Editing Warhammer 40,000/9th Edition Tactics/Chaos Space Marines (section)

===[[Alpha Legion]]===
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[[File:AlphaLegion.jpg|100px|left|]]
In the grim darkness of the far future, there is no such thing as Truth.

Thematically the Alpha Legion are known for their mastery of Deception, Covert Ops, Sabotage, and Information Warfare. {{Blam|<s>May or may not be loyalist</s>}} {{Blam|HERESY!}}

Crunchwise, the sons of the Hydra can throw a wrench in anyone's plans while maintaining board presence. While their offense isn't as overwhelming as the Iron Warriors or targeted like the Raven Guard, but they can definitely play the objective game well. When you want to control the board and minimize your own losses, take no substitutes.

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*'''Legion Trait: ''Hidden in Plain Sight'':''' Your opponent must subtract 1 from their hit rolls when targeting units with this trait if they are more than 12" away or more than 18" if the {{W40kKeyword|ALPHA LEGION}} unit has 10+ wounds. In addition, if units with this trait fell back, they can still charge or perform actions. A good trait in general that works on everything, especially Helbrutes and Hellforged Dreadnoughts. Also decent if you are playing a kind of gunline or artillery-based army.
*'''Secondary Objective: ''Infiltrate and Subvert'':''' All {{W40kKeyword|Infantry}} units gain a unique action they can perform on an objective within 6" of the enemy DZ.  If they survive that turn, you can subvert an objective on a 3+ (5+ if {{W40kKeyword|Cultists}}), making the enemy unable to cap them and making all actions near them fail. This is all a lot stronger than, say, the Black Legion's objective and scores more VP easily (3 VP normally, 4 VP if it's done fully within the enemy DZ), but this comes at the cost of location restrictions.
*'''Warlord Traits:'''
**'''''I am [[Alpharius]]'':''' In addition to this Warlord trait, your warlord generates a random universal CSM Warlord trait. If this warlord is slain, you may immediately select another {{W40kKeyword|ALPHA LEGION CHARACTER}} in your army to take their place and ''choose'' a Warlord trait for them (that isn't this one - the whack-a-mole nerf has come). If the mission you are playing grants victory points for slaying the enemy Warlord, your opponent will only achieve that objective if that second {{W40kKeyword|ALPHA LEGION CHARACTER}} in your army has been slain. Still just as adaptable, and it's always hilarious to see an enemy's attempt to Slay the Warlord fail, especially if they have to hoof it to someone on the other side of the battlefield.
**'''''Clandestine'':''' When targeting this warlord, unmodified hit rolls of 1-3 fail. Plus, this warlord gains +1 save in cover.
**'''''Headhunter'':''' The warlord can snipe characters with pistol & rapid fire weapons, re-roll wound rolls for these weapons, and to add a cherry on top, causes mortal wounds on unmodified 6s.
**'''''Master of Diversion'':''' Right before the first turn begins, select up to 3 other {{W40kKeyword|ALPHA LEGION}} units and redeploy them following the usual deployment rules and/or get placed into strategic reserves. Lets you kind of bait out your opponen'ts deployment choices.
**'''''Cult Leader'':''' Makes cultists slightly more dangerous! One pack of cultists within 9" of the warlord get +1 to hit and -1 AP in range and melee. Great for accursed cultists, pathetic on cultist mobs.
***Best used in combination with ''Icon of the Hydra Cult'' to improve your (accursed) cultists.
**'''''Convert Control'':''' One {{W40kKeyword|CORE}} unit within 6" can shoot and perform actions. In addition, this chosen unit gains obsec or count as double if they already had it.
*'''Stratagems''':
**'''Conceal (2/3 CP)''': Select an Alpha Legion Infantry unit. Until the end of your opponent's shooting phase, that unit cannot be targeted unless it is the closest eligible target, or the shooter is within 12". Costs 3 CP for Power Levels <s>over 9000</s> 10+, 2 otherwise.
**'''Deadly Ambush (2CP)''': Use in the reinforcements step. Select one enemy coming out of reserve, until the end of your '''next turn''', all your units get +1 against them.
***''This isn't AUSPEX SCAN,'' you can't shoot at them right after Deep Strike, only having +1 to all attacks until your next turn (including OVerwatch). 
***This is a really subtle strat, which lets you turn the tables a bit on a deepstriking enemy. Not only are you hitting more accurately when you overwatch/fight back, but because it extends to your next turn, your counterattack will be brutal.
**'''Coils of Deception (1CP)''': An Alpha Legion unit can fall back and shoot.
**'''Forward Operatives (1CP)''': An Alpha Legion infantry unti can make a pre-game move, with the usual 9" away stipulation. You can use this strat twice in larger games, but not on the same unit. 
**'''Renascent Infiltration (1CP)''': An Alpha Legion infantry unit more than 6" away from an enemy unit can go back into strategic reserves. Unlike other strats, they don't need to be near an edge, just away from an enemy.
**'''Sabotaged Armory (1-3 CP)''': It's Back! So long as you have an Alpha Legion unit on the battlefield, when an opponent rolls to explode, they just go boom. 1 CP if the wounds is 9 or less, 2 CP for 10-19 W, and a whole 3CP if it's any more than that. 
**'''Scrambled Coordinates (2CP)''': Used during the reinforcement step. Pick two Alpha Legion CORE units, the enemy cannot bring down reserves anywhere within 12" of ''either'' of them. 
***This really fucks with the opponent's plans, because you can pick '''two''' CORE units rather than just one. Deepstrike heavy armies like Grey Knights will have to sit on their asses for a turn because being outside of 12" means '''they can't charge.'''
**'''Veiled Agenda (1CP)''': Revamped to actually work with the new rules. You don't reveal your secondaries to your opponent, ''[[That Guy|but you still gotta write them down]]'', and you don't reveal them '''until you score Victory Points/Experience Points for that secondary'''.
***Want to fuck with your opponent's head? Take secondaries that require a tally, because RAW, [[That Guy|you only score VP after the battle]]. Of course, lots of secondaries actually have that wording, but any secondary that requires you to perform an action also implies that you're announcing that you're performing it. 
*'''Relics''':
**'''''Blade of the Hydra'':''' Replaces a model's chainsword. With a profile of S+1 AP-2 and 1 damage, a solid close combat option, never mind the D3+3 instead of 1 extra attacks it gives you or, if you happen to be within 3" of enemy 6+ models, an extra 6 attacks instead.
***Flames of Spite for rerolling wounds, failed or not, to try and procc those UM 6s. The extra MWs helps make up for it being only D1, too
**'''''Drakescale Plate'':''' {{W40kKeyword|INFANTRY}} model only. Provides a 2+ armor save and when attacking a model with this relic, wound rolls of unmodified 1-3 always fail. Very good, but sadly cannot be taken by a Daemon Prince.
***Stacks with Clandestine for a 0+ save in cover (it'll take -4 to affect your save, bc AoC and +2 from Clandestine and Cover, but all 1s still fail) and all hit rolls of 1-3 fail, but because it's INFANTRY only, isn't really an autotake combo. 
**'''''Mindveil'':''' A model with this relic rolls a D6 and adds the result to the model's move characteristic, also allowing them to move across other models and terrain as if they're not there - they can charge across other models other than buildings as if they're not there.
**'''''Hydra's Wail'':''' Usable once per battle whenever your opponent uses a stratagem that isn't Command Re-roll. Your opponent must spend one extra CP to use that stratagem for the rest of the battle, which is a massive step up - especially for stuff like Transhuman Physiology that makes enemy marines tankier or on anything that can boost the effectiveness of weapons.
**'''''Viper's Bite'':''' Replaces a bolt pistol. 18" Pistol 6 S4 AP-3 D1. This relic competes with the Hydra's Teeth for Headhunter warlords.
**'''''Hydra's Teeth'':''' Model with a bolt weapon only. Each time they shoot, they can choose to use these rounds. The bolt weapon of the bearer only fires one shot but automatically hits. In addition, the bolt weapon's profile is improved in the following way: +2 S, -2, +2D, and ignore invulns.
***As an example profile, giving this to a combi-bolter turns it into: 24"  1 autohit at S6 AP-2 Damage 3, ignore invulns.
***combine with Headhunter for all that and snipe characters.
**'''''Icon of the Hydra Cult'':''' Cultist units within 6" get dense cover (cultist characters can take this)
*'''Special Characters'''
**'''Arkos The Faithless (LEGENDS):''' A chaos lord with a combi-melta and an SUser AP-2 D3 weapon that  improves wound rolls by one except against vehicles. He also has a 6" +1 to advance charge distances aura and can infiltrate 9" or more from enemy models. Instead of 4++ he has a 5++ that reduces to-hit rolls made against him by 1. Not bad for 120 pts.
*'''Secondary: Infiltrate and Subvert''' (Shadow Operations) Any non-CHARACTER INFANTRY unit can attempt to perform this action if they are wholly within 6" of your opponent's deployment zone. This action begins at the end of your movement phase, and ends at the end of your next Command Phase. If you complete this action, ''and are within range of an objective'', roll a D6 to see if you manage to subvert the objective. On a 5+ for Cultists, 3+ for any other unit, the subversion is successful and the '''enemy can never hold, control, or perform an action on said subverted objective.'''
**Score 4vp if you were wholly within the enemy deployment zone, 3 VP if you were outside, or had models outside of it. 
**This is fucking annoying, but very Alpha Legion, and can be combined with your Veiled Agenda stratagem to really be a big FUCK YOU to your opponent. '''You will need to announce the action,''' but you won't need to reveal the full details of what you've done ''until after the action is completed'' (you score VP once it's been completed).
**The wording is also pretty weird, for two reasons:
***one, it's not tied to an objective, just a specific zone around your enemy's deployment zone. The subversion part only occurs if you ''just so happen to be'' within range of an objective. 
***and two, because unlike other secondaries, there's nothing about what happens if an opponent was ''on the objective'' as you subverted it. 

*'''Tactics:''' Here are some tactics that are better off being used in an Alpha Legion army than any other.
**''I Have No Save, This Is A Lie:'' Stupid name aside, here's a really annoying, if stupid, build you can pull that will make your friends despise you and your family disown you. Firstly you need something with a 2+ Save, I'll use a Lord Discordant for this example. Give them the Clandestine Warlord Trait so they can get an additional +1 to Armour Save Rolls in cover, on top of only being able to be hit on 4's at best as a neat sidegrade. Now he is a Vehicle so he can't get cover normally, we'll come back to this. Next, give them the Gorget of Eternal Hate, which will provide a nice if unnecessary 4++ Invuln and more importantly: Another natural +1 to Armour Save Rolls. If you're using a Termie Lord you should be fine there, but for a Lord Discordant you'll also want to take a Dark Apostle that has the Benediction of Darkness Litany, this is essential otherwise your Disco Lord won't get cover naturally and Clandestine would go to waste. And huzzah! You now have a Lord Discordant/Termie Lord/Termie Sorcerer/Warpsmith (if that's your thing) with an effective -1+ Save with Light Cover, combined with Armour of Contempt makes it so that the notion of a Meltagun bringing you down to your Invuln is completely laughable. Is it a complete meme that kinda falls apart as soon as it gets into melee? Yeah. Is it fun? Absolutely, but from experience I can say that your friends might want you hung, drawn and quartered after playing against it just once, I mean just you try shooting down a big scary techmarine on a daemon spider machine that practically has a 2++ Invuln against anything that isn't a Railgun all while it's coming to murder your cool new tank.
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