As long as they remain hidden, Genestealer cults are best handled as individual encounters, but once an open uprising breaks out, the following rules can be used to manage the cult’s armies in the field. It is a hybrid (pun fully intended) of Tyranid and Imperial Guard rules.
A genestealer cult army uses the Hive War rules for constructing swarms with the following changes:
The only swarm cards from the Hive War set in use are Genestealer Broods. These are considered to have one additional outgoing arrow (as a Tyranid Warrior Brood) and any Genestealer stands are treated as if they had the Tyranid Warriors’ ability to impose orders on instinctive broods belonging to the cult.
Imperial Guard support cards (and civilian support card equivalents) may be used as swarm cards with one incoming arrow and a Hive (Brood) Mind Value equal to their normal Morale Value. These cultist and late stage hybrid broods are considered to have Instinctive Behaviour, but their instinct is neither to Rampage, Hunt, or Nest but to Fall Back (as regular Fall Back orders).
Four new swarm cards are unique to the cult, the Patriarch (one Patriarch stand with Brood Mind Value 1, 150 points) sporting six outgoing arrows, the Magus (one Magus stand with Brood Mind Value 1, 100 points) with one incoming and three outgoing arrows, the Familiar (one Familiar stand with Brood Mind Value 1, 50 points) with one incoming and three outgoing arrows, and Hybrid Broods (five Hybrid stands with Brood Mind Value 4 and Instinctive Behaviour: Hunt, 100 points) with one incoming arrow.
A genestealer cult army is usually led by the Patriach itself, but may instead be led by a Magus, in which case the Magus’ incoming arrow is ignored during swarm construction.
A genestealer cult army generates Hive Mind Cards as normal, but from a modified deck: Only include the Orders, Adrenalin Surge, Hallucinogen, Overdrive, and Overrun Assault cards in the deck, remove all other cards.
Genestealer Patriarch
The bloated ancient evil at the center of the cult’s web. The Patriarch is a psyker with the following psychic powers: Mind Control, Telepathy, and Hypnosis (target any one enemy model within 10cm and line of sight of the Patriarch, on a roll of 3+, that model may not move, shoot, or use psychic powers for the remained of the turn, and may not defend itself in close combat).
| Type | Move | Saving Throw |
CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice |
Roll to Hit |
Target’s Save Modifier |
| Patriarch | 10cm | 6+ Fixed | +7 | Claws | – | – | – | – |
| Notes |
| Brood Mind Value 1; Command Unit; Synapse; Psychic Powers; Psychic Save 4+ |
Genestealer Magus
Fourth generation hybrids and powerful psykers exerting control over the cult and brood on the Patriarch’s behalf. The Magus is a psyker with the following psychic powers: Telepathy, Biomantiv Surge, and Hypnosis (as Patriarch).
| Type | Move | Saving Throw |
CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice |
Roll to Hit |
Target’s Save Modifier |
| Magus | 10cm | – | +1 | Pistol | 25cm | 1 | 5+ | – |
| Notes |
| Brood Mind Value 1; Command Unit; Synapse; Psychic Powers; Psychic Save 4+ |
Genestealer Familiar
These diminutive abominations whisper telepathically to the more human members of the cult. Tiny and scuttling from shadow to shadow, a Familiar can only be targeted if the shooter is within 25cm of it.
| Type | Move | Saving Throw |
CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice |
Roll to Hit |
Target’s Save Modifier |
| Familiar | 10cm | 6+ Fixed | -1 | Tiny claws | – | – | – | – |
| Notes |
| Brood Mind Value 1; Command Unit; Synapse; Psychic Save 4+ |
Genestealer Hybrids
Early stage hybrids, the monstrous children of the cult, clump together in deformed broods of their own.
| Type | Move | Saving Throw |
CAF | Weapons | Range | Attack Dice |
Roll to Hit |
Target’s Save Modifier |
| Hybrids | 10cm | – | +3 | Claws and autoweapons | 25cm | 1 | 5+ | – |
| Notes |
| Brood Mind Value 4; Instinctive Behaviour: Hunt |