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what is the point of bikers?


girot

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Melta weapons and Lascannons are one shot. Grav on a Relentless platform has three and, has a better range than Melta. As for shrugging things off, a Wraithlord is T8, 3+. Plasma has two shots requiring a five to wound. Grav has (in this scenario) three shots requiring a three to would at AP2 and as a bonus, the thing is now striking at I1 next turn.

Looks like I'll be digging my bikes out of the garage this week, lol.  I'm short a Grav Gun though so I'll have to dig around and see if I can sub for something similar before I hit up a bitz vendor.  Did you know that Grav Guns go for as much as $7 on ebay?  That's ridiculous but hey that's bitz.  In any event I have four bikes on hand:

 

Bike Priest = TBD.  I need to look at his gear options again, but will try to stick with the Grav theme.

Bike Sergeant = Combi-Grav and Power Weapon

Bike Marines = Grav Guns x2

 

Ooh, Kromlech does some attractive grav weapons...

http://bitsofwar.com/395-thickbox_bosky/gravity-distorters.jpg

Bikes can move 12" and shoot the full 18" on the grav guns. That gives them an effective range of 30". That is a huge bubble of "no entry" for many models. Centurions, wraith knights, Riptides, Terminators, etc will all be afraid of grav guns.

A squad of 5 bikes with two grav guns and a combi-grav sergeant can move forward 12" and shoot NINE grav shots at a target. On average, six of these nine will hit. Then, four/five of these six will deal AP2 wounds. On top of that, the target is now hitting on initiative 1. So, if you're within charge range, you can charge it and wipe it out before it gets to attack you. You can add a captain to the squad for a nice 4++ save and a power sword to help mop up in close combat. thumbsup.gif

Additionally, unlike plasma, grav isn't going to result in your expensive biker models wounding themselves.

Looks like I'll be digging my bikes out of the garage this week, lol.  I'm short a Grav Gun though so I'll have to dig around and see if I can sub for something similar before I hit up a bitz vendor.  Did you know that Grav Guns go for as much as $7 on ebay?  That's ridiculous but hey that's bitz.  In any event I have four bikes on hand:

 

Bike Priest = TBD.  I need to look at his gear options again, but will try to stick with the Grav theme.

Bike Sergeant = Combi-Grav and Power Weapon

Bike Marines = Grav Guns x2

 

Ooh, Kromlech does some attractive grav weapons...

http://bitsofwar.com/395-thickbox_bosky/gravity-distorters.jpg

 

Unfortunately the bike sergeant wouldn't be able to have both the combi-grab and the PW. He only has one weapon to trade.

 

As for the bike priest, give him an Auspex.

(or Rapiers if you play 30k).

If only the 30k version didn't suck so badly sad.png

Regarding the use of Concussive, personally I reckon it's vital for making sure someone like Mephiston to be able to take on something like a Greater Daemon or Daemon Prince without having to 100% rely on psychic powers to prevent being popped.

EDIT: What the Gary Oldman happened to my quote..?

no problem on the single weapon swap. i 5hink i have just enough bits to make the Biker Priest work. the back pack is in rough shape though. i canibalized its headlight and scanner for a jumpriest. i think i can make up for it with a cloud of servoskulls...

No. You can run them in a group of three. Just be aware that they will be a high priority target, so if you run three and any die, you'll lose grav guns. I like to run them in groups of five with a captain out front to tank (so six total). 

No. You can run them in a group of three. Just be aware that they will be a high priority target, so if you run three and any die, you'll lose grav guns. I like to run them in groups of five with a captain out front to tank (so six total). 

Hmm... might be worth picking up another box of them then.  I really wish I'd remembered to dry fit this squadron before assembling my BA tactical squad.  I think I'm totally out of BA torsos at this point.  Quick, Robin, to the eBay cave!

Poking around I found these beauties:

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NTAwWDUwMA==/z/Qt8AAOxy6~BR3DPw/$T2eC16hHJGMFFoPdNhs6BR3DPvppKw~~60_12.JPG

 

A little pricey but I think I'd be willing to splurge on two of these for my Captain and my Priest.  That way I can use my existing fourth bike as an extra wound.

I actually bought an Imperial Jetbike for the very purpose of sitting a Character on it. Might get around to finishing the riders one day smile.png

Those are pretty sexy but the Skyshark is at least 50% cheaper.

EDIT: Just found these as well. I like the sleeker design though they feel a bit flimsier...

http://maxmini.eu/image/cache/data/products/vehicles/gothjetbike-882x630.jpg

Does anyone have any cool ideas as to what could represent a bike that is well... Not a bike or Jetbike? Want something cool and unique but coming up stuck!

 

Difficult to get something in the BA mythos/feeling.  Not like we'd be riding bats :P 

 

 

Bats would be freaking awesome.  Seriously though?  Why not scorpions?  Reaper has an inexpensive Giant Scorpion coming out late winter that would make a kickass mount if converted correctly.

 

Because we are the Emperor's angels of death. We do not... ride... on xenos things. We kill xenos things.

 

Do not require a second warning, brother. It is unseemly for the Sons of Sanguinius to go to shed one another's blood.

I don't have the core book handy but I do have my codex.  Unless there is something under Bike in the core rules we can kit our biker characters any way we like (within their individual limits).  This grants some wonderful flexibility.

 

That being said I plan on incorporating as many wargear options as I can on the bike itself so I have them available should I need to take them as part of my list.  What I'm referring to are things like mounting an Auspex and melta bombs to the bike.  The Ravenwing Command Squad has a lot of great bits for this purpose so I'll be hitting those up.

 

Okay so with all of that in mind here is what I'm thinking:

 

Biker Captain - Artificer Armour; Auspex; Beacon; Grav Pistol; Relic Blade

Biker Priest - Auspex; Grav Pistol; Beacon

Biker Sergeant - Combi-Grav

Bikers x2 - Grav Guns

Biker x1 - generic meat shield

 

Considering Melta Bombs for whomever can take them.  Getting some really interesting conversion ideas for the Priest's bike.

 

Captain takes point to tank the bad stuff.

Grav Monkies in the middle.

Priest in the back with the Meatshield.

I don't have the core book handy but I do have my codex.  Unless there is something under Bike in the core rules we can kit our biker characters any way we like (within their individual limits).  This grants some wonderful flexibility.

 

That being said I plan on incorporating as many wargear options as I can on the bike itself so I have them available should I need to take them as part of my list.  What I'm referring to are things like mounting an Auspex and melta bombs to the bike.  The Ravenwing Command Squad has a lot of great bits for this purpose so I'll be hitting those up.

 

Okay so with all of that in mind here is what I'm thinking:

 

Biker Captain - Artificer Armour; Auspex; Beacon; Grav Pistol; Relic Blade

Biker Priest - Auspex; Grav Pistol; Beacon

Biker Sergeant - Combi-Grav

Bikers x2 - Grav Guns

Biker x1 - generic meat shield

 

Considering Melta Bombs for whomever can take them.  Getting some really interesting conversion ideas for the Priest's bike.

 

Captain takes point to tank the bad stuff.

Grav Monkies in the middle.

Priest in the back with the Meatshield.

 

Don't bother with Grav Pistols if you have Auspexes. Also, dropping the meatshield and reinvesting the points you would have spent on the grav pistols will get you a MM attack bike. Much better.

I'm still not 100% sold on Grav bikers.  I still feel like I'd rather have Melta bikers if I want to deal with armor and Plasma bikers if I want to deal with heavy infantry.  Yeah, there's a point to be made about how good they are at dealing with MCs, but we have so many effective Melta delivery platforms that I can't help but ask "Why?"  It's probably a case of my play style and habbit getting in the way of clear thinking, but when I think bikers and what I would throw them against (and my idea of using bikers is pouring some crippling fire into a unit and then engaging them with the Vet Sarge Power Fist) Grav just sounds like a half assed solution to any problem I would face.  And no, I would just not throw my bikers at a Monstrous Creature.. maybe that's my mistake.  EDIT: But if I'm not assaulting with a Relentless unit with T5 and S+1, why am I taking it?

I'm still not 100% sold on Grav bikers. I still feel like I'd rather have Melta bikers if I want to deal with armor and Plasma bikers if I want to deal with heavy infantry. Yeah, there's a point to be made about how good they are at dealing with MCs, but we have so many effective Melta delivery platforms that I can't help but ask "Why?" It's probably a case of my play style and habbit getting in the way of clear thinking, but when I think bikers and what I would throw them against (and my idea of using bikers is pouring some crippling fire into a unit and then engaging them with the Vet Sarge Power Fist) Grav just sounds like a half assed solution to any problem I would face. And no, I would just not throw my bikers at a Monstrous Creature.. maybe that's my mistake. EDIT: But if I'm not assaulting with a Relentless unit with T5 and S+1, why am I taking it?

Don't forget that +1I! tongue.png

First off, I'm not a salesperson for Grav weapons so I apologise for championing it so much but with Melta, you have to be within 12" and ideally be within 6" (off course if the target has Armoured Ceramite then range is irrelevant) for one shot. Grav on a Bike means you get three shots at 18". Whilst you're likely to penetrate with a Melta and possibly explode the tank, Grav - on a roll of 6 - will immobilise the vehicle and strip off a hull point. Now if you get a second six, that's another hull point and a further hull point as it's already immobilised. Honestly, it all depends what you want. Grav isn't as specialist as either Plasma or Melta, costs more than Melta and if/when you run out of targets then use a different weapon (whereas the others you'll almost always use).

The only thing I can say is try them out one day. I have notoriously bad form with bikers and yet I'm giving them a whirl in my 1500 TAC list. I'm playing against Eldar in five days...

I actually bought an Imperial Jetbike for the very purpose of sitting a Character on it. Might get around to finishing the riders one day smile.png

Those are pretty sexy but the Skyshark is at least 50% cheaper.

EDIT: Just found these as well. I like the sleeker design though they feel a bit flimsier...

http://maxmini.eu/image/cache/data/products/vehicles/gothjetbike-882x630.jpg

Machinator over in Blood and Skulls Industries used to do some, but there's none for sale right now. I think Chapterhouse is still selling some now they can trade again.

What the bleeping bleep is going on with my quote function when using this PC? blink.png

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