Black Templars Strategies

As you may have already noticed, the Black Templars have a very different setup, for space marine standards. Different enough to give them their own Codex that is not reliant on the “Codex: Space marines”. However… Using a Black Templars army is not as tricky as alot of people seem to think… The following are tips on using different types of Black templars armies… Hopefully, they will help you trounce your opponents…

First… Here are some of the different types…

(1) The Standard melee army:

This type of army… is best used against armies with lots of generally weaker, less diverse troops (eg. Tyranids, orks). It contains lots of crusaders… I like to arm then with a mix of close combat weapons with ranged weapons 50:50 is good, and also, if you only plan on having one squad of terminators they should be regular terminators… because they can offer great fire support, but if you have 2 squads of then, make one regular and one assault. I’d advise having a dreadnaught on hand because they are extremely useful for a myriad of different battlefield roles. Try to take some sword brethren because in close combat, they are absolutely devastating. Also it is good to have a few ‘5-man’ fire support squads armed with bolters + 1 special + 1 heavy.Take some assault troops as they are great at taking out units that are keeping their distance.

(2) Vehicle army (best used against armies with few strong units, eg: daemonhunters etc.):

I know it sounds odd for an assault oriented army… but it is possible to field an army composed of your core choices going as follows: Commander/Chaplain with Command squad (or alone), each troop choice made up of 6 crusaders. and max out your elite choices with dreadnaughts (armed however you want, ill get to that later), and your HS choices with vindicators and predators (whichever predator is up to you) anihilators if you are fighting heavily armoured troops, destructors for light etc. What you can also do is use one HS choice for a land raider or crusader to mount your command squad in. transports dont take up space so you can put the other 2 ‘6 man’ squads in transports (i would advise razorbacks). even some land speeders will do well. Note that you will need to have an Emperor’s Champion if your army is over 750 pts. you can even have a squad of terminators either deep striking or by putting them in a crusader… I’d deep strike.

It’s a rather points expensive army, and you cant use all of my suggestions above without going over 2000pts… But its still fun.

(3) Ranged army:

I would say that if it is a ranged army you want, you should burn your copy of the Black Templars codex because it is definately not what you are looking for… But if your stubborn and want to use black templars units, but don’t want to get your hands dirty, this is what you do. You arm your with all boltguns, special and heavy weapons, none of the super convenient close combat options that are open to you, that you would have to be foolish to pass up. and arm any dreadnaughts with an assault cannon or a lascannon and a missile launcher (depends on the enemy your facing, an i’ll get to that later. maybe throw a few tanks in there.

Second… Using these armies…

(1) Standard melee army:

The best thing to do with this army i find is to get your crusader squads to the enemy lines as fast as you can, and back them up with your dreadnaughts and fire support squads. Avoid sending your dreadnaughts into close combat with a squad that is too big, because if you lose, the ‘overrun’ factor can see you to an embarassing end. Any fire support squads should be stationary and firing at harder targets like vehicles and Terminators with its heavy weapon (or just as well taking objectives if the heavy weapons aren’t immediately needed). Your Emperor’s Champion should be in the melee with your crusaders. If you have chosen to take terminators… i would advise buying them a shiny new ‘drop pod’, this way they can deep strike right onto the enemy and avoid having to walk across the board and be killed by heavy guns. If you have a command squad, it should either be in the melee with everybody else, or capturing objectives.

So what the battlefield will look like, is… your crusader squads and every close combat capable squad (encluding Champion) will be fighting every locked enemy, and your dreadnaughts and fire support teams will be picking off other targets, or capturing objectives, Assault squads will be hunting tanks etc.

(2) Vehicle army:

This army is best used as a mobile, objective taking army. Your tanks should be used to press foreward while at the same time blasting big chunks out of the enemy’s lines. While your relatively small amount of infantry disembarks from transports to hold off assaulting units, Your emperors champion can just hide behind vehicles and jump an enemy unit when the time is right. terminators can either walk amongst the tanks or use a drop pod so they can be safe until dropped onto the enemy at an opportune moment. The best way to take objectives is to drop termies near them, or to move a loaded transport for the disembarked occupants to take it. Dreadnaughts are best used as mobile fire support, or to assault enemy vehicles. If you have a LRC put your terminators in it and smash it into enemy lines, then spill boiling hot “TERMINATOR TEA” on them.

(3) Ranged army:

taking the swords away from a black templars squad doesnt make them inferior in any way… they are still equal to space marines… and they still have crusader seals and vows…

your crusader squads will likely be used to grab objectives at this point, with the assaulting being done with terminators and the long ranged killing being done with tanks and dreadnaughts… this army is used just like a regular space marine army only with some extra rules and different use of scouts… although I would not advise using black templars in this way, as they are easily the best close combat space marine armies you can get (not counting grey knights).

Heres a slightly more detailed look at indavidual units in the Black Templars army:

Using the Emperors Champion:

It’s easy really, I have seen an emperors champion hold his own in some pretty large assaults. and if you have one… you need to either hide him behind tanks, among your own units… or find some indirect and safer route. Because if you can smash the Champion into a flank Your opponent will probably make some pretty unwise decisions with a ‘ginsu’ in his side.

Using Dreadnaughts:

I personally love dreadnaughts because they are so versatile. I don’t glue the arms on to them, so i can make switches before the game to best suit the army im fighting. Refrain from sending your dreadnaught into an assault against a whole squad, because he will be quickly surrounded, beaten, outnumbered, and destroyed. Instead, send him into an assault against an independant character, or a monstrous creature. This will prevent him from biting off more than he can chew. Also, if your enemy has alot of heavily armoured units, (terminators, Orks w/ mega armour, etc.). Don’t be too hasty in choosing a lascannon instead of the assault cannon. The assault cannons ‘rending’ rule increases the chance of taking out a heavy enemy outright, and you also get 4 shots instead of 1, it also makes you feel less guilty if you miss a few shots than if you miss your ‘1′ lascannon shot.

Using Tanks:

Tanks are best used as support units, staying stationary and firing all of their guns. Maybe moving if they have to. But it is also extremely effective to use the ‘tank shock’ ability to help your assaulting units. Land raiders and Land raider crusaders are transports, heavy ones. So they are best used to smash into enemy lines, and let some terminators or sword brethren disembark so they can ‘dole out the harshness’.

Using Crusader Squads:

Crusader squads are both the shield and sword of your BT army. A squad can’t kill your rampaging dreadnaughts if it is being hacked to bits by a single squad of 20 guys (ten initiates and 10 neophytes). they are also good for taking and holding objectives.

Using Terminators:

I would suggest either putting them into a Land Raider, or a Drop Pod. This way, your opponent will not be able to pick them off as they waddle half way across the table to their doom. Nothing hurts more than when you think you might win an assault then you find that your opponent had a little ‘failsafe’ in the form of 5 models that are already too close to stop. Choosing assault or reg is entirely up to the way you like to play.

Sword Brethren:

They are just space marines with cool robes and veteran skills, I would suggest not giving them any heavy or special weapons at all, keep them with close combat all the way. And for skills i would choose Furious Charge, or Counter-Attack, as infiltrate is too limited. Best used to stop enemies at chokepoints. or to re-enforse your main assault.

Using Assault Squads:

I’d suggest using assault marines against enemy tanks, keep their pistols. Meltabombs work amazingly well against tanks. I would only suggest giving them storm shields if you are planning on turning then into your honourary, ‘Character Whoopin’ squad.

Using Techmarines:

They are not really a ‘must have’ for a BT army, so i’d say if you like to paint creepy lookin models like servitors, get a techmarine.

Using Bikes:

Although I am not a big fan of the whole ‘bike’ thing, i know how to use them… They should mostly be used as tank-hunters, as they are fast and can have multi-melta strapped  to it.

Best for use in city terrain where roads mean that you dont have to risk being destroyed to move fast.

Using Speeders:

Alot of people I know really don’t like speeders, I don’t know why this is, speeders are perfect. They are really fast, terrain dodging, bullet deflecting, Anti-tank platforms. And not soley tanks either. If it’s heavy and bothersome, your land speeders can take it out. Best in city fights, where the enemies can’t run away. And it doesn’t hurt that you can have 9 of them in your army for 450 pts only… 450 pts is a terminator squad.

P.S. Please don’t give bad names to dreadnaughts… like bob, or like “Lieutenant Dan!”.

It crosses, way to many lines.

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