The Genestealer Cults Codex is filled with complex rules interactions, in depth datasheets and a unique Custom Cults building mechanic. It took me a full week to understand things like Crossfire and Exposed, and I am still figuring out their uses for things like the Ambush Secondary. With all of the amazing rules packed into the Codex some things can be glossed over after a first read/play through. For this weeks article we will look at some of the Stratagems within the GSC Codex that get overlooked during the first read through of the Codex.
Defensive Stratagems:
One With The Shadows 1CP: Getting an additional armor save to a unit that is already receiving the +1 armor save benefit of Light Cover should not be overlooked in an army where things are extremely easy to kill. This Stratagem can get Acolytes/Neophytes up to a 3+ save while in Light Cover. This can really throw a wrench in the plan of an opponent during their Shooting Phase if they were planning to use their low AP weapons to knock some of your infantry off of Objectives or away from their gunlines. Getting a unit in cover +2 to their armor save is a 33% increase in their survivability, and when playing an army as fragile as GSC you will need every defensive bonus available to keep some units alive throughout the game.
Lurk In The Shadows 2CP: This needs to be used at the start of your opponent’s Shooting Phase, but it allows the GSC player to make a single unit untargetable unless the targeted GSC unit is the closest eligible target or within 12 inches. This can be an excellent way to protect infantry that is out holding Objectives by using a screen of Goliath Trucks, Ridgerunners or Rock Grinders parked slightly in front of the protected unit. Some armies will have the dedicated firepower to deal with your tougher vehicles and still be able to clear infantry off of an Objective, but this Stratagem makes target priority slightly harder for your opponent.
Hyper Metabolism 1CP: Healing a Character for D3 wounds during the Command Phase can make all the difference when that Twisted Helix Patriarch takes a few unexpected wounds. No hot tips here, just don’t forget you have this Stratagem!
Tunnel Crawlers 1CP: When I first read this Stratagem I was pumped that GSC had a way to ignore those pesky -2 modifiers to charge through some terrain features. In practice though I find myself using this Stratagem for it’s second benefit. While this Stratagem allows a unit charging into terrain to ignore any negative charge modifiers it also stops a unit that is in Area Terrain from firing Overwatch. Most of the GSC units don’t have the resiliency to take even a moderate amount of Overwatch fire and not lose combat efficiency. Just remember this Codex has 2 Stratagems that turn off Overwatch. One using a Crossfire token and one against an enemy in Area Terrain!
Offensive Stratagems:
Massed Firearms 1CP: A unit of 20 Neophytes with 4 Seismic Cannons using Overloaded Fuel Cells puts out an amazing 24 S4 AP1 D2 shots. Throwing Massed Firearms on top of Overloaded Fuel Cells adds so much more effectiveness to this units shooting profile it should never be overlooked! The main downside of the S4 profile of the Seismic Cannon is the ability to wound higher toughness models, and if you still want your 24 shots at D2 but need to shoot into those annoying T5 or 6 targets that don’t quite warrant the less shots at D3, Massed Firearms can be a good solution.
Booby Trap 1CP: This is an excellent Stratagem to remember for the late game when each army is down to just a few remaining models to move around the table to hold Objectives. Using a small Infantry unit to move out and trap an Objective later in the game could mean the difference between your opponent holding more Objectives in their last turn if the D3 mortals from this Stratagem are enough to take out any wounded squads or Characters remaining on the table.
Primed Explosive 1CP: If you are throwing a demolition charge I think you should be using this Stratagem. D6 shots is extremely unreliable, and you paid a premium of 5 points for that upgrade! Get your money’s worth!
While the Stratagems listed above may not be ones a GSC player is using every single turn they still need to be kept in mind when the time comes that they can swing a game in the favor of the Cult. The GSC book is incredibly complex, and it is going to be very difficult for players to remember all of the abilities, buffs or Stratagems they should be using throughout a game of 40k. My recommendation is to create a small cheat sheet that you can bring to the table for each of your games. The Stratagems above I would include on the back of the sheet just so you can glance at them to spark your memory. Sometimes remembering that you CAN ignore Overwatch on two units, or get a +1 to save on some Acolytes in Cover, can make all the difference in your games.
For future articles, I have my first tournament of the 2022 ITC Season on February 19th, so look for a full tournament report the following week (don’t fail me new GSC book). Also, next week, I will be writing up a full battle report of my last practice game with the GSC before going into the tournament on the 19th. Good luck out there fellow GSC players!