Plasma/Flamers on Bikers

[Montuhotep]

Fairly standard question, really. I figured a bike squad with twin plasma instead of the standard (or so it seems) twin melta might be a fun thing to try - lots of anti-infantry firepower to thin enemy squads down with a few 'from the flank' shots before something else charges in and puts hammer to face.

 

Or equally, flamers? 2 templates down a flank might be fun - like jump-and-flame assault squads, but slightly more durable.

 

Opinions?

[Koremu]

Plasma gains the major benefit from being mounted on a Bike that it becomes Relentless and can therefore fire at full effect (1 shot to 24" or Rapid Fire) as well as benefit from the increased movement.

[Scubasteve04]

I would take Plasma over flamers, due to the fact that bikes are relentless so the Plasma is a bit better then usual, and flamers are easily accessed other places (tactical squad, podding dreads, MM/HF speeders, redeemers, LSS, ect)

[DarkGuard]

I agree with Koremu, plasma works nicely with relentless and bike movement, and it pairs up nicely with the multi-melta attack bike you can include as well.

[sofacoin]

I play a biker list, and I never use plasma on my normal bikes; it's just too expensive. The one-in-eighteen chance per shot of losing an expensive biker (40 points with a plasma gun!) to a Gets Hot! is too problematic, IMHO, especially considering it does nothing spectacular.

 

Against infantry, you already have twin-linked bolters (these are solid gold. Learn to love how every bike you have has them as standard.), and meltaguns will kill half as many as a rapid-firing plasma, for a bit cheaper- which would be an issue if it was accounting for a majority of the damage you'd be doing. Melta does the anti-tank job better, with a higher strength, AP 1, and the ability to hit 2d6 dice to pen far outweighing the autocannon-power of a plasma gun. The short range of a meltagun is no problem considering exactly how darn fast bikers can move!

 

Remember, your bikers can kill pretty much any infantry with their twin-linked bolters. Tanks worry them more, so it's a good job they can take up to four melta-based weapons in one squad.

 

Bikers with flamers are only good with Vulcan; otherwise, you're paying points for a weapon that's only mildly better than the twin-linked boltguns, and with a much shorter range.

 

In order, I'd rate Melta (with Vulcan) > Melta (Without Vulcan) > No upgrades > Flamers (With Vulcan) = Plasma Guns > Flamers (Without Vulcan).

[DarkGuard]

But with bikers the short range of melta and flamer is the problem. My brother plays bikers with melta, but the amount of times he's put his 1A bikers in range of an assault from a nasty unit... Reading ShinyRhino's biker tactica really does make you think a bit. Yes melta on bikes is good, as are flamers on bikes. One helps with mech, the other helps with hordes. Both leave your bikes vulnerable to counter-attack.

 

Plasma, on the other hand, helps bikers against MEQ, TEQ and light vehicles, but doesn't put your guys in immediate harms way. And it synergises with the MM better than the meltagun and flamer can ever hope to. Sure it only shoots once at 24" away, but that's more times than a meltagun ever will. Yes if you want to take out tanks melta is better, but if you want an all rounder unit plasma is better, that's why it's costed so highly. And the Gets Hot! issue isn't really an issue, it happens very rarely. In the end though, it comes down to how you want to use them. My brother likes using them to spearhead an assault, that's cool. I know I'd prefer to use them to stay out of harm's reach while peppering the enemy with shots, and that's cool. Comes down to what you prefer, but never discount a weapon choice so quickly :P.

[spartan249]

I've always advocated the Plasma guns on biker squads for the versatility and great power afforded. The plasma gun boasts a range advantage over flamers and melta, which is very important for a unit that doesn't want to be in assault, and it ignores any armor the target has, which means that the biker squad becomes a high tier concern for terminators and marines at range. It's also the same strength as an autocannon, which is ideal for taking on light vehicles from a range.

 

I normally consider plasma guns overpriced, but when they're put on bikes, I think they're worth every point because of the relentless nature of the bikers.

[breng77]

While I don't think there is an every time choice, I agree that plasma is a great choice for bikers due to the range. In addition it is better at killing transports than melta due to the range (melta guns kill 0 tanks outside of 12"), being able to pop open those tanks from beyond assault range is golden, as is being able to hurt monstrous creature from outside their assault range (melta gun VS Trygon = dead bike squad unless that trygon is killed)

[ShinyRhino]

Remember, your bikers can kill pretty much any infantry with their twin-linked bolters. Tanks worry them more, so it's a good job they can take up to four melta-based weapons in one squad.

 

This makes me cry.

Ever tried to wipe out a Terminator squad with nothing but bolter shots? It's HARD. Plasma is your Swiss army knife in the bike force, and you can't leave home without it. Melta is great for a quick demeching, and then your other units pounce on the unit formerly inside the transport. But the melta squad is still sitting pretty to be assaulted in return.

Even massed missile fire from Typhoons only tickles TDA, upgraded Hive Tyrants, etc. In a world that contains Grey Knight Terminators, Black Templar Terminators, or other units with a 2+ save and the ability to squash you flat, you need to be packing plasmaguns.

 

The 1/18 chance of death to an over heat comes out to a 5% chance of death per shot fired. Those are long odds, and one you should be comfortable risking. The 15 points spent on the plasmagun won't buy you another biker. It won't even buy a Tactical Marine. Even if it did buy another bolter bike, a single twinned boltgun shot just doesn't stack up to a lone plasmagun.

 

In a mirror match, the plasmagun biker wins against the bolter biker every time. A meltabiker might as well be a bolter bike in this situation, as he'll never get to range to fire that meltagun with a 24" plasmagun hitting on a 3, wounding on a 2, and allowing no save.