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Let's assume one wanted to play as the Alpha Legion in a fluffy way, and not just as regular Chaos Space Marines with Alpha Legion colours. How would one go about it?

What tactics would he employ? What units? What weapons?

Also, I am expanding my chaos collection to have an iconic unit from every Legion. I have Iron Warriors havocs and a Predator, Emperor Children noise marines, Word Bearers dark apostle, cultists and possessed, Night Lord raptors and so on. What would be the "iconic" unit for the Alpha Legion? If only traitor astartes had Scouts I'd go for that, but nope...

A fluffy Alpha Legion armour would most likely use almost all the units in the chaos index with the exception of Daemon units since their allegences with the chaos gods are unknown at best... If you have the FW index, they may also use a lot of renegades in their armies, subterfuge and all.

It also helps if you continuously change who your warlord is throughout the battle.

In 30k, they are portrayed as a force capable of rapid reorganisation and redeployment through use of vehicles of all sorts, with asymmetric warfare as their main strategy. Assassinations, sabotage etc. Total victory and audacious raids are also hallmarks of the Alpha Legion - it's not enough to defeat the enemy, they have to be utterly crushed. They don't try to defeat the enemy for strategic or material gain (though it obviously is a factor), but for martial pride. In 40k... Anything goes, apparently, though Daemons are sparser, as only the Alpha Legion didn't flee to the Eye of Terror. They just disappeared on the Eastern Fringe.

In 30k, their hallmark units are the Saboteur, Lernaean Terminators (Cataphractii), Headhunters, which are Seekers specialised in hunting Space Marines with power armour-penetrating bolter rounds, and Sparatoí, which is another name for auxilae. None of these really translate into 40k that well, though Chosen are somewhat close to Headhunters, and Sparatoí can be Veteran Renegade Guard or Renegade Guard. In 40k, they are known for organised Cultist uprisings, which are very different from the demagogue-herded rabble of the Word Bearers.

I'd say they're better represented by missions, as the you even have a "historic" Alpha Legion ambush in the 40k BRB.

It's classified.

Cultists and only cultists, but they don't look like cultist because its a guard regiment.

After your opponent sets up, tell them their army is really an Alpha Legion army in disguise and you win automatically.

 Karhedron wrote:
After your opponent sets up, tell them their army is really an Alpha Legion army in disguise and you win automatically.

But you look up, your opponent tears their face off: they were Alpharius all along. You bow down to your glorious leader, look back up: your opponent isn't there. Only a mirror. You were Alpharius all along.

Lord Arkos of FW.

Dreadclaws.

Focus on elite fast units.

"Counts as Ultramarines" (Protip: That's not actually Gulliman )

As far as an iconic unit goes, cultist would actually be the iconic alpha legion unit. Cultists were, at one time, an alpha legion exclusive unit. Beyond that... you can make a case for any of the kinda "elite" infantry, particularly with special weapons. Problem is most of those are more iconic for another legion, alpha CSM tend to be a bit more varied. Maybe an unaligned chaos lord leading the cultists?

As far as the army goes, cultists will probably be the best troop choice. Use those as cheap chaff while your elite highly trained marines perform more specialized jobs. Terminators or raptors with special weapons to deepstrike and hit the enemy in vulnerable locations, particular as you don't have infiltrating units right now. Chosen or havocs in rhinos are your elite well trained and well equipped infantry. Land raiders, vindicators, or predators work for armor support. Lots of HQs would be fluffy as would very few HQs, representing either they have lots of redundancy in the chain of command, or that they barely have a chain of command, with everyone being able to work independently.

I'd stay away from demonic units for the alpha legion personally, but that is one of the more debatable aspects of their lore. Technically anything works in alpha legion, they are known for adopting any tactic that they think will work.

You can even run alpha legion as a small normal space marine detachment, with allied guard as subverted imperial forces making up the bulk. That's arguably closer to what alpha legion looks like in fluff than anything you can currently model with the CSM index.

pick any chapter of marines or imperial army for that matter, they are after all entirely composed of alpha legion members

Paint up all of your marines as alpha legion, regardless of which faction/codex they come from. Paint up guard as your cultists.

Always choose a sneaky warlord trait. Use every dirty trick possible during a game (stopping short of actually cheating).

Claim victory even when your entire force is beaten or wiped out. If your opponent disagrees, tell him you merely forced him to further the plans of your army.

It's gotta be Chosen for me, special weapon veterans in the right place at the right time is about as AL as it gets. Cultists also work, but they kinda feel under equipped.

Or do what I do and play loyalist with Lisa Issodon.

They wound probably be all sneaky beaky like.

if you have a favorite opponent that has space marines, id get some normal marines and paint them up in their scheme,

use UV glow light and paint a bunch of alpha legion symbols on their gear, play under black light to reveal your treachery.

Lots of dudes in power or terminator armor. rhinos, stolen things.

i dont think they would be all into dino bots or daemons.

Maybe we could ask GW if Alpha Legion is exempt from the Faction Keyword shenanigans FAQ...