Warhammer 40K: Meet the Original Genestealer Cult Army List
Did you know that the Genestealer Cults first infiltrated our planet in 1989? Let’s take a look at that first list from many Editions ago.
With Genestealer Cults getting a solid lineup of units in their latest codex, it’s time to go back to the early days of the game. The purple, purple eaters were included in the Warhammer 40,000 Compendium from 1991.
However the initial Genestealer Cults arrived in two separate White Dwarf lists, one for the Genestealer Cult itself, and a second for a Cult that had turned to Chaos. We’ll cover that one another time.
The Lore
The lore arrived in White Dwarf 114 in June of 1989. This seminal article laid out all the basics on how Genestealers worked, their multi-generational life-cycle and them moved onto the very first description of a Genestealer Cult.
Scroll down for that diorama.
Then you got the best part… one of the super old-school Rogue Trader era dioramas. These used to show up now and then back in the day but haven’t seen seen in decades.
Just imagine this bad boys may be hanging on a wall somewhere after all these decades. So much hobby awesomeness in this thing.
The Army List
The initial list laid down the foundation for the never-say-die patient insurgents we all know and love to this day. All the basics of genestealer biology and their 4-generation life cycle we know and love today came from this old army list.
Patriarch and Hybrids up on page one. I’d like to call out the Equipment section first. Put a pin in that. Then read the little story. It’s especially good if you think Eldar are stuck up and need to be taken down a notch or two. Suck it Harlequins! “They must make their grandfather proud of them”… 
Page two has the 4th Generation Hybrids, Purestrain Genestealers, and some optional chaos riff-raff. Again note the Equipment section on the Hybrids. It was the psychic abilities that were both formidable and expensive in points back then. Level 4 Psykers were not to trifled with in Rogue Trader!
This is where the magic happens! Want Hybrids with D-cannons – cool! How about a cult hopped up on Frenzon, zipping around the table on Powerboards and chucking Hallucinogen grenades at you – not a problem! Graviton guns, Jokaero digital weapons? Well, let’s just say the Patriarch has a LOT of crap in his closet for the cult to pick and choose from.
Minis
Now we get to the original metal and plastic armed Hybrids and Purestrains from way back in the day. Hybrid 2 on the upper row is my favorite – so skulky!
There is also some fantastic early 90s artwork in here. Take a look at this John Blanche classic:
Do you have any Fond Memories of the Rogue Trader Genestealer Cult list? Let us know.
