Alpha Legion: Rules 3 - Relics

Back to rules again, this time looking at Relics. Every army gets one for free and every faction has a few options. Relics need to be assigned to a character, though not necessarily to the warlord, which gives them a little more versatility.

While the Alpha Legion, and my "Mobius Cadre", value anonymity as a means of obfuscating their command structure, some legionaries inevitably stand out. And in game terms, I am still using Infantry Character HQ choices (though I've toyed with the idea of taking a Rhino Primaris) since they are effective force multipliers. So, relics will go to these characters, though since the relic need not go to the warlord, the uniqueness can be spread out a little, which I feel is more in line with Alpha Legion ideology. And the Alpha Legion certainly did have unique items like the Pale Spear.

Alpharius wielding Sarrisanata, the Pale Spear, against Rogal Dorn.

Just like deciding which Chapter Tactics and Legion Traits to use, I am deciding which relics to use based on a combination of effectiveness and "Hydra Factor": how useful the relic is in the game and how much it feels like something the Alpha Legion would use. In each case, the item in question has to either be available to any Chapter or Legion, or available to the specific ones I might use.

CODEX: HERETIC ASTARTES

There are a few different relics in the Chaos Marines book that might be useful and appropriate. For a more assassin-like character that can get into combat with other characters, the Talisman of Burning Blood seems like a good option for getting a jump pack-equipped character up the field quickly, charge more reliably, and then attack twice in the same fight phase using one of the Khorne-specific Stratagems. The Murder Sword is another option for a Legion assassin, dealing mortal wounds to a specified enemy character on hits, though it's instead of, not in addition to, normal damage. And it's just ok against other targets.

The Blade of the Hydra (Alpha Legion) is hugely disappointing to me. As a weapon, it's ok and might combo well with one of the Chaos Marine warlord traits. But for the Alpha Legion relic, I was hoping GW would bring back something like the Mindveil or Hydra's Teeth from 7th. But no, it's just a copy of the Teeth of Terra relic from the Space Marine book. The Claws of the Black Hunt (Night Lords) are essentially a pair of lightning claws with D3 damage; ok but not exciting. The Eye of Night (Black Legion) is fairly limited in its uses and lackluster in terms of effect, not at all something any self respecting legionary would use.

CODEX: ADEPTUS ASTARTES

I'll start here with the three chapter-specific relics from chapters with traits I consider appropriate for the Mobius Cadre. The Sanctic Halo (Ultramarines) is pretty good with the 3++, but getting to resist psychic powers without a librarian is even better! As a primarily protective device though, I don't feel like it's something the Alpha Legion would use. Raven's Fury (Raven Guard) is a special jump pack that lets the bearer advance and charge, which is cool for a super fast assassin, and even cooler with the Raven Guard warlord trait that makes him immune to Overwatch. The Salamander's Mantle (Salamanders) is just +1 toughness, which is not nearly as good anymore, and is another protective relic.

There are two other choices from the general list that are worthy of interest. First is the Primarch's Wrath, an upgraded master-crafted bolter with better AP, Str, and Rapid Fire 2. This one may not be the most exciting it the best, but the fact that it is a gun is appealing because most of my lists are looking like gunlines. The other relic is the Standard of the Emperor Ascendant, which goes with a Chapter or Company Ancient, a model I have not yet used in play, but contemplated in my lists. The relic standard upgrades the Ancient's 6" bubble ability to give a model one last chance to shoot or fight when it dies from 4+ to 3+, a good ability for a gunline and something different and force-multiplying. I can envision these elite operatives getting off one last burst from their bolters before dying.

DEATHWATCH

The Deathwatch don't have a codex yet, but thanks to the 2017 Chapter Approved, they do have a warlord trait, relic, and stratagems. Their relic, The Beacon Angelis, is really cool and much more in line with completely and instantly changing the shape of a battle the way I think the Alpha Legion should. The Beacon Angelis lets the bearer teleport an infantry or biker unit to their position, letting you instantly shift significant forces to the opposite side of the board and immediately begin applying pressure. Use a jump pack or terminator armor to get the bearer where you need your other unit, then shoot and/or charge that pesky Sorcerer hiding behind cover or Basilisk back in a corner of the map.

There is a pretty clear winner here: the Beacon Angelis. I'm reluctant to try it because the Deathwatch don't have a full codex yet and thus have a dearth of special rules compared to other factions. And of course, choosing a relic to use is dependent on the army list. For example, a list that has a lot of Marines on bikes or with jump packs will get less use out of the list than a list of Marines on foot. But the Deathwatch deserve a try anyway, so try it I will.

+++HYDRA DOMINATUS+++