Review: Black Templars Execrator & Crusade Ancient

The Black Templars are back in force, and with the Execrator and Crusade Ancient, they gain two new character models brimming with zealous flair. The Execrator reimagines the classic Chaplain archetype with even more righteous fury, while the Crusade Ancient brings a proud new standard bearer to the ranks of the Black Templars. In this in-depth review, you’ll find crisp high-resolution sprue photos and a complete rundown of all build options.

The new Black Templars codex and release wave will be available for pre-order starting Saturday, 26 July 2025. The pre-order period lasts two weeks, with the official release date set for 9 August 2025.

Black Templars Execrator model review

The new Execrator is essentially the Black Templars’ version of a Chaplain, just under a new title. Apparently, they’re even more zealous in close combat than their Codex-abiding brethren. The kit comes in a small box with a single small sprue and a 40mm base – sadly, no transfers are included. The RRP is £25 / 32.50 € / $40.

Patreon bonus content: Ultra high-res, uncompressed versions of these sprue images (and backsides of the sprues) can be downloaded here.

There are a fair few build options:

• 2 heads (bare head or skull helm)
• 1 outstretched right arm with either an absolver bolt pistol or pyre pistol
• 1 bent right arm with either a power sword or a skull relic chained to the wrist
• 2 different wing designs for the skull-topped crozius
• 2 alternative backpack finials (iron halo or Templar cross)
• a book or holster accessory for the belt
• 2 optional purity seals
• optional tilt shield
• an optional tactical rock (which can be left off if you trim the peg under the foot)

The designers have packed quite a lot of variety into the sprue, even if the pose itself can’t be altered. The bare head, with its scars, service studs and angry expression, is full of character, and the skull helm is also well realised. On the official promo pictures the skull looks oddly squashed, but thankfully that isn’t the case in hand – in fact, the proportions are identical to the helmet from the Primaris Chaplain on Bike.

A look at the Crusade Ancient model

The new Crusade Ancient rounds off the Black Templars’ range with another special character model. Like the Execrator, the standard bearer comes in a small box with a single compact sprue and a 40mm base. The RRP is £26 / 34 € / $42.

Patreon bonus content: Ultra high-res, uncompressed versions of these sprue images (and backsides of the sprues) can be downloaded here.

The Crusade Ancient is essentially a monopose model. There are no weapon or head options – the only choice you have is between two accessories that attach to the banner pole in front of the twin streaming flags: either a sword with an Ork skull (part 11) or a large shield (part 12). The shield is flat and ideal for transfers or freehand designs. You can also opt to leave off the tilt shield on the left shoulder pad, but aside from that, the kit doesn’t offer much in terms of variation. That said, it’s still a very striking model.

Where to get

You can find the latest GW releases at our 🇬🇧/🇪🇺 partner stores Wayland Games, Element Games, and Firestorm Games, at 🇩🇪 Taschengelddieb and PK-Pro, and at 🇺🇸 Noble Knight Games with a welcome discount of up to 20% over RRP. Using our links helps to support Tale of Painters at no additional cost to you, so thank you very much for using them!

I hope you found this review helpful, feel free to leave a reaction or comment below, or post your questions here or discuss on our Discord channel.