I keep reading about how great GSC are and how they can do all manner of twinky stuff but I'm just not seeing it.
I use Brood Brother squads as my default troop options as I want the heavy weapons - one with lascannon to deal with tanks and one with heavy bolter to mow down the infantry. The problem is that they don't have great saves and are easy to gun down with massed firepower. They never last long.
Genestealers and Acolyte Hybrids are my pop up units but neither are very good. The Genestealers pop up, charge and can usually decimate a unit but then everyone around them turns about and they get cut down by that massed firepower again. Likewise, I tend to use the stratagem that lets a unit pop up 3'' from the enemy with the Acolyte Hybrids so they can pour their hand flamers into them. But I only have five Hybrids and four of them have hand flamers. They do something, and then, they too become targets for enemy fire.
It gets really frustrating that I cannot get this army to deploy and act as a functional force. Obviously I need more units (thanks to my generous club mates, I do now have a Baneblade and Lemun Russ ready to go, and a Atalan Jackels box and Ridgerunner waiting to be built) but until such time as my financial situation improves this is what I am lumbered with.
I feel that I need more infantry but then I am concerned that I'll end up being very static and I want an army that will move about the table capturing objectives and doing something. Genestealers just don't seem worth the effort for what they are and how easily they die. I remember Genestealers being horrendous in previous editions (for Tyranids admittedly) but for GSC they seem like a one shot pony that dies after doing what you wanted it to.
To show you how badly I am doing a few weeks back I played against a CSM army that was two daemon princes, three chaos cultist squads and two summoned daemons (one unit of bloodletters and one unit of pink horrors)... and they tabled me basically. This was an opposing list that I should have just hammered into pink mist and I didn't. We had a great game but boy is it getting frustrating.
I'm throwing this out to you, my audience, what can you suggest that I do to increase my chances of actually winning a game or coming closer to it?
There are a couple of things going on here. First, as you mention, you just don't have the Models needed for an ideal list. Acolytes and Stealers want to be used in big Broods, with Character support. Fortifications are, regrettably, pretty bad in 8th Ed, and as far as I can tell, your collection means you don't really have an option at 1300 Points other than spending a third of that on Forts. Maybe try playing at 750-1000 more often if you can.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, regardless of build, GSC are an incredibly "swingy" Army. Just a couple of dice rolls going one way or another can see the same list shredding a given opponent or simply getting stomped.
Finally, altho they do have significant firepower, GSC are fundamentally a CC Army, and those are hard to play well, because the Charge and Fight Phases are the most complex in 40K, and have a ton of fiddly little details that can make a huge difference. Look around online, there are some good primers on Assault Armies in the Tactics Corner at Frontline Gaming and on Brown Magic, just off the top of my head.
The fortifications have actually done me well enough but I agree that really they are points that could go into something else if I had the models/units to do so.
DeleteForts aren't "you're throwing the game by taking them" bad, certainly, but they're pretty inefficient, and they're pushing your list in a direction that GSC are pretty bad at (static firepower).
DeleteHow comfortable are you with converting? Genestealers and Guardsmen are more often available cheaply than actual hybrids, and even at retail, you can get enough to make 18 Acolytes for less than what 10 actual Acolytes would go for. Still doesn't help when your budget is "none", but it could help stretch it when you do have a bit, if you're up for doing the work.
I've not actually played my Cult since the codex dropped, but looking forward to getting into them.
ReplyDeleteI think you need to go infantry heavy in the army. You need the models to soak up the casualties and have enough bodies left to strike back at your opponent when you charge.
I agree that they are a fickle army. They are not really geared for firepower and want to get into combat as quickly as possible. They are an expensive army to build up, I agree.
I should have a bunch of the new characters coming this week, so looking forward to getting them painted up and giving them a go. Hopefully I can detail my exploits on the blog to give you some ideas of what to get.
Infantry is definitely what I are lacking but at some point I hope to resolve that issue.
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