Which is better, Legion or Chapter?


With Forge World releasing the start of the Horus Heresy books providing us gamers with a whole new world, I started thinking about the time period that I enjoy the most as it relates to the background or more simply, what's more cool... a space Marine Chapter or Legion?

For me, I have to say it's a Legion.

As luck would have it, my friend let me borrow his copy of Book One: Betrayal to look through. He told me his initial impression was that it was "alright," which is not what I expected him to say about the book. Turns out, my copy arrived the very next day.

I've spent the last few days going through the book from a background and "look at the pretty pictures" perspective and I have to say that I am not disappointed. It only covers four Legions, Sons of Horus, Death Guard, World Eaters and Emperor's Children, but I'm a sucker for little nuggets of background info and pretty pictures.

After building that one Sons of Horus terminator I did the other week, I'm really starting to like them as a force. I think their color scheme is cool and the whole idea of a Legion just connects with me and how I view Space Marines.

I do like the shade of blue they used for the World Eaters though, that slightly lighter and a bit more muted blue gives them a completely different feel. That and the ornate armour for the Emperor's Children makes them stand out as well.

I did look at some of the actual rules for the Legions ( I was looking for more artwork), but I'll be honest, I get more excited about the stories and images more than anything else.

I love the idea of massive Legions moving throughout the galaxy in a time when they knew what had to be done and they had a clear goal. These guys were on a mission and nothing was going to stop them. They were expanding the limits of the Imperium and destroying whatever got in their way that ran counter to their goal.

Space Marine Chapters today just seem so watered down. Like they're living off of their past victories and history. Nobody stands out like they used to. Each chapter is just another one like the previous one. Maybe it's just me. I like that each Legion has a certain feel and look to it. From combat style to armour and everything in between. It feels like a time when you could be proud to say you belonged to the Sons of Horus or the Emperor's Children.

Saying you're part of a particular chapter now just doesn't have the same effect for me.

Make sure to check out these posts as they might help:
Army building: Do you build what you really want to?


Ron, From the WarpIf you've got any questions about something in this post, shoot me a comment and I'll be glad to answer. Make sure to share your hobby tips and thoughts in the comments below!