its expansion packs
and it seemed back then that everyone and their brother
had a bagful of genestealers and hybrids.
This list is an effort to refresh the Genestealer Cult for
the first time since its link to the Tyranid Hivefleets was
established, and in general to bring it forward into the
“present” of Warhammer 40,000. The army has been
updated and brought into the “new-style” codex layout
we have seen out of GW of late.
The list will get your creative juices flowing and allow a
set of enthusiast gamers and modelers a chance to dive
into fun games with a host of exotic but very familiar
(and probably dusty) units.
It is a labor of love and I sincerely hope you have a great
time taking the Genestealer Cult out for a spin.
-bigred
WHY COLLECT A GENESTEALER CULT?
At the end of the day, the Genestealer Cult is an army for
true believers. If you are looking for whiz-bang weapons,
ceramite encased warriors or unstoppable tanks, you’ve
found the wrong list. If however you have a bent towards
the subversive, if you root for the underdog, or if you
just want to show the Imperium what a band of raging
fanatics backed up by their scheming masters can do,
then look no further.
The Genestealer Cult is a list that combines some of the
cheapest, lowest quality units in the game with some
aggressive elites and heavy support choices. It is an
army that can be built out in a great variety of ways and
is a blast to play. As the Orks say; “If you win, you win
and if you lose it don’t count”...as you can always try, try
again.
HOW THIS MINI-DEX WORKS
This mini-dex is split into three main sections that deal
with different aspects of the army.
Children of the Great Father: This section goes over
the background of Genestealer Cults, how they are
formed, and how they fight. It describes the lifecycle
of the cult from initial infection all the way through to
planetary uprisings and assimilation by the Tyranid
Hivefleets.
Hobby Section: This section shows the cult in action on
the tabletop with an emphasis on painting and modeling
the army.
Genestealer Cult Army List: This section covers the
special rules and wargear available to the army and
presents each unit arranged so you can easily choose
an army for your games. A Force Organization chart is
listed along with the point values of each unit so army
construction can be done easily.
Legal Disclaimer
The authors of this document make no claims on the ownership of Warhammer 40,000 and the other fictional
residents of that universe. They are property of Games Workshop, Black Library, and undoubtedly other individuals
of whom I am only peripherally aware. The authors of this work receive no monetary benefit from their work and
intend neither copyright infringement nor slight to the actual owners. We love the game and the fiction; otherwise we
wouldn’t be doing this.
2
Page 9
0-1 GENESTEALER PATRIARCH COST: 90 POINTS
WS BS S T W I A Ld Sv
Patriarch 6 0 5 5 3 5 3 10 4+
Unit Type:
Infantry•
Number/squad:
1•
Wargear:
Rending claws•
Unit Type:
Infantry•
Number/squad:
1•
Wargear:
•
Laspistol•
Power weapon•
Biomorphs:
May have one of the following •
Tyranid Biomorphs:
- Reinforced Chitin for +10pts
- Implant attack for +12 pts
- Flesh hooks for +4 pts
Transport:
The Patriarch and up to one •
Genestealer bodyguard brood
may select a Coven Limousine
as a dedicated transport vehicle
for +35 pts
Transport:
The Magus and up to one •
Hybrid bodyguard brood with
no heavy weapons may select a
Coven Limousine as a dedicated
transport vehicle for +35 pts
Special Rules:
Independent character•
Psyker•
Fearless•
•
•
Inhuman strength•
Special Rules:
Independent character•
Psyker•
Fearless•
Voice of reason•
•
Options:
May replace laspistol with one •
of the following:
- Bolt pistol for +1 pt
- Plasma pistol for +10 pts
SPECIAL RULES:
Inhuman Strength. So powerful is the Patriarch that all wounds caused by it ignore armor saves in the same manner
as power weapons.
Live to Fight. Cult Leaders have a strong sense of self-preservation. At the beginning of the Leader’s movement
phase, and for his Movement phase only, the model is not considered locked in close combat. This means that he can
move normally; leaving an ongoing close combat, ignoring any units with which he was engaged. A Leader may not
assault on the turn he uses the Live to Fight ability.
HQ
0-1 GENESTEALER MAGUS COST: 50 POINTS
WS BS S T W I A Ld Sv
Magus 3 4 3 3 2 4 1+1 9 -
SPECIAL RULES:
Live to Fight. Cult Leaders have a strong sense of self-preservation. At the beginning of the Leader’s movement
phase, and for his Movement phase only, the model is not considered locked in close combat. This means that he can
move normally; leaving an ongoing close combat, ignoring any units with which he was engaged. A Leader may not
assault on the turn he uses the Live to Fight ability.
9Genestealer Cults
Page 10
Unit Composition:
3 Genestealers•
Unit Type:
Infantry•
Wargear:
Rending claws•
Special Rules:
Fleet•
Move through cover•
Unit Composition:
3 Hybrids•
1 Acolyte•
Unit Type:
Infantry•
Wargear:
Laspistol•
Frag grenades•
Scything talon•
Special Rules:
Infiltrate•
Transport:
The squad may select a Coven •
Limousine as a dedicated
transport vehicle for +35 pts
Up to two Hybrids may use the •
following options:
Replace their laspistol with one
of the following:
Autocannon for +15 pts-
Missile Launcher for +15 pts-
Flamer for +8 pts-
Transport:
A squad with no heavy weapons •
may select a Coven Limousine
as a dedicated transport vehicle
for +35 pts. They lose the
Infiltrate special rule.
Options:
The unit may include up to •
three additional Genestealers
for +16 pts each
The entire squad may have any •
of the following biomorphs if
they do not have a transport
option:
- scuttlers biomorph for
+3 pts each
- extended carapace
biomorph for +4pts each
Character:
The Acolyte may have the •
rending claw biomorph for +5
pts
The Acolyte may have a second •
scything talon biomorph for +3
pts
Options:
The squad may include up to •
four additional Hybrids for +10
pts each
GENESTEALER BROOD COST: 50 POINTS
WS BS S T W I A Ld Sv
Genestealer 6 0 4 4 1 6 2 10 5+
Note: A Genestealer Cult that includes a Patriarch may also include one Genestealer Brood as a
bodyguard. Only this unit gains the Devoted special rule. Additionally, the Genestealer bodyguard brood
The bodyguard’s only transport option is the Patriarch’s Coven Limousine.
HYBRID BROOD COST: 45 POINTS
WS BS S T W I A Ld Sv
Hybrid 4 3 3 3 1 5 1+1 8 5+
Hybrid Acolyte 4 3 3 3 1 5 2+1 8 5+
Note: A Genestealer Cult that includes a Magus may also include one Hybrid Brood as a bodyguard. Only
this unit gains the Devoted special rule. Additionally, the Hybrid bodyguard brood does not take up any
transport option is the Magus’s Coven Limousine.
SPECIAL RULES (bodyguard unit only):
Devoted: The elite forces of a Genestealer Cult surround their masters, and willingly lay down their lives to defend
them. If a Patriarch or Magus suffers a wound from any enemy source, he may allocate that wound to any model
within 6” with the devoted rule. The wound is allocated before saving throws are attempted.
SPECIAL RULES (bodyguard unit only):
Devoted: The elite forces of a Genestealer Cult surround their masters, and willingly lay down their lives to defend
them. If a Patriarch or Magus suffers a wound from any enemy source, he may allocate that wound to any model
within 6” with the devoted rule. The wound is allocated before saving throws are attempted.
ELITES
10
Page 17
17 www.belloflostsouls.blogspot.com
GENESTEALER CULT UPRISING POINTS: 150 + MODELS
FORMATION:
1 Patriarch (genestealer brood optional)
1 Magus (genestealer hybrid brood optional)
2-3 Genestealer or Genestealer Hybrid units
3-6 Brood Brother units
3+ Brood Initiate units
Note: All units must come from the Genestealer Cults army list.
SPECIAL RULES:
“Watch for Civies”: All formation infantry units gain a 5+ cover
save on turn one. Cult vehicles cannot be selected as targets on
turn one unless they move, fire or no other target is in line of sight.
Jammers: The formation gains the Jammers strategic asset.
Genestealer Cults are among the most insidious threats to the
Imperium. These secret covens spread their combination of false
belief and Tyranid infection throughout a world’s society, subverting
it completely in mere decades. It is only through the unwavering
vigilance of both the Inquisition and the Ministorum that the
majority of these cults are uncovered and destroyed in brutal purges.
Once rooted out and brought to battle, a Genestealer Cult is a terrible
foe. Led by their Patriarch and Magus leaders, hundreds of the infected
followers take to the streets. The Cult throws itself at opponents in a
mass of mob violence, backed up by the Cult’s inner coven of Hybrids and
Genestealers. Their enemy are often caught up in the sudden and chaotic
civilian violence and find themselves surrounded and overrun by the
seething masses.
B
R
O
O
D
IN
IT
IA
T
E
S
Unit 10
B
R
O
O
D
B
R
O
T
H
E
R
S
Unit 7
B
R
O
O
D
IN
IT
IA
T
E
S
Unit 8
B
R
O
O
D
B
R
O
T
H
E
R
S
Unit 5
G
E
N
E
S
T
E
A
L
E
R
S
Unit 3
P
A
T
R
IA
R
C
H
Unit 1
B
R
O
O
D
IN
IT
IA
T
E
S
Unit 9
B
R
O
O
D
B
R
O
T
H
E
R
S
Unit 6
G
E
N
E
S
T
E
A
L
E
R
H
Y
B
R
ID
S
Unit 4
M
A
G
U
S
Unit 2
Page 18
www.belloflostsouls.blogspot.com
Legal Disclaimer
residents of that universe. They are property of Games Workshop, Black Library, and undoubtedly other individuals
wouldn’t be doing this.
The Great
Father
Approaches
The Great
Father
Approaches
