A couple years ago, the Black Templars got a jolt in the arm with a new FAQ from Games Workshop. Since that day, Terminators and Typhoons have graced nearly every BT army list. And that isn't a bad thing...they are just so good that it is pretty stupid not to take them unless you're not looking for competitive play. We've seen our lists shift very visibly from close combat, towards gun-toting zealots. One can argue whether or not this is the "fluffy" way to play, but let's face it, shooting your opponent often is more effective with our codex (with some rare exceptions). Thus, my lists often feature strong fire support as the core of my army.
With both a new Warhammer 40k edition on its way, as well as a new codex, the BT player-base doesn't know what is in store for them. Which is sad, but what has been done, cannot be undone. With the Grand Tournament season starting up, Black Templars players likely only have a few more months to play with their current armies. But that isn't such a bad thing. It allows us to play a few builds that we'd not normally try, to produce a little bit of fun for ourselves.
With both a new Warhammer 40k edition on its way, as well as a new codex, the BT player-base doesn't know what is in store for them. Which is sad, but what has been done, cannot be undone. With the Grand Tournament season starting up, Black Templars players likely only have a few more months to play with their current armies. But that isn't such a bad thing. It allows us to play a few builds that we'd not normally try, to produce a little bit of fun for ourselves.
This is my current attempt at doing as such. Now, the idea of the Blackwing isn't new, its been around since the release of the BT FAQ. But the difference is I've never built a list for it. I've always simply let others do as they will, without comment unless it was asked of me. Well, now that I have the time and desire to design my own version of it, I certainly am going to do so. I might even get a few games in with it before my beloved codex is replaced.
I will note that I didn't pull any specific part of my list from anyone else. Any similarities are purely coincidental.
The "Blackwing" has obvious pieces to it that essentially makes it what it does: dual-CML Terminators with Tank Hunters. These guys can make a very strong case for being the best unit in the codex (though, for reference, I place that honor on the Typhoon). The strongest point in their favor is the highly reliable and effective AT fire that these guys can put out. Four Krak Missile Launcher shots with Tank Hunters is nothing to sneeze at. And they can certainly put the hurt on against infantry with four Frag Missile Launcher shots, as well as their full compliment of Storm Bolter shots. Basic infantry will die in droves if not in cover. In addition, they are durable, or at least as durable terminator armor can be. Its certainly better than 3+ armor, which helps your weapons firing for longer. You can't "chain-stun" a terminator squad, because its obviously not a vehicle. So until you kill four of the normal dudes in a squad, they fire full force. Pretty awesome right?
They aren't without their faults, as they are decently expensive. These are terminators we're talking about. The CMLs aren't exactly cheap either, but what you get makes the expense worthwhile. Terminators also suffer from "Kill Them All" and "Righteous Zeal", but their relatively high leadership should save them from those the majority of the time. But not always, so don't let yourself be felled by thinking they are invincible.
How do we start our list? With the terminators of course! The obvious place to start is in the Elites slot, with three units of CML terminators. At 265 points a pop, this will use up the bulk of our 2000 points right away when we include the Emperor's Champion (we'll get to him in a second). Now this is where a person's interpretation of Blackwing comes into play. Some players stop here, satisfied with just the three units. Others go a little further. I prefer the latter, so let's get ourselves a Command squad!
There are a couple routes you can go here. You can go the cost effective route and simply take a Castellan with basic gear. Remember you DO NOT need terminator armor to lead a Terminator Command squad. You can even go so far as to not give him any gear at all, but I'd not really advise that. Alternatively, you can get a Marshal with the same setup so that you have army wide LD 10. Another option is to take your Commander and give him some gear to add some utility. The only gear that really matters is something close combat oriented and some protection (i.e. storm shield), but a combi-weapon is worth looking into as well.
You really have to decide what you want to do with the unit, but I opted to go with a mixture of cost effectiveness and utility. I've taken a Castellan with a power weapon, storm shield, and frag grenades. With that setup, he clocks in at a reasonable 91 points. Why the gear choice? First, I needed something to eat AP1 and AP2 weaponry for the unit. The storm shield fits that role nicely. Because the Castellan is fairly cheap (and only two wounds), who cares if he dies. In addition, the power weapon gives me something that strikes at high initiative in close combat should I need to go there. While numerous power fists are scary, they are not scary to units that already have power/rending weapons and strike before you. Between the Castellan and his Sergeant, there will be a hefty penalty for anyone choosing to charge this unit. Or if I decide to charge someone else. Could I have gone for the more efficient lightning claw? Yes, but as we'll see soon, points are a concern on that front.
So we've got 4 dual-CML squads thus far. This is where a good chunk of lists stop, as the remaining points are delegated towards more balance/troops. I will do no such thing! If you're going to make a rock, do it right. Add in another Command squad! Well, that leaves us with not very many points. Which brings me to my Emperor's Champion. With as many points as we have left (553, not counting the EC), we don't have a lot of room to play around. And we certainly don't have the points to build CC-oriented Crusader squads. Seeing as that is the case, we don't really need "Accept Any Challenge" do we? While Preferred Enemy is nice, let's be realistic here. Most of the killing will be done in shooting. The cleanup can be easily managed with normal attacks in close combat. Besides, with as many psykers out there nowadays, I prefer the use of "Abhor the Witch!" in a lot of my lists. And I feel that it probably synergizes better with this list anyway.
Originally I wanted to go with a very durable list, but ultimately, it wasn't possible at this points level (2500 points is totally another story). Adding the second Command squad took from me the Land Raider protection I had considered for my troops, but decided the point expenditure wasn't worth it. So I'm taking another route: more shooting! What list isn't complete without a compliment of Typhoons? I'll take three! That leaves very few points remaining. Just enough to get two Crusader squads. But how to arm them? I could give them the popular Las/Plas setup for additional shooty goodness (which I strongly considered), but I'm concerned with their durability. And just as important, their lack of mobility. So I made a slight compromise that will at least prolong their demise, but give the unit some tactical choice later in the game. How? By taking two 5-man Crusader squads in Drop Pods. They will be armed with Bolters and Plasmaguns. While they certainly have a high chance of coming down on turn two, probability states that its more likely to happen on turn three. Which gives us some relief from enemy shooting. Your opponent will have to carefully consider how or if he/she moves and advances, as leaving an objective undefended will allow you to drop down to claim it without much problem. This gives you an advantage.
Let's take a look at the finished product shall we?
HQ:
* Castellan w/ Power Weapon, Storm Shield, Tank-Hunters, and Frag Grenades; 1 Terminator Command squad Sword Brethren w/ Storm Bolter, Power Fist, and Tank-Hunters; 2 Sword Brethren w/ Cyclone Missile Launchers, Storm Bolters, Power Fists, and Tank-Hunters; 1 Sergeant w/ Storm Bolter, Power Weapon, and Tank-Hunters. [326]
* Castellan w/ Power Weapon, Storm Shield, Tank-Hunters, and Frag Grenades; 1 Terminator Command squad Sword Brethren w/ Storm Bolter, Power Fist, and Tank-Hunters; 2 Sword Brethren w/ Cyclone Missile Launchers, Storm Bolters, Power Fists, and Tank-Hunters; 1 Sergeant w/ Storm Bolter, Power Weapon, and Tank-Hunters. [326]
* Emperor's Champion w/ Black Sword, Bolt Pistol, Armor of Faith, and the Vow: "Abhor the Witch." [110]
Elites:
* Sword Brethren Terminators: 5 Terminators w/ 2 Cyclone Missile Launchers, 5 Storm Bolters, 5 Power Fists, and Tank-Hunters. [265]
* Sword Brethren Terminators: 5 Terminators w/ 2 Cyclone Missile Launchers, 5 Storm Bolters, 5 Power Fists, and Tank-Hunters. [265]
* Sword Brethren Terminators: 5 Terminators w/ 2 Cyclone Missile Launchers, 5 Storm Bolters, 5 Power Fists, and Tank-Hunters. [265]
Troops:
* Crusader Squad: 5 Initiates w/ 4 Bolters and 1 Plasmagun. Mounted in a Drop Pod. [116]
* Crusader Squad: 5 Initiates w/ 4 Bolters and 1 Plasmagun. Mounted in a Drop Pod. [116]
Fast Attack:
* Land Speeder Squadron: 1 Land Speeder w/ Heavy Bolter and Typhoon Missile Launchers. [70]
* Land Speeder Squadron: 1 Land Speeder w/ Heavy Bolter and Typhoon Missile Launchers. [70]
* Land Speeder Squadron: 1 Land Speeder w/ Heavy Bolter and Typhoon Missile Launchers. [70]
Total Points: [1999]
So there you have it. We have lots and lots of terminators. 20 Tank-Hunter Missile shots and if that weren't enough, we're tossing another 6 normal Missile Launchers in there for kicks. We also have 27 Storm Bolters, 3 Heavy Bolters, and 2 Plasmaguns. Plenty of AT. Plenty of AI. Will the list easily deal with Land Raider spam? Only if you are able to get into close combat, where you're able to put quite a few attacks into it. But honestly, you're not really afraid of them. This is what I envision when I see the Blackwing coming to life.
Have fun and leave none of the Emperor's enemies alive! :D
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