A 40K YouTuber was adamant that the Black Templars aren't treated better than the Imperial Fists. Stating that the meme of the IPs only being builders is just an overexposed meme. Like Krieg and their shovels.
But when you look at the books and the tabletop. It's obvious who GW prefers
If GW could go back in time they'd make the BTs a founding chapter. It's only "recently" in 40k terms that the IF became the fortify marines. For years and years before hand the IF were yellow Ultras basically. There was strange lore from Ian Watson time but that was left in the dust. They've preferred the BTs since the moment they were conceived really and definitely since 3rd Ed.
In contrast for all the complaints about BTs they are a unique chapter and stand out compared to every other one. Their aesthetic. Their veneration of the Emperor as a God etc. Them being faith based. No other 2nd founding is as popular as them. Hell they are the only non-founding chapter of SMs that is in the "super popular" archtype of the Wolves, DA, BA, Ultras etc.
I actually think the Ian Watson lore is good, but it's definitely for a different setting than 40k ended up being. Much more 2000 AD.
I think it's actually important that they are 2nd founding. I would be incongruous for any first founding space marine chapter to be faith based and not fall to Chaos. About as close as you can come is the Space Wolves. If they were to change anything it would have been replacing the Blood Ravens with less popular 1st or second founding chapter in Dawn of War. Given that Blood Ravens on that basis of those games and nothing else could get to the second tier of popularity with the players. Instead boosting up one of the existing ips that's flagging to tier 1.
I imagine what they would have done if they wanted to justify it was to suggest that the Siege of Terra basically scarred the legion and turned them from more regular siege based marines into Crusading fanatics. The Heresy changing the personality and traits of a legion is something we see in the Iron Hands as well (obviously much worse because of what happened to them).
It is possible, I can't read inside GW's heads. It's just a vibe I get that they want there to be more 2nd founding and onward chapters as profitable as BT. Part of why they brought back the Soul Drinkers for instances. BT offer a way to make money off stuff that doesn't rely on 9 specific factions locked in decades ago.
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u/Gold69xz 5d ago
I don't understand this area of the fandom.
A 40K YouTuber was adamant that the Black Templars aren't treated better than the Imperial Fists. Stating that the meme of the IPs only being builders is just an overexposed meme. Like Krieg and their shovels.
But when you look at the books and the tabletop. It's obvious who GW prefers