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Hi all,

I've been mulling this over for weeks now, I just can't see the appeal of Space Marine Bikes. They're fast, sure, but that's it. I can vaguely understand people using Attack Bikes for a fast-moving MM, for example, but what's the advantage of a normal marine becoming so fast? So he can zoom forward into CC and... what? Be average?

Am I being a complete fool and missing something vital? I think they look pretty cool, I've even got an army build in progress in which they'd fit the fluff nicely... but for the points, there always seems to be something better.

I'd love the hear the views of others though.

Cheers!

I'm with you. I can't see how they would be useful. I started to buy some bikes for my DA army but the more I read the stats the more it seems like a waste of points. I'm curious to see what people who successfully use them have to say.

I can see the attraction of both bikes and non-bikes. Basically, in Laymans terms, the pros and cons for bikes are:

Pros:
- Fast - Turbo Boost = automatic cover save and as troops manoeuvrability is key. Assault units can often be out-manoeuvred too.This can be a good way of getting homing/terminator beacons up field also, although scout bikers can do a better job at this.
- Tough - A Space Marine but tougher. As a certain Meerkat would say: simples.
- Better fire-power - with Twin linked bolters and attack bikes they can easily pack more firepower than your average tactical squad, similarly, fast-moving melta's is never a bad thing. also, IIRC, they become relentless on a bike?
- Target Negation - With an army consisting of mainly bikers (or entirely), enemy anti-armour has less use and anti-infantry weapons will comparatively struggle against bikers due to a higher toughness.
- (Look Cool)

Cons:
- Price - Obviously, they are quite expensive, especially to form the core of an army. Although they are tougher than a normal marine, they're not twice as tough. Their points cost is relatively fair however. Similarly, bear in mind that most other units require a transport, further increasing their price, unlike bikes.
- Numbers - Due to their price, there will inevitably be less of them, arguably negating their toughness.
- (Price in £'s/$'s/€'s)
- Also, I'd personally argue bikers to be more efficient as an army (ie, Biker captain), rather than specialist units.

I'd say bikes are semi-competitive if used correctly, but they are at least fun.

Hope that's helped, Dave.

There are three main advantages. First, they are T5 space maries which will make them harder to wound. They can also turbo boost and have a nicebcover save. So, overall they offer a big boost in suvivability. Other than that the can assault on first or second tur With enough bikes that can be brutally effective. Finally, they can always move and shoot their twin liked bolt gun at max range since they are relentless. Now, is it worth the amount of point you pay? thats far more debatable.

Well for one they are relentless, so they can move and fire a (twinlinked) bolter shot, or move and rapid fire. If they get too close they can turboboost away for a better position.
They can take two special weapons without a minimum model count, so the base squad of sergeant and 2 bikers can have 2 melta guns.
They look cool...

Toughness, speed and relentless are all good boosts which might make bikes good enough to equal tactical marines. But if you're using 1-2 units in an army, consider them a delivery system for special weapons.

3 bikes + attack bike, 2 meltaguns, 1 MM - 160 points. Not bad at all - almost comparable to IG veterans. They're as fast as any unit in the game, can move 12" before firing, etc. And unlike mobile transported shooty units, they can fire and assault, to shelter from enemy fire.

as in real life ben bikes are a symbol of homosexuality , also they are kill point tastic for guard pie templates

As a support unit for a space marine they suffer from doing a few jobs fairly well but not being great at any of them.

Want a fast moving melta weapon, take attack bikes or speeders.

Want fast moving anti-infantry, take speeder typhoons.

A fast assault unit? Assault squads for cheap or termies in a raider for great but pricy.

Locator beacon delivery system? Scout bikes do it better and so does the first wave of drop pods.

Having a unit that can do all these tasks but not especially well means they're fairly redundant.

However switch them a troops choice and they suddenly become viable. Fkexibility is crucial for troops and having a fast, tough, scoring unit with turbo-boost, some average anti-infantry power and decent anti-tank power is not bad by any means.

Bikes are a great unit, sure they come out more than a tact squad in rhino, but they are T5 marines with 2 special weapons and a attack bike with heavy weapon, driving 12 and firing multimeltas and bolters 24 is great for keeping out of return fire form troops who walk forward and then cant shoot if rapid fire weapons.

Theyc an reposition, if used as a bike army can mean as little as 7 kill points in a 1750 list.

Biker command squads can be nice for hand to hand fighting,

Turbo boost saves, relentless, with Khan can outflank and cause havoc coming in behind enemies.

They can tie up units with their T5 and if you do a biker army your force nearly all will be troops.