Fixing "The Great Betrayal"

Games Workshop have one chance to put right the wrongs that have existed for a decade. The period 2002-2006 were glory days for the "Illuminated" as they had, first, the Index Astartes articles that appeared in White Dwarf and then, second, Codex: Chaos Space Marines v3 (four printings over its life).

The author of the Codex, Pete Haines "got" Chaos. Over 3rd and 4th Edition, Codex:CSM rivalled Codex:SM in terms of armies. Sure some people could go over the top with the "Turning to" armies - and to a lesser extent Iron Warriors but the actual Traitor Legions themselves brought variety to the Power Armoured/MEQ game.

In this house we had Death Guard (x2), World Eaters (x2), Word Bearers, Thousand Sons and Emperors Children armies - as well as Iron Warriors that never got finished. I always wanted to do Night Lords but struggled with the bat helms.

When the 4th Edition Codex hit, all those armies were invalidated with whole parts of each unusable.

That largely killed 40k me and I went from Plague Lord/Noise Lord to Seer Lord Morskitta.

So given the door has been opened what do I want to see in "Traitor Legions". It can pretty much be summed up in two words - "Variety" and "Individuality".

If we accept that summoning Daemons won't be there in the form it was, here's what I'd like for each Legion.

THOUSAND SONS

The die is cast but the early signs are good

• Rubric Marines
• Cult Terminators
• Warp inspired weapons
• Slow and Purposeful
• Arhiman

BLACK LEGION

They have their own book and to be honest given Abaddon is 0-13 he doesn't deserve much love from the Chaos Gods.

• Generic List
• Abaddon as a Special Character
• Ability to take a kickass retinue

ALPHA LEGION

• Army wide infiltration for a start
• Previously got cultists but I believe they are more appropriate in Word Bearers. It would be nice if they got some units inspired by Genestealer Cult, more operatives than fodder.

NIGHT LORDS

• Ability to take one Raptor or Bike unit as Troops
• Army wide Stealth
• Negative modifier to enemy morale to reflect their "Terror" rep, perhaps a cumulative Psychic Power

WORD BEARERS

• Dark Apostle restricted to Word Bearers
• Cultists restricted to them as well
• Enhanced access to Possessed, Lesser Daemons and Daemon Engines

IRON WARRIORS

• Warpsmith restricted to IW
• Siege specialist so Tank Hunter
• Daemon Engines
• Basilisk

WORLD EATERS

• Kickass Daemon Prince
• Kharn
• Cult Terminators
• Army wide Mark of Khorne/Frenzy
• No Havoc Squads
• Only long range firepower should be that based on Daemon Engines

DEATH GUARD

• Typhus
• Cult Terminators - MoN, FNP
• Plague Marines
• Blight Grenades/Manreapers
• Restricted access to Transport/Tracked vehicles
• Typhus

EMPEROR'S CHILDREN

• Cult Terminators
• Army wide MoS
• Army wide access to Noise Weapons so that Lords, Terminators, Troop Squads, Bikes and Havocs can all be "Noise Marines"
• No Oblits, Raptors or other cult troops

I think this would achieve the variety and individuality that Legion players crave.