SPECIAL RULES

 

Genestealer Cults forces do not operate like normal armies, as they represent the fanatical members of the underground revolution masking itself as a religion. They combine strong hypnotic and genetic ties between the troops and their leaders with a near total lack of military training or properly maintained weaponry. This results in several special rules for Cults in battle.   <Gasp!> They killed the Father! Genestealer Cults are very much driven by the strong (if not hypnotic) leadership of its elders, especially the Magus and Patriarch. Cult members are instilled with a religious belief in the divinity of these creatures from the start. Obviously, seeing them die in battle is unsettling to the least, but it can also lead the Cult to insane acts of bravery in the name of vengeance. If the Magus and Patriarch are both killed, at the moment the last has died all Brood Brother units and Hybrid Broods (but not Genestealer Broods) must take a Morale test with the following (possibly cumulative) modifiers: -1 if the unit is below 50% of starting strength -1 if the unit is Pinned at the time of the test -1 if the unit is not currently being lead by a Hybrid Leader or Demagogue If this special test is passed, the squad will automatically pass any and all further Morale tests required for the rest of the game. If failed, the squad will Fall Back immediately, though they can Regroup in later turns as normal using their own normal Leadership. If the squad was engaged in an Assault at the time, enemy units in the Assault may not Pursue (as the unexpected retreat takes them by surprise), but may Consolidate.   Our Father Watches Us, Let None Fail Him! As long as any member of a Brood Brother unit can trace Line of Sight to either the Magus or the Patriarch, they count as having Leadership 10 for all Morale checks and tests to Regroup after Falling Back. This counts for Heavy Weapon teams as well as regular units, but can be modified as normal (outnumbered, below 50%, etc). Note this does not effect any other Leadership-based tests such as Pinning checks.   I feel the presence of the Father in my mind… The Brood telepathic signal is very strong in a Cult, linking the Magus and Patriarch with the Hybrid leaders often better than any electronic signal could do. To represent this each turn you may re-roll (once!) any and all Reserve rolls for Brood Brother units in Reserve, but only if the unit contains at least one Hybrid or Genestealer. Important Note: Genestealer Cults need not be lead into battle by the Magus or Patriarch. In the case of neither of them in play, all of the above rules would be ignored. Demagogues will not give any of the above special benefits, nor will their deaths require any special tests to be made.   Poor Maintenance (or, "Vrooooommmm …. putter, putter, stall…..") Cults usually have little time or expertise to maintain any vehicles they may steal or capture. This generally results in erratic performance in the battlefield. To represent this, after moving a Cult vehicle in the Movement Phase, roll a D6. On a roll of a "1", the vehicle has breathed its last, and is Immobilized for the rest of the game. Otherwise, it can continue to operate as normal. This rules does not apply to the Cult Limousines – as you can imagine, the Cult Leaders make sure these vehicles are very well maintained! This poor performance also carries over to the larger & more specialized Cult ammunitions as well. When firing any Ordnance weapons, if the D6 scatter roll turns up a "1", then the shot turned out to be a failure, jamming the weapon for the rest of the game. Note that this does not mean the vehicle counts as having its armament destroyed for purposes of Victory Points!   Death to the Unbelievers! The Cult constantly impresses into the membership that any that do not stand with in their righteous effort are standing against them! Any member removing this threat to the Brood is not only assuring their affirmation of their faith, but also helping the vile foe to a better resting place. In battle, it is often difficult to restrain Brood Brothers once they close with the enemy – the thought of allowing the nearby heathen to live overrides any thought of tactics or strategy! If at the start of any Cult Movement Phase, any Brood Brother unit within 6 inches of any enemy unit within normal Line of Sight (not including vehicles) must take a Morale Test. If passed, they act as normal for the turn. If failed though, the Brood Brothers must immediately move forward 1", and must then Assault the enemy in the Assault Phase. If the 1" movement would place them in contact with the enemy then they do not need to Assault; this movement will count as an Assault.   Scenario/Mission Special Rules: While Genestealer Cults are unlikely to ever gain access to Planetary or Strategic scale weapons, they often engage in numerous acts of sabotage which can create the same types of effects before a battle. Thus they can use the Preliminary Bombardment rules. Genestealer Cults have a Strategy Rating of 1D6, and a Vehicle Leadership Value of 7 for campaign use. For Missions involving Sentries, Cults use 10 Brood Brother Initiates (Initiative 3). Fighting against Tyranid Forces – though not common, it is possible for the natural chemical or electromagnetic peculiarities of a planet to produce a mutated Cult that is resistant or not-effected by the Tyranid Hive Mind. Thus it is possible to have Cults fighting against their newly arriving Tyranid masters! All normal rules apply for these combats (though the Hive Mind is probably very puzzled by what is happening!). By the same token, Genestealer Cults can fight against each other (each being sure it is the true Cult, and the other a fraud).

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