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Been wondering for a little while, would the traitor legions by 40k still have their original legion numbers on them? The numbers seem a pretty big part of the 30k era designs, and hate of the emperor and all that but wouldn't the numbers be pride in their primarch too? So do you think any would still be running around the current era still wearing them?

I doubt it, for the most part. In the 40K era, it's unlikely that most of them still think of themselves as a "Legion".

There are probably still roughly the same number of Chaos Marines out there, but each of the Legions...well, half of them can't even function as Legions, and a lot of them have lost troops to various Warbands and the Black Legion. Not to mention death. A major part of why they raid is to plunder stable Gene Seed and create new Chaos Marines, but...honestly, I suspect the only one that can field around its original numbers is the Black Legion, because Abbadon has accepted and absorbed so many other groups.

Most traitors don't operate as a legion at more.

The Word Bearers do, but they have moved on lot in terms of iconography

The Alpha legion would still look good with the odd XX. But really anything goes with them.

I needed Bobs post to properly understand your question but after getting that strait I think he is on point.

I don't know of any fluff that indicates that the Word Bearers still care for their XVII at all and the Black Legion has a better symbol of identification with the eye and it seems they got rid of every other insignia of their past. That would be the ones still operating as legions.

The only ones I could see still using theirs on more than a individual basis are the Alpha Legion.

Thinking about it, I reckon the Iron Warriors would still take thier legion number seriously.

Black legion aren't an original legion, and so have no legion number to display.

The rest have all disbanded into warbands, some might carry their numeral, others will have moved on. The daemon primarchs seem to have largely lost interest in them, so I doubt that there is much loyalty left in that regard.

I'd like to think that at least some of the Emperor's Children keep their III markings on their armor and vehicles. As well as the Imperial eagle.

If for no other reason than to irritate loyalists. The EC were the only Legion to be allowed to bear the eagle while the emperor was alive. I'm sure they enjoy reminding the loyalists of that.

Also, with their excessive drive for perfection, I can see many of them keeping their 30k era armor in perfect working order.

The Black Legion specifically would have shunned their number. After the Heresy they purposefully shed any attachment to the previous identities. They changed their primary colour from Luna Wolf White or Sons of Horus green to Abaddon's Justaerin's black. They dropped the name "Sons of Horus" as they (specifically "Horus was weak! Horus was a fool!" Abaddon) were shamed by it. They changed their legion symbol to the Eye, and presumably dropped the number, which was their symbol under Horus and the Emperor.


The EC probably kept theirs as a final "Feth you" to the Imperium. They kept the Aquila as they were the only ones permitted to wear it.