Generally, I intend for this blog to focus on historical wargaming, which is a very different animal from the type associated with Games Workshop and similar. I won't do that exclusively however, and right now I feel like it's time for a rant.
I've been playing Warhammer 40,000 off and on for about 23 years now, having picked it up when I was in high school. I originally started with a homebrew Space Marine chapter, then a few years later started a Khorne Chaos Space Marine force (World Eaters!) then went Ultramarines, and then on my third iteration into 40K I started with Black Templars. I took my old Ultramarines, stripped them down, and gave them a new coat of black paint. I picked up the Codex: Black Templars and off I went.
Well, we've at last had a Codex update. I went on over to one or two Warhammer 40,000 themed web forums to read up on the buzz from the Black Templar community regarding the updates to the rules for playing them, since now Black Templars are a part of Codex: Space Marines.
Now, before I go any further, I should say that I LOVE the Warhammer 40,000 fluff. I love it. I've been reading the Horus Heresy series like a fiend, (A Thousand Sons is one of my favorites, and inspired my pre-heresy Thousand Sons army) I squeal with delight (on the inside) when Sigismund is mentioned in these books because he was the first Black Templar, I loved the Grey Knights Omnibus... I just love it all. So I was eager to see if there were any fluff changes to the Black Templars in the new book.
There were.
And this is the part where the Black Templar community splits right in two. On one hand, you have the players who understand what Warhammer 40,000 is and what the fluff is. On the other hand, you have the martyrs' corner for those who have no coping skills.
If I sound a little harsh, it's because I'm rather disappointed. Often I'd go to Black Templar themed threads and the players would lament having the oldest codex in the game, but that hey, we're TEMPLARS! We can handle anything with that stoic "get it done" attitude that is supposed to characterize the sons of Dorn in general. So naturally, I figured these folks would weather a few changes in the Templar fluff.
Boy... was I wrong... I was amazed at the childishness and crying that came about. Sure, the community was somewhat primed for it... being disappointed that we no longer rated our own Codex the way Dark Angels, Space Wolves, Blood Angels, etc... did... but hey, you roll with it like Grimaldus, right?
Apparently not.
"Hang up your tabards, boys" said one disgruntled Black Templars player. I just rolled my eyes.
For those who don't know what I'm talking about, part of the Black Templars' theme was an absolute and utter hatred for psykers - characters who could use psychic powers like magic spells on the battlefield. Black Templars don't use them, and in the 4th Edition Codex couldn't even have allies with psychic powers on the table (except Grey Knights). This has changed somewhat in the new book, which now allows Black Templars to field allied detachments that include psykers.
And the moaning began. "Well now The Black Templars are just like the Ultrasmurfs..." wailed another BT player.
Ok, listen... if you're reading this and you're one of those who just can't bear to play the Black Templars under the new fluff, let me explain something to you. Grab a chair and make yourself comfortable. All set? Ok, listen:
The fluff exists to support the rules. It's there to provide flavor and backstory to make the game more interesting and fun. It's there to justify decisions that are ultimately made for the sake of game balance. In the previous edition, the Black Templars refused to ally with psykers because on some level that balanced out extra powers and abilities the BTs had in other areas, most notably, close combat. The rules have changed. Therefore, the fluff must change. It's a bit of a retcon, yes... But I think it's a very good retcon and one that needed to happen.
Let's be honest here folks. This elephant has been hanging out in the living room long enough and I'm just going to say what Black Templars players everywhere have been in denial about for years. The 4th Edition Codex: Black Templars SUCKED. It was a terrible codex. When we won games, it was through superior generalship and gamesmanship, not because we had a good toolbox to work with. The codex was underpowered, overcosted, and provided too few options. Think about it. We had exactly ONE Troop option. One. ONE. Count 'em. One. Crusader Squad. That was IT, and it didn't even have the tactical flexibility of a Space Marine Tactical Squad. There was no sergeant of any kind, it couldn't split into combat squads and it made up for it how...? With neophytes? Are you freakin' kidding me? Meat shields woo. Our Elite options were not nearly as good as those of other Space Marine chapters and everything in the whole book cost too many points. 50 point Rhinos, 16 point Initiates... are you kidding me?
And no Librarians. Couldn't choose them. Not even in the book because they're psykers. Ok, that's fine. But it's yet another lack of options in a Codex that already had too few options. Add to that the bizarre rules that had us potentially fleeing the table after taking ONE casualty (Not even Imperial Guard do that) and having to roll Ld to attack any target other than the closest... A lack of ability to hold objectives (ONE Troop option that runs off an objective every time it takes a casualty... )
Seriously, people. It sucked.
But we played it anyway because we're TEMPLARS! We can handle it!!!! Right? Well I guess not, judging from some of the reactions I saw. "WAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH now we've lost our identity WAAAAAAAHHHHH"
Here's another piece of news for you: Nobody is putting a bolter to your head and telling you that you have to take psykers in your list. Nobody. Want to keep playing it like you did before? Go right ahead. If anything, the new Codex gives us more options than any other Space Marine chapter. We still have exclusive access to the Crusader Squad (which is considerably improved over how it was) as well as being the only unit in that book that can use a Land Raider as a dedicated transport. We still have exclusive access to the Emperor's Champion and the chapter tactics are consistent with Black Templars themes if not the same special rules we had before.
And finally, I'll just say it... the retcon fixes a lot of fluff issues that I've had for a long time. For those unfamiliar with the Warhammer 40,000 universe, people with psychic powers are used not only in battle, but they serve as psychic navigators for starships in the warp (Yes, just like Spice Navigators in Dune) and for communication over interstellar distances. No Space Marine chapter can operate without them, and that includes the Black Templars. So there's been an inconsistency for a long time... Black Templars hate psykers so much they won't even ally with Space Marine Librarians (psykers) of other chapters but they completely trust their psyker navigators and astropaths?
Really? That makes NO sense at all. The "necessary evil" excuse doesn't work either when the Black Templars are known to be utterly uncompromising and hardcore. The fluff revision allows things to be more consistent and logical. Black Templars now trust allied psykers who are properly sanctioned just as they do with their navigators and astropaths. Consistent. Logical. Better.
I like it. I miss the army-wide Emperor's Champion vows, but I think we've gained much more than we've lost, and who knows? Perhaps an upcoming Black Templars supplement will give us some of those options back.
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