[cadian315]

Hey all,

I just bought the box set of Space Marines, and ordered a bunch of bits plus the Black Templars add-on box. I am assembling about 750pts of men with this, as I ordered a Grey Knight that I am gonna convert to have Lightning Claws (to represent my marshall in Terminator armour) and an Emperor's Champion. My 750 pt list will look like:
HQ
Commander
Marshall with terminator armour, crusader seals and twin lightning claws

TROOPS
Crusader Squad
8 Initiates with bolt pistols and chainswords, 1 powerfist and 1 meltagun
2 Neophytes with bolt pistols and chainswords
TROOPS
Crusader Squad
7 Initiates with bolt pistols and chainswords, 1 powerfist and 1 meltagun
3 Neophytes with bolt pistols and chainswords

FAST ATTACK
5 Initates with 1 bolt pistol and chainsword, 1 powerfist and bolt pistol, 2 plasma pistols and chainswords and 1 bolt pistol and stormshield
AND
Either Emperor’s Champion or Predator Annihilator

I will be playing mostly Dark Angels, and Tyranids, and occasionally Codex Marines, CSM, Necrons and (rarely) Imperial Guard.

What are your thoughts of my organization? What is wise to add next? (I am considering another assault squad, or a dreadnought, or tactical terminators or tactical marines - so many choices haha!)

All comments and criticism appreciated!

 

[JohnPublic]

I'm not terribly current on my Black Templar codex knowledge, but I saw no one had yet posted and I figured I'd take a stab at it.

It looks like you are off to a great start with a solid troop base. I would recommend more ranged weaponry for your future purchases. You mentioned a dreadnought and I think that would be a great choice. It can fill that firepower role and with a few magnets can be set up with interchangeable arms for those days you feel like getting him into the heat of things.

 

[darkreever]

Remember if your Black Templar army is 750points or higher, then you must include the champion. (He isn't mandatory in games less than that as you probably already know, but at 750 he is required on top of your three other force organization requirements.)

HQ
Commander
Marshall with terminator armour, crusader seals and twin lightning claws

I generally advise HQ's taking up no more than 10-15% of your points total, about 75-115 here. 75 is a bit low to equip a commander and everything else costs more than that, so I'd go with 115 and downgrade to a Castellin in power armour; keeping the pair of lightning claws and looking into giving him a holy orb of Antioch and combat shield for the invulnerable save I just suggested removing.

TROOPS
Crusader Squad
8 Initiates with bolt pistols and chainswords, 1 powerfist and 1 meltagun
2 Neophytes with bolt pistols and chainswords

Crusader Squad
7 Initiates with bolt pistols and chainswords, 1 powerfist and 1 meltagun
3 Neophytes with bolt pistols and chainswords

Rather than having two medium sized crusader squads, I'd go with one large one and a second small one. The first being your close combat squad while the second offers some ranged punch with a heavy weapon. Your constrained when it comes to numbers, so most advice that tries to work just with what you have is going to be hard.

I would take ten initiates and all five neophytes and put them into one squad, taking your last five initiates and making them into a second squad with a heavy weapon while the first, larger squad keeps their current loadout and even adds crusader seals. (For the heavy weapon I would suggest a missile launcher, however my squad suggestions increase troop total points by nine.)

FAST ATTACK
5 Initates with 1 bolt pistol and chainsword, 1 powerfist and bolt pistol, 2 plasma pistols and chainswords and 1 bolt pistol and stormshield

I would advise against the storm shield, if only because your paying points to remove attacks. For the points the storm shield costs this guy though, its not a very bad investment if the squad is larger. (However at only five strong, you want the squad to remain that much cheaper in order to minimize the amount of points your opponent(s) can get from them until they can be increased.)

What are your thoughts of my organization?

Not to bad, and seeing as you have to take the champion, your current army has just enough points for him to take any vow, though if you took accept any challenge without removing the storm shield then you will be over by a few points.

If you go with all of my suggestions for your army, than even with that vow your total is going to be under 750; but I would not follow what I said to the letter unless its exactly what you want.

For what you bought and have, the force is pretty good; taking the marshal is a bit excessive in such a small game even if its for his higher leadership (but thats my opinion.)

What is wise to add next? (I am considering another assault squad, or a dreadnought, or tactical terminators or tactical marines - so many choices haha!)

More troops would definately be a good idea, if not for more squads than to increase the numbers of your current two (possibly working in a third crusader squad before moving onto other area's.) After that I would look into bulking out your assault squad and then maybe go for the dreadnought. (If your set on the terminator marshal, than I would hold off on the dred and go for the termy marshal with some terminators in its place.)

 

[cadian315]

I already have a Grey Knight Terminator that I've converted to carry LCs - and I think he looks pretty good so I am inclined to keep him. Its the 10 leadership I really want. Having never actually put BTs to the field, I am sort of afraid of failing ld tests after losing a single neophyte and having my men run briefly - really slows the assault. I was going to keep the army to 749pts or lower at this point to avoid having to take the EC. I really wish he could be taken as your HQ choice, so I wouldn't have to take the Marshall in the first place. I am wanting to get some marines with bolters for fire support, especially as my tyranid opponent loves his genestealers. Rapidfiring boltguns into those seems like a wise move.

My motivation for having two roughly equal sized squads is to divide fire, and keep them off the assault squad as they move up. I figure the Marshall can lurk around and join the fray asap. I am considering getting a squad of normal Terminators with 2 assault cannons, plus the 3 stormbolters that provides some nice fire support in an army that has no weapons over 12''.

 

[darkreever]

When it comes to leadership, leadership ten has a one in twelve chance against you where leadership nine has a one in six chance of failing. For the purposes of your righteous zeal movement, having the one in twelve chance is definately better in your case.

My comments about what you should look into getting next remain the same, except that I would put the terminators in front of getting a dreadnought. Though I would definately think about putting the champion in your army rather than staying just below the 750 mark, putting him with one crusader squad and the marshal next to the opposite one so that everything has a decent punch and can be used as a distraction for something else. (However I would not join the champion or marshal to the crusader squads, making them untouchable until combat.)