Are the Black Templars really the most zealous warriors in the galaxy?

Most groups in the 41st Millennium have trouble seeing eye-to-eye – shocking, we know – and are too wrapped up in their own systems of belief to countenance a conciliatory chat. The Black Templars have always sat near the top of the totem pole of intolerance, ranting and raving at anyone who comes near – but with their new Codex Supplement out soon, we got to wondering… just how bad are they compared to everyone else?

Naturally the best way to find out is to pit them against their mad-eyed contemporaries and see who truly are the most bilious of them all. There’s no science going on here, just vibes, so make sure to let us know on Facebook and Instagram if you think we’ve missed someone salient. 

Ordo Hereticus

Dedicated to rooting out heresy and corruption within Humanity’s own ranks, the Ordo Hereticus have their work cut out uncovering dangerous rebel cells and purifying malign locations wherever they pop up. Naturally, they’re not too chatty – making it difficult to get a read on them for scientific purposes – but beneath the calm exterior beats a heart burning with hatred for aliens, mutants, and heretics.

The Leagues of Votann

This one might seem a bit out there, as the Kin are typically quite gruff and reserved with their words, but all of that practiced discipline goes way out of the window when it looks like an outsider will get a peek at one of the Votann cores. For (let’s be honest) very good reason, the Leagues of Votann pull out every stop to make sure word of their Ancestor Cores doesn't get out to the wider galaxy, and their champions will often be driven into a furious rage should a would-be thief infiltrate their most warded chambers.

Word Bearers

So devoted to the Chaos Gods that they committed the greatest act of betrayal in the Imperium’s history, the Word Bearers are the yardstick by which blind faith is measured in the 41st Millennium. Typically for Chaos, however, they can’t quite agree on what level of worship is the best, and while some are content to follow self-serving ends, others put their whole mutated back into screaming their patron’s praises.

Still some of the originals, though since they get tangible power back from their sermons, can they truly be said to match the Black Templars? Is this moving the goalposts slightly? You decide.

Adepta Sororitas

While aligned with the Ordo Hereticus and possessing many of the same views, the Adepta Sororitas deserve their own spot for taking the general pragmatism of the Inquisition and replacing it entirely with blind faith and all-encompassing hatred for mutants and heretics. Your regular Battle Sister is ready to throw down her life to spread the good word of the God-Emperor – and if that isn’t enough to score full marks, the Sisters Repentia will just hurl themselves near-naked into the deadliest melees in the offhand hope that it’ll earn them retribution for past transgressions. So long as something is being carved in half in the God-Emperor’s name.

T’au Empire

The T’au Empire are proof that zealotry isn’t always loud and angry, and can manifest as an earnest determination decoupled from the rigours of battle. Every member of the empire – from war heroes to common labourers – works towards the Greater Good with unshakeable resolve, and while they aren’t using it to justify lopping someone’s head off their shoulders, they will nevertheless spread its word to the four corners of the galaxy. At the barrel of a gun, if necessary.

Black Templars

The pure, white-hot zeal of the Black Templars is so strong that warriors swearing Templar Vows before battle might actually pass over a feeble heretic to accomplish their goals, such is the willpower and determination they possess. They are ferocious adherents of the Imperial Creed and view the Emperor as a perfect divine being – in contrast to most other Adeptus Astartes, who prefer to regard Him as the pinnacle of the human form. 

Chaplain Grimaldus was so determined to keep killing Orks that he survived an entire church collapsing on top of him. Crusade fleets have even been known to abandon their campaigns entirely to protect valuable shrine worlds and Adeptus Ministorum outposts, heedless of allies left in the lurch. 

What we’re trying to say is, no. Nobody quite matches the blazing zeal of the Black Templars. Pre-order yours this weekend, or they’ll be out to get you too.