This weekend, two Warhammer 40,000 codexes are available for pre-order – the Talons of the Emperor tighten the Imperium’s grasp on the galaxy even as the Genestealer Cults attempt to liberate it in the name of a different, more insidious cause.
Fighting to help throw off the shackles of oppression are the four-armed guerrillas of the Genestealer Cults. We’ve already shown you how they orchestrate ambushes and catch their foes in devastating crossfires, as well as how they go about taking over planets and sectors in their Crusade rules.
Now it’s time for one of your Cult’s major players to step into the spotlight: the Primus. He more than lives up to the whispered legends, having received a host of changes, including an extra pip of toughness, which should help when going up against hardy opponents such as the Adeptus Custodes Blade Champion.
It’s a good job this guy has three arms, because he has to juggle the responsibilities of being a fearsome warrior, guerilla general, and a cult icon.
Alongside an improvement to his cult bonesword, both his scoped needle pistol and toxin injector claw retain their ability to wound non-vehicle and non-titanic units on a roll of 2+, regardless of their toughness, thanks to the samples of the Primus’ own virulent blood each weapon employs.* Not content with improving his physical prowess, the Primus has also been practising his sharp-shooting too, giving him a Ballistic Skill of 2+.
As a general, the Primus brings more to the table than combat prowess. He is able to plan raids and ambushes in minute detail, thanks to his abominable intellect. These meticulous plans give his cult warriors the edge against the tyrannical foes they battle against.
In some cults, the Primus is even better at planning than others, their otherworldly patience allowing them to spend hours collating tiny morsels of information and likely delivering exhaustive slideshow presentations of their plans to their comrades. It’s worth it though – the Exacting Planner ability enables a Primus to use Meticulous Planning twice in one phase, with one instance free from CORE unit restrictions.
There’s very little on the battlefield that’s going to remain standing after you give Purestrain Genestealers and Aberrants the ability to re-roll wound rolls of 1. Who knew feral mutants would benefit from being involved in long, drawn-out meetings?
The Primus is a valued commander, and as such inspires Fanatical Devotion from lesser members of the cult, who are willing to lay down their lives for his.
The sacrifice of the many ensures that this heroic figure can skulk off to lead his brethren another day, and with his superb suite of abilities, you’ll want him to stick around.
Excited to lead your very own insurrection against the stifling Imperium? Keep your lines of communication open – sign up to our mailing list to ensure you don’t miss the call to grab the Genestealer Cults codex when it goes up for pre-order this weekend.
* Not only is this incredibly gross, it clearly contravenes a dozen or more health and safety regulations. Such are the freedoms the Cults afford their followers.