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Hi all

I've diversified my marine collection to focus on bikes.

After a few weeks of furious ebaying and mail ordering I've managed to accumulate 20 bikes to turn into my troop squads.

What has me stumped now is quite how to configure them. I have 5 matching attack bikes which I will magnetise so I can either go 5 x 4 man plus attack bike or 4 x 5 man plus attack bike. 4 man squads give me more special weapons on the ground, but 5 man squads give more ablative wounds allowing my special weapons to hopefully stay alive longer.

Any thoughts on which way to go gratefully received.

Also, on a related note, how do people feel the special weapons should balance out? I've already discounted flamers as twin linked bolters are probably almost as effective, and plasma or melta are more useful.

I'm currently leaning towards 5 x 4 with a 3/2 plasma/melta split and then attack bikes to taste, but am interested to hear other opinions.

I'm not above magnetising but would like for keep it to a minimum.

Thanks.

From my experience running ravenwing bike die a lot. Expect it and account for it. Also remember that hammer of wrath will win you assaults you should lose. As for overall build having lots of special weapons will help and having more squads will make it harder for them all to die before they reach the target. If you don't hit hard and fast the weapons will not matter.

I feel you need combat squaddable units, just to maximise the number of scoring models and units on the board.
Strangely with combat squads it allows a little more range in how you set them up.
I sometime even not played with a command squad but used a combat squad as partner to the captain and it even held its own in cc.

One caveat I am still getting used to the new rules and bikers: I would say strategy remains the same but the tactics differ.

Ravenwing seems to still be all about MSU, I have yet to play kill points with them though and with Sammael in 2 hull point speeder.