GENESTEALER CULT WARGEAR

Book of The Faith

Cult Leaders often carry massive tomes with them, enormous volumes detailing the Cult beliefs and prophecies. Between battles they read to their enthralled followers, both to inspire them for the coming conflict and remove any doubts they might have in their actions. In actual combat there is little time for reading, but the thick velum (or sometimes less savory materials used in covers and pages) does often provide a modicum of protection by absorbing what might have been a lethal blow. Unless killed by an Instant Death wound, when the bearer of a Book is slain place him on his side. At the end of the current phase, roll a D6: on a roll of 6, the model is restored to 1 Wound, stands back up, and fights as normal. Note that the model will count as a casualty for purposes of requiring a Morale Check for enemy fire, which might result in his unit running away & leaving him behind (thinking he is dead). If this occurs for a model leading a unit, both he & his unit must try to regain unit coherency in following turns.

Chitin Armor Coating

A special protective aid made from specially treated layers of Genestealer Chitin skin fashioned over regular armor. Though difficult and time-consuming to make, its unique properties are sought by most Cult leaders. A model with Chitin armor has the same saving throw as normal, but in order for a weapon to negate the model’s save it must have an AP value that is better than the saving throw, not just equal to it. For example, for a model wearing Flak Armor with an armor save of 5+, this means that only weapons with an AP of 4 or better will negate their saving throw, while weapons with an AP value of 5 or better can be saved against as normal. This must be combined with actual Armor to be effective though; it does nothing without Carapace Armor or Flak Armor.

Cult Censer (Holy Relic, can also be taken as vehicle upgrade) (one per unit/vehicle)

During Cult services, special braziers are lit to fill the halls with scented smoke. Unknown to all but the Cult leaders, these fumes are laced with special chemicals and Genestealer pheromones. Designed to interact with the altered DNA of the membership, they work to deaden independent thought and reinforce faith in the Cult. In battle, Censers are used to repress any thought of slowing their advance and ensure Brood Brothers continue towards the enemy. Any unit which has a Censer, or is within 6" of a vehicle with a Censer, may roll 3 dice for any Pinning Tests, and use the lowest two for the result.

Genestealer Claw Totem

Cults often fashion weapons from the razor sharp claws of their departed kinsmen, both to remember them in battle and to slay more of the enemy! Usually these take the form of a long staff or club, with several claws (or an entire Genestealer arm) attached at the end. A Totem takes both hands to wield, so the user will not get an extra Attack from it, but the extra sharp claws slice through most enemy armor. Treat any hits done by the model as striking at the User Strength and having an Armor Penetrating value of 4 (thus models will get an armor save only if they have an Armor of 3+ or better). Totems cannot be combined with any other Close Combat weapon effects.

Patriarch Ichor Vial (one per Cult)

A small amount of ichor from the Patriarch is mixed with rare unholy herbs and forbidden chemicals to form a potent brew! Once per battle at any time in the Assault Phase, the bearer may shatter the vial, releasing the fumes into the air. Nearby Cult members (including Genestealers) are filled with fanatical zeal from the vapors, and any units with any members within 2D6" of the Cultist who shattered the vial may add +1 Attack bonus for the rest of the turn. After the turn ends, the vapors disperse and the effects are lost. Note that the Vial can be used in the opponent’s Assault Phase if desired.

Remains of the Unbeliever (one per unit)

Often the Cult will carry into battle the remains of a slain enemy, usually as part of a previous glorious victory or assassination, mounted high on a pole for all to see. These could be the head of a high ranking planetary official, the crested helm of the local Adeptus Arbites Chief, or possibly even a mighty Space Marine’s helmet! No matter what form the Remains take they serve to strengthen the resolve of the unit, and you may add +1 to their score when resolving any Assaults. If the bearer is killed in an Assault though, the opposing player gains +1VP as they capture the remains (+5 if the enemy is of the same army as the remains!). Note this last rule only applies if the Victory Points special rules are in use.

New Weapons:

Unlike "proper" armies, Genestealer Cults often find themselves utilizing anything that can be found or stolen as weapons. This almost always includes massive amounts of civilian weapons drafted into combat roles. All of the following weapons are very common throughout Imperial planets, but are almost never used by actual military forces. Cults cannot be so choosy though, and to their best to make good use of them in their bids for revolution.

Primitive Weapon Special Rule

This is a new special weapon type, used for those weapons which are simply not up to the normal standards for warfare in the 41^st Millennium (or even the 21^st). Though widely used in Cult forces, they are very much inferior to normal military weaponry. When the Cult player rolls to wound from an attack with a Primitive Weapon, each of the dice that score a wound will have to be re-rolled. Only the ones that again score a wound will count as wounding hits.

Example: a 20 man Brood Brother Initiates unit armed with Bows opens fire on a Space Marine unit, scoring 17 hits (good shooting!). The Cult player rolls to see which hits caused wounds, rolling up 9 wounds. Now all 9 must be re-rolled. In the re-roll of those 9 only 3 dice scored high enough to again count as wounds. The Space Marine player now would only have to make 3 Armor Saves.

Bow: Primitive weapon used on almost all planets, heavily so on Feudal Worlds. Skilled users can fire off arrows at a fast rate at short distances, or draw back fully for extra range.

Crossbow: Slightly more high-tech than a Bow, it hits slightly harder but is slower to use.

Double-Handed Close Combat Weapon (Axe/Sword/Club/Flail): A common weapon in Cults, due to widespread availability and cheapness. A model armed with one of these large double-handed weapons adds +2 to his Strength, but strikes at -1 Initiative due to the ponderous nature of the attack.

Firebombs: While many Cults lack the expertise to make or the access to steal large supplies of Frag Grenades, it is very easy for Brood Brother to create their own home-made incendiary devices from small (usually glass) containers of flammable liquids. Hurling them at enemy units in cover, the resulting flames buy some time as the Brood Brothers advance into Assault. The Cult uprising on Moltov Prime saw these used to great effect. The planet’s more famous fermented products were turned into thousands of in the bid to overthrow the entrenched aristocratic government, and the battle cry of "Let them Drink Moltov Cocktails!" was heard throughout the capitol city. Firebombs in game play work exactly like Frag Grenades, but the resulting flames prevent the assaulting Brood Brother unit from Advancing; the unit may only Consolidate.

Halberd/Spear: Another common weapon, but more used by those with some skill. The extra range allows the user to make it’s full number of attacks at regular Strength in an Assault, even if it is only within 2" of the enemy and not in direct base contact.

Heavy Stubber: A cheap and easy to mass-produce weapon used mostly by Hive gangs or criminals. Reliable and easy to use, it can spread down a hail of solid slug ammunition quickly and is a favorite weapon in almost every Cult force.

Poorly Made Flak Armor: Most Cults simply do not have the materiel access to ensure all members get normal Flak Armor, and thus many of the lower members must make so with cheaper substitutes constructed from whatever is at hand. While not as good as the real thing, the heavy material provides some protection and gives the wearer a 6+ Armor Save.

Riding Lance: Most mounted Cultists use a long lance or spear in combat, so they can strike their enemy with the full momentum of their charge. The extra range gives them an edge in assaults, doubling their Initiative in the first combat round of that Assault and allowing them to strike simultaneously against enemy in cover. It cannot be combined with any other close combat weapons, so the user will strike at their own Strength and will not gain an extra attack from it.

Stubb Gun: Possibly the most common weapon in the Imperium, this small pistol is very simple to construct (often being home-made for many criminal or gang elements). In game play it has the same effects as a Laspistol or Autopistol.

Regular Wargear Summaries:

Auspex: An Auspex is a short-ranged scanner used to detect hidden enemy troops. If enemy infiltrators set-up within 4D6" of a model with an Auspex, then the model is allowed to take a 'free' shot at them (or sound the alarm in a raid scenario). If the model is part of a unit then the whole unit may shoot. These shots are taken before the battle begins, and may cause the infiltrators to fall back.

Carapace Armor: Carapace armor is simply made up of large rigid plates of armaplas or ceramite molded to fit parts of the body that provide additional protection to flak armor. A model with Carapace armor has a saving throw of 4+.

Combi-Weapons: A combi-weapon is essentially two weapons joined together, and gives the operator using it a choice of two weapons to fire. A model armed with a combi-weapon may choose to fire one of the weapons in the shooting phase. The bolter may be fired any number of times, but the other weapon may only be fired once per battle. Note that you may not choose to fire both weapons at once.

Master Crafted Weapons: A master crafted weapon follows the normal rules, except that you may re-roll one failed 'to hit' roll per turn for an attack made by the master crafted weapon. Master crafted weapons are taken as an 'upgrade' for a weapon already being carried by a model and should be represented by a suitably ornate weapon on the model itself. Please note that you may not master-craft grenades! The cost of a master-crafted weapon is in addition to the normal cost of the weapon. However, only the upgrade costs against the maximum point limit on Wargear taken by a model (so a master crafted power weapon would 15 points against the wargear point limit, not 30).

Targeter: Targeters are small devices which gather & process information on enemy targets via optical or electromagnetic means. Models equipped with a Targeter are allowed to pre-measure the range to a target before they decide who to shoot at in the shooting phase. If any Guess weapons are in play, they must make their range guesses before any Targeters are used.

ORK VEHICLE UPGRADES Armored Crew Compartment: Armored Crew Compartments may only be added to open-topped vehicles. They have the effect of making the vehicle no longer count as open-topped. Bell of Righteousness: Before going into battle, many Cults remove sacred items from their covens to carry with them, displaying their fanatical signs of devotion for the enemy to gaze on and despair. Commonly these are huge bells, once used to call the brood faithful to gather but now used to reinforce their faith in the Cult. Any unit within 12" of a vehicle mounted with a Bell can re-roll their Morale test after losing an Assault. Note that any given test can only be re-rolled once, no matter how many Bells are within 12" of the unit. Cult Censer: See above. Extra Armor: It is not uncommon for vehicle crews to add additional armor plating to their vehicle to provide a little extra protection. Vehicles equipped with Extra Armor count 'crew stunned' results on the damage tables as a 'crew shaken' results instead. Hunter-Killer Missile: Hunter-Killer missiles are a commonly seen upgrade for Imperial vehicles. They are treated as a Krak Missile with unlimited range that may be used only once per battle. Roll to hit and to wound or penetrate armor normally. Mine Sweeper: The vehicle is fitted with a heavy dozer blade, roller, or some other kind of device designed to clear minefields. Vehicles equipped with a Minesweeper can enter minefields without being attacked, and any minefield that the vehicle moves across is cleared and should be removed from play. Pintle-Mounted Storm Bolter: Pintle-mounted storm bolters are located on the outside of a vehicle. They can be used by crewman from an open hatch or by remote control from inside the vehicle. They are treated as an extra storm bolter which may be used in addition to any other weapons the vehicle may fire. Note that this means that a vehicle that moves can fire one weapon and the pintle-mounted storm bolter. Rough Terrain Modifications: This is a catch all category for any of the numerous vehicle upgrades designed to make them better at moving though difficult terrain. Examples include doze blades, wider tracks, rubble claws for walkers, and so on. They all allow the vehicle to re-roll a failed "Dangerous Terrain Test" as long as it is not moving over 6" that turn. Searchlight: Searchlights are only of any use in missions where the rules for night fighting are being used, such as the Night Fight mission. They allow one enemy unit spotted by the vehicle to be fired at by any other Cult forces that are in range and have a line of fire (the enemy unit has been illuminated by the vehicles searchlight). However, a vehicle that uses a Searchlight can be fired on by any enemy units in their next turn, as they can see the Searchlight shining out in the dark. Smoke Launchers: See page 88 of the Warhammer 40,000 rulebook. Track Guards: Track Guards are sections of armor plate designed to protect the vulnerable track mechanisms of an armored vehicle from enemy attacks. They allow the vehicle to treat "Immobilized" results as "Crew Stunned" results instead on a D6 roll of 4+.