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Hey guys. So im going to try to make a night lords army out of a codex: space marines biker army. My reasoning is that the night lords don't generally have icons of any particular god, so im not mission out there, and they value lightning fast assaults. that's a biker army, no?
Keep in mind that competativeness is second to fluff, even if i want this army to still be able to perform fairly well.

Night Lords Captain
-'Counts as' Shrike

Captain
-Bike
-Power Weapon

Command Squad
-Company Champ
-3 Power Weapons
-Power Fist
-Bikes

5 Bikers
-Meltagun
-Power Weapon
-Melta Bombs

5 Bikers
-Meltagun
-Power Weapon
-Melta Bombs

5 Bikers
-Meltagun
-Power Weapon
-Melta Bombs

5 Bikers
-Meltagun
-Power Weapon
-Melta Bombs

10 Assault Marines
-Power Fist

10 Assault Marines
-Power Fist

Dreadnaught
-Extra Armour
-Drop Pod



The dreadnaught is for the obligatory armour... he has the only weapon over 12" that can harm armour, and to keep him with the lightning assault idea, he's in a drop pod. Im trying to stay away from attack bikes, but i feel like 3 of them with MM's would be better than the dread...
Should i just get rid of the counts as shrike for more assault marines? i know he's expensive, but he's close to the price of a chapter master with equal gear, and gives infiltrate to himself and a squad, plus fleet to the assault marines... and i feel like he really epitomises that aspect of night lords that is lightning assault. I might be better off, though, running normal marines and more assault marines, perhaps? Not sure...

I really like what you're doing with this. Personally I'd use Ravenwing 'count-as", but thats just me.

Have you thought of Scout Bikes, or Land Speeders? I know that CSM don't get them, but in the 40k universe I'm sure that if they could get their hands on some they would. As far as the scout bikers go, many of the legions still have to recruit, so its not that far of a stretch to imagine that they would have scout bikers too. I like the list overall, but I think the Dread is outta place. It's the ONLY armor you have, and anyone is gonna make short work out of it. IDK what to add in its place other than more bikes.

Don't forget, the Biker Vet doesn't have a ssecond close combat weapon... so it's paying 100% the cost for 50% of the bonuses because he's stuck at 2 Attacks base.

In addition, only the Assault marines benefit from Fleet, not worth losing combat tactics IMO.

i did say that fleet benefited the assault marines, not the bikes so i got that much, lol. I was considering puting fists in the bikes instead of just power weps, would that be worth it?

I'd say give the Captian a Relic Blade and Storm shield, and probably drop the command squad/dread for attack bikes or speeders for more anti armor, I personally dont think Command squads are worth the price, and that dread is gonna get popped almost straight after he turns up/

I'm guessing the "Shrike" is infiltrating with an assault squad? Maybe take some special weapons on the assault squads so they are a bit more threatening, although if you are just planning to fleet them makes sense not to.
I think the list could use some anti horde, either flamers of HB attack bikes in the bike squads.

Honestly though, I dont know anythign about Night Lords fluff, so if my suggestions are against the fluff then feel free to scrap them.

Agree with having a look at Ravenwing

Sammael is pretty cool and if you threw in some speeders and attack bikes to me that is ravenwing

Absolutely think your on the right track for nightlords

Hold everything in reserve, go second - keep them guessing because fear is your friend

Going second is nice, but not always certain.
While going into reserves is both good and bad because you leave your army to the die rolls...which can be epic or side-fethes you.

As for Shrike: beware of RAW issues with him.

In addition, I would not suggest fists on the small squads of bikers...honesly a combi-weapon would do them well enough.
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Honestly........go with Blood Angels if you want Night Lords...troop Jump Packs and they still have access to Bikers.
They have a blood/vampire background which isn't too far from associating to the bat like ears the Night Lords have on their helmets.

I mean... what's scarier than Mr.RawrIRMCButNot Sparkling in the sunlight?

yea, atually i was considering that sanct. that or the suggested ravenwing, but i would have to get the codex for that one.. and you need a special speeder char to make bikers troops, no? that doesn't appeal to me.

I shall have another look at the blood angels codex and see how it looks