Alpha Legion Secret Recipe - 11 Herbs and Spices

I've had a lot of folks asking me lately for a step-by-step on how I painted my Alpha Legion. I posted this on the Heresy 30K forums a couple years ago, here is is again. It probably isn't as thorough as it could be but you are a bright bunch, you'll figure it out. You are welcome to copy my paint scheme exactly if you really want, but I think you will enjoy yourself more if you take bits and pieces from different sources, mutate them, and create your own look. Stealing plus changing equals creating.

Pre Heresy Alpha Legion Mor Deythan Strike Squad

I purchased Horus Heresy Book III at Adepticon last April and quickly discovered how much fun I could have with the Coils of the Hydra Rite of War and my Alpha Legion army. When I went on to read about the Raven Guard Mor Deythan Strike Squad, I knew what my first "coiled" unit would be. They have tons of options, are reasonably cost effective (even though they aren't cheap) and are totally themey with my Alpha goons. While the Alpha Legion is known to have infiltrated every other Legion, they were supposedly all up in the Raven Guard's grill in particular. Stealthy, infitrating dudes with BS5 also just scream Alpha Legion. I could even used them to represent the mysterious Stealth Squad spoken of in the Legion novel. The next morning, I went back down to the Forgeworld booth and handed another big pile of cash over to Paul Rudge and picked up ten Recon Marines to use as the starting point for these guys.

I gave the all mk. VI "beakie" helmets as a nod/middle finger to the Raven Guard and also puttied up some of the legs to be mk. VI style. I magnetized the weapons and have everything I need to do just about every weapon configuration possible. All those tiny magnets were a pain in the ass, but it will allow me to have some fun in games. Some combos I want to try out are:

Super Snipers: 3 Missile Launchers and 7 Sniper Rifles
Buttload of Plasma: 3 Plasma Guns and 7 Combi-Plasma Guns
Wait, Those Flamers are Rending this Turn!?: 3 Flamers, 3 Combi Flamers, 4 Shotguns

Pre Heresy Alpha Legion Librarian and Moritat

Here are two more HQ choices for my army. These bring me up to about 4,000 points!

Pre Heresy Alpha Legion Forge Lord

I made this guy out of the Iron Hands Forge Father, bleeding fingers and broken guitar strings. He is kitted out with A Sero Arm, Chainfist, Combi-Melta, Rad Grenades, Cyber Familiar and Cataphracci Terminator armor. That gives him a 2+ save, 3+ inv. Save, 4 S8 Ap2 attacks and he reduces his opponents Tougness by one in close combat! He will make an excellent Dreadnought and Automata hunter!

Pre Heresy Alpha Legion Rapiers with Heavy Bolters

You don't see many Heavy Bolter Rapiers getting used but I think they look cool and will be handy for killing Dave Taylor's Thallax. They are Hardly an über-unit but I think they are pound for pound better than a tactical marine, aside from not being able to secure objectives. They are a MUCH better buy than Heavy Support Squads with Heavy Bolters, that is for sure.

Alpha Legion Works in Progress

I don't usually post many photos of unfinished models but here goes nothing. Painting is already underway for all of these guys, so hopefully some updates soon!

Forge Lord

Librarian

The ubiquitous Moritat with two plasma pistols

 Rapiers with Mk. IV Crew

Rewards of Treasonified Mor Deythan

Each Mor Dethan guy gets a recon pack and a mk. VI helmet

A wide array of magnatized guns for the Mor Deythan, because I am a crazy person

Alpha Legion Tactical Support Squad with Flamers

...and here are the guys who rode in the Assault Ram in The Old Line Massacre Apocalypse Game. They were actually pretty darn effective. The burninated the better part of Death Guard Tac. Squad and took out a Terminator or two.

Alpha Legion Caestus Assault Ram

Here is the other big vehicle thing to get my Alpha Legion army up to 3000-ish points!

Alpha Legion Falchion!

This big mama was the keystone of my 3000-point army at the Old Line Massacre. I ordered it at Adepticon but it took its time getting here (and I took my sweet time getting around to building it) so I was in hobby overdrive mode the week before the event. And yes, in case you were wondering, Dave Taylor did blow it up with his damn Reaver Titan.

The Old Line Massacre

Sorry I've been so long without a post! I took a bit of a hobby break after Adepticon, but wound up working furiously towards the end of May to get my Alpha Legion ready for a 30K Weekend Event put together by my friends and I. The Old Line Massacre was a two-day even at Dropzone Games in Maryland. Champion hobby hero Ty Finocchiaro put together a great little 1850-point tournament on Saturday and the illustrious Nate Taylor ran an amazing Apocalypse game on Sunday. Hobby superstars Dave Taylor and John Steining were both present with beautiful armies and the level of painting modeling was spectacular all around. Also a huge shout out to my pals Nate Taylor and Robin Everett-McGuirl who have churned out amazing 30K armies this year and made huge strides with their hobby skills.

Previews of the Third Horus Heresy Book

Forgeworld has unleased some previews of Horus Heresy III: Extermination and what do you know?

Pre Heresy Alpha Legion Display Base

Pre Heresy Alpha Legion Army

I got out and did a little gaming today. I took a group shot of my army while I had a gaming table handy. It isn't the best photo, shooting whole armies is a tricky business! This is around 2000 points or so.

Alpha Legion Praetor and Apothecaries

Here are some characters for my army. Just a few more figures and I'll be ready for Adepicon!

Alpha Legion Deimos Pattern Vindicator

Yet another filthy creation.

More Alpha Legion Tactical Marines

Wayvey, Pointy, Tossy and Clyde... and six other guys.

I can see the finish line!

Horus Heresy Battle Report

My friend Dave and I got together yesterday and had a little Horus Heresy game at Titan Games in Timmonium, MD. It was nice to finally get the little dudes on the table and throw some dice around with an old pal. Titan is a clean and well-stocked shop with friendly, non-creepy staff. Check it out if you are ever in the area. I'm pretty sure Dave is also going to put some photos of our game on his blog too, so have a look.

Dave and I wanted to have a small game, since we both are still working on our Pre-Heresy armies. We opted to play Killsone Survival. This is a fan-produced ruleset that lets you play small games with each model acting independently -- Necromunda style. You build your army by grabbing individual models from your army codex with certain restrictions. There are also a bunch of nifty upgrades and wargear you can buy. Turn initiative is random like the Lord of The Rings miniatures game. We played an 400-point game on a 4x4 foot table. I used my Alpha legeion and Dave used his beautiful Death Guard. Note how much cleaner the Death Guard are than the Alpha Legionaries! Dave claims his Death Guard are loyalists so I guess that makes The Alpha Legion traitors, for this week anyway.

Pre Heresy Alpha Legion Spartan

The Hateful Space Brick is finished. An absolutely miserable kit to build but it was fun to paint!

Coming down the home stretch for my 1850 for Adepticon.

Spartan WIP.

Snow day! Working on this Spartan, here it is base coated with the first oil wash.

Alpha Legion Contemptor Dreadnaught.

Here he is, with ubiquitous twin Kheres Assault Cannons.