The Legion for you... Community Assistance Thread

[shandwen]

@shandwen Do you like anything else about the legion besides the primarch and special units? Also from my understanding aren't raven guard supposed to be pretty good rules wise? Fluff wise you're kinda boxed in. Alphas allow you more variation and with the right ROW you can choose a raven guard unit. At the end of the day do you want James Bond marines with complicated plots? Or do you want the covert black ops marines who just happen to have a Native American vibe? Though if your like me you get tired painting black all the time then alphas might look good.

I positively do not want an all black army.. I tried templars in 40k and was bored by it before I finished one guy. I really think that the Coils of the Hydra will be the way I go. I can still take the special units but paint and build a fluffy and cool looking army. So ill go with the CIA marines over the USMC-recon marines.

[Adra'Melek]

So I'm drawing to a close (purchasing wise, still got plenty to paint) for my first Legion force and fancy something different.  The current force is a 'counts-as-Salamanders', lot's of flame/heat based weaponry, but also terminators, Contemptors, not many tanks.

 

I quite like the idea of doing, either an Iron Warriors artillery force (with spotters) or an Imperial Fists defencive force, but first off I'd quite like to do a rapid, stealthy type of force.  Just to be clear, I know all the Legions can do all of the things, but I'd like to be themey.  Focus is painting/modelling; I will play with it but don't care if I lose every game.  Whoever I take will also have a Sicaran.   Currently only considering Legions that have been released.

 

So what I'm thinking at the minute are:

 

1)  Night Lords - Terror Assault.  I like the lightning pattern, I painted a couple a while back and my wife thought they were pretty (which means she's behind it, making EVERYTHING easier).  I like the special units, might get Sevatar and add a jump pack. Not sure, but it fits well with what I want to do. PROBLEMS: I'm a loyalist at heart.  As a life long chaos/beastman player in WHFB, I've always been a loyalist in 40k at heart.  So I would want to do these guys as loyalists (or at least not full on Traitors).  I might do them pre-Heresy so it fits easier, and then perhaps progress them through the heresy.  Not sure.

 

2) Raven Guard - Not the RG ROW.  The feel of them is pretty good, in terms of general themes.  Stealthy, snipers, jump packs, etc.  I generally like them.  PROBLEM: Black armour.  I don't think I could do that, anymore than I could do a white army.  I could optionally do them pre-corax or the Preditation Fleet...but they seem a bit done to death (for good reason, the idea is cool).

 

3) World Eaters/Warhounds - I've had this idea for a loyalist World Eater/Warhound force for ages, before the FW stuff was talked about.  I've started it a couple of times but it just doesn't match what I have in my head. Whatever the problem is, I get dissatisfied very quickly. I think the idea is too strong for me to pull off at the minute so I may hold off on these guys again, until my skills/bitz box, etc has improved.

 

4) Alpha Legion - These guys are cool, but I kind of dispise the whole dress-up thing they have going on, which puts me off the Legion in general.  I don't have an air gun but like the FW spray effect over the metal.  Could work but not quite pulling me in quite as much as some of the others.

 

Thoughts?

 

PS I've been bouncing between these ideas for what feels like years at the moment (every time a book comes out my ideas change). Ideally I'd do them all but I don't have the time or resources for that. 

[Dantay VI]

You could always go with Crimson Tears, who are from the Night Lords Legion?

 

Also go Alphas, but paint them old-school

[Reyner]

Loyalist Night Lords would rock. 

[Fire Golem]

I'd like to see some more Raven Guard too...

[ThatOneMarshal]

Loyalist night lords would actually be cool to see. With the raven guard I know how bad it is to paint black(I play black templars) have you thought about doing really dark grey instead of the whole black thing? I've been doing that recently and it's a lot easier than black.

[Adra'Melek]

I'm generally leaning towards the Night Lords (they were a planned army back when Massacre first came out). Heavily Terran based, with the commander from Albia, who hammered the ragtag, creepy kids from the prison pits into a fighting force. I did have an idea that they fought in current Mexico where they learnt to use local fears and superstitions against their foe (and came across the idea of the guy below)

 

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mictlantecuhtli

[Fire Golem]

Aztec Night Lords huh..? That's the best idea I've ever heard ;)

[Hastein]

Greetings brothers ! I come to you today because my love for the fluff is my curse, for I love all of the legions, and I don't know what to do !... Well that's not really true I mean I have no love for the sons of Dorn (except Pollux he's kind of okay), nor for the lords of Ultramar (I like the roman theme but not the way of thinking of the legion).

 

So I had a deep though about what I want to do for the Heresy, I think the rules are optionals to me (even if my preference are between backstabbing someone while laughing like a maniac after all I play blood axes, night lords in 40k and dark eldars or total obliteration with some close and personnel slaps to the face). The most important thing is the story behind the heresy : who are they, where do they come from, what is their culture etc... I think the idea that I want is to have an army where I can actually try to make a lot of diffrent models or some that have a different feel to it. Not just some detail that make them differents, this is how I see the SoH or the DG, they are space marines with some personnal perks but notion that give this good vibes that say : "Oh yeah it's those guys !".

 

When I tend to play, I like mobility and adaptability. I really like infiltration and flanking, to be in the ennemy line while my main force arrive to crush them. This is something that I do in a lot of strategic games, get a force to go straight to the ennemy to die while my realy force is sneaking around to assault your ressources while the third force arrives to give you the killing blow... Or when I want to have fun, I run straight at you with a close combat weapon to tear you apart like in a good chivalry game behind my and my shield, slaming them together as I get closer to you. :)

 

- Vlka Fenryka : Well the only loyalist force I really like even the all business with the rune priest not being "psychers" is the biggest hypocrisy I ever saw in the 30k univers. The colours aren't that fantastic, but I think you can make a lot of interesting models with that. Plus the fact that they allied themselves with the Custodes and the Sisters of Silence give some pretty interesting units to get with your rout.

 

- Alpha Legion : Well here is an interesting case, in theory, you don't have a lot of conversions, after all those guys are all named Alpharius am I right ? But on the other hand I had a lot of pleasure to convert a unit of chosen as ultramarines thinking that maybe at some point my opponent will think that those guys are his and not mine. They can be a solution to the fact that I like a lot of legions, if I want to play RG, then no problem I take one of their unit and so on with any other legion which is cool. Plus they can be very adaptable with those multiple rules which is nice.

 

- Word Bearers : I like the first heretic, it is really inspiring to see the fall of the sons of Lorgar. I like this because even if I play Night Lords I never used any mark unit or any demons, I was playing renegades outside of the eye of terror. But with this, the possibilities are quite good to mix some elements with chaos, the Gal Vorback are beautiful and the idea to play 100% chaos has it's charm. I'll be able to twirl my mustache while praying for the gods to bring me victory.

 

- Night Lords : yeah what can I say ? I love those guys, I play them in 40k, they are awesome. Bloody justice, bloody background, awesome books and characters, they made me forget my first love : the iron warriors. Plus in term of customisation, they are great and those macabre trophies are always a good thing. Plus their psycho side respond to my need to sometime go to close combat, cursing those weaklings who hides in their fortress while shooting at me. :p

 

Thanks in advance gentlemans.

[Brother Dallo]

@Hastein

 

I think you should go with the Rout. If you find the colour palette boring or samey, you can do epic tribal tattoos like you see in Vikings. Or go less stereotypical and base them around a non Viking/Norse theme. There aren't as many SW armies about the heresy section as there are of the other 3, so that's a bonus if you like to be unique.

 

@Adra'Melek

 

I think the Night Lords are the definite front runner. Bonus points for the wife supporting you on your hobby choice. You're a lucky man.

 

Good luck in your choices guys.

 

Dallo

[GhostMalone]

Well guys I'm burnt out so I need a change of direction so I'm thinking sapper iron warriors using that bad ass pavoni as the start

[KBA]

Ever thought of trying Mechanicum, Kurama? They can be quite fun, and you can build a pretty elite force with a minimal amount of models.

[Slips]

Well guys I'm burnt out so I need a change of direction so I'm thinking sapper iron warriors using that bad ass pavoni as the start

Alpha Legion have their Saboteur Consul whose even more of a Loner than a Moritat...

 

Couple him with a Vigilator or Two and you could have some decent pre-game damage dealt.

[GhostMalone]

Well now maybe I'll just use that profile for the IW it seems bull that AL get everything.

 

I'm thinking pavoni saboteur Siege breaker Mortriat

Ever thought of trying Mechanicum, Kurama? They can be quite fun, and you can build a pretty elite force with a minimal amount of models.

I like mech but there's a gamer in our group who needs to always win and do everything in his power to win.

 

So AL Mech and WB are his favourite choices.

 

I'm not about winning I'm about fun and fluff but mech with the pavoni could work well.

[Nakuth]

Well guys I'm burnt out so I need a change of direction so I'm thinking sapper iron warriors using that bad ass pavoni as the start

 

How about an Iron Warriors orbital assault list?

 

They could be the advance landing force; all breaching shields, contemptors/ironclads armour ceramite boxnoughts, and cataphractii, with the two varieties of dreadclaw drop pods. They drop in, cleanse the landing site, and prep the initial siege-works, while the slower drop ships bring in the heavier hitters.

 

Yes, I have thought about doing the same myself.

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

I'd quite like to do a rapid, stealthy type of force. 

 

4) Alpha Legion - These guys are cool, but I kind of dispise the whole dress-up thing they have going on, which puts me off the Legion in general.  I don't have an air gun but like the FW spray effect over the metal.  Could work but not quite pulling me in quite as much as some of the others.

 

Don't dress them up and don't paint them the FW scheme either. In their fluff, it mentioned something like 8 different colors that their Astartes have been seen in. But forget all of that. Go full on tactical kill-mode Alpha Legion infiltration teams. No subterfuge, no disguises, just the hardest stone killers that they have moving in under the cover of darkness. Lots of grenades, clips and other kit/gear, and you don't have to do black paint either because the best color to blend into the darkness is actually a dark blue(ala the Night Lords). Black can be too dark and be just as obvious as a light color.

 

If I was ever to do an XX force, this is how I would go. None of that goofy stuff that they're painting themselves into a corner with in the fluff.

[Slips]

 

I'd quite like to do a rapid, stealthy type of force. 

 

4) Alpha Legion - These guys are cool, but I kind of dispise the whole dress-up thing they have going on, which puts me off the Legion in general.  I don't have an air gun but like the FW spray effect over the metal.  Could work but not quite pulling me in quite as much as some of the others.

 

Don't dress them up and don't paint them the FW scheme either. In their fluff, it mentioned something like 8 different colors that their Astartes have been seen in. But forget all of that. Go full on tactical kill-mode Alpha Legion infiltration teams. No subterfuge, no disguises, just the hardest stone killers that they have moving in under the cover of darkness. Lots of grenades, clips and other kit/gear, and you don't have to do black paint either because the best color to blend into the darkness is actually a dark blue(ala the Night Lords). Black can be too dark and be just as obvious as a light color.

 

If I was ever to do an XX force, this is how I would go. None of that goofy stuff that they're painting themselves into a corner with in the fluff.

 

Full on Splinter Cell / Rainbow Six but Legion Sized. I like it.

[ThatOneMarshal]

Or CIA marines. It's funny the writers tried to give the alpha legion personality by giving them unknown everything. This made them to me a bit bland. They also remind me sometimes of Saturday morning cartoon villains with all the ridiculous stuff they come up with. Maybe they are space skaven in power armor?

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

Yeah, kinda painting themselves into a corner. They tried to make them mysterious and clandestine and ended up just making them kinda goofy and boring.

[Loketh]

The only Alpha Legion book I read was Legion, and it makes me sad that I have to ignore all the nonsense that keeps on springing up.  That one's still my favorite book in the HH series.

[Dantay VI]

@ Hastein: Vlka Fenryka are cool. Being one of those working on a 30K force, The greay can get a bit monotonous at times, however go online and do some searches for Runes, etc and there is a metric butt-ton of inspiration out there. (A lot of the most creative stuff tends to be tattoo designs)

There is no codex or legion list specific to them (yet) so you can work off of a generic legion list, and play around with them.

 

My second choice by a mile would be the Alphas. Loved them for ages and would probably go in the direction BCK suggests. Although I fancy doing a dark Blue purple, wit the green highlights, old school.

 

Talking of BCK, I did try out your cloak tutorial. 

[Hastein]

Alas poor puppies, I knew them well... I've been having deep thoughts about what  a terran celtic wolf company would looks like, it is nice but... I really don't think that the grey is going to help in this. I tried once and it didn't work for me, plus I'm not that great with free hands designs. The more I practice, the better you become but I don't think I can really put that.

 

So I think that I now tends towards the Night Lords and the Word Bearer... Plus since I reread my index astartes, I remembered my devious love for Fulgrims drama queens. I have a pretty strong idea about what I could do with them :

- Night Lords with each squad dedicated to a peticular fear concept so that each squad has peticular weapons and trophies, they will follow the rite of war because I love the concept of terror squads.

- Word Bearers would be heavily influenced by scorched earth tactics and the worship of the dark gods, don't know if I make them more tzeetnch oriented (with demons allies) or khorne but I will make some kit maching to show that the sergents are slowly changing from their brethens.

- Emperor's children glamour as hell by using elements from the blood angel to make them fabulously disturbed and wrongn I want some good old post-Istvaan EC. And since the new rite of war with the hidden blade has a nice tune to it why not ?

 

My question would be now more rule wise, how exactly do those legions act in terms of rules ? What makes them different in terms of legions rules and how does it influence the way the game works exactly ?

[Grim Dog Studios]

I have recently just started a Raven Guard predation fleet force (http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/303695-xixth-legion-wip/) which I've only really just started to paint, with only 20 tacs basecoated in grey so far.

However my first love for 30K has always been the Alpha Legion, but I fell in love with the predation fleet idea and decided to go that route instead.

Now I've just been flicking through extermination again and started to read the alpha legion bits, and now I've hit a crossroads.

Do I stick with my Raven Guard or do I go back to my first love, the Alpha Legion. This is what I ask you brothers, as I'm sat here debating my options and getting quite frustrated!

The Alpha Legion feel like they have more interesting options to play around with, whereas with the RG I feel like many of the only viable ways of running them is with darkwings, but I really don't like flyers! The image of Dynat that FW released hasnt helped matters either.

I also cant help but feel that my part built veteran squad would suit the Alphas much more too;

http://i.imgur.com/0cbT1vN.jpg?1

http://i.imgur.com/Udt4Yqw.jpg?1

If I went the AL route I'm not sure if I'd go the usual Blue/purple scheme, or keep them in the gray.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated right now, as I really don't know where to go with my army!

[KBA]

Grey covert op AL marines would turn out pretty nifty. Follow your gut, man. If you don't, down the road, you might start resenting your project if you don't have the funds/time to start another one.

 

My advice:

 

Read (again if you already have) both huge fluff entries in Extermination. My bet is you'll have a more clear pull to one or the other after that :)

[Fire Golem]

Or a strong pull to both, like I got ;)