I started thinking about this after PG posted his alternate chaos marine organization thread several months ago and I thought the 4-unit build would be good for an Alpha Legion list.  The concept is that it is basically a traitor/uprising list led by a core of Alpha Legion marines, so it should be considered more of a cultist variant than a CSM variant.

Way back in the dark ages of the chaos tests, a sea of attrition troops with CSM "hammer" formations was found to be extremely effective and unbalanced.  Since that's the basic concept of this list, I had to do something, so I cut the options for both sides of the list in the hopes that it would limit the custom builds enough to make it work.  Character options are reduced.  Only the Traitor Covens can ever summon daemons or have mutant upgrades (no Big Mutants or Spawn).  Upgrade options for most formations are reduced, though the traitors have the option of having Alpha Legion units included in some of their formations.

You could still go with majority Alpha Legion, at least as far as points go, but it would be a very 'vanilla' force with respect to the CSMs.  Most of the flexibility is built into the traitor formations and traitor Covens are required for most of the force selections.

Alpha Legion Lord - as CSM Lord, but only CCMW option
Alpha Legion Marines - as CSM, with Scout ability

Alpha Legionnaires upgrade - +4 AL units, 125 points
Alpha Legion Bikes upgrade - +4 CSM Bike units, 125 points


List:
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Coven - can only be Cultists led by Aspiring Marine Champion, adds "Alpha Legionnaires" upgrade; 200 points
Daemon Pool - as normal


Alpha Legion Formations (1 per coven)

0-1 Alpha Legion Command Cadre - 4 AL Marines, 1 Warlord; Dreadclaws, Dreadnought, Rhinos, Chaos Land Raiders, Daemon Prince, Alpha Legionnaires; 225 points

AL Cadre - 4 AL Marines, 1 AL Lord; Alpha Legionnaires, Rhinos, Dreadnought, Dreadclaws, Obliterators; 175

AL Chosen Cadre - 4 Chosen, 1 AL Lord; Dreadnought, Chaos Land Raiders, Dreadclaws, Obliterators; 300 points


Traitor Formations (1 per coven)

Traitor Rough Rider Platoon - 6 Rough Rider units; Alpha Legion Bikes; 150 points

Traitor Artillery Battery - 4 Basilisk; 325 points

Traitor Armoured Company - 6 Traitor Leman Russ; Traitor Flak, Traitor Hellhound Squadron; 400 points


WE/Air 1/3 points as normal

Daemon Engine Formations (1 per coven)
1-2 Lords of Battle, 400 each
1-2 Plague Towers, 325 each
1-2 Slaanesh Titans, 275 per quaestor, 225 per Subjugator
4 Silver Towers, 325
1-3 SHTs (Baneblades or Shadowswords), 200 each
1-3 Chaos Altars, 150 each (May take Daemonic Pact for +25 points.)

Air and Spacecraft
Traitor Thunderbolt Fighters; 150 points for two
Traitor Marauder Bombers; 300 points for two
Hellblade Interceptor; 200 points for three (pending final version)
Helltalon Fighter-bomber; 300 points for two
Alpha Legion Devastation Class Cruiser; 150 points
Alpha Legion Despoiler Class Battleship; 250 points

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What exploits can you see?

My first concern is 6 covens w/ hydra, 6 AL Cadres (w/SC) in Dreadclaws, Spacecraft for 2970 points.  That would be a wicked Turn 3 drop pod barrage and it would start with 6 activations and 72 garrisonable units on the board, which is hardly chump change if their only required job is forming a living wall.

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Neal