B00bbies, please read the whole thing, not just the first line, I must apologized for one of my earlier post about the Black Templar Squads. In the Black Templar Designer Notes, posted in Black Globbo 51, i believe:
Crusader Squads are comprised of Initiates and Neophytes, and they mark one of the biggest differences between the Black Templars and Codex Chapters. For one thing, Crusader Squads are much bigger, as Graham explains, “In most Codexes, you get a Scout Squad that's a separate Troop entry, but Black Templars don't get that. Their Neophytes, as they call their Scouts, are integrated into Crusader Squads.” These Squads can number up to 20 strong with one Neophyte allowed per Initiate. “It's a mentor and pupil relationship,” says Graham. “Each Neophyte is taken on by an Initiate who deems him worthy of learning from him. He takes him out to battle and teaches by example. Basically, the Neophyte either learns or dies.” All of which harkens back to the historical image of the knight and his squire.
If an Initiate is brave enough and skilled enough, it's possible he will leave behind the mantle of tutor and become one of the Sword Brethren. They are a heretofore unseen Black Templars unit made of the veterans of the Chapter. “These are the Space Marines that have, through feats of arms and courage, displayed that they are the hardest fighters, the greatest warriors,” Graham explains. “Once chosen, they are inducted into the Marshal's household and become part of his personal honor guard.”
Though they are named Sword Brethren, the veterans can be armed with bolters or close-combat weapons. “We wanted to stress the fact that the Black Templars are not just a close-combat army,” says Graham. “But they don't fight according to organized strictures like Ultramarines do.”
This fighting style is particularly true of Sword Brethren, whose warrior bond is greater than the other Space Marines in the Chapter. “They arm themselves, gather themselves together and fight together out of familiarity.” This sense of kinship and brotherhood gives these Black Templars even more zeal on the battlefield.
I am sorry for yelling at you, this is a significant alteration to the Black Templars that I know and love. If a change like this is possible, I am extremely excited, and anxious about all that the codex will hold.
This also surprises me, but makes sense:
The Land Raider Crusader plays a more dominant role with the Black Templars than other Space Marine armies, mainly because they serve as the only transport options for some Black Templar squad types. For example, Terminators in a normal Space Marine army can take a standard Land Raider or Crusader as a transport. For Black Templars, the regular Land Raiders Crusader is their only transport choice. That makes regular Land Raiders available only as Heavy Support choices, but that shouldn't hurt the Black Templars. “Because Black Templars don't use Devastator squads or Whirlwinds, there's not nearly as much competition for that [Heavy Support] slot," Graham explains. "The Whirlwind in particular didn't 'feel' right. One of the Black Templars' honor oaths is to fight face-to-face with your enemy – shelling them from behind a hill didn't seem very glorious.”
Now that my Devastor Squad is useless, I must now spend $120 on two more LRCs and that means FUCK. I aint made o' money, and what i got is going for a command and crusader squad, and Battlefield 2