New Black Templars Stratagems and 40k character rules give your army even more fun combos- check it out!
With the launch box up for pre-order soon, you know Games Workshop was going to give us some new rules to ogle. They seem to have really given them a ton of special rules in the supplement, so we won’t be surprised by them topping tournaments with that new codex power creep.
Warhammer Community just unveiled a whole host of random rules including stratagems, relics, and more. Let’s first take a look at the rules we’ve seen so far, then jump into the new stuff!
New 40k Black Templars Rules
Overall the 9th Edition Black Templar rules until now have mostly been speculated at, but check out a few of the release and rules rumors from Reddit over the summer.
- The Crusader kit will have options for a Sword Brother unit leader with cape, and there’s a 15″ AP-1 flamer.
- The Sword Brother kit will have plenty of CC options and the option to make a Marshal (like with the Custodes Warden kit that gives you the option of making a Captain).
- There will be two Crusader Squads: the old one that everyone knows and a new one made up exclusively of Primaris. The latter will be 5-11 Primaris Initiates, 4-8 Primaris Neophytes, and 1 Primaris Sword Brother. Neophytes will have 2W and 2A like other Primaris.
- There’ll also be a conversion/bits/upgrade sprue that will have Templar relics on it (so-and-so’s helmet, the sword of such-and-such, etc.), shotguns for Neophytes, and more customization options like extra arms (Neophyte holding a helmet), or backpack-mounted candles.
- There will also be a multi-melta which will become a BT vehicle option. It’ll replace the stubber on Primaris vehicles.
- Emperor’s Champion can give invul save through an Aura.
- Crusaders can deal lots of mortal wounds.
So obviously there are some big tells here and from the timestamp, it looks like this was all spot on, and probably very close to what we’ll see from a new Black Templars as the reveals of both the new Grimaldus and Helbrecht have pretty much confirmed the rest…
Crusader’s Helm
…Supported by a Marshal with the Crusader’s Helm (to ensure they’re all in range of his Rites of Battle aura ability), and a Primaris Ancient to keep them fighting to the last, is certainly an intimidating prospect.
Upgrade Your Redemptor for Less!
Increasing the range of Auras is always strong and being able to buff up your units for combat is obviously also a plus, as the army is heavily geared towards smashing the enemy in combat.
Litanies of the Devout
You’ll no doubt recognise the Litany of Hate, but what about the Litanies of the Devout? Well, Black Templars Chaplains have access to six bespoke litanies in the new codex supplement. We went with Psalm of Remorseless Persecution, and Fires of Devotion purely because they fitted our army’s theme of relentless aggression.
We really like that they have been giving the different chapters separate litanies, it’s a really flavorful way to change up the chapters. It looks like you’ll be able to grab a ton of attacks so the first one should be able to give you close to the maximum of 6 mortals pretty often. And who doesn’t like mortals? The second one is also strong, as adding 1 attack can really stack up on big units.
Sigismund’s Seal
This can be super powerful, but it is a Relic Bearer’s item so it only applies to that one unit. Still, if you can get your unit into combat with the marked enemy unit, this is just insane. As you will be guaranteed to do a ton of damage.
Suffer Not the Unclean to Live
It’s the most unapologetically hostile as its Passion element obliges your Black Templars to charge the nearest enemy at all times. Purging heretics is like cleaning stairs – you start at the top and work your way down, rather than picking which to clean one at a time.
This will get you a ton of auto hits through and when you combine it with the Litany from above, this will become seriously strong. The drawback is a little annoying, but it just generally will mean you might have to charge multiple units. Because it says as a target, not the only target.
Black Templars Stratagems
You’d be able to utilize Wisdom of the Ancients to provide your massed infantry advance with Tactical Precision in the absence of a Primaris Lieutenant.
For one CP you basically get a reroll, but if you have multiple units within the 6″ then you can start getting more and more rerolls. Plus, this lets you use the normal reroll for something else.
Devout Push enables one unit that’s run out of heretics to stay on the front foot by moving back into Engagement Range and keep the momentum going.
For one CP this is another nice Stratagem to readjust your army around and get more dudes into the fight or tie up another unit.
Overall 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 are the latest rules previews for these crusaders!
All the Latest on the New Black Templars
Do you like the new rules? Are you going to grab the launch box?
Let us know in the comments of our Facebook Hobby Group, or our new Discord server, and make sure you enter the latest monthly giveaway for FREE today!
Get ad-free access to the site, a monthly drop of miniatures, and support some of the best creators out there for as little as $6 a month on Patreon!
About the Author: Travis Pasch
Travis Pasch
Job Title: Head Writer & Editor
Joined: 2019
Socials: @paschbass
Bio: Dark Eldar Dracon and Warhammer 40k hobbyist since the third edition in 1998. He also loves camping because you can only paint so much! He joined the Spikey Bits team in 2019 and has been the main daily writer since 2020.
Maybe one day, he’ll finish converting all his Ad Mech models and turn into a true tech enjoyer, complete with sad and happy robot noises!
