++ The Harrowing - An Alpha Legion Community ++

[Excessus]

 

Order of the day. Check the following facts/aspects of the Alpha Legion geneseed. Comment if anything should be added or removed. This is a discussion on the genetic specifics of the Alpha Legion geneseed, not about the tactics or the traits of the legion, just of its biological template. Provide the title of the resource if you recall where the fact was written. 

 

Alpha Legion:

• ice green blue eyes (yes, cold and calculating...and pretty :) )
• symmetric, nondescript features (not the geneseed, they performed plastic surgery and augmented their visage to more resemble each other and their Primarch)
• taller than the other marines (confirmed, ref: Index Astartes)
• wanton arrogance and "playing" with the enemy (training, hubris, arrogance and beliefs, not geneseed)
• unknown genetic qualities (in 40k, purer than most other geneseed because low contact with the eye, in 30k last geneseed created, probably more "complete" and "perfected" than the rest)
• among the "three" special geneseeds devised by the Emperor (Salamanders, Space Wolves and Alpha Legion) (spec ops and wetworks, they were intelligent, ruthless and full of initiative)
• cold demeanor (have not heard this, they were arrogant and full of hubris, though not because of their geneseed)
• Intelligence and mental adaptability/imagination, they had philosophical discussions and argumentations as a norm. Ref: Legion.

 

[Tenebris]

Zayn stood motionless, submerged in dark water, his ceramite boots steady on the viscous floor of the river. His helmet display was counting down, 72 hours of near stillness, but for Zayn it could be days or years, he cared not, as long as his power armor was supplied with energy he was good. 

 

Blips of echolocation signaled to the marine that his brothers were nearby, their bolters in hand, ready to strike at a moment's notice. The Throne-loyal astartes convoy was scheduled to pass in the next fifteen minutes, a result of a detour due to a collapsed spire blocking the main road, how simple. The Havoc squad did their job well, the toppling of the spire looked like an incident of war, while the side road spiraling around the main river artery was prepared to look well worn, ravaged by the war on Betapolis V, but still very much usable by the astartes vehicles.

 

Vox silence was absolute, no operative had the luxury to move for the past two days, all signals were shut down, the power armor power plants shrouded by feint pulses from the conveniently broken communications towers, dotting the river line. Twenty Alpha Legion marines were submerged in the river, their print on the enemy radars little more than a flock of birds or shoals of the local river fish, even the feint glow of the eylenses was dimmed to look like a variant of the coral so common in this area, for all intents and purposes, the Hydra was invisible. 

 

The first rumble of the enemy engines could be observed by the first legionnaires as the still water came to ripple. One by one the small convoy of the Sons of Guilliman made its way across the war battered road, their formation a codex standard, their scout elements patrolling the skyline and further ahead for any threats. The turrets of the Rhinos were manned and the leading Razorback was turning around its deadly lascannon. A squad of tactical marines was walking alongside the vehicles at regular intervals, all was perfect. True to their legacy the Sons of Guilliman advanced like a well oiled machine, faithful to the teachings of their primarch they used the known formation, but herein lied their weakness, strong yes, but they were also predictable. Zayn smiled, one mistake and the Hydra is upon you.

 

In a synchronized cascade a series of explosions echoed along the road. Microcharges set in the road, too small to be detected by a conventional astartes augur system yet potent enough to dent and chink the treads of the enemy vehicles. The Sons of Guilliman dispersed in a predictable pattern, each covering his brother on the left, while the turrets of the Rhinos turned to scan the horizon for enemies, leaving subtle but important blind spots in the enemy formation. In those blind spots the death of the loyalist convoy found its revelation.

 

As one the Alpha Legion rose from the water, opening fire with their bolters and melta guns. The rare drylock covers afforded no loss in propellant for the bolts nor they allowed the melta guns to soothe. The Hyrda struck and death followed its every head. Ancient Tarim, a Helbrute of the Omicron Splinter, rose as a shimmering leviathan from the depths of the river. Before the Sons of Guilliman could respond to the immediate threat within their lines, Ancient Tarim spoke, his voice the pitched scream of the Multi-Melta. A beam of incandescent heat seared through the enemy Razorback and it found its mark, the ammunition cells for the turret mounted lascannon, death roared in the wake of the explosion that followed. As predicted, each angle of attack was precise, each shot evaluated days before it would be fired, each melta gun in the exact place where the rearmost of the enemy armor would be exposed. 

 

As a many-headed flail the Alpha Legion attacked the convoy. While Ancient Tarim was bearing down upon the front Rhino, Zayn and his brothers darted around the enemy vehicles, sniping the loyalist marines, seeking for exposed cabling and eyelenses, keeping the enemy wrong-footed, felling one Son of Guilliman after another under the barrage of precise shots from several battle brothers. The attack was a beautiful choreography of death and destruction. The angles were perfect and the prepared killing zone was killing as many enemy astartes as did the Alpha Legion marines themselves. Melta charges blasted, fragmentation nodes exploded and impaler coils sprung from the ground, to spear enemy marines. The Hydra weaved its many heads and the Sons of Guilliman were no more.

 

As at last silence descended on the battlefield the Alpha Legion was triumphant. Two battle brothers died but the enemy dead far outnumbered the losses of the Alpha Legion. Three dozens of loyalist marines were dead, several vehicles destroyed while two Rhinos were still salvageable, it was victory and the losses were within operational parameters. 

 

As one the Alpha Legion spread around their victims. Zayn took the rearguard whilst his brothers went on to recover everything possible as spoils of war. It was an ancient maxim of the XXth legion, feed your warriors with the enemy's food and thus is how the Omicron Splinter was able to endure such an extended campaign as the one on Betapolis V. The geneseed of the marines was recovered, both Alpha Legion and the loyalist one, each spare bolt clip and ammo-feed belt was taken and a Warpsmith was already laboring hard to restore the two Rhinos. The first reports begun to filter down from the Harrowing Command Node, the enemy Scout and Landspeeder elements suffered a similar fate to the one of the armor convoy, death stalked the shadows, monsters lurked in the depths of the river. Zayn lived for this moment in a battle, the chaos, the utter confusion of the enemy, when they are blind, deaf and paralyzed and they know that their foe is upon them, lunging for the throat. 

 

Toolmaster Calzer ordered the retreat of the Instrument as the last of the battlefield salvage was stored in the loyalists's Rhinos. As a last offense the icon of the Hydra was sprayed over the chapter symbol of the Sons of Guilliman, the bodies of the slain astartes neatly displayed in a row. The intention was clear, the message unequivocal, "We are Hydra, we are killers cold, we are one." Let no loyalist doubt that they have been played for fools by the Alpha Legion, let the tension rise among their ranks, let them question their ideals and tactics, let them doubt, and when they are in doubt, the Hydra will strike.

 

Before he climbed on the stolen Rhino, Zayn knelled near the corpse of a loyalist marine and he took out his power dagger. With short, deft movements, he carved the Octet star in the forehead of the dead marine. One more lesson for the enemy, there is no order, there is only Chaos, and those who mastered chaos will be the sole victors in the Long War.  

[Deet]

I am Alpharius.

Started work on my own Alpha chapter last weekend. 22 troops and a lord all primed up and a test blue done tonight. Will share progress soon.

 

EDIT: Here's the start of my color test model.  More rust and a lot more NMM steel coming.  

 

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oBMqelgyd_s/VQHU5OH0KMI/AAAAAAAAMnM/Gn-dddaCjao/s1600/AlphaColor.jpeg

[Sete]

Hello. As an unitiated in alpha legion I must ask how do you model them?

Chaos space marines are a bit spikey for my taste, so do you guys use regular SM?

Since they are not in the eye of terror the mutations are lower am I right?

I also got some IG that I could double their use as traitor militia. (I hope warrior fish does not see this xD)

And how do you guys play them? Using chaos rules? Or another chapter tactic?

[Alpha One]

@Sete, Alpha Legion appearance varies by harrow. (Presumably) most harrows are untainted by the warp, however a harrow (such as mine) may willingly disguise their appearance to be more frightening or utilize daemon engines out of necessity.

 

I have taken special care to limit the appearance of warp influence on my Lord, and the daemon weapon/warp-touched plasma pistol can be explained as salvaged from a battle with another Chaos warband. The Helbrute's pilot was a wounded and willing legionnaire, a deal was struck with an unknown Warpsmith to forge a salvaged Dreadnought and this willing sacrifice into a Helbrute.

[Deet]

@Sete- that's exactly the reason I'm starting Alphas.  I'm using basic Marines as my troops but will play with CSM rules.  There's too many good models with good rules (and fluff) that fit that "spikey" flavor to ignore them completely, so I'll probably have to bring along another faction.  I struggle a little bit with some of the demon engines fitting in with Alphas (though I've seen some gorgeous paint jobs out there). I'm not as offended by the spikey stuff when it's actual demons, so maybe I'll just bring them along as a complementary force. 

[Tenebris]

Actually everything goes for the Alpha Legion. You would say, what about the daemonic engines, well I answer, they are perfectly viable.

 

The Alpha Legion has this trademark trait that they seek the best toys on the market, they dare to innovate, to try new things, to be unconventional, to promote things unconsidered or taboo by the other human factions be it Chaos or not. I can perfectly see the Alpha Legion have all this hidden laboratories where they push ever onward new and new types of tech, new combination of daemon and machine, new weapons which use the Warp, as well as they perfect the current weapons, innovating everything possible.

 

To be Alpha Legion is to be genetically curious and innovative, to think outside the box, to dare to ask the questions which no one else dares to ask. For example, you can have a vast research division hidden in a shrouded asteroid base where the Alpha Legion is doing a research on the sonic weapons used by many xenos as well as those used by the Emperor's Children Kakophoni. In their drive learn this secrets for themselves and for the legion, the Splinter orders its operatives to range in areas with a strong xeno presence, to acquire at all costs a living Kakophoni or even better a whole Choir and their sonic weapons, and at the same time you have operatives infiltrating into a highly secure Mechanicus facility posing as an astartes chapter, all to pry open the secrets of the harmonic distruptors researched within the said facility.

 

The result of such an endeavor not only would require the marines to both act as Chaos Marines, as Loyalist marines, as Headhunters and trackers but also could lead to a new weapon array for the Forgefiends in the employ of the legion, to the establishment of a Cell of Alpha Legion Noise Marines or a breaking discovery on the wave lengths of Warp harmonics allowing for better containment fields for the Daemons... and the Alpha Legion would employ all this, Warp tainted or no, to further its own agenda. 

[Alpha One]

@Tenebris, correct.

 

I would model Alpha Legion Kakophoni using only the Sonic Weapons, Noise Marine bits are optional. :)

 

As for the higher initiative (or whatever they have nowadays), I'd use handwavium and say they are given a new type of stabilized adrenaline auto-injection based off EC narco-combat drugs. :)

[Sete]

So I have decided to go for a renegade SM chapter (infiltrated by AL), bitterly disappointed with the Imperium they will start a small empire free of the Imperial Ecclesiarchy (no chaplains aswell) and any notion of Gods, kinda like what the Emperor originally intended.

After reading the chaos codex, while some options where good, and the fact I don't mind challenges, the random boon table didnt really tickle my fancy.

So after a bit of research I will take Champions of Fenris Supplement with Militarum Tempestus or Astra Militarum allies.

The premise will be highly trained AM, supported by elite SM troops being led by my Lord Commander.

So basically they are on their own side. (also im tempted to Model my Terminator Lord kinda like Horus, mace and claw.)

And I can use terminators with power swords and storm Bolter, and I can gladly push the Codex Astartes Limitation away.

Now to find good name for my new Legion.(because I will be Legion building).

Also the Warlord traits are awesome, including outflank, and I can take Scouts as Elites.

Of i will avoid Everything that as wolf or claw or frost on my list weaponwise.

Will go for Omegon Black and Silver colour and the inverted Ultramarine symbol which is Omega ;)

[Tenebris]

Well the added benefit of playing the Alpha Legion is that they use and practice all kinds of "chapter tactics" and doctrines. They are almost a "miniature mirror" of the existing legions/chapters since all kinds of warfare is being explored and used, as long as the Alpha Legion has the advantage or it is the most wise way to persecute a war.

 

In terms of painting I am adamant that the Macgragge Blue + Druchii Violet has the perfect tone and shade that one would expect of the Alpha Legion. Sure FW paints them more metallic, almost neon-like, but alas I am conflicted if this is either good or bad. Personally I quote the Black Library books as my font and in most of them the Alpha Legion is depicted with "indigo" armor, one of the most difficult colors to replicate in real life.

 

Said that the Alpha Legion is labyrinthine in its color schemes and internal organizations and units hence there are as many variations of their iconography as there are Splinters or Tools out there in the galaxy but in general terms it is indigo armor, highlighted with green and adorned with silver trim and etched motifs reminiscent of various ophidians, be it mythological or existing ones. 

 

On the other hand an Alpha Legion player sooner or later comes to a much more dire question than which color to use, the question being Chaos or not Chaos? Well it is my "educated guess" that the majority of the Alpha Legion is by M41 in the thrall of Chaos. Entire Chapters have fallen in centuries so a legion would inevitably be corrupted in what is almost ten thousand years of current history. 

 

An advice on the matter is that one should not be afraid to present the Alpha Legion as a CSM force, for remember, the Alpha Legion embraces everything that which grants them an advantage, a better position of power, a greater control over their fates and Chaos is for them as much as a weapon as it is a tool, an ideology or even a way to turn the scales of reality. In Chaos the Alpha Legion has found the perfect tool, the perfect weapon with which they can weave and shape reality to their liking. Keep in mind, for the Alpha Legion control is essential, power integral, knowledge mandatory, skill expected, and with Chaos they can enact all this at will as long as are they the ones to use it and not being used in turn (which is a discussion for another day). 

 

So what do you say on the matter?

[Xin Ceithan]

Well the added benefit of playing the Alpha Legion is that they use and practice all kinds of "chapter tactics" and doctrines. They are almost a "miniature mirror" of the existing legions/chapters since all kinds of warfare is being explored and used, as long as the Alpha Legion has the advantage or it is the most wise way to persecute a war.

 

In terms of painting I am adamant that the Macgragge Blue + Druchii Violet has the perfect tone and shade that one would expect of the Alpha Legion. Sure FW paints them more metallic, almost neon-like, but alas I am conflicted if this is either good or bad. Personally I quote the Black Library books as my font and in most of them the Alpha Legion is depicted with "indigo" armor, one of the most difficult colors to replicate in real life.

 

Said that the Alpha Legion is labyrinthine in its color schemes and internal organizations and units hence there are as many variations of their iconography as there are Splinters or Tools out there in the galaxy but in general terms it is indigo armor, highlighted with green and adorned with silver trim and etched motifs reminiscent of various ophidians, be it mythological or existing ones. 

 

On the other hand an Alpha Legion player sooner or later comes to a much more dire question than which color to use, the question being Chaos or not Chaos? Well it is my "educated guess" that the majority of the Alpha Legion is by M41 in the thrall of Chaos. Entire Chapters have fallen in centuries so a legion would inevitably be corrupted in what is almost ten thousand years of current history. 

 

An advice on the matter is that one should not be afraid to present the Alpha Legion as a CSM force, for remember, the Alpha Legion embraces everything that which grants them an advantage, a better position of power, a greater control over their fates and Chaos is for them as much as a weapon as it is a tool, an ideology or even a way to turn the scales of reality. In Chaos the Alpha Legion has found the perfect tool, the perfect weapon with which they can weave and shape reality to their liking. Keep in mind, for the Alpha Legion control is essential, power integral, knowledge mandatory, skill expected, and with Chaos they can enact all this at will as long as are they the ones to use it and not being used in turn (which is a discussion for another day). 

 

So what do you say on the matter?

This!

-insert usual "it's your army so go with what you feel it's right here-

- which goes double for AL anyway ;) -

 

But in my grim dark 40 k, the Legion as a whole has been corrupted. may be not openly in the tentacles everywhere way but in mind and spirit. Much like radical inquisitors, who start out using chaos with intent of using it for the greater good, it will have corrupted them in the long run. not everyone, not equally. Some might genuinely believe they are still in it "for the Emperor" and others will sold out into full demon worship along the way. If you stare into the abyss long enough and all that.

Oh and "Talon of Horus" quotes Abbadon on the XX th having forces in the Eye -"Oh, they are here all right"

I especially like how you outline the items of control, manipulation and information control. I consider my Coil in M41 so entrenched in their need for control, obfuscation and being clever, that they ( or at least the higher ups ) are so entrenched in the "game" that it becomes so second nature they forgot what the original objective was. They are probably as much into the game of outwitting their fellow coils and harrows (the only real challenges) as they are in it for the long war. And how boring would it be to finally "win" the long war?

There is a reason they were aligned with Tzeentch back in the early days :)

[Tenebris]

What is an Alpha Legion marine?

[Excessus]

What is an Alpha Legion marine?

Alpharius... :D

 

...but seriously. An Alpha Legion marine is an astartes that follows the tactics and practices of the Alpha Legion. Both coordination and teamwork are imortant, and infiltration, duplicity and deceit are means to an end. Corrupted or not, there is a plan, and we're sticking to it...

 

FOR THE EMPEROR!!!

[Xin Ceithan]

What is an Alpha Legion marine?

The Eye of the Hydra. Aware, cunning and planing ahead. The Hydra`s Claw revealed, striking from strength. The poison of the Hydra, silencing the foe in the night. The Scale that protects the Brother. The Tail that leaves the trail. The other tail that strikes you from your feet.  We are many. We are one. Hydra Dominatus!

[Lay]

What is an Alpha Legion marine?

A miserable little pile of secrets.

[Aspiringchaoschampion]

Hm question for my brothers

Would it look unusal to have the core troops of am alpha legion forces being a mix of loyalist tactical marines minus imperial symbols and chaos space marines

[Captain Tezdal]

Hm question for my brothers

Would it look unusal to have the core troops of am alpha legion forces being a mix of loyalist tactical marines minus imperial symbols and chaos space marines

Would look fine, seen plenty of later marks lurking in Alpha Legion armies.

[Aspiringchaoschampion]

 

Hm question for my brothers

Would it look unusal to have the core troops of am alpha legion forces being a mix of loyalist tactical marines minus imperial symbols and chaos space marines

Would look fine, seen plenty of later marks lurking in Alpha Legion armies.

Excellent may build an "allied" detachment of Alpha Legion

[GreyCrow]

Greetings ! I am Alpharius :D

 

So, I'm starting out an Alpha Legion Chaos Warband and I'm pleased to join the ranks ! I love the many mysteries surrounding the Legion, and I am very seduced by the color scheme, I can't can't to get painting it :) Probably going for a pattern closer to the Legiones livery, but with Chaos armour instead.

 

I do have a few questions on my mind regarding the lore of the Alpha Legion. I just finished Legion and although it started too slow for my liking, the ending was excellent I found. That said...

 

We do not really know which side the Aloha Legion went for... Alpharius' reply to Slau Dar is very cryptic much like most of his agenda anyways.

I am starting to believe that they are trying to find a "third" way along the two options presented. First of all, I don't think that they sided with Horus with the goal to help him win. Because if they did, I think Horus would have been sitting on the Golden Throne.

I mean, they are master puppeteers armed with prior knowledge of the general unfolding of the Heresy, so they have become the key player of the Heresy and which side they were on would determine the fate of the galaxy.

But the fact that they proclaimed loyalty to Horus and yet he still lost tells me that they haven't done their job well. I think that their loyalty to the Emperor's vision is unwavering and I wouldn't see the Primarchs sacrifice mankind to defeat Chaos. Simply because the Emperor wanted to protect manking first and foremost.

So yeah, I'm thinking they are looking for an alternative endgame and went deep undercover with the Chaos, because if any Legion could pull it off, it's the Alpha.

[Excessus]

You really should read the "The Serpent Beneath" and "Seventh Serpent" novellas if you can get a hold of them...and to a lesser degree Deliverance Lost (not a swell-written as many other books).

 

Hydra Dominatus and welcome to the sneakiest legion!

[GreyCrow]

Hydra Dominatus :)

 

I read Deliverance lost and really enjoyed it ! More for the Raven Guard perspective, but the Alpha Legion really has its moments in it ^^ I'll try to get the two other books someday soon, can't wait to read more :D

[Excessus]

The Serpent Beneath is in The Primarchs anthology and The Seventh Serpent is a novella.

[GreyCrow]

The Serpent Beneath is in The Primarchs anthology and The Seventh Serpent is a novella.

 

I'm definitely going to read them. I've read tidbits and reviews and I am so interested !

 

I also had a crazy theory about the Alpha Legion which would explain a lot. It's definitely far fetched, but not at the same time, I need more evidence to further it more :p

[Lucio]

Something one of my local group suggested, making a Cypher character with a retinue of Chosen to ally into my slowly growing Daemonkin force. Provides me with some much needed shooting support thanks to plasma guns and boltguns on the Chosen, plus Cypher's own death dealing contribution

[Adeptus-Alaska]

Greetings Alpharius (and Alpharius, and Alpharius, oh, and I can't forget Alpharius)

So I decided to come out of cover and announce my allegiance to the XX^th. I am super excited about having a home Legion for the HH, and I am thinking of doing a C:CSM army as well. 

 

so, HI!

 

One of many....