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What is the specific fluff for why Black Templars have their weapons attached to their armor by chains?

I'm pretty sure it's to do with the weapons being holy. I'll churn out the quote from the codex when I find it!

It's symbolic.
Before each battle they swear an oath not to stop fighting untl they have killed evey enemy on the battlefield. They chain their weapon to their hands to show that they won't put down their weapons until they are dead or they have killed everything enabling them to take the chains off.

Ironically it could also be symbolic of the chains of a dogmatic and demanding religion holding them back and forcing subserviance to a corpse god.

That would get me a few marks in my English exam... if it was on 40k and not other things.

Pretty much spot on their purplefood, I feel no need to look for the quote now.

purplefood wrote:

Ironically it could also be symbolic of the chains of a dogmatic and demanding religion holding them back and forcing subserviance to a corpse god.

That would get me HERESY!

That last bit though...

It's my English teacher mind controlling me is what it is...
Damn Section A little b questions...

I'm going with some form of imagery. Being tied to dogma sounds likely and believable.

If it was the dogma symbol, they would be chained to a book, not a gun, still interesting though.

You could say that in the Imperium, adn especially when it comes to Marines, their weapons are also symbols of their faith.

It's like a fail-safe. If the ammo runs out, or the weapon isn't able to fire anymore for whatever reason, then you can start swinging your bolter around. It would increase the range of your CC weapons as well since you'd be able to throw your sword like a spear, and then snap it back. Therefore, I suggest that in the next codex, BT should be able to engage foes in CC from 12" away. Opponents can't shoot them or hit them, only pile in.

There should be a model of a BT swinging his bolter around above his head.

BT have terrible memories, so they chain their gun to them so they can't lose it.

Black Templars are close combat soldiers, when they are using their bolter say they need to switch to their chainsword fast or some other weapon they have. It is probably very convenient to just let go of it and know that it is still there and doesn't get lost in all of the commotion.

Inanimate wrote:It's like a fail-safe. If the ammo runs out, or the weapon isn't able to fire anymore for whatever reason, then you can start swinging your bolter around. It would increase the range of your CC weapons as well since you'd be able to throw your sword like a spear, and then snap it back. Therefore, I suggest that in the next codex, BT should be able to engage foes in CC from 12" away. Opponents can't shoot them or hit them, only pile in.

Bolter-chucks ?

Variant of sword-chucks I assume:

So it's not just for normal weapon chain purposes then? E.g. to prevent disarming?

purplefood wrote:It's symbolic.
Before each battle they swear an oath not to stop fighting untl they have killed evey enemy on the battlefield. They chain their weapon to their hands to show that they won't put down their weapons until they are dead or they have killed everything enabling them to take the chains off.

Its this,the BT were formed from the most devout of the old imperial fists legion and the chains relate to the oaths that they take before combat ( iirc ).

Inanimate wrote:It's like a fail-safe. If the ammo runs out, or the weapon isn't able to fire anymore for whatever reason, then you can start swinging your bolter around. It would increase the range of your CC weapons as well since you'd be able to throw your sword like a spear, and then snap it back. Therefore, I suggest that in the next codex, BT should be able to engage foes in CC from 12" away. Opponents can't shoot them or hit them, only pile in.

The God of War approach to close range combat!

In all seriousness, that is friggin' awesome!

lunarman wrote:So it's not just for normal weapon chain purposes then? E.g. to prevent disarming?

I think they were joking...

Only in death does duty end.

So that bolter isn't going anywhere untill you bite the big one.

Also since they can get too zealous and drop their weapons it might be a good reason to remind them to shoot.

It's symbolic in that they are "chained" to their purpose, to their oath to fight until the end.

It's also useful. If someone knocks your bolt pistol out of your hand, it doesn't land 10' away from you.

It's also a weapon. Wrap the chain around the neck of your enemy when you run out of bullets and choke them.

And pray that they don't like slaaeshi type parties

It's for the same reason I put a string beween my daughter's mittens when she was litte.

Those BT's get distracted by anything shiny or pink and they will forget where they set their things down...

Hlaine Larkin mk2 wrote:And pray that they don't like slaaeshi type parties

I don't think the BT care if thier foes enjoy thier death as long as the end result is the same

They're vaguely based on mediaeval knights. Statues and other images of knights made in the Middle Ages, particularly from the German states show knights with chains attaching their swords to their chest armour. Normally there was another chain that attached to either the shield or helmet (I forget which).
It was probably to save them losing these items if they dropped them during a fight while on horseback such as if their sword was knocked out of their hand.

^ I did not know that. Thank you for the information

I figured it was more of an expansion on the ideal that the bolter is the holy weapon of a space marine, that each bolt is the justice of the emperor. For such a dogmatic, and "religious" chapter, losing such a thing would be about as worse as committing heresy.

I love that they even chain their powerfists. How're you going to drop that?

COuld be several.
Being based on crusading knights we have the Germanic chain bit.

We have the Dogma bit where it is symbolic of the Imperium being chained to faith(since they are fighters for humanity, the imperium, and weapon symbolizes faith)

Convenience; since they have been known to love a good brawl chaining the weapons to them can serve as a quick stow trick.

And then the oath bit.

I think all of them are pretty valid and share some degree of truth.

the purpose is from Medieval europe.

Knights would have their weapons chained to their armor so they wouldn't have to bend down and pick them up(difficult to do in armor)


it also prevented them from losing things off their horses. thats a sure way to lose your weapon.




the additional reach you get from a chain is also useful, especially with maces and other blunt force weapons.