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So, this is a homebrew unit that I'm planning on making models for. I don't know dick about Forgeworld IG, so hopefully they haven't already thought of this. lol

The purpose of this unit is to fill a hole in the Imperial Guard army design, that hole being mobility. The Guard suffer from being ponderously slow, and you have to pay quite a lot for quick units, which usually aren't even all that durable. This unit is designed to fix that problem by being a fast and cheap support unit.

Hermes Desert Patrol Vehicle

17 points
Bike-Infantry

WS3/ BS3/ Str3/ T4 / W1 / A1 / Ini3 / Ld7 / 4+sv

Wargear
Heavy Stubber
Camo-Netting

Special Rules
Scout
Forward Observer: At the start of the shooting phase, a unit of Desert Patrol Vehicles may choose to spot a target instead of firing their weapons. If the unit decides to do this, it must make a leadership test; if it passes, the unit may select one enemy unit within 18'' and line-of-sight to be spotted. For the duration of that shooting phase, barrage weapons fired at spotted units roll 1d6 for scatter distance instead of the normal 2d6.

Options
- Up to 2 additional Desert Patrol Vehicles may be purchased at 17 points per model.
- Any Desert Patrol Vehicle may replace its heavy stubber with an autocannon at 10 points per model.
- Any Desert Patrol Vehicle may replace its heavy stubber with an heavy flamer at 10 points per model.

Why don't you make ww2 style bikers with a gun cockpit. 2 wounds t4, 2 attacks, tl lazgun and a heavy stubber, 4+ armor.
Could cost around 20 pts with scout and still be fine imo. But get rid of cammo netting. How are you imagining it...on a bike?!

Canonically Sentinels and Tauros Scout Cars fulfil this role, but as rules for Guard bikers, they're pretty cool.

I'd change Forward Observer to affect "all friendly barrage weapons" rather than naming specific vehicles, since that would mean it works for Gryphons, Bombards, etc.

I'd also, yeah, drop the Camo Netting, because a camo net, on a bike, it does not work.

They're actually Dune Buggies, not bikes. I'm using the bike-infantry rules because mechanically they best represent what I want- I considered making them fast vehicles but I felt like AV10 would make them too durable against small-arms.

Good point about ordinance, I'd forgotten Forge World shenanigans. Fixed.

I'm not attached to the camo-netting, but conceptually I'd like for them to have a good save to represent them relying on speed instead of durability. If camo-netting is a no-go, maybe stealth or skilled rider?

Well, orks have buggies. Maybe you could use the same concept. Av10, 2 HP, Squadron of 1-5, Fast, Outflank. Practice shows that you shouldn't be worried about buggies being 'too durable'

As for weapons, you could run them with heavy bolters for example. Something like 25 pts a piece is pretty reasonable for a fast vehicle with a bs3 HB - especially for an army that really needs this speed and reliable 24" movement reach. 35 pts if you want to add cammo netting. They'd probably compete with sentinels but i think that they could both find a place.

27pts for mobile autocannons? Sign me up!

a havoc/ marine with an ac already costs 25pts. For 2 more points j can have a guardsmen jn a dune buggy and have a 48" s7 ap4 gun and have 4+ armor!