Most Genestealer Cults spread throughout the downtrodden labourers and dregs of the Imperium, hiding their malformed hybrids amongst those already overlooked by Imperial authorities. A cunning Broodmind also seeks to ensnare high-value targets, however – including elements of the local planetary defence forces. These turncoat Brood Brothers can lie in wait for years before showing their true colours, even joining Astra Militarum regimental musters to spread their taint. When the Day of Ascension arrives, they raid their armouries for the kinds of combat vehicles and heavy ordnance that regular cultists can only dream about.
Until now, Genestealer Cult armies could take a smattering of select Astra Militarum units to represent these collaborators, but in the upcoming Codex they get an entire Detachment to themselves – the Brood Brother Auxilia.
The restrictions on what units you can take are the same as before – no Commissars, Tempestus Scions, Valkyries, or the like – but now the points allowance has been doubled. In a Brood Brother Auxilia force, fully half of your army can be taken from the Astra Militarum roster.* This means that large squadrons of tanks and massed infantry regiments are on the table, and if you want to drop a cheeky Baneblade into your list, it won’t take up your entire allotment.
That’s only the beginning of the new benefits, however. The Brood Brother Auxilia employ powerful Integrated Tactics, using the superior combat skills of the professional soldiery to guide the aim of their cultist compatriots. By focusing on the right targets, you’ll be able to put the powerful mining lasers and seismic cannons of Goliath Rockgrinders, Achilles Ridgerunners, and Neophyte Hybrid squads to good use.
The Stratagems also focus on the interplay between your ASTRA MILITARUM and GENESTEALER CULTS units. In the Shadow of Iron gives the tokens placed by the Cult Ambush army rule a second wind when enemy interlopers would otherwise remove them, helping you to preserve the cultist half of your army. Acceptable Losses takes a different approach, and levies the superior weaponry of your Brood Brothers to blast apart important enemies bogged down by your hordes of hybrids.
Your Astra Militarum units don’t normally benefit from GENESTEALER CULTS rules, but the Regimental Reinforcements Stratagem changes that, giving you a solid chance to put entire squads** into Cult Ambush and have them pop up far across the table. Combine it with some fast-moving Rough Riders*** and Hellhound tanks, and your army has the kind of battlefield control an Astra Militarum commander could only dream of.
We’ve only scratched the surface of the powerful combinations you can come up with when merging the best of the Genestealer Cults and Astra Militarum army lists, not to mention the awesome conversion projects that can arise using parts from the new Brood Brothers kill team. We’ll have more from the new Codex tomorrow, including a look at the other Detachments on offer, and the tank-busting psychic power of the Benefictus.
* However, Brood Brother units can now only be taken in this specific Detachment.
** Big 20-model squads with loads of special and heavy weapons are a great target, providing you can get them killed quick enough!
*** Converted Rough Riders mounted on Tyrannic-tainted beasties is something we definitely want to see.