Ultramarine Cavalry

[Brother Captain Ed]

Brothers,

I am tinkering around with a spearhead detachment of "cavalry" on bikes to support either a traditional space marine battleline or perhaps my IG regiment. However, GW, in their infinite wisdom, has decided that if a captain gets on a bike, he can't draw a relic blade from the armory. Crap.

Since a biker captain wants to be roaming the battlefield, up close to the enemy, bullying soft targets, and solving the problems of harder targets I want something with more Ooomph than a power weapon. So...what is the best choice for this daring hero:

• The Shield Eternal and a thunderhammer
• A storm shield and the Teeth of Terra
• Or something else altogether?

Edited September 29, 2017 by Brother Captain Ed

[Prot]

I wish I had good advice but I always hated playing Space Marines on bikes but in 7th they were just so darn good. Now there's no need and it know you can't plop Guilliman on a bike. I have to wonder what set you on this idea for 8th, all of things considered.

[Brother Captain Ed]

I was an actual cavalryman in the Army.  I like models that move fast, hit hard, and cause problems.

Also, I play in a SOFT meta.  I have to give Guilliman a rest or I won't have a meta.

[Freman Bloodglaive]

Thunder hammer/storm shield is a good combination for a biker Captain. Hitting on 3+, re-rolling 1s, strength 8, -3AP, 3 damage.

[Freman Bloodglaive]

He can take a relic blade, just not a storm shield and relic blade at the same time.

[Brother Captain Ed]

He can take a relic blade, just not a storm shield and relic blade at the same time.

Recheck the dataslate for Captain on Bike.

[Freman Bloodglaive]

As per Venerable Dreadnoughts with dual autocannons, if the option isn't in the Codex, but is in the Index, you can take it.

[Captain Idaho]

Take a Lightning claw or power fist/thunder hammer so I suppose. I love Relic Blades though.

 

Maybe the Teeth of Terra? It's a fairly nifty item. Only problem I have with it is it replaces the Sanctic Halo.

[Frater Cornelius]

Scout Bikes ars very solid. Decent price, loads of dakka, got a MW Stratagem and synergizes well with UM CT.

[Stoic Raptor]

I'd probably go with Storm Shield/Teeth of Terra myself.

I'll echo the recommendation for Scout Bikers, and I think Ultramarines lend themselves well to the fast-moving, strike-and-fade tactics that make cavalry effective.  Sure, we're no White Scars but the Chapter Tactics and Warlord Trait can lend themselves well to hit-and-run.

[Daigo Cannon]

Battle scribe allow me to equip a Captain on bike with a relic blade.

[Captain Idaho]

Battlescribe is referring to the Indexes and the Codex books together.

[Brother Captain Ed]

Never rely on battle scribe for pretty much anything.

[Freman Bloodglaive]

Battlescribe puts the Index and Codex together, because that's how the list is played now. Codex, for models that are in GW's current range. Index, for models that they used to make but no longer do.

[Captain Idaho]

Although GW's own Throne of Skulls tournament pack stipulates we can only use the latest rules for their event. It reveals the true thoughts behind such matters - it's just legacy stuff.

 

As time goes by, legacy units and choices will diminish into extinction.

[Frater Cornelius]

Unless they release new boxes.

[Welf1984]

Although GW's own Throne of Skulls tournament pack stipulates we can only use the latest rules for their event. It reveals the true thoughts behind such matters - it's just legacy stuff.

 

As time goes by, legacy units and choices will diminish into extinction.

 Apparently biker armies are considered legacy now and are set to die out. No chaplain, techmarine, librarian or apothecary on bike in the codex. Which is annoying since I bought the chaplain for christmas on the online store, and spend hours customized the apothecary recently.

[Stoic Raptor]

That's why I don't give two figs about tournaments - out of one side of their mouth GW says "you can play with any model in your collection and we haven't made anything obsolete", and out of the other side they say "...but this isn't allowed and neither is that - but you can still buy three kits to convert the model, you just can't play with it!"