majority of hits will simply bourne off. . -- - . . Emperar of Mankind. . SPACE MARINES- I Space Marines are amongst thehrnbst powerful .and . dreaded warriors in the gala@. They are not human at all, but superhuman, having been made superior to a . . normal man by a harsh regime. of geneticmodification, psycho-conditioning and- rigoroiis training: Being few in number -compared to the-_,- uncounted billions of Humanity, Space Marines are : organised into small independent armies called Emperor of Mankind and no other. 1 Chapters and their unswerving loyalty is to the. - y-:;- - I WHY COLLECT - :<- , . > r.... , * ..:- :>: - .-.-:-::> - - . .:4_ : . .-<*- < 5-3, - -/ -> A BLACK TEMPLARS ARMY? <-4 " 5 .- - . -, - Space Marines are one of the most appealing armies p-< - + available in Warhammer 40,000, especially for first- *. time collectors, Why? Becau~e they are rock'hardl .-< Even the most basic Black Templar is a formidable --- model in the Warhammer 40,000 game. A Black Templar's characteristics equal or better those of the , . elite' troops of most other forces, combining both . -#--* - - - excellent harid-to-hand combat skills arid &oati_ng accuracy with a zealous determination to nevefgive way before the vlle and corrupt foes of Vumanity. . . Black Templars are also armed and armoured as ,-;- befits an elite fighting force: They are'equipped for : battle with a wide selection ..of -deadly wk-aponty' .- . -: . - . ranging fromthe holy boher to thhe depdl~f aisg~@t .<.;-5. . , . . < -. < -. , - .- - ;,:*<.;,- < ,;.*. -:! -, .., *-- , , ,./----; - *.< d7 .:: .,,*... --2- >s.-,>. --.<; ,:z ...,..>>? . 2- . ;;;<;;, ;:+. ;:,<. ,?r- ; - -, . . r. ;, .,<=.*- zi;.rz*. - / < - ,,-- .--- 2 =.> >-/ -.<: .-. , . -.-. . - .-,z ?---<? &.y-:=s :-.-- .: - k.,??. &$&g ., . , ': - 4 - -2: .-s - :;.-;*~:c;~*-*;.=>.<~7;:- , . -,- - / -. . ->p>>:.:- . > +;:;?;.::.%> ::-;:p<-:yc.** . ? / .-,. .>:=:* /...?".+...<. -. .;;,-,Ly ?.:$-;:.: .. , ,.- -. < ,>,is.:.-. .<: -: 5,- - ,.,A . .. - .-:.--,3 ':.33
- ANAGE OF STRIFE: names and legends would endure forever. Each was , engineered to be a leader of men, a warrior and a hero; a edi%day$of M~WS ex*Shn to the ~tm-area mighty wadord whose madial brovress was mly matched --- tim'8 d:dask-w and-lvnd, unremembered by all save by his charisma and mental abilities. Nothing could stand in the- htllbfia~ Ernpe6rCoi Mankind. Terrible Wars and the way of the Empmr and his mighty armies, and his r&y.e6yifed the galaxy at this time, and human heroic dream of a united galaxy ws almosl within his -;. , ji@!iisatipli fragmented, alien races and Lib creatures of the g,p. ~ut in an act of vile treachery mat echoes from a seized their chance to blunder unprotected worlds past of ten thousand years ago to the presed day, the 2--. . _.and enslave their populations. planeis Were sacked, their . g&xy was &n to be damned forever. 9 ;-: peoples slaughtered, and those worlds that endured the . + --:- ons!aught were dragged into batbarism. Alone and beset by j .<,- ---- 3-. - . -. internal strife, the human worlds that survived were.pitiful THE GREAT BETR-AYAL .y :- .I-: 3: 5.;- .-- shadows of what they had once been. Humanity was on the Horus, Primarch of the Sons of Horus .Space -varine , c- ..zgL - . . brink of annihilation and never more were great heroes Legion and trusted WarmasLr of the ~Speror's aimies, ' ..> --/:. %-?-;:- . . -' needed to stave off the hordes of darkness. cast aside his oaths of lovaltv and offered his fealtv to the Fmm the ashes of the Age of Strife arose a mighty leader, the man who would be known only as the Emperok His origins are unrecorded and unknown, but it was cm Terra, the cradle of Humanity, that he fobAded an empire that would conquer the myriad worlds of the galaxy. From the outset of his campaigns, the EmpQror employed genetically engirreered warriors; the earliest precursors of the Space Marines. Within shrouded vaults far beneath the suiface of Terra, the Emperor began the creation of the next generation of super-warriors. These were the Primarchs. lwenly extraordinary individuals who would be his generals - areat leaders who would conuuer'thdu+nds of worlds in Dark Gcds of Chaos, dri;ngihe Legions to turn upon one another as the Emperor stood on the very brink of his ultimate triumph. In what should have been their finest hour, brother fought brother and warriors that had stood shoulder to shodder to carve the Emperor's realm from the flesh of thti stars slaughtered one another in a bldy Civil war. Worlds burned in the name of the Dark Gods and a terror unlike any wn before was unleashed. Much of the truth of mese times has been lost, obscured by the mists of time or embellished to the point where.giants bestrode worlds w,ith thunderous steps and the planets themselves cracked and split at their tread. $% < -- I --. hlg name. Each Primarch wouk have powers and skills The traitorous fdrces of the rebel Warmaster drove all I . ,. beyond those of any other wairior, rivalling even those of the before them unfil the warriors still loyal to the Master of ., I; . .. Ls . Emperor himself. Disastrously though, in the eariy stages of Mankind stood at bay within the walls of the Emperor's + - . their development, the Emperor's great work was almost Palace on Terra. The forces of ,&rkness pressed in around 3 *A : . .. -, undon.ee' when the Primarchs vanished, scattered .- the guttering ffame of Humanity, but desperate times called / - throughout the galaxy by an unknown force. for desperate solutions: Sanguinius of the Blood Angels i- and Rogal Dorn of the Imperial Flsts, topiher with their .' - : :-- CONQUEST OF THE GALAXY bravest warriors, would aaompany the Emperor and take the hght to Horus upon hi battle barge, a mighty starship ,But all was nat lost, for the Emperor still had the genetic in orbit above Terra. The rnaioritv of -the Imperial Fists >-- - - < - - records of his beloved Primarchs and from these were remained on Terra to defend thL.liperial pallade and D~rn created the Space Marines - the Angels Of Death. charged Sigismund, the finest warriw of his Legion, to hold - Mustered ~nto the great, ten thousand strong Legions of the the defences. Sigismund became the first, Emperor's First Founding, they were warriors of immense strength Charnpim, swearlng fell oaths that the Palace would not - - - and unbreakable willpwer, with an unflinching loyalty to fall and vowing to slay the enemy's mightrest champions. the Emperor. Together with his Space Marine Legions, the Emperor sel out from Terra to conquer the galaxy. Fighting with righteous zeal for their master, it was the Space Marines who first referred to their'mission as the Great Crusade. World after world was reconquered, alien oppressors routed or annihilated in a series of epic wars and worlds infected with the taint of the Warp cleansed with apomlyptic orbital barrages. - The Emperor and his warriors teleported onto Horus'baffle barge, but found themselves separated and scattered throughout the corrupt vessel by means of dark sorcery. The Emperor fought his way towards the Warmaster, blit was too late to save Smguinlus, who Horus @ew #hen the angelic Primrch refused toturn to Cbs. dorus #he ~mperor clashed in a battle of tinic prpportions, foughi in the realm of both flesh and spirit. Horus was filled with the - During the Great-Crusade, the Space Marine Legions were , pwgr .of .me Dark 'Glids mi dealt fhe Emperor a-mb;tal-' reunited with their lost Primarchs, and the planets on which . ' : blow,. but in the end, the ~niwrdf's strgngth me ' they had hen raised (a Legions' new homeworlds. W ' Primarchs, their per was at Prirnarchs mote the battlefields af the . /: ,-- - - - -- 4 --<- PR*~ CWblGfiH+fiI. - .. ./. .--: ./-,
. -. . . utterly ruthless towards anyone or anything perceived as a threat to the Emperor. They will mercilessly wipe out -2: - additional launch bays for shuttles and Thunderhawkg - potent reminders that the Emperor is ever watchful. - =<, - ' as well as ammodation for twice as ma However, the main purpose' of the Chapter keeps is to . -, ,+,_- - Marines as a normal battie barge. ruit new Space Marines from the Mulation and to &->, as .staging posts for mustering' the Crusades 73/> P'. eez* ;<-,.- . . ; i :.-. - . 5. ;. .. -. -.- ..:. CRUSADERS OF THE, EMPEROR =%:-- - > -, .-.- - Given their fhet-bad natyre, the Black Temptars are - M--, - - -- rarely assembled as a Chapter, but are instead divided f . . into a number of Crusades. There are usually no more -. :- I. > . 5. '--.. than th~e Crusadv at any one time, though there are * .< - < -., ., E- --r:: , -z-. - occasionally many more. Indeed; the-Black Templars' , , .< .- own history shows that during the Treachery of Dalmark, . . i.<y' there were as many as fourteen Crusades fighting . . . . , .- across Segmenturn Solar. The size of a Crusade can . . . - , ,? - .. .. . aiso vary widely, sometimes as few as fifty to a hundred <-4 . -.: .< ., > . -. ,%*- -.warriors, sometimes the equivalent of several 5: -. .. Companies from a Code* Chapter. Only the High C - . Marshal of the-Chapter ha& any idea how many Black -4 >- .. 5: Templars Space Marines th'ere are, but it is obvious.tliat , j i , they are far more numerous than most -conventional . --- -, - ,. .-.- - Chapters, although dispersed over a much wider area. If , . . . ..'i. - - ,certain accounts are to bebeleved, they could .wen be together. Exactly how these Crusades communicate with each other is uncertain, though it is speculated that the Black Templars inake use of only such Navigators and Astropaths as have been sanctified by other organisations and are repentant of the curse of psychic powers. These Chapter keeps are sizeable, with , chambers to-aacommoda<e-Wo to three Companies of , -. Space Marines, but are far smaller than the fortressmonasteries of other Chapters. There have be~n . hundreds of Chapter keeps established over the. ' millennia, some of which are still stagding, while others .' have been abandoned and are no longer manned. . However, such lonely ruins arepever forgbgen, and it is . not unknown for the Btack Temptars to return to these keips, much to the dismay of anything foolish enough to ;, have taken up residence in their absence. FIGHTING COMPANIES . /' i J - ,,< .. as strong as fie thousand to sijc tho,usand battle - .- c .. . .- The larger ,Crusades are often broken- down by: ,t'h&r'. . . >: . - brethren in a force that "'Id be a" but ~amhal int~ Companies, la by wyljo+ given- : - . unstoppable if ever gathered In a single place. Certain -. . -. . .; - the -additional honorific of 'Casteltan'. Wtie@er. --'-', , . members of the inquisition have expressed concern bv6r , . -. . : Companies are. formed or. not, indiyidlibl,!.quad~~ acid . "I <,- *<-, me potential size Of the Chapter1 there has :. ,.3 Techm8,jnei and *pbfbeeari&.) --a,r8 -been.no evidepce of disloyalty in their long hidory, and , , . gathered a~d~disprsed in a 'fairlyadw fashion, knd -.r; none have found evidena, ihe On i warriorF,wlll fight ;together .diPof dnd, , its numbers. the Chapter's true ske-remains a mystery. , = I-~~~ adesh ip. rather than ,imPosed rgan ion,. - : :-- =/> ; -I : Each Crusade of the Black Templa@ mtinues tl-te,first-::' ~nlik&otlibr Chapters, most:of thes8sqyads will haye no ' :i enemies of the -. -. - . moving onwards to find . -. . . /-- . -2. .,-- . . / ,:= -- - : . --2 .. . d-=. - 0:- 8 . %<<= - -' z,-=, - -/- * x-. */-- - - 5 -> - -:
Upon reaching the Crusade fleets, the Neophytes'are put through many gruelling trials by the battle brothers of the Black Ternplars, warriors known as Initiates, which test their strength, endurance, rnartial+bMlls and faith to the limits. Should a suhvor of these trials satisfy the Initiates -. - of his worth, then his training will continue under the ., +. tutelage of a single Initiate, who swears solemn oaths to train him in the methods of worship and wal of the Black Neophyte will fight together for as long as the lnitiate deems necessary, the Neophyte either learning quickly from his hstructor or dying if he cannot. If a Neophyte is able to prove his courage and skill to the satisfaction of the Initiate and the Chaplains, he is elevated to the rank of lnitiate and takes his place within the Fighting Cwnpany. Should a Neophyte's master ke killed before 'me trainik iscomplete. another lnitiate will undertake his ,'. ;:- : ~emblars. Overseen by the chaplains, bath Initiate and instruction if he diems him worthy of hiswisdom. . - Once accepted within a Fighting Company, an lnitiate . ,x fights and hones his craft of death, building his legend . , and forging-hi-hero's name before one day going on to , tmin his own Neophyte. In this way, the experience and - -wisdom of the Initiates is preserved and passed on to, new recruits. Initiates are organised into Crusader squads, and these are the most numerous type of squad in the Chapter, forming the backbone of any Fighting Company. Initiates are armed primarily with the --' holy bolter though, given the Black Tmplarsa'preference. ' -for fighting their fm face-to-face, many choose to carryweapons more suited to close combat Some squad member$ may carry more specialised w&ponly,,such . . as plasma guns, flamers or mighty -power fists. Black. Templars squads are highly flexibte and haw- the, - :-
nly the best and bravest are worthy of this only warriors .of th honour. Who. wifl succeecl-ihe Marshal is senior commanders ed by ritual combat, during which $11 who would thgse-holy artefacts. st the right to .lead -the Busade will battlqpne ,v~i&uires <rigamus varipus weapons as well as pitting their ic and tactical prowess against their opponent. ,afmour and, once epop abave ana inner earns the right: to be Marshal upon . - . -. al by the High Marshal, and the Sword ;example to the rest n swear new.oaths50f loyalty to the winner. _' "Brethren Terminato boarding actions or as the High ^Marshal's approval been .< close bloody , , - . , -- ./'. o-called G,ervahrt Repeal of M36). --- - ,_ .._ _ _ rd Brethren are b longe~ responsible fQr the ~erminafors ' can. also be equipped 'with a varied* ---'--+:-' Neophytes and they themijelves receive '- selection of weapon& that allows them-to fight+ak-,': ,-: training, notably ili the -us12 of Tarninatqe-2. - II Space Marine Cba~te se revered suirs.of armou Chapter's most prized,Felics
of the force,: uncaging the war-spirits and allowing them to sk the fargets ?f their wrath. Together with, a retinue of cybernetically-alter sewiio'rs, the fechmaflnes can also. eflec$bFlefield repair$ on vehicles, healing the damage done'lo aw&r and'rekindling the-way-spirit so that it may
g the flnal subjugation -of the Sigllare Nebula. His rise through long, Helbrecht was hi slaylng a Warp Vampire that had risen to power and taken -.'. control of the hi workl of Cephian 1V. As part of Marshal - - .- Daidin's Crusade, Helbrecht fought with courage and furious zeal for decades, eventually rising to command it " upon DaMln's death . When High Marshal Kordhel was slain by a frenzid champion of the Ruinous Powers, the Marshals of the - Black Templars gathered to choose a new leader. Helbrecht was elected unanimously and ritually presented with the Sword of the High Marshals - the most sacred relic of the Black Ternears. This mighty weapon is said to contain fragments bf the weapon wielded by Rogal Dom when he. abcompanied the Emperor onlo Horus' battle barge, Legends of the Btack Tempiars speak of Dorn breaking the sword across his knee and swearing never to wield it again afier his failure to protect the Emperor. It was the decree of Slgismund that the weapon carried by all High Marshals would forever remind them d their duty of, atonement by incorporating pieces of Oom's sword in Its forging. Helbrecht immediately declared a Crusade against the Cythor Fiends of the Ghoul Stars, taking the fight into this desolate region of space, from which no CIxpdIti~n had ever refumed. Within eight years, the xenas population of the'outlying systems had been exterminated and the Crusade pushed onwards to the aliens' homeworld, but upon reaching the cure systms, they were found to be - eerily empty. No trace could be found of the allens, but before the mystery could be fully ~xplorad, a desperate call for help came from the besieged world of Armageddon telling of the retum of the Ork Warlord, Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka. Retreating to the most secret chambers of the Eternar CmWer to contact Madl Ricard d the Dimarls Crusade and Marshal Arnalrich of the Tiberlor Crusade, Helbrecht declared a new Crusade. As the hulk believed lo be Gharghkull's Ragshlp retreated from Armageddon, Hdbrmht swore a mighty oath to pursue the Ork warlord. The Hero of Armageddon, Commissar Yamck, petitioned Helbrecht for the honour of aqompanying the Black Templars in their quest and It is a measure of the respect in which the Hlgh Marsha! held the venerable Commissar that his request was granted. Pts WS IS S T W I A Ld Sv The three Crusades of the Black Templm mustered at ' the Chapter keep on Fergax and departed for Segmenturn Solar after observing the mrreci prayers and devotions to the Emperor. Upon arrival in the Armageddon system, Helbrecht's experience of commanding a great fleet made hlm the wturat leader of the assembled Adeptus Astartes ships, while Marshals Ricard and Arnalrich took their Crusades to the suflace of Armageddon. The war in space was bitterly fought, with Helbrecht leading many storming actlons aboard ' Ork hulks and, together with Adniiral Parol's fleet, effer.tlvelv crimlinn the Ork hv~skm . Helbrecht '175 5 5 4 4 4 5 4 10 2+ Speclai Character: High Marshal Helbrecht is a special character. He may be used in Black Templar armies of at least 1,500 points as an HQ choice. You may nG;seiect any addiitlonal items for hlm from the Arriioury. 1 Equipment: Artificer armour, Sword of the High Marshals. combi-meltagun, bionics, crusader seals, Termlnator Honours (bonus included in profile), Iron . Hato, frag grenades, and krak grenades. SPECWL RULES Independent Character: High Marshal Helbrecht is an l ndependent Character. Rites of Baltle: As Black Templar kmander (see page 31 ), Rdinue: High Marshal Helbrecht may lead a Black Templar Command squad chosen as normal from the unit entry. If he does, you may Include up to 5 Neophytes armed with' bolt plstol and close combat we- at +10 points each, in addition to the normal maximum amount of Initiates. One-of Zhese Neophytes (instead d an Initiate) may b14 upgraded to be a Standard Bearer carrying the Fighting Company Banner at t15 points. None of these Neopfryfss may be given Terminator Honours or crusader Ms. If Helbrecht chooses a.. Command squad, he and all its members must be given the Furious Charge Veteran Skill at +3 pol?ts per model. <- Sword of the High ~arshalsr The Sword of the Hgh Marshals Is a master-crafted power sword..In the flrht mpnd of any assault, Helbrecht gains +03 Attack in addition lo any other hnuses. -< --: -< - --<*z- L;
C GRIMALDfJS;:: N.ER.0 - ;OF HELSREACH . powerful warrior priest. Taking his vows before the shattered - Sword of - Dorn aboard the EternaI Crusader, Grimaldus justified the Chaplains' . faith, zealously leading the warriors of the Black Tempiars in battle - suffering many grievous wounds in the thiest fighting, but steadfastly refusing to succumb. After a century of -faithful service, the Chaplains saw in the young Grimaldus the makings of - a . Grimaldus was elevated to the role of Reclusiarch and accompanied ' High Marshal ~elbrechi to the war-tom wortd of Armageddon. I Three Crusades of the Black Templars were despatched to Armageddon and: under fhe direction of Helbrecht, deployed in areas where the fighting was sure to be heaviest. Helbrecht charged Grimaldus to lead one of ' these Crusades to Hiye Helsreach, besieged by thousands of Orks who swarmed the hi from a vast fleet of submersibles launched from the icy Deadlands far to the south. One of the maid bastions of resistance was centred upon the Temple of Ihe Emperor Ascendant, a vast basilica that had stood on Armageddo~ since the earliest days of colonisation. A great horde of Orks attacked the temple and, for nearly two month's; the defenders held the Orks at bay before the Greenskins finally penetrated the temple precincts, looting and destroying pPiceless My relics in equal measure. The hie militias and Imperial Guard units fled, but the Black . Templars wuld not yidd and Grirnaldus bellowed his now famous cly, Wave dug my grave in this place and t ;1 will either triumph or I will die!" Such heroism hardened the hearts of the fleeing defenders and they turned and fell upon the w. The battle ' degenerated i'ntoa Moody m&I& in the heart'ol the building ' that was only ended when the entire stnrchrre collapsed in a maelstrom of rubble and fire. All were feared lost, but a day later the bloody, but unbowed, form of Chaplain Grimaldus crawled from he ruins, bearing the last relid the ternpte and vowing that all would mmb the lies
BLACK TEMPtARS SUMMARY