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I can't help but wonder how the Alpha Legion still function as impersonating other space marine chapters when all the loyalists are now a lot bigger.

The only group I could see them dressing up as are Grey Knights.

Is there any background or fluff pertaining to this issue?

Because not all Space Marines are Primaris, and when the Emperor's Angels show up at a warzone, high command doesn't break out a measuring tape.

When the Alpha Legion has the tech to rewrite an Astartes' DNA and memories to make them think they're an entirely different person, a 3-inch height difference isn't really the main concern.

Wait, but what actual size difference inbetween sm and psm? Never think about it. Cause we seen size difference out of rescale not because actual height deff

It's not like they're jumping from 5ft to 8ft, its a few inches at most and Astartes aren't all uniform height anyway.

We as the consumer/viewer know the differences but in-universe for the colossal majority, Space Marines are unseen protectors of the Emperor's realm. Chaos Astartes, Craftworld Aeldar and even Necrons have all been mistaken for being Imperial Space Marines because the going rate is "hey they aren't normal like us but they aren't murdering us so they must be Space Marines".

IIRC marines even i HH have different height. Even in Alpha legion there is Herzog who very tall

silly man, you think alpha legion don't have primaris?

Hydra Dominatus!

Pretty much what Gert said.

Space Marines, despite the background focus, are vanishingly rare. The vast, staggering majority of The Imperium’s citizens will never see one in person. Even an Inquisitor is perfectly capable of living a long life and never actually running into an Astartes

Sure, there are Picts and Reliefs and Stained Glass and other artistic representations aplenty. But that’s not the same as actually seeing one.

So, should the Alpha Legion rock up for whatever reason? It’s entirely possible for them to go about their business without hiding their colours.

Even those that have met Astartes in the flesh most likely won’t know or especially care that there are different Marks of Power Armour, or which ones are meant to be rare.

Consider the modern world. I’m fairly confident I could identify a Military Uniform. That bit isn’t especially hard. But honestly? I’m not sure I could identify a country from it, let alone a regiment or a rank.

I’m aware of rank stripes and that, but couldn’t tell a Sarge from a Lieutenant or a Major.

Also while GW tends to showcase the same half dozen or so chapters, remember there are like 1,000 out there. So despite it being the usual suspects everytime GW tells the story, in universe, it’s probably not the Ultras/BA/DA/etc coming to the rescue.

If you see marines, they are probably not anything like the ones in the chapel’s stained glass. If there is a marine homeworld nearby, you might know them. But fleet based chapters? Who knows what they look like.

To give an idea of the Very Daft Numbers involved?

You could gather every single Astartes into Hive Primus of Necromunda. And you’d barely notice among the general population’s absolutely incredible numbers. Even if they march in a single line from the Sump to the tippity toppiest part of the Spire? Only the very merest fraction of Hive Primus Citizens would see.

There will be entire regiments of Guard who, nominally, fought alongside Astartes, but never actually saw one. Even their High Command won’t necessarily catch a glimpse in person. Whilst having at least an initial chat to better assess the situation is a good idea? Space Marines are entirely free to rock up, make their own assessment from orbit, make their strike, then sod off immediately without so much as a formal “hey, watch this beforehand.

Exactly. A Space Marine shows up to your command post with a serpent badge on it's pauldron. You, a God-Emperor fearing Imperial Guard Colonel, assume this warrior to be a vaunted member of the Iron Snakes Chapter.
The Astartes doesn't disagree and enters the warzone but disappears in a heavy conflict area.

Two weeks later, your army is routed by a massive army of mutants and heretics, all being led by a company-sized detachment of Chaos Space Marines.

Oops, turns out you let an Alpha Legion operative through the lines, and they used a ritual to open a Warp Rift and bring their troops through.

Heck, given how suppressed any true knowledge of the Heresy and the Traitors can be? They might freely identify as Alpha Legion. Because the chances of anyone even of any importance knowing are pretty minimal.

Which, whilst I think they are overused and much too tropey as a result for my tastes is what makes the Alpha Legion so interesting.

Especially if you want to lean into the “look, just how traitorous are they really” question. Certainly I wouldn’t put it past them to deploy in genuine support of Imperial Forces as and when….

A) They’re confident nobody will know their history
B) They think they can get away with it in general
C) It advances whatever it is they’re actually up to.

No subtle converting people to chaos. Not even anything even remotely sneaky. Just…”for our own purposes, we need this particular world to stand, and so we’re going to head on over and kick seven shades out of whatever is causing the problem, capiche”.

Of all the Astartes, loyalist or traitor? Alpha Legion are the blank slate. The perfect lens for the ignorance of the wider Imperium to be writ large as Obvious Traitors sometimes do good things.

Aren't Alpha Legion canonically the tallest chapter on average (all the better to disguise themselves as their canonically shortest Primarch when the need arises)?

Eh, sort of, but that's more just to explain how Alpharius could somehow pass as a regular Astartes after Primarchs got made mega big.

Personally I think it's all just the Christopher Reeve effect.

As always I can't remember book's name(the one where he found Omegon) but in HH series Alparius had have kind of psychic power that make people see him smaller. Also he is smallest of all primarchs only a little bigger than sm.