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View Full Version : SM Biker Army...Loadouts/Viability?



PinoyC
11-17-2009, 10:23 PM
Has anyone out here done a pure SM Biker army (Bike Squads, Scout Bike Squads, and Attack Bike Squads only)?

Is such an army competitive? I see benefits in the shooting phase but think it'd be lacking in the CC department.

What would be the best upgrade for the Biker Sgts in an all bike force? (I'm partial to Combi-Melta/Flamers but a PS/PF would be beneficial for CC)

For the Scout Bikers...Astartes Grenade Launchers and/or Cluster Mines...Yes/No?

I'm going to say no to Atk Bike Sqds...too easy to insta-kill. (Single ones for the regular squads yes however)...any reason to change my mind on this one?

Is there any scuttle-butt about a Kor'sarro Khan model on Moondrakkan?

Any assistance would be appreciated.

Also, is there anything else pertinent that I may have forgotten?

PC

Earthen
11-17-2009, 11:36 PM
Okay i think you have everything backwards. Scout bikes are completely useless, MM attack bikes are one of the best things in the SM codex. More below.


If you want to run a bike army, id suggest running a khan list - command squad geared for CC + apoth.
In 5th ed, you NEED a counter attack melee unit, or sacrificial speed bumps. Unfortunately, a SM bike army has nothing in the way of a speedbump, so you need a killy command squad.


Minimum sized bike squads for max special weapons, Run most melta, one or two units flame based.

3 units of 2 MM attack bikes each. units of 3 attack bikes are overkill and too hard to hide. Awesome mobile firepower to knock MCs down as well as tanks. Think of them as the obilterators of space marines, theyre just too good to not take really. Dont worry about them getting insta-killed, its the fire power you want. And, if the heavy weaponry is going into them, GOOD. keeps the big guns off your command squad with FnP. Command squad needs storm shields, 2 power fists minimum.

Dont forget about turbo boost for your 3+ cover.

AndrewO
11-18-2009, 09:58 AM
Scout bikes are completely useless...

I've never used Scout Bikes but I was thinking about including a small squad with a Locator Beacon to help accurately deep strike something. While a lot of SM units can take teleport homers, IIRC Scout Bikes (and other Drop Pods) are the only ones that can take Locator Beacons.

So is there something that makes this a bad idea? Points better spent somewhere else? I agree that they're not great offensively, but it seems like they're built for recon (as much as anyone does in the 41st Millenium at least).

Lux
11-18-2009, 12:13 PM
What were you planning to DS in? If you're just talking about a speeder or two, then the scout bikes probably aren't worth it since you'd be paying as many points for the delivery system as for the DSing models themselves. If you're talking about a vanguard squad that needs to be assaulting the turn it arrives and that will be your only major CC unit, then the scout bikes may be a better idea. One big caveat here- if your opponents know that your single scout bike squad is merely a delivery device for a big important unit then expect those scout bikes to be shot at liberally in each and every game.

Lux

Chumbalaya
11-18-2009, 12:35 PM
Pretty much what Earthen said. Khan and his super murder squad will kill anything and they can use H&R to escape tarpits. While that goes on, dakka dakka dakka from the bikes.

Scout Bikes are bleh for their poor stats and suicide squadiness. In a Bike army you need lots of bikes, taking expensive toys like Drop Pods, Termies, or Vanguard takes away from the army.

Brosef Stalin
11-18-2009, 01:39 PM
I've actually been looking into creating a White Scars bike army myself. From personal experience, Khan and his command squad are an absolute nightmare. They went toe-to-toe with a Space Wolves terminator squad and came out ahead, so I can totally recommend him.

DarkLink
11-18-2009, 05:40 PM
One of our local gamers has a vicious SM bike army. Basically a ton of bikes with all melta, backed up by Vulcan and Assault Termies in a Redeemer.

I'll point out that he only uses Vulcan because he ALWAYS misses the first time with his meltaguns. Always.

RocketRollRebel
11-18-2009, 06:09 PM
I've actually been looking into creating a White Scars bike army myself. From personal experience, Khan and his command squad are an absolute nightmare. They went toe-to-toe with a Space Wolves terminator squad and came out ahead, so I can totally recommend him.

You get a medal for best name ever sir.

That said bike armies can be a surprising pain in the *** to face. Defiantly not an easy win button army but they could be a lot of fun to play a just require a bit of tactical thought to succeed with. I also have heard of Vulkan rolling with bike lists to but its kinda unfluffy.

I keep having dreams of Khan outflanking in an LRR with a squad of assault termies. :p

Shadoq
11-21-2009, 10:38 PM
How is that working out for him DarkLink?
Been curious about trying a bike army myself and Vulcan seems a must for it.

DarkLink
11-21-2009, 11:46 PM
It's worked very well. He's one of the toughest players in our group. He has a Plague Marine army, a SM Bike army and is working on eldar, and does quite well.

It's hard to judge how competitive an armylist is sometimes for me, as I play Grey Knights, so it will always be an uphill battle regardless of who I face, but between his speed and tons of meltaguns, Bikers are rock hard when played well.

Lindargo
11-22-2009, 05:30 AM
Personally i keep looking at a bike list.. (and then at my rather deflated wallet).
Scout bikers seem awesome to me, get those mines as-well. Most competitive players will say take max melta and fists, but if you just want to have fun playing the game what's wrong with:
Captain on Bike, 2 5-6 man bike squads, some speeders with h. bolters, 2 attack bikes, some scout bikers?
And by the way, look at the Ravenwing Battleforce. 2 of them would give you a seriously large biker army for £100.