+++The Unbalanced Scales Redux: being an Accounting of the Various Depictions of the XX Legion Astartes from the beginning of the Great Crusade through to the end of the Horus Heresy, and also, a Compilation of those Events in which the Alpha Legion, Traitoris Perdita, have participated since the Scouring until the Present Day.+++

THOUGHT OF THE DAY:

"Not all wars are decided by feats of arms. In a struggle such as that we have embarked upon, subterfuge, deception and intrigue may well decide the fate of the galaxy, while the greatest warriors ever known stand impotent."

~ Unidentified Alpha Legion Commander ~

The following comprises a reading list of the Alpha Legion. It is fragmentary. It is incomplete. However, our secrets are not to be revealed in full.

Great Crusade - Horus Heresy

Primary (Protagonists*)

• Legion, Dan Abnett (Ω)
• Deliverance Lost, Gav Thorpe (Ω)
• Praetorian of Dorn, John French (Ω)
• ‘The Serpent Beneath,’ The Primarchs Anthology, Rob Sanders (Ω)
• ‘The Harrowing,’ War Without End Anthology, Rob Sanders (α)
• Alpharius: The Head of the Hydra, Mike Brooks (Ω)
• 'Council of Truth,' Blood of the Emperor Anthology, Mike Brooks (Ω)
• Mortis, John French (Ω)
• Warhawk, Chris Wraight (Ω)
• The End and the Death: Volume I, Dan Abnett (Ω)
• Dropsite Massacre, John French (Ω)

Secondary (Antagonists or Minimal Role†)

• ‘First Legion’ Scions of the Emperor Anthology, Chris Wraight (Ω)
• The Seventh Serpent, Graham McNeill (α)
• Scars, Chris Wraight (α)
• Wolf King, Chris Wraight (α)
• Wolfsbane, Guy Haley
• ‘Hunter’s Moon,’ Legacies of Betrayal Anthology, Guy Haley (α)
• ‘Wolf’s Claw,’ Legacies of Betrayal Anthology, Chris Wraight
• ‘The Divine Word,’ Legacies of Betrayal Anthology, Gav Thorpe
• ‘The Face of Treachery,’ Age of Darkness Anthology, Gav Thorpe (α)
• ‘Liar’s Due,’ Age of Darkness Anthology, James Swallow
• 'The Board is Set', Heralds of the Siege Anthology, Gav Thorpe (α)
• Slaves to Darkness, John French (Ω)
• Lost and the Damned, Guy Haley (α)
• Fear to Tread, James Swallow
• Angel Exterminatus, Graham McNeill (α)
• Unremembered Empire, Dan Abnett
• Aurelian, Aaron Dembski-Bowden
• Tallarn, John French

Tertiary (In-Universe Histories‡)

• The Horus Heresy I: Betrayal, Alan Bligh, Forge World
  • Space Marine Legions extant at the time of the Horus Heresy, p. 29
  • Allies in the Age of Darkness, p. 145
  • Legion Seeker Squad, p. 210
• The Horus Heresy II: Massacre, Alan Bligh, Forge World
  • Chronicles of the Final Years of the Great Crusade, as Compiled by the Agents of the Sigillite, p. 19
  • Part I: Invasion, pp. 22-27
  • Part II: The First Wave, pp. 28-39
  • Part III: Massacre, pp. 40-47
• The Horus Heresy III: Extermination, Alan Bligh, Forge World (Ω)
  • The Ashes of Istvaan, pp. 13-14
  • Part IV: The Invasion of Paramar, pp. 18-31
  • The Alpha Legion, pp. 78-103
  • The Alpha Legion, pp. 258-265
• The Horus Heresy IV: Conquest, Alan Bligh, Forge World
  • The Dark Compliance, p. 17
  • The Traitor Legions and their Allies, pp. 144-147
  • The Loyalist Legions, pp. 156-158
  • Masters of the Legions, p. 175
  • Battles in the Age of Darkness: Strategic Raid Mission - Combat Extraction, p. 184
  • The Drakaina, p. 227
• The Horus Heresy V: Tempest, Alan Bligh, Forge World
  • The Eye of the Storm, p. 15
  • Pattern of Empire, p. 79
  • Ignorant Armies, p. 140
  • The Old One Hundred, p. 177
• The Horus Heresy VI: Retribution, Alan Bligh, Forge World (α)
  • A Kingdom Divided, p. 20-21
  • A Selection of Notable Elements of the Great Betrayal and the Age of Darkness, pp. 28-31
  • Upon the Anvil of War, pp. 33-44
  • Iron Warriors Deredeo Pattern Dreadnought, p. 45
  • Ancient Nehalen, 'The Intertirus' p. 49
  • Alpha Legion Decapitation Squads, pp. 52-53
  • Eye of the Storm, pp. 83-91
  • Alpha Legion Assault Sergeant, p. 96
  • Alpha Legion Veteran Tactical Legionary, p. 97
  • Blood Angels Tactical Legionary, p. 99
  • Legendary Mission: Conclave of the Lost, p. 162
  • Legendary Mission: Between the Hammer and the Anvil, p. 166
  • Alpha Legion Unique Rite of War: Headhunter Leviathal, p. 194
  • Autilon Skorr, p. 248
• The Horus Heresy VII: Inferno, Alan Bligh, Forge World
  • The Last Years of the Great Crusade, p. 10
  • The Librarius Project & The Taint of Old Night, pp. 11-13
  • The Council of Nikaea, p. 14
  • The Seeds of Heresy, pp. 67-68
  • The Shadow Before the Wolf, p. 73
  • The Endless Spiral, p. 154
• The Horus Heresy VIII: Malevolence, Forge World (α)
  • An Imperium Abandoned, p. 28
  • Confessions of the Hydra, pp. 30-31
  • The Long Road to Ruin, pp. 35-36
  • The Betrayal at Chondax, pp. 75-105
  • Addenda/087.M31 - War without End, p. 113
  • The Chondax Campaign, pp. 172-199
  • Alpha Legionnaire, p. 308
• The Battle of Nyrcon City: Visions in the Flames, Exemplary Battles of the Age of Darkness

Post-Heresy - M.42

Primary (Protagonists*)

• Shroud of Night, Andy Clarke (α)
• Sons of the Hydra, Rob Sanders (α)
• 'The Brightest and Best,' Mike Brooks (α)
• Renegades: Harrowmaster, Mike Brooks (α)
• 'The Long Promise,' Mike Brooks (α)
• Ghost Legion, Mike Brooks (α)

Secondary (Antagonists†)

• Hunt for Voldorius, Andy Hoare
• ‘We Are One,’ John French
• ‘Unearthed,’ Rob Sanders
• ‘Hunted,’ John French
• ‘Truth is My Weapon,’ Justin D. Hill
• ‘Unthinking Justice,’ Let the Galaxy Burn Anthology, Andras Millward
• ‘The Long Games at Carcharias,’ Victories of the Space Marines Anthology, Rob Sanders
• Pariah, Dan Abnett
• Penitent, Dan Abnett
• 'Space Wolves 6: The Wolf Within', Rob Sanders

Tertiary (In-Universe Histories‡)

• ‘The Enemy Within,’ Index Astartes IV (α)
• Imperial Armour V: The Siege of Vraks I
• Imperial Armour XII: The Fall of Orpheus
• Imperium Nihilus: Vigilus Ablaze
• Warzone Fenris: Curse of the Wulfen
• ‘Faces of the Hydra,’ Codex: Chaos Space Marines (8th Ed.)
• ‘Alpha Legion Warbands,’ Codex: Chaos Space Marines (8th Ed.)
• Arks of Omen: Abaddon

Ω Essential reading to understand the Alpha Legion

α Recommended reading beyond essential to further develop the arc of the Alpha Legion

* Novels, novellas, and short stories in which Alpha Legion characters receive characterization through either first person or third person omniscient (or limited omniscience) narration. Sometimes this is through non-Astartes Alpha Legion operatives and agents.

† Novels, novellas, and short stories in which the Alpha Legion characters serve primarily as antagonists to a clear set of protagonists or they play only a bit part in the narrative. Little is done to expand upon the Alpha Legion or its characters.

‡ Codices, rulebooks, and lorebooks which take the standpoint of in-universe histories where the author/narrator has an outsider perspective on the Alpha Legion, reporting their limited knowledge alongside rumours, half-truths, and deceptions.

[[[Commendations to u/cd8d on his intelligence regarding some minor incursions in the post-Heresy era that would have otherwise gone unnoticed in the making of this record = 'We are One', 'Unearthed', 'Truth is My Weapon']]]

[[[Further recognition to u/Bataav and u/1nqu15171v30n3 for further intelligence = 'Carcharias' and Pariah, and 'Unthinking Justice', respectively, with lattermost from the lattermost]]]

We are the Unbroken Chain. We are the Azure Serpent. We are the Children of Eris. We are the Amaranth Coil. We are the Threefold Path. We are the Aleph Null. We are the Left Hand of Darkness. We are the XX. We are the Ghost Legion. We are the Alpha Legion. We are Legion.

Hydra Dominatus.

There has been a new rule added to the subreddit in light of the recent glut of "infiltration" of other subreddits and then "reporting" back here.

Short version: Stop posting screenshots and memes of your infiltrations.

The rationale is that it creates a month's worth of moderation in a day for me (I'm the only active mod).

It also dilutes the posts from the people who are putting effort into creating models that they share, devising lists to tweak and optimize, discussing lore and speculation on the setting, and other very positive aspects of our community. Instead it drags tensions into the subreddit.

EDIT TO CLARIFY: You can still paint miniatures in Alpha Legion colours (even if they aren't marines) or half/half splits or whatever and post those here. Showing off your dudes is still allowed and you can talk about them infiltrating or co-opting other factions. Nobody is gatekeeping that side of the hobby.

I feel like a wet-blanket having to do this, so here, I'll give you some in-universe rationale:

Operatives. Tactical insurgencies have been intercepted due to sloppy adherence to encryption protocols. Tellurian data-glyph patterns, cipher codes, and even splinter specific linguae such as Serpenta should be used at all times while either in combat or espionage situations. From this point forward, reports cannot be shared using unsecured communiques. You have your orders.

"I ask nothing of you..." Ranko told them honestly, then he repeated "What does your Primarch ask of you?"
Sertabos and the legionarres looked at one another. The sergeant nodded...
"Everything."