Assault Squad VS. Bike Squad

[Storm&Swords]

To start with, I have just started a Blood Angles after 11 years as an Imperial Guard player, and I have always wondered which one is more flexible? I have always wondered because im looking through the codex and i still cant decide which  would offer the most flexibility for a fast hard hitting army?

 

Any and all help would be great

 

cheers 

[Kaedes Nex]

Bikes are more flexible, but assault marines can do certain things bikes can't. Assault marines have the ability to reroll charge ranges and to jump over terrain and buildings, but bikes are better, stronger, tougher, get jink, and get bolters instead of bolt pistols, as well as Relentless and I believe gravity weapons now for BA.

 

But jump marines are just too cool. And if you're playing BA, you pretty much have to pick them over bikes. What kind of son of Sanguinius would you be otherwise? Even the chapter master wears a jump pack.

[Hyuzanriu]

     I have always hated bikes. The thought that a person would ride a motorcycle into battle is retarded. Jump packs actually have some real-world strategic advantage. Despite this, I would say take bikes if you want the better of the two units. They are far better on the table than Assault marines.

[markham82]

Bikes actually have real application in war. During the bushwar the South African Defence Force had motorcycle recon and patrol units riding bikes. Some guys even mounted rifles similar to what marines do, and no I don't have any pics of such bikes.

 

If you want something retarded look at a landspeeder with a heavy flamer ( from a practical viewpoint)

 

As for choosing between bikes and jumppacks it depends on what you want. If you need a shooty unit go bikes if assault go jumppacks

[Hyuzanriu]

     I find myself questioning how often those South African Defence Force soldiers actually willing entered a firefight while riding their motorcycles. A motorcycle has practical uses during war, but not during battle. But I fear this may drive the thread off-topic.

[Kaedes Nex]

To be fair, strapping jet turbines on your back doesn't have much practical value in actual combat either. The point of both jump packs and motorcycle being in the game isn't because they're realistic or practical, it's because they're badass. Different strokes for different folks. I like jump packs more than motorcycles, but Doom Rider, Lobo, Ghost Rider, and other fictional characters that do epic battle atop a metal steed are still badass.

 

Also remember that 40K essentially started as WHFB in space. Cavalry and mounts are a big part of historical warfare and fantasy/WHFB. The bike is just the 40K version of the horse. Yes, I know Rough Riders have actual horses. The Astartes motorcycles also aren't regular motorcycles. They're more like rocket tanks. They can plow through concrete and go faster than the fastest modern cars and motorcycles. That's why only Astartes can ride them well with their superhuman reaction time and senses, and even then only a handful of chapters ride them expertly.

[Ulrik_Ironfist]

I'm kind of warming up to the bikes. Since I have some ravenwing bikers that I'm thinking about taking into my wolves. Wolf Guard on bikes, would be a nice compliment to Thunderwolf Cavalry. I love assault marines too though, I have a ten man unit of WG/Skyclaws that I like to take split into five man teams. I really like taking them as wolf guard, since I get 8 elites slots, and +1 WS in CoF, they become horrific in CC. I think bikes would work well too, given that they're T5, and have the TL bolters. Give them BP/CCW and they gain an extra attack, and get hammer of wrath. That's a hard unit to kill.