GENESTEALER RULES

Introducing Genestealer Patriarchs

Genestealer Patriarchs have been loosely described before in the Genestealer rule book. They are included here not only for the sake of completeness but to also clarify some minor points that the official rules did not consider.

The might of a Patriarch is formidable. They are the progenitors of their broods and command the utter devotion and loyalty from all brood members and followers. However, such bloated and absolute power is not without minor drawbacks. Patriarchs are usually the prime target for enemy forces who are looking to utterly destroy the coven. Many of the missions featuring a Patriarch will usually hinge on its survival or death. The psychic wounds that a brood suffers from the death of its Father are enough to shatter cohesive leadership, making the rest of the brood members vulnerable to precision culling by their enemy. Most missions with a Patriarch should end as a loss to the Genestealer force when it dies.

Having a Patriarch in his force allows the Genestealer player to hold a hand of six psychic attack cards. It does not matter if the Patriarch has yet to be converted, or is not even on the board. His presence alone is enough to bolster the psychic might of the brood. Patriarchs are always fourth level Psykers but they will suffer a loss of level if one of their Familiars dies. This will be regained in time, but not in the heated moments of confrontation when the brood is under threat.

There are two distinct types of Patriarchs, the old and the very old...

Running Patriarchs Old, wise Patriarchs are able to run with the brood and lead them from the forefront of battle. They are oversized, monstrous Genestealers who have 6 APs and have all the physical characteristics of a Purestrain Genestealer. Running Patriarchs usually have one Familiar with them but are rarely seen with more. They can be introduced via a special lettered blip, or they may be placed on the board at the start of the game - depending on the mission goals.

Throned Patriarchs Ancient, venerable Patriarchs become too old to run, so they choose to command from a seat of power. Their throne is not only a symbol of status, it is also a defensive weapon charged with some of the brood's power to shield the Father. Throned Patriarchs may never leave their square with the throne. They are limited to turning moves only, however, by no means are they weak. They have 9 APs which is a reflection of their higher level of base instinct and they usually have a small retinue that acts as a personal guard. This retinue may consist of up to three Familiars, along with a Magus advisor and a few other Hybrid Psykers. Nearly all missions involving a throned Patriarch will begin with it being placed on the board. A throned Patriarch can not enter play as a blip as it is immobile. Image: A throned Patriarch. Painted by Serrena Walters.

The Throne The throne is charged with psychic energy that dissipates incoming attacks aimed at the Patriarch. It acts in a similar way to an aegis hood, giving the Patriarch a free force defence against any psychic attacks that are aimed towards it. Remember that a throned Patriarch with three Familiars will also receive three free force defences from the Familiars. This gives some Throned Patriarchs a total of four free force defences against every psychic attack directed towards it. (Not to mention a hand of six psychic attack cards, as well as the cards that the Familiars contribute). It is a gross display of might and rightly so, for only the strong and brave will destroy a beast that has a will more powerful than most mortal men alive. Image: The throne. Painted by Serrena Walters.

Introducing Genestealer Familiars Genestealer Familiars are miniature versions of the fully grown Purestrains. A Familiar is highly psychic and can only be found in the presence of other psychic Genestealers. Each Familiar bonds to its master and must never stray far from its master's influence. Together they share a bond of psychic strength that makes them a powerful duo. A Hybrid Psyker may only have one Familiar, although it is rare that they have any and only those that are at least third or fourth level are able to attract a Familiar. A Magus may have up to two Familiars but more commonly may only have one. A Patriarch may have up to three Familiars who crawl all over him like adoring pups.

Image: Three Genestealer Familiars.

Familiar Powers

The Familiar acts as a psychic reserve only for its master. A Psyker with an accompanying Familiar is allowed to draw and keep a single psychic attack card that only it can use. However, the Psyker is not allowed to voluntarily discard this psychic attack card during the discard phase. He must use the card before he will be able to gain another one on the following turn. The Psyker is still allowed to use the common brood psychic attack cards without penalty. If the Psyker uses its own personal psychic attack card, then it may redraw another at the start of its next turn as shown on the Genestealer turn sequence. Example: A Patriarch with three Familiars will have a hand of six psychic attack cards for the brood, plus an additional three psychic attack cards only for himself due to his Familiars! Any other Psykers on the board can only share in the common six Brood psychic attack cards.

Additionally, each Familiar also acts as a psychic shield for its master in a similar way that the aegis hoods operate. In effect, each Familiar that a Psyker has allows it one free force defence to counter any psychic attack directed against it. A Patriarch with three Familiars will have three free force defences to repel any psychic attacks against it, making it a mighty, formidable foe! Even the best of the Librarians only receive one free force defence from their aegis hoods.

A Familiar can only occupy the same square as its master. Try and place the Familiar model in the square to represent this. In practice the Familiar often sits on its master's shoulders, or clings from its master's waist and crawls over its back lending psychic support. Some Familiars scurry about their master's ankles where they can hide from obvious view. Each Psyker with a Familiar has a 360 degree LOS all around it, as the Familiar constantly whirls around spotting signs of danger. The master is able to see through the Familiar's eyes as though they were its own.

Familiars don't have APs, or any other characteristics on the reference tables. They can never be separated from their master and they never participate in any form of combat. Familiars can not be targeted in any way at all by any type of attack or effect. They are always a part of their master's presence and can't be isolated as a unique life-force.

The Familiar offers its master a life. When the master takes a hit from any source that would kill it, the Familiar will put itself in front of the killing blow, or shot, or even absorb enough damage from section effect weapons to protect its master. A Familiar will always die for its master without question and offer its life so that its master can live on to protect the brood. When a Familiar dies, the Psyker must instantly discard its personal psychic attack card without being able to use it (unless it was already cast). From the beginning of the next Genestealer turn, the Psyker permanently loses a level of psychic power suffering from the shock death of its Familiar.

Genestealer Command Points

The collective intelligence and awareness of each Genestealer brood is as strong, if not stronger than a Space Marine’s communication links to his command ship. To represent this aspect of psychic awareness and command structure amongst the brood, Genestealers, in some circumstances, can also use CPs. Genestealer CPs are treated exactly like Space Marine CPs. They can be saved to use in the enemy turn to interrupt his actions as appropriate.

Only Hybrids, Magi and Patriarchs are ever allowed to use CPs as they are more psychically attuned to the ebb and flow of the brood intelligence. Purestrain Genestealers are never allowed to use CPs. Furthermore, the Genestealer player can only gain CPs if at the start of his turn he has a converted model in play that can use them. Hybrids, Magi and Patriarchs that are on the board as unconverted blips can not use CPs unless they are converted.

Gaining Command Points

At the start of the Genestealer player’s turn, before the psychic attack cards phase, he must have a converted Hybrid, Magus or Patriarch already in play to roll for CPs. He may not always get CPs, as the psychic strength of his active models determines how many he may have. Roll one dice and consult the following table. This is how many CPs the Genestealer player has until his next turn. Note that it is possible that he will not have any CPs at all, if the number is 0 or less.

The table is not cumulative. The modifier for CPs is chosen according to the strongest model the Genestealer player has in play at the start of his turn. Example: A Hybrid Non-Psyker is on the board at the start of the Genestealer player's  turn. The player rolls a 6, so he has 2 CPs for that turn. During his turn he converts another blip into a Magus. He still only has 2 CPs available to him, the sudden presence of the Magus does not affect the CPs for this turn. If the Magus is on the board at the start of his next turn, then his dice roll is unmodified due to the influence of the Magus.

The Patriarch is a powerful Psyker and affects CPs in a similar way to a Space Marine Captain.

Using Command Points

If the Genestealer player has CPs then he may use them during his turn, or save them for the enemy turn. He may spend them on any model that can use them, provided they are not blips. If the Genestealer player only has one model capable of using CPs and it is killed, then he must wait until he can convert another appropriate blip, otherwise any remaining CPs are lost with the death of the model. A converted model can immediately use CPs if there are any to use when it converts.

Genestealer Reinforcement Blips

In a similar way that Genestealers can gain and use CPs, they are also able to call for reinforcements from the brood with a certain amount of urgency. Genestealers will rally around the stronger members of the brood and come to their aid more often, for the strength of the brood is far more valuable than the strength of a few.

Psychic Hybrids, Magi and Patriarchs are able to have some influence over the particular reinforcement blips that answer their call. Purestrains are not able to influence reinforcements in any way at all. They are the foot soldiers of the brood, not the tacticians.

Influencing Reinforcement Blips

If at the start of the Genestealer player’s turn, there is a converted Hybrid, Magus or Patriarch on the board, then the Genestealer player may draw extra blips during the reinforcement phase. Refer to the table to see how many extra blips can be drawn.

The table is not cumulative. The strongest model in play determines the number of extra blips drawn at the start of the turn.

Note that the Genestealer player can not place any more reinforcement blips per turn than the mission allows. The extra blips allow him to choose which blips he wants to use, while the remaining blips are put back into the unused pile. Example: A Magus is on the board at the start of the Genestealer player's turn. The current mission normally allows for two reinforcement blips per turn. The Genestealer player may now draw four blips. He can then decide which two blips he will use as reinforcements and which two blips are put back into the unused pile.

This is a sure way for the Genestealers to mass a very powerful brood if their commanding models are allowed to remain on the board for too long. Although there is an increased risk that they will be targeted early upon conversion, the long term benefits of having Psykers on the board can be overwhelming to enemy forces.

GENESTEALER TURN SEQUENCE

• Roll for CPs

• Draw and place reinforcement blips

• Discard psychic attack cards

• Draw new psychic attack cards for brood

• Draw new psychic attack cards for Familiars' Masters

• Use APs (Main Phase)

• Roll to move vortices

• Roll for additional section effect damage

• Roll for decay of psychic effects

• Dispersal of psychic effects

• Remove next player's overwatch counters and section effect markers

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Last revised: March 31, 2006.