Eternal Warrior Bikers

[L30n1d4s]

Since Biker Lords can take Saga of the Bear and Space Wolves can take an allied SM Chapter Master with Bike and Shield Eternal, you have the potential for an exceptionally durable, fast-moving "cavalry" unit to support your SW army. For example, take the following:

 

-Biker Lord with SS, RA, SMB, TH, and Saga of the Bear

-Iron Hands Biker Master with AA, SMB, TH, and Shiedl Eternal

-Rune Priest with SMB, Divination

-Space Marine Biker Squad (Troop Choice due to Biker Chapter Master) with 2 Grav guns, Combi-Grav, MM Attack Bike

 

Now, this is not a cheap unit, but it can do many things for your army, including serve as a hard as rock assault unit, take the role of counter-asasult unit to protect you gun lines, act as multiple "free safety" units since it can divide up and charge 4 separate units (great for tying up multiple units in a shooty army with weak CC skills, like Tau or IG), or being a vehicle/MC hunter with its great firepower (TLed Grav guns and MM, due to Prescience) and close combat punch (10 WS6 S8 AP2 re-rollable attacks on the charge).

 

On top of all this, the Rune Priest gives you strong Psychic Defense, with a mobile Rune Weapon Bubble to deny enemy Psychic abilities and re-rolls to hit in both shooting and close combat. The unit is quite durable, with 7 T5 2+/3++ Eternal Warrior wounds to eat all kinds of incoming attacks, as well as 8 T5 wounds with 3+ save and a 5++ Jink save (or 4++ if turbo-boosting).

 

Combine this with a strong SW base army (i.e. couple of Grey Hunter squads, Long Fangs in the backfield, and some Lone Wolves or Wolf Scouts for disruption) and you have a very balanced force that should truly be able to take on "all-comers" opponents, with the possible exception of a heavy flyers list. Even with that, the allied SM detachment lets you take a Storm Talon in FA and either a Hunter/Stalker or Storm Raven in HS, giving you some very solid anti-flyer options.

[irwit]

If you really want to go for it get them to join a command squad instead of basic bike squad.  Then you get an apothacary for FnP save and a lot more grav weapons.   You can always run your standard troops behind.   You are only talking an extra 200 points or so.  

[L30n1d4s]

That is a great point about the Command Squad, and I have thought about the Apothecary and extra Grav Weapons. As you note, it would not be hard to add an extra troops spot (5 Scouts in a LS Storm is only 100 points or, alternately, you could go a more expensive route and put those same Scouts in a Storm Raven... solid anti-air/anti-vehicle, plus Scouts are able to be a last minute Objective seizer on turn 5-6.

 

The only issues with the Biker Command Squad option (vice a SMB squadron) is that it is not scoring (so lose some of the tactical flexibility built into the unit) and Chapter Masters cannot unlock them (unlock Honor Guard squad instead). I suppose you could take a Captain instead of CM with the same load-out as above and used the saved points to pay for the Command Squad, but losing the +1W/+1A and relentless Orbital Bombardment is a pretty big hit.

[DanPesci]

If you really want to go for it get them to join a command squad instead of basic bike squad.  Then you get an apothacary for FnP save and a lot more grav weapons.   You can always run your standard troops behind.   You are only talking an extra 200 points or so.  

 

You could also swap the rune priests divination for biomany and hope you get the power that lets you give the unit fnp and it will not die :)

[Valerian]

Just my two cents here, but that wraps too many points up into a single Death Star unit (albeit an effective one).  This unit will be exceptional in its primary role (assault force), and will have flexibility to adjust to other roles as needed (anti-tank, mobile reserve, etc.), but will take so many points out of the "pool" for your army list that it'll leave everything else short-handed.

 

At the most, I would consider allying in the Bike Master and Bike Squad; the unit simply doesn't need the additional Wolf Lord and Rune Priest to be effective in what you want/need it to do.  The Rune Priest can go augment another unit, instead, and the Wolf Lord can stay on the Battle Barge, as he has been displaced by the allied HQ.

 

V

[montegue]

Why not just stick a biker rune priest in with a unit of Thunder Wolf cavalry? 

[L30n1d4s]

I don't think any unit not mounted on a Thunderwolf can join Thunderwolf cavalry.

[Valerian]

I don't think any unit not mounted on a Thunderwolf can join Thunderwolf cavalry.

 

I don't have the codex with me, but pretty sure that isn't accurate.  Any IC, regardless of whether they're on foot, on a bike, or on a Thunderwolf Mount can join a unit of Thunderwolf Cavalry.  However, ICs that are on a Thunderwolf Mount do have a restriction; they can only join/attach to units of Thunderwolf Cavalry or Fenrisian Wolves.

 

Thus, the Rune Priest on Space Marine Bike gives you significantly more flexibility in use...

 

V

[Bloody Legionnaire]

Along the lines of where you guys were going, as far as mixing bikers and TWs... I've been thinking about running Bikes with my Thunder Wolf, Wolf Lord instead of running TWC with him. I think they would be a bit cheaper points wise and would do what the TWC do for less... provide a meat shield while trying to get the Wolf Lord into combat. Is this basically what you're getting at?

[Valerian]

Along the lines of where you guys were going, as far as mixing bikers and TWs... I've been thinking about running Bikes with my Thunder Wolf, Wolf Lord instead of running TWC with him. I think they would be a bit cheaper points wise and would do what the TWC do for less... provide a meat shield while trying to get the Wolf Lord into combat. Is this basically what you're getting at?

ICs that are on a Thunderwolf Mount do have a restriction; they can only join/attach to units of Thunderwolf Cavalry or Fenrisian Wolves.

[Bloody Legionnaire]

 

Along the lines of where you guys were going, as far as mixing bikers and TWs... I've been thinking about running Bikes with my Thunder Wolf, Wolf Lord instead of running TWC with him. I think they would be a bit cheaper points wise and would do what the TWC do for less... provide a meat shield while trying to get the Wolf Lord into combat. Is this basically what you're getting at?

ICs that are on a Thunderwolf Mount do have a restriction; they can only join/attach to units of Thunderwolf Cavalry or Fenrisian Wolves.

Correct, they wouldn't be part of the same unit, that doesn't prevent them from being meat shields or from doing a multi-assault though. 

[Rune_Priest_Rhapsody]

If your looking for a cheap delivery means for a Thunderlord, the Fenrisian Wolves are your best option. Our bikers are also Blood Claws and me personally, I'm not ok with BS/WS 3. As any respectable marine player will tell you: I can only count to 4.

4, 4, 4, 4.

Sure we could ally with marines and zip around on a little bike... OR we could climb on top a mountainous, snarling lupine beast and descend upon the battle field like the true alpha predators that we are.

 

End of Line

[Valerian]

 

 

 

Along the lines of where you guys were going, as far as mixing bikers and TWs... I've been thinking about running Bikes with my Thunder Wolf, Wolf Lord instead of running TWC with him. I think they would be a bit cheaper points wise and would do what the TWC do for less... provide a meat shield while trying to get the Wolf Lord into combat. Is this basically what you're getting at?

ICs that are on a Thunderwolf Mount do have a restriction; they can only join/attach to units of Thunderwolf Cavalry or Fenrisian Wolves.

Correct, they wouldn't be part of the same unit, that doesn't prevent them from being meat shields or from doing a multi-assault though.

 

They'd only offer a 5+ Cover Save, since your Lord can't attach and hide within the unit.