GW sneakily revealed all the new 40k pre-orders that are coming next Saturday the 11th of November for the Black Templars.
Sometimes you have the read the entire contract — as I type locked to a steel pipe I noticed GW’s final sentence says that we can crusade next weekend!
This was my face too when I read the last sentence the designers commentary on Warhammer Community recently. To think, I almost stopped reading after the penultimate sentence thinking GW would just stick with the usual “these kits are coming soon!” but NO they changed it up and I almost dropped my sword.
Thanks once again for your input, Maxime. The updated range of Black Templars units – including Helbrecht, Grimaldus and the Emperor’s Champion – are up for pre-order from next weekend, along with their Chapter’s very own codex supplement, so prepare to launch your own Crusade of Rogal Dorn’s most zealous sons.
Jeeze, talk about burying the lead.
We took the opportunity to give him a Crusader-style helmet option and designed his armour to echo the Mk II pattern as a nod to the traditionalist mindset of the Black Templars. Even though Helbrecht has crossed the Rubicon Primaris, he’s held onto the same armour and had it reforged – Black Templars don’t like change!
Soon you’ll be able to paint the dead orc in brilliant green! Or the Servator holding the Melta Bolt Gun!
The miniature was designed to represent his status, opulence, and power as Chapter Master of the Black Templars. It really plays on the archetype of the king.
“His armour is bare and blank, because it’s not about him. He’s an embodiment of the Crusade,” says Maxime. “All of his personal heraldry, items, and trophies – all the things that make him an individual – are stripped from him. His armour is some of the best the Chapter has, but it’s totally functional, designed to allow him the greatest freedom of movement so that he can go toe-to-toe with the biggest foes. He’s sacrificing protection for mobility, which ties into his role as a martyr for the Chapter.”
I was way more excited when I thought he was a member of the Death Company. I think I’d paint him white and replace his sword with a chalice and induct him into the Sanguinary Guard.
I heard you can have THREE of these guys in the new book. He’s a mono pose, so for your second champion I’d go over to SpikeyBits and grab a void-resin-crafted champion made by 3D Art Guy, who is, in my opinion, even dope-er-er. At 50% off, I’d consider two.
Please note, he has black armor but but at least 70% of him is painted not black in this press release, so please, for hobbies sake don’t primer him and call it a day. Or do, it’s your model, do what you want.
Upgrade Your Impulsor for Less!
And now for Grimaldus. Could I talk trash about him and his retinue? Yes. Will I? Maybe. Let’s see.
“We kept the same relics from Helsreach,” Maxime explains, “but we rendered them slightly differently in order to match the scale of the Cenobyte Servitors, who we made larger to represent failed aspirants of the Chapter.”
“We used the banner to reinforce the idea that Black Templars are all about hate,” he continues. “Mounting the skeleton of a slain psyker on one of their sacred relics is a great way to express the brutality of the Chapter – they’re not carrying the remains of an honoured hero of their order like the Bladeguard Ancient, but a grisly trophy.”
Look, he’s so badass, his retinue can just carry stuff around for him, they have absolute confidence the hype train that is Grimaldus will keep them safe and sound. Banner guy? Check. Holy water Guy? Check. Psuedo Roman Cross? Check. (For the record, yes, it’s from the amazing Helsreach storyline and it’s all dope.)
Oh yeah and since they said “The updated range of Black Templars units” I guess that means these will be going on pre-order too:
Upping the Primaris game are new Neophytes models as it looks like Firstborn and their Neophytes’ days may be numbered for hobbyists…
Also rounding out this set is the new Pyreblaster model along with a Sword Brother who both are part of the Crusader Squad that we imagine is coming separately now.
Black Templars Full 40k Army Reveal
Overall we have to say this update is pretty awesome and just full of really cool minis. Looks like we’ll be seeing a lot of new BT armies out there soon!
Here we have the Castellan – effectively a fancy-pants Black Templars lieutenant – based on an inimitable piece of Black Templars art, providing a radically different look to your average Space Marine thanks to his skeletal pauldrons, all that piping, and the unconventional armour design.
We really like that they’ve been using the older artwork to base new characters on, as the old art is just so Grimdark! With him being a fancy lieutenant, we don’t expect the rules to be too crazy for him but who knows.
New Black Templars Sword Brethren
The Sword Brethren have also had an almighty glow-up. This elite squad can wield a diverse array of melee weapons, including thunder hammers and lightning claws, to beat and slash some faith into the most formidable opponents.
This looks like a really big upgrade compared to the old set and the with the number of different bits they show, we expect this to be a beefy kit, and probably expensive.
These guys look like they are ready for some serious crusading and with so many options, this kit will be super fun to build and paint up. That’s not everything either, they’ve also released an upgrade kit to make your normal marines look more the part.
Black Templars Upgrade Kit
To represent this look across all of your army, you can get your hands on an upgrade frame packed full of details you can add to your regular Primaris Space Marines.
Outfit any Adeptus Astartes squad with custom pauldrons, cover your Assault Intercessors with honorific ribbons, and equip a Repulsor with a multi-melta – a weapon that the Templars favour for its ferocity.
Honestly, this is a pretty decent upgrade kit, you can even use it to turn marines into Neophytes. With all the heads, shoulder pads, and weapons, this can take your existing force pretty easily into the new book.
Let’s just hope it’s not too expensive because you might have to grab a few of them. If you’re curious about the contents and value of the new Army box that is probably still on a store shelf near you, we have that for you below as well!
New 40k Black Templars Army Box: Pricing & Value
The product listing for this limited release has the following contents:
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 (supplement)
- 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.
Next Week New Black Templars: GW Pre-Orders Revealed
Games Workshop just let us in on all the new releases that are finally going up for pre-order this coming Saturday.
Now let’s look at next week’s line-up from Warhammer Community.
High Marshal Helbrecht
To lead a Chapter as zealous and uncompromising as the Black Templars you have to be an individual of supreme willpower and stubbornness, and High Marshal Helbrecht is that guy. Driven by righteous hatred and the singular desire to rid the galaxy of mutants, aliens, and heretics, his fury is matched only by his skill with a blade.
Other than having a fantastic new model, Helbrecht has some sweet stats as well with support and a ton of melee damage.
High Chaplain Grimaldus and Retinue
The Hero of Helsreach, as Grimaldus is known, is a spiritual icon for his fellow Space Marines, epitomising the selfless endurance they all aspire to. When Helsreach Hive on Armageddon was overrun by Orks, the High Chaplain held the line until the walls and roof came crashing down around him. Believed dead for days, he dragged himself free from the rubble carrying three divine relics, which his Cenobyte Servitor retinue now carry with him into battle.
Grimaldus on the other hand is much more support-focused thanks to his abilities as a chaplain, but that doesn’t mean he is helpless on his own.
Emperor’s Champion
On the eve of battle, a Black Templar may receive a vision from the Emperor that commands them to conquer the enemy’s strongest fighters in single combat. These blessed Space Marines are granted the Armour of Faith and the Black Sword, powerful and ancient relics of the Chapter, and dubbed the Emperor’s Champion. They immediately go on to commit tremendous acts of violence.
Emperor’s Champions are Iconic and their skill in melee are extreme! If you need an additional threat to help swat down characters, this might be it.
Marshal
Black Templars Crusade Fleets are often led by an experienced Marshal – similar in role to the Captains of other Chapters – who oversees the order of battle and commands their troops from the front lines.
Marshals serve as another support-based character with good auras to help the front lines, meaning they’ll pretty much slot into any list.
Castellan
Castellans are junior officers among the Black Templars, assisting the Marshals in their day-to-day tasks and leading contingents of their battle-brothers in shock assaults. Much like the Lieutenants found across the Adeptus Astartes, they’re fully capable of raising hell in close combat too.
Similarly, the Marshal also offers support on a decent body, making it an easy include for plenty of lists.
Primaris Crusader Squad
The Black Templars have historically fielded specialised Crusader Squads as their rank and file, with Initiates accompanied into battle by Neophytes eager for front-line experience. The same holds true for Primaris Crusader Squads, which are a powerful Troops choice capable of absorbing massive punishment while charging at their foe.
With all that support, youll want some bodies to make use of it! As one of the troop options, the Crusader squad gives you a decent amount of bodies with good stats to boot.
Sword Brethren Squad
Those who master the art of the blade and rise in rank to become one of their Chapter’s Veterans are inducted into the ranks of the Sword Brethren. Much more than a simple Veteran Squad, Sword Brothers carry a wide array of deadly weapons into battle and are resistant to the drawbacks of their Templar Vow.
On the more elite side of things, the Sword Brethren are like melee-only terminators with great stats and a hankering to smash and slash.
Codex Supplement: Black Templars
The rules for these new units can be found inside Codex Supplement: Black Templars, which also contains Crusade rules, Stratagems, Relics, and Warlord Traits. True devotees of the Emperor will want the collectors’ edition with a beautiful soft-touch cover, though you’ll want to act fast as there is only a limited number available.
Of course, now you can also get the codex on it’s own meaning it’s easier than ever to start the new faction!
Plus Templar die-hards can get the new collector’s edition that is more than just an alternate cover that came in the Army box.
Black Templars Upgrades and Transfers
Upgrade your army with a packed set of optional extras, including additional weapons for your Primaris Neophytes and a full set of Black Templars Relics. If you’ve ever wanted to give one of your warriors the massive Sword of Judgement, this pack is right up your alley.
The base kit doesn’t come with everything, so this upgrade sprue can help you get your models fully WYSWYG, meaning what the physical model has the actual bits that they are running in your list.
Dice & Datacards
To round off your collection, pick up a pack of Black Templars-themed dice and some handy reference datacards to make your tabletop crusading as easy as can be.
Space Marine Chaplain
It’s not just the heirs of Sigismund who are getting new releases, as a classic Chaplain returns to bolster the Reclusiam of your favourite Space Marine Chapter. Previously only available as part of the Space Marine Heroes set, this Chaplain is now ready to strike out on his own.
Lastly, this lone Space Marine Hero is now going to be available separately, but he can join any chapter, not just Black templars!
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’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!
- Grimaldus Revealed!
- Full Black Templars Army Release: Sword Brethern & Upgrade Kits
All the Latest on the New Black Templars
Are you excited about the new Black Templars?
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