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Thought I would take a stab at making a proper Black Templars Detachment and additional special rules. I tried to avoid making new datasheets/formations, and the points values of the Relics have not been balanced/tested.

Note that this is a Work in Progress and some aspects of the Supplement are still missing. The main one I need help with is the Black Templars unique objectives, which is one of the only things missing from the rules. Also could use one more Relic.

UPDATED AS OF: 10/2/16


The supplement is now available as a PDF, for your viewing pleasure.

Assault Rhinos seems a bit much to me. The rest seems good.

 JNAProductions wrote:
Assault Rhinos seems a bit much to me. The rest seems good.

I'm actually okay with assault rhinos. Power armor marines really struggle to get into combat as is, and usually aren't amazing by themselves. This lets them be somewhat better at doing what Black Templars do. Plus, it's usually not difficult to kill rhinos before they get close if it's really a problem.

I'm a bit less certain about the "always count one die as a 6" part. You can pretty reliably roll at least a single 4+ on 2d6 meaning that this rule gives you a pretty reliable 10" charge range compared to more like a 9" reliable charge range on fleet things like eldar and dark eldar. Couple this with a 6" vehicle move, a 6" disembark, and you're looking at a reliable 22" charge range. Which feels like a bit much to me. Even assuming the enemy is in DT, you're looking at 20" threat range compared to the normal marine charge threat range of 13" (6" move plus 7" charge).
And don't BT have access to crusader or some such thing that makes their charge even better? I'd drop the assault dice part of No Pity, No Remorse.

Some other thoughts:

* The 6+ invul save is both passive and seemingly weaker than the other two options. Obviously you won't take Abhor the Witch' if you're playing against a non-psychic army, but would you ever pass up Furious Charge in favor of a 6+ invul save? Speaking as a Sisters' player, the 6+ invul is nice when it happens, but not something you really want to build a list around. I'm not sure what I'd do to make it more worthwhile though. Maybe add a second minor rule to it?

* I really like Spear of Unstoppable Advance. It seems like a solid way to make a footslogging BT work in friendly games with devastators advancing alongside other power-armored fellow, blasting the enemy's artillery apart to keep their brothers safe.

*I'm not sure what the point of the Funeral Pyre is. It's a combi-flamer whose bolter profile ignores cover (at AP4, I suppose), but couldn't you just take special ammo and a combi-flamer instead and end up with better versatility for roughly the same price tag? I personally wouldn't spend 25 points on a slightly better bolter that can be a flamer once per game. It might be a nice option for 5 or 10 points though.

Well, it can be a flamer as many times as you need it to be - that part's not single-shot - but 25 points is still a bit much. Same price as Betrayer's Bane for Iron Hands, and that's more useful because S8 AP1 scares a lot more things. Maybe if the combi-part was a heavy flamer?

jade_angel wrote:
Well, it can be a flamer as many times as you need it to be - that part's not single-shot - but 25 points is still a bit much. Same price as Betrayer's Bane for Iron Hands, and that's more useful because S8 AP1 scares a lot more things. Maybe if the combi-part was a heavy flamer?

Ah, I misread it. I'd drop the word "combi" as that rule implies one-use. Instead, just give it two profiles it can choose between each time it shoots. Making it a heavy flamer would help because you'd be getting greater strength and potentially more hits at shorter range. It's really not awful as-is. It's just too expensive for what it does.

Fixed some issues.

* Uphold the Honour of the Emperor now also gives auto-passes on Pinning tests.

* No Pity No Remorse now gives Repel the Enemy instead of the 6" guaranteed charge range.

* Redid the profile for the Funerary Pyre a bit, gave it proper special issue ammunition (kraken rounds), changed the wording a bit, and finally adjusted the points cost.

I still wouldn't take Uphold the Honour. Pinning is a rare enough thing that's unreliable enough as it is to not really be a major concern. I'd rather have Furious Charge because it's more useful and because I feel like I'm actively using it when I charge rather than passively benefitting from it from time to time.

What is Repel the Enemy?

Funerary Pyre looks better.

Wyldhunt wrote:
I still wouldn't take Uphold the Honour. Pinning is a rare enough thing that's unreliable enough as it is to not really be a major concern. I'd rather have Furious Charge because it's more useful and because I feel like I'm actively using it when I charge rather than passively benefitting from it from time to time.

What is Repel the Enemy?

Funerary Pyre looks better.

I'll break it down into the three different parts you posted.

1) What if it was worded differently? Such as "units in this Detachment improve their invulnerable saves by 1 (to a maximum of 3+). If a model does not currently benefit from an invulnerable save, it has an invulnerable save of 6+ instead."

2) Basically, with both Assault Vehicles on the transports and Repel the Enemy on the infantry, infantry will be able to assault on the turn they disembark out of anything, be it vehicle or building.

3) Thanks.

1. Hmm. Mmmmaaaaaybe. Terminators with 4+ invuls and chapter masters/emperor's champions with 3+ invuls would be nice. Assault terminators with storm shields giving them 2+ invuls seems a bit much, but terminators kind of have problems. Everyone else having a 6+ invul is nice, but not something you could count on. I could see this being a solid option if you want to build your army around terminators and HQs.
Edit: Missed the "to a maximum of 3+" part. I think we have a winner.

2. So Repel the Enemy basically lets you treat buildings as assault vehicles? That seems oddly situational. BT armies seem unlikely to be hanging out inside a building rather than marching forward towards the enemy. Plus, players rarely use the building rules at all in my area. Repel the Enemy doesn't seem broken at all, but I"m not sure it would really come up all that often. I'd be fine with keeping it, but I"d be fine with losing it too. Assaulting out of transports is the important part of that rule.

Wyldhunt wrote:
1. Hmm. Mmmmaaaaaybe. Terminators with 4+ invuls and chapter masters/emperor's champions with 3+ invuls would be nice. Assault terminators with storm shields giving them 2+ invuls seems a bit much, but terminators kind of have problems. Everyone else having a 6+ invul is nice, but not something you could count on. I could see this being a solid option if you want to build your army around terminators and HQs.
Edit: Missed the "to a maximum of 3+" part. I think we have a winner.

2. So Repel the Enemy basically lets you treat buildings as assault vehicles? That seems oddly situational. BT armies seem unlikely to be hanging out inside a building rather than marching forward towards the enemy. Plus, players rarely use the building rules at all in my area. Repel the Enemy doesn't seem broken at all, but I"m not sure it would really come up all that often. I'd be fine with keeping it, but I"d be fine with losing it too. Assaulting out of transports is the important part of that rule.

1) Awesome.

2) Pretty much. It's a special rule I've wanted to see used for an army for a while, but because its so situational it never seems to come up. It's also lightweight and situational enough that it won't overburden or overpower the special rule.

 Marik Law wrote:
(CORE) BATTLE DEMI-COMPANY
See Codex: Space Marines.

(CORE) STORMLANCE BATTLE DEMI-COMPANY
See Angels of Death.

Your supplement fails by only including these Core Formations. A Core Formation built around Crusader Squads is needed for a true and proper Black Templar supplement. After your penance in the Pain Glove is complete, proceed to correct this oversight.

In all seriousness, one of the most grievous oversights with the current codex is the lack of recognizing Black Templar's unique aspects in its formations. The only current method of fielding Crusader Squads is in Command Benefit Detachments like the Combined Arms Detachment. When I came here, I was looking forward to seeing what you do with it.

 Charistoph wrote:

 Marik Law wrote:
(CORE) BATTLE DEMI-COMPANY
See Codex: Space Marines.

(CORE) STORMLANCE BATTLE DEMI-COMPANY
See Angels of Death.

Your supplement fails by only including these Core Formations. A Core Formation built around Crusader Squads is needed for a true and proper Black Templar supplement. After your penance in the Pain Glove is complete, proceed to correct this oversight.

In all seriousness, one of the most grievous oversights with the current codex is the lack of recognizing Black Templar's unique aspects in its formations. The only current method of fielding Crusader Squads is in Command Benefit Detachments like the Combined Arms Detachment. When I came here, I was looking forward to seeing what you do with it.

My intention was to create a rules supplement that didn't create new Formations. If you look in the Special Rules section of my post, it states that any Black Templars Formations or Detachment can swap out Tactical Squads for Crusader Squads, thus allowing Black Templars to take Crusader Squads in any Formation with a Tactical Squad, rather than having to create a plethora of new Formations which swap out Tactical Squads for Crusader Squads.

Is it perfect? No, but it's at least something that uses the current array of Formations to get the point across, and to give BT players at least something to play that uses their Crusader Squads and themes.