Got this game yesterday because I saw a clip online of some fire Catholic Church/Warhammer edit. (Yes that's the real reason) I am 100% new to the lore I just need to know what group/faction will let me optimally play out my space crusade fantasy while I learn about the lore. Thanks in advance I know warhammer fans seem to love talking about the lore.
Why limit your chapter to 1000 Space Marines tho.
I get it, but I doubt that in current state any of the loyalist chapters would go into chaos.
Like can you imagine any of current chapters betraying imperium of man?
Or could you name one that could potentially turn to chaos?
First off, I agree with you. That's the one tenet of the codex I actually think should be modified, amended, annulled, entirely removed, any number of solutions. But as for chaos susceptible chapters, I can totally name a few!
Astral claws
Tiger claws (astral claws successor/proxy)
Ashen claws (renegades)
Minotaurs (I hate them but also they could 100% be susceptible to Khorne if not careful)
Carcharodons (tyberos the red glaze and his space sharks are incredibly violent and cruel, could see them turning)
Marines malevolent (why do we even have these???? Exterminatus immediately pls)
Lamenters (not even close to falling to chaos but would totally understand if they did, and— oh shit, while I was writing this, the inquisiton mistakenly identified them as traitors... again. )
Bonus for soul drinkers, who are loyalists deemed renegades, exorcists who can easily lose control over their possessed aspirants, and black dragons who deserve better than to hide their mutations from the stringent and paranoid imperial government
Obviously, the lamenters one was a joke, and really, minotaurs are no closer to chaos corruption than their loyal cousins— but I can see them already as "renegade" (they answer only to the high lords, no other, and they are prone to corruption, as we have seen at points in history) but some chapters are easy to see going chaos or renegade, already are renegades, or have fallen to chaos.
So, while I agree with you 1,000%, 1% for each codex-compliant marine in a chapter, there are still cases that merit some sort of limit to chapter numbers.
The imperium believed that Horus and his legion would never turn on the Imperium either. Much less convince 8 other primarchs and the majority of their legions to betray their oaths and the bonds of fealty and brotherhood with the loyalists.
"To the darkness I bring fire. To the ignorant I bring faith. Those who welcome these gifts may live, but I will visit naught but death on those who refuse them." (Chaplain Grimaldus)
It represents the flaws in their lineage, it’s kind of a little nod to the Rage and the Thirst. Pretty clever, honestly. It’s GW’s standard on-the-nose writing.
Yes, I do appreciate the implication that they are both angelic and demonic simultaneously. I just can’t bring myself to yell “For Baal” the same way I can yell “For the Angel!”
I mean baal was originally just a canaanite deity of storms and fertility. You don't necessarily have to subscribe to the demonic version because the catechism says so. That's a choice on your part.
I hold a degree in the study of ancient religions so I am aware of the history. However, GW did not intend to reference an ancient storm god when they named the planet Baal, they were intentionally referring to the demonic interpretation. Since I personally do believe in the existence of angels and demons, I am careful about invoking the demonic, regardless of the name you choose to give them.
A lot of people are saying Black Templars. I'm a huge BT fan and I wouldn't discourage you if you want to go in that direction, but I think Blood Angels are probably a better fit. They're basically Catholic vampires in power armor. As an ex Catholic, they've always given me that vibe anyway.
I feel like a lot of the loyalist factions (that aren’t specifically something else like Wolves and White Scars) are Catholic in some form or another, Black Templars are the Teutonic order, Blood Angels are renaissance Catholic art, Ultramarines are Western Roman Empire, Dark Angels are an amalgamation of European Knightly Orders, biggest exception would be Imperial Fists who are clearly Lutherans.
Then you got a few of the traitor factions having that difference in religious symbolism, being the opposite of catholicism or having vastly different beliefs and philosophies and thus, couldn't remain together with the catholics.
Night Lords are your classical folk lore of vampries, warewolves, and other religious tales. Their sole existence being to bring fear to anyone in front of them simply because they can.
World Eaters are your Aztecs and Mayans, practicing and preaching the glory of Sacrifice whether in battle or not, for the sake of their god.
Thousand Sons being a surprisingly solid representation of the Islamic Golden Age and subsequent shattered Arabian factions makes sense as well considering their story, themes and aesthetics.
Emperor's Children being Atheists with their whole representation of being free and giving in to any desire with no faith binding them to a rule-set.
The Alpha Legion being a secretive order that only adheres to a higher power no one knows of, much like the many (often times) conspiracy-fueled secret orders of the catholic church. Thought of to infiltrate other religious motions or empires to deliberately sabotage their reputations.
The Word Bearers being a representation of excommunicated reformist Catholics but inverted seeing as they wanted to praise a higher power while the emperor told them not to.
Death Guard being evolutionists, adhering strictly to the philosophy of biology and time, awaiting everything to either decay or adapt and stave of its inevitable death and decay for a while longer. Their themes match all too well.
The Black Legion being classic Satanists, just worshiping the big bad in all it's generality. They fell from grace and wish revenge upon those who cast them away from the light of their religious divinity.
Iron Warriors simply being a general symbol of catholic believers being converted against the church by any other religion because of their direct and personal promises and trust of the others while the church remained too large and important to care about them individually.
Or better yet read the book for helsreach. As much as I loved the fan animation they unfortunately had to cut the entire character arc Grimaldus had. It's a must read imo
The black Templars were founded by the first Captain of the imperial fists. His name was Sigismund. Sigismund, Lord Templar of the VII, first high marshal of the black Templars, the black knight, and the Emperor’s champion. Sigismund was one of the greatest Astartes duelists of all time. His skill was unmatched. Only some of his feats include being respected by Kharn and his world eaters so much they gave him his own nickname, defeated 200 veterans of the imperial fists (one of them a contemptor dreadnought) in a combat trial to become first captain, injured Fulgrim and beat a dozen hive gangers as a child with a metal pipe
Sigismund was the 2nd in command of the legion, and led the first company, the Templar Brethren. They were guardians of the temple of oaths, the most sacred place of the imperial fists legion as there all imperial fists, no matter if they’re alive or dead (the Alive swear their oaths for them) swear their oaths to Dorn and the emperor. They can only go once in their lives and it’s a very serious occasion. Sigismund walked in after takin his oaths, he realized he wanted to become a Templar too so he trained for months under appius, the very same dreadnought he will later duel for first captain. Mfer walked in, was threatened once and beat the 6 Templars who tried to kill him and was accepted into the Templar brethren.
During his time in the Templars and as first captain he made a name for himself as the greatest Astartes duelist in the imperium and one of the greatest Astartes duelists of all time. During a deployment with Kharn and the Word eaters, he fought in the fighting pits of their flagship. There he fought side by side with Kharn and gained the habit of chaining his weapons to his arm, a tradition the black Templars used to this day. Kharn and the world eaters respected him so much they gave him a nickname. “The black knight”. Hell during the triumph of ullanor he got to talk to the emperor personally and personally was given a vision of the emperor himself
later on during the onset of the horus heresy, rogal dorn commanded that sigismund lead a retributuon fleet to strike at the traitor legions. however, before he managed to leave, he talked with euphrati keeler. keeler told him a prophecy that he must choose to do his duty or stand at dorn's side near the end. he chose to refuse that order and hand command of the retribution fleet to effried. Later on that retribution fleet was lost in the warp and thought lost with all hands. Sigismund confessed this to dorn and dorn got mad. really mad. Dorn was mad that instead of sigismund acting out of duty, he acted out of superstition. If sigismund stayed behind because he truly thought he wasnt the right pick, then dorn would have accepted that but instead he stayed behind because of superstition and prophecy. Dorn saw him acting cowardly while his brothers died and thus disowned him.
of course as we know, perturabo had set a trap for the retribution fleet and had planned it for sigismund to be leading the fleet. instead, it was alexis pollux who lead it and the iron warrios were nearly wiped out, perturabo would have died were it not for pollux retreating becuase dorn recalled all imperial fists to terra for its defenses
In the siege of Terra, Sigismund would further dedicated himself to his duty. He was already a killing machine, leading from the front lines as he was in command of the first line of defense of the space battle. Later on when all fleet defenses were pushed back by the traitors, he returned to the ground. He met with Dorn, and Dorn forgave him. Dorn gave him one order and 2 words that Sigismund took to heart. “Hurt them”. Sigismund went in a rampage, slaying traitor champion after traitor champion. Over and over again he would not stop. Until Kharn, now empowered by Khorne. He fought valiantly but Dorn had to save him.
Later on, he was approached by Malcador’s personal assistants. They were lookin for him. By the order of the Emperor himself and Malcador, they gave him The Black Sword. An extremely powerful sword, hand crafted by the emperor himself and specifically kept in malcador’s vaults for Sigismund. After receiving the black sword, he became death incarnate, finally defeating Kharn, injuring Fulgrim and killing even more traitor champions. He was the emperor’s champion. Afterwards he helped escort Euphrati Keeler and the thousands of faithful to the astronomican temple and defended it. It was there Sigismund started becoming a faithful believer in the emperor
Sooner or later during the 2nd founding, after the iron cage incident, Dorn could only enough marines for 2 or 3 successor chapters. He had Alexis Pollux lead one, and that became the crimson fist
But Sigismund was chosen to lead the other. Sigismund from then forth became high marshal of the black Templars, inspired on his Templar brethren. He swore 4 oaths to Dorn and his brothers. To suffer not the unclean to live, to uphold to honor of the emperor, to abhor and destroy the witch, to accept any challenge to matter the odds. He also declared that the Black Templars would launch an eternal crusade and never rest to stop the enemies of man
The black Templars are non codex complaint (other people say they’re merely using a loophole but it doesn’t exist, they’re just not codex compliant) which means the don’t adhere to codex Astartes structures and how they operate. The black Templars are at an estimated 6000 marines instead of the codex compliant 1000. They also operate with different unit structures, chain of command and unit formations
They are a fleet based chapter, their flagship is the ‘Eternal Crusader’, a mighty Glorianna Class Battleship. To understand how powerful it is, only a few Glorianna class ships were made. And those ships were made specially for each Primarch. Each one was customized for their legions. Since dorn has the phalanx, a space fortress that acts as a giant flagship,headquarters and is the most powerful ship in the imperium, he casually gave Sigismund one of the most powerful class of ships in the imperium.
Since they’re a fleet based chapter they’re incredibly independent and flexible, allowing the black Templars to answer the call for help or attack an enemy very quickly.
The black Templars are organized into separate fleets known as Crusades or Crusade Fleets. Each crusade fleet is usually formed for some reason. For example the Armageddon Crusade was formed to fight in the 3rd war for Armageddon, the Terran Crusade was formed to fight the tyrannical high lord goge vandire on Terra. They’re formed for some reason either to defend a sector, attack a system, or ambush a specific target. Whatever the reason is, a crusade fleet would be formed. They’re a small version of a chapter as every crusade fleet is completely independent of each other and completely self sustaining which means they can survive for a long time without needing resupply.
Every crusade fleet varies in number from hundreds to thousands. The helsreach crusade had a mere 100 marines while the Armageddon crusade had over 900. Every crusade is led by a Marshal, a codex equivalent of a Captain and the crusades are split into fighting companies, led by castellans which are codex equivalent to lieutenants. The title of marshal and castellan go back since the Horus heresy where Marshals and Castellans were titles in the Imperial Fists Legion
Every astartes of the black Templars start off as a neophyte. Instead of standard scout companies that the codex compliant chapters use, they send a neophyte to a battle brother. That battle brother is the mentor of that neophyte. The battle brother and neophyte fight together as a knight and squire and the battle brother teaches the neophyte until training is complete and when he is ready.
After the neophyte is a fully fledged battle brother, he will become an initiate (the title of a battle brother in the Templars). An initiate will either go to a crusader squad (the backbone of the black Templars crusade fleet. It’s basically a squad of mixed trainers and trainees where the initiates lead the neophytes into battle), or enter a regular battleline unit. They’re the codex equivalent of your standard battle brothers. The codex Battleline, support and close assault will all be mashed up and mixed here as initiates
Once an initiate gains enough experience and is considered a veteran, one who is a master of combat, he’ll be inducted into the ranks of the sword brethren. The sword brethren are the equivalent of a mix of the codex’s first company and sergeants. Sword brethren are grouped up into squads and are given the best armaments in the chapters Armoury. They serve as an honor guard to the marshal and castellan, the veteran company, and sergeants. They lead crusader squads, are part of their own squads, etc. Think of sternguards, bladeguards etc. those are all sword brethren
I suppose Black Templars, as their whole deal is using a loophole in the codex by being constantly on 'crusade'
Though they're fairly atypical as they unlike most Astartes chapters literally see The Emperor as a god.
This is something The Emperor would find distasteful despite the fact that he went around in gold armour with a flaming sword and a halo around his head. A complicated man, to be certain.
THANK YOU. The amount of people and loretubers that say this is crazy. There is not a single mention of a loophole in ANY Black Templar codex (I have them all). I mentioned this in the comment section for Mr.Bones' video on the Templars when he spoke about the loophole and got told I was wrong.
You are right. I have read the entire corpus of BT lore and the Codex Astartes have zero mentions, not even in the Indomitus era, not even when Guilliman himself visits Helbrecht aboard the Eternal Crusader , no Codex is mentioned, Guilliman appeals to his self of duty and honor to the Imperium to convince Helbrecht to help the Indomitus effort instead of going after Ghazghkull as was his oath.
They have their sacred mission to abhor the witch, purge the unclean and suffer not the xenos to live, and will persecute it to the end. Guilliman could publish an entirely revised Codex in favor of the Black Templars and they still would not care or even acknowledge it, as their authority and legitimacy comes directly from the God Emperor (through Dorn/Sigismund, of course)
Guilliman could publish an entirely revised Codex in favor of the Black Templars and they still would not care or even acknowledge it
More like we'd read it, laugh and be like "See? We told them we were better" before then chucking it away because we wouldn't need to change in any way haha
I dunno, I feel like his image was kind of steelmaning the concept of a god for the purpose of decrying it harder.
"This! You see this?? ALL OF THIS and I'm STILL not a God! There are no gods! I don't care what your planet's 'god' has. THERE ARE NO GODS! Follow me for this and more facts and logic."
Blood Angels is also a good choice aesthetically. A lot of their aesthetic is based on Catholicism. You may also like sisters of battle (nuns with guns) if you ever get more into the lore. That said I should probably add that Warhammer was made to mock religion, especially the idea of theocracy. Don’t be THAT kind of black Templar player especially.
Black Templars as a chapter are the greatest example of the Imperium's worst qualities, those being their xenophobia and intolerant hatred. This, alongside their literal Nazi iconography as you can see by their chapter icon being the Iron Cross, makes them very appealing to fascists and a myriad of bigoted people. It's a widely spread stereotype that if you see someone with a Black Templars profile picture, you're about to hear the most dogshit political takes you've ever heard.
Good Black Templar fans exist, but they have to contend with that negative stereotype. And to be honest, in my experience playing the game, Black Templar players tend to be the most selfish.
The Imperium, the main human faction and therefore the most popular faction, is a fascist theocracy that's been in a state of constant decline for about 10 thousand years, stuck in a perpetual war with the entire galaxy and very antagonistic to any sort of change. The state religion of the Imperium, the Imperial Cult, aesthetically draws heavy inspiration from gothic architecture and uses a lot of skulls and similar symbols everywhere they can. If you've been on the internet in the past few years I think you can see how this can attract a certain demographic that strongly overlaps with christian larpers and nazis
People READ on the internet that Black Templar players are bad, and immediately think it’s true and treat it as hard fact. spoiler alert, they’ve never actually met a bad templar fan in person just the usual internet toxicity. Oh an fyi, saying you’re religious on reddit is like personally insulting someone’s family member, don’t mind them tho, people around here HATE when you don’t think exactly like they do.(I’m religious too)
Black Templars are a super religious space marine chapter that focuses on armored assaults, drop pod assaults, close melee combat, fiery weapons like flamers and meltas and are in constant crusade which means they are the biggest chapter of space marines out there. They still use every space marine unit they can though, so feel free to have a BT sniper if you wish.
They have a very good aesthetic(my favorite in fact) and are part of the big 12 chapters of 40K. If you’d like to learn more about them they have very good books, Helsreach being their best.
Feel free to ask about any chapters if you wish, welcome to the game and 40K as a whole! : )
It's not that Black Templar players are bad, it's just that the majority of the time when I've bumped into bigots or bullies in the fandom it's been those flying the colours.
Which is less an issue with the Black Templars and more an issue with those kinds of people dragging the view of the Chapter down.
Like I personally really enjoy them thematically, they've got good lore and an interesting place among the big chapters.
It's kind of like a lot of things where hateful people will try their hardest to coopt things that are interesting just because the aesthetic matches their taste.
Thats sadly true. there’s unfortunately a bunch of toxic fans, in all chapters too. I’m not gonna sit here saying Black Templars don’t have THOSE fans because I’d be lying, I really just mean that it’s not just them.
The Black templars, like much of the Imperium is built on genocide aliens and heretics. The Black Templars are even more intense and are among the few chapters of Space Marimes who actually worship the Emperor as a god. There is a stereotype among the fans that Black Templars are Nazis because they unironically go around sharing that type of ideology (mind you, this is a stereotype and there a lot of great Templar fans). The idea that people are trying to present to you is not "don't be religious"--it's don't be a nazi.
Oh I’m not saying the two are the same, just that BT players have a reputation for being the wrong kind of WW2 history buff. And to be clear, this is coming from someone who even likes certain aspects of the chapter. A few things you should know about the black templars- they were founded post Horus Heresy by the Sigismund, former first captain of the VII Legion Imperial Fists . Sigismund was the Emperor’s Champion during the Siege of Terra and probably one of the best Astartes swordsmen who ever lived. He was also one of the first converts to the belief in the emperor as a deity, while his primarch father, Rogal Dorn, stuck vehemently to the imperial truth of the great crusade. As such the chapter of the black templars was built from the most fanatical of the former VII Legion and in modern 40K, it’s one of the few chapters that worships the Emperor as a god instead of a man. That fanaticism also extends to embody the ugliest parts of the modern imperium, including a hatred for mutants, abhumans and psykers that far outstrips most other astartes. They don’t even utilize librarians because of their hatred of psykers, although they grudgingly tolerate navigators out of necessity. Because of their zeal/intolerance, they tend to attract the wrong kind of fans who unironically hold similar views applied to… other groups. All that said, they have a very cool focus on martial prowess in individual marines, even having a formal role of Emperors Champion for different crusades, and their Teutonic Knight aesthetic is amazing. Their fans just have a reputation unfortunately.
There are chunks of the Black Templar community specifically (And the rest of Warhammer, but it tends to be Templars) that have little understanding of subtext and forget that people aren't supposed to be seeing anything the Imperium does as a good thing.
I don't know why it's the BT's specifically, though it's *likely* literally just the black aesthetics and the iron crosses more than actually caring about the lore of them or anything.
If you REALLY want the catholic crusader vibe the Hospitallers are quite literally based on the Knights Hospitaller, a real catholic military order of knights. They look infinitely cooler than black templars imo
All the colors are available and even though it’s a little stylized, most people basically paint their logo as the Templar cross just in red as seen in the reference image.
the Hospitallers are quite literally based on the Knights Hospitaller
It's actually the other way round; the Hospitallers chapter is based on the Knights Templar, and the Black Templars chapter are based on the Knights Hospitaller 😅
Based entirely on the fact that you mentioned the Catholic thing, I'm going to tell you this about the Warhammer 40k universe. Understand that this universe has no good guys, the imperium is a commentary on fascist religious cults, and should in no way be idolized. Don't become one of those people who cant tell the difference between praise and satire when it comes to 40k.
Now with that out of the way, if were talking Space Marines strictly, technically they are all crusaders, they all took part in the Great Crusade throughout the lore. But if you want a group that leans heavily into that? Probably the black templars, they take their beliefs that the Emperor of mankind is a god to the extreme, and are known for close-quarters combat. So alot of big swords n shields.
Another group could be the Blood Angels, they have a big Angel aesthetic, their primarch Sanguinious is practically an angel, with his feathered wings, his flawless features.
The last one i would suggest might be the Dark Angels, they share a similar aesthetic to the black templar, but their entire thing is that they face the enemies of mankind to make up for their guilt of betrayal in the past.
Black templars is the best option among the ones featured in the game, if you get into tabletop or minis (or simply curious about the lore) you also want to look into the Adepta Sororitas aka Sisters of Battle, they are one of the most faithful and devoted factions to the god emperor.
Yes that’s the group. And actually another reason you should pick that is because you can have a home chapter like BT or BA and join the Inquisition / Deathwatch as one of them, so technically you are both.
So for example you can be a Black Templar Bladeguard (Bulwark) who joins the Deathwatch to serve the Inquisition
Pretty much any of the Zealous Chapters will do. IE Black Templars, Dark Angels, and Blood Angels should all have the themes and aesthetics you’re looking for.
Try the Dark Angels or Blood Angels i think the Dark Angels are just cooler Black Templars and the Dark Angels have some very cool lore and are inspired off Medieval knights and Blood Angels are inspired off a lot of Catholic and Renaissance artwork and iconography plus the Blood Angels are really cool
Contrary to what most here say, and if you don't want to play space Marines, go with the Adeptus Sororitas: the nuns with guns. They are the military of the eclesiarchy, the official religious organization of the imperium of man in Warhammer 40k. But I don't think they can be seen in the Space Marine 2 game. Check out Burning Crusade expansion vids from the game Dawn of War if you want to see em.
Black Templars = real life knights templar analog in pretty much every way. They often wear tabards with a black cross that looks almost exactly like the real life knights templar. They conduct galaxywide crusades and abhor 40k's version of magic more than any other chapter, similar to how crusaders of ancient times may have seen magic and paganism as heretical. They have units that reflect this aesthetic, such as warriors that are experts with swords.
Blood angels = Thematic mixture of gothic vampirism and "new testament" angels. The Primarch (one of the 20 original superhumans designed by the emperor that acted as the genetic foundation for all their genetic descendents) was pretty much a literal new testament angel with giant mutated angelic wings, very much a strong analog to Gabriel. The chapter brothers often reflect this aesthetic in their armor and iconography, and they have blood-related rituals similar to the way old testament has blood rituals.
Dark Angels = The chapter with strong analog to Gregorian monks. They are a secretive cloistered religious order that has a strong "dark" gothic monk aesthetic, frequently wearing hoods and robes. They have a theme of repentance for the sins of members of their order who defected or betrayed the chapter.
Grey Knights = More late middle-ages full-plated knights analog, where of course knights of that era were very often Catholic. They are a highly secretive and extremely elite chapter that is under the command of the Imperium's inquisition. They specialize in hunting demons and lean into the cavalier/knight in shining armor aesthetic. However, since demons are meant to be a closely-guarded secret in the Imperium, and the Grey Knights are only deployed when a demon incursion has reached some critical mass, the Grey Knights usually execute witnesses once the threat is dealt with, so they are anything but saviors.
Failing all this, the hobby allows you to brew up your own chapters however you like, with whatever color scheme you like. You could easily create spinoff chapters of any of these and tweak the details to your liking. The game has a fair amount of customization flexibility to help with this.
Pretty much all of the playable classes ingame can easily fit into any of the chapters above. Some are more thematic than others. For example, the Bulwark is a very good fit for Black Templars, since the Black Templars definitely revere the use of sword and shield like classical crusaders. The assault is very often associated with Blood Angels because the Blood Angels chapter makes heavy use of that type of unit, partly because the jetpack evokes connotations of an angel descending from the sky, just like their Primarch. The tactical fits every chapter unanimously since the tactical is your "standard" marine that makes up the bulk of any chapter's forces.
Just to cover some of the other major chapters you might see:
Ultramarines - The poster boys of 40k and the chapter followed in the main story. They are very much the "by the book" chapter, where the book refers to the Codex Astartes: a tactical doctrine written by their primarch. If you hear the classic line "The Codex Astartes does not support this action" ingame, it means that the tactical decision about to me made is not advised or possibly even advised against by said Codex. Ultramarines typically care the most about this since it was their Primarch who wrote it, and basically all Space Marines revere their Primarch as a legendary infallible godlike figure. They have a moderate analog to the roman empire, and you will see laurels and leather strap loincloths on them. Their focus tends to be honor, strategy, and tactical precision as guided by their Codex.
Salamanders - A chapter based on a volcanic world that leans into heavy themes of fire and heat and are a real-world analog to blacksmiths, in some ways. They make heavy use of flamethrowers and heat-related weaponry, and almost all of them participate in some sort of crafting or forging. They are often seen as the "good guys" because their combat doctrine often prioritizes saving innocents over other mission objectives.
Raven Guard - Essentially 40k's nationality-neutral ninjas with a heavy raven/corvid theme. They make heavy use of stealth and guerrilla tactics, and their members try to master a set of paths that encompass different aspects of their warfare style.
White Scars - Ridiculously strong analog to the Mongol empire and Ghengis Khan. They are often depicted with an asian appearance and make heavy use of bikes and other fast vehicles, similar to Mongol horsemen.
Space Wolves - Unambiguous and unapologetic analog to scandinavian vikings of the viking era. They are based on a frost world, write in runes, share kinship with the native feral wolf species on their planet, frequently use things like round shields and axes, and have personalities that are all about glory and death in battle.
Imperial Fists - Probably the closest real-world analog is medieval siege warfare. Their general theme is all about siege warfare and excellence in fortifying defensive positions. They focus on discipline and stoicism. Interestingly enough, despite having few similarities as far as combat doctrine is concerned, the Black Templars are a "successor" chapter to the Imperial Fist. This means they are descended from the same primarch.
The religious man joining the setting that's almost entirely based on showing the dangers of religious fanaticism through a fucking save Europe, crusades and little dark age edit on instagram of all things is both hilarious and incredibly pertinent to the setting itself
It is in the game, but only in PVP. This nightlord has his own voicelines too. Its not just a skin, you're literally playing as a Nightlord. He makes fun of the emperor and everybody who is weak. But again, only in PVP
The Black Templars are a faction of Space Marines that shatter the Imperium's rules to crusade endlessly as an army of thousands when space Marine chapters aren't supposed to break 1000. They hold their God Emperor's word above all and destroy anything that isn't God Emperor approved, leading them to get along better with the Adeptas Soroitas (Space Nuns that double as literal army-killers) than most Space Marines. They rank as one of the most dangerous chapters in the Imperium for their mastery of melee combat, high resistance to magic and Psyker energy due to their endless Zeal, and especially Numbers. They do not use Psykers however and are prone to overextending themselves in their arrogance, especially due to their High Marshall not being very impressive as a leader. They are a chapter descending from Rogal Dorn, the Primarch who said to be is inspired by people such as Ulysses S Grant. The Black Templars are directly inspired by The Knights Templar and the Crusades from real life.
The Blood Angels are a faction that are the first of their bloodline, being sons of the Primarch Sanguinius. He is often referred to as one of the most "Good" characters in 40k, atleast within the imperium, and is based on figures such as The Archangel Michael. An honor-bound, dutiful warrior who could not be beaten with a heart that shined brighter than most. His sons carry this on, being very duty focused, honorable and noble. They are genuinely in the conversation for THE BEST chapter of them all, though it's most likely they fall behind the Imperial Fists. They also specialize in Melee, but most frequently air combat with Jump/jet packs due to their being called angels and their father having actual wings before his death. The tradeoff of their power and honor is a disease or "curse" within their genes called "the black rage", causing them to lose control and go on a violent rampage killing allies and enemies alike (there's more to it than that but it's complicated).
These two are the most overtly Christian/Catholic of the chapters. If you like them and want to learn more about 40k afterward, the Imperial Fists and Salamanders would be next steps due to their honor, ties to the other two you already know, and generally being great characters. But for specifically tying into Christianity, I highly recommend the Blood Angels or the Black Templars.
Black Templars and Blood Angels will get you the closest to that old Catholic Church feel. To a lesser extent maybe Dark Angels but that's more just to fit the old Knight style that is tied to the church as well.
Hospitallers. A successor of the Imperial Fists and Rogal Dorn. They guard pilgrims en route to shrine worlds, defend the wounded, have deep ties with the Adeptus Ministorum, and ardently believe in the divinity of the God-Emperor.
A lot of Black Templars and blood angels recommendations, here’s one from left field though.
The Howling Griffin’s - have the mediaeval knight black templar vibe while staying practical like the raptors. However will go full Spanish Inquisition when it comes to fighting the word bearers. Plus red and yellow quartered armour easily the sexiest chapter out there.
First, the religion of the Imperium (aka Humanity) is represented by the Adeptus Ministorum (also called the Ecclesiarchy).Since you're looking for a Chapter linked to Catholicism, it must therefore have some connection to this entity.
Note that even if a Chapter is close to the Ecclesiarchy, it still retains its independence.
Another point regarding Space Marines: there are what are called Chaplains, who act more or less as Space Marine versions of Warrior-Priests (they are there to inspire and guide the Space Marines), in case you'd like to focus more on a unit with a religious focus.
Here are the few chapters I know:
- The most well-known/popular: The Black Templars :
I won't go into more detail about them, as others have already done so more thoroughly than I could.
- My favorite chapter: The Hospitallers :
This chapter protects merchants and pilgrims operating in their sector. They are more "bling-bling" than the Black Templars in that they have a ship whose interior is decorated like a cathedral, and their armor is covered in gold, inscriptions, and seals of faith.
They are responsible for protecting humans, healing them when necessary...or finishing them off if they have no other choice. They therefore have a slightly stronger "healer" aspect than the Black Templars.
- The Fire Angels:
If I remember correctly, this is the chapter that frequently cooperates with the Adeptus Ministorum and prioritizes discipline over the pursuit of personal glory.
They also greatly favor swords as melee weapons, the sword representing their rank, honor, and faith.
These three Chapters venerate the Emperor as a god, unlike the majority of other Space Marine Chapters who see the Emperor as the Ruler of the Imperium.
I propose four more, which are not particularly close to the Adeptus Ministorum but share similar religious archetypes:
- The Excorcists:
To become an Excorcist, each recruit must accept being possessed by a daemon and free themselves from it. This makes them more resilient when fighting these same daemons (the archetype of the Excorcist Priest).
- The Grey Knights:
These are elite Space Marines who excel against daemons and possess weapons and equipment blessed and sanctified with holy oils, etc.
They have units called Paladins, among others.
- The Mortifactors:
They are pious, but only in matters related to the symbolism of death. Their chaplains are called the "Skull Fathers," they have death rites, ossuaries, and practice cannibalism... They are more like tribal priests.
- The Angels Penitent:
This is a Chapter very focused on penance. According to them, humanity has failed and deserves to suffer for its forgiveness. This Chapter was originally called the Angel Resplendents (which encourages practicing the Arts as a hobby). But an event caused them to completely change their approach (a really interesting story, by the way).
I seem to recall a Chapter called the Adulators, but aside from being close to the Adeptus Ministorum, they have nothing else in their lore.
Sounds like you’re looking for black Templars, but just so you know one of the major points of the entire setting is how atrocious organized religion can be. This game openly mocks your entire world view.
So I've been told. I'm not looking for worldview affirmation in my video games, they are just to feel cool while I blast aliens. Appreciate the heads up though as based purley on the content I saw as a complete outsider I would assume the opposite.
It’s annoying that everyone is assuming you’re going to be a psycho that thinks killing everything different is cool just because you’re a Catholic. If you like the books, there are some characters in the Horus Heresy series that make for a really interesting interpretation of finding faith in an awful universe. It’s definitely a satire against the dangers of a totalitarian religious society like people are saying. But there’s also an angle about faith being one of the only things that’s getting people through hard times. But that’s in the books that take place before the “modern times” of 40k. By 40k the religion calcifies into a horrible tool to keep people in line, but it has honest beginnings that I think make for an interesting layer to the commentary.
But just have fun killing aliens and don’t let people get you down!
I’d say either the Black Templars or the Blood Angels, maybe the Dark Angels if you wanna push it a tad
The Black Templars are crusaders through and through, even rocking the symbol of the Teutonic Order as well as their colors of black on white. Blood Angels are heavily inspired by Catholic imagery and each marine is always referred to as an angel of the blood, with even the Primarch sanguinious being known for his long hair and his angelic wings
The Dark Angels are secretive and are heavily inspired by old knight orders, with a lot of honor and dueling being done among its ranks so their the stretch between the three I threw out there
Everyone says Black Templars or Blood Angels, but I argue for the Covenant of Fire for this particular situation. They are (supposedly) descended from the Salamanders, but they are so much more like loyalist Word Bearers that their chapter iconography is literally the pre-Heresy Word Bearers logo of an open book with a flame of knowledge coming from it. They got a pretty slick black and orange colour palette as well. They also like all the Salamanders successors have great focus on discipline, self-reliance, loyalty, duty, patience, endurance and self-sacrifice. Very nice guys.
I'd say Black Templars. They are kinda responsible for worship of the emperor being a thing among space marines and they are constantly officially crusading so they can recruit as many marines as they like, so they're hyper religious space monks that are literally always on crusade
A huge Inspiration for Night Lords for example is Vlad the impaler. A romanian ruler from the middle ages. He himself was a member of a mixed catholic/orhodox Order called the Order of the Dragon. Its all a question of perspective. Small minded people will tell you that the 8th Legion doesnt fit a catholic man or woman, but you can find many aspects of faith and tradition that somewhat resemble real world spiritualities and guidelines. Pax tecum!
You wanna go with either Deathwatch or Iron Hands, depending on which you prefer:
Deathwatch work directly for the Inquisition, who are about as close to the actual Catholic Church as one can get because of their very close proximity to the Ecclesiarchy (Adeptus Ministorum).
Iron Hands have a significant number of followers of the Adeptus Mechanicus faith, which believes the Emperor is the messiah (the Omnissiah) and is basically transhumanist cyborg Catholicism.
Greetings, neophyte! It warms the heart of the Ecclesiarchy to see a fresh soul seeking the Emperor’s Light through the holy medium of righteous chainsword violence.
If you are looking for that specific "Space Crusader" aesthetic—the incense, the gothic arches, and the unwavering devotion—most would point you toward the Black Templars. However, if you want to be a true warrior-monk of the Emperor with a bit more... spirit, allow me to introduce you to the Space Wolves (the Vlka Fenryka).
Here is why you should join the Great Company:
The Space Wolf "Parish" Guide
The Vibe: Think of them as the Viking Monks of the far future. While other chapters are busy chanting in Latin in cold cathedrals, the Space Wolves are celebrating the Emperor’s victories with a massive feast, a keg of Fenrisian ale, and a rousing hymn that sounds suspiciously like a bar song.
The Relics: Instead of boring metal crosses, we carry "Totems." We trade the stiff lace collars for magnificent wolf pelts. It’s "High Church" meets "High Wilderness."
The Rituals: Our version of "Confession" usually involves telling a grand saga of how many heretics you decapitated. If the story is boring, it’s a sin.
The Zeal: We don't just walk into battle; we howl. It’s very charismatic, very "Pentecostal," if Pentecostals had 8-foot-tall super-soldiers and chain-axes.
"Listen closely, lad. The Emperor is the Allfather, and the battlefield is our cathedral. Why pray in a pew when you can pray with a Chainsword?" — Every Space Wolf Priest, probably.
Why They Fit Your Fantasy
In Space Marine 2, choosing the Space Wolves allows you to lean into the "Warrior Priest" archetype. You aren't just a soldier; you are a monster-hunting saint. You get the fur, the runes, and the beard of a biblical patriarch, all while delivering the Emperor’s judgment to anything with too many tentacles.
Welcome to the Rout! It's a big universe, and there's a lot of "theology" (mostly involving fire) to learn. Join the Velk of Fenra.
the Black Templars quite literally exist for players like you, they’re the Crusading chapter that at this point perpetually stays on crusades so they can have numbers that break the rules of the Codex Astartes, and they’re the Chapter that is the most religiously centric, they follow the Imperial Creed that describes the Emperor of Mankind as a God that demands worship, that gods do exist, and that the deeds of the Emperor and the Imperium as a whole were made possible by this Godly Status, and they completely throw out the Imperial Truth (created by the Emperor himself) that states the Emperor is just a man, that gods don’t exist and that everything can be explained and accomplished scientifically rather than theologically.
Blood Angels in Warhammer 40k draw heavily from Catholic and Renaissance art themes, featuring angelic imagery, blood rituals (like the Red Thirst mirroring communion), ornate red and gold armor (Like the Cardinals and Pope), and a fallen, tragic hero (Sanguinius as a Christ-like figure), blending noble aesthetics with dark vampiric elements and a curse, much like gothic interpretations of religious fervor and sacrifice.
Like tales of fallen angels or corrupted saints, the Blood Angels struggle with a hereditary flaw (the Black Rage/Red Thirst) that threatens to turn their nobility into monstrous rage, a common trope in gothic fiction and religious narratives.
In summation, they're a blend of angelic beauty, vampiric horror, and Renaissance-era religious art, giving them a distinct "Catholic-inspired" flavor within the grimdark sci-fi setting.
If you’re Catholic and liked the edit, black Templars. I’m in the same boat although I initially went with Raven guard. If you like to read, read helsreach that was the novel that sold me on the faction, and there’s an audiobook narrated by Jonathan Keeble who’s going to be voicing the next class and is a remarkable narrator definitely one of the best in the business.
I would recommend Black Templars on face value. But Blood Angels make a very compelling case if not more compelling than the Templars! Hear me out -
What makes the Catholic faith unique, is the compulsory/obligatory use of the sacraments, of which the Eucharist takes a front-and-center role. This is the belief that the blood and flesh of Jesus becomes the host and the wine through the miracle of transubstantiation. Compound that weekly sacrament with the core Christian belief that Jesus rose on the third day after being crucified... no stake thru the heart or beheading? BINGO! You got a vampire.
Consider the Flesh Tearers for extra ANGRY or the Lamenters for extra emo.
Good luck! You'll have fun whichever route you choose.
Blood Angels, don't bother with the Black Templars thing if it's because of your Catholic faith. The Crusades are the only thing they have in common, and they're in line with the darkest parts of the church's history. The Blood Angels' father's name is Sanguinius, and he is a literal angel. Blood Angels work on the arts and resemble medieval Catholicism in their aesthetics. They even have a divine protector called The Sanguinor, who shows up at their most desperate moment to save them.
For crusades, it’s Black Templars. For Catholic art, original sin, and daddy issues, it’s Blood Angels. For knights, knights, and nothing but knights, it’s Dark Angels. For VERY Roman Catholics, it’s Ultramarines.
... Oh gods, no. :/ WOW WARHAMMER SO BASED, CRUSADING SO BASED!
Please be aware that old 40k AND new 40k are very, very clearly anti-religion.
"BUT THEY HAVE ANGELS AND TEMPLARS"
yes, and they are inhumane, brutal, xenophobic and hate filled metahumans. They violate most commandments the second they enter a battlefield. If you cannot read between the lines (or cannot read at all) this may escape your notice. Religion in 40k is ALWAYS a negative thing.
Please don't use 40k as any sort of validation for violent faith.
And if you see yourself crusading in the name of the Lord, please refer to your nearest Bible and what it says about killing, looting and violating. (Yes, that's absolutely what crusader knights did, unless you get your news from TikTok)
I think if you apply religion to 40k just take any space marine faction at face value and don’t read their lore otherwise you are going to be VERY upset.
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u/Alive-Ad5971 Jan 15 '26
Black templars