40K Combat Patrol: Lamenters vs Genestealer Cult

So, I played my first game of 40K in about 25 years... We used the Combat Patrol rules, which are slightly pared down and don't require list building. Each side is competing for points over five turns, via objectives which are the 40mm MDF discs. This was a learning game for both of us, and we forgot and likely misinterpreted many special rules. I've spiced up the pics with the LensFX app.

One one side: Lamenters Space Marines. Strengths include short-range firepower and armour, weaknesses include low numbers.

Lamenters Combat Patrol

• Terminator Captain
• Terminator Librarian leading five Terminators
• Five Infernus Squad Marines

Their opponents: the Genestealer cult. Lots of bodies and mobility, but squishy.

Genestealer Cult Combat Patrol

• Magus with ten Neophyte Hybrids
• Ten Neophyte Hybrids
• Five Aberrants
• Five Acolyte Hybrids
• Rockgrinder truck

The forces meet across a ruined mining facility.

The Cult dominate a rocky outcrop and prepare
to advance on both flanks

Merely six Astartes face down the xenos foe.

The Neophytes seize a ruin as the Rockgrinder rumbles forward

The Infernus Squad take an objective

Heavy Stubber fire ricochets off the tough Terminator plate

"Purge with flame!"

Terminators teleport in, but the Rockgrinder withstands
the ambush

However, the Captain leads a charge and the vehicle is torn
apart by powerfists.

The resulting explosion kills a Terminator
and wounds the Captain

The Astartes destroy the remaining hybrids.

The Aberrants seize the opportunity to tear down
the wounded captain.

The marines get their revenge.

A doomed counter-charge.

Behind us! More hybrids emerge from the shadows
and threaten the Astartes' rear.

The pyreblasters eradicate one threat.

The Terminators about-face to eliminate the other.

The Magus desperately leads her troop off the hill
to seize an objective as the marines are distracted.

But the Terminators' firepower is devastating

A charge finishes off the Cult.

A victory for the Lamenters, but they did lose their Captain. The cult will rise up again!

The rules were... fine. Nothing innovative, but they appear to be a streamlined improvement over previous editions. They behaved as expected, and I'm glad they're free. I struggled with all the special rules and multiple weapon types. Bigger games will be very bloody and complex.

The 'buckets of dice and then nothing happens' critique of 40K is reasonable, but as a player-participant it is quite fun. Sometimes it does all swing on a D6.

More Genestealer Cultists

I like painting these guys, but they take so long... 

I really wanted to do this kitbash with the full-face visor. It was harder than I anticipated, but I'm happy with the final outcome.

Neophyte Hybrid with Mining Laser kitbash

Acolyte Leader with twin autopistols

Neophyte with Webber

Neophyte Leader with Web Pistol and Power Pick

Neophyte Hybrids with shotguns and cult icon

40K GSC Sanctus and ruined statues

After getting my 'stealer cult out of the shadows recently, I was inspired to paint up a character.

The Sanctus is an assassin, armed with a rifle or blade. I was able to magnetize both options.

I did an angular sandy grey camouflage on his cape using Vallejo Model Color 70.821 German Camo Beige, VMC 70.830 German Field Grey, VMC 70.819 Iraqi Sand, and Army Painter Ash Grey.

The figure is poised on a ruined statue, so I painted some ruined statues as practice. Here they are with some Chaos cultists for scale.

The white marble is GW Apothecary White Contrast on a white undercoat, with shading from AP Soft Tone and some thinned AP Uniform Grey to give some veiny contrast in big plain areas.

How I paint genestealers; with group cult shot

Here's how I paint my genestealers. I've refined this over a few years to give reproducible, reasonably quick, good-looking models in the classic indigo-lilac scheme. Of course, character models can have more care and attention applied.

Eight I finished this week

Preparation

Assemble, undercoat black, complete the basing. (I do the basing before the figure because it is easier to tidy up the base afterwards than to get bits of basing off the figure.) Here, I've used 32mm bases which are more stable.

Carapace

• Heavy drybrush Vallejo 70.899 Dark Prussian Blue
• Drybrush Army Painter Wolf Grey
• Selected edge highlights AP Ice Storm

Just highlight the bits that catch the light- speed and roughness are OK here because the lighter skin tones later will deflect attention from any mistakes made during this step.

Skin

• AP Toxic Boils
• VJ 73.204 Flesh Wash

Highlights:

• AP Toxic Boils
• AP Toxic Boils/ AP Elven Flesh
• AP Toxic Boils/ AP Elven Flesh/ VJ 70.820 Off White

I paint the skin lilac and wash it with VJ Flesh Wash, which is magic. Then highlights mostly on the face and eyes.

Claws

• AP Matt Black
• AP Ash Grey
• VJ 70.820 Off White to the absolute tips

Eyes

• AP Phoenix Flames. Less is more

Temple veins

• AP Blue Tone

Tongue

• AP Barbarian Flesh
• VJ 73.206 Red Shade

Teeth

• AP Corpse Pale

Final touches

• Base rim
• Matt varnish

These are the colours that do the heavy lifting

I haven't posted my cult on here for a while- Millsy and Paul OG made me promise to do a group shot of my cult, so I've been putting off this sobering moment.

The Guiding Hands

Are you happy now?

Genestealer Cult Aberrants and Abominant

What's got fifteen feet, nine heads, lots of arms and an attitude?

I painted some Aberrants for my Genestealer Cult to go with the four I painted in 2016 from Deathwatch: Overkill. They're real brutes!

Genestealer Cult Aberrants

Aberrants with Power Pick

Aberrants with Power Hammer

These Aberrants come with a Hypermorph with an Improvised Weapon. I'm very happy with how he came out! If I had more time, I would like to model one with a stop sign, or a kangaroo sign for Aussie flavour. Other ideas gladly accepted! He's got a more pronounced Quasimodo hunch, and a tail.

Aberrant Hypermorph with Improvised Weapon

This big chap is an Abominant, a real hulking tank on a 40mm base. He's wearing overalls for that inbred look and has a bag of bones because reasons. He's teamed up with a Familiar, who is clearly the brains.

Abominant and Familiar

I also pushed out some Infestation Markers in the dying moments of the Analogue Challenge IX, which are handy scatter terrain.

Genestealer Infestation

Kill Team- first games

I had my first games of Kill Team recently. The skirmish size made it a fascinating prospect as I have no proper size 40K army, but handfuls of models here and there which are suitable for grimdark gaming.

My Genestealer Cult Kill Team:

• Leader- Neophyte with Bolt Pistol and Chainsword
• Zealot- Aberrant with Power Pick
• Veteran- Purestrain Genestealer
• Medic- Neophyte with shotgun
• Acolyte with Rock Saw
• Neophyte with Flamer
• Neophyte with Grenade Launcher
• Acolyte with Autopistol x2
• Acolyte with Icon
• Neophyte with shotgun

My opponent had four of the new Primaris Marines, which are lovely models. He also took three Scout Snipers. We played a simple kill-'em-all non-campaign learning game.

Kill Team about to break cover

Sniper nest

Primaris (Primarises? Primarii?) on the high ground

Cultists advance

Om nom nom on the snipers

Marines trapped on a walkway

My opponent was great, explaining rules patiently. I had some excellent dice rolls and his were appalling- the game didn't go how I expected! I survived a hail of shots and chomped my way through his force.

My next game was against the Adeptus Mechanicus, a steampunk-aesthetic force. My plan was to charge them like the first game, but I got utterly mown down for my troubles.

Cult advance across rubble to the defended ruins

Flanking 'stealer gets shot by overwatch

Cult gets stuck in open and is gunned down

The flamer is great, but the grenade launcher less so. Shooting is not my strength. I'll beef up some of the close combat options.

I’m conflicted about this game. The setting and models are great, and the main drawcard. It has been fun to revisit my ill-spent youth again. But the game mechanics are clunky and not as elegant or polished as other games I’ve been playing. In particular, the hit-wound-save-effect roll sequence is tedious, the weapon options and skill trees are overwhelming, and movement and line of sight can be a source of disagreement and slows the game compared to a gridded board. The lack of any suppression is off-putting. It has the advantage of being popular and thus it is easy to find opponents and games. I don't think I would enjoy this competitively, although of course this would depend on my opponent. Ultimately, I do look forward to making more teams and will be playing more.

It allows me to get my toys on the table. I will be playing again. I'll name and come up with a backstory for my dudes, and hope to participate in a campaign which will give me even more investment in my team.