Helias_Tancred Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 Just figuring out the changes to the BT rank structure. Searched for it and didn't find anything. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/368977-lieutenants-are-the-title-of-castellan-right/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother Tyler Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 Under a strictly accurate translation of the Codex ranks to those used by the Black Templars you would have... Chapter Master = High Marshal (with Helbrecht being a named character) Captain = Marshal Lieutenant = Castellan Players often modify the above, representing a "Castellan" with a Captain and/or a "Marshal" with a Chapter Master. Mmmmm Napalm, Helias_Tancred and Brother Sidonius 3 Back to top Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/368977-lieutenants-are-the-title-of-castellan-right/#findComment-5665677 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Closet Skeleton Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 (edited) Black Templar rank structure hasn't changed at all. Codex Chapters have companies of 100 men with a captain and two lieutenants that can be split into demi-companies of 50 men, Black Templars have Fighting Companies that can be any size and are lead by a Castellan and no other officer. Marshalls lead Crusades and were the Equivilant of a Space Marine Chapter Master in the 4th ed codex Castellans lead Fighting Companies and were the equivilant of a Space Marine Captain in the 4th ed Codex. A Marshall is supposed to command 200-400 men while a Castellan commands 50-120 men so really all table top armies should be lead by a Castellan not a Marshall but no player bothered using the discount weaker statline so Marshalls became the standard. 5th ed got rid of separate stat lines for Captains and Chapter Masters, since Black Templars kept a 4th ed book they had two stat lines for longer. When 8th ed brought back Lieutenants (previously only in 1st ed) Black Templar ones got named Castellans. So the Lieutenant datasheet can be used for a Black Templar Castellan since BT don't have Lieutenants, but a Castellan is not the direct equivilant to a Codex Chapter Lieutenant in the background. Edited February 9, 2021 by Closet Skeleton Mmmmm Napalm, Marshal Wolfhart, Medjugorje and 2 others 5 Back to top Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/368977-lieutenants-are-the-title-of-castellan-right/#findComment-5665678 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother Tyler Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 Ah, this myth again. It has been debunked numerous times (not just by opinionated gamers, but also by GW), yet it continues to rear its head. It’s unfortunate that it continues to be perpetuated, enabled by not examining all of the evidence in context and a tendency to want to believe that the Black Templars are “better” than other Chapters.A Black Templars Crusade is generally led by a Marshal (though the High Marshal also leads Crusades) and may be anywhere from as few as 50 to several hundred members (sometimes over a thousand). Very large Crusades can look like under-strength Codex Chapters, and the largest known Crusade was the Armageddon Crusade led by High Marshal Helbrecht, aggregating three previously existing Crusades into a single Crusade. We know that there have been other Crusades exceeding one thousand Black Templars because the lore tells us so, but we don’t know how many there have been in the Chapter’s history. Regardless, while Crusades can be very large, the number of Crusades exceeding a Codex Chapter in size can probably be considered exceptional, and these are most likely led by the High Marshal (though it’s quite possible that some have been led by Marshals). Many Black Templars players assume that just because a Crusade might be several hundred members, the rank of the commanding officer scales up [over that of a Codex Captain]. Crusades are commanded by Marshals regardless of their size, whether only 50 in number or up to several hundred (again, allowing for the exception of the High Marshal leading a Crusade). In many Black Templars Crusades, there are subordinate elements called Fighting Companies, and these are led by a Castellan and may vary in size, up to and including a Fighting Company that rivals or exceeds a Codex Company in size (in a large Crusade).The mistake Black Templars players typically make is in comparing a Black Templars Crusade with a Codex Chapter’s Company. In a Codex Chapter, a company is led by a Captain and consists of ten squads of ten battle brothers, along with some HQ elements. This is comparable to many Crusades as well as some larger Fighting Companies. The more accurate comparison for a Black Templars Crusade is with a Codex Chapter’s Detachment.Often, Codex Chapters deploy Detachments that consist of multiple companies, rivalling the largest known Crusades of the Black Templars (except the thousand+ Crusades, for obvious reasons). These Detachments, too, will be commanded by a Captain (as well as the Chapter Master, on occasion). “Detachment” is just one of the names that might be appended to this type of deployment, with many others also being used, including names such as “Strike Force,” “Crusade,” “Task Force,” and others.The Badab War provides several great examples. The information below comes from Imperial Armour Volume Nine – The Badab War – Part One and Imperial Armour Volume Ten – The Badab War – Part Two. Note that I’m omitting information on the Chapters that participated in their entirety – the traitors, obviously (Astral Claws, Lamenters, and Mantis Warriors), as well as a few of the loyalists (Fire Hawks, Minotaurs, Star Phantoms).Carcharodons (led by Captain*)“In size [the Carcharodons] forces were of a rough approximation of six Space Marine Conmpanies, led by their baleful ‘First Captain’ Tyberos… It has not been ascertained whether this force comprised the whole or a part of the Carcharodons’ full Chapter strength, and it may indeed be the case that the Carcharodons themselves did not know the fate of any other sub-fleets of their Chapter still roaming the void.”“* The title of ‘First Captain’ is often given to the Captain of the First Company in a Codex Chapter, but it might also mean a Chapter Master, especially in cases where the two roles are performed by the same person (e.g., the Chapter Master of the Crimson Fists Chapter also serves as the Captain of the First Company, called the ‘Crusade Company’).Executioners (led by High Chaplain)“The Executioners Chapter deployed to the Badab War in two distinct stages, the first of which was as a strike force comprising a reinforced 3rd Company commanded by Captain Vanir Hex… The second wave would comprise the balance of the Chapter’s forces except their 2nd Company … and roughly half of their 10th Company…. The total force consisted of roughly seven companies in active strength… This Executioners force, under the direct command of the High Chaplain Thulsa Kane, was fully engaged in the Badab War in early 907.M41.”It should be noted here that the Chapter Master of the Executioners committed suicide instead of joining the rest of his Chapter, knowing that they sided with the Astral Claws as a matter of debt to the Astral Claws and that they were on the wrong side. Had he not committed suicide, he would have led the Chapter during the Badab War.Exorcists (led by Captain)“The Exorcists force comprised the entirety of their 2nd, 3rd, and 5th battle companies, along with their 6th tactical reserve company, 11th scout company and half of their 1st Veteran company. The force … was commanded by Silas Alberec, the famed Exorcists 3rd Company captain and heir-designate to the command of the Chapter.”Fire Angels (leader unknown)“The Fire Angels answered the Inquisition’s call for aid in prosecuting the Badab War early in 906.M41, arriving with an effective force equalling [sic] seven companies…”Howling Griffons (leader unknown)“The Howling Griffons task force was relatively small in number, consisting of no more than two hundred and fifty Space Marines drawn from the remnants of their 4th Battle Company and elements of their 6th and 10th Companies, reinforced by several Terminator squads…”Marines Errant (led by Chapter Master)“The Marines Errant responded to this call by diverting a strong force comprising at least six full companies in strength…”Novamarines (led by Captain)“The Novamarines taskforce deployed to the Maelstrom Zone in three strike cruisers with a fleet of twelve supporting attack craft and tenders, comprising their full strength 3rd and 5th battle companies with attached Scouts, and reinforced by elements of their Terminator-equipped 1st Company veterans and several awakened dreadnoughts. The Novamarines taskforce commander for the duration of their involvement in the Badab War was Mordaci Blaylock, the respected captain of their 1st Company Veterans…”Raptors (led by Chapter Master)“The Raptors deployed an equivalent combined force strength of four companies to the war zone…”Red Scorpions (led by Chapter Master)“The first major Red Scorpions deployment, a force comprising their 1st, 2nd, 5th, 6th, and 9th companies…”After the death of the Lord High Commander (Chapter Master), he was succeeded by Carab Culln and the size of the Red Scorpions detachment was increased from five to eight full companies in strength.Salamanders (led by Captain)…a force was hastily assembled under the Captain of the then under-strength 2nd Company, Pellas Mir’san… The bulk of the force was made up of the Salamanders 2nd Company… This was further augmented by reserve elements of the Nocturne garrison, as well as several veteran training instructors along with a core of Firedrakes thirty-strong… The force was further strengthened by a Hextad of Ancients; six venerable dreadnoughts of the Chapter…”Sons of Medusa (led by Captain – the Iron Thane of a War Clan**)“The Combined Sons of Medusa force comprised the full strength of the Atropos War Clan backed by forces drawn from the Chapter armouries and elements of the Lachesis and Magaera War Clans with a combined estimated strength of somewhere between five and six Codex companies…”** The Sons of Medusa don’t follow the Codex Astartes, instead being organized into three War Clans, each consisting of over 300 Space Marines and being further broken down into multiple companies; so a Sons of Medusa War Clan is comparable to a large Black Templars Crusade and their officers are probably comparable.Other Imperial Armour books provide similar evidence. I’m ignoring those forces that were less than a reinforced Codex Company in size (but all were led by Captains).Imperial Armour Volume Three – The Taros Campaign (I only have the first edition)The Raptors strike force consisted of 2 companies under the command of Captain Orelius.Imperial Armour Volume Five – The Siege of Vraks – Part OneThe Dark Angels ‘Vraks Devastation Force’ was commanded by Supreme Grand Master Azrael (Chapter Master) and consisted of elements of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 8th, and 9th companies as well as other elements from the Librarium, Apothecarion, Armoury, and Fleet. The end-strength was about 4 companies in size.Imperial Armour Volume Seven – The Siege of Vraks – Part ThreeThe Angels of Absolution force that participated isn’t defined, but it was embarked aboard a battle barge, a strike cruiser, and two escorts, so it wouldn’t have been much more than 4 companies in size. The force was known to have included elements of the 1st and 3rd companies and was led by a Company Master (Captain).Imperial Armour Volume Eight – Raid on Kastorel-NovemShadow Force Korvydae of the Raven Guard consisted of elements of the 1st, 5th, 8th, and 10th Companies as well as other elements from the Armoury, Apothecarion, Librarius, and Fleet. The end-strength was about 2 companies in size and it was led by a Shadow Captain (Captain).If you look at the sizes of the various Detachments sent by different Chapters, you see that they often range in size from a reinforced Company up to several hundred Space Marines, and these Detachments are often led by Captains. Chapter Masters often accompany larger Detachments, but have been known to lead smaller Detachments; and the involvement of a Chapter Master often indicates more that the operation is of extremely high priority (rather than the size of the Detachment being the deciding factor). Often, the larger Detachments include multiple Captains, with one being in command and the other being subordinate. In this, there is a distinction between the absolute rank and the operational rank. Both hold the absolute rank of ‘Captain’ but one is operationally in command, holding seniority over the other for the duration of the operation.In this we see an organization that is comparable with the Crusades of the Black Templars.Moreover, we really need to distinguish between the absolute rank and the rules rank.In terms of absolute rules, the equivalents that I provided earlier are accurate:Chapter Master = High MarshalCaptain = MarshalLieutenant = CastellanThis was supported in every edition by the various codices. High Marshal Helbrecht’s rules were in line with those of the Chapter Master (slightly enhanced because he’s a special character), Marshal rules were in line with those of the Captain, and Castellan rules were in line with Wolf Guard Battle Leaders (because we didn’t have Lieutenants at that time, but they were the bridge between Veteran Sergeants and Captains, just like Lieutenants are now).However, Black Templars players are free to use the units any way they want. They might choose to have a Chapter Master represent an especially potent Marshal, or a Captain might represent an especially potent Castellan. This is where the breakdown of earlier editions was helpful. In 1st Edition, you could pick a Captain, but you had multiple stat lines to choose from. For example, a Lieutenant could be a ‘Champion’ (lowest level), ‘Minor Hero’ (middle level), or ‘Major Hero’ (highest level). Applying that concept to the current level, a Marshal (lore rank) might be represented by a Lieutenant, Captain, or Chapter Master.The span of control that a Captain/Marshal has might vary. Within a Codex Chapter, each Captain leads a 100-strong Company, but also has special duties and expanded control based on the “Master” duties they perform (e.g., Master of the Watch, Master of the Fleet, Master of the Arsenal). In addition, a Codex Chapter Captain can lead a Detachment that ranges in size from something comparable to a standard Company up to multiple Companies in size (the largest for which we have an explicit example is about six Companies). In the Black Templars, meanwhile, a Marshal leads a Crusade. A Crusade might be anywhere from half of a Codex Company in size up to multiple Companies in size (the largest for which we have an explicit example is over 8 Companies in size).The evidence (the map in the 4th edition Codex: Black Templars) makes it clear that a Black Templars Marshal is often given a much larger span of control than a Codex Captain in that the Crusades of the Black Templars, though sometimes smaller than a Codex Company, are often significantly larger than a standard Codex Company and often compare with large Detachments. In terms of absolute rank, though, a Captain from a Codex Chapter stands on equal footing with a Black Templars Marshal except when one temporarily has seniority over the other (and while Black Templars fans might want to think that the Black Templars Marshal will be the one that holds that seniority, especially if he is in command of a Crusade larger than the Detachment commanded by the Captain, it’s just as likely that the Codex Captain might hold seniority over the Marshal). More importantly, in terms of the rules potency, the two are clearly equivalent (except for those exceptional individuals that might use a “higher” or “lower” stat line/rules entry). Helias_Tancred, DasPanzerIstUber, Mmmmm Napalm and 7 others 10 Back to top Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/368977-lieutenants-are-the-title-of-castellan-right/#findComment-5665780 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshal Reinhard Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 I do thoroughly enjoy debunking of myths Helias_Tancred 1 Back to top Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/368977-lieutenants-are-the-title-of-castellan-right/#findComment-5665786 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Medjugorje Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 we are too bound on the rules. In LORE-reality there is no difference of giving rerolls of one.... they are just commanders in their army with a different role. the main difference is that there is just one Castellan for one Fighting Company and this one is just temporary elected by the rest of the sword brethren. Lieutenant is a firmly rank in the codex astartes. And one company has normally 2 Lieutenants while having one Captain. The structur of BT is that different. There are mostly one Marshal for one crusade and as much Castellans as needed for specified fighting companies. I think in terms of commandment the marshal has more flexibility in comparison to codex complied chapters because their structur still being the same while a chapter master can give a captain the command of a greater task force but he cannot decide to change that much on the unit structure but that is not so clear how such inner things working. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/368977-lieutenants-are-the-title-of-castellan-right/#findComment-5665823 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sword Brother Adelard Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 Where did the myth that marshals are equivalent to chapter masters come from? Was it based on rules? Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/368977-lieutenants-are-the-title-of-castellan-right/#findComment-5665860 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Medjugorje Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 Its because our chapter is bigger and so our Marshals are more important for commanding bigger forces as other codex-compliant chapter captains. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/368977-lieutenants-are-the-title-of-castellan-right/#findComment-5665867 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother Tyler Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 Where did the myth that marshals are equivalent to chapter masters come from? Was it based on rules?It was never based on rules. In 3rd edition, the High Marshal stat line was the same as that used for Chapter Masters (the Force Commander stat line) and the Marshal stat line was the same as that used for Captains (the Commander stat line). We know that the Force Commander stat line was for Chapter Masters because all of the special character Chapter Masters were built from that stat line; and we know that the Commander stat line was for Captains because all of the special character Captains were built from that stat line. When Codex: Black Templars was published in 4th edition, the High Marshal was removed as a generic choice and replaced with High Marshal Helbrecht. The Marshal stat line matched that of Captain in both Codex: Space Marines and Codex: Blood Angels (the latter the White Dwarf version) as well as that of Company Master in Codex: Dark Angels and Wolf Lord in Codex: Space Marines. The only Chapter that had something equivalent to the Castellan stat line was the Space Wolves, their counterpart being the Wolf Guard Battle Leader. The notion that Black Templars Marshals were equivalent to the Chapter Masters of other Chapters grew from the fans who looked only at the basic units commanded by these officers (Codex Companies vs. Black Templars Crusades) and didn't take into account either the large Detachments that Codex Captains often commanded or the small Crusades that Black Templars Marshals commanded, and who also ignored every instance of rules that GW has provided which clearly showed that the Black Templars Marshals are equivalent to Codex Captains. At its core, it's wishful hyperbole that has been repeated so many times that people have begun to believe it ("begun" is the wrong word since people have believed it for over fifteen years). The full body of facts prove that the belief is false, but people aren't being exposed to the full body of facts (until iconoclastic jerks like me come along ). Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/368977-lieutenants-are-the-title-of-castellan-right/#findComment-5665876 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helias_Tancred Posted February 10, 2021 Author Share Posted February 10, 2021 we are too bound on the rules. In LORE-reality there is no difference of giving rerolls of one.... they are just commanders in their army with a different role. the main difference is that there is just one Castellan for one Fighting Company and this one is just temporary elected by the rest of the sword brethren. Lieutenant is a firmly rank in the codex astartes. And one company has normally 2 Lieutenants while having one Captain. The structur of BT is that different. There are mostly one Marshal for one crusade and as much Castellans as needed for specified fighting companies. I think in terms of commandment the marshal has more flexibility in comparison to codex complied chapters because their structur still being the same while a chapter master can give a captain the command of a greater task force but he cannot decide to change that much on the unit structure but that is not so clear how such inner things working. But a company led by a Castellan is NOT a company as dictated by the Codex Astartes (100 marines, 10 squads, etc) correct? The Black Templar definition of a fighting company is not the one in the Codex Astartes? Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/368977-lieutenants-are-the-title-of-castellan-right/#findComment-5665909 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schlitzaf Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 It came from 6th Edition when we got rolled. The Chapter Master and Captain Statline was used by folks for Marshall and Castallen characters in there armies sense at that point no Castallen statline existed. Medjugorje 1 Back to top Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/368977-lieutenants-are-the-title-of-castellan-right/#findComment-5665912 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sete Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 Brother Tyler, despite his recent heresy, is correct. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/368977-lieutenants-are-the-title-of-castellan-right/#findComment-5665925 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Medjugorje Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 (edited) It came from 6th Edition when we got rolled. The Chapter Master and Captain Statline was used by folks for Marshall and Castallen characters in there armies sense at that point no Castallen statline existed. THIS . I remember that. we are too bound on the rules. In LORE-reality there is no difference of giving rerolls of one.... they are just commanders in their army with a different role. the main difference is that there is just one Castellan for one Fighting Company and this one is just temporary elected by the rest of the sword brethren. Lieutenant is a firmly rank in the codex astartes. And one company has normally 2 Lieutenants while having one Captain. The structur of BT is that different. There are mostly one Marshal for one crusade and as much Castellans as needed for specified fighting companies. I think in terms of commandment the marshal has more flexibility in comparison to codex complied chapters because their structur still being the same while a chapter master can give a captain the command of a greater task force but he cannot decide to change that much on the unit structure but that is not so clear how such inner things working. But a company led by a Castellan is NOT a company as dictated by the Codex Astartes (100 marines, 10 squads, etc) correct? The Black Templar definition of a fighting company is not the one in the Codex Astartes? complete different thing. If a Fighting company should doing fire support then maybe its possible to see no infantry unit at all - its just how the Templar need this force. http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/309914-how-are-black-templar-crusades-structured/#:~:text=The%20only%20time%20you%20hear,or%20achieve%20a%20specific%20goal. Edited February 10, 2021 by Medjugorje Helias_Tancred 1 Back to top Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/368977-lieutenants-are-the-title-of-castellan-right/#findComment-5665948 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sword Brother Adelard Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 we are too bound on the rules. In LORE-reality there is no difference of giving rerolls of one.... they are just commanders in their army with a different role. the main difference is that there is just one Castellan for one Fighting Company and this one is just temporary elected by the rest of the sword brethren. Lieutenant is a firmly rank in the codex astartes. And one company has normally 2 Lieutenants while having one Captain. The structur of BT is that different. There are mostly one Marshal for one crusade and as much Castellans as needed for specified fighting companies. I think in terms of commandment the marshal has more flexibility in comparison to codex complied chapters because their structur still being the same while a chapter master can give a captain the command of a greater task force but he cannot decide to change that much on the unit structure but that is not so clear how such inner things working. But a company led by a Castellan is NOT a company as dictated by the Codex Astartes (100 marines, 10 squads, etc) correct? The Black Templar definition of a fighting company is not the one in the Codex Astartes? There is no definition of a fighting company beyond that it's a force led by a Castellan. It could be any size. Helias_Tancred 1 Back to top Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/368977-lieutenants-are-the-title-of-castellan-right/#findComment-5665973 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother Kraskor Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 I've always gone with it not being an exact equivalence. Marshals and Castellans don't neatly fit into Captain and Lieutenant because sometimes Marshals lead forces larger than a Codex Company, sometimes the same size, sometimes less, and the exact same goes for Castellans. As with all things Templar it is ad hoc by nature and driven by pragmatism (and zeal!). Yes it is true more Codex-compliant chapters can create non-standard formations led by Captains, but I think the important difference is it is recognised as a non-standard deployment, and consists of various elements drawn from specific Codex Companies. These elements will return to those Companies once the task is complete, whereas for Templars it is never so cleanly delineated. Brother Sidonius, Helias_Tancred and Sword Brother Adelard 3 Back to top Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/368977-lieutenants-are-the-title-of-castellan-right/#findComment-5665978 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sword Brother Adelard Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 (edited) The lore status of a Fighting Company has also been 'undermined' recently by Vigilus 1 showing a Force Org which lists the Black Templars as having 1 "company" present at Hyperia Hive Sprawl, and a 'Gladius Strike Force' on Talledus in Faith & Fury.I'm not entirely certain of the fluff status of Gladius Strike Forces, since I was absent from the hobby for 5-7 edition, but I think both of these misnomers can be explained as examples of the unreliable narrator assigning Codex designations to Astartes formations when they aren't aware of the correct 'in-house' name. If you look at Vigilus for example, the same mistake was made with the Sons of Medusa, who were said to have 3 companies present, despite them not having companies. Also, in the more detailed section of Faith & Fury, it explains that the 'strike force' was a force led by Castellan Ramos, and was all that could be spared from the Rutherian Crusade. Which suggests it was actually a Fighting Company. We also know from The Eternal Crusader that Templars themselves convert their force sizes to Codex equivalents for the benefit of the uninitiated: "I estimate we will have gathered approximately thirteen companies of Adeptus Astartes, according to Guilliman’s codex.’Helbrecht managed to make this sound like an insult; his kind had never had much time for the strictures of the Ultramarines Primarch." Perhaps the best support for the idea that whoever compiles those force organisation charts we see in these books doesn't know what's going on, is the most recent one in Codex: Space Marines about War Zone Sithoza, where the footnote questions the accuracy of the Black Templars 'Crusader Squad' and 'Sword Brethren' designations, because they don't match any of the fourteen versions of the Codex Astartes they have! Edited February 10, 2021 by Brother Adelard Helias_Tancred 1 Back to top Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/368977-lieutenants-are-the-title-of-castellan-right/#findComment-5665988 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother Sidonius Posted May 26, 2021 Share Posted May 26, 2021 Where did the myth that marshals are equivalent to chapter masters come from? Was it based on rules?It was never based on rules. In 3rd edition, the High Marshal stat line was the same as that used for Chapter Masters (the Force Commander stat line) and the Marshal stat line was the same as that used for Captains (the Commander stat line). We know that the Force Commander stat line was for Chapter Masters because all of the special character Chapter Masters were built from that stat line; and we know that the Commander stat line was for Captains because all of the special character Captains were built from that stat line. When Codex: Black Templars was published in 4th edition, the High Marshal was removed as a generic choice and replaced with High Marshal Helbrecht. The Marshal stat line matched that of Captain in both Codex: Space Marines and Codex: Blood Angels (the latter the White Dwarf version) as well as that of Company Master in Codex: Dark Angels and Wolf Lord in Codex: Space Marines. The only Chapter that had something equivalent to the Castellan stat line was the Space Wolves, their counterpart being the Wolf Guard Battle Leader. The notion that Black Templars Marshals were equivalent to the Chapter Masters of other Chapters grew from the fans who looked only at the basic units commanded by these officers (Codex Companies vs. Black Templars Crusades) and didn't take into account either the large Detachments that Codex Captains often commanded or the small Crusades that Black Templars Marshals commanded, and who also ignored every instance of rules that GW has provided which clearly showed that the Black Templars Marshals are equivalent to Codex Captains. At its core, it's wishful hyperbole that has been repeated so many times that people have begun to believe it ("begun" is the wrong word since people have believed it for over fifteen years). The full body of facts prove that the belief is false, but people aren't being exposed to the full body of facts (until iconoclastic jerks like me come along ). Sorry to revive this thread but I found some relevant information that's worth sharing. The idea that Castellans are equivalent to Captains isn't some myth, as has been suggested, but is based on rules from 4th edition. When I was rewriting the rules from our 4th ed Codex to work in 9th edition I used the 4th ed Space Marine Codex as my "control" (the theory being that by seeing how the rules in the Space Marine codex had changed from 4th to 9th ed I could more faithfully re-imagine the Black Templars Codex). When I got to the data sheets I had them open side by side for comparison and behold: In 4th edition the following was true: Marshals <=> Masters Castellans <=> Captains It makes perfect sense then that 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th edition Black Templars players would continue to play their Marshals as [Chapter] Masters and their Castellans as Captains. Besides it being the logical continuation of previous rules, there weren't any other datasheets you could use to represent a Castellan in your army until 8th ed (as was mentioned earlier in the thread). I think it is also very likely that the names of our Commander's ranks were intentionally picked so it was easy to remember which were equivalent, although that's just speculation. Now although this bit of Black Templars history proves definitively that the above equivalency isn't a myth and validates the position of anyone who does play their Castellans as Captains (such as myself), it's certainly not the end of the story. Playing your Castellans as Lieutenants is equally valid and arguably more lore friendly. Some players want their favourite Space Marines to be Primaris better than everyone else's even if it makes no sense but this isn't great for the 40K community so maybe it's good to use rules that don't make our Commanders better than everyone elses just because their Primaris Black Templars. Moreover, using the Lieutenants datasheet to represent a Castellan usually makes more sense than using the Captains when looking at the size of the force they're leading and that the day before they may have just been another Sword Brother. My personal opinion on the matter is that since the Space Marine Codex doesn't have clear rules to represent the Codex divergent ranks of our Commanders on the battlefield (here's hoping our Supplement has something!), you can use any datasheets to represent your Castellans and Marshals on the tabletop as long as it makes sense. Is your Marshal inexperienced and only leading 10 or 20 battle brothers on Crusade? Play him as a Lieutenant. Is your Castellan part of Helbrechts crusade and leading a Fighting Company that's more than a hundred warriors strong? Play him as a Captain. Is your Castellan the best Black Templars that ever lived and is basically Sigismund incarnate and he took down a bloodthirsty in a 1v1 as a Neophyte and he was so awesome at everything that Helbrecht sent him on a secret Crusade with ONE THOUSAND battle brothers to go find which Centurion Rogal Dorn is hiding in so you can get him to install a text-to-speak device in the Golden Throne? First I'd ask you if your Castellan isn't just a very confused Kaldor Draigo but go ahead and play him as a Chapter Master. To conclude, I propose the following guide for representing Marshals and Castellans on the table top: High Marshal <=> Chapter Master Marshal <=> Chapter Master (if leading a 300+ strong Crusade) or Captain Castellan <=> Captain (if leading a 100+ strong Fighting Company) or Lieutenant Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/368977-lieutenants-are-the-title-of-castellan-right/#findComment-5703560 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urkh Posted May 26, 2021 Share Posted May 26, 2021 (edited) I'm personally modeling up HQ's as characters from the Fire Emblem games right now, and am working on Eliwood. I am making him ranked Castellan for organizational purposes (Hector will be my Marshal), and imagine him in 40k as more of a lieutenant. However, I am making a foot version and a bike version of him (because by the end of the game he has a horse), and since lieutenants cant get bikes, when I run him on a bike, he will be a captain in list building. Long story short: as long as you can justify it, it doesn't really matter. It's 40k we're talking about, right? Edited May 26, 2021 by Urkh Brother Sidonius 1 Back to top Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/368977-lieutenants-are-the-title-of-castellan-right/#findComment-5703569 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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