Login |  Register |  FAQ
   
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 6 posts ] 

Alpha Legion

 Post subject: Alpha Legion
PostPosted: Thu Nov 19, 2015 8:06 pm 
Brood Brother
Brood Brother

Joined: Wed Sep 23, 2009 5:06 am
Posts: 740
Location: San Francisco, CA
I’m considering a Horus Heresy-era Alpha Legion army. I like their color scheme and I think it’d be relatively quick to paint – I feel like I need to start an army with the mentality that I’m not going to get bogged down by details (as has happened with my Blood Angels) and just finish an army, for once. Clear blue over silver sounds relatively easy.

My favorite traitor legion color scheme is the Sons of Horus’ sea green and black, but I’d spend ages trying to get that right.

My problem with the Alpha Legion is the background. There are a couple of things I like about them, like their use of tank and fast vehicle formations, access to a wide variety of prototype armor and… armor, and their tactical nous. But there are negatives. The big one is that they don’t seem to have been at the Siege of Terra at all. That’s a big loss given that I have Blood Angels already (albeit 40k-era). They didn’t seem to participate in a whole lot of legion vs. legion fighting – granted, Forge World could change that in their future books.

And it isn’t even clear which side they were on. I’m not sure I buy the story that they sided with Horus after some cabal told them that killing the Emperor would result in the Chaos gods’ demise – that was only going to happen via the extinction of humanity, and what kind of tradeoff is that?? I still assume that they genuinely sided with Horus (probably only because of the relationship between Alpharius and Horus). Anyway, it’s a little strange to play as an army that you don’t really understand.


Top
 Profile Send private message  
 
 Post subject: Re: Alpha Legion
PostPosted: Thu Nov 19, 2015 10:58 pm 
Brood Brother
Brood Brother
User avatar

Joined: Thu Feb 13, 2003 5:13 pm
Posts: 36947
Location: Ohio - USA
This may help ... http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Alpha_Legion

_________________
Legion 4 "Cry Havoc, and let slip the Dogs of War !" ... "People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."


Top
 Profile Send private message  
 
 Post subject: Re: Alpha Legion
PostPosted: Mon Nov 23, 2015 6:54 pm 
Brood Brother
Brood Brother

Joined: Wed Sep 23, 2009 5:06 am
Posts: 740
Location: San Francisco, CA
I read that, and I still don’t understand them at all. It’s the Cabal story that grates on me – I can’t wrap my head around the logic of killing the host to kill the parasite that threatens the host.

But mostly I’m trying to decide how much it matters to me that they weren’t at the siege of Terra in force.


Top
 Profile Send private message  
 
 Post subject: Re: Alpha Legion
PostPosted: Mon Nov 23, 2015 8:43 pm 
Brood Brother
Brood Brother
User avatar

Joined: Thu Feb 13, 2003 5:13 pm
Posts: 36947
Location: Ohio - USA
It really shouldn't matter for gaming purposes, IMO ... What I liked is their Specialty : Infiltration & Covert Operations ...

_________________
Legion 4 "Cry Havoc, and let slip the Dogs of War !" ... "People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."


Top
 Profile Send private message  
 
 Post subject: Re: Alpha Legion
PostPosted: Mon Nov 23, 2015 11:17 pm 
Brood Brother
Brood Brother
User avatar

Joined: Mon Aug 11, 2003 7:27 pm
Posts: 5588
Location: Bristol
Have you read Dan Abnett's Legion? It probably explains things better than the wiki article. The twist at the end was interesting, they were shown a vision of basically the 40k universe and an alternative where Horus won but later regretted what he'd done and turned against the chaos gods and destroyed them. The truth of these visions is unclear, as is the motivation of the cabal as is how much the Alpha Legion believed them or did what they wanted anyway. Nothing is clear with the Alpha Legion, it's how they roll.

The Alpha Legion have two primarchs and, if I'm understanding it correctly, one of them ultimately stays loyal and the other turns to chaos, so they could conceivably fight either side. They also like bring sneaky and dressing up in other legion colours to trick their enemies, so they may well have fought on terra but not been recognised in the later histories for doing so.


Top
 Profile Send private message  
 
 Post subject: Re: Alpha Legion
PostPosted: Mon Nov 23, 2015 11:43 pm 
Brood Brother
Brood Brother

Joined: Wed Sep 23, 2009 5:06 am
Posts: 740
Location: San Francisco, CA
That's great to know - I'll pick up the book now that I know there's more to the story. If I like it I'll go ahead and paint them up (well, I'll tell myself that I'm about to paint them up...) and just pretend a few made it to the big battle on Terra. In full uniform.


Top
 Profile Send private message  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 6 posts ] 


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 4 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  


Powered by phpBB ® Forum Software © phpBB Group
CoDFaction Style by Daniel St. Jules of Gamexe.net