The new Warhammer 40k Black Templars Army Launch Box will have 12 new minis inside, but what type of value will it have?
The Black Templars are a space-born crusading fleet, and seem to finally be getting new rules and miniature releases that fans have been asking for since they hit the main stage in the 3rd Edition Starter set way back in the late 1990s.
Business-wise it looks like this might be Games Workshop’s new path to market, or a way to squeeze every last dollar out of a new army’s release as they’ve done it with the Sisters of Battle in 2019, the Beast Snagga Orks, a slew of AoS Armies, and now the Black Templars.
This Black Templars Army Box will also be the only way to get their new miniatures and codex book before everyone else. The faction’s general release is also rumored to be in November of this year, followed by two more codex releases for the Imperials and Xenos specifically.
We’ll be basing a lot of the pricing and value for this box off the most recent Beast Snagga box, so we have a pretty good idea of how much most things inside will cost when the hit the shelves individually. Obviously, though, these are not set in stone yet and we’ll update this post with the actual pricing and savings when they become official.
Let’s take a look at the Beast Snagga Army box for comparison, then check out the Black Templars box.
Beast Snagga Box
The box is absolutely stuffed with Orks and ravenous squigs – not only do you get 26 new Ork miniatures, the set comes with an exclusive version of the new Ork codex with bespoke Beast Snagga artwork, a set of Ork datacards, and a transfer sheet.
Here is what the value of the last set was:
- Zodgrodd Wartsnagga – $40 (based on new Space Marine Characters)
- Squighog Boyz – $60 (includes Nob on Smasha Squig & Bomb Squig)
- 20 Beast Snagga Boyz – $100 ($50 for ten)
- Codex: $50
- Datacards: $25
Total MSRP: $275
Total Value: $75
We originally thought the value was a little higher than this, but $75 isn’t the worst when you consider you grabbed all the minis and book early.
Something to note here, the Beast Snagga box had new 26 models inside, while the BT box will come with 13 miniatures, 12 of which are new releases.
Let’s see how the Templars box stacks up.
New 40k Black Templars Army Box: Pricing & Value
The Army Set contains 13 miniatures, including 12 new Black Templars – a Marshal, the Emperor’s Champion, and a 10-man Primaris Crusader Squad with a ton of build options. You’ll also get a Redemptor Dreadnought, for targets that require a more forceful elimination.
These could all change, but we think the values below are pretty spot-on:
- Primaris Crusader Squad $60 (Based on other Space Marine Intercessors)
- Redemptor Dreadnought $65 (existing kit)
- Emperor’s Champion $40 (based on recent character releases)
- Marshal $35 (this could be on the low end, might go up to $40)
- Codex:$30 (not really a limited edition because of production numbers & resale price)
- Datacards: $25
Total MSRP: $255
Estimated Value: $55
The new box will cost $200, and the value is basically identical to the Orks Beast Snagga box minus $20 for a supplement codex book instead of the main one at $50 (you still need the Space Marine codex book to use).
Looks like GW likes that price point for both value and pricing.
It’s not the craziest box ever, but you do save some money, get the rules early and grab a bunch of new minis. However a key takeaway here for us is that you get about the same value from this as any of the combat patrol boxes, but end up paying $60 more at the register for the Army box configuration.
Upgrade Your Redemptor for Less!
Regardless, if it has value to you, then get it. If it doesn’t, then don’t! Don’t let the FOMO get the best of you if you really aren’t sure about the minis.
New Black Templar Army Box Sprues
As you can see a very cool-looking new Marshal model is coming that is very similar to the limited-edition one that came in the 3rd Edition army box over 20 years ago!
Here’s another look at this new crusader from the big army box reveal.
Now let’s take a look at what options this new model will have as the army box sprues have been spotted!
Black Templar Marshal
Recently Reddit user u/jazzhandskreiger posted up pics of the new Black Templar Marshal that they accidentally received in their Hexfire box.
This is clearly a Black Templars character as you can tell by the shoulder insignia. There are also new chains on his arms that we have seen on all of the new models for the sub-faction.
Plus from the looks of this, there are two close combat weapon options, an ax, and sword, plus a combi-flamer option to go along with the plasma pistol.
Two head bits are also on the sprue, however, neither looks to be a fully helmeted head. Chances are you can just use a helmet head from the crusader spures if you really want a closed head look for your Marshall.
GW New Orleans Open Black Templar Box Sprues Spotted
As we said above, these exclusive pics are straight from a player at the New Orleans Open!
First, here we can clearly see the simple box cover in shrink wrap and inside the display case. The glass is so clean the reflection of the carpet makes it a little hard to see, but that is certainly the real box!
Primaris Crusader Squad
Then we get a zoom in on the left half of the Crusader Squad sprue showcasing arms, legs, weapons, and some other bits like heads, torsos, and, shoulder pads. There’s definitely plenty of variation in this kit! which is key when you don’t get a suite of loadout options like in full unit releases.
As for the right half, we get a lot more heads, shoulders, and some auxiliary bits. But the notable things here are those new ranged weapons, the Sword Brother’s sword, and the primaries neophytes as well.
Primaris Emperor’s Champion
The Emperor’s Champion sprue looks a lot smaller than the Marshal’s as there really aren’t any options for this iconic character. He just chains his sword to his wrists and goes purging.
From this sprue, we can see the head really isn’t that customizable either, as it appears to be inset into the torso some with no separate neck. The larger purity seals flowing in the wind seem to be attached to the back of the torso as well to give it that extra dynamic look.
Look for the new Black Templars Army Box is here, with the rest of the army to follow in November/ December of this year!
Speaking of the Black Templars Army box, the release may not have gone the way GW wanted from the stores and customers we polled.
The Black Templars 40k Army Box Release Has Flopped…
We time-stamped this photo just to show when GW said the limited stock would be, well, it’s over 24 hours later and still, it hasn’t been changed from pre-order to MTO status. It looks like we might have another Dominion on our hands where they expect something to be super limited and it ends up hanging around for weeks.
Since they didn’t allocate the boxes, there is a chance that tons of people bought this from their local store, but we expect it also had to do with the value of the box and the fact you receive so few minis. It really looks like people are making their voices heard by voting with their hobby dollars.
Let’s Build 40k Black Templars Army Box: Unboxing
Here’s our review of the new miniatures and the box itself:
Sometimes it’s better to wait for a little to actually start collecting an army because there will be multiple waves of things, FAQs, etc… We’re not a hundred percent sure why it didn’t sell as well as the other boxes, but it is something to keep an eye on. It is pretty cool though when you open the box and you see this old-school artwork right away.
Then when you get into the box it is all pretty organized and comes with another little art piece to help protect the box.
Instructions & Sprues
Instruction-wise, it’s pretty much what you’d expect with the new color variations that we really like and there are multiple options for each unit.
The backpack of the Marshal looks a little funky, just a ton of fiddly parts, so Rob’s not sure how long that will actually take. While GW does some things we don’t like, they still produce some of the best miniatures in the world and the instructions are usually on point. The Champion however looks pretty simple, so that’s a plus!
A quick painting note, if you have the option to leave shoulder pads off, Rob recommends doing so. Mainly because painting white over a black primer is really hard. So just spray those white and it will save you a lot of time overall.
The Crusaders have a ton of options and each has a lot of variations. The way they do the instructions makes it really easy to build them how you want with plenty of color paths. They don’t say it in here but everything is numbered on the parts os technically you could clip everything out at once.
The Neophytes aren’t as variable as it’s just two sprues mirrored. However, you can give them different guns and heads.
This is the Crusader sprue and you get two identical of these. As you can see there are plenty of bits so these are not the ETB style. IF you can see inside the chest there, you can see the numbering on the bits themselves.
A lot of the small sprues (like the Champion) usually go around for $35, whereas the bigger ones (like the Marshall) usually go for about $45. The detail in these looks pretty sweet and the design looks great as well.
Assembled Minis
Overall these went together pretty easily. They have so many posing options, are really dynamic, and you can’t complain about the detail at all!
The Crusaders look so cool and the Neophytes are actually on 28mm bases, so basically the same size as a Primaris, but they are much more static than the regular Marines in the box.
When compared to a normal Intercessor, you can see these really have much more flair about them.
Overall, the Crusader box is just really cool!
The Emperor’s Champion is super dope with enough open space where you can really let your painting skill show through.
The Marshal is also super detailed with so much going on, but again, not so much you can’t show off your skills.
Final Thoughts
Overall this probably didn’t sell as good as GW wanted but it does have some big things for design inside. So as always, if it has value to you, then grab it, if not, then don’t.
Get Your Own Box Here!
Overall though it’s a great time to be a loyalist and an even worse time to be a heretic! Need more on everything Black Templars? Here’s the latest news and rumors for these crusaders!
- All The Emperor’s Champion Models Through the Years
- New Black Templars Primaris Helbrecht Model SPOTTED!
- Black Templars Getting More 40k Rules & Model Kit!
- Black Templars Emperor’s Champion Goes Primaris!
- Black Templars Army Launch Box Revealed!
- Grimaldus Revealed!
- Full Black Tempars Army Release: Sword Brethern & Upgrade Kits
All the Latest on the New Black Templars
Are you excited about the new Warhamemr 40k Black Templars Army box?
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About the Author: Travis Pasch
Travis Pasch
Job Title: Head Writer & Editor
Socials: @paschbass
About Travis Pasch: Travis has been a Warhammer 40k hobbyist since the 1990s, playing the game since Third Edition. Through extensive traveling, he’s seen a lot of the miniatures hobby from across the world, giving him a unique perspective on the latest gaming topics and trends.
Travis’s brother even owns a commission painting studio, where he’s picked up a lot of good advice and techniques for painting Warhammer and tabletop miniatures over the years, as well. Travis joined the Spikey Bits team in 2019 and has been the lead writer since 2020.
Currently, he’s working on converting all his 40k Adeptus Mechanicus models and becoming a true tech enjoyer, complete with both sad and happy robot noises!
