SemiFinalized Black Templar DIY Codex: Critique Welcome

[Schlitzaf]

A Unit from the Black Templar Chapter can use any datasheet usable by a force constructed using Codex Spaces Marines with the (Chapter) or Black Templar faction keyword with the following exceptions:

-​Adeptus Astartes Pyskers​​ -​Adeptus Astartes Centurions

-​Adeptus Astartes Whirlwinds ​​-A​deptus Astartes Scouts

-Adeptus Astartes Company Veterans ​​-Honor Guard

-Sternguard Veterans -Vanguard Veterans

-Dreadnought -Venerable Dreadnought

-Devastator Squad -Assault Squad

-Tactical Squad -Bike Squad

 

In addition to the above restrictions, a Black Templar is also permitted to use the following units:

-Avalon Dreadnought -Durandal Dreadnought

-Sword Brothers -Sword Brothers on Bike

-Household Brothers -Conquistador Squad

-Cavalier Squad -Neophyte Ancient

-Marshall-Champion Almerich -Castellan Draco

 

The following datasheets unit keywords are replaced when they are taken as part of the Black Templar Chapter, the new keyword is noted by ():

-​Adeptus Astartes Captain ​​(Marshall)

-​Adeptus Astartes Lieutenant ​​(Castallen)

-​Adeptus Astartes Company Ancient ​​(Crusade Ancient)

-​Adeptus Astartes Company Champion ​​(Crusade Champion)

-Chapter Ancient (Household Ancient)

-Chapter Champion (Household Champion)

 

The noted datasheets below gain the unit keyword CHAMPION;

-​Black Templar Crusade Champion

-Household Champion

-Emperor’s Champion

 

A Land Raider Crusader is taken by the Black Templar Chapter, may be taken as a Dedicated Transport or a Heavy Support option.

In addition to the various rules and permissions listed above when a unit is taken as part of the Black Templar Chapter using these rules replace (CHAPTER) on its datasheet replace with faction keyword Black Templar for all purposes.

 

If an army is Battleforged and contains a Black Templar Detachment, all non-SERVITOR Infantry, Dreadnought and Bike Units gain the following rule:

Black Templar Units May Rerolled Failed Charges

If you have a Black Templar Warlord Trait, unless it’s a special character choose one of the following rules or roll a dice

1-Rite Of War: Black Templar Units within 6” autopass Morale

2-Oathkeeper: The character heroics intervention 6” instead of the normal 3”

3-Angel of Death: Enemy units within 6” of the character have a -1 their to leadership

4-Master Craftsman: choose a Melee Weapon (or Weapons in case of Lighting Claws) that is not a Relic, wielded by the character, increase it’s damage by 1

5-Vow of Honor: Non-Character Black Templar’s models armed with a MELEE Weapon that has an AP of -1 or Greater, and are in Units that are within 6” of the Warlord, may attack an additional time with that weapon. If this trait is taken via Scion of Sigismund Strategem, as long as the bear is on table, if friendly Black Templar Units benefit from aura if they are in 6” of any friendly Black Templar CHARACTER .

6-Vow of Vengeance: Friendly Black Templar Models within 6” attacking with an AP 0 MELEE Weapon, increase the AP of that Weapon by 1. If a Black Templar CHAMPION via Scion of Sigismund takes this trait every Black Templar Unit within 6” is affected instead of just every model within 6”

 

If a Black Templar army is Battleforged it can use, beside tactical flexibility, any stratagems from Codex Space Marines alongside the stratagems that are listed below following ones from listed below

-Champion Visions 1CP: Nominate a Black Templar ​CHARACTER ​​before battle in your army beside Helbrect, Grimaldus, or Draco without the ​CHAMPION ​​keyword the model immediately gains the ​CHAMPION ​​Keyword.

-Slayer of Champions 1CP: Use whenever a Black Templar ​CHAMPION​​ slays an enemy CHARACTER ​​or ​MONSTER ​​model​ ​​in close combat. Immediately gain 1d3 Command Points. If the slain model was both, ​CHARACTER a​​nd ​MONSTER​​, gain 1d3+1 Command Points instead.

-Eternal Crusade 1 CP: Use on a friendly BLACK TEMPLAR unit during the shooting phase, that model may shoot any strength 6 or lower weapons, at the closest enemy unit, even those within one inch.

-Scion of Sigsmund 1CP: You may pre-game nominate a Black Templar CHAMPION Model to receive a warlord Trait in addition to your normal allowances. This Warlord Trait can only be the Vow of Honor or Vow of Vengeance.

 

Relics of the Eternal Crusade

The Black Templar ​CHARACTERS when choosing a relic, can take any relic from Codex Space Marines (that the model be normally eligible for) except Standard of the Emperor’s Ascendent. They may also choose one of the two relics below

Holy Orb of Antioch: Black Templar Marshall or Chaplain only. Once per a game when the bearer makes a shooting attack where it could use a grenade, it may throw the Orb instead of its normal shooting. Make a single shooting attack against an enemy unit within 6”. If it hits, the target unit suffers d6 mortal wounds.

Banner of First Champion: ​BLACK TEMPLAR ANCIENT ​​only. A model bearing the Banner of First Champion, gains the following rules in addition to any rules it normally has. It may attempt to deny enemy Pyskers once a psychic phase. Black Templar Units within 6” of the banner roll 2 dice and take the highest for advancing.

Heretic’s Redemption: Replaces a Model’s Combi-Melta. Heretic’s Wrath uses a combi-melta profile except the melta will always does 2d6 damage take the highest regardless of being in half range.

 

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UU datasheets (Quick and Dirty Summary)

Avalon Dreadnought (Venerable Datasheet, changing keyword and name, Venerable Dreadnought to Avalon Dreadnought)

Durandal Dreadnought (Dreadnought Datasheet, changing keyword and name, Dreadnought to Durandal Dreadnought).

 

Avalon and Durandal Dreadnought: In addition to the normal options available to Venerable and regular Dreadnoughts, can also replace their Assault Cannon with a Hurricane Bolter or a Dreadnought close combat weapon.

 

Additionally both the Avalon and Durandal Dreadnought have the following rule “Unrelenting Zeal: If this model is armed with two Dreadnought close combat weapon, it increases its attack characteristic by 1.”

 

Change from Dreadnought/Venerable Dreadnought

-May Replace their left Assault Cannon with a Multi-Melta, Twin-Linked Lascannon, Dreadnought Plasma Cannon, Dreadnought Close Combat Weapon, or a Hurricane Bolter

-Gain Unrelenting Zeal

 

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Sword Brothers/Sword Brothers on Bike (Company Veterans/Company Veterans on Bike Datasheet, changing the name and keyword to Sword Brothers/Sword Brothers on Bike)

 

Sword Brothers: The Squad is the same as Company Veteran except for the following the Sword Brother has a squad size of 2-10 instead of 2-5 and the squad no longer contains a sergeant or equivalent.

 

Change from Company Vets

-Squad Size 2-10

-No Sargeant

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Household Brothers (Honor Gaurd Datasheet changing the keyword and name to Household Brothers)

 

Household Brothers: The Honor Guard datasheet is used for Household Brothers with the following additions and changes. The Household Brothers have squad size of 2-10 instead of 2. Furthermore any model in the squad may take replace it’s Power Ax with a mastercrafted Power Sword, in addition to other options.

 

Dorn’s Memory: “If a Black Templar CHARACTER is charged within 3” of this unit. The squad may heroic intervention as if it were a character.”

 

Change from Honor Gaurd

-Squad Size 2-10

-Replace Power Ax with Master Crafted Power Sword

-Dorn’s Memory Ability

 

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Neophyte Ancient (Company Ancient Datasheet name and keyword is changed to Neophyte Ancient).

 

Neophyte Ancient: Has one less wound, attack, save, leadership but 20 points cheaper compared to Company Ancients. It can only take boltgun, chainsword or shotgun.

 

Change from Company Ancient

-20 Points Cheaper

-4+ Save

-May replace its Boltgun with a Chainsword or Shotgun

-1 Less Attack, Wound and Leadership

-HQ Slot

 

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Conquistadors (Assault Marines with keywords and named change to Conquistador Squad)

 

Conquistador Squad: A Conquistador Squad uses Assault Marine Datasheet with following changes. Any model that could take Flamer, Plasma Pistol, or an Eviscerator may take Power Weapon instead. Up two Eviscerators may be taken per Squad and not limited by Squad size unlike Assault Squads. Every initaite may take combat shields.

 

Change Summary from Assault Squad

-Any model may take Combat Shield

-Up to 2 Conquistadors may replace their Bolt Pistol with a Plasma Pistol, or Flamer or instead their Chainsword with a Power Ax, Power Sword, Power Maul, or Power Fist

-Up to 2 Conquistadors may replace their Bolt Pistol and Chainsword with Eviscerator or just their Chainsword with Power Ax, Power Sword, Power Maul or Power Fist

-Sargeant renamed to Sword Brother

 

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Cavalier Squad (Biker Squad with keyword and name changed to Cavalier Squad).

 

Cavalier Squad: The Squad uses the Space Marine Biker Datasheet with the following addendums. Any model that could take a special weapon may instead take a Power Weapon. The squad size is 3-10 Initaite Bikers and may include up 5 Neophyte Bikers. A Cavalier Squad may not include an attack bike. Neophyte Bikers have the points, wargear profile of the Space Marine Scout Bikers except Neophyte Bikers do not have a Shotgun and are leadership 6.

 

Change from Biker Squad

-May not take an Attack Biker

-Loses Combat Squad

-May take up to 5 Neophyte Bikers (See Scout Biker)

-Up to two Cavaliers replace their Bolt Pistol with a weapon from Special Weapon, Power Ax, Power Sword, Power Maul, or a Power Fist

-Sargeant Renamed to Sword Brother

 

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Several of these units look like simple copy and paste jobs but beside character renames each new unit is actually subtly different from their codex counterpart. Secondly the new major newest units; Cavalier and Conquistador, both allow 1A power weapons. And the Trait vows are meant to support these units or chainswordd. What is also notable I will point out is that this army has strayed away from a copy and paste of Angels/SW. Instead focusing more on the JoeMarine, with the Cavalier and Conquistador being case in point. And secondly due to the book drawing from C:SM several keyword renames are important. Notably Captain > Marshall, the point is to follow the pattern of non-vanilla marines not having access to the chapter master Strategem.

 

Other major change is the CHAMPION keyword and the three associated Strategems. This brings back the focus to the Emperor’s Champion but also following past flavor where every Black Templar Force had an ‘Emperor’s Champion’ while retaining the Emperor’s Champion as a unique unit. Finally to help support and to better leverage a battalion, is Neophyte Ancient. A weakness of a tide is getting Alpha. At 43-50 points a model it isn’t unreasonable to take a couple of these to help better spread your tide and the leadership making of 9 means that you need to lose 8+ models for battle shock to hurt.

 

What everyone’s opanion?

[UnkyHamHam]

I hear you throw around a lot of these specific units that you've added in a lot. Forgive my ignorance on Templars, and I've been playing Space Marines since 3rd edition, but I've never heard of most of these before.

 

I own the old Armageddon supplement and 4th Templar codex and don't remember anything like this.

 

Maybe its just me, but I'd like to see you cite your source for such special units. Or if you just invented them, then a justification.

 

The special dreads, cavaliers, and conquistadors are what I refer to mostly.

[Schlitzaf]

Special Dreads are derived from a French White Dwarf, where Black Templars were given access to a unit called the Durandal Dreadnought. The Durandal Dreadnought was a Dreadnought that could replace its weapon arm with a Dreadnought close combat weapon.

 

Additionally it could be made into a Venerable Dreadnought for +20 Points. The Avalon Dreadnought is that represented, because I think Venerable Durandal Dreadnought is way too wordy. The access to hurricane bolters was to give a method to better seperate the unit from regular Dreadnought. I am fighting back and forth on having Hurricane Bolters be something other units could take.

 

The Cavalier Squad, is an adaption of the Biker Crusader from Codex Armageddon and the Biker Squad in Codex Black Templar. In Codex Armageddon Black Templars were allowed to include Neophyte Bikers in their Bike Squads, otherwise having standard options (but I believe no access to Attack Bikes). While in Codex Black Templar losing access to Neophyte Bikes, they gained access having up to 3 Power Weapons or Special Weapons. So in my adaption for that I removed access to attack bike and third weapon slot, added back the access to Neophytes and Power Weapons.

 

Conquistador Squads is a mixed bag, first it was an adaption of the original Black Templar Assault Squad which could take Storm Shields. Second I wanted to make sure the theme of only Neophyte/Initaite parternship was well represented throughout the list. So for that while Assault Squads explicitly per Codex Black Templar do not contain Neophytes, I decided to have the squad fill double duty.

 

Black Templars still needed someone to do scouting. So taking Neopyhtes alongside their older brothers, on recon missions represent that fact. Finally the addition of Power Weapons instead of other option is maintain the theme with Crusader and Cavalier Squads. Alongside Scion of Sigismund Rules. The plethora of power weapons and otherwise in the army give us reasonably focused close range engagement force.

 

Neophyte Ancient was because back in 4th ED, Helbrects Command Squad could include up to 5 Neophytes and one of them could be a banner bearer. So that is simply an expanding that to being a chapter wide concept. I might even make it an HQ Choice. Because it would represent in flavor the Marshall’s personal Neophyte Protege.

 

Marshal Brothern/Gaurd are bluntly our Honor Gaurd replacement and more specifically the actual equivalent to the BT First Company. Representing the Sword Brothers of High Marshall Household. More specifically they are designed to fill a missing niche in C:SM lacking a reasonably pointed midfield melee. At 25-31 points a model, they are able to be good melee units for efficiency. But not overly expensive fixing the most glaring hole in our force.

 

Castallen Draco and Champion-Marshall Almerich are basically just to fill out named character. I am still thinking exactly what I want. I might have Almerich be two different characters. Right now Almerich is 130-150 for Marshall Bubble but Champion equipment and abilities.

 

Draco will have Captain Stats, Castallen Bubble and a Meltagun he can fire in close combat. I might add a third Relic for Combi-Meltas.

[Schlitzaf]

Does anyone have thoughts?