Any official legions that would use a mix of cult troops?

[Empty Bolter Clip]

I have been pouring over the lexicanum website trying to see if I could find an OFFICIAL chaos legion/warband that fluff wise would use a mix of cult troops... other than Black Legion. The only ones I could find were the "Warriors of Aggannor" and possibly the "Red Cosairs", with their sort of "mixed bag" of chapters and legions. Would I be correct?

 

Reason being, I have played Death Guard in the past before I "took my little break" from 40k for a few years ago, and upon returning have been drawn to World Eaters and Thousand Sons. I'd like to start playing chaos, but I would like only 1 chaos army, not 3, so I'm looking for something that I can pick and choose cult troops while remaining fluffy.

 

Any thoughts, ideas, suggestions, or help?

 

Empty Bolter Clip

Edit: Added the "legion/warband" and "other than black legion" part to my initial post...

[Iron_Chaos_Brute]

Thank you, Codex: Renegades, thank you.

 

Try Black Legion...

[Hellios]

Thank you, Codex: Renegades, thank you.

 

Try Black Legion...

 

QFT

 

Black legion = the way to go although depending on how you view the fluff Alpha Legion, Nigh Lords and Iron Warriors are a possibility as they are undivided but are seen by many to not Worship chaos on the whole and so lack cult troops. Although Iron Warriors have specifically been mentioned to have Berzerkers and they used to be slightly aligned to slaanesh if I remember rightly XD.

[Sception]

First, not all chaos marines are directly aligned with one of the legions. Several of the legions have collapsed or split at one point or another, and a number of ambitious chaos lords have broken off from their legions to form their own warbands. Any of these independent warbands are justified in taking multiple alignments and even cult units, as they're formed of a hodge podge of chaos marines from various legions brought together under a single charismatic warlord. Go this route if you want your own fluff, characters, and color scheme.

 

If you'd rather follow one of the established chaos factions, then Black Legion is your best choice. This is the only Legion that explicitly has chaos marines of all the various cults fighting for it.

 

If for some reason you don't want to play Black Legion, there are a number of Undivided legions and other cannon chaos factions that worship all the chaos gods and thus much include various cults within their members. Word Bearers is probably the first choice of these. Red Coursairs, Alpha Legion, and Night Lords could also work, although these forces are less likely to pick up units of aligned cult marines then Word Bearers, and much less so then Black Legion. If rules for any of these forces reappear one day, they might lose access to such units as well (they didn't have access to them under the 3.5 book, for instance), so in general you're safest with either a homebrew warband or ye olde Black Legion.

[chillin]

As ICB sz black legion is the only official chaos legion that uses cult troops and characters from multiple gods.

[Empty Bolter Clip]

woops, forgot to mention I'm looking for a legion other than the Black Legion..... never been a black legion fan personally. My fault. :cuss

 

after some thinking, I may just have to suck it up and start multiple chaos armies or alter my expectations of a single chaos army.

 

Thanks for the input so far fellas!

[Mr. Sandbot]

Thanks to how flexible fluff can be sometimes, it wouldn't be hard to adopt any of the legions previously mentioned (that aren't part of the Black Legion) and explain away how they have the units you want to field.

 

The Night Lords may hire or capture certain cult troops in order to increase the fear they strike in the hearts of civilians.

 

Word Bearers worship chaos in all forms, and would be more than happy to have some of their own members become affiliated with the blessings of a particular god. Afterall, the Apostles control the Hoset, so whatever he says goes.

 

The Iron Warriors treat chaos as a tool (much in the same regard as the Night Lords treat chaos), and as such, they would employ cult troops to aid them in certain parts of sieges or to help power whatever crazy machine they have going.

 

Alpha Legionnaires would manipulate and use cult troops as distractions or the equivalent of another "hydra head" (just to complete the feeling of attacking on all sides).

 

Hope this helps.

[the jeske]

Word Bearers is probably the first choice of these

since when do WB do cult ? they didnt do it in 2ed [no fluff] , didnt do it in 3ed[both the JJ book that had no rules/fluff and the IA articles] , not in the 4th ed dex[where it was said they see being cult as heresy] and not even in the 5th ed gav dex.

 

Word Bearers worship chaos in all forms, and would be more than happy to have some of their own members become affiliated with the blessings of a particular god.

only when you become marked with a mark of a single god [and untile now there are 2 characters known to be blessed by more then one god at the same time horus and abadon], you will never ever worship any of the other gods . And for th WB that is heresy.

[chillin]

Thanks to how flexible fluff can be sometimes, it wouldn't be hard to adopt any of the legions previously mentioned (that aren't part of the Black Legion) and explain away how they have the units you want to field.

 

The OP ask for official legions that would use a mix of cult troops, of which there is only one, the black legion.

Your inclusion of WB's is particularly incorrect.

NL "capturing" cult troops, how do you capture units of skilled killers and then give them weopons and force them to fight for you ?

IW's do have brzrkrs but that's it.

Nothing in the fluff or novels at all about AL using or manipulating cult troops. In fact, AL maybe more then any other are very closed off and stick to themselves.

But, the WB's being more then happy to have some of their members start worshipping 1 god is particular lack of knowledge/understanding of the fluff of WB's.

Sure you could say one legion "hires" another (or others), but I'm not sure legions are for hire like roofers. And even then you would not be talking about a legion, you would be talking about a legion + merc's (or whatever).

There is nothing out there saying that RC's don't use multiple cult units, but of course, they are not a legion.

[Empty Bolter Clip]

What about using "marked" troops instead of actual "cult" troops? Is there a more lenient view on the tabletop towards "marked" units in say a red Corsairs army? Fluff wise, from what I have read so far (still re-reading Corsair fluff) is that troops from different chapters/legions would potentially each have their own patron god (those that worshiped chaos anyways) as well as just standard renegades.

 

What about this approach, instead of my initial one? I would only be getting the "diet coke" version of WE, DG, and 1KS (no where near as potent) but I think I could live with that if everything works out right fluffwise...

[Requiemnex]

Not to turn this into a troll about who does what and says when....... How about Fallen Angels... Not a real legion or anything but you could easily do a Squad or two of TFA with squads of several other gods being that they dont actually worship any one god and thus are just chaos. Any manor of human based form knows the best way to survive is to either adapt to your surroundings or adapt your surroundings to you.

[chillin]

What about using "marked" troops instead of actual "cult" troops? Is there a more lenient view on the tabletop towards "marked" units in say a red Corsairs army?

 

Not sure what you mean by "marked" ? Do you mean icons ? Or say, brzrkrs that are not WE's etc ?

In A RC army you could do either. Troops with icons or actually cult troops, RC takes pretty much any body I think. They not a Legion though, just an army, made up of smaller units and armies that come together under a powerful leader in order to become more powerful and get more plunder, kinda like the "Hun" army (made up of mostly German tribes and Sythians and several tribes of Turkic peoples) under Attila.

[Empty Bolter Clip]

What about using "marked" troops instead of actual "cult" troops? Is there a more lenient view on the tabletop towards "marked" units in say a red Corsairs army?

 

Not sure what you mean by "marked" ? Do you mean icons ? Or say, brzrkrs that are not WE's etc ?

 

oops, I think I had a relapse from the old dex.... when stuff was marked, but yes, I meant units with icons. But i guess fluffwise the distinction may not matter all that much, given the composition of the Red Corsairs...

 

Thanks everyone for the input and suggestions so far. Its definitely helping me sort through all this! :D

[Argon]

Word Bearers is probably the first choice of these

since when do WB do cult ? they didnt do it in 2ed [no fluff] , didnt do it in 3ed[both the JJ book that had no rules/fluff and the IA articles] , not in the 4th ed dex[where it was said they see being cult as heresy] and not even in the 5th ed gav dex.

 

Word Bearers worship chaos in all forms, and would be more than happy to have some of their own members become affiliated with the blessings of a particular god.

only when you become marked with a mark of a single god [and untile now there are 2 characters known to be blessed by more then one god at the same time horus and abadon], you will never ever worship any of the other gods . And for th WB that is heresy.

 

Jeske has the right of it. The Word Bearers don't have cult troops. They worship Chaos as a pantheon, and as such see cult troops as "doing it wrong", because they worship just one god.

[incinerator950]

Argon and Jeske are correct.

[Mr. Sandbot]

Oh, my fault then. Thanks for the correction. I'm just trying to find a way to twist the fluff to fulfill the OP's needs.

If thats the case, wouldn't the Black Legion be the only real choice here? Especially since he's asking for an official fluff legion (Red Corsairs aren't really a legion, just a bunch of renegades bunched together).

[incinerator950]

Yes

[Drudge Dreadnought]

Black Legion is the only legion. If you want to use cult troops or icon troops without doing mono god you are either black legion or a warband. The Warbands have no real particular fluff, except for the red corsairs. So while they are official schemes they still aren't really official fluffwise.

[Legatus]

Just wanted to point out that technically every Chaos Legion or Chapter can "use" cult units. They can employ units of cult mercenaries. The World Eater berserkers and the Emperor's Children Noise Marines are particularly known to fight for anyone who will employ the. But not all of the Chapters or Legions have cult Marines among it's members. E.G. there are no "Night Lord Plague Marines", but the Night Lords may very well employ units of allied Death Guard Plague Marines.

[Drudge Dreadnought]

Just wanted to point out that technically every Chaos Legion or Chapter can "use" cult units. They can employ units of cult mercenaries. The World Eater berserkers and the Emperor's Children Noise Marines are particularly known to fight for anyone who will employ the. But not all of the Chapters or Legions have cult Marines among it's members. E.G. there are no "Night Lord Plague Marines", but the Night Lords may very well employ units of allied Death Guard Plague Marines.

 

None of the mono-god legions can employ cult troops of another god. So no, it isn't "every".

[Dammeron]

Though I dislike it intensely, I'd advise taking advantage of the current codex's lack of cohesion and simply "re-imagine" the cult units you want to use with reference to the appropriate legion's character. At the very least, it provides some very interesting modelling opportunities. For example:

 

 

Iron Warriors:

 

- Khorne Berserkers: Especially adapted "siege marines," limbs replaced by drills, buzz-saws and cutting equipment, perhaps crudely lobotomised in the same manner as World Eater Berserkers.

 

- Plague Marines: Iron Warrior specialist squads that sport experimental armour manufactured in Perturabo's Hell Forges, or perhaps simply defensive squads that carry crude force field generators into battle. They could also represent nascent Obliterators; Iron Warriors who have been infected with the "techno virus" that was a prominent feature of their background in the last chaos codex.

 

- Noise Marines/Thousand Sons: Probably the easiest of the lot; Iron Warriors who have been infected with a particularly virulent strain of the techno virus that creates Obliterators, their bodies erupting with all manner of bizarre weapons and technological components, Alternatively, just Iron Warrior specialist weapon squads carrying experimental "daemon forged" weapons from within the Eye of Terror.

 

 

Word Bearers

 

- Khorne Berserkers: A sub-cult of Dark Templars/Crusaders driven into frothing religious frenzy by their hatred for those who fail to acknowledge the glory of chaos.

 

- Plague Marines: Cenobitic Word Bearers whose dedication to the service of Chaos is so strong they have taken to mortifying, piercing and shriving their own flesh as a demonstration of worship.

 

- Noise Marines: Word Bearer evangelists whose bodies and armour have been modified with all manner of loud speakers through which a constant cacophony of chaotic prayers, catechisms and hymns is broadcasted.

 

- Thousand Sons: Tricky. The best I can really come up with is a sub-cult within the Word Bearers that allow the raw power of the Warp to infest their bodies, twisting and mutating them so that its fires spill through their altered flesh. Such disorganised warriors require a priest of the Word Bearers (i.e. the Sorcerer) to guide them into battle, otherwise they simply stand and gibber mindlessly. As I say, it's definitely not perfect, but it gives some idea of what you could potentially do.

 

 

Alpha Legion

 

- Khorne Berserkers: An extensive re-imagining; a sub-cult of assassins within the legion, trained in striking at the most vulnerable chink in their enemy's armour.

 

- Plague Marines: Tricky. One could go down the traditional chaos route and have them as Alpha Legionnaires whose armour has begun to sport extensive coverings of scales in reference to the legion's "Hydra" iconography, but this doesn't really sit well with me. As with the Iron Warriors, they could simply be defensive specialists who sport technology or sorcerous power capable of misdirecting their enemy's strikes, though that would probably fit Thousand Sons better.

 

- Noise Marines: Alpha Legionnaires whose designated purpose is to sew confusion and misdirection amongst the enemy. Alternatively, they could be Alpha Legion snipers, sporting weaponry especially designed to be adaptable to a variety of situations.

 

- Thousand Sons: As mentioned above, they could easily be Alpha Legionnaires that carry specialist technology into battle that warps and alters their appearance, or that boast psychic potential that allows them to distort their enemy's perception of reality (this would certainly fit quite nicely with the fluff).

 

 

Night Lords

 

- Khorne Berserkers: Don't really need much imagining. The Night Lords are raiders who revel in slaughter and the infliction of pain; these squads could simply be the most eager and vicious amongst them, perhaps the veterans who make planetfall first.

 

-Plague Marines: Perhaps Night Lords who have taken the obsession with pain too far and have begun to mutilate their own bodies? Alternatively, perhaps they could be Night Lords who have begun to mutate in the manner of their primarch, becoming hunched and bestial, and very, very difficult to hurt. they could even be cannibalistic Night Lords who have degenerated during their time in the Warp to the state of power armour clad ghouls, haunting the shadows from which they stalk their human prey.

 

- Noise Marines: The Night Lords are renowned for sewing terror and confusion wherever they go. these could simply be Night Lords fitted with all manner of vox casters that transmit shrieks, growls, threats and so on and so forth wheever they go. If you were feeling creative, you could even model Night Lords who have begun to mutate into bat like creatures, the Noise Marine weaponry representing their organ-rupturing shrieks.

 

Thousand Sons: Tricky. Can't really think of anything off the top of my head, but I'm sure there's plenty of potential.

 

 

Not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, nor a desirable situation, IMO. It would be much more preferable if the current codex provided a means of fielding the specific legions on their own terms, but this at the very least provides some means by which interesting and characterful armies can be achieved creatively.

[Requiemnex]

Iron Warriors:

 

- Khorne Berserkers: Especially adapted "siege marines," limbs replaced by drills, buzz-saws and cutting equipment, perhaps crudely lobotomised in the same manner as World Eater Berserkers.

 

- Plague Marines: Iron Warrior specialist squads that sport experimental armour manufactured in Perturabo's Hell Forges, or perhaps simply defensive squads that carry crude force field generators into battle. They could also represent nascent Obliterators; Iron Warriors who have been infected with the "techno virus" that was a prominent feature of their background in the last chaos codex.

 

- Noise Marines/Thousand Sons: Probably the easiest of the lot; Iron Warriors who have been infected with a particularly virulent strain of the techno virus that creates Obliterators, their bodies erupting with all manner of bizarre weapons and technological components, Alternatively, just Iron Warrior specialist weapon squads carrying experimental "daemon forged" weapons from within the Eye of Terror.

 

 

Umm.. Iron Warriors actually have berzerkers.. They are not "Khorne Berzerkers" persay.. However they are referred to as berzerkers and are often in the service of khorne knowingly or not. (Storm of Iron)

 

The Techno Virus that is referred to is the Obliterator Virus.. However you could easily just come up with any kind of fluff to counts as for nurgle.

 

Iron Warriors would more than likely not use a "daemon forged" weapon. They would however compel a daemon inside of a weapon. Reason for this being that it would take some level of magick and trust of another outside of the iron warriors to forge a weapon from a daemon. Where as binding a daemon to a weapon can be done within their own ranks.

 

- Hate to be a forum troll but Iron Warriors are my babies... =)

[Empty Bolter Clip]

Thanks for the input all... i can see I have hit an area of a bit of debate.

 

I think I have decided to go the Red Corsair route, while not a legion as pointed out, they fit what I was looking for.

 

After re-reading my initial post, I think it may have not been worded properly. I never planned to truly mix zeerkers with PM's, and IkSons in a single list... rather I wanted to be able to throw a squad or two of berzekers into my list on Monday, switch them for 1KSons on wednesday, and if the mood struck me switch to PM's on Friday without warranty too many outcries of "unfluffy!" from the players at my LGS. I think Red Corsairs will definitely give me that flexibility. That, and after reading all sorts of fluff, Huron Blackheart is kind of my new hero... err villain!

 

Thanks again for all the input. I wanted to make sure I had all my fluffy "P's & Q's" before reaching a decision.

 

Empty Bolter Clip

[Unguis Raptus]

-Plague Marines: Perhaps Night Lords who have taken the obsession with pain too far and have begun to mutilate their own bodies

 

 

- Noise Marines: The Night Lords are renowned for sewing terror and confusion wherever they go. these could simply be Night Lords fitted with all manner of vox casters that transmit shrieks.

 

I like these ideas particularly the one about pain... Sahaal does it to himself... hmmmmmm

[chillin]

Just wanted to point out that technically every Chaos Legion or Chapter can "use" cult units. They can employ units of cult mercenaries. The World Eater berserkers and the Emperor's Children Noise Marines are particularly known to fight for anyone who will employ the. but the Night Lords may very well employ units of allied Death Guard Plague Marines.

 

I hate this dex :P

Remember when a NL's army was full of NL's and a DG army was full of DG ?