Editing Warhammer 40,000/9th Edition Tactics/Space Marines (section)

====Special Units====
=====HQ=====


*'''[[Grimaldus|Chaplain Grimaldus]]:''' THE guy for Black Templar's Black Tide lists, now a Master of Sanctity with two litanies ([[Fail|but only Ld9]]) and sporting the spiffy new Primaris look. He comes with a standard plasma pistol (which you'll never supercharge) and an Artificer Crozius (S+2 AP-2 D2). 
**Unlike prior editions, his servitor retinue is now permanently attached to him and each providing a different relic. The first one lets friendly {{W40Kkeyword|Black Templars Core}} or {{W40Kkeyword|Character}} units within 6" add 3+d3" to advance rolls instead of d6", the second provides them a 6+++ FNP against any wounds rather than just mortal wounds, and the third gives the man +1 to his litany rolls, meaning his place is leading huge blobs on foot. Bear in mind that as written, if Grimaldus dies and then rises back up on a 4+, the servitors still die. Get all the juice out of them that you can before they become meatshields for Grimaldus.
*'''[[Helbrecht|High Marshal Helbrecht]]:''' The big boss of the Black Templars. In addition to being a 9th edition Chapter Master with the Captain and Chapter Master Aura/Ability, all {{W40kKeyword|Black Templar Core}} units within 6" gain +1S, and S5 is a sweet spot in this edition. So when this guy rolls up in an Impulsor like a good Primaris, disembarks, waits an entire battle round to be polite (since you can't charge out of an Impulsor), and then charges you with his S5 re-rolling-hit-rolls-of-1 homeboys with chainswords... you're dead. End of discussion. He himself is no slouch in combat, packing an improved Sword of the High Marshals (S+2 AP-3 D1 with double the attacks or Sx2 AP-3 D3). Even his servitor retinue that's with his new model can make some token swings.
**His combi-melta from the olden days has been replaced with what's effectively a heavy bolt rifle (though with a shorter 30" range) that's also a combi-melta. Not only can Helbrecht now decimate whatever he sees with his sword, but now his gun can punch holes in whatever opposition he finds.
**Like any Chapter Master, he can't grant his full re-roll ability while also disembarking from a transport.
*'''The Emperor's Champion:''' This guy will brutally murder any enemy Character, taking the Chapter Champion's role and cracking the dial to 11, being technically ''the only Primaris Champion anyone has'' (yeah he's Primaris now). He takes a crowded HQ slot instead of being in the very forgiving Elites one. As for stats, he's a Primaris Chapter Champion with +1W and an improved Invuln: WS2+ S4 A5 W4 Sv2+/4++. Sigismund's Heir lets him re-roll to hit ''and'' wound enemy {{W40kKeyword|Characters}}, not just wounds like a normal Chapter Champion. He has the Chapter Champion standard abilities of ASF and 6" interventions against Characters and -1 to be hit in melee. He strikes with the Black Blade, a super-sword that can swap between a relic blade (WS2+ S+3 AP-3 D2) or a thunder hammer (WS3+ Sx2 (8) AP-4 D3), because he didn't get the memo Chapter Champions aren't allowed nice weaponry.
**Monsters are the closest the Champion has to a weak spot, as his offensive boosts pretty much evaporate the moment he runs into a Carnifex or Maulerfiend. Fortunately, his Black Blade's been buffed to be able to at least put up more of a fight against these foes and a supporting Chaplain might even push that a little further.
**Entirely dedicated to being a beatstick, he needs support, most notably a Transport. Furthermore, his retinue will need support because he lacks an aura himself, and you both lack Librarians and cannot use Litanies out of a transport without spending a CP. Unless you take Sigismund's Seal for them to target the retinue of the enemy character your Champion will be fighting.

=====Troops=====
*'''Crusader Squad:''' You have a unit of tactical marines that can also take up Scouts as cheap meat shields and now also let the unit use the Smokescreen stratagem. Going melee any Initiates can swap their bolter for a chainsword for free, and the Sword Brother leading them can take a power weapon/fist/special/combi-weapon while another initiate can take a special weapon, and another can take a heavy/melee weapon that isn't a Chainsword or Thunderhammer. Basically, they can take weapons much like a normal tactical squad but with extra melee. Neophytes (scouts) can replace their bolter for either a shotgun or knife. 
**Crusader squads only make sense (barely) when taken at 11-20 size and boosted with stratagems or litanies that target a single unit. Changes to morale don't affect large units as much as smaller ones but blast weapons are now a thing. Chaplains (especially Grimaldus) help their morale at the same time they increase their lethality. So do Captains(Helbrecht)/Lieutenants/Ancients, and the Standard of the Emperor Ascendant/Rites of War Warlords makes them immune to morale, so 20-man Crusader squads love them, as they can't fit inside most transports and you can't Combat Squad them. 
**Also hurting things is the loss of the re-rolls given to neophytes for having more initiates with them.
**While they are now priced the same as Tactical Squads, they are still the objectively better choice over Assault Intercessors due to the plethora of different weapons the squad has access to. LOOKS LIKE MELEE IS STILL ON THE MENU BOYS
*'''Primaris Crusader Squad:''' The mainstay of your army lists, this unit is purpose-built to capitalize on the Black Templars' chapter tactics and play style. They can be taken in units of 10-20 and it's highly recommended to max them out in order to get the most out of our buffs. The initiates all get auto bolt rifles while the neophytes are basically "Carapace Intercessors" (2W 2A), with bolt pistols and Chainswords.
**As has been the case with other Primaris units, all of your weapons choices for the rank and file tend to be all-or-nothing; any number of initiates can trade their bolt rifles for heavy bolt pistols and chainswords while neophytes have to all swap their chainswords and pistols for either shotguns or bolt carbines. In a minimum 10-man unit, two initiates can equip either pyreblasters (new flamers with improved range and AP-1) or power fists and heavy pistols. Double that if you take a full 20-man squad.
**Your Sword Brother already comes stock with a power sword, and can swap that only for an axe while the bolt pistol can be swapped for a pyre pistol, giving a hand flamer with AP-1.
***[[Pyrovore|We now have a contender for]] [[Dark Commune|the most useless unit of 9th edition here thanks to Arks of Omens!]] Can now take free weapons like their Primaris brothers. Issue? They are now [[what|MORE expensive than primarily crusaders]]. Literally the only advantage they have is not needing to take five scouts with a squad, so unless +5 pts and a massive downgrade in combat ability is worth taking a five man squad, these things are now worthless.

=====Elite=====
*'''Primaris Sword Brethren:''' Base 3A like Primaris Vets, they''re all armed with Heavy Bolt Pistols and Chainswords, which any of them can swap for a power weapon for +3 points each. The unit is a minimum of 4 models rather than 5 as each one is the lore equivalent of a Sergeant already.
**If the unit is 4-9, ''one'' marine can take a thunder hammer, then another ''one'' can take paired lightning claws. Another one can take an axe and another one can take a maul (like you'd ever want to). In addition, ''one'' marine can swap their pistol for a plasma pistol, and up to 2 can swap it for a pyre pistol. Double those numbers if there're 10 models in the unit, aka, if you want them to be forced to walk.
**These guys are the only unit that can ignore the Templar Vow Passions.
**While they are often compared to Bladeguard in both appearance and battlefield role, Sword Brethren are less resilient but more aggressive. They have a variety of gear options; they can be kept relatively cheap with just Heavy Bolt Pistols and Chainswords for clearing chaff, or they can be upgraded with Power Weapons to go elite hunting. The addition of thunder hammers, power claws, and relic bearers allows them to be equipped for basically any melee purpose. (Ex: Sword Brother with Suffer Not the Unclean to Live, Lightning Claws, Champion of the Feast, Bones of Mordred, Fires of Devotion, and Exemplars of the Crusade = 1 model with 7 attacks, 6s to hit doing extra hits and also auto wounding, 6s to wound doing mortal wounds, re-rolling all failed wound rolls and that's just one model in the unit)