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Me thinks Word bearers get #1 (and JUST for saying that, they get #2) :(

I'll admit, I AM a sad panda because I don't have one of the 1k sons hats....

2. Even WE don't know who's side we're on anymore.

It was an incredibly tough descicion between the Alpha legion and the legion you've no doubt worked out is my favourite by now. And in the end, the Alpha's won not because they are any less cool, but just because I favour the other one a little more.
There's been a pretty heated discussion so far about whether the Alpha legion are cowards; I'll try to refrain from commenting on that. Rather, I will explain why I like them. The Alpha legion are good because of two reasons, the first being because they offer something diiferent to the "gung-ho" tactics of other Marine armies. Thats not to say that style of warfare is bad, but that's not the point. If any Chaos force wil get to Terra, it will probably be the Alpha's. They think through their plans in advance, and don't go to war unless they think they can win. Whilst they are sadly becoming more and more anarchic, and just another chaos warband, it's nice that for now they are the thinking man's force if you play them fluffy.
However, no matter how cool they are in the current timeline, thats nothing compared to how much ass-kicking they dished out Pre-heresy. I have one model from that 'era' of 40k, and it's an Alpha legion captain. I know I said I'm most like Morty, but Alpharius Omegon is definatly my favourite. I already know the twist in Legion, but it's stil the only Horus heresy book currently available that I can't wait to read (if you don't know the twist; you're in for a corker). The thing about Alpharius is that I understand him-all his brother's hated him. And, you remember when they stormed that fortress? They could have taken it with a single descive strike, but instead they allowed the hapless foe to dig in before being ruthlessly taken apart. And do you know what their reason was? "It would have been to easy." Thats great, I love that.
The XX legion has a cool colour scheme-the scales reinforce the Hydra theme without going overboard. Whilst I could never have the skill to paint them, I can non the less respect it. I don't own an Alpha legion army, and probably never will, but that's okay, because for something to be special it sometimes has to be unobtainable.

"My name is Legion. For we are many."

Cowards.

A legion so inactive that its been declared extinct 3 times by the Imperium. Upon spotting another one of these guys hiding in a remote location the Imperium was like "oh, I guess there not. Oh well, don't worry". Now that's Space Marines.

Oh don't start this all over again

KamikazeCanuck wrote:Cowards.

Well aren't you just a beacon of Courage. How inspiring. Perhaps we'll mount your corpse on a Golden Chair and make an idol out of you as well.





There is no hope in opposing the inevitable. Put down your arms unbelievers... and bow before the forces of Chaos Undivided.

Okay, so I'm just a lurker on 40k boards, but the nonsense in the last two pages of this thread forced my hand.

Alpha Legion tactics are not to hide, they are simply unconventional compared to the Codex style of "line up in front of the enemy guns, men! now CHARGE!" Their goal is never-ending innovation and pursuit of perfection in their combat doctrine. Hell, Alpharius was known to take a more difficult and complicated route to victory just to make it more interesting, or disappear on the eve of battle to test his troops' initiative and ability to function on their own. That's why they've owned every other Space Marine chapter they've faced in combat, including the supposedly uber Space Wolves and Ultramarines. Horus' most successful moment, the Istvaan massacre, was likely planned by the Alpha Legion. Without them running interference, the assault on Holy Terra would have been over before it began. To this day, their innumerous cults (which are frequently extremely well trained, equipped and organized, rather than just easily-dealt with drooling idiot-fanatics) are a far bigger thorn in the Imperium's side than all of Failbaddon's Crusades put together. The reason "we don't know about any major battles they've been involved in" is because when the Alpha Legion finally plays its hand, there is no one left alive to report of it. A single squad of Alpha Legion warriors can subvert a whole planet or even star system; entire sub-sectors will suddenly rise in revolt and fall to Chaos, eliminating loyalist opposition so swiftly that it takes decades if not centuries for the Imperium to realize their loss (usually when some Administratum adept notices they haven't gotten any taxes from that system in a good 200 years).



@Little Lord Fauntleroy: I've enjoyed this little list, but please please please, for the love of all that is holy (or unholy, your choice), please look up possessive apostrophes. Sentences like this:

Little lord Fauntleroy wrote:No-one see's their ancestor's in a fight and goes berserk. But traitor's in the family?

... are more painful to read than DIY/fanfics about "corupted rouge traders falling to korn and betraying the emporer and having to fight the angles of blood".

Now, I'm no grammar nazi, and I understand typos happen, but seeing such an elementary mistake made over and over is more annoying than "First!" posts.

Well put, Omegus. (The Alpha Legion stuff, rather than the grammar Nazi stuff.)

So, we do get to hear the reasoning behind Word Bearers being #1, right?

Sorry, sorry, Broken computers=no fun.

1. And at number 1, Fauntleroy's favourite marines, winner of this thread, and most bad-ass legion ever to grace the warhammer 40'000-verse is...the Word Bearers!



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Yeah, I love the Word Bearers. Bite me.
The Word bearers are, in my view, the best legion (and quite possibly best faction overall) in the Warhammer 40'000 game. They're the ones that started it all, the first brotherhood of Space Marines to accept the glorifying power of chaos, and the only one's who openly dared to show their brothers what it could do.
"But wait!", I hear you cry, "in the Alpha legion and Iron warriors ratings, you implied that relying on chaos was a bad thing. Aha! Little lord Fauntleroy has got it wrong!" Well, hold on a minute. The reason the Alpha Legion and Iron warriors don't need chaos is that that isn't their point-the point of those legions is to fight in the mind (in the case of the XXth) or against the body (in the case of the IVth) of the enemy.The Word bearers fight in the heart. They take the enemy and make him doubt, make him wonder, make him see the truth-that the Emperor doesn't give a doss about them. But Chaos will, and the Word Bearers prove that with deadly efficiency. The Night Lords may take a planet from the Imperium, but the XVIIth legion will deliver it to the true gods.
And the Word Bearers themselves are awesome guys. I could go into a long rant defending Lorgar, as I know a lot of people have something against the poor lad, but I won't unless someone really wants to hear it. Kor Phaeron is the man...the legend. Erebus...fine, fine,I concede with you about him, but he did give me the inspiration for one of my parody songs, so for that I am forever greatfull.
As a bonus, anything they touch seems to turn to gold. Eliphas was the only truly awesome DOW chaos commander (primarily becuase he wasn't concerned abot Sindri, Blud fur the Blud god, or cowards and fewls in metal bawkes), even if he is hanging around withe the Black Legion nowadays. The Word Bearers trilogy was pure sex for the mind, right up their with Cadian Blood and The Horus heresy series. The First heretic looks like it's going to be awesome. Hell, I suspect the Word Bearers could make a Uwe Boll film watchable.
The Word Bearers are cool because they don't hide away from chaos, or try and master it. They welcome it as a brother with open arms. They haven't forgotten the original mission, to get to Terra and kill the Emperor. And in the end...the Word Bearers are cool, because they have a purpose that is not just frenzied, mindless, and in the end pointless killing.

Happy Gaming everyone. And praise the Word of Lorgar.

lol
good work lord fauntelroy
ive followed this thread from the start and have really enjoyed it,
i dunno how your going to top it?
thx

Excellent write-up from start to finish! Just one question, though: glossing over the debacle that was 'Battle for the Abyss', are we?

Well done (don't think i didn't notice the vast improvement with those pronouns )! So what's next on the agenda?

Nicely done, I can't wait to read whatever your next list is (Rank the armies next, Chaos commands you!)

Good list. I personally loath the Word Bearers, but your reasoning is well put together and makes sense.
Well, not this part.

Little lord Fauntleroy wrote:...make him see the truth-that the Emperor doesn't give a doss about them. But Chaos will, and the Word Bearers prove that with deadly efficiency.

Does Chaos actually give a dross about those that follow it? I dunno about that. Can you prove it, or is it just the Book of Lorgar talking?

Anyway, great job. This was really fun to read.

Good Stuff man I really enjoyed reading all that. I found most of your choice to have been about the same as mine.

Grotzooka wrote:Good list. I personally loath the Word Bearers, but your reasoning is well put together and makes sense.
Well, not this part.

Little lord Fauntleroy wrote:...make him see the truth-that the Emperor doesn't give a doss about them. But Chaos will, and the Word Bearers prove that with deadly efficiency.

Does Chaos actually give a dross about those that follow it? I dunno about that. Can you prove it, or is it just the Book of Lorgar talking?

Anyway, great job. This was really fun to read.

It's Chaos, Anything is possible .

Necroagogo wrote:Excellent write-up from start to finish! Just one question, though: glossing over the debacle that was 'Battle for the Abyss', are we?

Battle for the abyss doesn't count, they shared with Smurfs, and the Word Bearers in there suffered from being generic easy to kill bad guy minions.

Absolutely great thread Fauntleroy, it's been a pleasure to read - you should give yourself a pat on the back.
Your reasoning behind the decisions has been nigh-on-perfect! You accepted the Legions flaws, you accepted their qualities and you built around that. You have helped to enlighten me ( I am the kind of person that's reasonable and will listen to an argument if it's worth listening to, changing my opinion if I see 'the light' and fallacy behind what I was saying - try it sometime 'KamikazeCanuck').

Hell, I've always liked a lot of Iron Warriors fluff (although they are a bit OTT with some grudges - ie. Iron Cage) but you make a great point about them, they are quite simply, badass. Like with the aforementioned Iron Cage, it's a stupid mistake, yes. it failed, yes. But it also shows the personality of their legion and its true nastiness.
I agree with the top four almost entirely:

- Dark Angels - I hate their 'emo-ness' and self importance, putting their own problems (The Fallen) before the people they are supposed to protect (Imperium), however, they revel in it and it only adds to their character. it's a flaw, but what a flaw! It's not boringness or simple-mindedness, it's sheer complicated self-redemption.

- Thousand Sons - Completely agree, amazing fluff, amazing image. Sorted.

- Alpha legion - like yourself "Whilst I could never have the skill to paint them, I can non the less respect it. I don't own an Alpha legion army, and probably never will, but that's okay, because for something to be special it sometimes has to be unobtainable." I love their fluff, but I simply can't live up to it!

- Word Bearers - The started the heresy, they revel in their devotion. Initially I thought the Alpha legion should've been first, but after hearing your reasoning I can completely agree with the Word Bearer's triumph. The Horus-Heresy, this great storyline and bedrock to 40K alone is enough.

- However, as you might expect, I feel the Wolves deserve to be a little higher. Admittedly they do go over-the-top with the whole wolf theme (although so do Blood Angels) but they simply are the most bad-ass loyalist legion there is. They are good - possibly the best - at what Space Marines are supposed to be good at, winning fights and protecting the Imperium. Much like myself, they may not do things in the most attractive way possible, but they do it none-the-less. I love the way the rebel against injustice (ie. Armaggedon exterminatus) , protect the little people and really are so damn good at what they do. Yes, they're flawed, I dislike the whole drunk, angry, arrogant gakker thing, but nothing's perfect. And in regards to your description of them as "'that' guy-the guy who smokes, who drinks, who does drugs, who starts the fights, who sleeps with different women every week-but everyone stil likes them. Except me." whilst true to an extent, unlike this person, they'll put others before them and stand up for injustice. The Dark Angels only care for themselves (which I now like as it adds to them), but the Space Wolves will stand up for what's right. That's true heroism and that's what inspires me about them.

I almost completely agree with your ranking and I could probably go on for a while kissing your ass and saying how much I agree, but I shant! Good Work LLF.

Nicely done.
Word Bearers are my favourite of the Chaos Legions too.

I might steal this idea and do it when i get to maybe 1500 posts?

Maybe..

Great list. I enjoyed reading and sometimes I would go "yeah! Some one else thinks like me" while other times I'd think "what!? This fool and I have nothing in common." I was glad to see the Alpha Legion and DA get the props they deserve.

Great read!

I disagree with almost every thing you said, but it was pretty entertaining.

Just Dave wrote:Absolutely great thread Fauntleroy, it's been a pleasure to read - you should give yourself a pat on the back.
Your reasoning behind the decisions has been nigh-on-perfect! You accepted the Legions flaws, you accepted their qualities and you built around that. You have helped to enlighten me ( I am the kind of person that's reasonable and will listen to an argument if it's worth listening to, changing my opinion if I see 'the light' and fallacy behind what I was saying - try it sometime 'KamikazeCanuck').

uh, that goes both ways buddy.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I don't know about coolest/most badass. Something about being rightfully told you father is not God by your father causing you to strive for the destruction of everything he created always seemed a little oversensitive for a superhuman to me.

However, its pretty easy to make the case that The Word Bearers are the most important legion ever. Somewhere along the line Horus got all the credit for going over to Chaos first but indeed he was merely a pawn the whole time to the Word. If it weren't for Lorgar (and really Erebus who may by the most important figure in history nobody's heard of) the 40k universe we all know and love just wouldn't be as grim, dark and full of unending war. And what fun would that be?

Nice.

Ediin wrote:Post Count +1

Nice.

In other news, I just gotta say, that as much as the word bearers primarch was one of the most nerve-grating charecters in all of fiction, he did form a pretty cool legion when the dust settled. I personally would have put them quite low (lower than IW or IF, certainly) just because they had an embarassing family member.

Congrants on the post,may you reach 12225 post.