| 20 May 2009
This simple yet stirring call to battle epitomizes the spirit of the Black Templars. They are famous (or infamous) for their tenacity and rabid desire to purge the enemies of the Imperium; a desire that matches and can sometimes exceed the fanaticism of the Ordos Hereticus and Malleus. If it’s not human (and loyal), the Black Templars have no patience for it. The Black Templars have been a part of the 40K mythos since the Second Founding, having been split from the Emperor’s Fists along with the Crimson Fists and Soul Drinkers. Rogal Dorn, Primarch of the Emperor’s Fists, initially opposed the separation of his Legion, almost to the point of a renewed civil war.
Sigismund, who Dorn had chosen to be the first Emperor’s Champion, was promoted to High Marshall and, taking the most zealous of Dorn’s line, swore an oath “to prove his loyalty, never resting in the prosecution of his duties against the enemies of the Emperor.” The warriors who followed him adopted the black and white colors that he had worn as Emperor’s Champion, and the largest and longest-running crusade of the Imperium was begun. This brief history establishes the basis of why the Templars are the way they are. They are NOT a codex chapter, having turned their backs on the guidelines put forth by the Primarch Guilliman. Instead, the Black Templars chose to eschew the claiming of a homeworld. This may seem foolish, and at the time it was no doubt a risk. But this apparent weakness has in fact become one of the Templar’s greatest strengths. Rather than concentrating their focus on one world or the sector that surrounds it, the chapter now enjoys a more far-reaching and mobile area of effect. They have established several Chapter Keeps on worlds they have conquered or claimed, but their primary seat of power is their mobile Crusade fleets. These fleets, each commanded by a Marshall, are always moving and rarely in the same region unless it is to respond to a dire threat requiring overwealming force. The Chapter is led by a High Marshall, currently Helbrecht, who travels between the Crusade fleets. Because of this organizational structure it is unknown exactly how many Black Tempar’s there are. It is widely accepted, though, that the Chapter includes far more than the 1000 Astartes dictated by Guilliman’s famous codex, and some rumors state their numbers to be upwards of 6000.
Now, I won’t go into any more history. All of this information is readily available on the internet. If you want to learn more, I recommend either Wickia (for general information) or Lexicanum (for more game and hobby related information). I merely hope to lay some framework that will help the information that follows make some kind of sense. What I intend to present to you in this series of articles is my own first-hand experience with playing a Black Templars army and the wisdom gained while doing so. I will present them in a way that will be useful both to new and existing players looking for advice on how to best use them, but I’ll also throw in some bones for the guys who might be having trouble beating them. Please note, I am NOT a tactical genius or some kind of Black Templar Sun Tzu. I’ve been playing Templars since 2005 or so and I’ve lost more than my share of games. It’s taken me until just recently to really feel like I’m meshing with the army. I hope these articles will ease the burden on others who might be struggling, or at least entertain or enlighten. I welcome feedback and criticism, and if there are any topics you would like to see addressed in this space please don’t hesitate to message me. Next time I will begin to break down what I feel to be the key units in each spot on the Force Organization chart.
Up next: HQ (always start with the pretty ones, right?)
Until next time, Suffer Not the Unclean to Live!
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