Thinking About Alpha Legion

[cracklingvoice]

I've been wanting to try out 30K for a while, and keep turning ideas over in my head as to what might work. I like the XXth legion, and their rules are a nice way for me to stretch myself as a gamer and have fun, even if I lose over and over again. I feel like this is an alpha-strike army, and haven't seen a lot of traffic on here about them. So, here's my list and the rules that I believe will let me field them this way:

 

Alpha Legion, 2500 Points.

Using the Alpha Legion Rites of War.

Mutable Tactic: Infiltrate.

HQ:

• Legion Centurion in Cataphractii Armor, w/ Volkite Charge & Power Axe

Elites:

• Lernaean Terminators, no additions
• Lernaean Terminators, no additions

Troops:

• Tactical Squad, +10 Legion Marines, Extra Chainswords for all, Power Dagger for Sergeant
• Tactical Squad, +10 Legion Marines, Extra Chainswords for all, Power Dagger for Sergeant
• Tactical Squad, +10 Legion Marines, Extra Chainswords for all, Power Dagger for Sergeant

Fast Attack:

• Javelin Attack Speeder Squadron, 2x Speeders w/ MM instead of HB
• Javelin Attack Speeder Squadron, 2x Speeders w/ MM instead of HB

Heavy Support:

• Sicaran Battle Tank, Armoured Ceramite
• Sicaran Battle Tank, Armoured Ceramite

Lord of War:

• Alpharius

Reading over the army list, I am required to take three troops choices. But I can only take troops choices with Infiltrate/Dedicated Transport/Deep Strike. I can get around that by conferring Infiltrate with Mutable Tactics.

Pretty much, this is an army built to get right into the other players face on turn 1 and lay down a lot of fire quickly. Since I can infiltrate everything and keep at least one  terminator squad in reserve (and roll for them during the other players turn on a 4+), I can move everything up and lay down a torrent of fire from close range, sacrificing some Marines but closing distance for an assault. My Sergeants get +1A and the Power Dagger will help in challenges. Once Alpharius is revealed everybody on my side gets Preferred Enemy(Everyone).

It's not a style I've played before, but it seems like an army and style built for fun and challenging games. I'm a little light in terms of squad numbers (five infantry squads and six vehicles), but it should hit hard enough to do what I need it to do.

What do you guys think? It's an odd list, sure. But would you play against this? There are a few holes in it, but nothing too bad.

[Caillum]

Sure, I'd play against this! :)

 

My thoughts:

- that's a lot of Tactical Marines. Personally, I think it's too much. You don't get combat bonuses like World Eaters, Night Lords or Sons or Horus.

- Terminators can't Deep Strike in 30k, so why are you holding a unit of Lernaeans in Reserve? Why not make your Centurion a Chaplain and combine the squads together into a solid combat unit? Put them in a Spartan and Infiltrate that! :) I'd give the Harrower a power fist & dagger too.

- you are using Coils of the Hydra, yet don't steal a unit? While Firedrakes and Gal Vorbak are usually highly regarded, why not take Mor Deythan? They'll work just as well for Alpha Legion as they do for Raven Guard! 5 of them with combi-flamers in an Infiltrating & Scouting Rhino is guaranteed to ruin someone's day on the 1st turn. Cheap too.

- Alpharius is much better starting revealed, because Preferred Enemy (everything) is such a great bonus!

- Javelins can take 2 hunter-killer missiles each for only 5 points a pop. Well worth it!

- Sicarans could really use lascannon sponsons.

 

Glad to see a Coils list though mate! Welcome to the hobby!

[amazarak]

I agree about Alpharius starting revealed, preferred enemy is an incredible bonus to get. In fact, with a squad of 10 marines, that's 30 attacks on the charge, rerolling to hit, rerolling to-wound rolls of '1'. That's not too shabby at all. And it's not just tacticals getting that bonus, it's everyone with the astartes rule. That can cause insane damage for those first few turns that you'd have him stealthed i.e. not on the board at all. Imagine Quad Mortars with that bonus, or volkite culverins (unit of 10 is 40 shots... holy cow). That being said, you might need to better utilize that alpha strike by subbing in some heavy hitters into your list. Firedrakes for ccw, Mor Deythan for shooting, Gal Vorbak for  sheer gribbliness.\

 

Just some thoughts.

 

Mazzy.

[GreyCrow]

Just a quick comment : if you plan to have your Lernaean Terminators on foot, I'd greatly suggest putting them in a single big squad. I might be wrong, but it would fit better with full big squads like you run with your Tactical squads.

 

That way, rather than killing off 1 or 2 Terminators on a squad and greatly diminishign its effectiveness, it's going to take a lot of firepower to make the Terminators less effective. Firepower that won't be shot at your tanks for instance (because the enemy is likely to going to throw every lascannon they have available at your Terminators).

 

Finally, why did you pick the Rite ? It's a very constraining Rite and you're not taking full advantage of it. Sure it gels wells with Alpharius' powers, but I've got a feeling it's more efficient with MSU in Transports. That way you're not forced to pick Infiltrate to play your army :)

Infiltrate is good but sometimes not the most desirable. For example, against Raven Guard that has Infilrators, you'll want to go for Scouts to mess with him a lot more. On a World Eaters/Sons of Horus you'll want Counter Attack. I feel it represents the Alpha Legion throwing the most adequately trained units to the fight.

[Caillum]

^^ So... pretty much what I said. :P

 

But yes, having the versatility of Mutable Tactics is ideal, even if it will cost you at least 3 Rhinos. Tactical Marines like the protection and mobility from them (and you can still Infiltrate them if you choose it).

 

amazarak's comment about Rapiers is a good one. They're an Artillery unit, so don't need DT's/Infiltrate. But Heresy stuff is pricey, so you might not fit it all in.

[Kraytirous]

I, too, have begun making my foray into the XX Legion's den.

 

First, a point: you get to choose mutable tactics when you roll for your Warlord trait. You don't need to tell us which one you choose. Choosing Infiltrate as the mutable tactic sadly doesn't make a unit obtainable within the Rite of War. As "Mutable Tactics" are not decided until you roll warlord traits, you could in theory choose a different one and thus invalidate your tactical squads. Do you just not deploy them? Are they suddenly not part of your army? It's like assuming you'll roll "Master of Ambush" as your Warlord trait to justify taking those same three squads.

 

Glaring weaknesses: The Tactical squads are absolutely massive (which is a good thing usually) but sadly makes them incompatible with the Coils of the Hydra.

 

Your army is almost exclusively on foot, making it easy to out-maneouver, forcing you into a back-field position, hence making Coils of the Hydra redundant.

 

You have no real counter-charge unit, meaning that your massive Tactical squads will be whittled down by superior melee units with no hope of reinforcements.

 

You have no real answer to super-heavy tanks, land-raiders, or Spartans (the Sicaran is capable of hurting those tanks, but they're certainly not much of an answer).

 

Sadly the multi-melta is a sub-par weapon in 30k with the easy access to Adamantium Armor.

 

Strengths: Alpharius with 60 tactical marines is a terrifying prospect to face.

 

The Sicarans are going to annihilate dreadnoughts and any light tanks, as well as stay extremely mobile throughout.

 

The Lyrnaean terminators are both strong as a front and back field unit.

 

You have lots of scoring (everything but the Jetbikes) units, meaning you'll do well in Maelstrom.

 

Your infiltrating army is going to make good use of mid-field objectives.

 

My advice:

 

Drop the Coils of the Hydra, drop one tactical quad down to 10 marines for a proper back-field objective holder, and grab yourself an Apothecarian detachment to make those 40 remaining tactical marines a PITA to budge. If you insist on keeping Coils of the Hydra, you'll sadly need to drop the 20-man squads down to 10-man squads and grab them rhinos. This will free you up points for upgrades such as the Conversion Beamers on the Lyrneaen Terminators. This does mean that you'll need to choose a different unit for Alpharius to join.

 

At that point I'd suggest merging the Lyrnaean terminator squads, tossing both Alpharius and the Centurion in there, but that defeats the purpose of your unit, as a back-field Deathstar is not much of a Deathstar with Vulkite Chargers. Mid-field they'll be incredibly capable of ripping units of infantry apart at ranged and elites in melee. Your call for their role.

[Xenith]

A few more critical points here:

 

Your sergeants dont get both the +1 A for two hand weapons and the power dagger. The dagger is a specialist weapon. I'd go with a fist on those big units, to threaten things that try to tie them up. Also artificer armour, to protect you, letting you make sure the fist gets to attack. 

 

Your Lernean terminators will only come on on a 4+ if your opponent is playing alphas, and also has a unit of Lernean. Never mind that, I dont see why youd want to keep them in reserve. 

 

I'd also combine the lernean to save points, then upgrade the leader to have a chainfist with power dagger for 4 attacks, 5 on the charge. 

[Kraytirous]

A few more critical points here:

 

Your sergeants dont get both the +1 A for two hand weapons and the power dagger. The dagger is a specialist weapon. I'd go with a fist on those big units, to threaten things that try to tie them up. Also artificer armour, to protect you, letting you make sure the fist gets to attack. 

 

Your Lernean terminators will only come on on a 4+ if your opponent is playing alphas, and also has a unit of Lernean. Never mind that, I dont see why youd want to keep them in reserve. 

 

I'd also combine the lernean to save points, then upgrade the leader to have a chainfist with power dagger for 4 attacks, 5 on the charge. 

 

 

I actually didn't know the power-dagger was a specialist weapon, excellent bit of info!