The time has come, Warhammer 40k Black Templars fans - or, at least, nearly. Games Workshop has revealed the cover for the new Codex Supplement Black Templars (coming, sigh, "later this year") - and it's sweetened the deal by unveiling a brand new, Templar specific character kit: the badass, banner bearing Crusade Ancient.
Games Workshop's Black Templars announcement on Monday confirms a few hard details about the upcoming army rulebook: we're getting three new detachments - same as the Dark Angels - and "enhanced" rules for Crusader Squads, Sword Brethren, High Marshal Helbrecht, and Chaplain Grimaldus, plus the customary Crusade rules add-on.
As usual, though, beyond the codex's beautiful cover art, we get no more clarity on the overall Warhammer 40k codex release date schedule - although GW's "later this year" wording makes it seem as though there's a few months still to wait before we have this book in our hands. Chaos Knights are already up for pre-order and due out this Saturday, June 21, which means we'd expect the Imperial Knights in the next month or two.
Not counting them, or the (presumably impending) standalone Space Wolves 'dex, there are still six more Warhammer 40k factions we know are getting a 10th edition rulebook - so we'll have to piece together the order as we go.
To tide us over, though, GW has thrown us Templar players a delicious bone, in the form of the new Crusade Ancient character model. There's no pricing or release date, but I expect him to drop alongside the codex, and cost around $37/£24, the price of a Black Templars Castellan.
I'll not beat around the bush; he looks very good indeed. The Black Templars are known for their love of heraldry and medieval style pomp and symbology (among less palatable traits), so it's fitting we get our own banner bearer, with the appropriate crossed faceplate full helm and skullish drip.
GW shows us the two build variants here: ork skull and Armageddon battle honors, or a big old shield for you to freehand and transfer on your own Crusade's colors. As for rules, the only hint we get is that the Crusade Ancient's "booming rhetoric drives their fellow Templars to acts of righteous hatred even as bombs and bullets whistle around them, inspiring allies with feats of resilience and resolve".
That tallies with the regular Ancient's abilities - granting +1OC to his unit and giving himself only a 4+ Feel No Pain save when within six inches of an objective or the center of the battlefield. Could this special Templar version extend that FNP to other units, protecting them from those nasty "bombs and bullets"? Or perhaps driving them to "acts of religious hatred" (ew) means they're giving nearby units offensive buffs instead?
We'll have to wait for the new codex to find out - but in the meantime you can always come play the hype and speculation game with us by joining the Wargamer Discord community. We've even got a "share your army" section to showcase your very own Crusade (I love to see 'em).