++ The Harrowing - An Alpha Legion Community ++

[TheMelancholic]

 

 

 

This also assumes that your opponent is cool with his buff applying to generic Alpha Legion or you found some way to get THE FAITHLESS keyword(s) on your units.

 

As I've mentioned before, Arkos' FAITHLESS buff should apply to Alpha Legionnaires because your LEGION keyword doesn't dictate your Legion Tactics.  Follow me on this.  "Renegade Chapters" is a Legion Tactic.  According to Huron's datasheet, his LEGION keyword is "RED CORSAIRS," but Huron benefits from the Renegade Chapters Legion Tactic.  Ergo, your LEGION keyword is not linked to your Legion Tactics choice.  So you can utilize Arkos as an Alpha Legion HQ using the FAITHLESS keyword on your army and the Alpha Legion Tactic rules and benefit from his FAITHLESS Charge/Advance aura.

 

 

Ah cool. Thanks for clearing that up, that makes sense.

[Brom MKIV]

 

Yea Arkos is a certified badass. He's marbo's hero. The wording on his sheet is largely irrelevant due to what he's really good at.. which is lone infitration and soloing firebase units with the option of summoning daemonic incursions. better.than.anyone.

 

Not to mention strategic placement of his BS 2+ cbmelta and of course psychological warfare. On further thought I'm not sure FW would ever want to give his LotF rule to alpha legion. 

 

You know what Arkos did for the first 15 of his 25 years in the legion? Counter intelligence. Arkos doesn't exist. there is no Arkos.

 

I certainly think Arkos is a solid choice but it really depends what you want. Personally I like the re-roll 1s aura more than the +1 to advance and charge, but that might just be because I enjoy shooty armies more than choppy ones. This also assumes that your opponent is cool with his buff applying to generic Alpha Legion or you found some way to get THE FAITHLESS keyword(s) on your units.

 

Hits kit is good, but a bit schizoid. The combi-melta means he wants to be close up to vehicles but his blade doesn't work against them. That said, he might make a decent monster hunter seeing as both melta and the Blade of Black Venom both work against them. In terms of melee ability, I think he's actually a bit choppier than a generic lord with his extra attack, even though he doesn't get the re-roll. A little less accurate with his gat though.

 

What you are really taking him for (or at least what I would really take him for) is the extra CP and free infiltrate. -1 to hit (on top of the AL -1 to hit) is cool and all, but as a character in a legion with forward operatives its unlikely that he's ever going to be a shooting target for the enemy anyway (and if he is you are probably doing something wrong).

 

As a body on the board he's a little bit of an odd duck and I struggle to think of a good use for him. He can (as you have pointed out) probably solo heavy weapon fireteams like Devastators/Havocs/Dark Reapers as well as summon daemons (probably Bloodletters/Bloodcrushers) to attack the opponent from an unexpected angle. Another use might be having him posse up with a unit of forward operatives that wants to be in close range but not melee (Thousand Sons/Plasma Havocs/Plasma Chosen). There he can dissuade enemy assault units and poke at the enemy with his melta, though if you want a babysitter a generic lord would probably serve you better.

 

So if I field him (probably at some point) I'll probably be using him as a flanker looking for weak units he can pick off on his own and summoning daemons to provide sudden pressure to a part of the board my opponent wasn't expecting.

 

Also, does his -1 to hit apply in overwatch? I don't think so, as overwatch is an unmodifiable 6+ to hit for everyone IRRC.

 

Yea thats pretty much how I use him, although he doesn't need his faithless ability to effect the rest of the legion since he has both keywords and tends to operate solo. I do run more assaulty so far this edition though your right. I've also been running hero hammer, not that I'm saying its the better choice just what I'm enjoying.. so I have the rerolls too. Double lords, sorcs, arkos, warpsmith. All I've find to be really solid in this edition.  

 

Edit- but yea what IFF said was basically what I was asking about earlier although I called it "successor". 

 

 

Q- I'm having problems linking pics from both my photobucket and the gallery here on B&C. What gives?

[Brom MKIV]

Testing..

Arkos

[TheMelancholic]

What are our thoughts on Terminators?

 

I think they have some good synergy with AL given that they have their own method of getting in close that doesn't cost an extra CP.

I'm thinking of maybe running 5 with combi flamers (and one with a heavy flamer)/power fists. Expensive, but they act as a retaliatory CC hammer for all my squishy Chosen/Havoc special weapon teams. Combi-flamers are also excellent for purging hordes (something the list I'm building struggles with atm) and dissuading charges.

 

Sorcerer with Warptime is obviously a good idea here, ensuring turn one flamers and possible charge.

 

The list I've got in my head at the moment is something like:

 

Spearhead:

 

• DP
• Sorc in Terminator Armour
• Plasma Havocs
• Plasma Havocs
• Melta Havocs

Spearhead:

• Sorc in Terminator Armour
• Heavy Bolter Havocs
• Autocannon Havocs
• Plasma Havocs
• Terminators

Obviously this around 1800+ points, but I think it plays to our strengths as a legion. Backfield shooting mixed with close up fireteams.

[Kierdale]

Inspirational Friday: The Alpha Legion

We' s got six excellent entries for IF: Alpha Legion so far and there is less than 24 hours to go. Any last minute tales of guile and deceit?

[shaun03]

Thats cool looking Arkos model, right now I using Skorr as stand in.  

 

How did the terminators, work out for you? They are looking tempting with point drop. Delivery seems be there weakness,  I saw Ork player, literally spread his units out like star, and shut down DS completely.  Not as dick move as old school zombie congo line from WFB, but close to it. 

[Excessus]

Can't wait to get off work next weekend and finally be able to come home to my apartment and my models!

[Brom MKIV]

What are our thoughts on Terminators?

 

I think they have some good synergy with AL given that they have their own method of getting in close that doesn't cost an extra CP.

I'm thinking of maybe running 5 with combi flamers (and one with a heavy flamer)/power fists. Expensive, but they act as a retaliatory CC hammer for all my squishy Chosen/Havoc special weapon teams. Combi-flamers are also excellent for purging hordes (something the list I'm building struggles with atm) and dissuading charges.

 

Sorcerer with Warptime is obviously a good idea here, ensuring turn one flamers and possible charge.

 

The list I've got in my head at the moment is something like:

 

Spearhead:

 

• DP
• Sorc in Terminator Armour
• Plasma Havocs
• Plasma Havocs
• Melta Havocs

Spearhead:

• Sorc in Terminator Armour
• Heavy Bolter Havocs
• Autocannon Havocs
• Plasma Havocs
• Terminators

Obviously this around 1800+ points, but I think it plays to our strengths as a legion. Backfield shooting mixed with close up fireteams.

Terminators are beastly! So far I've only used khorne- icon and slaanesh- no icon, with my preference being slaanesh due to endless cacophony. Great impact unit. Use fire frenzy on a leviathan on the turn these guys arrive and things get stupid. Add Arkos in close proximity and it gets better especially for the khornate terminators. 

[major higgins]

I'm looking for some advice with Alpha tactics in building a list which can exploit all the aspect of the Hydra. We play for fun/fluffy around 2500 points, so I don't need ad extreme competitive list, but a solid one which can run against everything without being overun in a couple of turn...

 

I'm thinking to split my army in three part: one armored and mobile in order to threat flanks or Objectives, big enough to be a credible distraction. Another stationary, solid fire base to support the rest of the army, and one which will strike hard in the first turn with Terminators, Arkos and if needed a unit of infiltrating marine.

 

Questions?

 

How many and which support for the firng base? A couple of Havocs is enough? Contemptors?

 

Large cultist unit is really useful rather than fluffy? They are, in the ned, a bloob of coward guards with worst armor and armed with lasgun and flamer/stubber... Whath they really do in a game?

 

How set the armored spearhead? Plain Bolter/P.Fist (like 30k) with the adding of a character or not?

 

Thanks in anticipation

[Galron]

I play mine in two parts, the fire support force and the infantry. I need to redo my list since the dex came out but before I was running in the back field a Sicarian, Scorpius and a havoc squad with missile launchers. A little more forward were a 5 man squad with a missile launcher. Two 5 man squads with heavy bolters I used as maneuver units or midfield objective holders. Then two chosen squads with combi plasmas in rhinos. For forward units I used a terminator squad with combi-plasma, and a large raptor squad. It does ok. With the new rules I will likely simply put the tac squads in the rhinos and infiltrate the chosen. The reason I have the odd layouts on squads is they are a 30k force made into 40k. I have multiple other painted rhinos collecting dust as the whole force used to be mounted.

[micahwc]

In my 1500 point tornament a 30 man cultist blob died in the first turn twice, giving away first blood. I think if you want a blob you may want to max them out at 40 for the added wounds. Also, the Dark Apostle is probably a must, because the really bad leadership will kill just as many as the enemy shooting will.

 

I had planned on using Tide of Traitors, but the blob didn't survive long enough for me to use it.

[ChazSexington]

In my 1500 point tornament a 30 man cultist blob died in the first turn twice, giving away first blood. I think if you want a blob you may want to max them out at 40 for the added wounds. Also, the Dark Apostle is probably a must, because the really bad leadership will kill just as many as the enemy shooting will.

 

I had planned on using Tide of Traitors, but the blob didn't survive long enough for me to use it.

That's the crux of it. 

 

Even with the point drop, they're still stat-wise worse than Guardsmen, with worse options and synergies, and cost the same. 

 

The question becomes... Are CSMs worse?

[Galron]

I like my CSMs. Im a purist, I wont waste the time with cultists. We play marines not renegades. Offense is the best defense. In my opinion points spent bubble wrapping are a waste of points that could be points spent on things to kill things with. If we could get scion-like troops like Alpha legion is supposed to have then I could see a point. CSM have better firepower, can be geared for various roles, and aside from price, better than cultists in every way.

 

On a reference note, I don't play defensively, I find it boring sitting in the back lines. I would drive people nuts with my old tau army by playing a very in their face army when they were expecting a gunline. I would rather have maneuver forces than static guns(havocs being an exception). 

[micahwc]

5 marines with a plasma gun and combi-plasma on the champion is 93 points. It can move and fire effectively. And in rapid fire range it will put out 9 bolter and 4 plasma shots. I think it's decent for the cost and troop slot.

 

Edit: The bare minimum of troops for a battalion using these squads would be only 279 points, which would leave a lot of room for other stuff. You get 6 plasma guns out of it, which is better than autoguns or heavy stubbers. The bare minimum for cultists is 120 points, just under half the cost; but they likely wont be able to do as much for you as the 6 plasma shots you get with marines.

 

Edit: Throw a plasma pistol on the champion and make it an even 100 points.

[TheMelancholic]

I might post this in the army list section, but this is the list I'm currently brewing up:

 

Spearhead:

• Sorc in Termi armour
• Melta Havocs
• Plasma Havocs
• Plasma Havocs

Spearhead:

 

• Sorc in Termi armour
• Plasma Havocs
• Heavy Bolter Havocs
• Autocannon Havocs

Supreme Command:

• DP
• Exalted Champion with Blade of the Hydra
• Arkos
• 20 Zerkers

Gives me plenty of CP to play with (7) allowing for me to pick and choose what characters/units to infiltrate (probably Bezerkers/Exalted Champ/Melta Havocs/Plasma Havocs)

[Excessus]

I don't have my codex with me, but can AL have rubrics?

[adreal]

Pretty sure all basic cult units are available to all legions, but the scarabs occult termies are 1k sons exclusive

[Mr. Funktastic]

Cross posting from Army Lists, I would definitely like the opinion of Alpha Legion players on this.

I'm considering Chaos as a second army and spent a while theorycrafting. Came up with 2 similar 1500 pt lists:
 

WE + AL

++ Battalion Detachment +3CP (Chaos - Chaos Space Marines) [41 PL, 714pts] ++

+ No Force Org Slot +

Legion: World Eaters

+ HQ +

Dark Apostle [5 PL, 76pts]: Bolt pistol, Mark of Khorne, Power maul

Exalted Champion [5 PL, 81pts]: Mark of Khorne, Plasma pistol, Power sword, The Murder Sword

+ Troops +

Chaos Space Marines [5 PL, 65pts]: 4x Marine w/ Boltgun, Mark of Khorne
. Aspiring Champion: Bolt pistol, Boltgun

Khorne Berzerkers [9 PL, 157pts]: Icon of Wrath
. Berzerker Champion: Chainsword, Power fist
. 7x Chainsword and Chainaxe: 7x Chainaxe

Khorne Berzerkers [9 PL, 191pts]: Icon of Wrath
. Berzerker Champion: Chainsword, Power fist
. 9x Chainsword and Chainaxe: 9x Chainaxe

+ Dedicated Transport +

Chaos Rhino [4 PL, 72pts]: Combi-bolter, Mark of Khorne

Chaos Rhino [4 PL, 72pts]: Combi-bolter, Mark of Khorne

++ Supreme Command Detachment +1CP (Chaos - Chaos Space Marines) [39 PL, 786pts] ++

+ No Force Org Slot +

Legion: Alpha Legion

+ HQ +

Daemon Prince with Wings [9 PL, 180pts]: Malefic talon
. Tzeentch: Diabolic Strength

Sorcerer in Terminator Armour [8 PL, 167pts]: Combi-plasma, Delightful Agonies, Force sword, Mark of Slaanesh, Warptime

Sorcerer on Disc of Tzeentch [8 PL, 139pts]: Blades on Disc of Tzeentch, Bolt pistol, Force sword, Prescience, Warptime

+ Elites +

Chaos Terminators [14 PL, 300pts]: Icon of Excess, Mark of Slaanesh
. Chaos Terminator Champion: Combi-plasma, Power fist
. Terminator: Combi-plasma, Power fist
. Terminator: Combi-plasma, Power fist
. Terminator: Combi-plasma, Power fist
. Terminator: Combi-plasma, Power fist

++ Total: [80 PL, 1500pts] ++

Created with BattleScribe

 
Exalted Champion and Dark Apostle in a Rhino with Berzerkers, another Rhino right behind with 10 Berzerkers as backup. Disc Sorcerer slingshots the first Rhino up with Warptime and hopefully the first Rhino squad can get a charge off by turn 2, followed by the second Rhino squad in turn 3. Exalted Champion with the Murder Sword to go character hunting, especially useful against armies that are reliant on a specific character as a lynchpin to their army. Being a WE means he gets an extra attack and with Diabolic Strength and the +1 attack Warlord trait, he can reasonably get off enough attacks to kill a 6 wound character in a single round of fighting just from successful hits, especially considering he hits on a 2+ and can reroll failed hits near a Dark Apostle.

Terminators and Terminator Sorcerer deep strike in turn 2, Terminator Sorcerer casts Delightful Agonies and Warptime on the Terrminators while the Disc Sorcerer casts Prescience on them. Activate Endless Cacophony and pretty much anything the Terminators shoot at is dead, followed by a near guaranteed charge due to closing the distance with Warptime. Icon of Excess + Prescience means DTTFE activates on a 4+ and along with the Daemon Prince hopefully nearby, they'll be attacking with Power Fists on 3+ rerolling 1's with 4's generating an extra attack. CSM are off securing objectives while the Berzerker blob hunts around for enemies. Only thing I don't like about this list is that the Rhinos are going to be very vulnerable while they're going up the table so I'll need to be smart with maneuvering them. Also might consider using a Slaaneshi Daemon Prince with Intoxicating Elixir if The Murder Sword isn't as good as it seems, gonna need an opinion on that.
 

Pure Alpha Legion
 

++ Vanguard Detachment +1CP (Chaos - Chaos Space Marines) [54 PL, 1026pts] ++

+ No Force Org Slot +

Legion: Alpha Legion

+ HQ +

Dark Apostle [5 PL, 76pts]: Bolt pistol, Mark of Khorne, Power maul

Exalted Champion [5 PL, 81pts]: Mark of Khorne, Plasma pistol, Power sword

+ Elites +

Chaos Terminators [14 PL, 300pts]: Icon of Excess, Mark of Slaanesh
. Chaos Terminator Champion: Combi-plasma, Power fist
. Terminator: Combi-plasma, Power fist
. Terminator: Combi-plasma, Power fist
. Terminator: Combi-plasma, Power fist
. Terminator: Combi-plasma, Power fist

Helbrute [7 PL, 155pts]: Helbrute fist, Mark of Nurgle, Power scourge

Khorne Berzerkers [9 PL, 157pts]: Icon of Wrath
. Berzerker Champion: Chainsword, Power fist
. 7x Chainsword and Chainaxe: 7x Chainaxe

+ Flyer +

Heldrake [10 PL, 185pts]: Baleflamer, Heldrake claws, Mark of Nurgle

+ Dedicated Transport +

Chaos Rhino [4 PL, 72pts]: Combi-bolter, Mark of Nurgle

++ Supreme Command Detachment +1CP (Chaos - Chaos Space Marines) [24 PL, 473pts] ++

+ No Force Org Slot +

Legion: Alpha Legion

+ HQ +

Daemon Prince with Wings [9 PL, 180pts]: Intoxicating Elixir, Malefic talon
. Slaanesh: Diabolic Strength

Sorcerer in Terminator Armour [8 PL, 167pts]: Combi-plasma, Delightful Agonies, Force sword, Mark of Slaanesh, Prescience

Sorcerer with Jump Pack [7 PL, 126pts]: Bolt pistol, Force sword, Mark of Nurgle, Miasma of Pestilence, Warptime

++ Total: [78 PL, 1499pts] ++

Created with BattleScribe

 
Switched out the Sorcerer on the Disk of Tzeentch for a Jump Pack Sorcerer since they have the same movement plus I can make him a Nurgle Sorcerer, which lets me cast Miasma of Pestilence on the Rhino/Heldrake to make it hard to hit as it moves up the board since they're not affected by the Alpha Legion trait (could even cast it on the Helbrute to make it -2 to hit!). Added a CC Helbrute for extra AT and a hard to hit Helbrute marching towards your face offers a pretty scary target to divert attention from the Rhino. Went with the Slaaneshi Daemon Prince this time for variety although the Murder Sword Exalted Champion idea is still on the table depending on the matchup. Also added a Heldrake to provide distraction and harassment for a turn or 2 as my forces go up the board, as well as lending a hand to the Daemon Prince against any flyers on the table. When the Terminators drop in I'll have my Jump Pack Sorcerer near (hopefully) to cast Warptime on them and still do the previous strategy.

Overall, I traded 2 CP, troops, and less Berzerkers for a Helbrute and a Heldrake as well as making nearly my whole army hard to hit. The lack of troops in this list does worry me a little bit but hopefully what I have is enough to take out my opponent's troops. Is it worth the tradeoff? Which Chaos list seems better?

[TheMelancholic]

Ideas on dealing with shooty armies?

 

I was running outrider + supreme command vs Admech and got stomped.

Infiltrated Khorne Bezerkers died to first volley, most of my shooting units too.

 

I'm going to try out my special weapons havocs once I've finished building them, but I feel as if they die too easily.

 

3x 5 man Plasma Gunners is dangerous to be sure, but against concentrated shooting they'll go down fast...

[adreal]

Granted I'm not going up against crazy shooting, but against tau and guard armies I have found two rhinos get me most places, I also have a heldrake, two contemptors and a sicaran for my armour and some slaanesh lascannons

 

But again, this isn't the 100% optimised list, just what seems well rounded for a competitive game

[Excessus]

I love rhinos! Tank shocking is so much more effective in 8th!

 

Also, I think zerkers are a bit too fragile to infiltrate. I'll be trying out some possessed and infiltrate them. :)

 

 

Hmm...question, I don't have the codex here, but can you infiltrate a rhino?

[TheMelancholic]

I love rhinos! Tank shocking is so much more effective in 8th!

 

Also, I think zerkers are a bit too fragile to infiltrate. I'll be trying out some possessed and infiltrate them.

 

 

Hmm...question, I don't have the codex here, but can you infiltrate a rhino?

 

I don't think so. Needs the ALPHA LEGION and INFANTRY keywords. It has one, not the other.

[hushrong]

Anybody try infiltrating AL noise marines?

 

I put a list together but haven't got a game in for some time. Looking at a 12 noise marines with 2 blast masters and 10 sonic blasters. Infiltrate them by a juicy target and pump out shots. Then use the slaanesh I "shoot twice" strategem?

[Panzer]

I honestly don't know why I should infiltrate Noise Marines since their weapons all are Assault and not Rapid fire or otherwise short ranged (if I were playing Alpha Legion that is). ^^

[adreal]

I discovered something in my game last night, if I don't have the first turn (hard to predict with the ITC roll for it), my alpha strike suffers.

 

Had I had the first turn I would have put down the primaris tank and dread (most likly anyways) and then heldrake the hellblasters while still having my rhinos to cock block Gulliman.

 

As it is i still had a good first turn, but didn't kill the primaris tank or dread (though all plasma died), I did have pretty average rolls and couldn't get my Lord to buff all the plasma like I like, and I failed pretty much every charge I needed to make, but yeah my list is very first turn dependant.

 

Any ideas on combating looseing the first turn?