Curious to see how Black Templars will be shaping the meta? Here are some of the top new 40k rules combos to watch out for!
Black Templars are one of the Successor Chapters of the Imperial Fists. With that said, they have a devout belief in melee combat taking after what Sigismund taught them back during the Horus Heresy. With their mini codex rules being found inside Faith & Fury, how will they be looking against the grain of the 40k meta? We think they’re pretty good in combat for sure.
Before jumping in, on top of the Black Templars Chapter Tactic, they also always auto-wound on any hit of a 6 in melee with the Assault Doctrine. That means if push comes to shove, you could charge a Knight with a few chainswords and still manage to scrape up a few wounds at -1 AP. It’s definitely not bad and is a unique way of squeezing out a little bit more damage from the Space Marines than normal.
Black Templars Uniqueness Makes Them Hard to Counter
One of the most unique things about the Black Templars is that they don’t have any Chapter-specific Psychic Powers. However, they do have an entire table of Black Templar-only Litanies that you can spam on the tabletop. As an added bonus, Chaplains, historically speaking, are cheaper than Librarians and have much more melee-effectiveness than a Librarian.
Looking at BTs bringing Chaplains on the tabletop, it will be hard for the enemy to stop Litanies (actually impossible) and easy for the Templars to spam all the right chants that they need. Some of their best litanies offer a 5+++ FNP and can even add 3″ to Black Templar characters aura abilities.
That means Helbrecht can stand in relative safety while The Emperor’s Champion charges in at S8 with 7 attacks.
Since Chaplains will be the army’s breadwinner, an awesome relic is in the book called The Ancient Breviary, which is perfect for a souped-up Chaplain spouting out two Litanies a turn.
But continuing off of their lack of Librarians, they can still Deny the Witch on a 4+. It’s only 50/50 for 1CP, however, it doesn’t matter if Magnus rolled a 14 on his casting roll for a super smite, a simple 4+ on the dice can completely shut him down which makes these guys one of the most potent anti-Psyker speed bumps out there.
Black Templar Characters
The only thing “lacking” in the Black templars support wave is in the character department. With the increasing growth of Primaris Marines across the board, Black Templars didn’t get any kind of unique super-super soldier support. All of the older models stayed the same. However, they did make their rules slightly better.
For example, the named Chaplain Grimaldus got a helping hand with his weapon become S+2, Ap-2, 2-flat damage as well as Devout Puritan, which lets him deny as if he was a Psyker. He can also shout two total Litanies a turn, effectively making him a named Master of sanctity.
Helbrecht really didn’t change too much. However, with his S+1 -3 AP, D3 damage sword combined with D3 extra attacks +shock assault+ improved Chapter Master rerolls, he is a whirlwind of melee gore.
Finally, the Emperor’s Champion…He can’t be upgraded to be a Chapter Champion but is already better than one anyway. He got the Skillful Parry rule for a -1 to hit in combat and an extra attack. On top of that, he’s got a 2+/4++ and becomes an absolute character blender if he gets into close combat with Helbrecht cheering him on.
Overall, the Black Templars got a unique support wave of rules. They are practically untouchable on their Litanies and are able to spam them like nobody’s business. On top of that, they still remain a threat to Pyskers and have some awesome damage potential. The only thing really left desired is more character love. But they’re definitely in a better spot than before.
What do you think about the Black Templars? Will they bring something to the table that’s different in 40k’s competitive meta? Or is it like bringing a knife to a grimdark gunfight?
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About the Author: Wesley Floyd
Wesley Floyd
Job Title: Staff Writer
Joined: 2018
Socials: @RealmbrushPainting
About Wesley Floyd: Wes has been in the Warhammer hobby since 2015 and joined the Spikey Bits writing team in 2018. He is known for his satirist takes on trending topics and imaginative yet amazingly affordable hobby solutions to painting Warhammer miniatures.
Imperial fanboy, tabletop fanatic, and the self-proclaimed King of Sprues. He knows for a fact that Mephiston red is the best-tasting paint and is the commission painting equivalent of a Wendy’s 4 for $4. If you like what he writes and want to contact him or have your tabletop minatures painted (to a mostly okayish standard), message him on Instagram.
