I had a great time at AdeptiCon, buying lots of stuff and playing tons of great games. My Friday was spent playing in MiniWargaming's Oscinia narrative campaign day. I brought a 2,000 point Genestealer Cult list and managed to go 1-2, winning one game pretty big, losing one game decisively and losing one game pretty badly.
I think the two losses were bad matchups, however with some better charge rolls I could have done better in the closer loss. Custodes are just impossible because they have tons of re-rolls, armor saves, and high volume shooting attacks. I think perhaps with a new codex if all we get are lowered point values I'll do better, but we'll need better rules as well to win more.
My list includes a decent amount of variety with some armor, lots of bodies, and some Forge World stuff. I've played quite a bit with this current list and I feel pretty comfortable using it. That isn't to say that I'm winning a lot, just that I know how to use the mechanics and rules etc.
2000 MWG [99 PL, 1978pts]
Battalion Detachment +3CP (Tyranids - Genestealer Cults) [73 PL, 1469pts]
HQ
Primus [4 PL, 76pts] Bonesword
Magus [5 PL, 97pts] 2x Familiar, Power: Might From Beyond
Magus [5 PL, 97pts] 2x Familiar, Power: Mass Hypnosis
I've been using this for a bit and I love the two magi - they're great models and they're very evocative of the theme of GSC. The Primus is incredibly useful now after Chapter Approved 2017; you can spend one command point to roll three(!) dice on the ambush table and choose which one you'd like. He can also then reroll those dice if they're not good enough.
I may consider dropping one magus and putting in another Primus (my Sly Marbo primus) just because those ambush rules are so good. The Primus is very good in close combat. Magi are pretty great with their force staves too. Mass Hypnosis is hopefully cast on a unit that I'm charging after a cult ambush to save a ton of overwatch fire coming my way.
Acolyte Hybrids [10 PL, 189pts] Cult Icon
5x Acolyte Hybrid
Acolyte Hybrid (Heavy Weapon) Autopistol, Heavy Rock Saw x3
Acolyte Hybrid (Heavy Weapon) Autopistol, Demolition Charges
Acolyte Leader Lash Whip and Bonesword
Acolyte Hybrids [10 PL, 217pts] Cult Icon
5x Acolyte Hybrid
Acolyte Hybrid (Heavy Weapon) Autopistol, Heavy Rock Drill x2
Acolyte Hybrid (Heavy Weapon) Autopistol, Demolition Charges x2
Acolyte Leader Lash Whip and Bonesword
Acolyte Hybrids [10 PL, 216pts] Cult Icon
5x Acolyte Hybrid
Acolyte Hybrid (Heavy Weapon) Autopistol, Heavy Rock Cutter x3
Acolyte Hybrid (Heavy Weapon) Autopistol, Demolition Charges
Acolyte Leader Lash Whip and Bonesword
These are the units that are doing a lot of the work. Rending claws help wreck infantry and the heavy mining gear takes down vehicles and monsters. Hopefully I can get off a Might From Beyond on one of these units to add attacks and strength when I really need to take something down. The demo charges are included just in case I have a time when I need a shooting attack.
Overall I was very happy with how these units did in the campaign games. They can fight infantry or vehicles and do well. I wish they were a little tougher against shooting - often times if they miss a charge or totally destroy their enemy they just get swept off the board by small arms.
Neophyte Hybrids [5 PL,73pts]
7x Neophyte Hybrid
Neophyte Hybrid (Special Weapon) Webber x2
Neophyte Leader Power Pick, Web Pistol
Neophyte Hybrids [5 PL, 69pts]
8x Neophyte Hybrid
Neophyte Hybrid (Special Weapon) Grenade Launcher x2
Neophyte Leader Autopistol, Power Maul
These guys are basically guardsmen with autoguns and some special weapons. They really don't do much, to be honest. They sit on objectives and sometimes pop out and back in with cult ambush later in the game to jump on an objective (if they're alive). They die to a stiff breeze so really they're here to fill out the detachment and hold objectives. If they shoot anything successfully it is a bonus.
Elites
Aberrants [7 PL, 186pts]
Aberrant Power Hammer x5
These guys ride in the Rockgrinder and jump out and hammer stuff. In the three games I played they probably made their points back. I would use them again, but I really hope they get some sort of durability change in the new codex. Being T4 and 5+ armor, they again just die to a swift breeze.
Fast Attack
Cult Armoured Sentinels [3 PL, 60pts] Lascannon
Cult Armoured Sentinels [3 PL, 60pts] Lascannon
I was pleasantly surprised by these units and I was much happier taking them than the scout heavy flamer version I've been using before. I plop these down on the flanks and help push off deep strikes as well as take potshots and see what I can do D6 damage to. I would definitely take these again.
Heavy Support
Goliath Rockgrinder [6 PL, 136pts] Cache of Demolition Charges, Clearance Incinerator, Heavy Stubber
I had been using this unit with a Heavy Seismic Cannon forever (it was better in 7th edition) but recently changed to the Clearance Incinerator and I couldn't be happier. It actually hits things and does damage. It is a perfect 'soften up' tool for when the Rockgrinder is going to charge in.
Spearhead Detachment +1CP (Imperium - Astra Militarum) [26 PL, 522pts]
HQ
Tank Commander [12 PL, 234pts] Display Tank Orders, Grand Strategist, Heavy Flamer, Plasma Cannons, Warlord
Command Executioner - Turret-mounted Executioner Plasma Cannon
I've been using this as my Warlord for a while. The ability to take a relic and a warlord trait that aren't garbage (the GSC ones are B L E H) is cool, and they're a really good Astra Militarum trait and relic. I've chosen to use this Plasma tank and it does really good damage and is reliable. Leman Russ tanks are in a really good place right now - very tough, lots of shots, and hits reliably if you have a command tank.
In the future, I'm going to try a battle cannon tank (specifically, a model from Victoria Miniatures that is amazing). I hope that in the future when we get our codex our relics and warlord traits are worth taking.
Fast Attack
Hellhound [6 PL, 123 pts] Heavy Flamer, Turret-mounted Inferno Cannon, Track Guards
I am very happy with this tank, even if I was using it totally incorrectly for the last few months. I have been using it as a D6 Inferno Cannon tank when in the new codex it got upgraded to 2D6 hits. It is a fast tank, it doesn't take movement detriments as it takes damage due to track guards so it just runs straight at the enemy and flames everything (with no damage output detriments from damage).
Cyclops Demolition Vehicle [3 PL, 60pts]
Cyclops Demolition Vehicle [3 PL, 60pts]
Sentinel Powerlifters [2 PL, 45pts]
The Forge World selections I have made are amazing. The two demo vehicles drive 10" each turn and in the shooting phase, explode, doing 2D6 S9 AP -2 hits to everything (even my stuff) within D6" inches. They managed to kill quite a few models in my first and third matches. I usually try to hide them behind my tanks so they can advance with everything else.
The Sentinel Powerlifter is great because it gets a scout move, so you can basically have it right up in your opponent's grill in turn one, hitting with three attacks at S10. Even if it is just holding up a Land Raider it is doing its job!
I have one more article in the hopper where I discuss unit additions I'd love to see for the Cult. Check back later and thanks for reading!
Those Demo vehicles are nuts. Sounds like Adepticon was a lot of fun.
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