STARTING A BLACK TEMPLARS ARMY IN 11TH EDITION: THE ETERNAL CRUSADE
The Black Templars are the zealot chapter of the Adeptus Astartes, a fleet-based crusade that has fought without pause since the Emperor walked among men. This page covers the first boxes to buy, the paint scheme, and the one flagship to save for.
Why black armour is a kind first scheme
Black armour with bone-white tabards and red details is one of the most forgiving schemes in the hobby. Black is quick to base and edge highlights do most of the work. The cloth gives every model a splash of contrast. Freehand crosses on white panels look far harder than they are, and a battle-ready Templar looks dramatic in a way few beginner armies manage. If you want chainswords, tabards, chains binding weapons to wrists and a permanent scowl, this is the chapter.
Crusader Squads before anything else
Buy whichever Black Templars boxed set is current. The chapter gets dedicated upgrade sprues and its own kits, so a starter bundle stretches further here than it does for most chapters. After that, buy in this order:
- Crusader Squads: the heart of the army, mixing hardened Initiates with eager Neophytes in one unit. Nothing else in the Marine range looks like them.
- The Emperor's Champion: a single miniature carrying the whole chapter's mythology on its back. Paint him early; he is a joy.
- Sword Brethren: your veterans, with more character and conversion potential than any other squad in the range.
Land Raider Crusader or High Marshal Helbrecht
A Land Raider Crusader is the obvious flagship, a rolling cathedral that delivers your Sword Brethren into the enemy's teeth. If you would rather build the army around a character, High Marshal Helbrecht is a superb painting project and a better table presence still.
Recommended: Land Raider Crusader
Recommended: High Marshal Helbrecht
Leave the heavy guns for later
Skip heavy shooting units for now. Devastator-style firepower fights the chapter's identity, and you will reach for melee every time. Avoid a second vehicle until the infantry core is assembled, since Crusader Squads are what the Land Raider exists to carry.
Record the crusade's stock
Every crusade keeps records. When a box lands on the doormat, log it the same day and mark it on sprue, built or painted, with no rounding up. Watching the painted column overtake the pile is the satisfying part of keeping the record.
For the full unit roster, see the Black Templars faction page under Data.