Have you seen this unit? Part 3

The Legion of the Damned has a strange history and great model support. Yet why are they never taken to war?

They really are nice models

 They come as a squad of four guys and a sergeant. They are boast the same stats as veteran marines (all 4's, 2 attacks, 1 wound leadership 10) and the sergeant has the same stats plus a WS 5. They have some special rules; fearless, slow and purposeful, aid unlooked for and unyielding spectres. They come armed with typical Marine fare as well; both style grenades, bolt pistol, and bolt gun.

Aid Unlooked For means that the Legion must always start in reserve and deploy via deep strike. Since they seem to appear where needed, this rule allows you to re-roll the scatter dice for their deep strike. You may re-roll not must.

Unyielding Spectres basically describes that they have a 3++ invulnerable save at all times. Well that isn't to shabby to have.

Fearless, we all know is both good and bad.

Slow and Purposeful is the same. Since this rule also gives the squad Relentless they can move, shoot bolters and assault afterward. However, they are only moving a D6" per turn (as per moving through terrain). So once they land, they really aren't going anywhere.

Really they are nice sculpts and need a good home on the battlefield and not as "counts as"

They can take the standard unit upgrades, one assault weapon, one heavy weapon, sergeant power weapon, fist combi something, plasma pistol or chainsword. They may also add five more members to the squad. Now this is where this squad gets dicey and why people do not seem to use them. 

Each added Legionnaire costs 30 points. The squad can take one special weapon and they all cost 20 points. They may also take one heavy weapon and these run almost the same cost as Devastator weapons (10,15, 20,30. The silly part is that a flamer, melta gun and plasma gun all run the same cost. The idea of a 20 point flamer or melta gun is ridiculous. The plasma gun sure, since they have relentless. The heavy weapons are as bad, well the  30 point heavy flamer is. 30 points for a heavy flamer? The other costs I am fine with, since once again these guys can move and shoot rapid fire/ heavy weapons to their full potential, but 30 points for a heavy flamer?

So the first problem is their cost. They are just too expensive for what they do.

The second problem is what do they do? They can fight, but no better than any other Marine. They can shoot, but there is better and cheaper options. They are fearless so they can sit on an objective, but as Elites they do not score. They are slow, moving the best of two D6 in inches is not stellar. Their save is invulnerable and a 3++ is cool, but it stops small arms as well as a regular 3+ does.

Third is they compete with the other Elite choices, all of which serve a specific battlefield role much better than the Legion. They compete with the cheaper, better shooting and can be made scoring Sternguard. They cannot assault, like internet favorite, Thunder Hammer Terminators. They lack the fire power and force of a Dreadnought. They just do not make much sense.

So how do they fix them? Well they have the models, but that doesn't mean they will appear in the next codex (look at Wulfen remember those models and unit? Where are they now?), GW has pulled models and units before. Is that the future of the Legion of the Damned? Back to obscurity? Back to a White Dwarf/ Chapter Approved article on how they can be used. The Legion needs work. They need the ability to fulfill a battlefield role besides; over-priced, slow moving, kinda (but not really) shooty, non assaulting, fearless, 3++ blob they are now.