Ravenwing Bike Squad Loadouts

[Endgame]

Hi all,

 

I've been a deathwing junky since 3rd edition, and have added some green wing but I've never really gotten into raven wing. I ended up getting a couple of batches of dark vengeance of bikes that I'm feeling like using. I'm thinking my winning squad load out is something like this:

 

Bike Sergeant w/ Combi Plasma

2x Bikes w/ Plasma

2x Bikes with Chainswords

 

But, I have a few questions.

 

1) The sergeant options in the codex are limited to pistols and melee weapons, right? In which case, any other index load out is likely obsolete and maybe I shouldn't spend the time converting?

2) If I want to fire a bolt pistol from a bike, it means I can't fire the bike bolters, right? In which case, it means there is really no reason to use bolt pistols over chain swords.

3) Any love for melta out there, or is Plasma really the best option?

[Helycon]

Hi all,

 

I've been a deathwing junky since 3rd edition, and have added some green wing but I've never really gotten into raven wing. I ended up getting a couple of batches of dark vengeance of bikes that I'm feeling like using. I'm thinking my winning squad load out is something like this:

 

Bike Sergeant w/ Combi Plasma

2x Bikes w/ Plasma

2x Bikes with Chainswords

 

But, I have a few questions.

 

1) The sergeant options in the codex are limited to pistols and melee weapons, right? In which case, any other index load out is likely obsolete and maybe I shouldn't spend the time converting?

2) If I want to fire a bolt pistol from a bike, it means I can't fire the bike bolters, right? In which case, it means there is really no reason to use bolt pistols over chain swords.

3) Any love for melta out there, or is Plasma really the best option?

Since the option for the Sargeant exists in the codex, it can still be used. You use the points in the codex, however.

 

Pistols can still be used in the shooting phase, even when in close combat, so there is the advantage. A bolt pistol is less efficient than a chainsword, as the former can only be used in YOUR shooting phase, whereas the latter can be used in both your fight phase and your opponent's fight phase and add the extra attack. Since the profile is the same, the chainsword wins. A plamsa pistol does cost more, but has more impact. In any other situation, the Bolters on the bike should be used for more shots, more range at the same profile.

 

And melta is still good, but it's range can be a limiting factor. Plasma just does it all very well: range, strength, AP, and damage when overcharged and buffed with WftDA. You can advance melta on Ravenwing bike squads though, since they're assault 1.

[Berzul]

Best loadout seems to keep being:

 

Sgt with Chainsword or a Power Weapon

2 Plasma Guns

Chainswords all around

 

Fair enough hitting power should you get the drop on some skirimishing units, or should you get jumped by someone for a turn

Good rate of fire, AP and damage all around

 

Grav Guns have lost a lot of their value for me from 7th edition. Flamers are waaaay to short ranged. I think they are better served in speeders that can fly away. Melta is good, but I tend to prefer plasma, and leave the high D weapons to my devastators or Dreadnoughts. Or, if Melta is the focus, I'd rather go for 3 Multi Melta Attack Bikes. Unpopular choice, but its just what I prefer to use.

[Orkinstein]

If I go for 2 special weapons and 1 combi-weapon, I will add a HB attackbike to the squad.

 

No only for meat shield, I found that HB attackbike also have very good damage output thanks for twin-bolter. An attackbike with HB is 47 points and a black knight is 46.

 

VS MEQ (if not super charge, and moved):

Black Knight 36": 0.00W  24": 0.00W  18": 0.74W  12": 0.74W

AttackBike    36": 0.50W  24": 0.72W  18": 0.72W  12": 0.94W

 

VS GEQ (if not super charge, and moved)

Black Knight 36": 0.00W  24": 0.00W  18": 1.11W  12": 1.11W

AttackBike    36": 0.83W  24": 1.42W  18": 1.42W  12": 2.02W

 

Also Attackbike has 4W. Not to many weapons can kill it with 1 shoot.

[sneakybamsen]

I assembled 12 bikers just the other day from bits I had picked up for just under the equivalent of 60$. They're not in pristine condition, 6 of the models are DV ones, but once primed and painted, they should be alright. Some are missing bases, 6 of them in fact, but that's no biggie, as I'll have to rebase what I have done anyways, due to my scout bikers being on the new cavalry bases. Can't have scout bikers on bigger bases than ravenwing. I made 2 plasma gunners, 2 melta gunners, a combi plasma sarge, a chainsword sarge and the rest are wielding chainswords.

 

So now I have:

2 plasma guns

2 melta guns

2 grav guns

2 chainsword sergeants

1 combi-plasma sergeant

3 ravenwing bikers without visible weapons (they've got chainswords, not many opponents will want to say they don't)

6 bikers wielding chainswords

 

Nudges the total to 18, with which I have a lot of flexibility. Didn't do a storm bolter sergeant (even though sotrm bolters are awesome), as I am no longer certain that equipment outside the box is going to be viable in the long run. Can field up to 3 squads of varying sizes with the guns I want or just 2 squad with pure chainswords. Especally considering the price I paid, I'm rather chuffed.

[BrotherChris]

I have 3 bikes from Dark Vengeance and using them has been a rather underwhelming experience for me. They're good for harassing and objctive grabbing, but they never affected the course of battle. There is one thing I consider however and it's rearming them with flamers and sergeant with a combi flamer. That would mean 3D6 flamer hits + all the bolter shots, even after advancing because of stratagem. This could potentially eliminate some screen units on turn 1. Has anyone tried it? I can't decide if it's even worth the effort or should I drop the bikes completely in favour of something more hard-hitting.

[BlackTriton]

Im supprised how much you guys invest in your bikers! That did not work out for me.

What did work for me is one large (6 or 9) unit, with ChainSwords. They advance, speed of the raven, shoot and assault chaff turn one. They kill chaff but more importantly they deny movement.

 

I usually only have one ravenwing element in a list and biker worked better for me than black Knight.

[sneakybamsen]

I have 3 bikes from Dark Vengeance and using them has been a rather underwhelming experience for me. They're good for harassing and objctive grabbing, but they never affected the course of battle. There is one thing I consider however and it's rearming them with flamers and sergeant with a combi flamer. That would mean 3D6 flamer hits + all the bolter shots, even after advancing because of stratagem. This could potentially eliminate some screen units on turn 1. Has anyone tried it? I can't decide if it's even worth the effort or should I drop the bikes completely in favour of something more hard-hitting.

 

3 bikers on their own are not going to achieve too much, I'll give you that. If you want them to kill stuff, you either load them with special weapons (plasma or melta), drive them in hard and shoot at their target. After that, they're most likely dead, so that would be a min squad suiciding. Personally I have more faith in a bigger squad with chainswords as mentioned by BlackTriton, but small squads are good for objective grabbing (though scout bikers are slightly cheaper, faster and shoot better at chaff with shotguns, no speed of the raven for them however and no jink save).

 

The flamer variant might sound luring, but it's not worth it in my opinion.

 

If I were to drive a unit up the board like described, I think I'd save the command point and get scout bikers instead.

[facmanpob]

I'm currently running 1 max bike squad with HBAB (Power sword on the Sergeant, Chainswords on the bikers, no special weapons) and 1 3-bike squad with meltaguns and MMAB. They are supported by a Talonmaster, Black Knights and a Dark Talon. The army is rounded out by some Greenwing elements to provide backfield long range shooting support.

 

In the first turn the big bike squad advances 20", gets Speed of the Raven, shoots and charges what it can. The meltabikes reposition to stay out of LoS and try to get into melta range in Turn 2. The BKs advance and get ready to have Speed of the Raven on Turn 2. I'm 2 wins in a row against Primaris Ultramarines and World Eaters with this setup and I'm enjoying it a lot.

[march10k]

Just when I gave in and bought FW grav guns for my ravenwing squad, 8th rolled around and I ripped them back off. It's back to meltas for me now.  When I run the bikes.  Mostly, I don't.

[Endgame]

 

I assembled 12 bikers just the other day from bits I had picked up for just under the equivalent of 60$. They're not in pristine condition, 6 of the models are DV ones, but once primed and painted, they should be alright. Some are missing bases, 6 of them in fact, but that's no biggie, as I'll have to rebase what I have done anyways, due to my scout bikers being on the new cavalry bases. Can't have scout bikers on bigger bases than ravenwing. I made 2 plasma gunners, 2 melta gunners, a combi plasma sarge, a chainsword sarge and the rest are wielding chainswords.

 

So now I have:

2 plasma guns

2 melta guns

2 grav guns

2 chainsword sergeants

1 combi-plasma sergeant

3 ravenwing bikers without visible weapons (they've got chainswords, not many opponents will want to say they don't)

6 bikers wielding chainswords

 

Nudges the total to 18, with which I have a lot of flexibility. Didn't do a storm bolter sergeant (even though sotrm bolters are awesome), as I am no longer certain that equipment outside the box is going to be viable in the long run. Can field up to 3 squads of varying sizes with the guns I want or just 2 squad with pure chainswords. Especally considering the price I paid, I'm rather chuffed.

 

The combi plasma is just as uncertain as the stormbolter, right? The triple plasma squad seems to be the most interesting to me, otherwise Scout Bikes seem to be the better buy (though giving up Jink and Speed of the Raven is a big deal)

[Dark_Master]

Just when I gave in and bought FW grav guns for my ravenwing squad, 8th rolled around and I ripped them back off. It's back to meltas for me now. When I run the bikes. Mostly, I don't.

Ditto on the grav guns

[sneakybamsen]

 

I assembled 12 bikers just the other day from bits I had picked up for just under the equivalent of 60$. They're not in pristine condition, 6 of the models are DV ones, but once primed and painted, they should be alright. Some are missing bases, 6 of them in fact, but that's no biggie, as I'll have to rebase what I have done anyways, due to my scout bikers being on the new cavalry bases. Can't have scout bikers on bigger bases than ravenwing. I made 2 plasma gunners, 2 melta gunners, a combi plasma sarge, a chainsword sarge and the rest are wielding chainswords.

 

So now I have:

2 plasma guns

2 melta guns

2 grav guns

2 chainsword sergeants

1 combi-plasma sergeant

3 ravenwing bikers without visible weapons (they've got chainswords, not many opponents will want to say they don't)

6 bikers wielding chainswords

 

Nudges the total to 18, with which I have a lot of flexibility. Didn't do a storm bolter sergeant (even though sotrm bolters are awesome), as I am no longer certain that equipment outside the box is going to be viable in the long run. Can field up to 3 squads of varying sizes with the guns I want or just 2 squad with pure chainswords. Especally considering the price I paid, I'm rather chuffed.

 

The combi plasma is just as uncertain as the stormbolter, right? The triple plasma squad seems to be the most interesting to me, otherwise Scout Bikes seem to be the better buy (though giving up Jink and Speed of the Raven is a big deal)

 

 

Yeah, the combi weapons are not part of the kit either, but at least the combi's are available in the codex, the storm bolter is not (that was my reference point). The club I play in does host minor tournaments on a regular basis where index stuff is banned if you have a codex, so no stormbolter sergeants on bikes for me. That's why I try to not build too much with index options now.

[Phaeton]

Sergeant with storm bolter + 2 bikers. Only 83 points for scoring, 16 bolter shots in rapidfire range and engaging enemy shooty platforms in hth.

I am going to use this in the upcoming 750 point tournament on Sunday.

[sneakybamsen]

3 scout bikers do 18 shots in rapidfire range and are cheaper and faster. And hit the same in close combat while also having pistols they can shoot if locked in. Lack ravenwing keyword though. Just to give perspective. I'm using a squad of three for harassment/objective grabbing in the league I'm playing in.

[Phaeton]

3 scout bikers do 18 shots in rapidfire range and are cheaper and faster. And hit the same in close combat while also having pistols they can shoot if locked in. Lack ravenwing keyword though. Just to give perspective. I'm using a squad of three for harassment/objective grabbing in the league I'm playing in.

 

But with Ravenwing bikers I can move 20", then shoot the screen and engage enemy tank/devastators. They are the only Ravenwing models in my roster, so I can afford using the stratagem on them.