Shooty Black Templar

I had a great time at this last weekend playing with my Black Templar, and with the FAQ they can at least hang in this edition.  The piece that really surprised me is how much of a shooting list they can be if put together the right way.  It's inspired me to add to the list and play it some until the next version of 40k or a new codex chumps them. 

While reading the list, I could  use your thoughts on which vow to take.  My initial thought is that since the list is more geared to shooting, the extra psychic defense of "abhor the witch" with a 5+ save against psychic attacks directed at me would be the way to go.  The more I think about it though, I think it would help to have the preferred enemy vow.  That would help me actually do well in combat if forced.

I need to take the High Marshall to help with leadership 10 across the board, and he's in a rhino to keep the effect.  Having to take a leadership test to not shoot at the closest unit is rough and I need every point of LD possible.  Plus it sucks to only lose one guy and fail a leadership test and run off the board.  This happened to me twice over the weekend since my troops are only LD 8 since they can't take a sergeant. 

Here's the list I'm thinking of taking for an 1,850.

HQ: Emperor's Champion with preferred enemy vow
HQ: High Marshal with thunder hammer, storm shield and bionics.

Elite: 5 terminators with 2 Cyclone Launchers, 1 Chainfist (already modelled) with Tank Hunter
Elite: 5 terminators with 2 Cyclone Launchers with Tank Hunter
Elite: 5 terminators with 2 Cyclone Launchers with Tank Hunter

Troop: 5 Initiates with powerfist & meltagun, 4 Neophytes in Rhino with extra armor & smoke (Marshal rides here)
Troop: 5 Initiates with powerfist & meltagun, 4 Neophytes in Drop Pod (Champion rides here)
Troop: 5 Initiates with bolters, 1 lascannon
Troop: 5 Initiates with bolters, 1 lascannon

Fast: Land Speeder Typhoon
Fast: Land Speeder Typhoon
Fast: Land Speeder Typhoon

That's a lot of long range firepower.  That's effectively against tanks 14 strength 9 shots, 6 strength 8 shots, a couple of meltaguns and a lot of tank hunting storm bolters. I'm a little light on troops, but they can play conservatively.  Not the best in combat, but they can hold up against most with the exception of deathstars. The nice thing about all of the missiles is against hordes I can switch to frag missiles.  A very mobile long range shooty army. 

I'll need to paint up the rhino, 10 more assault terminators and 3 Typhoons.  I started assembling them last night. 

Additionally, I'll make a cool new cathedral display base.  This time I think I'm going to do some sort of old church / graveyard using some of the lord of the rings scenery which is awesome combined with the new garden of morr.

Templar Terminators Done

Ah, how tedious painting black is... every mistake of highlighting is magnified tenfold.  I just finished up the 5 terminators in the nick of time.  I'm now off to the 1,750 tournament, should be the last time I use power armor in awhile.  It'll be all Dark Eldar and Necrons moving forward.  Here's the finished product.

My next project that is just started are another batch of Necrons and the flying rippers that will be used as razorwing flocks.  I think the rippers really capture the feel of the flock way better then the metal birds. 

I also had the chance to base about 2k worth of Dark Eldar.  Assembly line here we come!  I'm off to the Chicago Battle Bunker.  I can't wait to get some structured games in, I really miss playing.

Adding to Black Templar for the weekend tourny

This Saturday we have a 1,750 tournament at our local GW store, one of our monthly series.  It brings a competitive group of guys and our best rule is that models have to be fully painted.  Which means that my Dark Eldar are not quite ready yet for prime time.  There has been an influx of Grey Knights players (as everywhere else in the country) so many of my armies just can't hang with the nasty Paladins.  They rule out my Blood Angel Sanguinary Guard.  I just don't feel inspired to play one of my many other armies...

So late Wednesday night I though of a fun list that would be flexible and challenging.  All infantry Black Templar.  When I tried them last I didn't have enough down range anti tank.  A little gem in the army list is the ability to take two cyclone missile launchers in a 5 man terminator squad and give the squad tank hunter.  I already had 5 of them ready to go, so it just means painting them up and I can get them on the field tomorrow.

Tonight will be spent staying away from Modern Warfare 3 (yes I'm a sucker for that series) and painting up some Black Templar.  It's funny to see how much you improve over the years.  I'm looking at how I painted this army (5 years ago) and how I'd do it different.  Unfortunately I need to keep to the same style to keep the army looking similar. Here's my close assault terminators, and the 5 regular ones I need to paint.

Here's the list I'm thinking of running.  I can't find my damn codex but luckily I still have army builder on my computer.

HQ: Emperor's Champion with the preferred enemy vow. (probably rides in the drop pod or attaches to the big infantry blob)
HQ: Chaplain with bolt pistol and three cenobite servitors (to attach to the big terminator squad)
HQ: Chaplain with bolt pistol and three cenobite servitors (to attach to the big infantry squad)
Elite: 10 assault terminators, 7 LC, 3 TH/SS. Furious Charge.  I wish I had more painted Thunderhammers...
Elite: 5 terminators, 2 Cyclone Missile Launchers. Tank Hunters
Troop: 10 Initiates (with power fist), 10 neophytes
Troop: 5 Initiates (with power fist & melta-gun), 4 neophytes in drop pod with deathwind missile pods
Troop: 5 Initiates with bolters and a lascannon
Troop: 5 Initiates with bolters and a lascannon

Nice thing is it only gives up 10 kill points in a 1,750 list.  Two nasty close combat blocks that can run in the movement phase and the chaplain with cenobite servitors really pushes the unit forward if they get shot.  I only have 6 Effective strength 9 shots and 1 meltagun, but we'll see how the list hangs.

Black Templar List: All Infantry?

I'm playing in a local tournament this weekend at 1,500 points (so used to 1,750 and 1,850) and I figured I would try something and dust off an old army.  Now that the Templar have gotten a little boost with the FAQ, my assault terminators are even more nasty.  Only if I had more storm shields painted up!  I thought it might be fun to do an all infantry list.  I'm going to get a practice game in tonight, we'll see how it goes.

Here's the crazy list I'm thinking about bringing at 1,500 points.

HQ: Emperor's Champion with the all-so-fun preffered enemy vow
HQ: Chaplain with bolt pistol & melta-bombs with 3 cenobite servitors
HQ: Chaplain with bolt pistol & melta-bombs with 3 cenobite servitors

Elite: 10 assault terminators with 7 twin claws, 3 TH/SS.  All with furious charge (wish I had more TH/SS)

Troop: 10 initiates with BP/CCW, one melta, one powerfist.  10 neophytes with BP/CCW
Troop: 6 initiates with BP/CCW, one melta, one powerfist. 4 neophytes with BP/CCW, drop pod.
Troop: 5 initiates with bolters, one lascannon
Troop: 5 initiates with bolters, one lascannon

This could be a huge disaster, but it should be fun.  The two giant infantry blobs put my opponent in a situation, the minute they take one casualty the chaplain with the servitors allow a d6" with reroll +3" move towards any unit (chaplain allows unit to go towards any enemy, not just the closest).  With the addition of the run rule, they should be able to zip accross the board pretty fast. 

I'm not seeing a ton of long range infantry firepower outside of guard and venom dark eldar, and we surprisingly don't have a ton of that in our area. 

The infantry blob and the terminator squad straight up murder hordes - orks and tyranids don't stand a chance.  I'd get killed against an extreme mobile list like SM bikes and will be extremely frustrated against the eldar air-cav.  Unfortunately the two lascannons are hamstrung with the "shoot the closest" rule, and since I'm not bringing a commander, I'll need a roll of a 7 or less to shoot things far out. 

I need to figure out on the drop pod rule for Templars.  I think they still start coming in on turn 2, and not automatic on turn 1 like normal marines.  I thought it might help out a little to get an additional squad out at hard to reach parts of the table. 

My big choice may be to say screw the two lascannon squads and put another infantry blob on the table.  I could probably field an additional 20 man squad by tweaking some things and have the emperor's champion lead it.  

Either way, it'll be a good change of pace to bring this list. 

Templar are Back!

Wow, I can't believe it has been since Adepticon since I've played in any formal day of gaming.  Luckily I'm getting a three game tournament in on Saturday in the Chicago area Adeptus Windy City series.  I think it's time to bring out my old faithful Black Templars and see how the old codex can do against all these new fancy ones!

Here's what I'm thinking for 2k...

HQ: Emperor's Champion with "Accept any Challenge" for the reroll gooodness for the army
HQ: Chaplain with melta bombs and 3 cenobite servitors to attach to the terminators on foot

Elite: 10 Assault Terminators, 6 Lightning Claws, 4 Thunder hammer / SS all with Furious Charge

Troop: 15 man Crusader Squad (9 initiates, 6 neophytes), meltagun, powerfist in Land Raider Crusader with smoke launchers
Troop: 14 man Crusader Squad (9 initiates, 5 neophytes), meltagun, powerfist in Land Raider Crusader with smoke launchers (champion's ride)
Troop: 5 man Crusader Squad with Lascannon and boltguns
Troop: 5 man Crusader Squad with Lascannon and boltguns

Heavy: Vindicator (expensive at 125, but needed)