Knowing Your Strengths and Weaknesses
Hello everyone! Welcome to the first part of the Black Templars 101 guide. To start this off, we need to discuss what in the Space Marine codex is good in 9th Edition for the Black Templars. To do that, a pro and con examination is needed to get a better idea of what's in store for a BT player once they decide to start the army. There are several things to consider: special rules, units in the codex, points cost of units, and how the codex interacts with 9th Edition. All of these play a part in the strength of a codex. There are several things in the codex that are good, and a few things that are not so good. We can address several of these issues with allied detachments, but I'll discuss those in another section.
We'll start with notable good things about the Black Templars:
We'll start with notable good things about the Black Templars:
- First and foremost, we have access to everything in the Space Marine codex, barring those pesky Librarians. This includes all of the Primaris marines that have been released to the world with the coming of 9th Edition. Access to Primaris is great though. Now, don't get me wrong -- these guys are not meta breaking, nor absolutely required for competitive play. But some units are almost too good not to take (e.g. Bladeguard Veterans and Eradicators). Each unit gives us something that can positively impact our lists, without breaking the point bank. This gives us a huge advantage when building balanced lists as we have a lot of options available.
- Angels of Death -- This special rule applies to all pure space marine lists and gives huge bonuses to us via several sub-rules. And They Shall Know No Fear gives us a re-roll on failed moral tests. Bolter Discipline allows us to double the number of shots of bolter weaponry as long as they did not move or within half-range (or if they are biker, terminator, centurians, or dreadnoughts). Shock Assault gives us an additional attack in close combat provided we charged or made a heroic intervention. Then finally, Combat Doctrines applies an additional -1 AP to weaponry based on which of the three (Devastator, Tactical, or Assault) doctrines you are currently in. These buffs put space marines on totally new footing against all other non-marine armies.
- Righteous Zeal -- The Black Templars chapter tactics allow us to re-roll one or both of our failed assault rolls for our units. For a 9" distance from enemy, this improves our chances from a 27% to a ~57% chance. Pretty darn good. That allows us to make the best use of alpha/beta strikes from deep strikes. Or simply gives us another shot at making a critical charge if we failed our roll. Reliability. I am certainly not complaining. In addition, it allows us to ignore mortal wounds on a roll of 5+. This gives us ability to shrug off Smites or other similar psychic powers. It also helps save our Company Veteran models from interception mortal wounds, increasing their durability.
- Knights of Sigismund -- Our "super" doctrine. It activates when we are in the assault doctrine, which gives our units that roll an unmodified 6 to hit in close combat an auto-wound against infantry (plus the -1 AP from the assault doctrine). This gives us about a 87.5% damage increase over units without this assault doctrine/special rule. You can get even higher if the unit has hit rerolls available. This makes getting to assault doctrine hyper-critical (earliest on turn 3). We've also got the Crusader's Helm relic to help a single unit get into assault doctrine early.
- Barring other armies' psyker-based deny the witch tests, our "Abhor the Witch" stratagem is one of the best denials out there. For a 4+ roll, you can nullify anything within 24" of a BT unit. Pretty darn good. Too bad we cannot use it more than once per phase, else we'd really be wrecking some psykers. We also have access to a deny the witch test through selection of a warlord trait called "Epitome of Piety", which is a DtW test with a +1 to the roll. Chaplain Grimaldus also has an innate DtW ability. Pskyers fear our armies.
- I believe our special characters among the best in the codex, by far. High Marshal Helbrecht increases the Str stat of BT CORE models within 6" by one, while also allowing all BT units in the same range to reroll ones to hit rolls. He can also grant one BT CORE unit or CHARACTER model rerolls to all their to hit rolls. Add in his beastly prowess in close combat and you have a very flavorful and competitive HQ unit here. Chaplain Grimaldus comes in at a very reasonable 95 points, but has a ton of special rules. As mentioned previously, he has an innate DtW ability. He generates two litanies as a Master of Sanctity (albeit from the same table) which is great. He allows other units to use his leadership and also allows units within 6" of him to generate additional attacks on unmodified rolls of 6 in close combat. This is a huge boost in close combat. Lastly, we have the close combat beast that is the Emperor's Champion. And let me tell you, for a mere 85 points, he is a character/monster wrecking ball. Especially if you have Helbrecht in close proximity.
- Black Templar specific relics. With the exception of the Skull of Cocodominus, all of the relics the Black Templars have access to are exceptionally strong. You will be struggling to decide which ones to use in your lists.
- Litanies of the Devout -- We have two great litanies (Litany of Divine Protection and Fires of Devotion) and two good litanies (Fervent Acclamation and Psalm of Remorseless Persecution) on our Black Templars specific litany table. The other two are situational, but over half of the list is definitely usable, with Divine Protection being a near must take for our armies.
- Black Templar specific stratagems. This is where the Black Templars come into their own. There is a good number of stratagems available to us, but some of them are stupidly good. One such stratagem was mentioned above in "Abhor the Witch". Others, such as "The Emperor's Will" and "Devout Push" allow us to make movements that we should not normally be able to accomplish to help us get across the board and into combat (or onto an objective). Movement shenanigans are exceptionally strong in 9th Edition. We also have the ability to trap units in close combat ("Tenacious Assault") and deal mortal wounds back to opposing attackers ("Vicious Riposte"). There are others as well, but these are the important five specific to the Black Templars.
The Not So Good
Now that we've gotten a glimpse of the good, we need to take a look at the things that are not beneficial to us. Fortunately, this list isn't too long, but you need to be aware of it regardless. No use getting surprised and subsequently angry because you overlooked these negatives.
- Assault Doctrine -- Our army lives and dies on our ability to get into close combat and secondly, our ability to kill whatever we are in combat with. Assault doctrine activates at the earliest on turn 3, which also means our "super" doctrine Knights of Sigismund isn't in effect until then either. This hurts the army as a whole, as it leaves us hoping we've got enough left on the board to make a difference come turn 3. We do have a stratagem and relic that can help mitigate this.
- Crusader squads are not very good. Neophytes are 4 points cheaper than Initiates, but have 1 less leadership, only 1 wound, and a 4+ armor save. In an edition where armor saves are at a premium, this hurts. While the neophytes do have a special rule that ups their close combat efficiency under specific conditions, it just doesn't do enough to offset the problems of the unit. Crusader squads are slow (6" standard movement), expensive, and lack weapon options at small unit sizes. They do, however, have the SMOKESCREEN keyword so have access to the "Smoke Grenade" stratagem for some extra durability.
- With the exception of Front-Line Commander and Epitome of Piety, the Black Templars warlord traits are a little lackluster. There really isn't many times you'll take anything other than those two traits (or MAYBE Inspirational Fighter).
- No Librarians! For veteran Black Templar players, we are cool with that for fluff reasons. Competitively, librarians are definitely a boon to space marine lists, including psyker-defense.
- High points cost! Our armies cost a lot of points. Its tough to compete against these cheap units that can put out insane firepower. We are an elite army and all of our losses are felt.
- Dedicated transports are expensive and do not allow you to charge the turn you disembark, unless you are using a drop pod, which makes it very difficult to get into grips with your enemy. Space Marine vehicles as a whole are over-costed and often are not as good as vehicles from other armies out there, nor do they usually fit into our chapter tactics (notable exceptions being dreadnoughts).
Adding It All Up!
Now that you have a list of note-worthy things in our codex, we have to put it all together. Knowing what is good, and what is NOT good is important. There are a few important things to address in this first section. Namely the things regarding 9th Edition and its effect on your game play.
It is my strong opinion (others may disagree with me) that mobility, deep strike, and concealed position usage is important for the BT's success 9th Edition. The majority of our forces will be foot-based, due to the ineffectiveness of transports, so we need to have units that move quickly (e.g. jump packs) or be able to manipulate our deployment to get in range of our enemy. The best way to accomplish that is to use deep strike or concealed positions to get within 9". With that being said, with 9th Edition's smaller board sizes, our Chapter Tactic's bonus to advancing will allow our foot-based units to cross the board quicker to get to those all important objectives. We also have access to several stratagems that make this easier as well.
One thing to note is that a footslogging force will often play a more reactive role on the field of battle. They will be slower to maneuver around the board, not as quick to objectives, and are vulnerable to enemy shooting. For example, a squad on the ground walking can be torrented down. Often, that will result in a badly mauled unit. Whereas, if they were in a Rhino, the enemy would have to get into the transport first. In addition, enemy forces who lack anti-tank weaponry will have a difficult time getting to you, providing incredible protection during battle. A footslogging force will remain in enemy fire lanes for much longer periods, eating enemy fire during that time. Once in range, your opponent's CC-oriented units will be able to assault your foot-based units whenever they desire, sometimes to the extreme detriment to your game. However, a transport will be able to maneuver out of range or behind cover rather quickly. With that being said, in a board with adequate terrain coverage and proper list building with multiple threats/enough bodies, a foot-based list is extremely viable. Those transports cost quite a few points, with little offensive potential, so you'll have to account for it in your lists. You will find yourself wishing you had more points for other stuff in the list...so fully mechanized lists are off the table.
With "True Line-of-Sight" (LOS), long-range shooting is a very effective way of dealing with your opponent's army. There are very few times where your opponent will be able to hide the entirety of their unit from your guns, allowing you to at least get some shots off on them. In addition, long-range weaponry has the ability to reach across the board on turn one and effectively neutralize your opponent's mobility, firepower, and/or their army. We have the benefit of numerous units that can fire without LOS, so those units are a huge boon to us. Close combat also give you this ability with the correct application of deep striking and/or concealed position units with high damage weaponry (e.g. thunder hammers). Shooting is something your opponent always has to worry about and takes a concentrated effort to neutralize, especially when facing redundant units. It is very unlikely, no matter where your opponent is on the board in relation to you, that they will be able to hide from your shooting. So it is critical that you have some form of long range weaponry, mixed with mid-range weaponry like storm bolters to thin your opponent's forces while you close in for the kill in close combat. Some of this can be accomplished all in the same turn. So to summarize, we need a healthy mix of firepower and close combat.
It is my strong opinion (others may disagree with me) that mobility, deep strike, and concealed position usage is important for the BT's success 9th Edition. The majority of our forces will be foot-based, due to the ineffectiveness of transports, so we need to have units that move quickly (e.g. jump packs) or be able to manipulate our deployment to get in range of our enemy. The best way to accomplish that is to use deep strike or concealed positions to get within 9". With that being said, with 9th Edition's smaller board sizes, our Chapter Tactic's bonus to advancing will allow our foot-based units to cross the board quicker to get to those all important objectives. We also have access to several stratagems that make this easier as well.
One thing to note is that a footslogging force will often play a more reactive role on the field of battle. They will be slower to maneuver around the board, not as quick to objectives, and are vulnerable to enemy shooting. For example, a squad on the ground walking can be torrented down. Often, that will result in a badly mauled unit. Whereas, if they were in a Rhino, the enemy would have to get into the transport first. In addition, enemy forces who lack anti-tank weaponry will have a difficult time getting to you, providing incredible protection during battle. A footslogging force will remain in enemy fire lanes for much longer periods, eating enemy fire during that time. Once in range, your opponent's CC-oriented units will be able to assault your foot-based units whenever they desire, sometimes to the extreme detriment to your game. However, a transport will be able to maneuver out of range or behind cover rather quickly. With that being said, in a board with adequate terrain coverage and proper list building with multiple threats/enough bodies, a foot-based list is extremely viable. Those transports cost quite a few points, with little offensive potential, so you'll have to account for it in your lists. You will find yourself wishing you had more points for other stuff in the list...so fully mechanized lists are off the table.
With "True Line-of-Sight" (LOS), long-range shooting is a very effective way of dealing with your opponent's army. There are very few times where your opponent will be able to hide the entirety of their unit from your guns, allowing you to at least get some shots off on them. In addition, long-range weaponry has the ability to reach across the board on turn one and effectively neutralize your opponent's mobility, firepower, and/or their army. We have the benefit of numerous units that can fire without LOS, so those units are a huge boon to us. Close combat also give you this ability with the correct application of deep striking and/or concealed position units with high damage weaponry (e.g. thunder hammers). Shooting is something your opponent always has to worry about and takes a concentrated effort to neutralize, especially when facing redundant units. It is very unlikely, no matter where your opponent is on the board in relation to you, that they will be able to hide from your shooting. So it is critical that you have some form of long range weaponry, mixed with mid-range weaponry like storm bolters to thin your opponent's forces while you close in for the kill in close combat. Some of this can be accomplished all in the same turn. So to summarize, we need a healthy mix of firepower and close combat.
Black Templar List Archetypes
There are players online that will say the older codices are what we like to call "mono-build". That means that there is only one type of army that you can build and do well with. Often, this term is applied to the Black Templars. Don't listen to everything you read. They are ignorant and I'll show you why in this guide. The BT have several viable builds available to them for competitive gaming, so ignore those that don't know what they are talking about. ;)
When deciding where to go with your list, you first need to decide what type of army you wish to play. I'll say it straight up: Some archetypes are better than others. The weaker versions are not very viable in competitive play in the current edition. Regardless, as a new player, you need to know what the codex can do and the possible archetypes associated with the Black Templars.
To begin, there are three main Black Templars army types: Mechanized, Footslogging, and Drop Pod. These three types can be further broken down into smaller sub-categories, depending on the preferred play-style of the player. Several include the Black Tide, Rhino Rush, Heavy Mech, and assault-oriented Drop Pods. I'll go into each version and how they affect how you play.
Mechanized:
That should give you a basic idea of the type of army you wish to run. It is my strong suggestion, that it be a mixed foot-based list that utilizes all of the deployment tricks we have access to. This style is the most adaptable, resilient, and provides the mobility you need to succeed in 8th Edition. It will give you the balance your army needs to take on a wide variety of opponents and do well.
When deciding where to go with your list, you first need to decide what type of army you wish to play. I'll say it straight up: Some archetypes are better than others. The weaker versions are not very viable in competitive play in the current edition. Regardless, as a new player, you need to know what the codex can do and the possible archetypes associated with the Black Templars.
To begin, there are three main Black Templars army types: Mechanized, Footslogging, and Drop Pod. These three types can be further broken down into smaller sub-categories, depending on the preferred play-style of the player. Several include the Black Tide, Rhino Rush, Heavy Mech, and assault-oriented Drop Pods. I'll go into each version and how they affect how you play.
Mechanized:
- Armored Spearhead -- This army style uses the Rhino or Razorback as the main means of transportation around the board. Generally speaking, this army style uses Rhino/Razorback transports and up to one Land Raider Crusader in its force. You are able to build either an assault-oriented or shooty list with this archetype. Most of the fire support is vehicular, as to be able to keep up with the rest of the army in maneuverability. Often called "Rhino Rush".
- Hybrid Mech -- This army style is a variation of the classic Rhino Rush, except that it does not make full use of vehicles. The combination of infantry units and mechanization can be very balanced. Normally the infantry is taken for CC-oriented roles, but not always. Built right, this style of army can provide plenty of success.
- Heavy Mech -- Another variation of the classic Rhino Rush, but this one makes heavy use of the Land Raider Crusaders. It is an assault-oriented list that is traditionally used in conjunction with Assault Terminators. Most Heavy Mech armies provide at least 2 LRCs in 2000 point lists, and more at higher points levels. Widely considered to be a "rock" army, it is not nearly balanced enough to win consistently against the different armies out there.
- Gunline -- The Gunline archetype makes use of the traditional firepower in mechanized lists such as Predators, long ranged Dreadnoughts, Hellblasters, and Land Speeders. However, our Crusader squads are kitted out to be minimally-sized with Lascannons. Their transports are typically Razorbacks, as to provide another layer of firepower. Traditionally weaker in close combat ability, but all is not lost. You've got quite a few options for firepower that will scare the hell out of just about any mechanized or foot-based MEQ army. If you built the list correctly, this style of army is quite powerful and is a very competitive build. However, it doesn't exactly play into our chapter tactics very well...
- Black Tide -- This form of army uses no transports of any kind. Generally, there are two or three full sized crusader squads of 20 on the battlefield (or larger Primaris squads) with a character in close proximity. This is usually a Chaplain. Then there is a mix of assault troops, bikes, and sword brethren (terminator or not) for the final touches. If you get into close combat, you'll kill nearly anything you touch. However, it takes quite a while to get where you need, even with advancing. Maneuverable opponents will simply avoid your huge blocks of troops.
- Mixed -- This archetype utilizes several, if not all, of troops to maximum effect. There is potential to see large crusader squads, as well as minimal sized units. Primaris marines and neophytes are also an option in this type of list, which tries to put as many targets on the board as possible. This list does not have to be entirely footslogging and may see mechanized units. Generally the most competitive option.
- Deathstar -- In a similar vein as the Black Tide style list, you will see a mostly foot-based list (if not entirely) centered around several very hard hitting units like Assault Terminators, Vanguard Veterans, or Bladeguard Veterans. These are often supported by several character units to overlap aura abilities to grant several bonuses to these units at once. The Black Templars fit this playstyle very well and is currently one of the most competitive types of list we can put out there.
- Alpha Strike -- This is an offensive use of the new deep strike rules to ensure that you get an alpha strike on your opponent. You can do this in a number of ways, usually via inclusive special rules already present in the unit (i.e. Incursors). This can be in the form of shooting or assault, but the idea is to distract or destroy the important pieces in your opponent's army so that the rest of your list can go to work. Reminder, you can only deep strike 50% of your list.
- Defensive -- Used as a defensive tactic to stall your opponent the ability to hurt you, then bringing in a large reserve force to strategic parts of the board either to claim objectives or to attack your opponent. This style of list risky.
That should give you a basic idea of the type of army you wish to run. It is my strong suggestion, that it be a mixed foot-based list that utilizes all of the deployment tricks we have access to. This style is the most adaptable, resilient, and provides the mobility you need to succeed in 8th Edition. It will give you the balance your army needs to take on a wide variety of opponents and do well.
Continue on to BT 101: Unit Analysis and/or BT 101: Building Low-Point BT Armies.
Or start the next step by reading Part Two: Building a 8th Edition List.
Or start the next step by reading Part Two: Building a 8th Edition List.