If Chaos would have legion tactics...

[Rasclomalum]

So obviously I don't know how to properly balance the game, but going by my interpretation of the fluff, this is a sketch of how I'd like legion tactics to work (I've only done four legions so far, and grew progressively more tired for every legion, which might explain a few things).

 

Anyway, special rules for each legion, a legion-specific artefact, maybe a warlord trait. A piece of fluff text explaining how all these legion tactics could be taken by recent renegades, and maybe a Recent Renegade legion tactic as well. Some legions would need restrictions (Word Bearers should frown on cult troops, all units in cult legions should be appropriately marked etc) but I don't know if ALL legions should have restrictions according to some uniform formula or if some get hit with restrictions but gain something extra to make up for it.

 

 

Alpha Legion:

 

Hydra Dominatus: Immediately before deployment, D3 units in this detachment gain the Infiltrate special rule. Additionally, one unit in the detachment (does not have to be a unit with Infiltrate) gains the Scout rule.

 

I am Alpharius: Should the warlord of an Alpha Legion detachment be slain, roll a d6. On a 1, 2 or 3, nothing happens and the opposing player receives victory points for Slay the Warlord as they normally would. On a 4+ however, the controlling player must immediately assign another model (infantry, jump infantry, bike, does not have to be a character) as their warlord, and the opposing player does not gain any victory points for Slay the Warlord. The chosen model adds (independent character) to their unit type and immediately gains all the warlord traits of the slain warlord, but its stats and wargear are otherwise unaffected. Should this warlord be slain, repeat this process.

 

Discipline leads to Victory: Instead of rolling for a Warlord trait as normal, the Alpha Legion warlord may choose to take the Outflank rule.

 

Legion-specific artefact: Scales of the Serpent: this cloak allows the bearer to seize the initiative on a 4+.

 

 

 

Black Legion:

 

Whom did we serve in faith? The Warmaster: Plague Marines, Thousand Sons, Noise Marines and Khorne Berzerkers may all be taken as Troops choices in a Black Legion detachment. Restrictions against mixing marks do not apply to this detachment.

 

Slayer of Emperors: All characters and independent characters in this detachment gain the Preferred Enemy special rule in challenges.

 

Legion-specific artefact: Banner of Horus: The bearer of this banner and his unit gain Hatred: Forces of the Imperium.

 

 

 

Iron Warriors:

 

From Iron, cometh Strength: Units in this detachment enjoy a +1 to their cover save whenever they are in ruins, heavy cover, forests and so on. The bonus does not apply to units on open ground, however.

 

From Strength, cometh Will: The Warlord gains Shatter Defenses. This works just as the Warpsmith ability of the same name. If the Warlord is a Warpsmith, he may either use the ability twice instead of once (targetting different buildings) or decrease one building's cover save by 2 instead of 1.

 

Legion-specific artefact: Mechanical Appendage: The champion has replaced a mutated limb with a cybernetic enhancement. The resulting weapon works just like a chainfist, but resolves all its attacks at S10.

 

 

Emperor's Children:

 

Perfect Ecstacy: All units in this detachment that can do so must take the Mark of Slaanesh.

 

Boundless Cacophony: Noise Marines in this detachment may be taken as troops choices instead of elites.

 

Excessive Agony: All characters and independent characters in this detachment gain the Feel No Pain special rule.

 

Legion-specific artefact: Phoenix Power Spear: this is a power lance with S+2/AP2 on the charge and S+1 AP3 in subsequent rounds.  

 

Or maybe just stick to the Blissgiver? 

[Kabbala]

If it were I, I would just use the legion traits from the Horus Heresy books or something similar.

[tdemayo]

Death Guard:

 

Blessed Infantry of Decay: All units that can must purchase the Mark of Nurgle for x additional points or Daemon of Nurgle. Models with the Mark of Nurgle also receive I -1, FNP 5+, and Fearless in addition to the normal +1 T. Does not apply to Plague Marines, who already have these benefits.

 

Chem Weapons: All flamer weapons gain Poisoned (4+).

 

Mortarion's Children: May not take Chaos Space Marines, Havoks, Khorne Berserkers, Noise Marines, or Thousand Sons.

[tdemayo]

See? This what's so maddening: Legion tactics could be implemented in less than 2 pages of rules.

[Lord Lee]

Point for Black Legion, they would not carry a banner of Horus.

 

Horus was weak, Horus was a fool.........

 

Lord Lee

[Rasclomalum]

Ah, my bad. Banner of the Warmaster then. I should probably overhaul this (admittedly pointless) work because the only Legion I am happy with so far is the Alpha Legion, though it is probably hilariously overpowered in its current incarnation.

 

See? This what's so maddening: Legion tactics could be implemented in less than 2 pages of rules. 

 

 

Two pages of rules, and you would have nine (ten if you also include recent renegades) Chaos armies that would play and feel differently from each other, all in one book. Yes, balancing is an issue and you always run the risk of making Death Guard the only Legion Tactic worth playing in tournaments, but this is where GW need to playtest the :cuss out of the Codex befpre releasing it and not rush things. Hell, computer games are doled out in alpha and beta versions and given to the fans to playtest and iron out issues, can't imagine why GW couldn't do something similar with their games?

 

This would likely increase sales, since the Night Lords player who bought several boxes of raptors/warp talons because they'd be troops in his detachment would likely ALSO buy plague marines because he could now run Death Guard as an allied detachment.

[Tenebris]

The eye of the beholder never closes. It watches, it studies, it observes... and when need be it acts. You have been warned frater. 

 

http://shrani.si/f/2P/1w/44oPNQiA/2/beholder-of-tzeentch.png

[Nehekhare]

I'd just give IW the siege masters and machine empathy traits from p.77 C:SM and Mechatendrils (Warpsmith) as a Legion Relic at 30pts.  

[Noctem Cultor]

I'm happy with the 30k HH Legion rules. Each Legion needs a special character like the 4 God Legions do and then that's it.

[Iron_Within]

Everyone saying "just use the 30k" rules is forgetting that 40k is not 30k, and the Legions of 30k are not the Legions of 40k, just like the loyalists, things change. 

[Dammeron]

Personally, I feel that they should introduce an entirely different dynamic to Chaos Space Marine forces so as to differentiate the faction from its Imperial counterparts; rather than Legion Traits, I'd prefer them to go the whole hog with the war-band idea; allowing Chaos Space Marine armies to apply particular gifts, rewards or characteristics on a unit by unit level, rather than in application to an entire army. In that way, they could produce certain rules that are redolent of the original legions whilst not being exclusive to them; if someone, for example, wanted to create a Night Lord army, all they'd need to do is purchase or apply the "gift" that provides the Fear and Stealth USRs to all of their units. However, if someone had an army comprised of varying warriors from different backgrounds, they could apply different "gifts" on a unit by unit basis (for example, maybe your Sorcerer derives from the Thousand Sons, in which instance he might have some "gift" redolent of that legion, whereas that squad of Chosen are renegades from the Black Legion, and therefore have a trait or "gift" redolent of their ancestry).

[Nehekhare]

Everyone saying "just use the 30k" rules is forgetting that 40k is not 30k, and the Legions of 30k are not the Legions of 40k, just like the loyalists, things change. 

 

the main difference is that there are no legion rules in 40k and never will be again because we get 4 marks and that's it. It's a design choice (which is one of the best arguments against intelligent design theories I've heard so far).

[Slayer le Boucher]

Personally, I feel that they should introduce an entirely different dynamic to Chaos Space Marine forces so as to differentiate the faction from its Imperial counterparts; rather than Legion Traits, I'd prefer them to go the whole hog with the war-band idea; allowing Chaos Space Marine armies to apply particular gifts, rewards or characteristics on a unit by unit level, rather than in application to an entire army. In that way, they could produce certain rules that are redolent of the original legions whilst not being exclusive to them; if someone, for example, wanted to create a Night Lord army, all they'd need to do is purchase or apply the "gift" that provides the Fear and Stealth USRs to all of their units. However, if someone had an army comprised of varying warriors from different backgrounds, they could apply different "gifts" on a unit by unit basis (for example, maybe your Sorcerer derives from the Thousand Sons, in which instance he might have some "gift" redolent of that legion, whereas that squad of Chosen are renegades from the Black Legion, and therefore have a trait or "gift" redolent of their ancestry).

 

It makes me think of the way the IA13 Renegades lists works.

 

You have the Gods Devotions of the Arch-Demagogue if he is the Warlord.

You have the "Tactics" (forgot the name), that lets you change the way your list works in its entierty, like Master of the Horde, Heretek Magus or Bloody-handed Reaver, then there is the units by units Gods Devotions.

 

And by combining those 3 mechanics, you can end up with a wide variety of lists and armies, wich i think for a Chaos army is really refreshing.