# The Eternal Crusade! Kobra's Black Templars



## Kobrakai (Jul 25, 2008)

Hey guys.

Well the Iron Lords are basically done now, they have a line drawn under them and now i'm ready for a new challenge.

Back when I first started 40k I started a few marine armies, but my first true army was during the Armageddon Campaign. Enter the Black Templars into my heart!

So after browsing through my old white dwarfs I came across the old Black Templar articles etc. After some digging I found some old models, and well... I've gone back to my roots and started another Black Templar crusade!

This Black Templar army I've decided to go a bit more of a crude route with. They are seen as a space faring chapter, who obviously must go on long times without re-supply etc. I've decided to take that to the next level.

_*Crusade Hercapotan:*

Crusade Hercapotan has taken Marshal Reinebold and his fighting company to the far flung edges of the eastern fringe. Touching areas of space that weren't previously mapped by the Imperium, the fighting company are sweeping large areas of the unseen shadows, fighting all manor of Xenos before they reach known space. 

Large warp storms have so far left them cut off from re-entering known space and reaching Black Templar outposts to be re-supplied and re-armed. Salvaging whatever they can use from fallen enemies, the Black Templars of Crusade Hercapotan use the enemies weapons and armour against them in their bid to continue the crusade, until either the warp storms die down to re-enter real space, or they themselves perish!_

With this in mind, comes the modelling of the army!

Here is the first Crusader squad:



































































I have combined loyalist, chaos and black templar parts to make this squad. They will all be painted in the standard black / off white of the templars, but with additional golds/silvers to give them extra dynamic.

They just need a few edges cleaned, then the sand sealed on the base before primer. I'll put some photos up when i've started painting 

Let me know what you think.
Thanks guys!


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## imm0rtal reaper (Jul 15, 2008)

Good to see another one of your logs buddy. Hope life is treating you well! 

I'm looking forward to seeing what you do with the Black Templars!


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## cain the betrayer (Oct 12, 2009)

Cool stuff i really like how your iron lords looked and will be looking forwarth to seeing the Templars painted.


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## TheReverend (Dec 2, 2007)

Great stuff so far, I love the Black Templars to. 

The only think I would say is avoid using anything that is blatantly chaos. I know you've done that on the whole but I did spot a shoulder pad with a khornate symbol on I think... 

other than that, it looks good so far.

Rev


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## Kobrakai (Jul 25, 2008)

Hey Reaper: Good to see you buddy, i'm doing really good thanks, how your also doing well!

Cheers Cain, i'll keep you updated.

Reverend: Thanks mate. I am definitely avoiding blatantly chaos symbols and other stuff. The shoulder pad has some skulls on it, but the khorne logo isn't on anything, and anything that did (torso etc), have been shaven off and made to look a little more generic.

The unit has had their bases sealed, so tomorrow i'll take them away to be primered. Hopefully start painting sometime next week!


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## Midge913 (Oct 21, 2010)

I am with Rev. I look forward to seeing these guys progress, but with the Black Templars ideology, even in dire straights I think they would avoid chaos stuff completely. The helms are pretty cool because they look pre-heresy, but the back packs and the one shoulder pad just glare at me as being wrong somehow. That said, I really look forward to following this one as I did you Iron Lords.


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## Kobrakai (Jul 25, 2008)

I can see that this is probably going to be a recurring thing; I'll replace some of the more edgier pads with more generic pads. That way, with the templar logo's etc, it will bring them much more into line with them just looking more of a older armour style use, rather than a blatant use of chaos bits etc.

I'll put photos up once some of the models are done


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## Kobrakai (Jul 25, 2008)

Okay, updated photos are on the first post. Let me know what you think


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## Fallen (Oct 7, 2008)

'Bout damn time for you to be using CHAOS bits. 

looking awesome as always though...cant wait to see moar!

now your just one step closer to a CSM log :biggrin:


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## imm0rtal reaper (Jul 15, 2008)

Looks a lot more black templar-y without the overly chaos bits. Good job bud!


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## Doelago (Nov 29, 2009)

For Dorn and the Emperor! Great to see Black Templars rolling in.


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## Midge913 (Oct 21, 2010)

imm0rtal reaper said:


> Looks a lot more black templar-y without the overly chaos bits. Good job bud!


This pretty much sums it up! Looking great man!


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## HorusReborn (Nov 19, 2008)

I'm loving this! The poses are great! Great work, can't wait to see them painted up!


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## Bane_of_Kings (Oct 28, 2009)

Pretty awesome, I'll be following this.


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## Kobrakai (Jul 25, 2008)

Okay guys, after doing some batch painting with these guys, I decided to go ahead and complete one guy in his entirety to see which way I was going to go with them.

I hope you like him:


































Let me know what you all think.


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## Doelago (Nov 29, 2009)

Great job! 

Now I will shamelessly have to steal that red tabard idea... :wink:


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## TheReverend (Dec 2, 2007)

mate, that red tabard is great and really makes your BT's stand out from the usual white and black. I really like that power fist too!

The removal of the chaosy bits has worked a treat too. Looking forward to seeing the rest painted up

Rev


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## cain the betrayer (Oct 12, 2009)

Looks good altrough i would have used a less fibrant red. Anyway i can't wait to see more


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## Flerden (Aug 17, 2008)

Great to see more stuff from you Kobrakai! I love Templars so will follow this thread with interest and as much as I can.
I really like the idea of using chaos bitz, makes them look so more moving and mobile, and not so static. 
The tabard and the shoulder pads look great, something in htem caught my eye, could be that the fact that the tabard is red and the rest is black :laugh:. But great work so far, keep it up!


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## Marneus Calgar (Dec 5, 2007)

Lovely job, have you thought about painting the Templars cross White just to give a little contrast on the model?


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## Kobrakai (Jul 25, 2008)

Here is a few shots of the next two models painted in the crusader squad:


















































Let me know what you think 

Many thanks!


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## imm0rtal reaper (Jul 15, 2008)

Looking good so far dude, I do have some suggestions though:

- First, I think the idea of making the templar cross on the tabbard white is a good one, draw attention to it more 

- I think you need to make the lenses brighter. I can see that they're red, but they're not really popping for me. 

- I think you need to introduce more colour (bear with me ) to the models. Take the last two for example, specifically the helmeted one. It's a LOT of black. I know they're black templars but I think it would be more interesting to look at with a little colour. Suggestions:
-Paint one of the knee pads a different colour, either white or red. 
-Paint the gun casings red.
-Maybe get some white or red sergeant helmets in there. 
-How bout adding some chevrons (yellow and black lines) on the chainsword casings?

Also, a note on the white, I think you're going for sort of a dirty, battle worn white on the shoulders? It works, but I think it adds to the over all "dull" (not that they're not nice to look at :grin look of the model. I think it would look better if you painted the white to full brightness and then added scratches and battle damage to make it look worn. 

My last nitpick point, drill the barrels of the guns :biggrin:

Another suggestion I have to add to the gritty look, pick up some pigments to add around the bottoms of the models (ala my red scorpions log) it's quick and easy and makes them look a lot better. 

Don't take that as me saying they're shit  I just think you can do a lot more with them and it'd be a shame if you didn't k:


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## Kobrakai (Jul 25, 2008)

Reaper:

You make some very valid points, i'll add some extra colour to them

I will add something though, your last remark... i have drilled their guns.


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## Doelago (Nov 29, 2009)

Kobrakai said:


>


From what kit can I find ammo belts like that? 

Great job as always! + rep


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## imm0rtal reaper (Jul 15, 2008)

Kobrakai said:


> Reaper:
> 
> You make some very valid points, i'll add some extra colour to them
> 
> I will add something though, your last remark... i have drilled their guns.


Not the last guy it would seem! :biggrin:


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## Kobrakai (Jul 25, 2008)

Lol, it's a bit dark, but look at the first photo, you can see it's drilled... just!


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## TheReverend (Dec 2, 2007)

Doelago said:


> From what kit can I find ammo belts like that?
> 
> Great job as always! + rep


They are in the Khorne Berzerkers kit.

Good work, but I agree with adding a bit of additional colour, even if it's a couple of red kill markings or some white text on the armour. Black Templars are all about the fanatical text I hear...


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## WarlordKaptainGrishnak (Dec 23, 2008)

New minis looking good Kob.

I agree with the comments above (minus the gun barrel one). The models look dull, tone wise, with how the silver and white is interacting. So taking Reapers advice on the white could fix that. And additional colour is easy, maybe paint lanterns gold/bronze, and the occassional helmet stripe can be white or red. If your adventurous you could also think about putting a cross on the marines helm (example attached).

Other than that, the Templars are shaping up nicely, and I look forward to your next update to them.

Grish


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## Kobrakai (Jul 25, 2008)

Okay guys, here is the latest photos to add to the log. Sorry it's taken so long to get these out, been a mad few weeks / month long.

Anyway, the Initiates from the crusader squad are done apart from getting the decals on the models. I'm waiting to make a FW order for their Black Templar decal sheet.

Until then, please check out the latest photos:

























































They look a lot brighter the way it's been done, and adding the extra colours you guys recommended really helps these guys pop. Certainly a lot brighter than my iron lords, and they are still predominantly black! 

Let me know what you think. The 5 Neophytes that accompany this squad are in primered and their bases done. Will hopefully have them done in the next coming weeks.

Many thanks


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## WarlordKaptainGrishnak (Dec 23, 2008)

Looks awesome Kob.


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## Doelago (Nov 29, 2009)

Great job!


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## GreaterDragon (Oct 27, 2011)

Good job! Really like the chevrons.


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## Midge913 (Oct 21, 2010)

Looking good Kob! I love the way that the couple of chaos helms stand out in the crowd. They add a lot of flavor without making the army feel chaosy. Great work.


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## Fallen (Oct 7, 2008)

am i correct in remembering that the neophytes of the BTs wear WHITE armor?

cuz i want to see them too...

---

makes me want to drop my SM army and pick up a BT one...:grin:

excellent work once again Kob, making me envious a picture at a time...


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## Kobrakai (Jul 25, 2008)

Hey again guys,

Well, time for another update! This time the scouts are painted; here some photos:


















They just need their decals from the FW Black Templar decal sheet, when I can get to ordering it!

And finally, the entire Crusader squad:


























Let me know what you guys think! 

Also a quick update; I'll be entering this Black Templar army into the Army Painting Challenge for 2012. So the next squads will be in line with the monthly entrants! Stay tuned soon for the next squad to be submitted. It will be a fire support Crusader squad with a few extra shotgun Neophytes, for extra flavour!

Many thanks!


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## WarlordKaptainGrishnak (Dec 23, 2008)

Kob ol' buddy ol' pal.

A lovely new addition to the Crusader squad. I like the contrasts you have with the leather and fatigue browns against the off white and black of the armour.

At a first glance the shoulder pads on the Neophytes look dirty, but I remembered that was the desired effect, and they fit in seamlessly with the rest of the power armoured marines of the unit.

Another great squad from you mate, look forward to the next addition!

G


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## Midge913 (Oct 21, 2010)

Looking good Kob!!!! The pants on the Neophytes really make the models. Very nice work.


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## Khorne's Fist (Jul 18, 2008)

Looking good Kobra. The squad looks excellent all together.


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## Flerden (Aug 17, 2008)

They look awesome, the white on the shoulder pads, looks dirty, but not to dirty, like they would have been in the field for a time so if it was the idea, good job! If not, good job anyway! And the dude with a power fist is a nice contrast to the rest of the squad. I like it very much! So keep it up. :victory:


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## dark angel (Jun 11, 2008)

Just as good as the Cerulean Guard and the Iron Lords, if not better, fella. Keep up the awesome work - 'Tis rather inspiring. 

Have some well-earned rep.


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## Kobrakai (Jul 25, 2008)

Hey guys, another quick update. 

A quick WIP shot pre-primer of the fire support Crusader squad. They will also be the April entry of the army painting challenge this year. Later on in the month i'll add a few Neophytes with shotguns.










































Will get some more photos once April rolls around 

Thanks for reading


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## KjellThorngaard (Oct 4, 2010)

I like the belt-fed bolters. Are those standard now? Its been ten years since I built a Marine so I don't know what's on the sprue anymore.


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## cirs85 (Nov 9, 2011)

I want to say he mixed in a bit of chaos marine bolters/heads in there, but it looks very good!


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## Disciple_of_Ezekiel (May 23, 2010)

Nice poses on the Marines. I really like that you spent the extra time dilling out the bolter barrels. Well done! Looking forward to seeing these guys painted.

Regards,
DoE


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