How do we make Genestealers good again?

[TheHiveKing]

We all love Genestealers. the question is what would we have to do to make them competitive again?

[Hive Tyrant Qiln]

Give them assault from reserve and stealth base and I'll take em.

[gigasnail]

9ppm, done.

[farmer9500]

give them assault grenade

[blackrainbow]

Assault grenades. Yeah it really is that simple. Take some points down too, I'd be happy with grenades and 10 points, maybe even 11. Nah, 10 (or 9!).

[manbrick]

I'd like to see them gain Scout, Stealth and possobly even Fear.
Assault grenades would be great too but i don't think they'd be as necessary if the stealers were also given a decent points reduction.
Around 10pts per model would be about right.

[N.I.B.]

Look at Flesh Hounds, that's the kind of points worth I want to see in Genestealers. 8 points each, done.

[gauntlet]

Restoring the Fear.

It would be a nice homage to Space Hulk if Genestealers could be deployed as blips in buildings and cover. A blip is a token which hides the number of unit members and the unit cannot be targeted by balistic weapons, and it's value is only revealed when the enemy has line of sight. You could liberally scatter the blips during infiltration. Some would be zero value blips, necessitating a mix of cautious deployment by opponent or brazen disregard.

Could be mechanism for additional synergy. Like, a Lictor within 6 inches adds 5 stealers to the value of a blip.

[hungryhormie]

Apr 21, 2016 9:27:05 GMT gauntlet said:

Restoring the Fear.

It would be a nice homage to Space Hulk if Genestealers could be deployed as blips in buildings and cover. A blip is a token which hides the number of unit members and the unit cannot be targeted by balistic weapons, and it's value is only revealed when the enemy has line of sight. You could liberally scatter the blips during infiltration. Some would be zero value blips, necessitating a mix of cautious deployment by opponent or brazen disregard.

Could be mechanism for additional synergy. Like, a Lictor within 6 inches adds 5 stealers to the value of a blip.

I love this idea! Fluffy, not game breaking, and useful. Bravo.

[purestrain]

10ppm 4+ saves 3+ broodlord. Toxin sacs as a special rule

[tylertt]

Reducing points as already mentioned. I also think the blip deployment idea would be a rather fun dynamic for stealers. Even just simplify it to 3 infiltrating blips which are revealed if the Stealers decide to move, or if the blip is fired at, or if a enemy moves within 6". To top it all off allow stealers to assault from infiltrate. Now that would be cool, but stealer spam would make a ton of blips and could be hard to keep track of lol.

[gauntlet]

The following does not make stealers good but it lets me bring some of my models off the shelf.

Unseen Menace.

Counts as Biovores. I deploy a couple of limousines. The limousines act as spotters for coordinating the Genestealer subterranean attack from bogs/trenches/sewers under the battle field.

To mark the blast from the biovores I place a Genestealer from Space Hulk, perched from a gantry, to represent ambush. The stealer is removed if the attack hits.
If the blast misses I use the 'emerging from tunnel' Space Hulk stealers to count as drifting Spore Mines. The aethetic is that the concealed stealers, are shadowing and harrassing the enemy from fox-holes, snapping at exposed ankles, or dragging victims into underground lairs. But not making full on assaults. It encourages enemies to take pot shots at the lurking stealers (sporemines.) You can switch to normal Genestealer to represent assaults, Cinematic when overwatch is used.

[Kark]

You can take 5 flyrants and 2-4 min size genestealers squads with objective secured to do some mealstroms. It's not the cheapest option, but I read about competitive lists that were doing fine in GTs with genestealers as objective support. Infiltration/outflank is quite helpful for that purpose and regular genestealers can be a nice addition to genecult disciples.

[swarm492]

I dont want cheap spammed stealers, I want scary stealers. maybe make them 15pnts, have assault grenades, stealth, can assault after running, an additional attack, shred, and 4+. That's base, I'm all for options after that.

[gigasnail]

you're still looking at a whole lot of points down the drain anytime anything looks at them hard. there is too much ignores cover around man.