My Least Favorite Army! Genestealer Cult Problem 

"He was arguing with me, you don't get to do that, you didn't roll that, I don't remember that." Look, I don't know this guy, but I think I might know one reason why you are having such a hard time winning games against him.

Day of ascension was an amazing novel. Also, I'm really enjoying this series of army showcases

The subtitles said "Jean stealers" the whole video and it made the video even better

I don’t know what to put. Here but hi jay. ( and the one they call “nick” in the basement.) I love your stuff and you’ve taught me that my models are cool models!

Gene Stealers remind me of the Church of Unitology from Dead Space. With the Tyranids being Necromorphs, that would be a cool faction for any tabletop game

I only started this hobby about six months ago, but thanks to you guys I have soared through the first learning curve.

Nothing makes me feel older than the way Jay says "1999"

You're absolutely right about them being a weirdly difficult army to paint satisfactorily... Deathwatch Overkill was my first purchase getting back into the hobby, and I tried to follow the box art too, but in classic colours they just require too much skill and effort to maintain for a horde army, I think. Coming back to them more recently, I tried out a Hive Fleet Leviathan inspired purple/off-white scheme and that looks the business, and is much easier to pull off (but still takes some doing, thanks to the complicated models).

Every genestealer cults army is actually haunted by the ghost of a wargamer who died with a pile of shame, so having the whole army painted to an equal standard unlocks your mind and suddenly you understand all the strategies

I love these full army videos, keep going

You've complained about your cult before but I absolutely love how they turned out, I fell in love with the look of the army because of you!

Odd request, I would love to see an overall effects tip video compilation. How do you handle dings/dents/scratches, how do you do your wet/oil, what about oxidization other then rust? Burn/exhaust. Fluffy snow/slush. I love how you make everything approachable and having a single big compilation would be fun. So many people have scattered tips mixed into separate videos, and having a single video with time stamps would be a great resource.

As a Lovecraft fan, the genestealers remind me of the deep ones. Someone else?

"He got really mad at me, he argued with me, telling me you can't do that, you don't get to do that, you didn't roll that I didn't see that roll" look ma friend, you need to not play that guy ever again, until he grows up. It's the only way.

If you want some nice dynamic poses for the sentinels, watch the battle of Endor in Return of the Jedi, specifically where the AT-STs are on screen. When they take a step, the platform that the head and legs attach to tilts one way, then the other way with the next step. The head itself remains level.

Staying up late for a build plate to finish on the printer, this is perfect!

Yes, the Tectonic Fragdrill is a cool piece of terrain. I finally nabbed one for my collection this year. I had no idea that GW discontinued it, which makes me even happier that I finally added one to my collection. Thank you again for sharing your thoughts and displaying your miniatures. I love your GSC army.

That mini May-ghus is adorable, he looks so angry about being shorter than his peers

Great vid. I’m just approaching 2000 points of GSC and it’s definitely been a labour of love. My methods have improved as I’ve gone on so will also probably go back & re-do some of the older models. Great work on the patriarch btw!

Great vibe on this channel that really attracts new people to the hobby

After watching this video i have decided to start building my own cult army , so thx and your paint job look amazing👌

GSC armies always seem like a labor of love. I remember back in the day when the army was not really model supported, there were guys running fully converted IG armies with kit-bashed model cars for vehicles. good times.

Second edition GSC was a hoot! THREE Leman Russ firing Preparatory bombardment before turn 1. A Patriarch with Mind Screech and Frenzy and a single cult-hybrid heavy weapons squad with auto-canon. And, lots of Genestealers! (I owned 100+ 😆)

That patriarch paintjob is soooooo fire. Big LOVE! I don't even play 40k, but it's super fun seeing how excited you get over this army.

Can confirm about the book, don't have a genestealer cult army but day of Ascension was great (listened to the audiobook). Loving the Army showcases, look great and you can see a big jump in painting with some of your early human cultists to ... what ever the guys between genestealers and humans from the normal humans in much better highlights etc

Genestealers are a fun army and the models are great, they really work well to paint in the slapchop style for speed painting / highlights :)

Bro I feel ya. I have the exact same problems with orks. Each model have so many details, leather straps, bandages, really challenging to paint, expecially when you need a lot of minis.

the trio of Magus' look like some DBZ villians. Would look pretty awesome standing on an overlook above the battlefield

This is like the third or fourth time Jay has said how good Day of Ascension is...and it's not enough! I hope the author (Adrian Tchaikovsky) will be writing more, his previous work is also very good (Shadows of the Apt).

My dude, I started a Black Templar army right as I discovered your channel and have been eyeballing a Genestealer Sanctus all weekend right as you upload this vid. Great minds. 🧠

First and second generation children born after the infection of their parents are acolyte hybrids, third and fourth generation are neophyte hybrids (the fourth looks almost like a human, and definitely will pass as a human) and the fifth generation are the purestrain genestealers.

I just got into GSC, and while batch painting the Neophytes has been a chore, taking my time on the characters has resulted in some of my best work

The author behind day of ascension wrote one of my favourite sci-fi novels ever. Children of Time. A sweet novel about space spiders working with AI and against humanity to save their planet. Really makes you feel for the spiders and their awesome web based technology!

Have recently found the channel and I love the content please do keep it up, and I love your army collections and how even if it's not one your particularly keen on you still come across as really passionate about the hobby, awesome to see

God your so right, I started doing commission work right as GSC came out. I hated painting them and still do.

Painting Genestealers is best done by slapshop, it just makes the process so much easier.

I managed to get hold of the limited edition mounted gene stealers when they were first issued. They look very cool

GSC do look great and almost got me back into warhammer. I feel its one of those factions that has a lot more creative freedom as well. Provided you've got a bunch of genestealer bits you could choose any kinda of world and color scheme as opposed to maybe more limited options like Eldar, IG, Tau

I think you need to get the old genestealer cult limo! 😁

My favourite was a friend who made his look like the TMNT, and used a Skaven as their MAgus

Thanks for sharing and maybe you could spice up the paint jobs with a splash of random colors just one extra per model to show they are a rag tag cult and not a massively organized force?

In the original Space Hulk it had a little lore booklet which had info on the factions and such. In that they went into detail about the genestealer’s method of ”stealing the genes”. Once they find a host they give a ”genestealers kiss” which is essentially the Alien procedure. They thrust their tongue into the victims mouth and throat, which then plants the genestealer virus or eggs or whatever in the host. The host then becomes unbelievably horny wanting to mate as quickly as possible. Cool lore IMO

I hope so much that Jay makes more GSC videos

Your Patriarch looks great. The green looks good with the grey, have you considered going all flesh tone for the skin and using the blue as a recess shade and or lighter highlight?

I collect GSC and I have a custom theme based on The Twisted Helix. I think it works well even im blobs. Pale/green flesh that gets more green the more mutated they are. With black armor, red bandannas and tabbards and green cloth/shoulder pads. It helps to change up what details are green, black, and tan. One unit gets black gloves and boots with green shoulder pads, while another gets tan gloves and boots, with black shoulder pads. I think it really helps the army blend and not look weird all together. Plus my ridgerunners look like TMNT vehicles and that's fun

You should've had a biophagus or magus nearby- that would've allowed you to reroll the deaths of every downed unit...

I found GSC to be insanely easy to paint. I went with a white base coat. The suits are just nuln oil over the basecoat and a few spots of earthshade here and there for some dirtiness. Then a few spots highlights of white on the rims of the armor pads The fabric was just Iyanden Sun with a wash of watered down brown. Then a highlight of Iyanden again. I painted a 10 man unit in about an hour not including their heads. And not yet based. Oddly... I sold my 2000point army. Then I bought an assembled 2000+ point army and turned around and sold it to a store for credit so that I could... Buy the exact same army just new in box. Then I sold it to someone so I could pay rent. Then I got a good job... Now I own piles of unbuilt Marines, Chaos, Votann, Eldar and Orks.

Use your gene snatcher to kill stuff. That should help! Fantastic as always!! Thanks gents!!

Thats why genestealers are perfect for what they do. They are terrorists outnumbered and outgunned by the enemy. The only way they can win is through perfect planning and perfect strikes.

I did my neophytes with orange jumpsuits instead of blue, to keep that mining aesthetic. The neophytes is a lovely kit, among my favorites. Edit: You need a few boxes of brood brothers.

Genestealer Cults-esque Horror Story is such an amazing concept for a TV Series, surprising that we have never seen a proper one with a theme of Humanity being infiltrated by something that looks like us.

My buddy Nick, built a Genestealer Cult using various Skaven models from etsy, GW, and a few I 3d printed. The Chresestealer Cult has been the bane in our game nights from the massive amount of models on the board. My Raven Guard held their own until the 4th turn but I had to concede. GSC is a great army but I agree you need to think things out 3 steps ahead of your opponent.

Gotta love the genestealers

I love my GSC, but had to take a break after getting my first 30 or 40 painted up. Been getting the itch to dig back in. I found contrast paints and enamel streaking grime really really helped speed up my process and give a great look.

I have orange clothing and white carapace armor- and they all look like construction workers. My favorite is DJ CLAMAVUS who I painted like he’s at a rave. Great range!

GSC is thematically one of the raddest armies in the game and you can do so much cool stuff with them. Maybe okay around with some kitbashing and develop your own scheme! We have some Nurgle themed GSC we're going to debut soon.

"Least favourite army", but still so much enthusiasm and positivity!

I love the automatic subtitles "Jean Steeler cult"

I really love my Genestealer Cult, super to see this video! You're right that the cult has a crap-ton of detail and you really need to paint them all to make the minis look great. BUT: it's also a huge opportunity. Genestealers don't need the "repeat two colors for the whole army" mentality that Space Marines kind of do. You can easily paint every single unit in a different color scheme, splash in lots of different bright spot colors everywhere, mix it up, and the army will feel like a colorful rag-tag bunch of pulled-together rabble. Which is exactly what you want! As long as the bases are cohesive and the overall look and feel is cohesive, it will 100% look like a cohesive army. And it stays fun to paint that way. Anyway, just my 5 cents.

With GSC, good deployment is EVERYTHING. You could have a shit list, but deploy them well - deployment phase or otherwise - and you'll still be able to win against any other army's top tier list.

I have one of those GSC building drills if you want it. Seems like this is the second time I’m offering you stuff on one of your videos.

The icon bearer looks amazing, nice work. Magus gang as well.

The troops you've touched up with the brighter blue look really nice.

Awesome video you’ve made me think about starting a genestealer cult army now

I think mixing Necromunda gangers into your Neophytes would add some variety. This could reduce painting fatigue.

That GSC combat patrol is a solid thing to get 2 or even 3 of for the army if you want three vehicles. The HQ duplication doesn’t matter much with the massive savings.

That sentinel is literally an AT-ST

I'm in a similar boat with the GSC. I love them and their silliness, given my soft spot of Tyranids (Genestealers) from the original Space Hulk in the early 90s and that classic art piece with the Magus / Patriarch at the top and the hordes below. But they're definitely slow to paint, so many fiddly details. I really love the character models because it's okay to spend more time with them and they look fantastic, like the Kelermorph or the Locus. That's both a boon and a drawback of the GSC, so many character models that you can only take one or two of per battle. I want to take them all! For the scrubs though... yeeeah. I went with a sort of hazard orange and dark grey with bone coloured armour, not really any specific "official" faction. I find that with the obscene amount of detail it's not actually about the scheme so much as it is devising a batch painting technique/flow so you can efficiently work through all those fiddly details to a higher quality without getting demotivated. Maybe also look at some other GSC army pictures to find some inspiration?

the genesteelers were redone in 2005 when they revamped the nid range and they first came with the battle of Macragge set

I get what you mean in terms of the colors becomming a mess of muddy tans and piercing blues. with some pinkish purplish details and green accents. I always felt that the blue from genestealers could be a bit more 'menacing' Ive tried darker hues, less saturated hues and even completely different colors. But what i found works best for me, is a more ice blue tinge. It really pops on the tan, plus it doesn't take the intensity away from the pinkish purpleish hue much like the magic blue does.

I wouldn't paint a Genestealer army at gunpoint, good on you, Jay

i play 7th and had to re write the ambush table to make it better.

I just played my first game with GSC after using Deathwatch and Orks for most of this year. It was the most fun I've had in 9th by a long way! The army is super interesting, a lot to remember and the crossfire/exposed mechaninc adds a lot of punch to some otherwise average shooting. One unit I really liked using was the Hybrids with 10 hand flamers. Pop them up and unleash 10 D6 shots! For expanding your army I'd say get 1 or 2 Combat Patrol boxes. The value in there is too good to ignore!

I’m a third of my way through painting up my GSC army, I picked them purely for love of the alien mad max theme/models and winning games be damned!

A kelermorph could really help your cult’s performance, those dudes do all the damage (and they look cool)

Literally have the Day of Ascension book in my Audible library, unread. I begin panicking when you mention it, but sounds like you're just tying it into the general lore. I start eating. Hands are dirty. Nope, you're explaining the book, hit space bar to pause. The page instead goes down, unpaused. "No spoilers," you say, so I breathe a sigh of relief. THEN IMMEDIATELY AFTER YOU SAY WHAT HAPPENS IN THE END! I get it, I slip up a lot and usually spoil secret birthday parties by complete accident. But my man, telling us what happens in the end is a spoiler lol.

I loved the Stealers and their backstory of infiltrating Imperial settlements, when they were first introduced, in Space Hulk. Making them a disposable, sacrificial element of the Tyranid horde diminished that flavour, IMO.

barnes and noble still sells unique gw games, i just ordered combat arena from them just for the like 6 character minis for a 40 buck box and will likely get the upcoming one

Iv'e love the genestealer cult since I read a short story or more like a one or two page GW style story'lett in I think maybe White Dwarf 115? It had a picture of a mum and dad lovingly holding their grown teenager offspring in a protective manner. Soooo cute. :D Those metal minis were some of the best quality designs and sculpts at the time. If you search 'chilvers industries' and white dwarf 114 and 115 youll find pages with some of the early awesome art. Unfortunately it doesn't have the little story printed please if anyone has a link to one could you reply here?

A fun video to do may be to get a classic (or new 3d printed) Gene Stealer Pimp mobile.

Would love to see you paint and finish the 30 genstealers

Eons of Battle is THE channel to watch while eating

I'd be tempted to give the base infantry mining/safty helmets, can always put iconography on the helmet if it looks too conventional

I definitely don’t have the skill to play gsc, but god they are just so cool looking that I can’t help but try. Atalan jackals, kellermorph, rockgrinders. Just a mad max tide, that dies instantly. (Also on attempt number 4 to get a paint scheme I like for them)

I got around making a paint scheme. By realizing I could start an IG army at the same time. And cross pollinate it while it gets built up. Meaning I could have a brood brothers detachment with the gsc so I had the justification. I came up with the IG scheme and the hiveworld I wanted both armies to be from. And then I came up with a civilian version of the paint scheme for the GSC. I painted an Achilles ridgerunner up how I wanted the main body of the scheme to be and then I painted a chimera for my IG. Both from the same world but painted complimentary to the GSC paint scheme. And I had arrived at a tan and reddish camo for the IG vehicles. Blue clothing and tan armor for the infantry. Pale blue like denim almost. And for the GSC (which were the reason I was collecting both armies.) I went with really saturated blue for their Tyranid bits, purple in the recesses regular human flesh tone. And a very vibrant yellow for the cloth and clothing. With the vehicles and armor being a very nice tan color. A little on the brother side. Bright enough that s near bone highlight works really well. The IG are more speed painted and drab looking while my GSC are extremely vibrant. So when they are on the table with or against one another the GSC standout. And then the very weathered but crisp IG tank armor make the IG vehicles pop. All the focal points for the sides are on the models that matter most. The GSC have the pretty infantry that claw their way out of the sand! While the rumbling death machines of imperial might shine in the desert sun for my IG.

I have this secret dream to have every 40k army, and for some reason, even when I say “don’t get any of these” I’ll end up getting them within the next months This means that even if I don’t like the genestealers (in game and in lore) I see the differences in the generations and types of models, who I think are awesome, and can’t help myself

Also, you forgot! When 4th generation acolytes give birth, they give birth to full on purestrain genestealers!

Im probably gonna go with an orange and black colour scheme ( to sort of fit the kill team colour aesthetic.)

Can’t see that anyone has mentioned this, but you can’t run sentinels in a GSC detachment anymore, they have to go in a separate brood brothers detachment that requires its own HQ etc. It kind of sucks and I haven’t used my three sentinels since the change.

This is the second time you talked about Genestealers and the Day of Ascension...

I am painting my brothers genestealer cult

Loving these army videos!!

Like the purple - apricot - pink - skin on female magos!!!

You legends! Comment for the algorithm gods.

Gw moved to pauper princes white and green paint scheme because of the points you raised about 4 armed emperor

Oof, I feel the GSC pain; I started painting my Kill Team in the previous edition and didn’t finish until this spring (the new models popping up with Wyrmblade didn’t help). After getting my Kelermorph, Locus, and Sanctus done, I rationalized that I already had some characters and might as well scale up to big 40k. It hurts, man. It hurts bad.

So hard as a big lunk with shaky hands i quite regret the getting them on the hobby side and they are so expensive to build a small army it’s quite disheartening, they are probably the coolest themed army though

The drills are actually pretty good right now. They are one of the few sources gsc has that can produce mortal wounds

that one patriarch could be the best single mini you've done

Add some different colors with a squad or two of Imperial Guard converts. Brood Brothers, I think. You could even use the new models that are coming out soon.