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What is the general thought on bikes as FA choices? I have 20 OOP Raptors and don't like the new ones. I'm thinking about adding some bikes to fill the FA slot in some games as that's the only other real option I have in that slot.

i assume youre talking about chaos space marines rather than loyalist space marines.

CSM bikes are overpriced for what they can do. making them even slightly effective takes a huge amount of points (that is ususally better spent elsewhere) and so limits their use to larger games. they are limited to a maximum squad size of 10 and giving them special weapons will reduce their attacks in combat. the best way to field them is in 10 man squads with an icon, but i wouldnt suggest it.

raptors are much better on the other hand. nobody will berate you for using OOP raptors. again take large squads (10+) to spread the cost of an icon and mitigate the effect of break tests. you can give them special weapons amd/or a champion depending on what role they fill in your army. personally i like to use a couple of large squads with an icon of nurgle, melta guns and a champion with a powerfist.

space marine bikes are good

chaos bikes are bad

raptors are good

My vote has to go to Raptors as well.

An effectively set up squad of 10 bikes costs 400 points +.

For the same points you can get 2 decent squads of Raptors which are far better.



GMort.

Different units, different roles. Whereas Raptors do the fast-moving assault troop role well, Bikes do the fast-moving close support role well.

Something Bikes do very well, when equipped with an Icon, either an Icon of Chaos Glory or an Icon of Tzeentch, is provide an assault beacon, a locus for Lesser Daemons, Terminators, and Obliterators to home in on.

Take a squad of five, including a Champion, two special weapon gunners, an Icon bearer, and a bullet catcher, and have them dive into enemy territory using their turbo-boosters. Once they've laid a few Terminator squads, wander them around and use their Relentless attribute to help shoot up whatever might shoot at the Terminators.

If you use your other two Fast Attack slots for Raptors, then you have a good mix of close assault and close shooting.

Or you could just take more Terminators.

They would be better if they had two shots at range instead of Twin-linked. Unless you are at 12" they have weak shooting anyway. This isn't something I would normally say but you could take more Obliterators, for example.

Space Marine bikes are good because they can take a Heavy Bolter. They are cheaper too, for that matter.

icon of nurgle though expensive makes the bikers a really hard hitting assualt platform

You could take more Terminators, but I think being able to put the Terminators exactly where you want them is better than risking a Mishap, particularly if you have them armed with template weaponry.

Edit:

@Squig-Herder:

An Icon of Tzeentch is cheaper, and since the bikes already have a T4(5), having an Invulnerable save on top of that prevents them from being swept up easily with Plasma weapons or Demolisher Cannons and the like.

@ Nurglitch, yes they get a 6+ but hell thats not going to save much. i would much prefer having T5(6) bikers.

if you are lacking in points then yes Tzeentch is the god for you, but if you have the points and really want a hard hitting unit that will mostly likely win in battle then pappa nurgle is your god [i have played against pappa nurgle bikers and it took me 4 turns of shooting and assaukltiong with me ork boyz to kill 6 of em]

An Icon of Tzeentch gives a model a 5+ Invulnerable save, or +1 if it already has an Invulnerable save.

oh, my bad i thought that someone without a ++ got a 6++ save, 5+ is better but still not the best in my opinion but i may be wrong, i only play against not for

It's not great, but combined with the T4(5) and 3+ cover/armour save, it means a squad of Bikers (especially like the one that I described which can abuse the wound allocation rules to high heaven) can suck up inordinate amounts of firepower and be able to deliver precision Deep Strikes on Turn 2.