The Black Templars are one of the most iconic and zealous Space Marine Chapters in Warhammer 40,000. Devoted to the Emperor of Mankind, Black Templars will stop at nothing to prove their loyalty.
Who Are the Black Templars?
Descendants of the Imperial Fists, known for their unwavering faith in the Emperor and their relentless crusades across the galaxy.
Unlike other Space Marine Chapters that abide by the Codex Astartes, the Black Templars reject its limitations and organize themselves into massive Crusade fleets, constantly seeking out heretics, Xenos, and Chaos forces to destroy.
Fiercely fanatical, the Black Templars swear oaths to purge the enemies of mankind with holy zeal. Their obsession with close combat and refusal to tolerate psykers distinguishes them from many other Space Marines.
They field a vast number of warriors, including neophytes (new recruits) alongside fully-fledged battle-brothers, and their leaders, like High Marshal Helbrecht and Emperor’s Champion – both legendary figures in the Imperium.
What are the Black Templars Army Strengths?
Black Templars excel at aggressive, close-combat-focused gameplay. Their army rules encourage rapid movement and melee combat, enabling them to quickly close the gap with enemy forces. Key strengths of the Black Templars include:
- Close Combat Prowess: Black Templars thrive in melee, with various buffs and abilities that make them devastating in hand-to-hand fighting.
- Zealotry and Faith: They can make use of “Vows,” which grant army-wide bonuses, such as rerolling charges or enhanced durability against ranged attacks, depending on the vow chosen before the game.
- Durability: Black Templars possess enhanced durability thanks to their ability to shrug off mortal wounds through special abilities like Abhor the Witch.
- Flexible Unit Composition: They can mix experienced Space Marines with neophytes in the same squads, allowing them to soak up damage and protect more valuable units.
Beware though, Black Templars are vulnerable to ranged combat compared to other Space Marine armies. Their focus is to close the distance to their enemies in battle, for them to be truly effective.
Where Should Beginners Start?
Some of the best models for beginner Black Templars players include:
- Marshal: The Marshal is the Black Templars’ equivalent of a Space Marine Captain, providing crucial leadership and reroll abilities to nearby units. As a beginner, this HQ unit is essential for improving your army’s effectiveness, boosting nearby models’ attacks with rerolls to hit rolls, and enhancing your force’s combat capability.
- Primaris Crusader Squad: This unit is the backbone of the Black Templars army, made up of a mix of Primaris Initiates and Neophytes. They can hold objectives, withstand punishment, and provide versatility in melee and ranged combat. Their unique unit composition makes them perfect for beginners learning the game, offering flexibility and durability on the battlefield.
- Emperor’s Champion: This iconic character excels in duels and taking down enemy leaders or elite units, thanks to his powerful melee abilities. For beginners, he adds a fun, thematic element to the army, and his straightforward play style (charging into combat and dealing massive damage) makes him easy to manage.
- Redemptor Dreadnought: This heavy support unit provides a strong combination of firepower and durability. For new players, it’s an excellent centerpiece model that can soak up damage and dish out powerful ranged and melee attacks. Its variety of weapon options and resilience give beginners some extra firepower while learning how to balance offense and defense.
How to Paint Black Templars
Painting Black Templars is an enjoyable and rewarding process. Their striking black, white, and red color scheme makes for a visually stunning army on your tabletop.
Color Scheme Ideas
Crusader’s Oath
- Base Color: Abaddon Black. The primary armor color, representing the Black Templars’ unyielding devotion and purity in their eternal crusade.
- Shading: Nuln Oil. For deep shading in recesses and armor joints, adding depth and definition to the black armor while keeping the shadows consistent with the dark theme.
- Highlights: Dawnstone. For subtle edge highlights on the black armor, providing just enough contrast to define the armor without taking away from the dark, brooding look.
- Accent Colors: White Scar. For shoulder pad crosses, chapter insignia, and tabards, adding a stark, crisp white contrast that symbolizes purity and the Templars’ knightly heritage.
- Additional Accent: Leadbelcher. On weapons, chains, and mechanical details, adding a cold, metallic element to the dark armor.
- Highlight for Accents: Stormhost Silver. To highlight metallic parts, giving the weapons and armor a sharp, reflective finish.
This is a classic Black Templars scheme, focusing on black armor with bright white accents, symbolizing their purity, discipline, and unrelenting zeal.
Martyr’s Vow
- Base Color: Corvus Black. A very dark gray-black for the armor, giving the Black Templars a slightly weathered, battle-worn appearance that emphasizes their eternal war and sacrifice.
- Shading: Agrax Earthshade. In recesses and panel lines, giving the armor a gritty, battle-hardened look, as if worn through countless crusades.
- Highlights: Eshin Grey. For edge highlights, adding a more pronounced contrast to the darker armor while still keeping the overall scheme somber.
- Accent Colors: Zandri Dust. For tabards, robes, and purity seals, creating a dusty, desert-worn fabric look, emphasizing the religious and penitent nature of the Templars.
- Additional Accent: Retributor Gold. On weapon details, chest emblems, and chains, adding a regal, warm metallic contrast to the otherwise dark and somber scheme.
- Highlight for Accents: Auric Gold. For edge highlights on gold elements, giving a bright, reflective look that complements the worn, battle-ready armor.
This scheme focuses on the Black Templars as battle-hardened crusaders, with weathered armor and earthy tones for robes and purity seals, giving them a more rugged, war-torn look.
Zealot’s Flame
- Base Color: Abaddon Black. For the primary armor color, keeping the traditional black armor that reflects the Black Templars’ grim determination.
- Shading: Nuln Oil. For deep shading in recesses, enhancing the dark, shadowy appearance of the armor.
- Highlights: Administratum Grey. For bright edge highlights, giving the armor a striking, high-contrast appearance, emphasizing the sharp, defined edges of their power armor.
- Accent Colors: Mephiston Red. For robes, purity seals, and eye lenses, adding a fiery, striking contrast that symbolizes their zeal and willingness to shed blood for the Emperor.
- Additional Accent: Leadbelcher. On weapon casings, chains, and bionic limbs, giving a cold metallic contrast to the black armor.
- Highlight for Accents: Stormhost Silver. For edge highlights on metallic parts, giving a sharp, clean finish to weapons and mechanical details.
This scheme adds fiery red accents to the classic black armor, symbolizing the Black Templars’ fiery zeal and bloodlust in battle while maintaining their knightly, disciplined appearance.
Black Templars Painting Techniques
If you want to go a bit further, to really bring your Black Templars to life, here are some more advanced techniques you can try:
- Black Armor Shading: To add depth to the black armor, use a subtle mix of dark gray or blue in recessed areas, and highlight the edges with progressively lighter grays. This helps create definition without losing the black aesthetic.
- Weathering Effects: If you like the idea of a battle-worn look, use dry brushing or sponging techniques to add light scratches and wear to the armor. Adding dirt or rust effects to the lower legs can give the models a more rugged appearance – reflecting their endless crusades.
- Power Weapons: For energy weapons like power swords, use a gradient blending technique, moving from dark to light across the blade. Some hobbyists use a glowing effect by adding white highlights at the weapon’s energy points and using thin layers of contrast paint or glazes to build up color intensity.
- Tabards and Cloth: Achieving realistic cloth can be done with layering and blending. Start with a dark base and progressively highlight with lighter colors to simulate the appearance of natural fabric folds.
- Purity Seals and Script: Black Templars are often adorned with purity seals and holy scripture. Use a fine detail brush to carefully paint small symbols or text on these seals, and wash the parchment with sepia tones to give them an aged look.
By combining these painting techniques, you can create a visually striking Black Templars army that reflects their holy mission and relentless devotion to the Emperor.
Image Attribution
Image 1 – Black Templar (https://www.goodfon.com/games/wallpaper-warhammer-40-000-w40k-black-templars-space-marine-silovaia-b.html) by maria345 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)
Image 2 – Black Templars (https://www.goodfon.com/fantasy/wallpaper-warhammer-40k-black-templars-1623.html) by slipdem (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)
Image 3 – Black Templars Intercessor Squad (https://www.deviantart.com/willbohor/art/Black-Templars-Intercessor-Squad-850432984) by willbohor (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/)
