Ok man.... whatever I'm not gonna say any more because I'm so ill-informed. Especially consider that you claim we get 15 man squads. No book I have ever read on the Black Templars has ever stated once about 15 man squads. Maybe you me the fact that we have both Initiates and Neophytes in the same unit. But that unit isn't 10 Initiates and 5 Neophytes. It totals 10 maximum with any possible combination of Initiate and Neophyte. So it isn't 15 it's 10, and if your so sure its 15 show me in a GW authorized piece of writing where it says that. I say GW authorized because there are a number of pieces of writing about the Templars that are not true, made up rules and organizations, as well as stories and histories. Saying that the Templars hav not been around as long as the Blood Angles in only semi true. They were once the Imperial Fists, but since Robutt Gulliman, Primarch of the Ultra Fags, created the Codex Astartes, they were broken down into chapters, with holy Rogal Dorn, the Imperial Fists Primarch, resisting it initally but givig in only to avoid another Civil War, decide to break down his forces He gave Lord Sigismund, the Legion of Imperial Fists Champion command of one such Chapter. Here is the history taken from GW:
The history of the Black Templars can be traced back to the Imperial Fists' defense of the Emperor's Palace during the Horus Heresy. After the Traitor Legions had been defeated, it was decided that the loyal Space Marines should be split into smaller Chapters. Rogal Dorn – Primarch of the Imperial Fists – agreed reluctantly, and the Black Templars were created. Since that time thousands of years ago, the Black Templars have been on the greatest and longest crusade the Imperium has ever known to prove their loyalty to the Emperor.
COMBAT DOCTRINE
The Black Templars have continued in the style of their founder, Sigismund, in that they prefer close combat to ranged warfare. Face-to-face with his enemy, a Space Marine can earn honor and respect and be sure that his foe is truly vanquished. This inclination for close combat is further emphasized by the fanaticism of Black Templars battle brothers, whose righteous anger makes them impatient and headstrong. Black Templars will drive towards the foe relentlessly, their own casualties only serving to spur them on faster, hungry for vengeance against the slayers of their brethren. As part of their dedication to the Emperor, the Black Templars swear fell oaths of faith and protection. Before a battle, it is customary to renew one of these vows to the Emperor – the type of vow made focuses the thoughts of the Initiates on a particular aspect of their duties and encourages them to extreme bravery, ruthlessness, or sacred revulsion against the foe.
To refute what Bob has stated that the Templars are the most generic he has ever seen. Obviously he know very little of the Templars. Now Bob, if you want generic, look at the Ultra Fags. They are strict followers of the Codex Astartes. The Black Templars are possibly the largest chapter of the Astartes and are organised into Crusades not Companies, each Crusade is not a always together, they range from small groups, roughly 30 men, to large one, roughly 3 compaines acting as one. Even the oh so precious Blood Angles follow the Codex Astrates more strictly than the Black Templars.The Black Templars are often known as the Crusading Space Marines. This is because they have no particular base, as the Chapter is always split across the galaxy, conducting crusades against aliens and heretics. No-one has an exact idea of how many Black Templars there are, but they are probably more numerous than most other Chapters.
Now ya'll may love the Blood AngLEs, and I admit, given more time and money, I would enjoy creating a hybrid army of Blood AngLEs/Space Wolves, but I've been playing Back Templars since I started Warhammer and recently met 2 people that play Blood AngLEs and am planning to fight them as soon as my grades improve and I'm off grounding. I will defend the Templars as long as I play them and I will also defend the IG as well, they don't get the respect they truly deserve. They are only good by those who know how to use them, and those that haven't played them, or are new to them will think they suck, but they are a unique army to play and can be quite effective at shutting people up by actually winning. Numbers and Firepower are how they win, they ARE NOT special super troops and they individually are week, but in mass, they can overcome.