Black Templars are crusading zealots in black armour who solve problems the old-fashioned way: by charging at them. They’re ideal if you like disciplined aggression and a medieval-knight aesthetic with chains — and with Warhammer 40,000 11th Edition here, there's never been a better time to take the crusader's vow.
What this faction is about
A Space Marine crusade Chapter focused on close combat, vows, and relentless advance. Their identity is ‘march forward, take ground, and dare the enemy to shift you.’
The Black Templars identity in one line
Black Templars are a relentless melee-pressure army: they march up the board, take ground, and make themselves so expensive to remove that the opponent runs out of answers.
Tabletop playstyle
You build pressure with tough units and layered melee threats. Templars like fighting over objectives: they move onto the mid-board, plant a flag, and make removing them expensive. In 11th Edition, the new Living Miracle detachment turns the Emperor’s Champion into a genuine melee terror — leaning even harder into the Chapter’s duelling identity.
How Black Templars win games (the simple plan)
Early game: Advance and take ground. Templars want to be on the mid-board early, but a smart crusade stages its advance behind cover rather than sprinting into open fire. Your first-turn goal is to be threatening a charge next turn — that threat alone forces the opponent into cautious, defensive moves. Claim the objectives you can defend and set up the pressure.
Mid game: This is where the crusade bites. Commit your durable melee units to the objectives that decide the game and make each one a fortress the enemy has to over-commit to shift. Layer your threats so a unit tied up in one fight isn’t your only hammer — there should always be a second melee piece ready to punish whatever the opponent sends to deal with the first.
Late game: Hold the line you’ve carved out. Templars close games by simply refusing to be moved off scoring objectives. Keep your durable units planted, don’t chase kills that pull you off the point, and let your resilience grind the mission home.
Black Templars strengths (what you'll feel on the table)
1) Durable objective presence
Templars excel at planting themselves on a point and refusing to leave. Making the opponent pay dearly to shift you is the heart of the army and a very forgiving way to play.
2) Thematic cohesion
Everything about the army pulls in one direction — forward. That clarity of purpose makes them straightforward to pilot and genuinely satisfying, your whole force feeling like a single marching crusade.
3) Mid-board bullying
When supported properly, Templars dominate the centre of the table and win the trades that matter, forcing opponents to react to you rather than run their own plan.
Black Templars weaknesses (and how beginners avoid them)
1) Predictability
Opponents know you’re coming forward and will plan for it.
Fix: Vary your angles and use terrain so your advance isn’t a straight, easily-screened line.
2) Punished by shooting
Shooting-heavy enemies exploit sloppy movement before you reach them.
Fix: Stage behind cover and advance in a way that minimises the turns you spend exposed in the open.
3) Struggling into tough targets at range
A pure-melee force can stall against vehicles and monsters it can’t reach.
Fix: Include an answer to armour — a breach unit or a ranged option — so nothing on the table is immune to you.
Strengths
· Durable, objective-focused melee presence.
· Strong thematic cohesion: your army feels like a crusade.
· Great at bullying mid-board trades when supported properly.
Watch-outs
· Can be predictable: opponents will plan for your forward push.
· Shooting-heavy enemies can punish sloppy movement.
· You need a plan to deal with vehicles/monsters at range or in melee.
Top beginner mistakes (quick checklist)
- Advancing in a straight, easily-screened line.
- Crossing open ground into shooting instead of using cover.
- Bringing no answer to vehicles and monsters.
- Committing your only hammer with no follow-up threat.
- Chasing kills that pull you off scoring objectives.
Collecting and painting
Black armour looks sharp and is beginner-friendly if you keep highlights simple. Their tabards, crosses, and relics are a hobby playground—great for learning cloth, bone, and metallics. Everything you need is in our Warhammer Colour paint range.
Great first buys
· A durable infantry unit for holding the line.
· A melee ‘breach’ unit to crack tougher targets.
· A leader to hand out buffs and keep the crusade cohesive.
· Optional: a transport to deliver melee units safely.
Who this army suits
Pick Black Templars if you want your army to feel like a marching war hymn: simple plan, strong identity, and a lot of righteous violence.
Still choosing your Chapter? Compare every army in our Warhammer 40k factions guide, then get painting with Jack's guide to the best value paint sets.
Frequently asked questions
Are Black Templars good for beginners in Warhammer 40k?
Black Templars are a strong beginner choice. They have a simple, clear identity — march forward and win combats — and their black armour is one of the easiest Space Marine schemes to paint to a tabletop standard.
How do Black Templars win games?
Black Templars win by building pressure with durable melee units, moving onto the mid-board, and making themselves expensive to remove. In 11th Edition the Living Miracle detachment turns the Emperor's Champion into a genuine melee terror.
What is the best way to start a Black Templars army?
Start with a durable infantry unit to hold the line, a melee 'breach' unit to crack tough targets, a leader to hand out buffs, and optionally a transport to deliver your melee units safely.
What are Black Templars weak against?
Black Templars can be predictable, so opponents plan around the forward push, and shooting-heavy enemies can punish sloppy movement. You also need a clear plan for dealing with vehicles and monsters.
What makes Black Templars different from other Space Marines?
Black Templars are a crusading Chapter built around close combat, vows, and relentless advance. Their identity is more melee-focused and zealous than most Chapters, with a distinctive medieval-knight aesthetic.
