Alpha Legion 30k Tactical Support Marines

Tactical support Marines for the Alpha Legion

Labour Day 2017 has come and gone, and I was able to put the time spent at the lake toward a bit more painting. Here is a post with some outcomes from that painting - a few more troops for the XX Legion.  These are tactical support marines in Mark IV power armour carrying plasma guns.  They are plastic kits from GW, and have embossed shoulder pauldrons and decals from Forge World.

I love the little decals from Forge World - I wish they would do entire sheets of those small decals...

In 30k the so-called "tactical support squads" provide extra punch for the regular tactical marines who are equipped only with bolters.  By concentrating the harder-hitting weapons together in these units, tactical support squads hit pretty hard.  This was particularly critical in the 7th edition of the rules, with its restrictions on targeting, where everyone in each squad had to target the same enemy unit, so isolated special weapons could not fire at other more opportune targets.  Way less of a problem when the whole squad is equipped with high-powered weapons!

The 8th edition of the game is much more sensible when it comes to targeting (your models shoot whatever you like among what they can "see"), but these tactical support squads are still an important means for your 30k Legion forces to concentrate the high firepower required to take out other Legion Marines.

I love those embossed shoulder pauldrons with the Legion symbols...just awesome...and addictive, unfortunately...

A view of the power packs and features on the shoulders

While "volkite" weapons are my absolute favourite special weapons in terms of looking cool and effectiveness in the game, the plasma gun still offers plenty of punch, and looks pretty neat.  Even better, the 8th edition of the rules has done away with the infinitely moronic "gets hot" rules, so you don't need to worry about three or four models from this unit becoming casualties in the game simply because they fired their own weapons. 

Ready to eliminate loyalists and/or eye-witnesses...

This group will join another set of five similar models painting back during Curt's most recent Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge to make a full 10-man tactical support squad. The Alpha Legion forces continue to grow...alpha to omega!

Up next - some Terminators!