Things
look bleak for Black Templars these days.
Their current codex is ancient and strictly non-competitive in a
tournament setting as the main army. All
the rumors point to the BT getting a White Dwarf codex sometime in 2013, and
based on the history of the last few WD codices… let’s just say we might
actually prefer to keep our ancient over-costed codex if the alternative is
anything like the Sisters of Battle. Our
current codex is a dinosaur on life support, and our future codex has a good
chance of being still-born. Things could
be better.
The
BT are all but useless as a main army in competitive 6th
edition. Our HQ and Troops are
significantly overcosted, and as those are areas that every army needs to
compete, it puts a strain out. So where
is the glimmer of hope? Simply put, as
allies. The BT have some interesting
units that can be complimentary as an allied force, and I’ll go over the
options here.
HQ: BT can bring a Terminator captain with a retinue
of Tank Hunting 2x Ass-can/cyclone terminators.
When is this useful? Let’s say
you have a good codex that has good options in heavy support and elites, but
you still want some more strong and tough anti-tank. Getting a shooty anti-tank unit out of an HQ
slot is rare. Not many modern armies can
bring shooty anti-tank units in HQ so if you are strapped for empty FOC slots,
this can really bolster your army
Troops: As I mentioned before, our troops are
stiflingly overpriced. But we have one
attractive option: 20x man crusader squad with krak grenades. This is a fairly tough to shift blob that is
Fearless in assaults and, when a chaplain is attached, will be in your
deployment zone immediately if you choose to shoot at them. This unit is pricey for a Troop choice, but
it provide something only Chaos normally has access to: a 20 man MEQ unit with
close combat potential. There are a lot
of armies who bring allied CSM just for this type of unit, and depending on the
army and their ally options, this might be better. Or at least legal.
Elites: 5x Terminator squad with 2x heavy weapons and
Tank Hunters. These are almost strictly
better than any modern codex’ similar options.
Tank
Hunting venerable dread with TLLC and Missile Launcher. The ability to glance kill the dread hurts
the points investment you take in Venerable.
However, your guns are 48” range and hit really hard. There are not too many better anti-heavy tank
units in the game. I could easily see
this incorporated into a GK list as the “fourth” psyfleman. Or in a C:SM Master of the Forge list as the
“sixth” rifleman.
Heavy
Support: Power of the Machine Spirit
Vindicator. Our FAQ weakened this option
by changing PotMS to match the new codices.
However, other books can’t take PotMS on their Vindis, so this is a
unique option. Many SM lists these days
are bringing Vindis, and some other armies that can’t wish they could. This is the option to take an upgraded
Vindi. I would definitely consider this
one in any list that is considering bringing a Vindi.
That’s
about it. Like I said, this codex is on
life support/death row; so us remaining Black Templar players have to do the
best with what good options are left.
Thoughts? Comments?
Questions?
