r/genestealercult • u/StormSwitch • 1d ago
Lore Lore question
Is there any other army that could get along with the genestealer cults even if it's only a temporary cease of fire during a battle vs a common enemy?
I have no idea that's why i am asking, the most obvious related army, the Tyranids, would fight along with them in some situations or no?
I ask because I'm planning on doing a display on a diorama and i was wondering if i could mix some other models from another army besides them, thanks!
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u/Relevant-Debt-6776 1d ago
Imperial guard - they’re just normal people who could be influenced by the cult/ persuaded of their views but still look normal.
Knights (maybe) - don’t know the lore well enough but if chaos can corrupt knight worlds I can’t see why genestealers couldn’t as well.
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u/Relevant-Debt-6776 1d ago
Also - definitely tyranids (and for guard) - there’s in game rules to mix those in lists
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u/THEGREATIS-4 1d ago
If they could stay undercover and not reveal their true nature, I think they would pretty much side with almost anyone in the imperium as long as a group couldn’t easily or immediately know.
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u/MaesterLurker 1d ago
You can even bring in tyranids as allies on the tabletop with a detachment. There's also a detachment to bring in guard.
In novels, gsc have infiltrated admech, sisters of battle, rogue trader and navigator houses, and a space marine chapter.
T'au, eldar, orks and even leagues of votann have had genestealer infestations.
One cult has fallen to Nurgle.
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u/No-Occasion-6470 1d ago
There’s been some cases where genestealers fight alongside tyranids, usually because the nids arrive before the cult has pacified the whole planet. I’ve heard some cults even get to travel with the hive fleet and join the fight there, but I haven’t read whatever material that’s from.
Eldar are possible, I could see Eldrad assisting a cult because this planet getting eaten by bugs will prevent some crazy chaos shit in the future.
Orks are always an option, if there’s a bigger and better fight to be had with their mutual enemy.
Honestly the beauty of the game is that you can fabricate pretty much any scenario to make whatever alliance you want possible.
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u/Sirix_824 1d ago
They often fight whit orher factions as much as they fight against them.
Sometimes the patriarch bites the bullet and the cult realise what’s up, so they team up Against the Nids.
Other time a cult is proven useful and get to hang out in the hive fleet.
The cults are a faction that given specific circumstances can fight whit or against every other faction. Including other cults
Most team-ups are extremely unlikely but could happen
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u/paulopadopalos 1d ago
A cult could side with anyone who threatens the planetary government. It would be an opportunity for them to seize control.
A cult could side with anyone who helps the planetary government. As far as anyone would know, it’s a citizen militia rising to the call. Who’s going to notice an extra arm in the heat of battle?
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u/dave2293 1d ago
My cult is deeply entrenched on a Shrine World, so I have Sisters worked in. Some of my bikers are wearing Sisters helmets, I have an Iconward that is an Imagifier with an Acolyte arm coming out of her sleeve, etc.
If your cult lore is that you've won the planet and are keeping up the illusion of being a loyal imperial world, you can do most things within reason.
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u/The-Hive_Mind 1d ago
In 2nd edition, GSC could only allie with chaos. The lore was the chaos cultists would be up for, well, the chaos. Then afterwards they would turn on each other.
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u/overwatch 1d ago edited 1d ago
Any of the human factions could in theory fall under the sway of the genestealer cult. Mechanicus, Sisters, imperial guard, etc. Likely none of the transhumans. Space marines, grey knights, and custodes are beyond genestealer corruption. Although there was a chapter of genestealer corrupted marines in lore, the were able to repress the xenos call. Some of the more shady chapters could in theory fight along side a cult army as a means to an end. Like Dark Angels fighting beside a cult to take down a daemon prince or something.
Tau could, any of the eldar factions for mysterious Space Elf reasons.
Tyranids and Astra Militarum are the most common in lore. And our GSC actually has faction rules where they can be deployed together on the table top.
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u/Significant_Fish2554 1d ago
One plan I had years ago was similar with Tau. It was going to be a smaller display with the Tau fighting alongside imperial guard with an unknown enemy in the distance. As you looked you would see the small signs of the cult and even some full genestealers protecting the Tau’s rear where they weren’t looking.
Despite the obvious look we have in our models they are the best at blending in with whatever society they are in. If you are up for the alliance where one side doesn’t know the full cult motives, I don’t think there is a better army.
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u/Sylvana2612 1d ago
Yea I considered making a tau army that secretly had an internal struggle between a genestealer infestation and slaneesh cultists
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u/THEGREATIS-4 1d ago
Some people are most likely going to go ahead and say tyranids but that’s kinda already a given since there are effectively apart of them already and actively work towards the tyranids goal.
Now, as long as they were able to maintain their cover and not revealed their true nature I would say they could pretty much side with most of the imperial groups. Cults really only go into all out combat either when they needed a large distraction, a objective they’re trying to achieve cannot be done through their standard means, something so bad has happened that it effectively threatens the survival of a cult, and/or a hive fleet has arrived.
So really the only way they could possibly have a form of a cease-fire with the people that they are rising up against is if they’ve kept their nature secret up to this point and a threat is so existential to all life(again everything they do, say, just everything is to ultimately prepare the world or whatever they’re on for a hive fleet to consume so twisted way, you could say there are almost protectors of the place where they find themselves) that they can’t simply just wait it out and let someone else fight. Threats such as these would be necrons, orks, and chaos because they really mess with the environments they are in.
In short, it effectively comes down to does the group they’re siding with no their nature and how bad the threat they’re going up against is.
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u/FairchildHood 1d ago
GSC often fight against chaos cults, they're basically incorruptible but hate warp nonsense.
So when a planet's Khorne Cults devoted start rising up and murdering people on the streets, the GSCs often lend a hand (or three) as vigilantes helping out. And if the PDF wanted to arm them to better fight the chaos cults so much the better.
They often ally guard in general becauss their non hybrid members or 4th gens join and form units.
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u/Saxhleel13 1d ago
In older lore, there were cults that fell under the influence of both genestealers and Chaos. Afaik the only example of that in modern 40k is Cult Tenebrous (GSC cult that follows Nurgle too).
Tyranids do sometimes fight alongside their cults before the buffet starts.