Swiftclaw Attack Bike

[theonelawler]

I am looking at putting together a Swiftclaw bike pack and want to put a Attack Bike in which is better a Heavy Bolter for 30 points or Multi-melta for 40 points?

[SamaNagol]

Don't do it to yourself.

[Jaarl Stormfang]

I think the heavy bolter is the superior choice. You could argue for taking a multimelta, then a melta in the squad, and maybe a combimelta for your wolf guard leader, but then you're paying a lot of points for a lacklustre (BS3) tank hunting squad.

 

Instead, think of the attack bike as an upgrade for one of your bikers. For just 5pts, you get to add a heavy bolter, an attack, and a wound to one of your bikers. The heavy bolter has the merit of multiple shots so even with BS3 at least some will hit, and it shoots the same things that your bikers will be shooting with their twin linked bolters. Taking an attack bike with heavy bolter in a swiftclaw squad is a no brainer.

 

Adding the extra cost of a multi melta and it's not a no brainer. Heavy bolter for sure.

[Wildfire]

Depends on how much long-range firepower you have in your army. If you have enough distance anti-tank to pop transports reliably for your bikers, then don't bother. Otherwise they need to carry their own.

[WG Vrox]

Even hitting on a 4+ is something, but it depends on what the rest of the squad will be used for and what type of leadership you plan to run with it. Are you planning on taking melta bombs........

 

So how are you planning to run them and for what purpose?

 

Vrox.

[commander alexander]

With bloodclaws (or swiftclaws or whatever) flamers and as many shots as possible is best, as with marines good ballistic skill the points would be best spent elswhere.

[theonelawler]

i am planning to run them with a wolf guard with frost sword and plasma pistol and giving him and the bikes Melta bombs and use them keeping units from sitting on objectives or to hit long range Vehicles. i am thinking i will go with the Heavy Bolter and use the Melta bombs for the Vehicles.

[VorpalDoom]

Instead, think of the attack bike as an upgrade for one of your bikers. For just 5pts, you get to add a heavy bolter, an attack, and a wound to one of your bikers. \

 

 

The Attack biker is not an "upgrade" It's an additional model in the unit.

 

You can have up to 12 bikers (13 wounds) in the unit with max unit size +attack bike + wolf guard. And with how inexpensive they are, they work well.

 

 

 

 

As for the attack bike, it's a no brainer. Just a few more points than a normal biker, more attacks, and a heavy weapon, it should be what you get BEFORE adding another basic biker to the unit. I run a unit of 5, power fist, attack bike, wolf guard on a bike with a power fist. No guns, this unit isn't built to shoot at anything, so I won't bother. A spray of bolter fire before an assault does the trick.

 

 

They work fantasticly well when joining a combat that's a bit tough for other units.

 

 

Such as:

 

Single thunderwolf w/ storm shield + thunderhammer against a mass of infantry. These bikers will join the fight and most certainly save the thunderwolf.

 

Their mobility is the key, the heavy bolter is just for kicks, you're paying the extra points for a wound and an attack. Keep it cheap!

 

 

Like I said, I usually run a unit of 5, power fist, attack bike, wolf guard w/ bike+power fist. This runs me 258 points for a 7 model unit with 8 wounds, and fairly good wound allocation, all T5 on bikes. They're hard to shoot down, and they're even harder to deny a charge, which is what matters.

 

The attack bike is a fantastic unit choice, it's ablative, and might just be that flak you need to widdle down the enemy to let the 6 power fist attacks (half of which are ws4), and the other 21 attacks tear down what's left.

 

 

 

 

It's a good deal, and stick with the heavy bolter, it's not worth the points for the multi-melta.

 

If you're truely hurting for anti-vehicle punch in your list, consider combi-meltas on wolf guard, single thunderwolf cavalry w/ thunderhammer+ storm shield, land speeders with MM+HF, and wolf scouts with a melta, led by a wolf guard with a combi-melta.

[fjgarces]

If you make your pack for tank hunting, you can put all melta as you can (MM AB, MB, MG) add a Biker Wolf Priest to the pack and choose Vehicles for the WP oath. They gains Preferred Enemy, and this is better than BS4.

[Grey Mage]

I wouldnt give BCs meltaweaponry.

[Godhead]

Id still consider it. You still have a 50/50 hit/miss with bloodclaws and its the only way to get a MM ab into a sw army. With a melta, a mm ab, and 2 fists (fist on the WG this pack) can hunt ANYTHING. Plus with their speed, people have to deal with them. What you little you lost in accuracy with the loss in 1 point of bs, you gain ablative wounds and a nasty hard hititng pack that can pop a LR and assault its contents with providing a real threat to whatever is inside of it.

 

Also in comparison to other space marine mm abs we pay 10pts less because of the loss of 1pt of bs.

 

Having said all this, I wouldn't ever include a SCBP with the sole intention of using it as a means to get an attack bike into your list.

[Jaarl Stormfang]

Instead, think of the attack bike as an upgrade for one of your bikers. For just 5pts, you get to add a heavy bolter, an attack, and a wound to one of your bikers. \

 

 

The Attack biker is not an "upgrade" It's an additional model in the unit.

 

 

I know. That's why I said think of it like an upgrade for a biker.

[nurglespuss]

if you take an attack bike, I would go with a heavy bolter, I find cheap is the way to go with blood claws. They are going to die, as pecially as your opponents learn that your strengths are grey hunters, blood claws and wolf lords/rune priests.

 

Like others ahve said, a multi shot weapon is best. Do you really want blood claws vehicle hunting? or supporting existing combats? Or do you want them to be out flanking shock troops?

[Vlk]

I personally like a WGBL on a bike with a frostaxe, 4 Swiftclaws with a power fist and a meltagun and a MM Attack Bike. I'm particularly fond of the possibility of popping a transport (if my maths is right, it's 0,75 chance of a meltashot) and then assaulting its contents... this pack is really going to kill almost anything it would shoot with a heavy bolter in close combat and with twin-linked bolter fire...

[Ullr Direfang]

well i never, let me emphasize never, use swiftclaws for tank hunting. to me any BC styled unit is best used for anti infantry roles. personally i feel i would stick to the HB for that reason alone.

[Wispy]

Preferred Enemy is close combat only, no?

 

 

 

Anyways, I'm actually running a tank hunting Blood Claw unit. I'm had great success with the them before, and 4+ to hit hasn't caused me too much trouble. Having both the melta and multimelta helps, and when they miss on both of those, they ensuring vehicle assault always takes care of things.

 

Popping transports and assaulting the occupants happens quite often with this setup, which is why I'm found of it. I would never put vanilla blood claws or Sky Claws in same roll.

[Aeddon]

Preferred Enemy is close combat only, no?

Yes it is, read the rulebook, page 75. The 'Preferred Enemy' special rule only works in close combat.

[Wolf Lord Jukes]

I prefer the MM AB purely because I come across a lot of 6 or 7 Toughness 2+ armor MC, and at that point the HB is nigh useless. Being able to run around when you face a list that potentially can beat you in close combat and shoot at those MC is really valuable, even if it is just BS 3. Even against MEQ, the odds of causing a casualty if the enemy isn't in cover is comparable (HB ~.44 dead and MM ~.42 dead on average).

 

Combined with the MG it's really not terrible at tank hunting, because the odds of at least one hitting are pretty good (on average, 75% of the time you'll get at least one hit) and with 2d6 penetration AND the follow-up assault it's really not a terrible choice. I like to attach the WP over the WG, as the single wound WG bike is a lot of points on one wound that can easily be allocated and failed.

[Evilbob]

I like the heavy bolter personally, I crack open transports with something that's much better at it, then use the bike pack to roll down the line, raking the infantry now in the open.

[Sarapham]

I would really just magnetize it if you have the chance. I have done so and its great as I use the MM against my Nurgle foe and the HB against Eldar.

[WG Vrox]

I would suggest the MM, nothing like popping a transport and assaulting what is inside. More versatility when you are in the enemies territory and when you have a juicy shot at a vindicator or the like, you won't regret having it with you.

[Quillen]

I use the melta. Why? Cause they have the infantry killiness down already. But if they need to pop that tank......? So chunk one in. You can surround a tansports doors and then pop it. Instant kill everything in it. They are fast and effective.

 

I have a list based around a BloodClaw bikesquad. It does really well.

[Torin]

i would go for the MM.. coz it has the tendancy of freaking your oppenent out when they see it coming from the flank.