BREAKING NEWS: Imperial Fists, Crimson Fists, Black Templars Stratagems and Chapter Tactics!

Crazy long title... I think this would have been better as two reveals on Warhammer Community, if only to spare my poor typing hands.

Okay, let's get this ball rolling on the collective Sons of Dorn!

Defenders of humanity, and the most Imperial of the Space Marines

Imperial Fists

First up the chapter tactic. As for the Salamanders and Iron Hands, I'll just copy and paste from the previous post:

Ignore cover bonuses, and re-roll wounds against buildings

Imperial Fists, Siege Masters

• No bonuses for cover saves against IMPERIAL FISTS models

• Re-roll failed To-Wound rolls against buildings

Somewhat situational I feel, but definitely useful for shooting up Infantry in cover and during night fighting. I don't think this is a terribly attractive Chapter Tactic compared to the rest though... perhaps it's made up for with a strong Stratagem to be revealed later?

Undoubtedly universal for every unit that can have it. Like the Iron Hands it's not hugely exciting, which is why I think a lot of people will tend to gloss over it. However, consider that a lot of psychic powers out there will be giving bonus cover saves to units... this removes that utility.

It also remains to be seen whether or not the Raven Guard Chapter tactic counts as a cover save bonus... would these two abilities simply cancel each other out?

Oh yeah, and they get to Re-roll Wounds against buildings. Fluffy, but I'm glad they have the cover ignoring to go with it.

Their Stratagem has something to do with accurate bolter fire, perhaps spending a Command point to get re-rolls to hit on a unit. Interesting, but not quite up their with the Raven Guard infiltration Stratagem. The Spartean pistol is returning, but in a world with boltstorm gauntlets, I think it will find it hard to justify it's own existence.

On to a warlord trait:

+1 to armour if you have cover and are hit by -1 AP

Er... basically you can keep your cover bonus if you're hit by an AP-1 weapon. I don't see this being massively attractive... Useful, but not very fun.

Crimson Fists

The very first chapter of Games Workshop history, they return in 8th as they were in 7th; the more level-headed Imperial Fists, with an easier paint scheme.

The Fists are exactly the same as the Fists, but with Pedro Kantor, of Kantor Blue paint fame, who does his usual trick of giving his brothers an extra attack in close combat. He carries the universal Rites of War, making the Crimson Fists the balanced army between the shootiness of the Imperial Fists and the Black Templars.

They also get a beserker warlord trait, allowing them to have more attacks if they're outnumbered. Great for those last stands against ork hordes!

Black Templars

These guys have come back hard in this edition:

Re-roll failed charges

Black Templars, Righteous Zeal

• Re-roll failed Charge rolls

On the surface this seems fairly bland... but you're still thinking in terms of 7th Edition. Jump pack troops, cavalry and previously Fleet units no longer get this, making the Black Templars a really reliable melee army.
Not only that, but it makes them one of the real potential threats for first turn charges from fast units and Jump Pack Assault units. That 9-inch charge from Deep Strike seems really do-able when you get two goes at it!

I think most people have woken up already to the sheer power of this chapter tactic, and I think these guys will become the premier close-combat chapter of Space Marines. Sanguinius would have wept, and Leman Russ snarls in fury.

They have their unique Stratagem in Abhor the witch:

Spend a command point for a 4+ chance to ignore a psychic power

Black Templars have no psykers of their own, and this gives them that protection against the warp they need. They really benefit from stocking up on Command Points to spend on this, and with the return of their Crusader units, you really don't have much of an excuse to not fill out those troops slots to get the battalion formation bonus.

I think Dorn would be proud of his sons in this edition. These tactics are quite powerful, and certainly better for the Black Templars from 7th edition. I expect to see far more Black Templar armies out there... and in this time of Crusade, nothing would be fluffier!

Until next time!

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