Black Templars
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| Black Templars | |
|---|---|
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| Primarch | None (Imperial Fists Second Founding Chapter) |
| Battlecry | No Pity! No Remorse! No Fear! |
| Colours | Black, White, and Red |
In the game Warhammer 40,000, the Black Templars are a Second Founding chapter derived from the Imperial Fists and their Primarch, Rogal Dorn. Their origin can be traced back to the Imperial Fists’ defence of Holy Terra. Since this time, the Black Templars have been on the longest crusade the Imperium has ever known to prove their loyalty to the Emperor.
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[edit] History
[edit] The Defence of Terra
At the Siege of Terra, many Champions of Chaos arose from the Traitor Space Marine ranks. During this time, the Primarch of the Imperial Fists, Rogal Dorn chose Sigismund to fulfil the role of Emperor's Champion. Brother Sigismund was given the best armour and weapons, swearing a holy duty to seek out and destroy the foul champions of Chaos. He did so, challenging over two dozen of the enemy leaders to single combat, and banishing them back into the Immaterium.
At the end of the Horus Heresy, each of the Space Marine Legions was broken down into organisations known as Chapters, each composed of one thousand men, as part of a plan to spread the power of the Imperial armed forces so that one man could not bring to bear the influence Warmaster Horus did. Rogal Dorn, as Primarch of the Legion responsible for the defence of the Emperor's homeworld, Terra, initially refused to have his Legion broken down, and it was only the threat of renewed civil war between his Legion and the newly-formed Chapters that persuaded him to relent.
[edit] The Second Founding
The Imperial Fists were split into three Chapters during the Second Founding. The younger warriors became the Crimson Fists, while Dorn's chosen warriors remained the Imperial Fists.
The third Chapter was the Black Templars. Sigismund took with him the most zealous of the Imperial Fist brethren and those that shared his fervour took on the black and white panoply of Sigismund’s armour, then embarked on a crusade to prove their loyalty to the Emperor. Promoted to the rank of High Marshal, Sigismund swore an oath “to prove his loyalty, never resting in the prosecution of his duties against the enemies of the Emperor.” It is an oath that every succeeding High Marshal has renewed, resulting in the longest Space Marine crusade in the history of the Imperium. It has smashed through the stars for over 10,000 years and came to the fore during the Wars for Armageddon.
[edit] Organisation
The Black Templars have no home world, instead opting to live in their Crusade fleets. They do establish Chapter Keeps on every world they conquer or reclaim, to both provide a training base for new recruits and to act as staging posts for Crusade fleets.
Each Crusade Fleet is overseen by a Marshal, while the High Marshal (currently High Marshal Helbrecht) travels between Crusades on his personal starship, the battle barge Eternal Crusader. There are usually at least three Crusades operating at any one time, although at one stage there were 14 known to the Imperium, each Crusade ranging in size from a hundred Marines and their support to half a standard Chapter. It is said that only the Black Templars have any idea of their full numbers, but it is estimated that they number close to six thousand Marines. This is larger than some of the original Legions, and means the Black Templars are one of only three Chapters (the others being the Space Wolves and the Grey Knights) to be thought to have more than one thousand Marines and in the process ignore the Codex Astartes. Such a force with one goal in mind would be unstoppable. The size of the Black Templars has resulted in close scrutiny by the Inquisition, and only the Chapter's history of zealous loyalty to the Emperor has spared them from further examination or being forced to disband.
The larger Crusades are broken down into Fighting Companies, each led by a Sword Brethren member possessing the honorific ‘Castellan’. Over the larger crusades a High Marshal is appointed to lead the crusade (such as High Marshal Helbrecht). Since the individual squads tend to form and disband on an ad-hoc basis, most fight together out of familiarity and comradeship more than any imposed organization. Rough squads form with five to ten Initiates, as well as up to ten Neophytes. These squads have no sergeant, as the experienced members are quickly elevated to the rank of Sword Brethren.
[edit] Recruiting
As the Black Templars have no homeworld, all of their recruiting is done via the Chapter Keeps. Recruits are selected following the normal processes of trial and testing, but after a certain stage of their genetic modification, are sent to a Crusade fleet, and are 'apprenticed' to a full Battle Brother (known as an Initiate), under whom they complete their training. It is because of this one on one training that the Black Templars have no standing scout force.
It is the responsibility of the Initiate to train his Neophyte recruit in the ways of war and the Chapter, often through example. During this time, the Neophyte will act as a servant to his mentor, and undergo the remainder of the processes required to make him a full Space Marine. This practice reflects the medieval tradition of achieving knighthood through a squireship under a knight. Should the Initiate be killed before the Neophyte has completed his training, he will be assigned to another battle brother for the remainder of his training. If the Neophyte perishes, the Initiate will receive another Neophyte if one is available.
[edit] Sword Brethren
Equivalent to a standard Chapter’s First Company, the greatest warriors of a crusade are inducted into the Marshal’s household. Known as the Sword Brethren, they are no longer required to train Neophytes and they will receive additional training, particularly in the use of Tactical Dreadnought armour. After completion of this training, Sword Brethren will use Terminator armour whenever available, usually selecting close combat weapons, where all Black Templars excel.
Like most Black Templars, Sword Brethren will fight with others out of familiarity rather than organised squads, always in the thickest of the fighting.
If the Marshal is either killed or promoted to the position of High Marshal, one of the Sword Brethren will take his place. The one who receives this honour is decided by ritual combat. The winner earns the right to become a Marshal upon the approval of the High Marshal; there has only been one case of the High Marshal withholding his approval.
Sword Brethren wear a cream colored cloak and have red rims on their shoulder pads to signify their status.
[edit] The Emperor’s Champion
Continuing in the tradition of Sigismund, an Emperor’s Champion is selected on the eve of a battle. Before a battle, one Initiate will experience a vision of the Emperor, and report to the Chaplains. They will anoint him, and gift him with the finest weapons and armour available, known as the Black Sword and the Armour of Faith.
In battle, it is his duty to seek out enemy champions and leaders, and challenge them to single combat. It is considered a bad omen if the Emperor’s Champion falls in battle, and every effort must be made to secure his body, weapon and armour.
Because of their high status and being a great moral symbol, every single enemy of the Black Templars seek the bodies of the fallen champions to act as a terror weapon, in addition to gaining some powerful wargear.
Before battle, the Emperor's Champion leads the Templars in renewing one of the four Vows, each one adding a different game effect as it instills the Black Templars with righteous fury.
[edit] Crusader-pattern Land Raider
The Crusader variant of the Land Raider was developed by the Black Templars during the Jerulas Crusade, to aid them in the numerous sieges required to reclaim the hive world.
The Crusader is a line-breaking tank, built and armed to plough into the enemy formation and disgorge its larger than normal troop cargo directly into close combat. The Crusader is armed with side sponson "hurricane bolters" as well as a hull mounted assault cannon and a multi-melta. By replacing the side sponson lascannons of the original Land Raider design with the bolters, the Crusader has given up some of its anti-armour capability in exchange for a significant increase in its troop carrying capacity.
As word of the designs successes spread, many Chapters pressured the Techpriests of Mars into releasing construction schematics of the Crusader. Eventually the design was officially recognized, but this was seen as a mere formality; over three quarters of the Chapters had already put Crusader-pattern Land Raiders into effective use.
[edit] Combat Doctrine
The Black Templars have continued in the style of their first High Marshal, preferring close combat to ranged warfare. This is further emphasised by the fanaticism of Black Templars Initiates, whose righteous anger makes them impulsive and headstrong.
When making war, the Crusade will focus on two main tactics. The first is orbital assault; where the Crusade will use drop pods and Thunderhawks to perform a mass-landing in the wake of a heavy orbital bombardment. If resistance is still strong after this, the Templars will land their heavy armour and launch an armoured spearhead against the weakest link in the enemy's defensive line.
As part of their dedication to the Emperor and their Crusade, the Black Templars swear fell oaths of faith and protection. Before a battle, it is considered customary to renew one of these oaths, the particular vow serving as a focus on the particular aspect of their duties considered to be necessary to ensure success.
[edit] Battlecry
"No Pity! No Remorse! No Fear!" Also, Black Templars, as with other chapters are known to shout varied demoralizing litanies and phrases at their enemies.
[edit] Appearance
The armour of a Black Templar is predominantly black (a sign that like Sigismund and the black-armoured Chaplains of other chapters, they serve the emperor directly and with faith). The shoulder pads depicting the chapter symbol of the Black Templars, the Maltese Cross, with colour dependent on their rank and armor. The Cross depicted on the shoulder pads of the Black Templars comes from the original Knights Templar that were created shortly after the First Crusade of 1096. The actual application of the colourscheme varies from Marine to Marine, and individual Marines usually decorate their armour with devotional imagery, litanies, and purity (and crusader) seals. Techmarines and tank crews have a predominantly red armour (the colour of the Machine God); however, they still display their chapter colours, so as to not anger the machine spirits of their tanks and armour.
The Black Templars are noted to wrap chains or bindings around their arms to represent the fact that they will not give up their weapons until the battle is done.
[edit] Notable Characters
- High Marshal Helbrecht - Current High Marshal. Helbrecht wields the Sword of the High Marshals, which was forged from the remnants of the sword of Rogal Dorn. According to legend, Dorn broke the sword across his knee after the Horus Heresy for failing to defend the Emperor. In addition to being High Marshal, Helbrecht is the greatest naval commander in the Adeptus Astartes, and assumed command of all Space Marine warships during the Third War for Armageddon. Working along with Admiral Parol of the Imperial Navy, Helbrecht managed to repulse the Ork fleet. He was last seen departing Armaggeddon with Commissar Yarrick, hunting down the hulk believed to be commanded by the Beast of Armageddon, Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka.
- Chaplain Grimaldus, Hero of Helsreach - Veteran of the Third Armageddon War. During the Battle for Hive Helsreach, Grimaldus led the defense of the Temple of the Emperor Ascendant, which had stood since Armageddon's colonization. The battle became so heated that the building itself collapsed around them. It was believed that all had perished in the building until Grimaldus, bloody but unbroken, climbed out of the rubble bearing three of the temple's artifacts - a column from its Major Altar, the Banner of the Emperor Victorious, and holy water from the Stoup of Elucidation. Apothecaries who examined him later were amazed that Grimaldus had survived, much less found the strength to climb from the ruins. When the war ended, the citizens of Hive Helsreach honored him with the title of "Hero of Helsreach".
- Castellan Draco - Draco first rose to prominence as part of Marshal Ludolddus' Sword Brethren during the bitter Vinculus Crusade in which he fought a renegade Inquisitor Lord Vinculus. He was badly wounded after the battle and his body was reconstructed with bionics. He was awarded the rank of Castellan and was given a relic suit of the Chapter's finest armour for his valour. Draco was further recognised when he was presented with the former Inquisitor's blade as a mark of gratitude from the Ordo Hereticus. Draco is a special edition miniature available for the Black Templars. Rules for Castellan Draco can be found in White Dwarf (US) 313.
[edit] In Game Terms
The 'character' of the Black Templars is drawn from the medieval Crusades of the 11th to 13th centuries, and the history concerning the Order of the Knights Templar. One of their special weapons, the Holy Orb of Antioch, is a reference to Monty Python's Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch.
Codex: Black Templar was also a unique codex in its own right. Unlike its predecessors (Codex: Blood Angels, Codex: Dark Angels [3rd edition] and Codex: Space Wolves) Codex Black Templars is not a supplement book for Codex: Space Marines but a stand alone codex. This meant that one could play the game without the need to actually purchase the original Codex: Space Marines. The same has been done for the new Codex: Dark Angels which was released on 3rd March 2007.
[edit] References
- Chambers, Andy; Johnson, Jervis, and Thorpe, Gav (2000). Warhammer 40,000 Codex: Armageddon, 1st Edition, Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-84154-045-5.
- McNeil, Graham; Thorpe, Gav, and Haines, Pete (2005). Warhammer 40,000 Codex: Black Templars, 1st Edition, Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-84154-685-2.
- (October 2000) "Index Astartes – Black Templars". White Dwarf: Australian Edition (250). ISSN 0265-8712.
- White Dwarf: Australian Edition.
