Genestealer List

[PyroSikTh]

Got any tips for making a Genestealer list?

Other than the obvious (Genestealers), what does the list need? What should be left out? What kind of loadouts work well? What are good HQ choices for a list like this? Anything else to keep in mind?

[broodstar]

ive noticed with this game its all about rerolls my favorate is supporting with a swarmlord and venomthropes and giving them adrenalglands and toxin sac. there you have a deathstar. your stealers will be ws6 s5 i7 reroll to hit and wounding on a 4+ (at least) with reroll. i average 8 rends and something like 20 wounds. and theyll have faster movement becuase you can take the in open ground thank to the venoms 6 inch bubble of 5+ cover. just watch for flamers.

[Sybrite]

full Genestealer lists are kinda difficult to pick a suitable HQ.
-Primes seem obvious for their size/cost, but sticking them in a stealer unit forfeits fleet... but can be put into any other non-stealer support unit (which is good, since you can keep synapse away from stealers when they don't need it).
-like broodstar said though, I'm partial to Hive Tyants because they can be setup to buff stealers (as well as drawing firing away from them) I just don't like the swarmlord
-for a speedy-vanguard style nid list, I also like the Parasite of Mortrex, with either a handful of shrikes or a bunch of gargoyles. shrikes if you care to keep the parasite around for a good bit; gargoyles to provide a forward screen for the advancing stealers

Elites:
Ymgarls are pretty obvious and damn good for verstility and psychologically messing with your opponent's game plan
-venomthropes are also a nice choice, but if taken you'll need to commit two broods (of at least 2 venoms) else you're definately going to lose your mobile cover in turn 1 target priorty
-zoanthropes are good, particularly as a attachment unit for a prime - as it's a nice safe place to hold him plus a bunch of zoanthropes is gonna draw lots of attention away from your stealers
-hive guard, don't really fit the theme of genestealers, but its some ranged Anti-tank and a home that needs synapse so you take a cheap prime you can stick him here and shoot from full cover
- doom of malan'tai also doesn't quite fit the stealer theme, but it's hard to pass up the anarchy he'll reaper if you spore drop him into the middle of your enemy
- lictors/deathleaper would definately fit the fluff & theme, but I'm very disappointed with their abilities.. so I personnally have shelved them in a hopes next edition revival.

Troops:
stealers of course
but one or two fodder units of whichever gaunt you prefer is nice to have also (I usually go with gargoyles as fodder so I don't use up the troop slot and they can keep ahead of the stealers)
-warriors maybe if you wanted a unit that could benefit from having a prime HQ, though kitting warriors out to be good at any one purpose is going to bleed your points away from taking more genestealers

Fast:
as mentioned gargoyles are in fluff a vanguardish unit that rides ahead of the main nid swarm so they fit nicely with genestealers. giving you a nice cover wall and maybe some shooting, and while most infantry aren't phased in the least by them in close combat, high toughness models (usually monstrous creatures) will give pause before engaging gargoyles because blinding venom hands out wounds where S3 normally couldn't.
-shrikes if protecting a parasite HQ.
-harpies don't fit, but I actually kinda like them, good vehicle/walker hunters with the TL-HVC upgrade

-a really good fast slot is to take spore mine clusters. especially if you're going to outflank a few genestealers. while the sporemines aren't really a big threat, plopping a few clusters in the middle area of your opponent's deployment zone will often get them to avoid the clusters and thus stick that much closer to the short table edges, perfect for out-flanking

Heavy Support is also pretty hard for stealer lists. as nothing here is even remotely fluff related to the stealer theme
-biovores are small and cheap, so you again if you took a prime for your HQ, he could synapse-sitt with these to keep them firing. plus as barrage weapons, you might get lucking and "pin" a unit in cover... making some assaulting stealers very happy
-then pretty much you just pick your favorite monstrous creature with any leftover points to draw fire away from your stealers. though I'll admit you're not likely to have any 'leftover' points because once you fill your troop slot with stealers and broodlords plus a manditory HQ there isn't many points left to go around

[Red5]

Swarmlord goes quite well with Genestealer lists if you're planning to outflank (which you should be, imho). Stick him with a unit of 2-3 Tyrant Guard with lashwhips, and he'll be able to absorb a considerable amount of firepower. That said, that's really for higher point levels. At even 1500 points it might be too pricey to run him effectively, but if you're playing around 2000 points I see no reason NOT to take him for all the bonuses he gives.

Hive Tyrant would also work pretty well. Give him Hive Commander for the reserves bonus, and you can bring your Genestealers in fast. A great supporting unit for a list like this would be a Hormagant unit. Outflank them with Hive commander, and you can drop a ton of Hormagants in from the sides, that can act as a great screen for your Genestealers, what with Bounding leap and all, making them a little quicker on average, and if you fully kit them out, can absolutely MASSACRE MEQ on the charge.

As far as upgrades go, Toxin Sacs are a must, if playing MEQ. Wounding on rerollable 4's is just too awesome. That said, if you're playing Guard or other GEQ, if might be worth it to go with Adrenal glands instead. Statistically, wounding on a 2+ is better than wounding on rerollable 4+ (but rerollable 4+ is better than wounding on 3+, statistically). Personally though, if playing T3 models I'd probably just use the points to field more Genestealers. Genestealers are fragile buggers, so you're gonna need all the bodies you can get.

[Beeva]

I actually miss Broodlords as an HQ choice for this very reason.

Parasite is a good HQ choice along with the Gargoyles, I'd go with that. I know you said Lady M doesn't love the small gribblies which is a same as Hormas work as great screening units for Stealers. Main thing to remember is that they due easy so keep em cheap. They're already nasty so keep em cheap. Take Toxin Sacs if anything and just try and spam bodies.

[Forest]

I'm agreeing with keeping the genes cheap. I favor AG over toxin almost everytime. Because of the added strength and occasional special characters that can take initiative in CqC. But the key to genes is slaughter. Rending claws standard is awesomeness so just make them hit on lower points and more often is as close to broken as it gets. The only HQ advice I can offer is go cheap with warily prime. Or use tervigon. You can always use termagaunts fodder between assaults. And she can use her psychics. Not that they realy need them. But FNP is a big factor against me so maby you could use it. The other two I'd only use for termas otherwise don't bother with em.

[c1940n]

Tervigon is an expensive choice, but having Dominion to wrangle-up the odd unit of fleeing Genes is dandy. Not to mention that if there is anything players disdain more than Genes with any amount of upgrades, it is the same stealers with Feel No Pain. Not to mention that the Termagants can then be used to hold any objectives while your Genes mop up the table.

Ymgarls are a distinctive game-changer. Some opponents will panic on the inside if they know even one unit of Ymgarls could appear in their lascannon lines. Even 1 unit of them can be enough to make opponents not-stand in cover (beneficial to your other genestealers, who then don't charge through cover!)

[Forest]

One of the best tactics in gene lists is feild almost nothing turn 1. You have the gamble with reserve rolls but appearing in dormancy in enemy lines. Or outflanking when they curl in a corner. Idea is to stay in their face and keep them moving into yet seen broods. And simply. F¥$K them up with those rending claws.