Full gang rules transcribed from the scanned rulebook pages, kept here for quick reference at the table. Switch to Source to view the original scans.
An Escher Maiden with a strangely ridged brow; a Delaque agent with one too many arms; a Road Boss concealing a pointed spine — it is easy for those infected with the Genestealer Curse to hide upon a world where mutation is so common. These xenos cults multiply in the dark corners of Necromunda like a disease, growing more alien with each generation, their minds urging them to obey the higher purpose of their distant, otherworldly sires — to spread the curse and continue to produce new generations until their warped bodies are perfected. The Genestealer Cults stalk many underhives and ash waste outposts, often unnoticed amongst the population. Yet, when they are challenged, they can tap into latent wyrd powers granted by a shared higher consciousness, allowing them to manipulate minds and tear apart bodies with ease.
Legends and myths are popular in the wastes. It is not uncommon to hear of secluded family groups of miners and rig workers, wandering bands of treasure hunters, or ash guilders journeying out to trade, all with high-quality goods and little to say about their origins. Many of these groups simply guard the secrets of their trade and sources of wealth. Yet it is amongst these unassuming traders that the Genestealer Curse spreads fastest.
First unleashed within Hive Secundus, those bred from the Genestealer Curse are abominations of xenos and human DNA. Their minds are attuned to a higher purpose, part of a whole, carrying out the will of a distant patriarch of their kind in the hope that their sire race will eventually consume Necromunda and welcome them home. As the generations pass, their bodies mutate; their intelligence grows, limbs morph and multiply, and psychic powers take root. It is the curse’s potential to consume the planet that makes it so insidious — and why Hive Secundus is now a dark smear on the ash-blasted landscape.
Of course, a curse is not so easily vanquished.
Escapees from the irradiated ruins of Secundus hide, centuries later, in the darkest corners of Necromunda. Their descendants have grown the Genestealer Cults within respectable organisations and clans, many of whom are either well concealed or completely enmeshed within the industries of smaller hives where they can continue to multiply and amass power and influence. Even the esteemed Clan Houses have not escaped the malignant spread of the cults through their ranks — the underhive of Quinspirus hides four-armed Goliaths and bald, ridge-browed Orlock drudges just as readily as heavily clad miners and guilders that sound a little too guttural to pass as fully human.
Most of the largest conclaves of the Genestealer Cults live under the guise of ash mining families out in the wastes. The Cult of the Second Son is perhaps the largest of these; their hazard-suit-clad raiders have even wrested control of a few routes from Orlock road gangs, allowing the cult to claim a foothold in the Palatine Cluster.
Despite their rapid growth, the Genestealer Cults of Necromunda have been unable to produce any purestrain offspring. True power appears to have been denied to them thus far, possibly due to the irradiated taint of Secundus’ curse. Yet, should the Genestealer Cults continue to thrive unchecked, they might truly root themselves within the hierarchy of Hive Primus — and from there, it will only be a matter of time until they unlock the potential of their alien blood.
Cult Uprising: Genestealer Cult Fighters apply a +1 modifier to the dice roll when attempting to perform the Coup de Grâce action.
Extra Arm: This option is available to some Fighters in a Genestealer Cult gang and will be stated in the Fighter’s entry. A Fighter with this ability treats the Braced Shot action as a Single action instead of a Double action.
Additionally, the Fighter may carry four weapons rather than the normal three and is always considered to be armed with the clawed arm weapon (which does not take up one of their allowed weapons):
| Weapon | SR | LR | Str | AP | L | Traits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clawed arm | E | – | S | – | 1 | Additional Attacks (1), Melee, Rending (6+) |
Starting Skills: When added to a Gang Roster, all Genestealer Cult Leaders and Champions may select one skill from one of their Primary Skill Sets.
| Fighter | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adept | Secondary | – | – | Secondary | Primary | – |
| Alpha | – | Secondary | Secondary | Primary | Primary | – |
| Hybrid Acolyte | – | – | Secondary | Primary | – | Primary |
| Neophyte Hybrid | – | – | Secondary | Primary | – | Secondary |
| Aberrant | – | Primary | Secondary | Secondary | – | – |
| Hybrid Initiate | Secondary | – | – | Primary | – | – |
| Abominant | – | Primary | Secondary | – | – | – |
| Psychic Familiar | Primary | – | – | Secondary | – | – |
// p.32–34
| M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Sv |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4″ | 3+ | 3+ | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5+ |
| Ld | Cl | Wil | Int | Type | Starting XP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 8 | 9 | 7 | Fighter (Leader, Wyrd) | 61 |
Adept of the Cult: A Genestealer Cult Adept has the Wyrd Subtype and treats the Genestealer Cult Wyrd Powers as a Primary Skill Set.
Equipment: When added to a Gang Roster, a Genestealer Cult Adept may purchase weapons and wargear from the Genestealer Cult Equipment List:
| M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Sv |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5″ | 3+ | 3+ | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 5+ |
| Ld | Cl | Wil | Int | Type | Starting XP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | Fighter (Leader) | 61 |
Early Generation Hybrid: A Genestealer Cult Alpha benefits from the Extra Arm rule.
Equipment: When added to a Gang Roster, a Genestealer Cult Alpha may purchase weapons and wargear from the Genestealer Cult Equipment List:
| M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Sv |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4″ | 3+ | 3+ | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 5+ |
| Ld | Cl | Wil | Int | Type | Starting XP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | Fighter (Champion) | 39 |
Mixed Generations: By default, a Genestealer Cult Hybrid Acolyte belongs to a later generation. When added to a Gang Roster, they can be designated as belonging to an early generation for the cost of +20 credits. If they belong to an early generation, they gain the Extra Arm rule.
Equipment: When added to a Gang Roster, a Genestealer Cult Hybrid Acolyte may purchase weapons and wargear from the Genestealer Cult Equipment List:
| M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Sv |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4″ | 4+ | 4+ | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6+ |
| Ld | Cl | Wil | Int | Type | Starting XP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 7 | 6 | 5 | Fighter (Ganger, Specialist) | 13 |
Mixed Generations: By default, a Genestealer Cult Neophyte Hybrid belongs to a later generation. When added to a Gang Roster, they can be designated as belonging to an early generation for the cost of +20 credits. If they belong to an early generation, they gain the Extra Arm rule.
Equipment: When added to a Gang Roster, a Genestealer Cult Neophyte Hybrid may purchase weapons and wargear from the Genestealer Cult Equipment List:
| M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Sv |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5″ | 3+ | 6+ | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6+ |
| Ld | Cl | Wil | Int | Type | Starting XP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 8 | 7 | 4 | Fighter (Ganger) | 13 |
Skills: A Genestealer Cult Aberrant has the Unstoppable skill.
Equipment: When added to a Gang Roster, a Genestealer Cult Aberrant may purchase weapons and wargear from the Genestealer Cult Equipment List:
| M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Sv |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5″ | 5+ | 5+ | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 6+ |
| Ld | Cl | Wil | Int | Type | Starting XP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | Fighter (Prospect) | 1 |
Mixed Generations: By default, a Genestealer Cult Hybrid Initiate belongs to a later generation. When added to a Gang Roster, they can be designated as belonging to an early generation for the cost of +20 credits. If they belong to an early generation, they gain the Extra Arm rule.
Equipment: When added to a Gang Roster, a Genestealer Cult Hybrid Initiate may purchase weapons and wargear from the Genestealer Cult Equipment List:
| M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Sv |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5″ | 3+ | 6+ | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 5+ |
| Ld | Cl | Wil | Int | Type | Starting XP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 7 | 6 | 4 | Fighter (Brute) | 25 |
Skills: A Genestealer Cult Abominant has the Unstoppable skill.
Equipment: A Genestealer Cult Abominant is armed with a power sledgehammer. They may not purchase or be equipped with additional weapons or wargear.
| M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Sv |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5″ | 4+ | 6+ | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 6+ |
| Ld | Cl | Wil | Int | Type | Starting XP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | Fighter (Beast, Pet) | 13 |
Leash Range: A Psychic Familiar has a 3″ Leash range.
Omen of Fortune: A Psychic Familiar is able to sense bad fortune and forewarn their companion, giving them a flash of precognition. While they are within Leash range of their owner, their owner has a 4+ Invulnerable save.
Precognition: The gift of foresight possessed by a Psychic Familiar enables it to dodge and evade all but the most unexpected of attacks. This tremendous precognition grants them a 4+ Invulnerable save.
Skills: A Psychic Familiar has the Catfall and Clamber skills.
Equipment: A Psychic Familiar has no weapons. They may not purchase or be equipped with additional weapons or wargear.
// p.35 — prices for weapons and wargear available to this gang
* Denotes a weapon that takes up 2 weapon slots (effectively two-handed), rather than the usual 1.
// p.36 for Genestealer Cult's gang-specific weapons (Seismic cannon, Power pick, Power sledgehammer, Heavy rock cutter, Heavy rock drill, Heavy rock saw), plus standard Trading Post profiles for everything else on this gang's Equipment List. See the Trading Post & Equipment page for the full weapon list.
| Weapon | SR | LR | Str | AP | L | Traits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seismic cannon* | 12″ | 24″ | 4 | -1 | 2 | Breaching (5+), Concussive (6+), Heavy, Knockback (6+), Rapid Fire (1) |
| Weapon | SR | LR | Str | AP | L | Traits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power pick | E | – | S | -2 | 2 | Breaching (6+), Melee |
| Power sledgehammer* | E | – | S+1 | -1 | 2 | Breaching (5+), Damage (2), Heavy, Melee, Unwieldy |
| Weapon | SR | LR | Str | AP | L | Traits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy rock cutter* | E | – | S+4 | -4 | 2 | Heavy, Melee, Unwieldy |
| Heavy rock drill* | E | – | S+2 | -1 | 2 | Breaching (6+), Heavy, Melee, Unwieldy |
| Heavy rock saw* | E | – | S+3 | -3 | 2 | Damage (2), Heavy, Melee, Unwieldy |
Unlike other items of wargear, a gang may only purchase a single cult icon. This item must be carried by either a Leader or Champion. When a Fighter that is carrying a cult icon performs the Group Activation action, they may re-roll the Leadership check.
// p.37 — Genestealer Cult Adepts, and any Genestealer Corrupted gang Leader upgraded to have the Wyrd Subtype, treat these Powers as one of their Primary Skill Sets
Select an enemy Fighter that is both within 9″ and Line of Sight of the Adept, and that has a Ready marker. That Fighter must end their next activation closer to the Adept than they were at the start of their activation. If this is not possible, the Fighter suffers a Str -, AP -, L1 Hit that Wounds automatically and ignores all saves.
Whenever a Cool or Willpower check is made for a friendly Fighter within 9″ of the Adept, use the Adept’s Cool or Willpower characteristic instead of the Fighter’s (whichever is appropriate).
All friendly Fighters within 9″ of the Adept gain the Hatred (Everything) Condition.
Choose a single enemy Fighter that is both within 9″ and Line of Sight of this Fighter. That Fighter immediately makes a Shoot action, even if they have already activated this round, targeting an eligible Fighter from their gang, chosen by this Fighter’s controlling player.
Immediately make a ranged attack against an enemy Fighter within 12″ and Line of Sight. If hit, move the target D3″ in any direction and Suppress them. If this movement would cause a Fighter to fall, they stop at the edge of the platform and test to see if they fall. If they come into base contact with another Fighter or any terrain, they stop moving and suffer a Str 3, AP -, L1 Hit. If they come into base contact with another Fighter, that Fighter also suffers a Str 3, AP -, L1 Hit and becomes Suppressed. If the two Fighters belong to different gangs, instead of both of them becoming Suppressed, they are now Engaged with each other.
Any enemy Fighters within 3″ of the Adept are immediately pushed D3+1″ directly away. If this movement would cause a Fighter to fall, they stop at the edge of the platform and test to see if they fall. If they come into base contact with another Fighter or any terrain, they stop moving and suffer a Str 3, AP -, L1 Hit. If they come into base contact with another Fighter, that Fighter also suffers a Str 3, AP -, L1 Hit and becomes Suppressed. If the two Fighters belong to different gangs, instead of both of them becoming Suppressed, they are now Engaged with each other.
// p.38 — the six Clan Houses (Cawdor, Delaque, Escher, Goliath, Orlock and Van Saar) and Palanite Enforcers may take this option during gang creation
During gang creation a player can decide that their gang has been corrupted by a Genestealer Cult. If they do, they gain the benefits and drawbacks that follow. The following gangs can become a Genestealer Cult Corrupted gang: the six Clan Houses (Cawdor, Delaque, Escher, Goliath, Orlock and Van Saar) and Palanite Enforcers.
Effects of Genestealer Cult Corruption: A Genestealer Cult Corrupted gang gains the following benefits and drawbacks:
Upgrading the Leader to a Wyrd: The Leader of a Genestealer Cult Corrupted gang can be upgraded to become a Wyrd for +35 credits. This cost is either paid during the Post-cycle Sequence and requires the Leader to forgo any Post-cycle Actions and to not be In Recovery, or it may be selected when they are added to the Gang Roster. Once the Leader has been upgraded, they gain the Wyrd Subtype and can choose a single Wyrd Power from the Genestealer Cult Wyrd Powers list above. Thereafter, they count Genestealer Cult Wyrd Powers as one of their Primary Skill Sets.
Hiring Genestealer Cult Aberrants & Genestealer Cult Abominants: Genestealer Cult Corrupted gangs can include up to two Genestealer Cult Aberrants and up to two Genestealer Cult Abominants in their gang. These Fighters use the Fighter entries above.
Psychic Familiars: Leaders and Champions in Genestealer Cult Corrupted gangs can be equipped with up to one Psychic Familiar each.
Prospects From Earlier Generations: Genestealer Cult Corrupted gangs may give any Prospects the Extra Arm rule for a cost of +20 credits when they are added to the Gang Roster.
No Brutes, Hangers-on or Pets From Core Equipment List: Cutting ties with their original gang, Genestealer Cult Corrupted gangs may not add any Fighters with the Brute or Hanger-on Subtype from their gang list to their Gang Roster, nor may they purchase any Pets from their Equipment List.
Pages 28 and 39 are full-page character art; see the Source tab to view them — no rules text is printed on those pages.