Written by Aerion | 10 June 2009

After careful consideration I realized there are a few more things that should be covered in preamble so those unfamiliar with the Black Templars would be better armed as we proceed through the Codex and discuss in detail the various units and their uses.  These would be the chapter specific rules that set the Black Templars apart from the myriad other brotherhoods of the Emperor’s elite Astartes.

Now, many new Templar players and a GREAT many Templar opponents get confused by this rule.  Put simply, when a Templar foot unit (including Terminators and command squads) is fired upon by an enemy unit and takes even a SINGLE casualty, that unit MUST make a Morale test (unmodified) at the end of the opponent’s Shooting phase.  It is VERY important that the test be made BEFORE assaults are declared.  If the test is passed, the testing unit will IMMEDIATELY move 1d6” toward the nearest VISIBLE enemy unit (not necessarily the unit that caused the casualty).  This means that if visibility limiting rules are in effect (Night Fighting, for example) then that too must be tested to see which, if any, enemy units can be seen by the testing unit.  This move ignores terrain just as any other random distance movement.

If, however, the unit FAILS the Morale test, that unit will immediately Fall Back as normal, even if only a single model was lost.  Yes, this does mean that Marshall Goober and his fully kitted 10 man Command Squad can be run off the board after losing only a single model.  This is the biggest drawback of “Righteous Zeal” and also one of the weaknesses that experienced Black Templar opponents will exploit.

What this means for the Templar player is that greater care and thought must be put into deployment, especially if going second.  Placing expensive or vital large units too close to the board edge can result in disaster if the opponent takes that opportunity to blaze away at that unit in his first Shooting phase. 

Another drawback to “Righteous Zeal” is the fact that it can be used as a kind of nose ring by skilled opponents to lead your Templars forward in a manner THEY choose.  An opponent, for example, might move a nasty big Carnifex right in front of your troops.  Then when his guns open up and you pass your Morale test, you are forced to march eagerly directly toward the big ugly, making it far more likely that it will get to assault you in the next phase.  That is why deploying your troops behind terrain that will channel their line of sight can minimize this risk.

Now that we have covered the drawbacks of “Righteous Zeal”, let’s deal with the advantages, or as I like to call them, “The reasons everyone hates Black Templars”.

Obviously, the Templars shine at mid to close range.  “Righteous Zeal” will not only get your troops there faster, but it will also give you that distance without penalizing your shooting.  Because the Zeal move occurs in the OPPONENT’S Shooting phase, your Initiate with a Plasma Cannon can still fire during your Shooting phase even though he lurched forward 5” recently.  His fellow Initiates can likewise open up with their bolters, Rapid Firing at the enemy unit which is now 5” closer and therefore in a much better position to be chewed up by your guns.  If your Zealing unit is kitted out for Assault, then that is a D6 inches you won’t have to cover in your Movement phase, which might save you a round of Running to get into threat range of the enemy, leaving you free to Assault with them.

Another positive aspect of “Righteous Zeal” is the effect it has on your opponent’s tactics.  As previously stated, the rule tends to confuse many players, and if your opponent doesn’t fully understand its use he might opt not to fire on a particularly intimidating Templar unit.  Or, conversely, he may fire on it hoping to make it fall back only to see it rush forward.  He’s already moved, so now he has to decide if he wants to assault your Lightning Claw Termies with his Tau Fire Warriors or give YOU the assault on your turn.  Not an enviable position, but one that players unused to facing Black Templar armies might find themselves in.

When playing a Black Templar force you must always keep “Righteous Zeal” at the forefront of your mind.  How will this unit react if it Zeals?  Where will they be forced to move?  Will it allow my opponent to assault and if so, with what?  By working your tactics to accentuate the positive and minimize the negative, “Righteous Zeal” can be the best friend the Templars have.

The next Special Rule that may surprise Codex Astartes players is “Abhor the Witch.”  This rule states that “No model with psychic powers may be fielded as an ally to the Black Templars and they will not fight as allies to any army that includes any models with psychic powers, with the exception of Grey Knight Space Marines.”  The Templars Codex contains no Librarians or any other units with psychic ability.  While this may seem like a blow to the Black Templar arsenal, it is fairly compensated by the next Special Rule.

Before a battle, the Emperor’s Champion (a unit that MUST be fielded in any Black Templar army of 750 points or more) leads his brethren in prayer.  These services rouse the Templars to great heights of mental and physical readiness, and they channel this fervor into one of four sacred vows.  These vows are unique to the Black Templars and serve as a way for the player to tailor his army to a specific, or more general, task for the battle to come.  Each vow reflects a different focus of the Templars’ will and they all affect the army differently.  A single vow MUST be chosen and the points paid accordingly as part of the army list.

The first of these vows is “Suffer Not the Unclean to Live.”  The Black Templars have no patience with those who have turned away from their Emperor’s Golden Throne and this vow allows them to deliver the Emperor’s justice in a very personal way.  The vow states “When rolling to wound in close combat, the Black Templars add +1 to their Strength.  It takes time for them to summon their holy strength, so they strike at -1 to their Initiative (to a minimum of 1).  Dreadnoughts in the army are bound by this vow, but Neophytes are not.”  It further explains that when rolling for Sweeping Advance their normal Initiative score is used, and that the Strength bonus is not cumulative with that conferred by the Furious Charge Veteran Skill.

This is the second most expensive vow available to the army at 35 points.  It is also one of the most utilitarian, giving an already hard hitting Marine army a boost.  It is especially useful against armies having high Initiative and lower Toughness or lightly armored vehicles (like Eldar and Tau). 

The second vow is “Uphold the Honor of the Emperor,” which states that “No unit may benefit from cover for Saving Throws.  However, such is their faith in the Emperor and their own invulnerability that they shrug off the most severe wounds, and therefore gain a 6+ Invulnerable Saving Throw at all times that they may take instead of their normal Armor Save.”  As an added benefit, the entire army becomes immune to the effects of Pinning.  Vehicles, of course, do not benefit from this vow.

Not only is an army-wide Invulnerable Save universally useful, the vow that grants it is also the cheapest of the four at a mere 10 points. 

Third we have “Abhor the Witch, Destroy the Witch.”  This vow affects all Black Templar units, including vehicles.  This vow influences the game from the very beginning before the first Movement phase.  Firstly, models that may Infiltrate must instead be set up with the rest of the army. After the armies are deployed, but before any Scout moves are made, if the enemy force contains a psyker (even if the model is held in reserve) each individual unit must make a Consolidate move D6 inches toward the nearest visible enemy unit. 

In addition, “any psychic powers targeted against any Black Templars unit or character (or which includes them in its area of effect) are nullified and will not work on a D6 roll of 5+.”  This vow has very limited usefulness and is therefore rarely used, but it is an option and Templar players would do well to consider it if they are playing an opponent who regularly uses psychic units or characters.  Because of the vow’s limited use, it is priced accordingly at 20 points.

Finally we have “Accept Any Challenge, No Matter the Odds,” and I have indeed saved the best for last. This most expensive vow, costing a daunting 50 points, is also likely the best known and often used, especially since the change to Fifth Edition. 

This vow states, “Any unit that can declare a charge must do so if they are in range of an enemy unit at the start of their Assault phase.  In close combat, Black Templar units count as having the Preferred Enemy special rule against the enemy army.”  This vow affects all Black Templar units with the exception of Neophytes and vehicles, although Dreadnaughts in the army DO benefit and are bound.

This of course means that every model, infantry and jump infantry alike, will reroll missed attacks in close combat.  Under this vow Lightning Claw Terminators become truly devastating, re-rolling their misses AND their wounds.  The obvious drawback is that it may force you to assault with a unit you may prefer to hold back, so once again deployment and unit positioning must be monitored closely. 

As you can see, the vows of the Black Templars are a vital difference and should be studied closely by anyone wishing to field a successful Templar force.  Knowing what to take and how best to use it can be the difference between being competitive and perhaps not so much. 

While the vows are important, there are still yet more Black Templar Special Rules which must be discussed.

One such rule is “Kill Them All”.  The Black Templars are so zealous in their desire to eliminate the Emperor’s foes that they tend to acquire a form of tunnel vision, allowing them to focus only on the closest enemy, even if it would be more tactically wise to direct their fire at a more distant unit.  Because of this, Black Templars are still affected by the Fourth Edition rule of Target Priority.  Any Black Templar Infantry, Jump Infantry, or Bike unit that wishes to fire at any but the nearest enemy unit in the Shooting phase must make a Leadership test at a -1 penalty.  If the test is passed the target may be fired upon as normal.  If the Leadership test is failed, however, then the closest unit is the only one that may be targeted.  Units wishing to target vehicles or Monstrous Creatures do not need to make such a test and may fire if the target is in range.

And finally we have “No Pity! No Remorse! No Fear!”  The shortest and simplest of the Black Templar Special Rules states that Black Templars “fight with righteous anger and are loath to retreat before an enemy.  When in an assault, all Black Templars units are Fearless.”  This means that Templars in close combat will never fall back, but it also means they are susceptible to the “No Retreat” rule.  This is mitigated by the Marine Power Armor, but it is still something to be aware of when playing Black Templars.

That brings us to the end of this overview of Black Templar Special Rules.  I hope it has been informative.  If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to ask, and I am always happy to read comments or suggestions.  Now that we have a basic understanding of what makes a Black Templar army what it is we can begin to break down and analyze the various units and their behavior and uses on the battlefields of the 41^st Millennium.

Next time I will begin with Headquarters choices as originally planned before this detour.  I hope you will join in.

“Pain is an illusion of the senses, despair an illusion of the mind.”