Warhammer 40K: Black Templar Rules Preview
The Black Templars are getting an update with the next chapter of Psychic Awakening. Check out their rules preview!
Faith & Fury promised us new rules for the Black Templars as well as new rules for 6 of the Traitor Legions. Today, we’re getting a look at some of the most zealous Space Marines of all – the Black Templars!
The Good News
“Few armies exemplify the tenets of Faith & Fury quite like the Black Templars, so their inclusion in this, the second book of Psychic Awakening, is the perfect match!
In fact, they have an entire codex supplement’s worth of awesome (and zealously violent) rules within its pages, so today, we’re taking a quick peek at some of our favourites.”
That’s right folks, they didn’t get their own Space Marine Supplement, but they are getting an equivalent amount of rules with this new book. That means new Warlord Traits, Relics, “not” Psychic Powers, and even their own Combat Doctrine boost. But before we dive in, let’s remember their Chapter Tactic really quick:
Righteous Zeal is their current Chapter Tactic and it still applies. Re-rolling charges and ignoring Mortal Wounds on a 5+. It’s fitting for these warriors. Now, on to the new stuff!
Knights of Sigismund is their Combat Doctrine boost. It applies during the Assault Doctrine Phase (which currently means turn 3 at the earliest). It essentially allows you to bypass the “to wound” roll if you roll an unmodified 6 during the “to hit” roll. This only applies vs non-Vehicles and represents the Black Templars superior martial training and/or righteous zeal. You still have to get a charge off or have performed a Heroic Intervention as well. This seems a little too restrictive to me personally – but maybe they have some other way to improve their odds of effectively pulling this one off.
One of the new Warlord Traits, Epitome of Piety allows your Warlord to attempt to resist one psychic power per enemy psychic phase. This might not seem like much, but the Black Templars are notorious for not having Psykers. They also get to add 1 to the total which can help. It’s one more layer of Psychic Defense.
Instead of a new batch of Psychic Powers (for reasons stated above) they are getting a new batch of 6 Litanies of the Devout for their Chaplains. This should pair nicely with the new “Master Chaplains” that are also coming in the Faith & Fury book. Fires of Devotion allows Black Templars to generate an additional attack when the nominated unit charges or performs a Heroic Intervention. That could pile on the attacks and if you roll a bunch of 6s while the Assault Doctrine is up, that’s a bunch of direct wounds.
Black Templars and the Land Raider Crusaders go together like peanut butter and jelly. Now, they have a 1CP stratagem that allows them to show how familiar they are with the vehicle! Shock and Awe allows them to not only avoid Overwatch fire, any attacks that target them also have to subtract 1 from the hit roll until the end of the turn!
One of the new Relics previewed is the new Sword of Judgement which replaces a Power Sword or one Master-crafted Power Sword. It’s got a beefier profile that adds +1 strength, -3 AP and does 3 Damage. In the hands of the right swordsman, that could do some pretty nice damage.
Overall, these rules seem like a call back to many of the older Black Templar rules. I’m wondering if we have any more rules available that will be reminiscent of the old Vow system the Black Templars had. I guess we’re going to have to wait until Faith & Fury lands on shelves to find out!
The Bad News
As you can see from the picture above – no new models. I’m kind of bummed about this. Games Workshop, you’ve made 400 new Space Marine Lieutenant Models and a pseudo-parody twitter account and you couldn’t re-purpose of those for a new Emperor’s Champion? Oh well.
It’s the same pose – time for a hand swap.
So what do you think of the Black Templar’s rules preview? Are you ready to unload on the heretics when Faith & Fury comes out?
