Never used Bikes before so I need some advice before I add them to my list?

[Xaric]

Ok I wonder is it possible to use bikes as a assaulting unit or are there rules that would make them bad for it the unit I have lined up for it is.

Chaplain
power fist
Bike

Command Squad (5)
Apothecary
Bikes
Company Standards

The unit comes too 300 points how does this sound?
Also if I have Imperial fists do they get bolter drill too?

[This Dave]

Since they have TL Bolters they don't need Bolter Drill since they get to reroll all misses anyways. Bikes actually make a decent assault unit because of their high mobility. They only drawbacks to using them that way is that they can crash if they go into terrain to do the assault and they're very expensive to risk.

Bikes are actually better as a shooting unit though. With their high mobility they can move to where they're needed. And their Relentless rule lets them fire things as if stationary, so equipping the riders with Grav Guns is a very fun thing to do.

[Gleipnir]

Downside to Bikes is moving thru difficult terrain(easily mitigated by either giving Move Thru Cover or Skilled Rider to a unit) and inability to move upwards thru multi floor Ruins.

Upside is doubling your movement speed, higher Toughness, Relentless letting you fire those Rapid Fire and Heavy weapons and assault the same turn, and a Jink cover save.

[Blood Shadow]

I've always found bikes a poor CC unit, due to a low number of attacks and low model count...they can act as a tar pit unit with 5T and F'n'P but a very expensive one.

Normally they're best used for getting relentless Attack Bikes and special weapons.

[Wolfshade]

My preferred option for bikes is to take plasmas or meltas (depending if I am facing heavy infantry or tanks)

[Tyrendian]

My preferred option for bikes is to take plasmas or meltas (depending if I am facing heavy infantry or tanks)

this, plus a 100pts suicide Grav Biker squad (2x Grav and Combigrav on Sgt) usually finds something worthwhile to kill against most any opponent (except Dark Eldar probably)

[Xaric]

Ah so the olny one's who would be able to do this is the chapter tactics white scars due to auto passing dangerous Terrain maybe i could use them as a allied detatachment.

[Dave Mcturk]

think the problem with bikes is although they got points reductions in new codexes, and have got a list of lovely weapons to choose from; they still get fried by high ST and low AP weapons and there is a lot of ignores cover out there !

no use to you if you are playing 'tournaments' but we have houseruled 'jink' saves into a non-removable save except against specific shooters that have 'ignores jink' ...

[KAPcom]

Honestly, bikes are one of the best troop options out there right now. Generally, if you want to use them as an assault unit, a Chapter master with the shield eternal, artificer armour, a bike, and a thunder hammer, with a honour guard squad with an apothecary. It's a bit of a point investment, but between toughness 5, fnp, and eternal warrior on the chapter master, it's a really hard unit for most armies to deal with.

[Steel-W0LF]

think the problem with bikes is although they got points reductions in new codexes, and have got a list of lovely weapons to choose from; they still get fried by high ST and low AP weapons and there is a lot of ignores cover out there !

no use to you if you are playing 'tournaments' but we have houseruled 'jink' saves into a non-removable save except against specific shooters that have 'ignores jink' ...

This as well.

I've always thought jink saves should be this way as well. Allowing "ignores cover" to ignore jink removes many units only durability who rely on the jink save. It would be different if there was not a huge amount of cover ignoring weapons and even whole armies now.

[ElectricPaladin]

My two cents:

Bikes are a great versatile shooting unit, because their Relentless rule means that they can always charge into combat if they feel like it. That, coupled with their speed, makes them a great disruption unit. Shove them down the enemy's throat. If they make it out to fight another day, splendid. If they don't, well, hopefully he'll choke on them. It's not like the poor *******s score, unless you build your army around it.

I think it's important not to overestimate the utility of bikes in combat. They don't have a ton of attacks, but they do have Hammer of Wrath, which equals one automatic Strength 4 hit before the close combat ever wins. The trick is this: factor in the Hammer of Wrath hits, and then make sure that the bikes only ever end up in a combat that you know they can win. In other words, they are a bully unit. They don't want to get into combat with a dedicated assault unit, but if you can get them into combat with something that they can either beat in one round, or so thoroughly cripple in the first round that they will definitely win in the second round, go for it. In other words, keep them the hell away from TEQs, but if you have the opportunity to beat up some GEQs or even a badly depleted MEQ unit, go to town.

It's important to remember that bikes are also surprisingly durable. T5 means that most enemy shooting will be wounding on 5+, and most of the really nasty enemy shooting that you normally have to worry about wounding you on a 3+ or 2+ will only be wounding you on a 3+ or 4+, which is great. Coupled with the fact that they generate their own cover (Jink) save, bikes can be surprisingly hard to remove. However, it's also important to note that they lose half of this durability (the Jink save) when they get into combat.

[Dave Mcturk]

"That, coupled with their speed, makes them a great disruption unit. Shove them down the enemy's throat. If they make it out to fight another day, splendid. If they don't, well, hopefully he'll choke on them. It's not like the poor *******s score, unless you build your army around it."

paint them all with red shirts !

[SON OF ROMULOUS]

they are one of the better investments in the space marine codex to date. Taken as troops by either taking a captain or a chapter master. You get the nesty option of a biker command squad coupled up with a couple of scoring biker units and you have a good list right off the bat. simply add units to taste and boom instant army. not super expensive alot of fun to paint and model and lets be honest T5 marines who can move 12 fire everything then assault are always a good thing. couple that with 2x special weapons and an attack bike and you have a very good unit.