Alpha Legion

Ghost Legion redirects here. For the novel by Mike Brooks, see Ghost Legion (Novel).

"Our name is Legion, for we are many."

The Book of Malignancies, The Apocrypha Terra, Origin date unknown^[23a]

	Chaos Portal
Alpha Legion[1a]
Legion Number	XX[1a]
Primarch	Alpharius and Omegon (twins)[2h]
Old Homeworld	No record[1a]
Current Homeworld	They have no known central base of operations, but are known to have set up secret positions within Imperial space[1e]
Chaos Affiliation	Diverse, ranging from secretly loyalist[33b] to none[61c] to Chaos Undivided;[3][61c] most make use of Daemons[1f] and Chaos Sorcerers[61c]
Colours	Pre-Heresy: Blue & Silver Post Heresy: Green / Blue & Silver [1c]
Specialty	Infiltration & Covert Operations, Cultists[1f] and Operatives[2c]
Battle Cry	Hydra Dominatus[1c]
Known Warbands: 20th Alpharians[60a] Armoured Serpents,[60a] Daggerfangs,[57a] Darganti Revenants[40a] Eight Stolen Truths[40a] The Faceless,[76] The Faithless,[5b] First Strike[76c] Guns of Freedom[76c] Harrok's Teeth[90] Honourless[63] Ironhydras[71] Penitent Sons[76c] The Redacted,[33a] The Rustbloods[76] Scaled Fang,[71] Serpentine Scourge,[40a] The Serpent's Teeth,[76c] The Shadowed Ones,[27b] Shrouded Hand,[40b] Sons of Deception,[60a] Sons of the Hydra,[33b] Sons of Venom,[76c] Soulfangs, Splintered Sentients,[40a] Subtle Blades[65] Third Harrow[40a] Voldorius' Warband[39] The Unsung[61b] Whispering Forge[40a]

The Alpha Legion, also known as the Ghost Legion during the early Great Crusade,^[35] is the XX Legion of the original twenty Space Marine Legions. They turned against the Emperor during the Horus Heresy, becoming Chaos Space Marines.^[1d] Even before they turned to Chaos, the Alpha Legion were renowned as the most secretive of all the Legions.^[1a] The Alpha Legion's most closely guarded secret, unbeknownst to all but a few outside the Legion, is that they had two primarchs; Alpharius and his twin Omegon (sometimes referred to collectively as just 'Alpharius Omegon').^[2h]

The Alpha Legion's veterans are experts in infiltration, sabatoguge and discord, covert operations, and manipulating events in their favour without revealing themselves or engaging in open warfare. Alpha Legionaries have been known to disguise themselves as loyalist Space Marines.^[12] Their armies also contain regular humans known as operatives.^[1a]

History

Pre-Heresy

Pre-Heresy Alpha Legion Unnamed Veteran Legionary, Unknown Legion Sub-unit, Cryptosi Purgation^[23b]

The last Legion created during the First Founding, work on the XXth Legion was begun only some few decades before the discovery of their Primarch, Alpharius. However, other reports claim that the Legion existed in a prototype form long before that.^[17] Indeed, Remembrancers seem to give contradictory reports on when exactly the Alpha Legion was formed.^[17] Regardless, it seems the Legion was created in total secrecy on the Emperor's order. Information on the Legion's own Gene-seed was made top secret. Like the Salamanders and Space Wolves, the XXth Legion was formed and established largely in separation from the rest of the Legiones Astartes, likely for a very specific purpose. These three specific legions were obliquely called "Trefoil" by some sources.^[23a] The earliest known activities of the Legion saw it conduct abductions, targeted strikes and assassinations of the Imperium's enemies on Terra and beyond. The designation for this mysterious special operations units, taking orders from none of the Primarchs who had been discovered at the time, was simply "Alpha". For reasons unknown, approval to rapidly expand the Alpha Units gene-seed group was denied by the Emperor, limiting the force to only around 1,000-2,000 Legionaries. There is some suspicion that this was done because there was a potential problem or flaw within the Legion's gene-seed that the Emperor was not able to rectify. Others speculate that the Legion was deliberately preserved separately as an isolated unit by the Emperor for special gene-seed augmentation in the future that no other Space Marine Legion would ever undergo.^[23a]

The Legion all but disappeared from Imperial records in the Great Crusade, but some reports of small Alpha units operating far from the front lines of the Crusade in special missions do exist. These warriors were clearly Astartes, but carried no heraldry and sometimes even operated under the 'false flag' of another Legion. The operations they undertook were assassinations, subterfuge, espionage, sabotage and the recovery of unknown artifacts. They also abducted important individuals from anti-Imperial groups. They made it a policy to never leave any witnesses to their activities. However, rumours still spread across the Galaxy of a Ghost Legion. This force became known to bleed enemy forces through black operations and subterfuge before striking from a hundred directions in a mass lightning attack known as The Harrowing.^[23a] A dubious account given by Alpharius himself states that he was in fact recovered by the Emperor on Terra himself shortly after the scattering of the Primarchs, and was put in command of his Ghost Legion from its onset. During this time, his existence was kept a total secret from all save the Emperor, Malcador, and later Constantin Valdor.^[66a]

During the Rangdan Xenocides, a representative of the XXth Legion appeared before Lion El'Jonson. Though identifying himself as Alpharius, the representative acknowledged that their Primarch had not yet been found but that he would be in time. This Alpharius (who in a contradictory account, may have in fact been the actual Alpharius^[66c]) offered aid to Lion El'Jonson against the Rangdan in the hope that one day The Lion could be made Warmaster. Another account states that Alpharius used this objective as cover as a way to make his way into the Rangdan warzone to recover his long lost brother Omegon.^[66b] Whatever the truth, this Alpharius revealed that the XXth Legion preferred El'Jonson as Warmaster over someone like Roboute Guilliman as they shared similar views on war and secrecy. Though a Primarch, not even El 'Jonson had been explicitly aware of the XXth's existence, though he had been privy to rumours of a "Ghost Legion".^[35]

Later, when Alpharius-Omegon took open command of the Legion, it was young, zealous, and completely committed to embracing the Primarch's directions. Alpharius believed that secrecy and fluidity brought 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 formation.^[1a] It was this martial pride that led to a number of clashes and fights with members of the other Legions, particularly the Imperial Fists, Ultramarines, and Death Guard.^[7b][17] Also, Konrad Curze of the Night Lords openly criticised the Alpha Legion's tactics by calling them "sinners in a shroud of lies". The Thousand Sons Legion discreetly shunned and tried to avoid any contact with the Alpha Legion, although the true cause for this is unknown. However, at the side of Horus' Luna Wolves the Alpha Legion successfully campaigned without incident, together with the Dark Angels and the Iron Hands.^[17]

After Alpharius' disagreements with Roboute Guilliman, the Alpha Legion threw themselves even further into their preferred method of operations, largely cutting themselves off from standard Imperial 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 to 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 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 him censure from almost all of his brother Primarchs; only Horus, always impressed by Alpharius and his work, praised the Alpha Legion's skill.^[1a] In the later stages of the Great Crusade, the Alpha Legion withdrew into the empty space on the Imperium's frontiers.^[17]

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; their martial pride and Alpharius' avoidance of all his 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 Xenos organisation known as the Cabal, which presented the Primarch with visions of the Heresy to come and other predictions of the future as well as knowledge about the nature of Chaos. They were shown that the only outcomes of the Heresy were that, if the Emperor won, Humanity's existence would be ensured for ten or twenty thousand years of decay before they and the Galaxy were consumed by Chaos and that, if Horus won, Humanity would perish inside two generations, taking the Chaos powers into oblivion with them, thus saving the rest of the Galaxy. The Alpha Legion was asked to take on their greatest challenge; to defect to the side of Horus and ensure the final destruction of Chaos. Alpharius Omegon appeared to accede to this request.^[2]

The Horus Heresy

Heresy-era Alpha Legion shoulderpad symbol

After the virus-bombing of Isstvan III, the presumed loyal Alpha Legion was one of the Legions sent by the Emperor to destroy Horus at his base on Isstvan V. Assigned to the second wave, the Legion instead turned on the loyalist first wave.^[1d]

When Raven Guard Commander Branne Nev arrived at Istvaan V to retrieve several of what remained of the Loyalist forces including his Primarch Corax, the Alpha Legion tried to help Corax escape, going as far as killing the commander of a World Eaters Battle Barge which could have delayed the superior Raven Guard fleet.^[10] The Alpha Legion had Apothecarii that were masters of face transplantation. They took the faces of fallen Raven Guard Marines to transplant them onto their own Astartes. Together with the knowledge gained by digesting the brains of the dead Raven Guard, three Alpha Legion Astartes were able to infiltrate the Raven Guard Legion.^[19a] Later about 50 Alpha Legion Astartes in the colours of the Raven Guard were sent as reinforcements for these agents.^[19b] While Omegon could retrieve the data these infiltrators obtained, all of them were killed by the Raven Guard.^[19c] Learning of the infiltration of the Raven Guard, Horus ordered Ezekyle Abaddon to find Alpha Legion agents inside his own Legion at all costs.^[19a]

Alpha Legion unknown Terminator Strike Leader who led the initial orbital raid on the Panopticon Complex of the Paramar Terminus facility^[23b]

During the Horus Heresy, the Alpha Legion split off from the main body of Horus' forces early and did not attack Terra, instead embarking upon a series of delaying actions in an attempt to hold Imperial reinforcements in place. A notable earlier example was attempting to block the White Scars at the Chondax System, but Jaghatai Khan was able to manoeuvre out of their trap.^[28] Alpharius' or Omegon's dubious agenda came to light at Chondax, where they were under orders from Horus to recruit the White Scars. Instead, the Alpha Legion fleet there engaged in hostile actions to seemingly provoke the Scars into a fight after blockading them long enough for them to get word from Rogal Dorn of Horus' treachery. Indeed this message was only delivered because Omegon had despatched forces to destroy an Alpha Legion-occupied Pylon array blocking the White Scars' communications. Subtly, the Alpha Legion or at least elements of it made sure that Jaghatai Khan would join the Emperor.^[28][11f] Not even the Alpha Legion itself was spared from their own schemes. Alpharius was able to manipulate a strikeforce of members of the Shattered Legions under Shadrak Meduson into eliminating a cell of seemingly loyalist Alpha Legion.^[32]

During the Horus Heresy the Alpha Legion also engaged in smaller actions, defeating a White Scars force on Tallarn. During the Battle of the Alaxxes Nebula, the Alpha Legion nearly succeeded in destroying the Space Wolves until the loyalists were saved by the Dark Angels.^[29] In addition, a squad of Alpha Legionaries disguised as Ultramarines under Aeonid Thiel nearly succeeded in assassinating Roboute Guilliman on Macragge.^[81]

Alpharius was eventually charged by and with Horus himself to spearhead the traitor advance into the Sol System. Alpharius himself led a large fleet against Pluto in the opening shots of the Solar War. During the battle, Alpharius was seemingly killed by Rogal Dorn but Omegon effectively took over his responsibilities.^[31c]

Alpharius later reappeared during the muster of traitor forces on Ullanor in the prelude to the Siege of Terra, giving Horus a detailed map of the Sol System's defenses before quitting the war effort.^[34] After the setback at Pluto, the Alpha Legion defied Horus' orders to muster for the Siege of Terra and instead delayed Roboute Guilliman's advance as he attempted to reach the Throneworld.^[73] In order to delay Guilliman's advance, the Alpha Legion's strategy was focused on seeking loyalist vessels, especially from the Ultramarines, and appear in overwhelming numbers to forcibly redirect them into perilous Warp translations, all the while avoiding being drawn into open conflict. Guilliman's fleet was forced to intercede to allow supporting Loyalist forces to advance, further delaying him from intervening at the Siege of Terra.^[84] Despite Alpharius's absence from the Siege of Terra, scattered Alpha Legion elements are known to have taken part in the traitor effort.^[75] In addition, an Alpha Legionnaire identifying himself as Alpharius was seen alongside Actaea in her attempts to aid Ollanius Persson and John Grammaticus in their quest.^[67] This Alpha Legionnaire informed the group that his other brothers on the planet that were now activated would aid them in fulfilling their objective.^[69]

Post-Heresy

Alpha Legion shoulderpad symbol 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. Whether or not being brought into battle with the Ultramarines was one of these objectives is unknown, but it occurred all the same.^[1a]

On the world of Eskrador, the Alpha Legion was assaulted by Ultramarine forces. Alpharius (or Omegon, who had since assumed his mantle since the Battle of Pluto^[31]) was reportedly happy with such a development, as it allowed him to demonstrate the superiority of his flexible, multitudinous and unexpected military strategies on the notoriously precise, methodical and perhaps even 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 headquarters. In the resulting personal combat between Alpharius-Omegon and Guilliman, it is believed that Alpharius-Omegon 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.^[1a]

An Alpha Legionnaire in MKVI armour

Following the battle on Eskrador, the Alpha Legion fractured in order to hide from the Imperium.^[1a] Small, autonomous warbands were left in Imperial space where they set up secret bases in asteroid fields, Space hulks and on barren worlds.^[9] These units launched frequent attacks against military targets that were weakened by the Horus Heresy^[1a] and still pose a threat to ships, settlements and garrisons. They further spread and coordinate Chaos Cults throughout the galaxy in order to instigate massive 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 assault from inside the Eye of Terror.^[9]

The Alpha Legion's role in spreading heretical cults has earned them the loathing of the Inquisition,^[9] which has devoted considerable resources to finding and destroying their secret bases.^[1a] So far, the Alpha Legion has been declared wiped out by the High Lords of Terra no less than three times, in M31, M32 and M39. These claims have always been disproved by the continued assaults of the Legion.^[1a]

Despite their many heinous acts, at least some elements within the Alpha Legion still view themselves as loyal sons of the Emperor. These Alpha Legionaries, such as Occam, see themselves as the most loyal sons for it is they that damn themselves to work from within traitor cells to purge both weak elements of the Imperium while dealing with serious heretical threats. They see themselves as the "Emperor's test", challenging his servants to see if they are worthy to serve him.^[33b] Rumours of these pretenders persist amongst the Alpha Legion in M41. Those "loyalist" warbands and cells that exist in the 41st millennium, such as the Penitent Sons and Unsung, are largely seen by their fellow Legionaries as irredeemably deluded (but useful) fools who seek self-flagellation and pretend to be remorseful after performing actions any other warband would.^[76c]

By M41 the Alpha Legion had splintered into a wide array of divergent warbands and those warbands into cells, each following numerous unique and exceedingly divergent ideologies and tactical specializations of discord sowing, infiltration, and sabotage. Their warbands are largely distrustful of one another and rarely work in concert.^[76c]

Notable Engagements

Pre-Heresy

• ???.M30 — The Hunting of the Ak'Haireth^[23c]
• ???.M30 — The Tesstra Compliance^[23c]
• ???.M31 — The Cryptosi Purgation^[23b]
• ???.M30 — The Castigation of Terentius^[21a]
• 890.M30 — The Third Rangdan Xenocide^[35]
• 999.M30 — The World Prince Campaign^[31a]
• ???.M31 — The Kayvas Initiative^[42]

Heresy-Era

Heresy Alpha Legion attacks en masse^[25]

• 006.M31 — The Drop Site Massacre^[1d]
• ???.M31 — The Isessos Genocide^[43a]
• 006.M31 — Invasion of Paramar V^[44]
• ~007.M31 — The Battle of Ravendelve^[19b]
• 007.M31 — The Tenebrae Mission^[11a]
• 007.M31 — Chondax Campaign^[41b]
• 007.M31 - The Pale Stars Campaign^[43e]
• 007.M31 — Battle of the Alaxxes Nebula^[29g]
• ???.M31 — The Siege of Epsilon-Stranivar IX^[43b]
• ???.M31 — The Harrowing of Callistra Mundi^[87]
• 008.M31 — Mezoan Campaign^[43c]
• 010.M31 — Azurine Conflict^[82]
• 010-011.M31 — Battle of Tallarn^[85]
• 010-015.M31 — Solar War^[31b]
  • Battle of Pluto^[31b]
• ~011.M31 — Battle of Trisolian^[45]
• ~011.M31 — Battle of Yarant^[46]
• 013.M31 - Battle of Vezdell Secundus^[74]
• 13-14.M31 - Second Siege of Cthonia^[86]
• 13-14.M31 - Despite the apparent death of Alpharius, the Alpha Legion defies Horus' orders to attack Terra and instead seek to delay Roboute Guilliman's army as it attempts to reach the Throneworld.^[73]
• 014.M31 - Disparate elements of the Alpha Legion take part in the Siege of Terra.^[75]

Post-Heresy

Post-Heresy Alpha Legion Space Marine

• ???.M31 — The battle on Eskrador^[1e]
• 883.M37 — The Zambeque Rebellion^[47]
• 814.M39 — Relief of Rael's World^[48]
• 198-485.M40 — The subversion and destruction of the Emperor's Swords^[30]
• 400-470.M41 — The Macharian Heresy (Cultist activity)^[47]
• 742.M41 — The destruction of the Crimson Consuls^[49]
• ???.M41 — The Assault on Zoran^[50]
• ???.M41 — The Crusade of Fire^[51]
• ???.M41 — The Scouring of Makenna VII^[52]
• 812.M41 — The Luxor Uprising^[53]
• 813-830.M41 — The Siege of Vraks^[5a]
• ???.M41 — The Siege of Kaenis V^[54]
• 861-922.M41 — The Orpheus Revolt^[27a]
• ???.M41 — The Ghorvenfal Raid^[55]
• ???.M41 — The Hunt for Voldorius^[39]
• ???.M41 — The Tartarus Campaign^[56]
• 999.M41 - The Sons of the Hydra and their allies lead a vicious attack on Ultramarine successor chapters around the Maelstrom Zone.^[33b]
• 999.M41 — The Siege of the Fenris System^[57a]
• 999.M41 — The 13th Black Crusade^[58]
  • 999.M41 — Caligari Sector campaign in support of the 13th Black Crusade^[72]
• ???.M41 — The Khovan Incident^[59]
• ???.M42 - The War of Beasts on Vigilus^[60b]
• ???.M42 - The Battle of San Leor^[38]
• ???.M42 - The Battle of the Ophelia System^[38]
• ??? - The Battle of Brax^[36]
• ???.M42 - War on Nolth Prime^[37]
• ???.M42 — The Invasion of Tsadrekha^[61b]
• ???.M42 - The Charadon Campaign^[65]
• ???.M42 - The Nachmund Rift War^[71]
• ???.M42 - The Arks of Omen Campaign^[72]
• ???.M42 - Ambushing the Salamanders at Zero.^[89]
• ??? — The destruction of Seer's Rest^[40b]
• ??? — The ravaging of Avernia^[40b]
• ??? — The invasion of Scintil-Novax^[33b]
• ??? — The Battle of Safehaven^[62]

Tactics

Alpha Legion member dressed in the colours of the White Scars during the Horus Heresy^[41b]

Extensive preparations are made before actually attacking an Imperial target, including the use of espionage 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 exploit and support local Cultist activity. These cults go to considerable efforts 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.^[1a][8] Furthermore, the Legion has been known to ally themselves with anti-Imperial forces including other Traitor Legions and Xenos.^[1a] On worlds far away from the Eye of Terror, Daemons are relied upon less since they cannot remain stable for long enough to be useful. If the Alpha Legion succeeds in securing the allegiance of a local Chaos cult they are summoned to add to the Legion's tactical repertoire.^[1a][8]

The Alpha Legion does not fight like any other Chaos Space Marine Legion or warband. They prefer to avoid direct combat, using subterfuge, infiltration, sabotage, brainwashing and meticulous multi-year plans to destroy their enemies as opposed to a simple attack. The very identities of Alpha Legion Marines are the subject of mystery. Their supposed identities are frequently aliases which are shared by cell members, meaning the name and identity of one Alpha Legion Marine could actually refer to many. Genetic face-changing technology is utilised to change the appearance of Legionnaires to confound Imperial authorities as to their real identity. Due to this habit of shared aliases, members of the Alpha Legion often refer to themselves as part of a greater collective identity. When they do show themselves, Alpha Legion Marines prefer to let their cultists and underlings do most of the combat while they themselves wait for the decisive moment to strike or make their escape.^[15]

Perhaps the most infamous stratagem used by the Alpha Legion is "The Harrowing", by which the user wields a devastating mixture of subtlety and overwhelming force, reveling in both meticulous planning and imaginative cruelty. While such assaults begin with various operative or Cultist^[17] uprisings and sabotage, the Alpha Legion then infiltrates a world to spread further confusion and panic while bleeding the enemy of its main strategic assets and command. This continues until it is time for the final kill, The Harrowing itself, which is a final overwhelming push from a hundred different directions. These final devastating attacks are often led by elite Terminators and heavy armour.^[88] The Harrowing was core to Alpha Legion strategy, as reflected by the prestigious rank of Harrowmaster at the time of the Heresy.^[23b] While the Alpha Legion developed The Harrowing during the Great Crusade under Alpharius, the warbands of today continue to still revere its use.^[76b]

Unlike most of the other Chaos Space Marine Legions, the Alpha Legion rarely operates within the Eye of Terror itself. As a result, they have not been subjected to the time distortion that the Warp has affected other Traitor Marines with, leading many in the Inquisition to debate how the Legion, now ten thousand years after the Horus Heresy, can still be active. According to Inquisitor Kravin, the Alpha Legion acquires new recruits, genetically modifies them and then trains them for missions all within Imperial territory itself.^[14]

Known special units:

• Seeker Squad^[21b]
• Lernaen Terminator Squad^[17]
• Effrit Stealth Squad - led by Omegon^[11d]

Even before the Horus Heresy, the Alpha Legion was known to develop special weapons and technologies in secret without Imperial approval or knowledge. Alpha Legion forces were known to operate secret arms factories and caches both inside and outside Imperial space. The Alpha Legion was the first Legion to produce Bolter shells specifically designed to penetrate Ceramite Power Armour, which gave them an early advantage during the Drop Site Massacre. The Legion was also able to acquire small numbers of Mark 6 Corvus Pattern Power Armour and reverse engineer it as the "Corvus-Alpha" pattern.^[23b]

The Alpha Legion is known to possess chameleon technologies that allow them to outwardly change their appearances and mimic not only other legionnaires but also unaugmented humans.^[33b]

Organisation

Pre-Heresy

Pre-Horus Heresy Alpha Legion Contemptor Dreadnought Nehalen^[43d]

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.^[1a] 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.^[2c][2e]

Alpha Legion equivalents of companies, battalions and chapters were known as "Harrows", "Cohorts", "Hosts" and "Instruments". However, those structures have never stayed permanent and were formulated and broken down on an as-needed basis.^[17] At the top of the Legion hierarchy were the Harrowmasters, which was a title issued to the designated commander of Alpha Legion forces in any given theatre.^[23b]

The Alpha Legion literally saw itself as "legion", capable of operating even if the "head" were to be severed. Standard Space Marines assumed the mantle of their Primarch to confuse outsiders and even considered it of little consequence to their strength even if the "real" Alpharius were to be slain.^[31e] When asked by non-Legion members, all Legionaries gave their names as "Alpharius", even when more than one was present.^[2b]

The Legion also made a habit of recruiting non-Astartes specialists in every theatre and campaign they entered, commonly members of the Imperial armed forces.^[2c] These operatives often remained in their original position, ready to respond to Alpha Legion commands.^[2f] They were referred to as "Sparatoi", meaning "sown men", a reference to them being seeded into other organisations' ranks.^[23a] 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. Operatives were tattooed with a small hydra symbol.^[2c]

Post-Heresy

Post-Horus Heresy Alpha Legionnaire^[16]

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 symbol, 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 attacks.^[1a]

It is believed that, since the Heresy, the Alpha Legion has been operating as independent cells hidden throughout the Imperium, coordinating various Chaos Cultist activities to subvert Imperial rule. While these cells operate independently of one another and destroying one will not affect the effort of their overall mission, the Legion still loosely coordinates its actions across the Galaxy. Who is coordinating these efforts and how they are doing so is largely a mystery to the Imperium, but many believe they achieve this through "Operatives". These figures are apparently human, but have undergone limited psycho-hypnotic therapy to make them absolutely loyal to the Legion. These operatives, fully infiltrated into Imperial society, act as the link between Alpha Legion cells and cultists and are their primary method of galaxy-wide communication.^[1b]

Given their aptitude to subterfuge and deception, Alpha Legion forces rarely operate in large numbers for long, as they prefer not to draw attention to themselves. However despite being splintered into myriad warbands since the Heresy, they still operate with a unity of purpose that many of their fellow Traitor Legions lack. If an ambitious enough plan or especially tempting opportunity presents itself, multiple Alpha Legion cells and warbands may unite, at least temporarily, under the command of a single Harrowmaster that could command hundreds or even thousands of warriors.^[76c][83]

Alpharius believed in planning and coordination; he 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 traitors and have proved effective, especially in the disparate and secretive way they now operate.^[1a] Thus is one of their Chaos Lords liable to be called Master of Diversion when he proves himself a expert deceiver of the enemy.^[79]

In M42 Harrowmaster Solomon Akurra was able to establish a significant coalition of Alpha Legion warbands dubbed the Ghost Legion with the goal of seriously threatening Imperial rule. It consists of not only his own Serpent's Teeth but also the Guns of Freedom, Shrouded Hand, Penitent Sons, Faceless, Sons of Venom, First Strike, and Rustbloods.^[76b]

Known Chaos Cults

• Brotherhood of the Serpent's Eye^[57a]

Gene-Seed and Appearance

Alpha Legionnaires^[7a]

Alongside the Space Wolves and Salamanders, Alpha Legion were one of the original "Trefoil" Legions, endowed with notably distinct and isolated Gene-Seed that was highly classified by the Emperor Himself. The exact details of what this entails is not known, though it is known that the Alpha Legion Gene-Seed was the last strain created for the Legiones Astartes at the end of the Unification Wars.^[23a]

One of the most notable anomalies of the Alpha Legion was the near-identical appearances of its members. During the Great Crusade most if not all Alpha Legionnaires possessed white skin, a bald head and similar facial features to their Primarch, Alpharius.^[2d]

During the era of the Great Crusade, some Alpha Legionaries were notably tall 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 Marines had to attempt to look alike; and the face on which they patterned themselves was that of Alpharius and Omegon.^[2d]

Today, the Gene-Seed of the Alpha Legion is thought to be largely uncorrupted by the Warp due to their operations mainly residing outside of the Eye of Terror. However, some Alpha Legionnaires still display outward mutations and warped body parts, but if this is the result of a original flaw or something that has come about during the ten thousand years of the Long War is unknown.^[1g]

Noted Elements of the Alpha Legion

Alpha Legion Armoury

Fleet

• Alpha — Gloriana Class Battleship^[76a]
• Beta — Gloriana Class Battleship^[76a]
• Delta — Battleship^[29f]
• Anarchy's Heart — Despoiler Class Battleship^[5a]
• Gamma Mu - Dominus Class Grand Cruiser (Horus Heresy-era)^[29b]
• Zeta Telios — Capital ship^[29e]
• Omega-Echidnax - Flagship of the Sons of the Hydra^[33b]
• Gamma Lycurgus — Capital ship^[29e]
• Theta — Destroyed during the Drop Site Massacre^[78]

Notable Members of the Alpha Legion

Heresy Era

Alpha Legion during the Horus Heresy^[80]

• Alpharius — Primarch^[1a][23d]
• Omegon — Leader of the Effrit Stealth Squad / Primarch^[2]
• Ingo Pech — First Captain^[2a]
• Mathias Herzog — Captain of the 2nd Company^[2a]
• Armillus Dynat — Harrowmaster^[23d]
• Exodus — Assassin^[23d]
• Phocron — Headhunter Prime^[15]
• Siridor Vhen - Praetor^[41a]
• Sheed Ranko — Captain of the Lernaen Terminator Squad.^[2a] Killed during the Tenebrae Mission.^[11c]
• Autilon Skorr — "The Hydra's Headman" — Consul Delegatus of the Alpha Legion^[24]

Post-Heresy

Alpha Legion Space Marines of the Unsung^[61a]

• Arkos — Lord^[5]
• Arkturion — Warpsmith^[22]
• Quetzel Carthach — Arch-Lord and Harrowmaster^[33b]
• Sindri Myr — Sorcerer, Daemon Prince^[3]
• Occam — The Untrue, warband leader of The Redacted^[33a]
• Vykus Skayle — Lord^[57a]
• Kassar — Warband leader of the Unsung^[61b]
• Solomon Akurra — Harrowmaster of the Ghost Legion^[76]
• Kernax Voldorius — Daemon Prince^[6]
• Bale — Lord^[3]
• Firaeveus Carron — Lord^[4]
• Cacadius Siron — Intelligence chief of the Black Legion^[18]
• Deathrow the Warblind — Member of Eisenhorn's team^[77]

Unique Troops

• Lernaean (Horus Heresy-era)^[2a]
• Headhunter (Horus Heresy-era)^[23f]
• Saboteur^[23e]
• Operative^[2f]

Images

• 

  Marine from Space Marine 2.

• 

  Marine in Long War Relic Set from Space Marine 2.

See also

• Chaos Space Marine Legions and Warbands (List)
• Space Marine Forces (List)

Sources

• 1: Index Astartes IV - The Enemy Within, the Alpha Legion Space Marine Legion:
  • 1a: pg. 54
  • 1b: pg. 60
  • 1c: pg. 55
  • 1d: pgs. 56-57
  • 1e: pg. 59
  • 1f: pg. 61
  • 1g: Gene-Seed
• 2: Legion (Novel):
  • 2a: Dramatis personae
  • 2b: Part 1, Chapter 1
  • 2c: Part 1, Chapter 4
  • 2d: Part 1, Chapter 7
  • 2e: Part 1, Chapter 8
  • 2f: Part 1, Chapter 12
  • 2g: Part 2, Chapter 3
  • 2h: Part 2, Chapter 8
• 3: Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War
• 4: Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Soulstorm
• 5: Imperial Armour Volume Five - The Siege of Vraks - Part One:
  • 5a: pg. 178
  • 5b: pg. 47
• 6: Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition), pgs. 42–43
• 7: Codex: Chaos Space Marines (3rd Edition, 1st Codex):
  • 7a: pg. 19
  • 7b: pg. 32
• 8: Codex: Chaos Space Marines (3rd Edition, 2nd Codex), pg. 40
• 9: Codex: Chaos Space Marines (4th Edition), pgs. 20–21
• 10: The Face of Treachery (Short Story)
• 11: The Serpent Beneath (Novella) — The Primarchs (Anthology):
  • 11a: Chapter One, pg. 334
  • 11b: Chapter Five, pg. 436
  • 11c: Chapter Four, pg. 434
  • 11d: Chapter Two
  • 11e: Dramatis personae
  • 11f: Chapter Four
• 12: Deathwatch: First Founding, pg. 78
• 13: Apocalypse, pg. 171
• 14: White Dwarf 277 (UK), pg. 61
• 15: We Are One (Short Story)
• 16: Black Crusade: The Tome of Fate, pg. 32
• 17: Hunter's Moon (Audio Drama)
• 18: The Fall of Cadia (Novel), Chapter 1
• 19: Deliverance Lost (Novel):
  • 19a: Chapters 2-3
  • 19b: Chapter 4
  • 19c: Chapter 14
• 20: Wolf's Claw (Audio Drama)
• 21: The Horus Heresy Book One - Betrayal:
  • 21a: pg. 82
  • 21b: pg. 210
• 22: Only War: Enemies of the Imperium, pg. 111
• 23: The Horus Heresy Book Three - Extermination:
  • 23a: pg. 78-85
  • 23b: pg. 90-94
  • 23c: pgs. 102–103
  • 23d: pgs. 258-265
  • 23e: pg. 258
  • 23f: pg. 260
• 24: Forge World: Autilon Skorr (saved archive page, dated 26 November 2020, last accessed 08 March 2021)
• 25: Black Library: Sedition' Gate - Art print (saved archive page, dated 27 March 2015, last accessed 08 March 2021)
• 26: Codex: Dark Eldar (7th Edition) — The Cult of Strife
• 27: Imperial Armour Volume Twelve:
  • 27a: pgs. 20-22
  • 27b: pg. 16
• 28: Scars (Novel) - Episode IV
• 29: Wolf King (Novella):
  • 29a: pg. 8
  • 29b: pg. 20
  • 29c: pg. 30
  • 29d: pg. 31
  • 29e: pg. 99
  • 29f: pg. 100
  • 29g: Part V
• 30: Codex: Chaos Space Marines (6th Edition), pg. 24
• 31: Praetorian of Dorn (Novel):
  • 31a: Part 3, ‘’Brothers of War’’
  • 31b: Part 4, Chapter 4
  • 31c: ‘’Epilogue’’
  • 31d: Part 3, Chapters 4-5
  • 31e: Part 4, Chapter 6
• 32: The Seventh Serpent (Novella), Chapters 9-10
• 33: Sons of the Hydra (Novel):
  • 33a: Part I, Chapter α: The Serpent's Egg
  • 33b: Part I, Chapter δ: The Viper's Nest
• 34: Slaves to Darkness (Novel), Chapter 19
• 35: First Legion (Short Story) — Scions of the Emperor (Anthology)
• 36: Codex Supplement: Imperial Fists (8th Edition), pg. 15
• 37: Codex: Adepta Sororitas (8th Edition), pgs. 72-73
• 38: Our Martyred Lady (Audio Drama)
• 39: Hunt for Voldorius (Novel), Chapter 3
• 40: Codex: Chaos Space Marines (8th Edition) (revised edition):
  • 40a: pg. 29
  • 40b: pg. 28
• 41: The Horus Heresy Book Eight – Malevolence:
  • 41a: pg. 96
  • 41b: pg. 189
• 42: Fear to Tread (Novel), Chapters 1-2
• 43: The Horus Heresy Book Six – Retribution:
  • 43a: pg. 30
  • 43b: pg. 34
  • 43c: pg. 38
  • 43d: pg. 49
  • 43e: pgs. 92-93
• 44: Adeptus Titanicus: The Horus Heresy Rulebook, pgs. 14–15
• 45: Wolfsbane (Novel), Chapter 15
• 46: The Weregeld (Novella), Chapter 2
• 47: Codex: Dark Angels (6th Edition), pgs. 36-37
• 48: Imperial Armour Volume Two (Second Edition), pg. 19
• 49: The Long Games at Carcharias (Short Story)
• 50: Codex: Blood Angels (5th Edition), pg. 15
• 51: Crusade of Fire (Campaign Book), pg. 40
• 52: Apocalypse Rulebook, pgs. 171–172
• 53: Imperial Armour Volume Nine - The Badab War - Part One, pg. 119
• 54: Index Astartes: Stalkers and Hunters — Renowned Stalkers
• 55: Codex: Dark Eldar (7th Edition) - The Cult of Strife
• 56: Dawn of War (Novel), Chapter 3
• 57: War Zone Fenris: Curse of the Wulfen:
  • 57a: Chapter 3
  • 57b: Talons of Tzeentch
• 58: Codex: Eye of Terror (3rd Edition), pg. 16
• 59: Codex: Blood Angels (8th Edition), pg. 22
• 60: Imperium Nihilus: Vigilus Ablaze:
  • 60a: pg. 73
  • 60b: pg. 80
• 61: Shroud of Night (Novel):
  • 61a: Cover
  • 61b: Prologue
  • 61c: Chapter 3
• 62: Codex: Harlequins (8th Edition), pg. 29 — The Dance of Ages: A Dangerous Debt
• 63: Unearthed (Short Story)
• 64: Codex: Imperial Knights (8th Edition), pg. 46 — House Krast
• 65: War Zone Charadon - Act I: The Book of Rust, pg. 14
• 66: Alpharius: Head of the Hydra (Novel):
  • 66a: Discovery
  • 66b: Hydra Dominatus
  • 66c: Lord of the First
  • 66d: In the Shadows
• 67: The End and the Death: Volume I (Novel) - 1:xix
• 68: Warhammer Community: Play Out Famous Battles From the Horus Heresy With These Epic Free Campaign Packs (Posted on 06/09/2021) - The Battle of Pluto: Hydra's Devastation PDF, pg. 4 (Last accessed on 6 September 2021)
• 69: Warhawk (Novel), Chapter 9
• 70: War Zone Nachmund: Vigilus Alone, pg. 35
• 71: War Zone Nachmund: Rift War, pg. 32
• 72: Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor – Martyr
• 73: Horus Heresy Timeline (last accessed 13/7/2022)
• 74: White Dwarf 478, pg. 107
• 75: Echoes of Eternity (Novel), Chapter 3
• 76: Renegades: Harrowmaster (Novel) - Dramatis Personae
  • 76a: Biologis Diabolicus
  • 76b: Council of Truth
  • 76c: New Faces, Old Faces
• 77: Pariah (Novel), Chapter 3
• 78: Veritas Ferrum (Audio Drama)
• 79: Codex: Chaos Space Marines (9th Edition), pg. 95 - Alpha Legion: Warlord Traits
• 80: Horus Heresy: Collected Visions, pg. 313
• 81: The Unremembered Empire (Novel), Chapter 6
• 82: Horus Heresy: Aeronautica Imperialis, pg. 8
• 83: Codex: Chaos Space Marines (10th Edition), pg. 45
• 84: Horus Heresy: Age Of Darkness 2nd Edition Rulebook, pg. 137
• 85: Legions Imperialis: The Devastation of Tallarn, pg. 94
• 86: Campaigns of the Age of Darkness: The Siege of Cthonia, pgs. 34-43
• 87: The Harrowing (Short Story)
• 88: The Horus Heresy: 3rd Edition Rulebook, pg. 114
• 89: Warhammer Community: Vulkan He’stan: Forgefather of the Salamanders (posted 5/8/2025) (last accessed 5/8/2025)
• 90: Kill Team: Shadowhunt, pg. 23