Biker Armies (not RW)

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**Thatguyhsagun**

So I really like the fluff and look of some of the biker armies and I was thinking about starting an 8th assault company of entirely bikers for play (Both friendly and competitive, including apocalypse) and was wondering if bikes are viable (what with a 5++ save now) or if I should aim instead for a different company (10th is my prime target if not 8th)

**Brother Sergeant Bob**

for which army? a C:SM bike list with Khan is still pretty good.

**Thatguyhsagun**

Just vanilla but I did plan on making a counts-as kahn (Don't like the look of the scars+wanted to try my hand at persionalizing the whole army) just so I can steal the rules. Outflanking dozens of marines on bikes would be... painful.

**davou**

Orks say hi.

**Super Ready**

Bikes are very viable at the moment. Not just thanks to the cover saves, but for +1T as well.

You have a few options - Orks have a couple of choices, Biker Nobz are stupidly tough - and Eldar/Dark Eldar have *very* fast options. Chaos can take Biker characters to bulk out and supplement a list that's biker-heavy, though you'll miss out on other Fast Attack units.
But your best options are Marines or Ravenwing because of their added durability combined with the fact that they're troops.

Note that you can still use Ravenwing rules without having to actually go Dark Angels. Just create your own Chapter, convert anything you need to (particularly Sammael) and away you go.

**Thatguyhsagun**

I already have a fully painted and themed company/chapter I was going to expand into, and I realized I was sorely lacking mobility so I decided to make up the 8th company as a supplement it. I didn't want to do a DA themed army, I wanted to work on developing a chapter-strength force for the fluff I've written up

**Bludbaff**

If your chapter's fluff specifies that they are strict Codex Astartes, then I see why you'd want to stick with C:SM. But mechanically, the only time you're going to be fielding multiple companies' worth of forces is in an Apocalypse game where you can mix and match to your heart's content. There's nothing to say that you can't have a bike company that uses Ravenwing rules even if your chapter has nothing to do with the DA. Maybe they just have similar equipment and organization.

**Thatguyhsagun**

I guess that's true enough. Plus I can get in on those special rules and lower point costs if I do field them.

**Evileyes**

Yep. I made a Mechanicum army using the blood angels book, that had absolutely no affiliation with the blood angels. I used tactical marine rules for skitari, and used sanguinary priest's as techpriest's, who performed on the fly repairs.

It's perfectly fine to use the rules of one army, but in fluff it represent's another. Only time it would ever get weird, is if you tried to, say, play a guardsmen army with tyranid rules, or something silly.

But using a ravenwing biker army ruleset, for a biker army of a custom chapter, is totally cool in my book, and I can't see anyone ever having an issue with it.

**Pony_law**

I play a C:SM bike army and it is easily the most fun army to play that I have ever owned. it requires a lot of tactical thinking and planning a head to operate but when you do it really is effective and satisfying.

A couple of things Bike armies are really good in the hands of an experienced smart genreal but they have some match ups that are tough. Poision spam DE, Ork Bikers, and Tripple Helldrake lists are pretty hard counters to this list (we will see if Tau Marker light spam lists with riptides is tough as well). Also to make the most competitive lists you can it's hard to go pure bikes because in Vanilla marines you need to use the Heavy Support slot to help against hords (I use Thunderfire cannons), because non-banner of devistation bike armies don't put out a huge amount of damage.

**Hedgehog**

Your biggest single advantage as a SM biker army is your ability to choose your fights - the old maxim of 'assault the shooters, shoot the assaulters' applies here.

I've found (in my so far limited experience) that the Space Marine combo of Combat tactics and ATSKNF is massively useful here - something you give up with Ravenwing...

**captain collius**

Hedgehog wrote:
Your biggest single advantage as a SM biker army is your ability to choose your fights - the old maxim of 'assault the shooters, shoot the assaulters' applies here.

I've found (in my so far limited experience) that the Space Marine combo of Combat tactics and ATSKNF is massively useful here - something you give up with Ravenwing...

For hit and run!!! ATSKNF and stubborn.

**Super Ready**

Yup, Hit and Run on bikes is a MASSIVE plus point. You're basically getting a free extra shot and Hammer of Wrath attack in every prolonged combat - or, if you wish, you can completely redirect your offensive which can throw your opponent for a loop.

However, this is all just ideas. I know firsthand when doing something in a game just doesn't feel right - if you don't want to use Ravenwing just because it wouldn't seem ok, then don't.

**Thatguyhsagun**

Honestly I think the fluff piece "their 8th dedicated assault company, after a brutal mash up against orks of the Speed Freakz Kult has since deployed on bikes for the manouverability and strategic flexibility they present when fighting. As such they have trained with the best-from joining the great Kahn of the White Scars every 25 years for the Hunt to an ongoing rivalry between them and the Ravenwing of the Angles of Redemption, they have created some of the best bikers outside of the Dark Angles themselves." would leave things open for me to play both and see which i prefer. Just never liked the look of the DA. Love the fluff though

**pwntallica**

I love playing my vanilla bike list. I also love playing my DA bike list. I switch it up to keep it fresh. Both are capable of being competitive. Play it however you like.