Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I can think of 4 armies that can feild a bike heavy force and that's Orks, SM, Eldar and Dark Eldar (helions are included due to rule of cool)

But which out of these 4 does bike heavy the best? Or the most flavourful. I would imagine making a bike heavy ork army would be fun with conversions and such.

Space Marines bike armies from what I know are go big or go home. So do they not work too well if not everything is on a bike? Would a tac squad in a rhino be bad or a dakka pred to support?

Eldar have bikes in troops without foc moving HQs but they're not particularly great and the one other bike option is shining spear which admitadly is a cool and characterful unit but isn't much use in the current codex. But Seer councils on bikes are supposedly damn effective. Having only feilded the on foot version I can't comment on this bit.

Orks with Wazzdakka can have bikes troops. Admitadly they have bad BS but they're still orks and can crump the enemy in cc. But as orks they have low LD and due to low numbers in bike squads the mob rule won't help. An all bike army probably wouldn't work. I think it would need the support of Trukk boyz here. But Nobz Bikers are quite feared so perhaps that is a redeeming point although they're get expensive quickly.

Dark Eldar with the Baron get helions as troops and can take Reavers (which have awesome models) as fast attack. This I feel would be a very fragile glass hammer. I doubt an all helion/reaver army would work but it is an interesting prospect.


This might seem just like a bit of a rant or something but I've been inspired by various things and spurred into wanting to build, paint and play with bikes. All these armies seem an equal chioce to me at the moment and I'd like the help of the Dakkaites (or is it Dakkanauts now? ) to try to make me decide.

I'm going to write what I feel would be a decent list for each of these 4 armies at the 1K points limit as well.

If anybody has any suggestions or help or wants to suggest an army I might have missed or anything else please post.

Thanks in advance.

Though I have no real experience with any of the above, I would say that orks could give them all a run for there money with a list based around 2 nob squads on bikes.

I have been wanting to do an all bike ork force simply for the fluff of it, plus a bunch of orks on bikes taking the field just looks plain cool.

I want to say that SM and eldar to all bikes the best.

What really makes ork bikes suffer is there low LD and low BS

Grey Knights?


I'd say Space Marines or Orks.

Space Marines quite likely have the most widely-competitive biker army, but it's by no means top-tier or whatnot. The Ork biker army is a bit hit and miss; loathed by some, loved by others.

I'd say Eldar and Dark Eldar are let down by their other available options in a bike army. Helions/Reavers and Guardian Jetbikes, should really act as support/harassment elements of an army, rather than the core IMHO.


You could however argue that Blood Angels can field an army of 'equally fast' stuff?

Admitadly Ba can feild fast stuff but it wasn't what I was looking for. Bike was really and by saying fast stuff I can include helions and other cool stuff.

I personnally don't mind if the bike isn't troop I just want a bike heavy army. So like at least 3 units worth or a certain amount of the army (like maybe at least 750 points in 2K. I'd work on a 1K list first however.) Even if I did SM or Ork I'd take a tac squad in a rhino or a boyz mob in a trukk or two. Orks I'd probably take warbuggies too. Eldar I'd deffinatly take a 6 strong squad of dire avengers in a falcon to keep up with the bikes.

Having looked through the DE codex I'm a little surprised that neither a subbucus or Archon can be on a bike.


I'd gather that with Orks I'd have the most fun making sure no two bikes looked alike. I;m sure I could do something with Eldar (wild Riders most likely) and SM (pennants and some customised bikes) Dark Eldar I'm less sure on converting.

Lets look at each of the armies that you have mentioned

Marines:

Raven wing needs Sammiel who is expensive, the units also cost more.
Nilla: captain on bike as HQ. Command squad death star is a lot of points. Bike squads can be combat squadded, can have 2 specials, attack bike with anit-inf or anti-tank. Attack at initiative because of grenades. Can be backed up by rhino mounted tac squad, assault marines with jump packs, or speeders (trick with these is to arm them with HB and typhoon launchers cos they can then fire the HB and 2 x frag missiles after moving 12" or they can fire 2 x krak). But you only get the 3+ armour save for your bikers!

Eldar: Jet bikes have the option to take a cannon. Death star seer council is amazing. Spears with Autarch can do a lot of damage, especially to tanks (lance weapons). Beacuse all eldar vehicles are fast you can support with dire avengers in a transport, other specials like dragons can also get transport to keep up and take out armour. Heavier stuff like fire prisms have the range and movement to support really well. I have played against a saim han list and they are fragile but can do a lot of damage.

Dark eldar: Everything in the Dark Eldar army is fast! This is probably the most flexible fast army in the game, but the units are fragile when out of transports. Reavers have the nice ability to use a shooting attack while turbo-ing and the vehicles are hard as hell to hit cos of some field they can be upgraded with that reduces the range of the weapon shooting at them and gives them a cover save.

Now to ORKS: I play an Ork speed Freak list: Nob bikers! Can shoot pretty well... BS2 but TL so re-rolls! Have wound shenanigans. Get a 4+ cover and armour (this is better than any other bike unit in the game) can have a 5++ from cybork. 10 will cost a bomb but are not likely to get wiped before they hit your opponent, can be taken as troops if you have a warboss!

Wazzy means you can take bike mobs as troops.

Bikes that turbo have a 3+ cover save while still beig in the open (no other bikes get it this good)

In my list my Biker Nobs are supported by trukks with shoota boys. This allows me to take and hold objectives and also to multi-assault stuff with a cloud of boys.

I always equip my boys for shooting cos ork shooting hurts, even the poor BS, when you roll a bucket full of dice then your going to do something, and then your assaulting or your sat in your trukk with an armour save of 10.


Out of all the options for biker armies I would say that Orks get the dest deal. They get a 4+ armour and cover save. Their guns are 3 shot twin linked str 5 and the boys are nasty in assault too. They can have a power klaw and taken in a mob of 12 so are fearless, get a rer-roll on LD tests if you take a boss pole and still cost less than a marine bike squad.

Hope this helps. Have you checked google? I know there is an article that compares ork and marine bikers!

Dark Angels can take a fairly potent all bike force. I dont think it will get you as many models on the tabletop as say an ork list would but a Ravenwing list can be potentially quite devestating. Allow me to furnish you with a quick 2000pts list.

Sammael - MC power sword, Iron halo, Adamantine mantle, TL storm bolter and plasma cannon - 205points.
Futher more he can upgrade one squad with a company banner and medipack for an extra 40points.

RavenWing attack squad - X6 bikers, Attack bike w/multimelta or heavybolter, Land speeder w/heavy bolter or multimelta, Assault cannon - between 370 and 400 points depending on upgrades.

RavenWing attack squad - X6 bikers, Attack bike w/multimelta or heavybolter, Land speeder w/heavy bolter or multimelta, Assault cannon - between 370 and 400 points depending on upgrades.

RavenWing attack squad - X6 bikers, Attack bike w/multimelta or heavybolter, Land speeder w/heavy bolter or multimelta, Assault cannon - between 370 and 400 points depending on upgrades.

RavenWing attack squad - X6 bikers, Attack bike w/multimelta or heavybolter, Land speeder w/heavy bolter or multimelta, Assault cannon - between 370 and 400 points depending on upgrades.

RavenWing attack squad - X3 bikers - between 120 and 150 points depending on upgrades.

Depending on what upgrades you take, ie: powerswords for sergeants, meltaguns and meltabombs, etc etc, each attack squad can get pricey. If you really want to keep it all bikes you can drop all the land speeders and take and extra attack squads but if you do this you miss out on 4 heavy bolters and 4 assault cannons.
Sammael can be used kind of like a sniper unit with the plasma cannon. Move him to a good spot, fire away, and then hopefully assault into a nice squishy unit which will protect him from return fire.
All the attack squads can be split into combat squads so you can run a few large squads or a whole mess of 3 man biker squads. Attack bikes and Landspeeders are considered seperate units so they can be used to protect flanks for go tank hunting.


Eldar can run a pretty mean but fragile all bike list.
Autach with Jet bike, Laser lance, Fusion gun w/mandiblaster or bansee mask - 140pts.
X3 squads of Shining spears - X5 riders, Laser lances, withdraw - 600pts.
X5 squads of Guardian Jetbikes - X10 riders, TL shuriken catapults, 3 shuriken cannons - 1250pts.
Can take 1 less guardian jetbike squad and upgrade rest with warlocks if so desired.


Orks can also take some git named Snagrot or something which lets you take all bikes. But i know know much about the orks.

Dont know anything about the Dark eldar....

A friend of mine is currently testing his c:sm all bike list and it does fairly well. Combat tactics is the shining star in the army, being able to take 2-3 wounds then fall back and shoot them up with tl bolters and plasmaguns is painful!

ork bike lists can be fun. either take wazdakka so that bikes can be taken as troop choices... OR if you want to run low model wound take 2 warbosses on bikes then you have 2 units of nob bikes as troops. diversify equipment and a pianboy in each group

then rokkit buggies or koptas for fast attack, and dependent on points more nob bikers. you won't have meny models btu you'll have tough mobile units with a 4+ cover save and cybork in cc if you did the painboys

all in all nob bike rlists can be very fun and competative.

cna't comment on the otherbike armies, have only done as orks

Don't forget CSM with their incredibly tough T6 Bikers!