Squad and Types of markings.

[DAG42]

Been a Dark Angels player forever. (92) My question is what are the different color codes...ie... Battleline trim is black, assault is redish but what the hell is the trim color for the heavy / support ?  Sorry for a silly question but I don't like incorrect lore.

[redmapa]

I don't have my codex with me so correct me if I'm wrong but Black Templar heraldry is:

 

Black trim, white pad= Crusader Squads, battleline and fire support

Red trim, white pad= Close support and Assault units, like Outriders and Assault squads and I've always assumed things like close ranged fire support units like Eradicators could fit here, Apothecaries also have these colours with their office symbol replacing the chapter symbol

Red trim,black pad = Sword Brethren and Veterans

All black, white cross,= Chaplains

[CastellanDeMolay]

Traditionally BT don'ts use dedicated Heavy Support units, those roles tend to be reserved for Tanks, aircraft and Dreadnoughts, so so there isn't really any way to differentiate them from Battleline units. There are many crusades however, and your crusade may find it useful to make such a distinction for whatever reason, so don't feel straight-jacketed into what's in the Codices. 

 

Were they campaigning alongside your DA, perhaps they would adopt a codex-style Devastator symbol  on their right Pauldron, or display it elsewhere. Alternatively were they working alongside Blood angels, they might paint their helmets blue. Working independently they could feel the need to paint their weapons a different colour from the rest of the army, either symbolising the need to adopt unusual tactics [for BT] or as a mark of censure where brethren who fell below the Marshal's standards of zealotry were formed into fire support squads. There has been at least one occasion where BT, and other successor chapters, have contributed marines to rebuilding the strength of the IF after they suffered massive losses, so they could represent brothers earmarked for transfer to another chapter and preparing to fill the different roles that could be expected of them, in which case part of the heraldry of that other chapter may be appropriate. 

[Brother Richard]

One of the few bonuses for be a Divergent Chapter... burn the codex and Crusade as your visions guide you. As much as we are a Chapter apart, the lore supports the concept of whole Crusades showing support for others by adopting cool concepts. Declates Crusade comes to mind, Many Black Templar painted their left hands red, and Crimson Fists painted a Templar Cross onto their right knee as a symbol of solidarity. 

 

All this to say, go with what feels good to you. Just share a photo with us please!

[DAG42]

Thanks for the replies. I guess I got some homework to do.

[Sir Clausel]

On 6/8/2025 at 10:22 PM, Brother Richard said:

All this to say, go with what feels good to you. Just share a photo with us please!

I want to emphasize this. If you dont think something looks good. Dont paint it like that. Its your models and your hobby. 

Take my army for example. I dont like the red trim on assault marines and bikers. They simply have black trim. 

My sword brethren dont have a black pad with red trim and cross since i feel that makes them too dark. 

My Chaplains have blacked out shoulders with a white cross as the lore as i think it looks cool and helps me see where the Chaplain is. 

But then again i hsve just made a Bladeguard squad for a Chaplain that has the same shoulders. Thats not lore accurate but my headcannon is they are Chaplains in training.

No one and i mean no one as said anything like "actually thats not lore accurate and i wont play you". And if they did? I wouldnt even wanna play them anyway. 

[Mordekiem]

As others have said you have the studio paint scheme. But that is really just one crusade and at best "guidelines" for the rest.  Templar do not follow the codex and each Marshal has a lot of autonomy over how they runt things.  So they can use whatever heraldry they want.  And honestly, Templar heraldry is more akin to knightly heraldry than a standardized army uniform.

 

So really anything can be lore accurate.  Having fun and ignoring the Codex is what makes Templar, Templar!

[kabaakaba]

If hypothetical I wanna build and paint absolutely codex compliant chapter where should I looks for info? Virtually newer played marines(or anything but guards) since 4th but trying understand current sm with all that ancient, gravis Phobos baffling stuff.

[CastellanDeMolay]

53 minutes ago, kabaakaba said:

If hypothetical I wanna build and paint absolutely codex compliant chapter where should I looks for info? Virtually newer played marines(or anything but guards) since 4th but trying understand current sm with all that ancient, gravis Phobos baffling stuff.

Spoiler

 

[Marshal Mittens]

There are some suggestions, like red for Sword Brethren (Veterans), and black for mostly everyone else. But as others have said, the codex is not something the Twmplars even consider following, paint your squads however they dreamed that Space God wants them to look. 

[DAG42]

On 6/17/2025 at 7:35 PM, Marshal Mittens said:

There are some suggestions, like red for Sword Brethren (Veterans), and black for mostly everyone else. But as others have said, the codex is not something the Templars even consider following, paint your squads however they dreamed that Space God wants them to look. 

So I'm assuming (bad). I'm tired of red weapons so is yellow casings a thing or am I off on this one? trying to add some color to black for contrast.

[CastellanDeMolay]

On 6/20/2025 at 10:38 PM, DAG42 said:

So I'm assuming (bad). I'm tired of red weapons so is yellow casings a thing or am I off on this one? trying to add some color to black for contrast.

Weapon furniture has never had any real significance as far as I can recall. Traditionally the studio painted all of the weapons red, probably because the eye-lenses, and some cloth and parts of shoulder pads were already red, so they had it on the palette and it served to limit the number of colours on the models. There's no reason you couldn't paint your weapons yellow, or any other colour, or use weapon colour to denote battlefield roles or rank, or whatever. 

 

The precedent for Templars with yellow weapons mostly comes from John Blanche's artwork, who was a fan of the Zorn Palette. If you're  planning yellow weapons, it could be worth looking into the Zorn Palette, or studying his artwork for colour-scheme ideas. 

 

[Chainsword Cookie]

The rundown of the Black Templars heraldry is as follows:

 

Battleline/Fire Support, example Intercessors, Hellblasters

Armor - Black

Aquila - Gold

Insert - White

Trim - Black

Weapon Casing - Red

Cross - Black

 

Close Support/Assault, example Jump Pack Intercessors

Armor - Black

Aquila - Gold

Insert - White

Trim - Red

Weapon Casing - Red

Cross - Black

 

Veteran, example Sternguard or squad Sergeant

Armor - Black

Aquila - Gold

Insert - Black

Trim - Red

Weapon Casing - Red

Cross - Red

 

Chaplain

Armor - Black

Aquila - Gold

Insert - Black

Trim - Black

Weapon Casing - Red

Cross - White

 

Castellan, example Lieutenant with Storm Shield

Chaplain

Armor - Black

Aquila - Gold

Insert - White

Trim - Gold

Weapon Casing - Red

Cross - Black

 

Marshal, example Captain in Gravis Armor

Armor - Black

Aquila - Gold

Insert - White

Trim - Black

Weapon Casing - Red

Cross - Black

P.S. keep in mind that a Marshal can bear his own heraldry, for example he can have his armor painted in gold

 

The chapter specialists bear a number of different heraldries but they mostly conform to the codex variant, for example the Apothecaries have their armor painted white. 

 

Said that, the confusing part are the veterans and the new Primaris units, like Inferno Marines. We have to place them in the appropriate battlefield role and then use the correct heraldry. The Eradicators are Fire Support hence we use the Battleline/Fire Support heraldry. The Black Templars use squad numbers if they wish, they use the red helmets for sergeants if the Veteran chooses so, they are as much codex compliant as they can be codex divergent. The argument is that every Black Templar is an individual warrior who chooses to practice his preferred method of war or uses the preferred weapon configuration which suits him. The same argument is the basis for his association with a squad which are simply those fellow Initiates he likes to follow and fight alongside with. 

 

A Sergeant is both different and same to a codex one when comes to the Black Templars. A Sergeant is a Veteran, a rank bestowed upon a Black Templar either by his officers or other veterans. It is a knightly honor and therefore an advancement into the inner circles of the Black Templars. A Veteran is known as a Sword Brother but not all veterans are part of the Marshal's Household thus they are not elevated into the ranks of the Sword Brethren. Still a Veteran now begins his rise in the ranks by either fighting in the more elite formations or by leading squads of Initiates, so every Black Templars Sergeant is a Veteran but not all Veterans are Sergeants. 

 

A Castellan is similar but also different from a standard Lieutenant. He is a brevet leader, more akin to a Wolf Guard Battle Leader, chosen for his skill and leadership. They are equivalent to the imperial rank of Lieutenant but more often they command formations exceeding a demi company of astartes and can in fact hold power and responsibility more akin to a master in the more conventional chapters, a captain even. 

 

A Marshal therefore is the apex of the Black Templars hierarchy, bar the High Marshal, he thus commands a force akin to a grouping of several companies, more similar to the Praetors in the Legions of old, commanding Battalions. He can and will nominate a number of Castellans and it is common for the Black Templars Crusades to have more Marshals, each commanding several hundreds of marines.

 

Said that a Crusade can be anything, from a dozen marines to some thousand, they are deployed and led in accordance with the military goals they are set to achieve. 

 

All this to say that a Castellan and a Marshal can be anything, from Captain to a Lieutenant model. A Sword Brother can be any Sergeant as well as any Veteran and when painting the rest of the Primaris units we should check first which is the battlefield role and icon GW uses for them and then we place them in the Black Templars roster and use the appropriate heraldry. 

 

A thing that we must keep front and center when comes to the Black Templars it is the current timeline which as of today is the Indomitus Era. So the great majority of the Black Templars we field are Primaris marines born in vitru and trained/equipped and disciplined by Cawl and the Adeptus Mechanicus by extent. They have a prior experience in fighting as Greyshields alongside with other bloodlines, have first hand experience with the now very advanced Primaris technology and armaments and are very cognitive of working with other specialists such as Librarians. I am quite positive that there are Primaris Librarians out there which joined the Black Templars, not as much willingly but because they were dispatched or nominated to become Black Templars by the Torchbearer fleets. So the majority of the modern Black Templars are less crusaders and more akin to the legionaries of old. The task for our Marshals, of which most are younglings, recently elevated by Helbrecht, is to instill the Black Templars creed and dogma to this "zero" generation of Primaris and to integrate with the Black Templars creed the now very much modern and advanced weapons and tactics employed by the Primaris.

 

My advice is to paint the Black Templars according to their official heraldry and scheme, using the appropriate color pallet. Upon that it should be intentional to include a modicum of individuality into every marine. Remember, Brother Klaus has fought as an Intercessor for nigh almost fifty years by now but only recently he is beginning to explore his individuality, that is the Templar way to fight alongside those you like and respect, that the armor he wears is his own, as much as a mark of ascension to Initiate as well as his personal heraldry, maybe he will even attach an auto-reliquary to his belt and wrap his bolt rifle in chains and kill markings,... it is a journey we are experiencing with every model. They begin their tale as Primaris Marines and it is our task to make them into Black Templars. 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 22 by Chainsword Cookie

[SWORD BROTHER RYAN]

Everything said above is good advice if you want to paint your minis in the GW style. IMO however, there are things I like about it, and things I went a different way with.

Take, for instance, the Sword Brother/Brethren (Sternguard/Vanguard Vets in a CC Chapter). In GW style, they would have red crosses and red trim on a black background. However, remember that SB lead Crusader Squads. In my paint scheme, I do the CS SB with red cross, gold/brass/yellow metal trim and a white background and for the full SB squad, I'll do the GW scheme (If I manage to remember to do so! Pics of my painted minis might say otherwise). I do this to differentiate the SB for the CS and the SBS.

Following this train of thought, I'll do most leadership with gold trim as I like that the trim helps the squad leadership stand out more on the tabletop, and some extra-special units get gold trim across the board (mostly because I like the look).

It also depends on whether I'm using decals or sculpted cross shoulder pads. On the sculpted pads, it's easy to paint the cross and background whatever color you like (so long as the color doesn't run onto another,,, anyone else have that problem?) However, if you're using decals, it can get tricky with colored crosses. For instance, the GW supplied decals are very opaque, and will show up on nearly any color you decide to place them on. Some third party vendors, however, don't have the greatest prints. I got a set of red from a suggested source (I honestly forget who, mostly because of what happens next and won't buy them again), but the red decal nearly disappeared on a black background. I had to repaint the section white, put the red decal down, then paint black as close to the cross as possible to get the desired effect.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, there is no wrong way to paint them, so long as it makes sense to you. You want lore accurate? Follow the paint guides from official sources (a very good photo in a post above from the 4th ED Codex gives this answer). Or you can go entirely your own way. Or, you can mix your own style with the official. It's been said already, but I'll reiterate the statement, paint them the way you want and will like them to be painted. 

Edited Sunday at 02:14 PM by SWORD BROTHER RYAN
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