Blood Angles going the way of Black Templars

[Charistoph]

Nonsense. All the other chapter are first founding chapters with a lot to make em different. Templars? Second founding chapter which weren't really that different. Wolves in particular are completely different and pay no attention to the Codex.

First Founding wasn't a point you raised. And where is the rule for that, that only First Founders could have a codex? Especially when the Templars already had one?

And for their codex, as I said, they were almost as codex unadherent as the Space Wolves, and pay just as much attention to it. Quite unlike the Codex-adherent Dark and Blood Angels.

And this is GW's words, not mine.

[40kGamer]

First Founding wasn't a point you raised. And where is the rule for that, that only First Founders could have a codex? Especially when the Templars already had one?

And for their codex, as I said, they were almost as codex unadherent as the Space Wolves, and pay just as much attention to it. Quite unlike the Codex-adherent Dark and Blood Angels.

And this is GW's words, not mine.

Have to agree. The unique rulebooks are meant for any chapter that doesn't follow the codex. Space Wolves are the most divergent but Templars were pretty far out there. They've really had to stretch to make Dark Angels and Blood Angels different enough to justify the separate books. I suspect that Templars got rolled in for a couple of reasons...

1) They gave the Knight fluff to Dark Angels which made Templar Knights redundant.
2) They didn't generate enough sales for them to keep supporting them as a separate chapter.

[Charistoph]

2) They didn't generate enough sales for them to keep supporting them as a separate chapter.

The really sad part is that there was little way to identify their sales as separate from regular Marines, any more than Dark Angels pre-6th, Blood Angels, or Space Wolves. Now, you have the unique Vehicles only THEY can use per codex plus the codices themselves to any where accurately track that.

[40kGamer]

The really sad part is that there was little way to identify their sales as separate from regular Marines, any more than Dark Angels pre-6th, Blood Angels, or Space Wolves. Now, you have the unique Vehicles only THEY can use per codex plus the codices themselves to any where accurately track that.

It would be ace to set in an actual GW product planning meeting, I suspect if we really knew how they made decisions we may all laugh or cry!

I think there would be enough sales to support Templars. If they had given them a unique spread of tanks/infantry kits like they have done with Blood/Dark Angels at this point... or if they had left the Land Raider variants as Templar only...

Even without supporting additional kits why not just print a new codex for them? It's not like a lot of time or thought is going into them anymore. Someone could probably knock it out and have it off to the printers in a couple days. The Grey Knights actually got nothing with the last codex update!

[Charistoph]

It would be ace to set in an actual GW product planning meeting, I suspect if we really knew how they made decisions we may all laugh or cry!

I think there would be enough sales to support Templars. If they had given them a unique spread of tanks/infantry kits like they have done with Blood/Dark Angels at this point... or if they had left the Land Raider variants as Templar only...

Even without supporting additional kits why not just print a new codex for them? It's not like a lot of time or thought is going into them anymore. Someone could probably knock it out and have it off to the printers in a couple days. The Grey Knights actually got nothing with the last codex update!

No one at GW is willing to make new model kits for them right now. Either in sculpt, drawing, or rules. That's the problem.

Personally, I would think a Chaplain Dreadnought and squad of mini-Chaplains-in-training would be a fun unit to have. The old Angry Marine fandex Rhino that could fire Marine units over a distance would also be fun (if not accurate). An Open-Topped Rhino would be a treasure, no matter the Marine army. There are ways to separate them out further, but do they have the guts?

Not that has anything to do with the Blood Angels over all.

The funny part is when rumors where flying around about Templars being folded in, I maintained that both Angels could be easily inserted in to the codex easier than the Templars (which in a way is still a little true). Odd now how it seems to be coming full circle...

[jeffersonian000]

Have people considered the fact that by rolling the Black Templers into the main SM codex, the BT now gain access to units like Thunderfire Cannons? Remember all the complaining back in the day from the non-SM codex Marine players about not getting the new cool toys? By rolling the BT in with the regular SM, they keep their uniqueness while gaining the newness. GW obviously wanted the DA, SW, and BA to retain separate unit selections uniquely their own, while the BT became a test to see if unique units and a chapter traits work.

SJ

[John Bower]

Think Tyranid Primes allow units they join to use his WS.

Not sure if it's WS or BS on that one. I know you are basically right though.

[DarkLink]

• Another unique HQ option

So do Black Templar.

• A unique and envied weapons option for tactical squads.

GW can literally delete a single footnote in the SM codex to change this.

• The ability to take as an Elite something everyone else can only take as an HQ.

Like GW cares what FOC slot they stick units in nowadays. When they make a new SM codex they'll probably duplicate this anyways.

• Two unique infantry units.

Black Templar have one and they're in the SM codex. And Death Company are basically just assault marines with FNP and Rage or whatever.

• A unique tank.

It's a Predator with different gun options.

• Several tanks granted the Fast USR.

Iron Hands tanks get IWND. No reason they couldn't duplicate that with Fast for BA Chapter Tactics.

• Characterful takes on the concept of ironclad and venerable dreadnoughts.

They're basically just ironclad/venerable dreads with slightly different weapon options. Considering how bad most Dreadnoughts are, GW already needs to rework dreadnought profiles as it is.

• Several unique special characters

A few special characters to go along with the three dozen other ones already in the SM codex.

• A unique Detachment that gives another important and rarely seen benefit.

If GW had the time or inclination, everyone would have a unique detachment, and every detachment gives some sort of important and rarely seen benefit.



If GW updated in a more timely fashion, then sure. Everyone can get their own codex. But even cranking out books at an absurd rate means it might still be six months or a year before you get a new codex and balance issues get addressed, even if you're lucky. So instead of having a million SM codices, which always get left by the wayside every time the vanilla SM codex gets updated, one SM codex to rule them all, with flexible and expansive rules. They can then release dataslates and formations at will to give each SM faction their minute in the limelight.