Alpha Legion

The Alpha Legion are the Chaos Space Marines Traitor Legion about whom the least is known. They are experts in infiltration and their armies contain many Chaos Cultists in addition to regular Chaos Space Marines. The Alpha Legion's Primarch was named Alpharius, who was actually one of the identical twin Primarchs Alpharius Omegon, two brilliant and secretive Primarchs, one of whom was reportedly later killed after the Horus Heresy by Roboute Guilliman, the Primarch of the Ultramarines.

Pre-Heresy
Alpharius and Omegon were the final Primarchs to be found, just prior to the end of the Great Crusade and the beginning of the Horus Heresy. Horus, Primarch of the Sons of Horus, followed an escaping group of pirate spacecraft into an asteroid field where they were set upon by multiple smaller craft. Despite being overpowered and outnumbered, Horus' opponents managed to flank him at almost every turn and eventually his own command craft was boarded. A group of five men, the fifth much larger than the rest, burst onto Horus' bridge, and Horus promptly slew four of them. The fifth managed to dodge Horus' shot and the two nearly came to blows before Horus recognized that the enemy warrior could only be a fellow Primarch.

Alpharius, unlike the other Primarchs, was introduced to the Emperor in only a casual way before being given command of the XX Legion, ironically dubbed the Alpha Legion (whether this was out of irony for being the last Space Marine Legion created or was based on Alpharius' name is not known). Horus took Alpharius under his wing, and even gave overall command authority to Alpharius in later campaigns. In a bizarre turn, Alpharius refused to reveal the location of his homeworld, normally the site of much of an Astartes Legion's recruitment, to the budding Imperium. It is unknown whether Alpharius even had a homeworld or where he matured following his removal through the Warp from the Emperor's gene-labs on Terra.

The last Astartes Legion created during the First Founding, work on the XXth Legion was begun only a few decades before the discovery of their Primarch, Alpharius Omegon. As a result, when Alpharius took command of the Legion, it was young, zealous and completely committed to embracing the Primarch's command and combat philosophy.

In the Horus Heresy novel Legion, it is mentioned that Alpharius and Omegon share the same physical appearance but only together serve as the full Primarch of the Alpha Legion. It is also stated that the Emperor knows Alpharius Omegon's secret; but whether the creation of twin Primarchs was intentional or not remains a mystery. The two Primarchs supposedly share one soul, and Omegon acted as Alpharius' second-in-command of the Legion. The existence of the two Primarchs of the Alpha Legion is known only to the members of the Legion itself, and was a well-kept secret even from the other Legions.

Alpharius believed that secrecy, adaptability and fluidity brought military success, and taught his Legion to apply all such military techniques to both their training and their operations. The Legion's victories in the Great Crusade all feature some form of subterfuge, misdirection or rapid, unexpected movement. Such victories required great skill and dedication to achieve, and the Alpha Legion quickly became an insular and proud military organization. It was this martial pride and unusual philosophy that led to a number of clashes and fights with members of the other Space Marine Legions, particularly against their rivals the Imperial Fists on several instances.

After Alpharius' disagreements with Roboute Guilliman over the dishonourable ways of the Alpha Legion's chosen methods of warfare, the Alpha Legion threw themselves even further into their preferred method of operations, largely cutting themselves off from standard Imperial military practices and orchestrating greater and greater victorious examples of their approach to the Great Crusade, even when more conventional attacks would have been more efficient. The most notorious example of this took place on the world of Tesstra Prime, where the Alpha Legion, instead of taking the opportunity to capture the planetary capital city and thus force the world's surrender, allowed the enemy to dig in and defend it so that they could then expertly take the defending forces apart in a number of different ways. After a week of suffering seemingly random mishaps and deadly sabotage as well as brutal ambushes, the defenders were forced to capitulate, having taken 90% casualties. When asked why the Legion had not taken the simpler strategy, Alpharius is reported to have replied that they avoided it as "it would have been too easy." This campaign brought Alpharius censure from almost all of his brother Primarchs; Guilliman in particular raged at Alpharius's conduct of the war, labeling the drawn-out operation as "a waste of the Emperor's bolt shells." Only the Warmaster Horus, always impressed by Alpharius and his work, praised the Alpha Legion's skill.

With such examples existing in the Imperial records, it is perhaps easy to see why the Alpha Legion sided with Horus when the Warmaster made his pact with Chaos and rebelled against the Emperor; their martial pride and Alpharius' avoidance of all his Primarch brothers apart from Horus seemingly led to their downfall. However, another given reason is that, a scant two years before the Horus Heresy began, Alpharius Omegon was contacted by a human agent of the mysterious xenos organisation known as the Cabal named John Grammaticus, who presented the Primarch with visions of the Horus Heresy to come and other predictions of the future, as well as knowledge about the true nature of Chaos. The Alpha Legion's turn to Chaos was, oddly, something they chose for the Imperium's sake. While undertaking a war of Imperial Compliance on the planet of Nurth, they were approached by a man named John Grammaticus, an agent of an alien organisation known as the Cabal. The Cabal revealed to Alpharius Omegon, as well as two other men, Peto Soneka and a psyker by the name of Shere, the outcome of Horus being named Imperial Warmaster of the Great Crusade--the onset of the terrible civil war called the Horus Heresy. They then presented two psychically foreseen possibilities to the twin Primarchs: If the Emperor won the impending civil war, the Imperium of Man would slowly decay over the next ten to twenty millennia until it and trillions of souls were ultimately consumed by Chaos. If Horus won the war, however, after "two to three generations" Horus would be wracked with guilt for slaying his father the Emperor and would ultimately obliterate all Chaos-tainted factions in the galaxy and humanity itself in constant warfare. Humanity would be destroyed in the process, but the Emperor's greatest foes, the Chaos Gods, would be all but eliminated because so much of their power derived from the inherent psychic flaws of humanity itself.

At this point, both Primarchs staggered back and screamed at the vision.

“The Alpha Legion has always, always, been for the Emperor,” Alpharius stated. The Primarchs ultimately chose to follow Horus in their belief that the ultimate destruction of Chaos was the choice the Emperor himself would have made, yet their loyalties remained with the Emperor even as they swore their souls to Chaos Undivided.

The Cabal may have been sincere in its desire to prevent the terrible onset of the stagnation and constant warfare for the Imperium of Man that the Horus Heresy would initiate or it may have intentionally mislead the Primarch, as the support of a Loyalist Alpha Legion might have changed the course of the campaign in ways that would have precluded Horus from reaching the Emperor and mortally wounding him. Instead, by supporting Horus, the Alpha Legion actually implemented the future for humanity they had sought to prevent. It is unclear whether the Cabal misunderstood their psychic visions, thus acting in such a way that they created a self-fulfilling prophecy, or whether they were actually agents of Chaos or some other faction with an interest in attempting to subvert an otherwise loyal Legion.

The Alpha Legion's battle cry of "For the Emperor!," when viewed in this light, is not the mocking insult of a Traitor Legion it was once thought to be. Rather, it is a testament to the Legion's devotion that they have stayed true to their cause for so long. It is thought that the Alpha Legion's true goal is to release the Emperor from his "prison" of the Golden Throne so the revelation made to them by the Cabal is fulfilled.

The Horus Heresy
After the virus-bombing of Istvaan III, the presumed Loyalist Alpha Legion was one of the Space Marine Legions sent by the Emperor to destroy Horus and the Traitor Legions at their base on Istvaan V. Assigned to the second wave, the Legion instead turned on the Loyalist first wave during what became known as the Drop Site Massacre. It is thought by many that much of the Traitors' strategy on Istvaan V was planned by Alpharius and the Alpha Legion. During the Heresy, the Alpha Legion split off from the main body of Horus' forces early and did not attack Terra with the majority of the Traitor Legions, instead embarking upon a series of delaying actions in an attempt to hold potential Imperial reinforcements for the defence of Terra in place. They also engaged in smaller actions, defeating a White Scars force on Tallarn and a Space Wolves unit at Yarant. Despite their contributions, however, Horus was ultimately defeated by the Emperor aboard his battle barge at the end of the Siege of the Imperial Palace on Terra.

Post-Heresy
In the aftermath of the Horus Heresy, the Alpha Legion did not retreat to the Eye of Terror like the other Traitor Legions; instead they moved on into the galactic East, following new objectives of their own devising. Whether or not being brought to battle with the Ultramarines was one of these objectives is unknown, but it occurred all the same.

On the world of Eskrador, the Alpha Legion was assaulted by Ultramarine forces. Alpharius was reportedly happy with such a development, as it allowed him to demonstrate the superiority of his flexible, multitudinous and unexpected military strategies over the notoriously precise, methodical and perhaps even tactically moribund Ultramarines. However, the Alpha Legion Primarch was apparently taken by surprise when Roboute Guilliman departed from his own strictures and led a surprise assault by his elite units on the Alpha Legion's headquarters. In the resultant personal combat between Alpharius and Guilliman, it is believed that Alpharius was killed. The Alpha Legion responded, not by breaking and fleeing as Guilliman expected, but by turning on the Ultramarine detachment and harrying them so mercilessly that by the time they had returned to the main body of the Ultramarine force their casualties were almost total. The Ultramarines were driven from the planet in the subsequent battle.

Unlike the other Traitor Legions, most of the Alpha Legion does not reside in the Warp, but rather roams the galaxy in warbands of warriors, each of which is trained to act independently of each other in pursuit of their greater cause. In this way the Alpha Legion was by and large the only Traitor Legion not to succumb to the mutations of Chaos, an outcome that may also have been dictated by their continued secret loyalty to the Emperor of Mankind.

Following the battle on Eskrador, the Alpha Legion fractured in order to hide from the Imperium. Small, autonomous warbands were left in Imperial space where they set up secret bases in asteroid fields, Space Hulks and barren, unpopulated worlds. These units launched frequent attacks against military targets that were weakened by the Heresy and even today still pose a threat to Imperial starships, settlements and garrisons. The Alpha Legion's warbands further spread and coordinate Chaos Cults throughout the galaxy in order to instigate massive planetary revolts against Imperial rule. These insurrections are often used to lure Imperial forces away from worlds the Alpha Legion wants to attack, paving the way for large-scale assaults of Chaos Space Marines from the Eye of Terror.

The Alpha Legion's role in spreading heretical Chaos Cults across the Imperium has earned them the loathing of the Inquisition, whose Ordo Malleus and Ordo Hereticus have devoted considerable resources in finding and destroying their secret bases. The Alpha Legion has been declared wiped out by the High Lords of Terra no less than three times, in the 31st Millennium, the 32nd Millennium and the 39th Millennium. These claims have always been disproved by the continued assaults of the Legion.

The Alpha Legion has played a major role in many of the PC games in the Dawn of War series.

Notable Campaigns

 * Testra Prime (Unknown Date.M31) - During the Great Crusade, the Alpha Legion was given the honour of subjugating the non-compliant world of Testra Prime, whose population was violently resistant to the idea of Imperial rule. Through the tactical brilliance and strategic genius of Alpharius, the Legion employed their well-known dubious tactics and were able to overcome an opposition that outnumbered them a hundred to one. His conduct invited censure from many quarters, especially Primarch Roboute Guilliman of the Ultramarines Legion. Horus was the only one whom openly praised his brother Primarch and the way in which his Legion conducted their masterful campaign.
 * Horus Heresy, Tallarn & Yarant (Unknown Date.M31) - During the Horus Heresy the Alpha Legion went out of its way to prove itself as capable as their Loyalist Space Marines counterparts. They inflicted stinging defeats on the loyalist White Scars at Tallarn, a Space Wolves company at Yarant, and other Legions at dozens of smaller outposts.
 * Battle of Eskrador (Post-Heresy.M31) - The Alpha Legion and the Ultramarines Legion met in battle on the world of Eskrador. Accounts vary as to why the two Legions fought one another. Some say Alpharius wanted to prove the superiority of his tactics, whilst Guilliman wanted revenge on one of the Traitor Legions for the death of their beloved Emperor, and so tracked down the traitorous Alpha Legion to the Eskrador System. Alpharius' legion was the first to arrive and was able to choose their battleground and set the perfect trap for the upstart Ultramarines. Using available records of the lessons and tactics of Guilliman that had been accumulated over centuries, Alpharius had access to these Imperial records and took full advantage of the Ultramarines standard operating procedures. At first the battle was a stalemate between the two evenly matched Legions, but Guilliman chose nightfall to do something unexpected, leading a large portion of his forces with no lines of support or supply deep into the mountains and deployed by Thunderhawk, drop pod, and teleporter in the midst of the Alpha Legion. The Ultramarines quickly took advantage of the situation and soon had the command center in disarray. Hard pressed by the vengeful Loyalist force, which outnumbered them five to one, the Alpha Legion was unable to fall back up the mountain valley. They were hampered by the terrain and were forced to make a last stand at the head of the valley. Alpharius himself led a furious counterattack engaging his hated brother Primarch in bitterly contested close combat. Both struck one another in an instant, each power sword making a single stroke. For a second the two Primarchs stood facing one another, than Alpharius slumped to the ground. Exalted by their Primarch's victory the Ultramarines renewed their attack and cut down every last Alpha Legionnaire. But their exaltation was short lived, as over the next few days the Ultramarines were harried from all sides by the Eskandor natives as well as remnants of Alpha Legionnaires hiding throughout the mountains. After another week of futile combat against their shadowy opponents, Guilliman ordered his Ultramarines to evacuate the planet's surface. He then used his Legion's ships to bombard the traitors from orbit. Despite Guilliman's protests that he had no wish to fight such dishonourable foes, it seems hard to dispute the fact that the Ultramarines were soundly beaten by the Alpha Legion at every turn, despite the loss of Alpharius.
 * Gothic War (Twelfth Black Crusade) (139.M41 - 160.M41) - This was a vast military campaign against the Imperium of Man launched by Abaddon the Despoiler . This conflict consisted of hundreds of planetary invasions and naval battles and only ended when Abaddon was forced to retreat to the Immaterium with the arrival of Imperial reinforcements. The only known battle the Alpha Legion took part in was the Lethe Ambush, though undoubtedly the Legion were working behind the scenes manipulating the outcomes of battles, using secret spy networks and fomenting rebellion to assail their enemies from as many different directions as possible in carefully orchestrated attacks.
 * The Daethryu Plague (255.M41) - The agri-world of Daethryu Prime was suddenly plagued by a species of locusts not usually found anywhere in the sector. Thriving in the planet's war climate the locusts multiplied exponentially, decimating food crops and causing a planetwide famine. The population had a surge of anger and unrest which they directed at the planet's ruling authorities. Within a weeks time, riots broke out in every major population center and much of the local military mutinied. A Mordian Iron Guard regiment was dispatched to quell the riots but was ambushed and summarily destroyed as they disembarked from their transports by a force of hidden Chaos Space Marines. The complete loss of food exports caused major supply problems in the subsector for years, resulting in further unrest on other worlds. This hindered Imperial forces during subsequent Chaos incursions into the Segmentum Pacificus. It seems certain the Alpha Legion orchestrated much of the events that occurred in the sector, more than likely being involved at some level.

Pre-Heresy
All Space Marine Legions set arduous tasks and trials for potential recruits, but prior to the Horus Heresy the Alpha Legion set these initiation tests for squads, not individuals. Squads succeeded as a group or not at all - foolhardy heroics were frowned upon. The overall plan was paramount and more valuable than any one Space Marine.

The first batch of Alpha Legionaries were notably tall and strong even for members of the Astartes, physical attributes which suited Alpharius' focus on misdirection. For the Primarch put into place a directive that, as far as possible, all Alpha Legion Space Marines had to attempt to look alike; and the visage they patterned themselves on was that of Alpharius and Omegon. As a result, all Alpha Legionaries were at the very least shaven-headed, with many going so far as to have cosmetic surgical alteration. Their height also made it easier for them to be confused with the Primarch, although the twins were still the tallest in the Legion. When asked by non-Legion members, all Legionaries gave their names as "Alpharius", even when more than one was present.

This was an extension of the Legion's philosophy that they were a body of one that could strike in many places at once. This complete solidarity with each other expressed itself in other ways. Decisions within the Legion were made in a fairly open and reasonably democratic way, with all ranks - including the Alpha Legions' non-Astartes operatives - allowed to interject and comment freely during planning sessions. This freedom was allowed not just on military matters - the Alpha Legion internally discussed matters of philosophy and galactic policy that would have been forbidden or frowned upon in other Imperial institutions. Later recruits for the Legion were selected by the Primarch primarily based on high intelligence and personal initiative.

The Legion also made a habit of recruiting non-Astartes specialists in every theatre and campaign they entered, commonly members of the other Imperial armed forces, though almost any human could be approached by the Legion for his knowledge or skills. These operatives often remained in their original position, ready to respond to Alpha Legion commands. Compromised operatives were not discarded if it could be avoided, and Alpha Legionaries would go to great lengths to retain them or hide their existence, lengths that included the fatal silencing of other Imperials. Alpha Legion operatives were tattooed with a small hydra symbol similar to the Legion badge.

Whilst known to have possessed Terminator and "stealth" squads (who appear to have worn blackened or dulled armour), the majority of the Legion appears to have armed and equipped themselves in a similar fashion unless tactically imprudent. The Alpha Legion were known to operate behind enemy lines and even mingle with enemy civilian populations. In such situations they were apparently able to pass unnoticed with a combination of appropriate dress and psyker mind-clouding.

Post-Heresy
Even less is known about the internal organisation of the Alpha Legion since the Horus Heresy than was known before. On occasions there have been successful assassinations of members of the Legion thought to be high-ranking officers, but their removal has had little visible effect on Alpha Legion operations.

The Legion's badge, the hydra, is a multi-headed mythical beast which could keep fighting even if one of its heads was cut off. This legend seems to reflect the Alpha Legion's command structure, as well as echoing its doctrine of multiple simultaneous attacks. Alpharius Omegon believed in planning and co-ordination, and the twins always sought alternatives and multiple solutions to any given problem, with different elements working together for the end result. These doctrines, thoroughly embraced by the Legion as a whole, have apparently been continued by the Traitor Legion warbands and have proved effective, especially in the disparate and secretive way they now operate. Extensive preparations are made before actually attacking an Imperial target, including using spies and corruption to weaken an enemy's resolve. Not only is an enemy attacked from every angle, but every attack is often coordinated to achieve the most destructive results. Many actions are planned to utilise and support local Chaos Cultist activity. These cults go to considerable effort to spread propaganda, perform sabotage, and carry out acts of unrest and rebellion, providing a distraction and weakening the enemy before the Alpha Legion strikes. Furthermore, the Legion has been known to ally themselves with anti-Imperial forces including other Traitor Legions and even xenos like the Dark Eldar. On worlds far away from the Eye of Terror, daemons are less relied upon since they cannot remain stable for long enough in the physical universe to be useful. If the Alpha Legion succeeds in securing the belief of a local Chaos Cult the cultists are summoned to add to the variety of their attacks.

Combat Doctrine
The Alpha Legion's Primarch Alpharius axiom was to attack one's enemy in as many diverse ways as possible, at the same time. In practice, this doctrine manifests in a variety of ways depending on the size of the operation and locale of the battle zone. Obfuscation and skullduggery are the Legion's mantra. The Alpha Legion has been known to employ the following devious tactics such as; flanking maneuvers, tunneling to bypass enemy defenses, diversionary tactics, disguising troops and vehicles in enemy colours, air drops and teleportation behind enemy line, infiltration, disabling enemy transport vehicles and routes, sabotage of essential supplies, ammo, food, and fuel depots, as well as atmospheric and ecological tampering, triggering seismic and tectonic activity, coercion, bribery of enemy troops and officers and Imperial officials, disguising and impersonating Imperial officers, enlisting enemy forces, distributing propaganda to incite civil unrest and outright rebellion, organizing anti-Imperial activity and supplying heretical groups and cultists, and allying themselves with corsairs, aliens and other Traitor Legions. Many of these unscrupulous tactics are employed by the Legion after careful coordination, often resulting in elaborate and enigmatic strategy that leaves their enemies confounded and confused. Through the use of these completely unorthodox tactics the Alpha Legion is able to deploy smaller and highly mobile forces than is normally necessitated. For the Legion believes actual combat as only one part of their overall strategy.

Chapter Beliefs
The Alpha Legion live by the tenets of their Primarch whom believed that only through thorough planning and decisive coordination could one's ultimate objective be achieved. By having different elements working together in a cohesive and decisive force, the Legion is able to find alternative and multiple solutions to any given problem that may present itself. This nefarious doctrine has been wholeheartedly embraced by the entirety of the Legion, having proved to be brutally effective for millennia. During the early days when the Space Marine Legions came into existence, they had set grueling tasks and trials for potential recruits. Prior to the outbreak of the Horus Heresy, the Alpha Legion was known to set these initiation trials for entire squads, not individual candidates. They had to succeed as a group or not at all. If one failed, they all failed. Foolhardy or individual heroics were frowned upon, for the overall strategic plan is paramount and more valuable than any one Space Marine. It is not known if this practice is still carried out by the Legion.

Gene-seed
Unlike the other Traitor Legions that reside in the Eye of Terror the Alpha Legion's gene-seed is not plagued by the warping influence of Chaos, there is still evidence of mutation in their gene-seed. It is unknown if there was such a problem with their gene-seed prior to the Horus Heresy, if so, it was kept concealed. It would not be surprising if the Legion did such a thing, due to their predilection for secrecy. During one well-documented battle during the Gothic War known as the Lethe Ambush, Alpha Legionnaires that were mutated were observed hiding their warped body parts, not out of any sense of shame, but as a form of subterfuge. The would only reveal their mutations once they were upon their enemies, adding shock and revulsion to their horrified enemies.

Notable Alpha Legionaries

 * Alpharius - Primarch of the Alpha Legion. The armour worn by Alpharius was not that out of the ordinary of any other Alpha Legionnaire (Deceased)
 * Omegon - Primarch\Leader of the Effrit Stealth Squad. Large portions of Omegon's power armour and equipment were painted black and darkened.
 * Arkos the Faithless, the 'Scion of Alpharius' - Arkos the Faithless was a Captain of the Alpha Legion who turned Traitor along with the rest of his Legion during the Horus Heresy. Arkos is a Chaos Lord of the Alpha Legion and leader of the Alpha Legion warband known as the Faithless that intervened to support the Forces of Chaos during the Siege of Vraks. Following the defeat of the Chaotic forces on Vraks, the Faithless were destroyed and Arkos was taken prisoner by the Dark Angels Chapter of Loyalist Space Marines.
 * Bale - Chaos Lord (Deceased)
 * Firaeveus Carron - Chaos Lord A Champion of Khorne that led his Alpha Legionnaire forces to launch a conquest of the Kaurava system. (Deceased)
 * Mathias Herzog - Captain of the 2nd Company
 * Sindri Myr - Chaos Sorcerer, Daemon Prince (deceased)
 * Ingo Pech - First Captain of the Legion, Captain of the 1st Company
 * Sheed Ranko - Captain of the Lernaean Terminator Squad
 * Kernax Voldorius - Daemon Prince (Deceased)

Legion Fleet
The Alpha Legion are known to have possessed the following vessels:
 * Anarchy's Heart Battle-Barge - Personal battle-barge of the Chaos Lord, Arkos the Faithless.
 * The Alpha Battle-Barge
 * The Beta Battle-Barge

Chapter Colours
The Alpha Legion, unlike many of the Traitor Legions, maintained the same basic colour scheme for their Power Armour--blue, silver and green--even after their fall to Chaos. Alpha Legion Sergeants often had green helmets with a blue stripe down the center.

Chapter Badge
The Alpha Legion's Chapter badge before the Horus Heresy was one of the ancient Greek symbols for the letter Alpha. Following the start of the Horus Heresy, the Traitor Legion's badge became the hydra, the mythological multiheaded serpent that would grow back two heads for every one that was cut off.

Gallery
[[Category:A]]