1.5k Bike List

[ElectricPaladin]

My wife, looking at the new Dark Vengeance bikers, jokingly said "if I could play with just guys on motorcycles, I might play this game." She was almost certainly not serious, but it got me thinking - how does a bike list work?

Here is my intepretation. Perhaps I'll build it. If I could, I'd use my Blood Angels to build this list, but their captains don't have the Mounted Assault rule. Would a bike army painted to look like Blood Ravens be silly?

HQ
• Librarian w/Bike
• Captain w/Artificer Armor, Bike, Power Sword
º Command Squad w/Bikes, 4 Plasma Guns

Troops
• 6 Bikers, 2 Plasma Guns, Power Weapon Sergeant
• 6 Bikers, 2 Meltaguns, Power Fist Sergeant

Fast Attack
• 3 Attack Bikes
• 10 Scout Bikers w/Shotguns, 3 Grenade Launchers
• 2 Landspeeder Typhoons

My highest Strength is 8 and I have no reliable way other than luck and finesse to get my melta up close to enemy vehicles, so I will struggle against armies with AV 13 and 14 vehicles. However, against everything else, I think I have a very fast-moving and maneuverable army that will look pretty impressive on the table.

Any thoughts?

[Seirin]

Lose your regular power weapons, get at least a fist on the captain, and a storm shield. Oh, and melta bombs.

Melta bombs on the sgts, swap the power sword sgt for a combi-plasma.

Essentially, you don't want to see combat with your regular bikers. However, ideally you should kit up the command squad with storm shields and at least claws to have your combat punch (and keep the plasma guns). Melta bombs make up for a lack of high S anti-armour.

Can lose the scout bikes without any real issues. Use the points to upgrade the command squad and maybe boost the troop bike units to 8-men.

[Vashtek]

You need more troops choices. Some missions have 5 or 6 objectives. You can only take 2, meaning that you will be at a severe disadvantage. Get at least 1 more bike squad, and some sort of base holding troops squad (scouts? Allies?). I would lose the typhoons, most if not all the scout bikes and probably the librarian. 2 space marine HQs are difficult to squeeze into 1500 points.

[Seirin]

Would possibly agree about the libby. Hes not especially survivable anyway without terminator armour and storm shield so...yeh, maybe lose him.

True about troops.

Would also add attack bikes to the troop squads.

Captain
Command squad
3 full bike squads w/ attack bikes

should serve you well.

[ElectricPaladin]

So, something like this:

HQ
• Captain w/Artificer Armor, Combi-Plasma, Meltabombs, Relic Blade, Bike
º Honor Guard w/Bikes, Veterans all have Plasma Guns, Storm Shields, and Power Weapons

Troops
• 8 Bikes, 2 Plasma Guns, Sergeant has Power Fist, + Attack Bike w/Heavy Bolter
• 8 Bikes, 2 Flamers, Sergeant has Power Fist, + Attack Bike w/Heavy Bolter
• 8 Bikes, 2 Meltaguns, Sergeant has Power Fist, + Attack Bike w/Multi-Melta

Before I go, a question: does an Attack Bike count as two models, thus allowing a "full" bike squad to actually use its Combat Squads rule, or is the rule completely useless?

Also, it's too bad that Sternguard squads can't take bikes. That would totally freaking awesome...

[Seirin]

Attack bike is 1 model, bikes can't combat squad.

Don't bother with flamers and heavy bolters on atk bikes. Go for 2 plasma and 1 melta squads, all with multi-melta atk bikes. You shouldn't need the fist on any but the melta sgt, swap it for melta bombs on all sgts and some toward the plasma upgrade.

Lose the combi on the captain for melta bombs, lose the relic blade for a fist/hammer, get a storm shield. He's your command squad's (not honor guard btw) tank as they run around causing hell, but also their heavy hitter in combat - relic blade doesn't cut it anymore.

[ElectricPaladin]

Attack bike is 1 model, bikes can't combat squad.


It's pretty stupid for them to have the "combat squads" rule, then, isn't it? :mad:



Don't bother with flamers and heavy bolters on atk bikes. Go for 2 plasma and 1 melta squads, all with multi-melta atk bikes. You shouldn't need the fist on any but the melta sgt, swap it for melta bombs on all sgts and some toward the plasma upgrade.

Lose the combi on the captain for melta bombs, lose the relic blade for a fist/hammer, get a storm shield. He's your command squad's (not honor guard btw) tank as they run around causing hell, but also their heavy hitter in combat - relic blade doesn't cut it anymore.


That's not all feasible, but I can get close.

This list looks like fun. Perhaps I'll gradually acquire some bikes and try it some day.

[Seirin]

In all honesty you could lose all the power fists. Melta bombs usually do the job just fine.

If you do that, upgrade to lightning claws on your command squad - really helps them pack the punch.

As long as you maneuvered right, the 3 regular bike squads shouldn't see combat, and the command squad can handle most stuff easily.

[helvexis]

bike squads can combat squad! the attack bike counts as two models for combat squading ...
although i would always give my attack bikes multimeltas and roll them with the non special weapons(plasma/flamers)/serg group or run the special weapons as meltas and the attack bike with heavy bolter and yeah give the serg's meltabombs as an extra vehicle the only thing id swap for the command squad is the power weapon for lightning claw its the same cost.


however a ravenwing list looks different seeing as the attack bike must deploy as its own separate unit so you have attack bikes and speeder squadrons as your anti tank with bikes and the speeders that are part of the bike squads as the anti infantry ... and you never want to see combat. sadly sammael with his av14 speeder only has 2 hull points so ive stopped taking him in it.

but the da are supposed to get a new book soon so that should change around.