nurglephill Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 I have eight bikers and the bits to turn them into anything I want, HQ or otherwise. I have a bunch of attack bikes with melta so that is no problem. Do I make them into a basic biker unit with maybe an HQ option on bike. Or should I build a command squad on bike, perhaps tooled up for CC with a chaplain or with 4 plasma guns as the apothecary gives you FNP? I am not worried about what I 'need' in my army as I have all my bases covered. I just want to get the best use out of my 8 bikes. I 'think' I have answered my own question and I am here to see if you more experienced players agree with me. Bikers are not good at melee with a low S and A rating, which then means I should shoot with them. Shooting options: 2 Melta..short range/VERY short range and tank hunting. If you bust open the tank out will jump a melee based unit and your bikes are in trouble. Flamers..same thing with the range BUT you will lessen the numbers with bolter rounds and two templates. You run the risk of getting stuck in a large unit or out in the open ready to be counter charged however. Plasma guns then have the range but I am NEVER in favour of a 'gets hot' weapon on a one wound model, and expensive one at that, without FNP....which takes us back to the command group with 4 plasma guns. So, a command squad with a plasma theme seems to my mind be a damn good use of my 8 bikes...leaving me a couple of bikes left for....another HQ option or two? Thoughts? Thanks :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkGuard Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 Have you read ShinyRhino's recent bike tactica? It's absolutely fantastic, and only on the top of this page! :). The other thing is we'll have to know what is in the rest of your list. Do you need more anti-infantry? Flamers then. More anti-elite? Plasma guns. No CC units? Biker Command squad. Let us know what you've got and it'll be easier for us to help you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShinyRhino Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 As DarkGuard says, it really depends on what hole you want to plug. Quad-plasma command squads are beautiful. I run one on foot, even. Just remember that the FNP is insurance, not a guarantee of survival. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkGuard Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 Because of the Gets Hot! I roll my plasma guns separately, only fair as each plasma gun affects the model firing it. However, this therefore means that in true me style, I will always hit once and miss once, resulting 4 plasma guns hits. If I rolled them all at once I'd get 6, so annoying :woot:. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MagicMan Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 I will always hit once and miss once, resulting 4 plasma guns hits. If I rolled them all at once I'd get 6, so annoying :woot:. How so...? If the firer rolls a 1, does his other shot fail automatically, then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkGuard Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 8 shots in total from a quad plasma gun squad. For some stupid reason my luck has me at a 50% success rate when rolling two dice, so only 4 hits. I get all those hits, even if I roll a 1 for the other one. Just really annoying luck. If I rolled them all together then I know I'd do better, if I'm rolling lots of dice for shooting I have an insane hit rate, just watch my Sternguard in action. But for Gets Hot! allocation I need to do each shot separately. Can't be helped I suppose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MagicMan Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 Oh right. My mates the opposite. He rolls all his armour saves in ones and two's and almost never fails, even with Orks. My marines on the other hand fall over when someone nearby sneezes. Bastard. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nurglephill Posted May 12, 2011 Author Share Posted May 12, 2011 Many thanks for your help guys. I have indeed read the biker tactica (three times :lol: ) it is a SUPERB article! Most of my thinking was from that article but this is not for a biker army and I don't need a unit to do a job for me as I have all the units I need to plug any hole already. What I have are 8 very cool looking RT era Marines on lizards I will use as bikers for my army and I was after the best way to model them. Being a Nurgle/death guard/plague marine kinda guy the idea of plasma guns and FNP on T5 models is very appealing LOL. And seeing as shooting seems to be their best ability overall this load out looks pretty damn good and cost 265pts. So...yes that's it really. Do you agree that is the way to go or...is there a better use of their talents? ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkGuard Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 Their ability is equal between combat and shooting, shooting is just cheapest. In combat you're T5, so hard to wound. You've got FnP, making you even tougher, and then you've got the ability to take storm shields to take a 3++ save. Combine this with lightning claws and a power fist, and you've got an extremely hard hitting unit that can take damage and have the mobility to get stuck in where you want them too. Perhaps better than any other choice, this is the true meaning of a counter-assault unit, as with it's 18" charge distance it can easily get to most places on your battle line. And with turbo boost it can set itself up to charge at exposed and vulnerable parts of your enemy's line. Some people give them meltaguns as well, but that's getting very pricey. However, you can now be better at shooting, and assault the units that come out of the tanks you pop. Also, combat units tend to look cooler than shooting units 90% of the time IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nurglephill Posted May 12, 2011 Author Share Posted May 12, 2011 OK.. Command squad: bikes company champion: He cannot be upgraded any further can he? two lightning claws one Thunder hammer Three storm shields. 325pts. Seem about right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShinyRhino Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 If you're dead set on a Command Squad, step the first is to build your Apothecary. He's always there, no matter what you do, might as well build him out. That leaves you with seven bikes. You can build four as melee specialists, and three as plasmagunners. Mix and match as you see fit from game to game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkGuard Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 Looks good, give it a run out. If you don't like it you can always do a shooty squad. Proxy the models first before making them, and see what you prefer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nurglephill Posted May 12, 2011 Author Share Posted May 12, 2011 Shiny..that is a great idea! Thanks DarkGuard, as ever I am very grateful to you sir :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkGuard Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 No worries. I don't know why I didn't suggest what ShinyRhino said, I myself has two foot Command squads using 9 models: the Apothecary, a Company Champion, a thunder hammer, 2 standard CCWs and four plasma gunner. If you can find another bike model somehow it may be well worth it to get the extra plasma gunner. That being said, I'm sure 3x plasma guns and a power fist/ storm shield will suffice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mysticaria Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 I know it's not tactically the best play... but these models you have.. surely one of them would make an epic company standard bearer? -Myst Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkGuard Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 I'm not sure about the comment on tactically best play Myst, I find banners to be quite good now. Granted I use the Chapter Banner, so +1A is all kinds of awesome. However, I really like it's other abilities, and with the massive fall back move of bikes, especially Ld8 attack bikes, having a re-roll to morale test is a brilliant thing. It still helps in combat where you get +1 to your combat res, so right before you start swinging your opponent needed to make up the wounds, meaning he needs to cause two more wounds than you to actually win combat, as opposed to one. Quite handy IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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