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Structure

This page details military structure of Genestealer Cults forces including Detachments and Formations.

Detachments


Cult Insurrection Detachment

The Cult Insurrection Detachment allows you to represent the typical structure of a Genestealer Cult army on the battlefield. Whether you wish to overwhelm your enemy with an entire planetary uprising, or field an elite force striking from the shadows, the choices below offer a great way to pick your army.

The Cult Insurrection is a special type of Detachment that can be included in any Battle-forged army. Unlike the Detachments shown in Warhammer 40,000: The Rules, it has a Force Organisation Chart whose slots are a combination of specific Formations and Army List Entries instead of Battlefield Roles. However, it still has compulsory and optional elements, as well as Restrictions and Command Benefits, just like any other Detachment. Although units cannot normally belong to more than one Detachment, units from a Formation that is part of a Cult Insurrection are an exception. They count as part of both their Formation and the Detachment, and have all associated Command Benefits and special rules. If your Warlord is part of a Formation or an Army List Entry that makes up part of a Cult Insurrection, that entire Cult Insurrection is your Primary Detachment.

Command
0-3
Core
1-6
Auxiliary
1+

LORDS OF THE CULT

 • 1 Patriarch
 • 1 Magus
 • 1 Primus
 • 1 Patriarch
 • 1 unit of Purestrain Genestealers

 • 1 Acolyte Iconward
 • 3 units of Acolyte Hybrids
 • 2 units of Neophyte Hybrids
 • 1 unit of Hybrid Metamorphs
 • 1 unit of Purestrain Genestealers
 • 0-1 units of Aberrants
 • 0-1 units of Goliath Rockgrinders
 • 2 units of Neophyte Hybrids
 • 1 Leman Russ Squadron
 • 1-2 of the following units, in any combination:
  - Scout Sentinels
  - Armoured Sentinels

 • 0-1 Magus
 • 3-6 of the following units, in any combination:
  - Neophyte Hybrids
  - Acolyte Hybrids

 • 2-3 units of Acolyte Hybrids
 • 2-3 units of Goliath Rockgrinders

CULT MUTANTS
 • 1 unit of Aberrants or Hybrid Metamorphs
 • 0-1 Primus
 • 1-3 units of Hybrid Metamorphs
 • 2-4 units of Acolyte Hybrids
 • 0-3 units of Aberrants

 • 2-6 units of Neophyte Hybrids

SHADOW SKULKERS
 • 1 unit of Purestrain Genestealers

BROOD BROTHERS

RESTRICTIONS
This Detachment must include at least one Core choice and one Auxiliary choice. It may include up to five more Core choices, up to three Command choices and any number of additional Auxiliary choices, in any combination. Only the datasheets listed here can be included in this Detachment, and all units must have the Genestealer Cult Faction.

You cannot include more than one Patriarch, one Magus and one Primus in the same Cult Insurrection Detachment.

COMMAND BENEFITS
An Uprising Generations in the Making: All non-vehicle units in this Detachment have the Infiltrate special rule (units that already have the Infiltrate special rule instead have the Shrouded special rule during the first game turn). In addition, you can add 1 to all your Reserve Rolls, whilst your opponent must subtract 1 from all their Reserve Rolls.

Cult Father: If you choose a Patriarch from this Detachment as your Warlord, you can re-roll the result when rolling on the Warlord Traits table in Codex: Genestealer Cults.

Numbers Beyond Counting: Each time a unit from this Detachment arrives from Ongoing Reserves, it is reinforced - you can return D6 models to the unit that were slain previously during the battle.

Formations


Brood Cycle

FORMATION
 • 1 Acolyte Iconward
 • 3 units of Acolyte Hybrids
 • 2 units of Neophyte Hybrids
 • 1 unit of Hybrid Metamorphs
 • 1 unit of Purestrain Genestealers
 • 0-1 units of Aberrants
 • 0-1 units of Goliath Rockgrinders
RESTRICTIONS
None.
SPECIAL RULES
Familial Pride: Any non-vehicle unit in this Formation that is within 6” of at least one other unit from the same Formation adds 1 to both its Leadership and its Weapon Skill.

Hold the Banner High: All units in this Formation have the Furious Charge special rule while they are within 24” of their Acolyte Iconward. In addition, the range of the Acolyte Iconward’s Nexus of Devotion special rule will effect units from this Formation that are within 24” of him, instead of just 12”.

Broodcoven

FORMATION
 • 1 Patriarch
 • 1 Magus
 • 1 Primus
RESTRICTIONS
None.
SPECIAL RULES
Coven Masters: The Broodcoven unit and any unit they join have the following special rules whilst the relevant model from this Formation is still alive:

Patriarch: Fleet
Magus: Counter-attack
Primus: Preferred Enemy

Lords of the Brood: The three models of a Broodcoven must be deployed as a single unit. They can still join friendly units, but if one does so, all other Broodcoven models must join the same unit. Similarly, if one Broodcoven model leaves a unit, all other Broodcoven models must also leave that unit and they must form back into a new unit composed of Independent Characters again.

Deliverance Broodsurge

FORMATION
 • 2-6 units of Neophyte Hybrids
RESTRICTIONS
Each unit of Neophyte Hybrids must take a Goliath Truck as a Dedicated Transport.
SPECIAL RULES
Perfervid Crew: Each time a vehicle from this Formation suffers a Crew Stunned or Crew Shaken result, that result is ignored (though the vehicle still loses a Hull Point).

Reckless Fanaticism: All units of Neophyte Hybrids from a Deliverance Broodsurge must begin the game embarked upon their Goliath Trucks. These units can disembark even if their vehicle moved at Cruising Speed, though each model that does so must take a Dangerous Terrain test.

Demolition Claw

FORMATION
 • 2-3 units of Acolyte Hybrids
 • 2-3 units of Goliath Rockgrinders
RESTRICTIONS
At least one model in each unit of Acolyte Hybrids must be equipped with a demolition charge. All Goliath Rockgrinders must also be equipped with a cache of demolition charges, though this is upgrade costs no points.
SPECIAL RULES
 • Tank Hunters

Demolition Specialists: Acolyte Hybrids from a Demolition Claw can re-roll the scatter dice when using a demolition charge or a cache of demolition charges when embarked upon a Goliath Rockgrinder from this Formation.

Extra Explosives: Roll a dice each time a model throws a demolition charge whilst it is within 6” of a Goliath Rockgrinder from the same Formation; on a 4 or more that model replenishes its explosives and can throw another demolition charge during the battle.

Neophyte Cavalcade

FORMATION
 • 2 units of Neophyte Hybrids
 • 1 Leman Russ Squadron
 • 1-2 of the following units, in any combination:
  - Scout Sentinels
  - Armoured Sentinels
RESTRICTIONS
Each unit of Neophyte Hybrids must take
a Chimera as a Dedicated Transport.
SPECIAL RULES
Devoted Crew: Roll a dice each time a vehicle from this Formation suffers a Crew Stunned or Crew Shaken result. On a 4 or more that result is ignored (though the vehicle still loses a Hull Point).

Mechanised Ambush: This Formation’s units of Neophyte Hybrids must start the game embarked within their transports. Vehicle units in this Formation have the Outflank special rule. Scout Sentinels from this Formation instead gain the Cult Ambush special rule.

Subterranean Uprising

FORMATION
 • 0-1 Primus
 • 1-3 units of Hybrid Metamorphs
 • 2-4 units of Acolyte Hybrids
 • 0-3 units of Aberrants
RESTRICTIONS
None.
SPECIAL RULES
 • Infiltrate

Meticulous Planner: If a unit in this Formation has been joined by a Primus from this Formation, you can roll three dice instead of one when rolling on the Cult Ambush table for this unit, and select any one of the results.

Time to Rise Up: All of the units in a Subterranean Uprising must Infiltrate during deployment, and set up using the Cult Ambush special rule. When rolling on the Cult Ambush table for a unit in this Formation, roll two dice instead of one and choose either of the results.

The Doting Throng

FORMATION
 • 0-1 Magus
 • 3-6 of the following units, in any combination:
  - Neophyte Hybrids
  - Acolyte Hybrids
RESTRICTIONS
None.
SPECIAL RULES
Frenzied Devotion: Units from this Formation have the Zealot special rule whilst they are within 12” of a friendly Magus. Furthermore, a unit that is actually joined by a Magus can re-roll failed hit rolls in every round of close combat, not just the first.

Willing Subjects: If a Magus targets a Neophyte Hybrid or Acolyte Hybrid unit from this Formation with a blessing psychic power, he can re-roll the Psychic test if it is failed.

The First Curse

FORMATION
 • 1 Patriarch
 • 1 unit of Purestrain Genestealers
RESTRICTIONS
The unit of Purestrain Genestealers
must contain 20 models.
SPECIAL RULES
Strange Mutations: Before the start of the game, roll a dice and apply the following result to the First Curse’s unit of Purestrain Genestealers for the duration of the game:

D6Result
1Flesh Hooks: The unit doesn’t suffer the penalty to their Initiative for charging enemies through difficult terrain. 
2Hardened Carapaces: The unit’s Armour Save is increased to 4+. 
3Toxin Glands: The units’ Melee weapons have the Poisoned special rule. 
4Adrenal Sacs: The unit has the Rage special rule. 
5Feeder Tendrils: The unit has the Preferred Enemy special rule. 
6Perfect Killing Machine: Choose the result you wish to apply to the unit. 

Ghosar Quintus Broodkin

SPECIAL RULES
 • Infiltrate
 • Stealth

Ambush the Unhallowed: All Ghosar Quintus Broodkin units that deploy using the Infiltrate special rule have the Shrouded special rule until the start of the second game turn, and can attempt to charge on their first turn. In addition, when Patriarch Ghosar and the Purestrain Princelings deploy using their Infiltrate special rule, they can be set up anywhere on the table that is more than 1" from any enemy unit, whether deployed units can draw a line of sight to them or not (Patriarch Ghosar cannot do this if joined to a unit, unless that unit is the Purestrain Princelings).

Broodmind Telepathy: Whilst Patriarch Ghosar is alive, all Ghosar Quintus Broodkin models have the Fearless and Adamantium Will special rules.