Competitive Genestealer Cults 2000pt Tournament List (Warhammer 40K 10th Edition)

Army Overview – Detachment & Core Strategy

Detachment: Biosanctic Broodsurge – This detachment emphasizes mutant shock troops (Aberrants and Purestrain Genestealers) with regenerative aggression. It provides powerful melee buffs (like HYPERMORPHIC FURY detachment rule) and stratagems to enhance charges, pile-ins, and damage vs. big targetswahapedia.ruwahapedia.ru. The army leverages the Cult Ambush rule to recycle slain units, maintaining relentless board presence. Recent balance updates have made Cult Ambush more predictable by granting a pool of Resurgence Points (e.g. 12 points in a 2,000pt game) to spend on returning destroyed units, removing the old random 4+ rollbelloflostsouls.net. This guarantees the endless uprising playstyle – you can deliberately sacrifice units to score or trade, then bring them back later to continue the fightspikeybits.com. Overall, this list is built to flood the board with threats, hit hard in melee, and never let up pressure on the opponent.

Characters and Enhancements

• Patriarch – Warlord. Armed with razor-sharp claws, the Patriarch leads from the front attached to a Purestrain Genestealers unit. Take the Biomorph Adaptation enhancement on him for +1 Damage and +1 AP to all his melee attackswahapedia.ru. This turns his base profile (Strength 6, AP -2, Damage 2) into AP -3, Damage 3, making his many attacks with Devastating Wounds extremely lethalspikeybits.com. The Patriarch can shred nearly any target in the game with sheer volume of high-damage swingsspikeybits.com. Use him to spearhead assaults on priority enemy units. A Gene-twisted Muscle stratagem (1 CP) can give his unit +1 to wound vs. Monsters/Vehiclesspikeybits.com, ensuring even tough tanks or knights fall to the Genestealer onslaught. In the Psychic phase (if using Psychic actions), he also provides psychic offense and buffs.

• Abominant #1 – Aberrant Leader. Equip with the Power Sledgehammer (S12, AP-2, D6+1 damage melee). Take Predatory Instincts on this Abominant for Infiltrators (forward deployment) and a free Heroic Intervention once per battle roundwahapedia.ru. This allows his Aberrant unit to deploy aggressively upfield or outflank via Ambush, and then threaten a surprise counter-charge to protect your lines. In combat, Abominants hit like lascannons in melee – 4 attacks at S12, AP-2, damage D6+1 eachspikeybits.com. The Abominant also makes its Aberrant squad vastly tougher: it has an ability to “stand back up” on a 2+ when killed (once per game), effectively requiring the enemy to kill him twicespikeybits.com. If an Abominant (or Patriarch) is slain in melee, you can spend 1 CP for Saintly Paroxysm to make it explode and deal 2D3 mortal wounds to the foe on a 2+spikeybits.com. This combo means the Abominant’s unit is both a major threat and a huge tarpit – enemies will “be pulling their hair out trying to remove these guys”spikeybits.com. Attach this character to one of the Aberrant squads to lead the charge.

• Abominant #2 – Aberrant Leader. Similarly armed with a heavy sledgehammer. Consider the Mutagenic Regeneration enhancement (+1 wound regained in unit each Command phase) on this onewahapedia.ru – keeping your second Aberrant brick steadily regenerating damage. (Alternatively, Alien Majesty is another option: it imposes -1 Objective Control on enemies in melee rangewahapedia.ru, helping Aberrants steal objectives in a fight.) This Abominant leads the second Aberrant squad. Together, the twin Abominants and their Aberrant bodyguards form a brutal front line that smashes through armored targets and shrugs off counterattacks.

• Biophagus – A support character (apothecary-alchemist of the cult) who enhances your mutants. The Biophagus can administer bio-boosts to Aberrants each turn (e.g. improving Strength or granting a 5+ Feel-No-Pain). In Biosanctic Broodsurge lists, a Biophagus is key for “adaptive tactics and relentless aggression”reddit.com – he ensures your heavy hitters punch even harder and survive longer. Attach or accompany him near an Aberrant unit to buff it. He can also fight in a pinch with his Injector Goad (potential mortals), but his main role is buffing. If points allow, you could give him Predatory Instincts instead of an Abominant (since Biophagus is also eligible) to forward-deploy with Aberrants – but usually the Abominant benefits more.

• Reductus Saboteur – A lone operative with explosives, useful for ranged threat and objective play. The Saboteur can infiltrate (forward deploy) and plant concealed bombs. Armed with Remote Explosives and Demolition Charges, she excels at popping enemy vehicles or heavy infantry that stray too close. In this list, she provides some long-range punch that the rest of the army lacks – an ambush explosion to soften a hard target before your melee units arrive. For example, she can be positioned via Cult Ambush or Infiltrate to threaten an enemy backfield objective; at the right moment, detonate her explosive for significant mortal wounds. She also synergizes with secondary objectives (like Tactical Missions requiring units in quarters or Sabotage actions). While not mandatory, the Saboteur is a cheap tech piece that adds “party favors – and by party favors, we mean explosives”spikeybits.com to your arsenal. If you prefer more direct combat, you could swap her out for a Primus (to buff hit rolls for Acolytes/Neophytes) or a Kelermorph (for extra shooting), but Lawrence Paladin’s GT-winning list ran a Saboteur to great effectspikeybits.com.

Enhancements Summary: Biomorph Adaptation on the Patriarch (for maxed-out melee damage)spikeybits.com, Predatory Instincts on an Abominant (for forward deploy + free heroic)wahapedia.ru, and Mutagenic Regeneration on the other Abominant (for durability) are recommended. These amplify the army’s strongest elements – turning the Patriarch and Aberrants into hyper-lethal, fast threats that can deploy aggressively and sustain through enemy attempts to kill them.

Battleline: Hybrids Swarming the Table

• 3× Acolyte Hybrids (5 models each, Hand Flamers) – These small squads of neophyte/Acolyte hybrids are cheap disposable troops that excel at clearing objectives and screening. Each squad is armed with 5× hand flamers (torrent weapons) for short-ranged anti-infantry punch. Out of Goliath transports or ambush, they can unleash a surprising volume of auto-hits to wipe light enemy units. Lawrence Paladin’s winning list ran “three others wield hand flamers — perfect for clearing objectives or causing some light panic among less durable units.”spikeybits.com Use them to scorch enemy objective holders or flush units out of cover. They won’t survive long after shooting, but that’s okay – if they die, you can potentially respawn them later via Cult Ambush. Mount these squads in the Rockgrinders to rush forward safely (one unit per transport). When a Rockgrinder rolls up to an objective, the Acolytes can disembark and bathe the area in flame, establishing board control. Despite being expendable, their role is crucial for board control, screening your valuable units, and scoring secondary objectives.

• 1× Acolyte Hybrids (5 models, Autopistols & Heavy Mining Weapons) – This squad is kitted for melee sabotage. The leader carries an autopistol and cult blade, while 3 of the Acolytes take Heavy Mining Tools (e.g. rock saws or drills). This “demo team” hides in Cult Ambush and appears at the opportune moment to charge a high-value target. With WS 3+ and the heavy mining weapons (which are high-strength, AP-2, multi-damage), a five-man squad can cripple or outright destroy a vehicle or monster on the charge. They also carry a Cult Icon for the possibility of reinforcement (if destroyed, on return they come back full-strength). Use this unit as a surgical strike: drop them 6″ away with the Tunnel Crawlers stratagem if needed, then charge next turn (or an 8″ charge out of standard Ambush). They are a one-way trip, but can trade far above their cost if they saw open a tank or knight’s legs. If not needed for anti-tank duty in a matchup, they can still clear heavy infantry or threaten backfield objectives.

• 1× Neophyte Hybrids (10 models, autoguns and heavy weapons) – A brood of neophyte cultists to provide ranged support and hold your home/backfield objective. This unit carries a mix of free special weapons: for example, 1× Seismic Cannon, 1× Mining Laser, 1× Webber, and 1× Grenade Launcher, with the rest armed with autoguns. The seismic cannon and mining laser give some long-range punch (one for anti-infantry/elite with multi-shots, one for high-strength AP against armor), letting this squad contribute fire while sitting on an objective. They also have a Cult Icon. Keep them in cover on a rear or midfield point; their job is to provide covering fire and perform actions while the rest of the army attacks. They are the most replaceable element – some players forgo Neophytes entirely in favor of more Acolytes or Purestrains, but having at least one unit with guns adds flexibility (and another Battleline deepstrike option). If they get destroyed, you can spend Resurgence Points to bring them back in later turns onto an objective or rapid-fire into an exposed enemy.

(Battleline Note: In the current Genestealer Cult Index/Codex, Acolyte Hybrids and Neophyte Hybrids both count as Battleline. This list includes plenty of small Battleline units that can deep strike and be “thrown away like garbage just to score points,” knowing they might returnspikeybits.com. This is intentional – it fuels the Cult Ambush engine and keeps the opponent overwhelmed with targets.)

Elite Assault Units – Purestrains and Aberrants

• 1× Purestrain Genestealers (10 models) – The Purestrains are your shock troops and one of the army’s hardest-hitting units. This 10-strong squad of purestrain Genestealers runs alongside (or starts in Ambush with) the Patriarch, who will join them as a leader. This combo is devastating – “The Patriarch and Genestealer unit are effective into nearly any target in the game,” slicing through infantry and armor alike with high volume attacksspikeybits.com. Purestrains have 4 attacks each at WS 2+, with Rending claws that inflict critical hits and possibly devastating wounds thanks to the Patriarch’s leader abilityspikeybits.com. With the Patriarch’s Biomorph Adaptation and their own built-in Scout move or Ambush, they are primed to make a first-turn charge or a counter-assault that wipes key enemy units. Use Our Time Is Nigh (if available in detachment) or the Primed and Readied stratagem to fish for critical hits if neededadeptusars.com. In Lawrence Paladin’s winning list, “three units of Purestrain Genestealers – no guns, no subtlety, just razor claws and fanatical speed – formed the real deal.”spikeybits.com This 10-man unit is the tip of the spear; it can shred elite infantry or put a serious dent in a knight. Try to keep them safe from getting shot before they strike – use terrain, the Perfect Ambush deployment (reinforce with Sustained Hits and Ignores Cover on arrivaladeptusars.com), or a transport (they can’t ride Goliaths, so usually they start on table in cover then move/charge). Once in combat, very little will withstand them.

• 1–2× Purestrain Genestealers (5 models each) – In addition to the large blob above, the list can include a couple of 5-Genestealer squads as skirmishers. These smaller units excel at grabbing distant objectives or threatening flanks. They can start in Cult Ambush and later arrive to charge weakened units or tie up enemy shooty elements. At only ~75 points, a 5-man Purestrain unit is a great trade piece – fast, killy, and expendable. They still pack 20 attacks combined, which will carve up most backfield units or objective campers. Use them to pressure multiple fronts: for example, ambushing one in the enemy’s back corner to force them to divert resources, while the rest of your army hits from the front. If the enemy ignores them, five Genestealers can steal objectives or even assassinate small characters. These units embody the Cult’s fanatical speed and ferocityspikeybits.com on a smaller scale. (If points are tight, you could field just one extra unit of 5, but the Lawrence Paladin list ran three units of Purestrains totalspikeybits.com, indicating how strong they are in the meta.)

• 2× Aberrant Hybrids (8 models each) – These are the gene-spliced bruisers at the heart of the Biosanctic Broodsurge strategy. Each Aberrant unit is led by an Abominant (described above) and consists of mutated hulks armed with heavy power weapons. Aberrants hit extremely hard in melee (S10+ and multi-damage weaponry) and are very tough to kill thanks to their high Toughness, multiple wounds, a 5+ invulnerable save, and a 5+ Feel No Pain (if near a Biophagus or via faction rule). We run two medium-large squads (8 strong each) to maximize their staying power and damage output. Their role is to walk straight into melee and solve problems the old-fashioned way – as one commentator quipped, “You’ve got armor? They don’t care. You’ve got a plan? They still don’t care.”spikeybits.com In game terms, use Aberrants to bully the center of the board. Load one squad into a Rockgrinder (it can carry 10 models, so 8 + Abominant fits) to protect them until they’re in charge range, and have the other squad Ambush in or advance behind cover. Once they hit the enemy lines, they will occupy attention for multiple turns. Even if your opponent dedicates significant firepower, the first model killed in each squad can resurrect on a 2+ (Abominant ability), effectively negating the first failed save. The combination of resurrection and 5+++ Feel No Pain (from the Biophagus’s injected stimulants) means removing them is a nightmarespikeybits.com. Meanwhile, the damage they output is immense – they will crump vehicles, monsters, or elite infantry with equal ease. Use the stratagem Gene-Twisted Muscle when fighting tough targets to get +1 to woundspikeybits.com, ensuring even T12 tanks are wounded on 3s or 4s. Also consider Hyper-Metabolic Vigour (1 CP) to pile-in and consolidate 6″wahapedia.ru, letting Aberrants tag more enemy units or wrap onto objectives after winning a fight. These units, backed by the Abominants, form the hammer of your army – send them at whatever the enemy can least afford to lose. Even if an Aberrant squad is eventually brought down, you can spend Resurgence Points to bring a fresh unit from reserves later in the game, keeping the pressure up.

(With these elite melee units, you have a two-wave assault: the first wave (Genestealers with Patriarch, and Aberrants) hits early and devastates the enemy’s front. If the enemy manages to kill any of them, the second wave (recycled Purestrains/Acolytes via Cult Ambush) arrives to finish the job. It’s a classic Genestealer Cult pincer – “after the first wave of muscle is dealt with, most players will find themselves still in a hole, due to GSC’s ability to get units back”spikeybits.com.)

Vehicles & Support – Mobility, Firepower, and Disruption

• 3× Goliath Rockgrinders – These armored industrial vehicles serve a dual purpose: transport and fire support. Each Rockgrinder can transport up to 6 models (or 10 if using the Open-topped rule for Genestealer Cults – often enough for a squad and a character). In this list, the three Rockgrinders will carry the three 5-man Acolyte flamer squads (and possibly the Biophagus or other character if space permits). On the battlefield, they fulfill the “classic Genestealer Cult combo of transport and violence”spikeybits.com. They haul your troops toward objectives safely, and also contribute firepower with their heavy mining weapons. Equip them with Heavy Seismic Cannons (a versatile profile that can fire high-frequency blasts for anti-infantry or focused blasts for anti-armor) along with the mini-demolition cache and heavy stubbers. This lets them soften up targets as they advance. Once near the enemy, Rockgrinders can ram into foes (their dozer blades cause mortal wounds on charge hits) and fire point-blank. Don’t be afraid to use them aggressively – they are fairly durable (T9+, 3+ save, 12W) for their cost, and enemies will have to chew through them to get to the squishy cultists inside. Even after unloading passengers, they remain threats that can contest objectives and throw out damage. Their firepower is just enough to remind enemies “they’re not just there to carpool.”spikeybits.com In summary, use Rockgrinders to deliver your Acolytes into optimal flamer range, block enemy movement (big vehicle hulls can screen), and provide supporting fire. In many games, they’ll also act as roadblocks or sacrificial lambs – absorbing overwatch or soaking up anti-tank shots that would otherwise hit your Aberrants.

• 2× Achilles Ridgerunners – Fast, light vehicles that offer speed and long-range firepower. Ridgerunners may look like humble mining buggies, but on the tabletop they function as “off-road assassins”spikeybits.com that scoot around causing disruption. We take two Ridgerunners: arm one with a Heavy Mining Laser (for a 36″ range, high-strength AP-3 shot to threaten tanks or monsters), and the other with a Heavy Mortar (an indirect 48″ range blast weapon to punish enemy infantry hiding out of line of sight). With their Spotter upgrades (increased range or ignoring cover, depending on loadout) and 14″ movement, Ridgerunners can hit key targets anywhere on the board. Use their speed to play objectives and angles – they can race onto a midfield objective for secondary scoring or flank to shoot vulnerable support units. The mining laser Ridgerunner should prioritize high-value armored targets or heavy infantry (it’s effectively a mobile lascannon). The mortar Ridgerunner can stay back and lob shells over terrain, chipping away at enemy troopers on objectives. Together, they give the list some ranged threat to complement all the close combat. Opponents will have to respect them, possibly diverting units to hunt them down – which in turn relieves pressure on your main force. They are also great for quick scoring pushes (e.g. dashing to steal an objective on the last turn). As Spikey Bits quipped, “they make your opponent wish they’d brought more screens – or more Exterminatus.”spikeybits.com In gameplay terms, that means they excel at punishing opponents who aren’t protecting their backfield or flanks. Keep them at a distance early on if facing a lot of anti-tank fire, then late-game, zoom forward to grab objectives or linebreaker-type goals.

(Alternate Vehicle Option: Some players include a Goliath Truck or two for additional transport capacity and cheap durable screening. In this list, we focus on Rockgrinders for their superior firepower and combat ability. But if you need points elsewhere, you could drop one Rockgrinder for a basic Goliath Truck to still transport a squad at lower cost. Also, in an Outlander Claw detachment variant, you might see more Ridgerunners (e.g. squads of 2–3) and Atalan Jackal bikers swarming the fieldspikeybits.comspikeybits.com. Those are viable too – but in the current meta, the Biosanctic melee rush has been outperforming the vehicle-heavy Outlander style.)

Strategy Tips for Deployment and Playstyle

Pre-game and Deployment: As a Genestealer Cult, you’ll have a mix of units on the board and in Cult Ambush (Deep Strike). Identify which units are better starting in reserves – typically at least one small Acolyte or Purestrain squad should be underground to later drop onto a far objective or behind the enemy. Thanks to the A Perfect Ambush rule of the Host of Ascension (if using that detachment’s stratagems) or simply the Cult Ambush ability, units that arrive from reinforcements can hit surprisingly hard (e.g. Sustained Hits 1 and Ignores Cover on the turn they arriveadeptusars.com). Plan your Ambush markers and blips to threaten multiple areas so your opponent must spread out. Meanwhile, deploy your Aberrant bricks and their attached characters toward the center or wherever the enemy’s toughest forces are – they are going to be linebreakers. Use terrain to obscure them if possible, but don’t be too afraid of losing a few models; you want them in the enemy’s face by Turn 2 at latest. The Patriarch + Genestealers can either forward deploy (if you gave him Infiltrator via Predatory Instincts) or hide behind cover, then first-turn move + charge using their pre-game scout move or Ambush positioning. Load each Rockgrinder with a flamer Acolyte squad (and maybe a support character if one has no unit). These will start on the board – ideally out of enemy alpha-strike range – ready to surge onto mid-board objectives. Ridgerunners deploy in cover lanes with fire arcs covering objectives or enemy approach paths. The Saboteur (if taken) can forward deploy near an objective where she can annoy the enemy (but try to keep her hidden until she’s ready to blow her charge).

Early Turns: Speed and pressure are your friends. In the first turn or two, apply maximum pressure on the opponent’s key assets. Use the Rockgrinders to rush objectives: advance them up (they can still shoot their assault weapons if needed) and disembark Acolytes to threaten any enemy units nearby with flamer torrents. The enemy now faces a dilemma: shoot the Rockgrinders, the Acolytes, the Aberrants, or the Genestealers – all while your Ridgerunners are plinking at them from afar. Focus your attacks on crippling the enemy’s damage dealers. For instance, send the Patriarch and his Purestrain retinue into that scary ranged unit or backline tank – “a tidal wave of alien-adjacent fanatics straight into the heart” of their armyspikeybits.com. Coordinate stratagems: Coordinated Trap (if available) can have two units gang up for +1 to wound on a targetadeptusars.com – imagine Aberrants and Genestealers both piling into a knight to bring it down in one phase. Use Lying in Wait or Tunnel Crawlers to bring in an Ambush unit exactly where needed (9″ away normally, or 6″ away but no charge if using the stratadeptusars.com). Don’t hesitate to sacrifice a unit to score or to draw enemy focus – every unit counts, and sometimes, all you need is a good plan and a whole lot of bodies (even if they’re disposable cult bodies) to winspikeybits.comspikeybits.com. If an enemy overextends to kill one of your forward units, remember you might be able to respawn it next turn behind them – turning their temporary win into a longer-term loss.

Mid/Late Game: By turn 3, ideally the enemy force is reeling from your multi-pronged assault. Reinforce and recycle: use your Resurgence Points (from Cult Ambush) to bring back a destroyed Purestrain or Acolyte unit. For example, resurrect the 10-strong Genestealer unit that died gloriously in Turn 2 – now you can drop it in from Ambush on Turn 4 to seal the deal, effectively giving you 30 Genestealers worth of carnage in a game (as one cult player noted, having that free second wave is a huge psychological advantagebolterandchainsword.com). Keep playing the mission – use your small units (either still alive or returned to play) to sweep onto objectives in the late game. The Neophyte squad can move up from the backfield if needed to hold midfield once the brawlers move on. The Ridgerunners should grab any secondary objectives like Engage or Behind Enemy Lines by zipping around late-game (they’re great for that since they’re fast and relatively expendable by Turn 5). Target priority in later turns: finish off any surviving enemy threats to ensure they cannot swing the score. Often by Turn 4, a savvy opponent will try to kill your characters or whatever is scoring secondaries – protect your Patriarch and warlord if possible by keeping him in melee (where he’s safest and most deadly). Use remaining CP for clutch stratagems like A Perfect Ambush (to shoot a just-arrived unit immediately, if using Host of Ascension detachment) or combat tricks like Overrun (if available) to bounce units back into Ambush after killing something.

Playstyle Summary: This list plays as a hyper-aggressive melee swarm with a never-ending supply of bodies. In practice, you will strike hard and early – overwhelming the opponent’s senses with threats from all angles. The combination of rock-solid melee units (Abberants, Purestrains) and sacrificial scoring units (Acolytes, small Hybrids) is what makes Genestealer Cults top-tier: “they put pressure on you and never let you up”spikeybits.com. Always think a turn ahead with Cult Ambush: position your Ambush blips/markers so that when a unit dies, you know where its replacement will emerge. Use terrain and clever movement to ensure isolated fights that you win decisively – GSC excel at ganging up on single targets then vanishing before the rest of the enemy can retaliate. If things go according to plan, by the end of the game the opponent will be overwhelmed by your insurgent warfare: ambushes, traps, and waves of fanatical hybrids. As the Bedlam in the ’Burgh tournament showed, Genestealer Cults can really shake things up – a horde of fanatical mutants striking from every shadowspikeybits.com. With this list, you’re equipped to do exactly that and ascend to victory in the current 10th Edition meta!