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 am making a Space Marine captain on a bike, but am unsure what to give him. I want to give him a power fist, but I have yet to decide with to put a storm bolter or storm shield on it. I'm leaning toward the shield but would like some second opinions.

You mean the shield instead of the power fist?

No, like a power fist, with the shield attached to the back of the hand, same goes for the storm bolter.

Sir, NEVER EQUIP A PF TO A CAPTAIN!!!

Now I've got that off my chest, he wants to strike hard and fast, if anything give him a PW

its the only weapon I have that is appropriate. The vast majority of my SM bits seem to have disappeared. And that fist is a termie fist without the shoulder pad. I have a termie power sword but that'll look bulky.

Captains have a lovely high Initiative score, it's a shame to ruin it with a Power Fist. I give mine a relic blade, it's a pretty decent comprimise between a power weapon and a power fist. Take one of those, I would.

As for actually modelling the weapon, you might be better off using a Blood Angel Glaive Encarmine, or just a fancy-looking power weapon. Trawl the bits sites and find something pretty.

Can you give a bike rider two weapons? How do they ride the bike if they're carrying two items?

Yup, in the rules he has two weapons and can replace them. I took a look and with the shoulder pad the terminator's power sword doesn't look too bad. As far as the seconed weapon, I'm gonna model either a storm shield or a storm bolter on the the back of his hand/wrist.

For the SS I'd put it on either the models back, or his other arm

why on his back?

+1 Relic Blade, the High Initiative helps. I have waded my Captain and Company HQ squad into Hammernators, and if your lucky (using a Company Champion with a Relic blade too) you can smash the whole squad before their low initiative Thunderhammers kick in. Getting past the Stormshields is a pain, but with apocathary in your HQ you will get nice FNP as well as the Iron halo and Combat shield saves.

Aux Grenade Launcher can be good (if pricey) for putting Krak Grenade in an Enemies face before you charge in is useful for putting another wound on a multi-wound character or squad! I don't go with SS as you have Iron Halo and FNP. This is a pricey Hard-hitting unit, so Transport is necessary to avoid it getting shot up.

Ok, so go with the relic blade. I hadn't even thought about it ^.^'

And I'm startin to really lean towards the Storm Shield with the +3 invul save.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
And he will be on a bike so he can't take a transport

Remember he's +1 Toughness, is he solo or with a Squad? Combi-Melta is always useful or a Flamer as an Assault Weapon. You lose the +1 Attack with a Relic Blade, so you may as well get a Combi-Bolter or other weapon, Stormbolter is cheap but at 3 points it tends to screw up your lists, resulting in losing points here and there as SM Wargear tends to be multiples of 5 points. Nothing worse then 1498 points because you took a Stormbolter, so you add in Melta bombs for 5 points giving 8 points and you have 2 points unspent. Equally 3 Stormbolters is 9points, leave 1 unspent. Annoying.

On a bike buy Hellfire Rounds 10points, 2+ Wounds, with a Twinlinked Rapid Fire bike and the Captains BS of 5 you will love it (2+ to hit (plus Re-roll), 2+ to wound, OUCH), plus a Combi-Melta has a very high chance of a hit with BS5, above 85%.

SM Biker Armies are a knightmare.

Oh and consider dropping Relic Blade for Lightning Claw....Re-roll to wound....Very nice and 15points cheaper, plus you could run two of them +1 A.... SM Captain on a Bike is dangerous as hell, just never fail a Leadership or he will off the board faster than a turbo boosting Landspeeder..

Brother-Captain Scotti wrote:Sir, NEVER EQUIP A PF TO A CAPTAIN!!!

Now I've got that off my chest, he wants to strike hard and fast, if anything give him a PW

1. Never give a captain a PF. its a mistake. Sergeants do better with them, and the things they deal with [MC] will either beat the gak out of you before you can use it or be relatively slow as well, meaning that they won't have a high WS - trygons, for example.

Relic blade for biker captain. works wonders.

Spartan-Kun wrote:its the only weapon I have that is appropriate. The vast majority of my SM bits seem to have disappeared. And that fist is a termie fist without the shoulder pad. I have a termie power sword but that'll look bulky.

Trade a bit with someone? alternatively, just make a normal biker - if you run bikers, you better be running lots of them or none at all.

Tek wrote:Captains have a lovely high Initiative score, it's a shame to ruin it with a Power Fist. I give mine a relic blade, it's a pretty decent comprimise between a power weapon and a power fist. Take one of those, I would.

As for actually modelling the weapon, you might be better off using a Blood Angel Glaive Encarmine, or just a fancy-looking power weapon. Trawl the bits sites and find something pretty.


Can you give a bike rider two weapons? How do they ride the bike if they're carrying two items?

They ride the bike with their legs.

'look ma, no hands!'

Also, I am serious. a Relic and storm shield is excellent. just ask Vulkan He'Stan.

Well after a long night (no sleep, lots of homework) I made the arm which has been confounding me is done, or at least almost done. Seeing as how my bikes havn't come in the mail yet i have this one arm buuuut he will have a sword (power sword/relic blade havn't decided) and a storm shield. He will be getting hellfire round and digital weapons (digital weapons because he will only get his base attacks and i need him to make them count). And as for running a lot of bikes or none at all, I'm working on making a full chapter, so I'll have a lot of them.

Keep posting up, updates as Seeing a Biker Army is always interesting.

Spartan-Kun wrote:Well after a long night (no sleep, lots of homework) I made the arm which has been confounding me is done, or at least almost done. Seeing as how my bikes havn't come in the mail yet i have this one arm buuuut he will have a sword (power sword/relic blade havn't decided) and a storm shield. He will be getting hellfire round and digital weapons (digital weapons because he will only get his base attacks and i need him to make them count). And as for running a lot of bikes or none at all, I'm working on making a full chapter, so I'll have a lot of them.

Always take a relic blade over a power sword. It's only 5 points more expensive, has one fewer attack, and is significantly stronger, actually letting your captain pose a threat to vehicles and monstrous creatures. Relic blade and stormshield are a must, digital weapons are an entertaining little bauble when you have the points to spare.

The Relic Blade is so much better than the Power Sword, it's actually a little funny.
For five points more you get 2+ Strength and can still hit at I5 and ignore armor saves.

Also, unless you're hard on points, always go for a Thunder Hammer instead of a Power Fist. Again; only an extra five points, but it does so much more.

Ok so it's decided. Relic blade it is.

You need Melta Bombs, you are very Anti-Infantry. A relic blade with str 6 it not going to cut it against against Ar 11,12,13,14, the chance of destroying them is low or non-existant.

Relic Blade and meltabombs. Always.

I vote relic blade, storm shield perfect combo and if you can afford it arti armour + MB

Don't bother with storm bolter, you already have twin linked bolters on a relentless bike.