Can a vanilla fast attack themed marine army beat ...

[swooshfinn]

Ok, so I play vanilla marines, with a typical 1500 pt list that looks like this:

 

Khan on Bike

2 Tactical squads in rhinos, Sgts equiped with meltabombs

3 Landspeeders

8 Space Marine bikers, 2 with meltas

2 Attack bikes with multimeltas

and either a multimelta dreadnought in a drop pod OR a vindicator with seige shield and extra armor

 

and when I go up to a 2000pt game I include a squad of shootie termies with an assault cannon and a raider with twin linked lascannons, hvy bolter, storm bolter and hunter killer.

 

The guys I play with the most have switched from a bike heavy Crimson Fist list to Space Wolves and homebrew chapter to Blood Angels....

 

Are there any options within the vanilla codex to help me with either one of these two armies?

[Arnil]

Take melts bombs on your bike sergeants...flamers in the bike squad for anti-infantry and melt as in the tac for anti-armor. And i'd go with the vindi personally.

[DarkGuard]

Take melts bombs on your bike sergeants...flamers in the bike squad for anti-infantry and melt as in the tac for anti-armor. And i'd go with the vindi personally.

 

Really, flamers and meltas that way round? If you're going to take meltas on one of those choices then they're better off on bikes thanks to their movement, while the flamers can sit with the Tactical squads along with MMs.

 

@OP, it would help a little if we knew the upgrades your units have. For example, does every Tactical Marine have a boltgun? Or does the Sergeant have CCW/BP, another guy a flamer and another guy a ML? What load out are the Speeders? MM/HF or Typhoons.

 

Personally, I reckon you should look at plasma guns and a MM AB on the bike squad, you've got melta on the attack bikes, and if you take MM on the Tactical squads you won't need meltaguns, take flamers or plasma guns instead. Khan on bike is a little pointy, but cool I suppose.

 

Dread or Vindy, this is a question I ask myself, although it's Rifleman Dread vs Vindy. For some reason the Vindy looks like it suits the army better, and it can take anything out and is a good bullet magnet, but the Dread is handy for more melta, depends on what you need.

 

As for those armies, plasma and missiles help with taking out their Marines and tanks, although melta is needed for Raiders. Also you'll need a combat unit, as those are combat orientated armies, so having your own to take off the heat is a good choice, look to a Biker Command squad or Assault Terminators, maybe Vanguard.

 

You may want to consider a Libby to block their spells, but it isn't essential.

[swooshfinn]

My tactical squads are usually:

1 flamer

1 missile launcher

Sgt with bolt pistol and chainswords

and 7 bolt guns

 

-OR-

 

Sgt with bolt pistol and chainswords

and 9 boltguns

 

Meltabombs are used when I have the points for them

 

As for the landspeeders, its multimeltas and typhoons for all three of them

[DarkGuard]

In that case I'd say you don't need much more fast melta, as the Speeders and attack bikes can do that. Melta or plasma on the bike squad, flamer or plasma on the Tactical squads, possibly with MMs but MLs work well as well. If you're going up against Marines a lot though then plasma should be preferred for denying those armour saves and in the case of BA, those FnP saves as well.