Space Hulk

Space Hulk

70 ratings
A Genestealer's guide to beating and eating Terminators in MP.
By Oilystool
Unlike Single Player, playing Space Hulk in Multi-player is a whole new game , especially if you decide to play as a Genestealer. This guide will offer tactical and practical information to playing as a a Genestealer.

Hello, I am one of the devs at Full Control, pre and post release i have been testing and playing multiplayer on Space Hulk, which i feel is the most fun part of the game. Taking on another player brings another dimension to this already fun game. Ultimately MP will be the aspect of the game that gives it a long life and especially after we release the Coop aspect of the game,more content and the level editor.

But at the moment you can play MP on campaign maps, unfortunately the Interface that allows asynchronous gameplay isnt too intuitive so it can be difficult to find an opponent online. So until we improve it the best way to find a game is to create a new game or two versus an anonymous player and when the opponent accepts,go in to the level and say hi and ask them if they would like to play a match. My handle is Oilystool and perhaps I've played against a few players here :)
   
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1.0 Genestealer Action points.
When you boil down Space Hulk tactically, Terminators will win when fighting at a distance and Genestealers will win in melee combat. As a Genestealer your goal is to bring down the whole of your swarm onto the Terminators and to break apart the squad one by one and overwhelm them by strength of numbers.

Secondary, but also important a Genestealer will have a higher chance of success if theirs actions cause Terminators to expend Action and Command points on anything else besides achieving their ultimate goal ,whether it be killing you or achieving the mission goal.

To do this, each Genestealer has a total of 6 actions points they can use for movement,positioning and attack. Before making a decision take a moment to think about what you can do which each individual Genestealer. Game play wise, charging all your Genestealers towards the Terminators at once might not be the best game plan.

2.0 Deployment.
One Advantage a Genestealer will have is that the Terminators always deploy first and you can choose your plan of attack based on how the Terminators deploy.

Usually i will deploy based on the weakest point of deployment for the Terminators or best position to defend or attack an objective. As for ohw i deploy i have different ways to go about it.

1. The Hammer In this deployment I will mass a lot of Genetealer in one area and attack in force and towards a specific object.

Example: Mission 10 Defend I had an opponent spawn his whole squad in one room,leaving the whole other entry point to the pump room completely exposed. So i deployed all my GS in one place and attached that side of the map in force. By the time the first Termie moved to the corridor to defend the pump room, i had 7 GS lined up and pushed into the Pump room.


2. Pick Apart Spawning all my GS in various spots to hit the Terminators from all sides and go for the weakest.

3. Assassinate Spawn all my GS to try to kill a Particular target,usually a Sarge.

4. Amass and Defend Deploy GS in one area of the map,amass all of your GS and defend an area. Instead of bringing the fight to the Terminators,force them to fight through a mass of GS to reach the objective.



A well planned deployment can tip the odds in your favor especially if your opponent deploys in a foolish was at the start....for example those who use single player tactics in MP :)
3.0 Blips and Reveal.
Blips for the most part i use to hide my numbers or even psychological effect when i reveal 5 blips in a turn :)

Before you decide to reveal a blip make sure to rotate all of your GS to the desired direction. If deployed in what ever direction they are,it can cause you action points to rotate and move towards a particular direction or target.


In missions with Broodlords, i usually keep my 3 count blip un revealed as long as possible, to surprise a Terminator with a Broodlord, to raise my chances of killing them. Usually a Sarge is the target.
4.0 Corners and Corridors
When you make your way towards a Terminator, always remember. Corners are your friend and corridors are your enemy.

Corners: Corners are places on the map that will require Termies to use the most Action and Command points to round and the part of that map which will render Overwatch the least effective. Corners are the places i get the most Termies. As a Terminator is trying to round a corner, i try to mass as many GS on the other side and on my turn round the corner and hope i can reach the Termie before the Overwatch kills my unit. If the Termie jams i reach and attack with as many GS you can line up to attack.


Corridors: Corridors mean death,the longer the corridor the longer the odds are to reach a Termie in OW. I avoid confrontations in corridors because of the bad odds,but if at all costs, i need to overwhelm a Termie at a corridor , i will amass as many GS as i can and throw them his way and hope my numbers will trigger a jam and i can reach him.

So when looking at a map,if i can move the fight to corners the better chance i have of winning.
5.0 Effectively using your Action Points.
The one aspect of Space Hulk campaign that differs from Space Hulk MP is how the GS uses his action points,in MP since you are the Genestealer you don't have to mindlessly charge in and try to kill Terminators. Some of ways you can use your Action points are as following.

1.Positioning a GS prior to an attack: When you run into a Terminator who is as striking distance,instead of charging in,you should move the GS to a position such as the side or from behind that will raise the chances of you killing the Terminator.

2. Massing for an attack: There are times i will have one or two GS in position to strike at a Termie on Overwatch, a Termie who has no plan of moving and will remain on Overwatch. Instead of sending those two GS in,wait a turn and try to position 2 or more GS in striking distance then on the following turn,pile on. Those extra GS attacking will up those odds he will jam or miss in Overwatch.

3. Sitting and waiting:Sometimes the threat of your GS is enough to tie down one Termie and thus preventing him from helping weaker squad members. For example sometimes ill have this scenario. I will have Genestealers positioned at the end of a corridor and at the other end a Termie on Overwatch. And if those 2 GS were not there to be threatening this particular Termie, he would be otherwise free to help his squad-mate So i could either...

A. Run the GS towards that Termie in Overwatch and giving him a good possibility of downing those 2 GS then freeing him up to help his squadmate

or

B. Dont move those GS at all, then on his turn he either has to disengage from Overwatch and move,giving my GS a chance to move closer next turn. Or the Teminator can try to waste AP and CP to try to manually kill your Genestealers in that corridor. Whether he manually kills your GS or not,its very likely all the AP and perhaps CP used has tied down that one Terminator for a turn while you attack his squad mates individually elsewhere.

4. Using doors: Closing and opening doors can be used to make the Terminators exert extra AP and CP by having to blow up the door or open it.

Closing the doors can also deny Termies line of sight if you need to move your GS to another part of the ship or if you are massing a few in a particular corridor.

In the end its up to the Termie to potentially use up a lot of AP and CP to open a door.
6.0 Campaign missions odds
From playing all of these missions as both Terminator and GS, you can certainly start to sense which campaign missions favor Termies and which Favor GS.

From my experience the odds on the levels are as follows.


1. Suicide Mission: Tie

2. Exterminate: Heavily Terminator.

3. Rescue: Genestealer

4. Cleanse and Burn: Tie

5. Decoy : Tie

6.Alarm Call: Genestealer

7. The Artefact: Tie

8. Escape Route : Terminator.

9. Regroup:Tie

10. Defend: Genestealer

11. Unknown Lifeforms: Genestealer

12. Pitfall: Tie
7.0 Versus individual Terminators
When it comes to opposing forces not all units are created equally.

The Flamer : has the ability who wipe out scores of your swarm but ,to their disadvantage they have finite ammo and when the Flamer flames an area it could potentially block the progress to the Terminators movement. Missions that give you unlimited blips you can throw wave after to slow down and make the Terminators progress grind to a halt until the Flamer is out of ammo. Missions that require Termies to kill GS, it's best to avoid the Flamer or flank him.

Assault cannon: Unless you are 1 or 2 tiles away best not to try to directly charge this guy, in Overwatch he has a higher probability of killing your Genestealer. He is vulnerable when his ammo is close to 2 and due to reload. A well planned swarm can cause him to extend all his ammo, or overheat and blow up any friendly Terminator in a 1 tile range.

The Librarian: The single toughest unit in the game, he melees well, shoots equally as and his psi area attack,single target or psi shield can completely shut you out of having a chance. If you try to kill the smurf he will make y pay dearly. If you kill him it's a huge blow to overcome. Approach with caution.

Sergeant Lorenzo : Storm bolt and lighting Sword make him a tough nut to crack, but targeting him and killing him potentially takes away CP rerolls from the Termies.

Sargent Gideon: Once I guard he can mow down row after row of GS, but if you can swarm him and kill him, Termies lose CP reroll.

Lightning Claws: Even on guard they go down easy, I kill him first if I can to expose flanks.

Chain Fist : Good to target if mission has many hammed doors.

And the rest: Avoid in Overwatch and kill them.
8.0 In Conclusion.
Playing as a Genestealer ,with proper use of tactics and knowledge of a Genestealer's strengths and weaknesses, you will be able to swarm and pick apart the emperor's finest. I hope you enjoyed this guide and it helps you take on Terminators as a Genestealer.
31 Comments
LAntorcha 21 Nov, 2016 @ 4:20pm 
Also, by my experience, I've seen more than 13 Unrevealed Blips and 30 revealed Genestealers on map (Tested in Chapter II: Mission "Cleanse").
LAntorcha 21 Nov, 2016 @ 2:40pm 
A couple of dirty tricks...

When you are GS, and have a long corridor with a Termi in the end, waiting in OverWatch. But you have a blip hidden in a corner at the far side (out of melee range, 6+ squares), and another one nearer in another bend (at 5 or less squares) reveal and launch the GS out of range up to the nearest GS position:
- First, you can make a screen for the rest of GS behind, and the blips won't reveal.
- If the Termi Kills the GS, you lost 1 token as for the closest one.
- If the Termi Jamms, he loses the OW and now you can launch your other GS in melee range without fear. 3 Dice vs 1. Surely that Termi is FUBAR!
Crows-Ronin 25 Jun, 2014 @ 3:30am 
a bolter jam is unfortunate luck but if you properly position your marines the backlash of a bolter jam is not really a problem i playedd this game years ago when it was first released and i had a go today met a couple of good guys and enjoyed getting my butt chewed by the termies i took a couple down too i think its better then ever and the multiplayer is awesome i read this mini guide to refresh my memory and it worked all my old tactics came back to mind any way i have waffled on enough peace out peeps
Wolf 5 Jun, 2014 @ 3:53pm 
i dont normaly comment but i have to disagree with the lighting claws advice he gives iv never had a claw go down with out taking at least 3 GS with him an i normaly use him for offense
Kulak 14 Apr, 2014 @ 1:48pm 
Well written and very interesting, thanks :)
Herr von Unterfranken 12 Mar, 2014 @ 11:54am 
I played a few MP matches with a friend of mine and he played the Genestealers. Even though he didn't know what he was doing at the beginning, he really got me in trouble. It was a lot of fun barely making it as the marines, claiming victory in the face of defeat :D But I rly don't know how you're supposed to win against an experienced Genestealer player. I mean, they're endless and your damn bolters jamm =P
Psychicbard 8 Jan, 2014 @ 5:54pm 
SKREEEEEE!!
HotelLobby 24 Dec, 2013 @ 2:59pm 
Good job.
Herr Kruelbar® 12 Dec, 2013 @ 10:12am 
For the Hive Mind!!
Herr Kruelbar® 12 Dec, 2013 @ 10:11am 
In short - BE PATIENT!! Take your time to build up your GS on the board and then go kill the marines. You usually have the benefit of both time and "unlimited" numbers, so dont bunch up but when you strike, strike in numbers and dont give up!! *munch munch munch*