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Hello All,

Welcome to another Space Marine blog. But this will not be just another blog detailing the painting and modeling of 10 kajillion tactical marines; no my friends, this will be a bike army!!! To make the deal even sweeter I am going to paint it in the nova marines tradition. This means that they will be quartered blue and bleached bone. **NOTE: That was until I realized I cant paint this worth anything, I am going Imperial Fists**

If you have read this far, you might be interested in the list that I will be building. 2500 pts:
- Captain on a bike w/ Lightning claw (bought, assembled, primed)
- Command Squad on bike

- 6 Space marine Bike Squads (8 man) with attack bike w/ multi melta
- 3 Space marine Attack Bike Squads (3 man) with multi meltas


I haven't figured out weapon options completely, but I have a few points to spend on more melta (although 15 multi meltas seems overkill already). I might make the command squad one of those monsters in close combat, we will see.

My following schedule is as follows:
-Purchase models (by Aug 15)
-Assemble models (by Aug 25)
-Paint Models (By Dec 25) (A christmas gift to me)

Now this is no small feat for me. there are 15 attack bikes and 54 standard bikes, and making everything look awesome (at least as awesome as my meager painting skills allow) especially when I choose to quarter the marines. Now the bikes are going to be halved and I am going to put the nova marines skull and halo symbol on the back of the bike. **NOTE: again I am a sucky painter and cannot do Nova Marines, I am going Imperial Fists**

As you might be aware, I have assembled and primed my captain, I plan on finishing him today or tomorrow and I will post pictures of him then. Happy Hunting All!

this should be quite impressive. I am looking forward to the outcome. good luck!

i accept your challenge sir, prepare to be defeated

so nova marines + my painting skills = EPIC FAIL. I found myself failing on how to paint bleached bone. Then the blue didn't come out right, all in all I failed at that. So instead I will be painting imperial fists. Yellow and Red... That should be easier (no really it should). pics should be up later tonight on the captain though.

Sounds excited

Hope you have fun!

Cheers,

Jack.

If you included Khan ( or perhaps a captain of your own creation that counts as khan) then you could legally field this as an army.

I await images with baited breath.

@corpsesarefun:

Just a regular captain on a bike allows bikes that have units bigger than 5 to be fielded as troops. Its a legal list. Thanks though. Pictures coming later tonight, stay tuned.

Grey Knight Luke wrote:@corpsesarefun:

Just a regular captain on a bike allows bikes that have units bigger than 5 to be fielded as troops. Its a legal list. Thanks though. Pictures coming later tonight, stay tuned.

Yeah i noticed that when i reread your like and my codex
sorry

Grey Knight Luke wrote:so nova marines + my painting skills = EPIC FAIL. I found myself failing on how to paint bleached bone. Then the blue didn't come out right, all in all I failed at that. So instead I will be painting imperial fists. Yellow and Red... That should be easier (no really it should). pics should be up later tonight on the captain though.

I've found that painting Bleached Bone over a basecoat of white or a 25/75 - 20/80 mix of Snakebite with Skull White makes it sit reasonably well. It's still hit or miss, but I've found that either of these improve adhereance and reduce 'bald patches'. The mixed leather/white will also come out with a slightly darker coat, which IMO looks better on SM

Chaos black undercoat > snakebite leather > bubonic brown > bleached bone

this method is the best if to paint that colour imo, good luck on the project though, it sounds good.

I know that I am a few days late... But I am giving you not only my captain, but another biker.

Questions and Comments? I hope you like them, but if you think they suck then please tell me. Do you think they are tabletop quality? I am not expecting to win any Golden Demons anytime soon, but I would like not to lose points in a tournament because of them.

I know the transfers are shiny, I haven't sprayed the matte finish on them yet. I am trying to get my attack bike done.

I'd say it's a good start. Now I just have to finish all my Crimson Fist and the Bloody Canaries will have a team and the Fists of Fury Duo will be complete!

Well It has been a while since I have updated this thread, nearly a month!!! It's ok, I doubt the mods are going to kill me for thread necromancy on my blog. So life has basically got in the way of my hobby, I have school and all that jazz which creates an environment where painting is on the backburner. Still I have kept on schedule.

I have built all of my bikes, although I toned the list down to 2000 points.

1 Captain with a lightning claw- painted!!!
1 command squad
8 bikers with 2 meltaguns- 3 painted
8 bikers with 2 meltaguns
8 bikers with 2 meltaguns
8 bikers with 2 meltaguns
8 bikers with 2 meltaguns
4 bikers with 2 meltaguns
5 attackbikes with multimeltas-1 painted

Last tuesday I pulled out a win with these guys and I was pretty happy. I am still getting used to this army, they are very unforgiving, it is almost a glass jaw, but the punch this army has is something people only dream of. I just wanted to let everyone know that I was still working on this list. Thanks. I will post some pictures later today.

Just a question.. why would you give your captian a single lightning claw? You lose a bonus attack because of it. I would either give him a powerfist for the bumped strenght or just a power weapon for the added attack.
Something else. Yes melta guns do kick butt these days but why not make a few of your bikere squads with plasma guns instead. Gives you a bit of added ranged firepower. someting you seriously lack at the moment.
If this was my army I would drop the 4 man bike squad for 2 landspeeders with typhoon missle launchers and multi-meltas, this gives you a little added ranged firepower(versus footslogging troops with the missles) plus flying MM to deepstrike or at least hop far into enemy lines(hopefulyl hahaha), plus it gives you 10 points to turn 2 mela guns to plasmas.

Just my 2 cents

@ nicorex:

- I gave my captain a lightning claw because it was cheaper than a relic blade and better than a regular power weapon (bikes can rapid fire and charge so I lose that extra attack anyway). Personally I think putting a powerfist on your only I5 character is a total waste of points, why nerf your own guy.

-I don't like plasma guns on my squads for a variety of reasons. 1) gets hot is stupid, why kill your own guys? 2) bikes are already pretty decent at killing infantry (being able to double tap and charge) why should I make them even more infantry killy?

-As for putting meltaguns on my squads, I want you to take a look at the bike entry and think of what exactly bikes are laking in. THATS RIGHT anti-armor. With the speed of bikes, they are perfectly positioned to use meltaguns to their utmost efficency. Why 3? Simply because redundancy is the quickest way to make sure that when you shoot at a tank, the tank goes down. Redundancy wins in W40k. Furthermore, with melta my bikes now have a good dual role, which is (average) anti infantry and (strong) anti-tank. Can 1 biker unit take everything down? no, but it is equipped to deal with pretty much every threat.

-For the landspeeder comment, I would urge you to look at the beauty and synergy that is the all bike list. Look at all of them, see how they all are bikes? Why would you ruin that? I am building a pure bike army for asthetic reasons, while a landspeeder might help, I think all bikes can be competative, and I want to learn this way of gaming.

Here is your change.

Grey Knight Luke wrote:- I gave my captain a lightning claw because it was cheaper than a relic blade and better than a regular power weapon (bikes can rapid fire and charge so I lose that extra attack anyway). Personally I think putting a powerfist on your only I5 character is a total waste of points, why nerf your own guy.

First off, you don't lose a bonus attack for rapid-firing then charging. What did you read that made you think you did? Secondly, losing the I5 doesn't really matter against, say a tank. Or if going first at S4 would do you little good anyway. I agree about the lightning claws though, helps keep carnifexes from auto-winning (though they'll mash 2-3 guys a turn). Let's look at the math real quick:
-Lightning Claw's 3 attacks hit a T6 carnifex twice and wound 0.61 times. the Power sword's 4 attacks hit 2.667 times and wound 0.44 times. That's a 28% improvement, people.
-Let's see the same thing vs. WS<5 T4; claw hits 2 times, wounds 1.5 times. Power sword hits 2.667 times, wounds 1.3335 times. 11% better.

Best part is, I was all ready to argue with you about how +1 attack is, in fact, better than rerolled wounds. But look, math says you're on to something. Kudos

As for the bikers vs. anti-infantry, let's play a little game; I like to call it "Will it Blend, 40k style". You try out your unit(s) against a unit of 30 boyz w/ a PK, and see how things go. If they go well, you're ok for hordes. if they don't, you'll probably need to change something.

1:1 point ratio: we've got your 8 bikers with 2 meltaguns at 235 vs. 30 boyz w/ PK+bosspole for 220. Lets be generous, and assume orks are out of cover (unlikely), and you get the shots and charge (likely). 16 bolter shots (you'll want to fire 2 more TL bolters not the meltas. trust me), 14.22 hits, 7.11 die (we'll round down to 5). Then you charge, attacking 17 times. You hit 8.5, wound 4.25, and kill 3.5 (we'll round this up to 4 to make up for the shooting). They attack back with 18 boyz (54 attacks), hitting 30, wounding 4.5, and killing 1.5 (rounds to 2). The PK goes, hitting 1.5 times, and killing 1.25 marines (rounding down to keep things even). You killed 4, they killed 3. They probably lose another boy to No Retreat, and that's it. They're down to 18, you're down to 5. Next turn you'll kill 2 or 3, they'll probably kill 3 more, and you'll either grind each other to their victory of numbers the following turn, or you'll be broken. With losses of around half their squad when they finish the bikers, and all situational variables in your favour (no cover for them, your shooting/charging), I'd say that puts them in the lead 8 bikes vs. 30 boyz.

We could discuss multicharges (which you're very capable of, being so quick), and countercharges (which boyz are capable of, taking up so much table space), but then we have to talk about all of their Lootas, nobz and battlewagons, which you really don't have a tactically comperable version of in your army, the discuss would likely not go in your favour.

In the end, the bikers did far, FAR better than I expected (the TL'ing of the bolters and the T5 got you a long way), but I would also argue that 12 meltas and 5 multimeltas is just rediculous. They say 5e is the age of meltas, but you seem to forget the consensus is exactly the same on flamers. This is what I would do, if I wanted to stick to the list's concept:

Drop an attack bike, run them as 2 units of 2. 2 multimeltas only have an 11% chance of missing completely, and with a 24" threat radius they'll be able to mash tanks just fine. Bump the squad of 4 up to 6 so they can be troops. I would also cut 3 of the 8-man squads down to dual flamers; they'll do much better than meltas against anything with more than 5 bodies. In fact, 2 flamer templates only need 3.33 hits each to equal the kills of 2 meltas hitting marines out of cover. If the marines are in cover, the flamers need a laughable 1.66 hits each to match the meltas. Think about how easy it is to get 5 or 6 hits with a flamer on a 10-man squad when you move 12".....

I dunno what the story is with that command squad, I hope they're not naked like you wrote them to be plasmaguns would be sickening in this unit, as the narthecium works vs. get's hot wounds (which you'll only suffer one in every 36 shots; rapid fire 3 plasmaguns every turn for a 6 turn game, and you might lose 1). I'd try to scrounge up the points to fit, say, 3 plasmaguns and a second lightning claw in there. Then your HQ can be your elites hunter; take on things like terminators and carnifexes; 6 plasmagun shots and 7 lightning claw attacks can be nasty. You could drop a 2nd attack bike (run 3 single bikes, much harder to kill them all) and convert 2 squads to flamers; that gives you 70 points to buy 3 plasmaguns, a lightning claw, and give 3 of them meltabombs (or give them to the flamer squad's sargeants if you like). Stun/immobilize a vehicle with the plasmas, then kaBOOM it with auto-hit meltabombs.





Let this post be a lesson to everyone (myself included!). Always look at the math of an option before you decide if it's worth it.

Well let me start off by saying thanks!

Grey Knight Luke wrote:
- I gave my captain a lightning claw because it was cheaper than a relic blade and better than a regular power weapon (bikes can rapid fire and charge so I lose that extra attack anyway). Personally I think putting a powerfist on your only I5 character is a total waste of points, why nerf your own guy.

1) what i meant by losing a bonus attack was the bolt pistol power weapon thing. I still get 4 attacks on the charge.

2) against the ork hoarde, well if I played it that way, sure I would lose. What if I chose to fail my morale check on his assault phase (if I lost) which I can because of the combat tactics. run away, turn around because of ATSKNF, twin link fire the bolters and assault again. Add in multi charges, I can kill ork hoards. Bikes don't engage the entire army, thats stupid. Bikes engage parts of the army, swarming that part of the army. So yes you are correct with your math, but I will not play that way.

3)I do like your ideas about flamers...

4)Command squad has champion, 3 power weapons, and a powerfist. it really is an assault unit. I chose power weapons because i did not have enough power armor lightning claws. powerfist is there to get out of dreadnoughts.

5)Call me hard headed but I cannot and will not run plasmaguns.

Grey Knight Luke wrote:
5)Call me hard headed but I cannot and will not run plasmaguns.

That's up to you, but you can't meltagun down ALL the monstrous creatures

Grey Knight Luke wrote:against the ork hoarde, well if I played it that way, sure I would lose. What if I chose to fail my morale check on his assault phase (if I lost) which I can because of the combat tactics. run away, turn around because of ATSKNF, twin link fire the bolters and assault again. Add in multi charges, I can kill ork hoards. Bikes don't engage the entire army, thats stupid. Bikes engage parts of the army, swarming that part of the army. So yes you are correct with your math, but I will not play that way.

Haha hey, don't call it my way, I'd never play bikers like that either! The problem with ATSKNF is that you have to actually lose before you can chose to fail a Ld check (wouldn't happen on the turn you charge). 30 boys will explode if you throw 8 bikers w/ flamers, AND the command squad or another 8-man squad in there, likely allowing you to be free by your next turn to turbocharge the hell out of there

Grey Knight Luke wrote:1) what i meant by losing a bonus attack was the bolt pistol power weapon thing. I still get 4 attacks on the charge.

The captain would get 5 attacks on the charge with a power sword; 3 base, +1 charge, +1 power weapon/bolt pistol (you trade in his chainsword for a power weapon). The pistol counts as a CCW, and the power weapon has the caveat that you don't need a second of the same to get the bonus attack.

Grey Knight Luke wrote:4)Command squad has champion, 3 power weapons, and a powerfist. it really is an assault unit. I chose power weapons because i did not have enough power armor lightning claws. powerfist is there to get out of dreadnoughts.

Damn son, that's a lot of power weapon attacks ever thought about adding in a chaplain? More PW attacks, and better yet rerolled hits. I would like to see some stormshields in there somewhere as well, as a stray lascannon shot can cost you a PW vet right quick, and don't get me started on AP3 or better large blasts


As a side note, am I the only one who wants to try an Epistolary Librarian on a bike, with Null Zone and The Avenger? As a matter of fact, a Librarian with force dome in the command squad would be pretty tasty....

YES!!! I want to run a libby on a bike, but with there being no model, as well as some of the libby models looking like gak, I havent decided on a conversion yet. I was thinking possibly doing a conversion with the ezekiel model, but i don't want to cut a plastic model in half to fit onto the biker legs, and it would just be a freaking mess.

The chaplain on a bike IS a piece of crap model and I hate it.

I am considering running Kahn, but I hate doing proxy stuff, and I dont want there to be one white scars guy.

Right now though my list is at a perfect 2k. I am going to play this list for another 8 or 9 games before i decide to change anything. If the meltas work they work, if I need flamers I will find out.

But if you have any ideas for a libby conversion I am up for hearing it.

Oh and i am thinking about adding storm shields but I just don't want to push my command squad that far over 300 pts. it will just throw off the balance of my army. I need more bikes not less.

Is that Captain running rough-shod over a hapless pointy-headed Eldar on his bike?

...AWESOME!!!

yes I wanted my captain to be doing a wheelie type thing but when only 1 wheel is glued to the base there is not much holding it on, and I didn't want to pin it or anything like that, the Dire avenger is actually holding him up.

For future wheelie-popping reference, you can probably cut up into the back wheel and pin it with an old flying stand or something. Just figure out where you want the wheel to contact then drill a hole and glue a flying stand as far into the body of the model as you can. then cut the leftovers off down to a stub, cut a hole in the stand where you want it, and glue the stub into the base. If you don't have a drill bit handy or anything like that, even just turning an xacto knife does a decent enough job drilling the softish plastic minis are made of. He looks better mashing an Eldar though

GREAT, next time I am going to make the captain on a flying base!!! like he is doing a jump!!! and I will put a terrified imperial guardsman underneath him... or a tau warrior. I need to work on how to paint a shadow though.

Alright new updates!! Squad 1 is done!! and here are a few pictures. A few of these bikes didn't come out to the level that I wanted (some of the transfers didn't go on great, oh well). Here they are, tell me what you think! The sarge came out well i think.

I approve.... bikes take FOREVER to paint so I have been delaying painting my BA bikes for ages... props to you for your tenacity!

well fox I have 55 models.

I currently have 10 finished. So while I have almost 1/5 of my models finished, there is a lot LOT more to do. when it is all done, 55 bikes on the field is going to take up a lot of space for a 2k list. Should be fun to play, and when it is all painted, my opponents will hopefully not scoff me as much.

55 bikes is going to take up a lot of space for a 2k list? Lol, my main army is guard now... THAT takes up space...

It could be worse... you could have to paint 50 infantry in a week like I had to... to meet a deadline for a tournament! I don't know if my back and neck will ever recover.

You'll be fine. Bike lists are like fencing as opposed to my list's bludgeoning: it takes more finesse but can be much more precise.

I am actually SO excited about my bike list, I played one game already and had a lot of fun. There is a LOT of stuff that I need to learn to tweak my army to make it work right. Oh and I really really like the yellow.

Looking good... Diggin' the laurels on the Vet.

ya i totally stole the idea from you. I went with a snot green and then highlighted the "vein" with gobo green. it looks pretty good in person. I can't wait to play your tanks, its going to be crazy... i hope you dont blow me to smitherins.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
its late so I might not be in the right mindset to think about it but here it is. I might have made a big mistake with spamming units. The idea comes from BOLS here: http://www.belloflostsouls.net/2009/08/40kwfb-tactica-to-spam-or-not-to-spam.html

Now how do bikes become divergent and not spam? Can they? or are they forever relagated to boring spamming tactics. I put meltas in the squad to attempt to create some flexability and redundancy within my squads, and if i take meltas out will it fail to kill tanks (the answer to that is yes).

Will i be giving my opponents boring games because i am spamming the same units? will veteran players be bored because they do not have to make tough tactical decisions? will I be instantly relagated to a list that cannot tactically preform?

I will be thinking about this for a while trying to decide what the best course of action is, any help from you dakkaites would be much appreciated.