# Space Marines vs Genestealers



## rsowell (Jul 20, 2009)

So I played a 2v2 1500(each player) game at my local GW today and I got WRECKED by genestealers.

My opponent ran 4 genestealers squads, unsure if they were all in one 1500 army or if they shared pieces(they were friends). Two came in normally and two outflanked. Even after a successful orbital bombardment and dead on vindicator shots I had plenty of genestealers in my face rerolling just about everything to hit me with quad-billion attacks.

My ally played Eldar and did fairly well holding off the non-genestealer force on the opposite end of the table.

My obvious assumption would be to blow them up before they can get close, but they can move so quickly across the board. Not to mention outflanking makes that even more difficult.


I just started playing a couple weeks ago and bought a used army with a couple models new. Any advice on units or builds vs genestealers would be greatly appreciated as this player is always at GW. I would love to give him some good competition. My first game was actually played with all of his models!

The army I was running had a term squad with two assault cannons, some tacs, sniper scouts, a dev squad with missile launchers, a vindicator, chapter master, and a term librarian.


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## Inquisitor Einar (Mar 6, 2009)

Heavy bolters work well, or regular bolters if they don't have extended carapace.
Keep in mind their speed, so you know which squads will be assaulting you next turn and be ready for that.
Those assault cannons should thin their numbers a bit.
The vindi will come in handy too.

A heavy flamer works wonders if you can get close enough without being assaulted.


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## Someguy (Nov 19, 2007)

Marines just have to be in rhinos. On foot they are horribly vulnerable. Your army at the moment is kind of a gun line, and that doesn't work particularly well against fast opponents.

You can also take units specifically to beat stealers. For example they have a very hard time beating the armour on an ironclad dread, and its heavy flamer will hurt them badly, if it hets to fire.

Mostly it's about moving around and taking on the stealers with a lot of your guys against a few of his. Easier said than done of course, but that's the idea.


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## Devinstater (Dec 9, 2008)

On foot gene-stealers kill everything. When I started up again like a year ago I had a similar army to yours. Now that I have mounted everything I do much better. Drive up with a tac squad and deliver flamer death, also a good use.

You'll enjoy the movement the rhino's give you in reaching objectives too.


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## SpacedGhost (Dec 16, 2008)

Kill them with fire! Flamers, heavy flamers... firing a lot of bolters.

If you have to be on the ground, stay in cover. They can't have flesh hooks (maintain init when assaulting through cover) if they go for acid maw (reroll to wound), or feeder tendrils (reroll to hit). Most tend to go for feeder tendrils, and will therefor go after you in an assault through cover. This can be VERY important if you've shot up a bunch of them, but some manage to make it to you.


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## killmaimburn (Mar 19, 2008)

I'm pretty sure that flesh hooks are not mutually exclusive with feeder tendrils, acid maw, and implant attack.
As already stated, flaming death and transports really give stealers a hard time. If you simply *must* fight them in hth, try a large unit of TH/SS terminators. Having mentioned that, though, it seems to me a LR Redeemer would toast them nicely as well.


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## Prepirate1 (Jul 29, 2009)

Flamers and rhino's are your best bet. Can genestealers take rending claws?


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## Someguy (Nov 19, 2007)

Devinstater and Prepirate1 said:


> rhino's


For some crazy reason, loads of people on this site think there is an apostrophe in the word "rhinos". I find this really weird and get far more annoyed by this than is rational or healthy. Unfortunately for those involved, I can take their rep away if I get too annoyed.

For now it's just name and shame. You two aren't the only offenders so expect others to join you soon.


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## killmaimburn (Mar 19, 2008)

Genestealers come with rending claws, this is (a large) part of why they are so devastating in close combat for marines. Although the nerf to rending hurt them, new benefits for feeder tendrils and combat resolution have ensured they are still at least as good as they were.


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## Brother Selacious (Jul 12, 2009)

Honestly I think transports are the best option as they will help against almost all armies. However if your just looking for anti-stealer field your tac squads with Hb's and flamers.


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## xCr0okz- (Jul 20, 2009)

Against tryanids plame templates are your friend.


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## ThePublic (Apr 8, 2009)

Someguy said:


> For some crazy reason, loads of people on this site think there is an apostrophe in the word "rhinos". I find this really weird and get far more annoyed by this than is rational or healthy. Unfortunately for those involved, I can take their rep away if I get too annoyed.
> 
> For now it's just name and shame. You two aren't the only offenders so expect others to join you soon.


Eats shoots, and leaves Someguy.... that is all I can say....:biggrin:


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## Someguy (Nov 19, 2007)

ThePublic said:


> Eats shoots, and leaves Someguy.... that is all I can say....:biggrin:


No need for a comma before the "and", by the way. "Eats shoots and leaves" is a fair description of a Giant Panda in China. "Eats, shoots and leaves" is the title of the book. I haven't read the book - I don't really need to.

Weirdly, there are two jokes based on this. You have the one where the panda shoots a waiter and walks out of a restaurant and the one-night stand thing. "He's a Panda, he eats, shoots and leaves." These are probably teacher jokes - the lowest form of humour it's possible to imagine.

Should probably attempt to get back on topic, but to be honest most of the best ways to kill stealers have been covered. Light them on fire and shoot them. Avoid table edges, as they tend to wander on from there.


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## Holmstrom (Dec 3, 2008)

When in doubt, call in an airstrike. When that fails, use fire. _Lots_ of fire.


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## BloodAngelsfan (Jan 22, 2009)

I feel your pain Someguy. I find it horribly annoying when people making spelling mistakes/grammatical mistakes. Regarding the issue with Genestealers I would say that your best bet is to use flamers and heavy flamers.


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## Zaden (Oct 21, 2008)

BloodAngelsfan said:


> I find it horribly annoying when people making spelling mistakes/grammatical mistakes.


Tip: When expressing your dislike of poor grammar and spelling mistakes, don't use poor grammar and make spelling mistakes. =P


As for fighting Genestealers, make use of high AP rapid fire weapons and flame templates. Once you get their numbers down, they won't last longer than one round in combat. And 95% of the time they are entering combat by outflanking, so avoid table edges and weed them out as they footslog it to the middle of the table.


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## Ferik (Nov 5, 2008)

I myself have found that wound allocation hurts them quite a bit as well seeing as you can put their rending wounds on a couple of guys instead of the unit it does lessen there impact even further.

Of coarse as has already been mentioned the old stand by of Flamers and shooting them up as well as avoiding the board edge.


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## Devinstater (Dec 9, 2008)

If they don't have improved carapace (4+ save), you can also just roll up in Rhinos (notice correct spelling from the frenchman this time) then disembark and rapid fire. That's kind of dicey with 4+ save as they get armour save and enough will hang around to main your guys. Only adviseable if there is another squad to shoot them.

Also, I did not menntion earlier that Predator tanks with Auto cannon and hvy bolter sponsons are killer are taking out genestealers (no covr saves, 6 wounds on 3+, 2 wounds on 2+), but they have to stay still, which means they will die in CC, so put them in the middle of the table edge so they don't get outflanked.


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## Rogue Gamer (Aug 6, 2009)

I play basic space marines, and I am facing the same problem. I hate genestealers. HATE THEM! I haven't had much luck with flamers, because you only get one chance to shoot until the bastards assault you. I've also launched heavy bolters with hellfire, and the scatter has caused me to miss 100% of the time.

My plan is to use terminators.

The first time I used them, the genestealers got the drop on me. and I learned that if they assault first, they will destroy you before you even get a chance to attack. If you assault first it will cut down their attacks enough to withstand their attacks somewhat. But the key to this plan is to avoid close combat.

My plan is to attach a librarian with Gate of Infinity and Quickening to the squad - a 10 man terminator group with 2 assault cannons. And everyone has power fists (genestealers are going to get the initiative no matter, so an I of 1 isn't a big deal).

So, I am going to attempt to stay out of their assault range (which is 18") with gate of infinity (allowing you to move 24") and mow them down with assault cannons, (and storm bolters to get some lucky shots). Assault cannons not only have rendering, but more importantly the AP rounds go right through genestealers even with extended carapaces.

Once I get their numbers down, I plan to assault them. You have to assault first or you are dead. I have the librarian made to kill the brood lord as well, he is an epostilary, so when I assault with quickening (giving me the initiative) i will also use the instant death from the force sword to kill the bug in one hit.

I haven't tested it on my tyranid friend yet, but I think it will work. Fingers crossed!


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## ironhammer (Aug 14, 2008)

This might sound wierd but try and cut down on points were possible, in a more traditional tyranid army this is a bad idea, but this guy sounds like he might have overloaded his units with upgrades making them terribly expensive. by cutting back your army slightly (wherever possible) he will be forced to have cut his own army back. Because here is a little known secret, it only takes two or 3 upgrades before genestealers become more expensive than space marines. keep together and stay away from the board edges and you should be able to put up a fight.


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## Rogue Gamer (Aug 6, 2009)

ironhammer said:


> This might sound wierd but try and cut down on points were possible, in a more traditional tyranid army this is a bad idea, but this guy sounds like he might have overloaded his units with upgrades making them terribly expensive. by cutting back your army slightly (wherever possible) he will be forced to have cut his own army back. Because here is a little known secret, it only takes two or 3 upgrades before genestealers become more expensive than space marines. keep together and stay away from the board edges and you should be able to put up a fight.


yeah, that is the one thing I am worried about. everything is counting on the terminators.

I have a captain that can withstand tryanids. 2 tacticals who will get slaughterd, and 2 landspeeders to pick of bosses before a carnifex rips them to shreds. It's a 1,500 pt army, I'll see how it goes


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## Ferik (Nov 5, 2008)

Rogue Gamer said:


> I play basic space marines, and I am facing the same problem. I hate genestealers. HATE THEM! I haven't had much luck with flamers, because you only get one chance to shoot until the bastards assault you. I've also launched heavy bolters with hellfire, and the scatter has caused me to miss 100% of the time.
> 
> My plan is to use terminators.
> 
> ...


Just so you know the Broodlord has Synapse so is immune to instant Death also he is in a retinue so you can't pick him out in combat.

The best bet to deal with Stealers is to gun them down so there's none left even if they have armour of 4+ you pump enough fire into them and force them to make alot saves they will go down even if you don't wipe them out if you get them down to smaller numbers they will be more managible and less likely to wipe out your squad also they are generally out of synapse (if they flank) and will have to take a LD test and could fall back.

Also being in terrian will sometimes help if they don't have Flesh Hooks you will strike first on them (which they don't like) most people go for Feeder tendrils (for re-roll hits).

Rhinos are deffinantly your friend too as long as you keep them moving and avoid being surrounded.


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## Rogue Gamer (Aug 6, 2009)

Terminators with assault cannons slaughterd them all. Gate of infinity also takes you directly out of close combat. But now we are arguing if tyranids can nullify powers...

And yeah, I didn't know about the instant death. I did get in a hit that would have killed instantly, so that was lame to find out it didn't do anything.

I don't know why people are into the flamers though, they always get trampled.


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## elkhantar (Nov 14, 2008)

People are into the flamers because they use mechanized or counter-assault lists, in which, the flamers are incredibly useful. Normally, assault specialists have a long range assault, which renders flamers useless, right? 

The trick is then getting the weapon there to burn those assault specialists to the ground before they can do their thing. (I have a long experience on that, particularly with Blood Angels VAS against eldar banshees).

There are basically two tactics to flame these glass cannon melee specialists (genestealers, banshees, daemonettes, harlequins) to death:

a) Use a sacrificial unit. Make sure they are capable to completely wipe it in their turn. They must consolidate (and are likely to spread out, but not a large distance, since they were in melee). In your turn walk next to them and flame them into oblivion. This doesn't work great with marines, which are so expensive, but it usually works great with IG.

b) Flame them from a transport. Genestealers can't shoot the rhino open, so either they break it open in cc, then stay in the open, since they can't consolidate into cc and you fry them with the fresh disembarking troops, or you simply drive in and flame from the top hatch, which makes all the difference when you assault them later.

So that's why flamers are so popular. They're not so hot on footslogging marines (pun intended) but against infantry (their role) they rock with the correct army composition.


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## gabool (Apr 3, 2008)

yea Flamers and Bolter death. rapid fire bolters work well


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## liforrevenge (Oct 6, 2009)

So, basically a Baal Predator would be awesome against them?


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