What changed for Genestealer Cults in 11th edition

11th edition asked the Genestealer Cults for a little more across almost the whole roster. Of the thirteen units that had their points revised, eleven went up — small +5 to +15 bumps that land squarely on the infantry core — and only one came down. Add three brand-new characters and the picture is a gentle tax rather than a shake-up: your cult still does everything it did in 10th, it just costs a touch more to muster.

Summary

• 12 units repriced, 3 new, 12 unchanged
• Biggest drop: Goliath Truck (-10)
• Biggest rise: Sanctus (+15)
• Detachment Points: 2 / 3 / 4 at Incursion / Strike Force / Onslaught

Detachments

The headline mechanical change is Detachment Points. Detachments are no longer free — each now carries a points cost that comes out of your army total and scales with game size: 2 at Incursion, 3 at Strike Force, 4 at Onslaught. That's a real budgeting decision to layer on top of your unit choices. The cult fields nine detachments in 11th — Host of Ascension, Xenocreed Congregation, Biosanctic Broodsurge, Brood Brother Auxilia and the rest — three of them brand new, so there's a little more to weigh before you spend that DP.

New in 11th: Heroes of the Uprising, Purestrain Broodswarm, Xenocult Masses. None removed.

Points changes

The repricing hit thirteen units — eleven up, one down — while eleven others held steady and three new characters arrived. The rises cluster on the cult's backbone: Acolyte and Neophyte squads, Metamorphs and the elite specialists all crept upward by 5 to 15. Only the Locus moved the other way. Note that several units are priced per squad size, so check the tier you actually field before you tally.

Biggest increases

Are Sanctus still worth it?

Also up 15, from 50 to 65 — a chunky jump on a lone specialist character. Its value has always been surgical rather than points-efficient, so the answer hinges on how much you lean on that role. If the Sanctus reliably earns its keep in your games, it's still a fine pick; if it was a habit buy, 15 points is enough to make you weigh the slot.

Are Acolyte Hybrids with Autopistols still worth it?

A modest +5, from 65 to 70 at five models — barely a ripple at the army level. These remain the cheap, expendable heart of a cult list, and five points won't be the reason you do or don't field them. Take them because you want bodies swarming out of ambush; the price change is noise.

Are Acolyte Hybrids with Hand Flamers still worth it?

Up 5 points in 11th — now 75 versus 70 in 10th.

Frequently asked questions

Did the Genestealer Cults get better in 11th edition?

On points alone, not quite — most of the roster got slightly more expensive, so the same list costs a little more than it did at the end of 10th. But the increases are small and evenly spread rather than punishing any one build, and the three new characters add options that weren't there before. It's a gentle tax, not a downgrade.

What got more expensive for Genestealer Cults in 11th edition?

The bumps land on the infantry core. Aberrants and the Sanctus each rose 15, the biggest jumps in the faction. The rest are +5 nudges: Acolyte Hybrids (both Autopistol and Hand Flamer squads), Neophyte Hybrids, Hybrid Metamorphs, Atalan Jackals, the Benefictus and the Patriarch. Nothing rose dramatically, but the cult's rank-and-file all cost a touch more now.

How do Detachment Points work for Genestealer Cults in 11th edition?

Detachment Points are the new 11th-edition overhead: your chosen detachment costs points out of your army total, scaling with game size — 2 at Incursion, 3 at Strike Force, 4 at Onslaught. The cult's detachments all pay the same flat rate, so it's a fixed cost you factor in before you start slotting units.

Are there new Genestealer Cults characters in 11th edition?

Yes — three characters with no 10th-edition equivalent join the roster: the Cult Guerrilla (60), the Cult Insurrectionist (80) and the Voice of the Patriarch (70). They're the roster's only genuinely new entries this edition, and the one place a returning player gains options rather than just paying a little more. The Locus, meanwhile, is the lone unit that got cheaper, dropping 10 points from 45 to 35.

Is now a good time to start a Genestealer Cults army?

It's a fine moment. The increases are minor and the range is stable, so nothing about the 11th-edition points makes the cult harder to build toward — and the swarm-and-ambush playstyle is as distinctive as ever. If the Genestealer Cults have caught your eye, see the Starting a Genestealer Cults Army guide for a sensible buying order.