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!
This article was originally published on the Warhammer-community site.
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.
But before we do, let’s just remind ourselves of who the Black Templars are and how they fight…
Who Are They?
The Black Templars are a successor Chapter of the Imperial Fists, created during the Second Founding in the wake of the Horus Heresy. They were led by Sigismund, the Emperor’s Champion, whose swordsmanship and remorseless death-dealing were legendary.
He immediately set forth on a crusade with the full strength of his newly founded Chapter behind him. 10 millennia later, the Black Templars still rove the galaxy in crusading fleets, purging aliens, traitors and heretics wherever they may be found.
On the Battlefield
The Black Templars are notoriously aggressive in battle, and their Chapter Tactic in Codex: Space Marines perfectly represents their holy fervour.
But what about their new rules in Faith & Fury? Well, there are loads! First up is Knights of Sigismund, which is available to armies comprised entirely of Black Templars.
In addition to updated datasheets for their unique units – High Marshal Helbrecht, Chaplain Grimaldus, the Emperor’s Champion and iconic Crusader Squads – Faith & Fury includes some incredibly thematic rules with which to marshal* your Black Templar crusade.
New Warlord Traits, Stratagems, Relics and even a bespoke set of Litanies for their Chaplains offer the Black Templars enormous depth of character. For example, if you want to represent the Black Templars’ famous hatred of psykers, why not take the Epitome of Piety Warlord Trait to thwart their witchcraft?
Rather than their own bespoke psychic discipline,** the Black Templars have six Litanies of the Devout for their Chaplains to choose from. Looking to make the most of a massed charge into the enemy line? Spearhead your attack with a Chaplain orating with Fires of Devotion to add some extra punch!
The Black Templars have always had an affinity for the Land Raider Crusader (in fact, it was originally a variation of their own design), and have long mastered the art of launching devastating charges from these mighty assault tanks.
The Black Templars deserve to shine above all others in this field, and the aptly-named Shock and Awe Stratagem ensures they do just that. Simply load up your finest melee unit into a Crusader and activate it when you charge to shut down enemy Overwatch and let the slaughter commence!
Since the days of Sigismund, the Black Templars have favoured the sword as their melee weapon of choice, and their armouries are filled with countless masterwork blades. If you want to prove your Marshal’s mastery of the blade on the battlefield, arm him with the Sword of Judgement Chapter Relic and he’ll carve through anything in his path with ease.
Faith & Fury also includes Tactical Objectives, a name generator and updated matched play points values for the Black Templars, so if these holy warriors are your Space Marines of choice, make sure you pre-order your copy this weekend. Until then, grab yourself a Land Raider Crusader to take advantage of the brutal Shock and Awe Stratagem when your book arrives!
* Sorry – we couldn’t resist!
** Black Templars hate psykers. Like, REALLY hate them! So much so, in fact, that they can’t have any Librarians. We reckon they must have quite the backlog of overdue books…
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