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Assembling my MOTF on a bike for my planned Iron Hands army (actually I am fed up with the Chaos book for my Iron Warriors)

First I am planning on using a bike with a side car and thinking it might be difficult to fit on the bike base. Should I keep it on the bike base(what the rules say) or should i move it up to a 60mm round base(dreadnaught) I think it will certainly look better with the round base but I want to be able to play with him.

Also should I add a conversion beamer? Can he fire it if he moves on the bike? Are conversion beamers any good or should I just use him to repair vehicles?

I like Conversion Beamers, but I don't feel like a bike is a good place to have one. It creates conflicting values and priorities for the guy.

The Beamer works best as far away as possible. The bike allows you more maneuverability. But if you want to fire at max range, why do you need to invest so heavily in speed that, more often than not, will bring you closer to the target and lower the beam's effectiveness?

You use the bike to maintain long range. The bike isn't forced to moved towards the enemy.

Use the standard sized base. (I'd leave the sidecar off, personally.)

If he has a conversion beamer AND a bike, he is indeed able to fire the beamer on the move.

 Mentat wrote:
You use the bike to maintain long range. The bike isn't forced to moved towards the enemy.

I understand that, but how much is that needed, exactly? That's what I question here.

Yeah, you use the bike for relentless so you can move+fire, and use its speed to stay at optimal distance. *edit* as for OP, I think the maximum power shot is pretty nasty against most targets with the MotF decent bs. And it makes him useful beyond sitting around potentially repairing stuff. Oh, and the bike gives you relentless so you can move and fire, forgot to point that out.

The best shot is from what 40something inches out? And things will be moving at you. If you stand still, the enemy is going to reduce the effect of your CB as it advances. Where else would you get relentless anyway? Did they terminator (or similar) armor for MotF in the new codex?

 Jimsolo wrote:
Use the standard sized base. (I'd leave the sidecar off, personally.)

If he has a conversion beamer AND a bike, he is indeed able to fire the beamer on the move.

hmm, isnt really a side car. Im making it look less like a space marine bike and more like some sort of mechanicus halftrack bike. The 60mm would allow me to make a trike out of a bike front wheel, and 2 epic rhinos. I suppose I can use the bike front wheel and 1 epic land raider and fit him on the bike base but that leaves less room for extra exotic mechanical stuff.

Putting Attack Bikes on 60mm bases is pretty common practice. I don't see why that means you wouldn't be able to play with him. Go for it.

 Brother SRM wrote:
Putting Attack Bikes on 60mm bases is pretty common practice. I don't see why that means you wouldn't be able to play with him. Go for it.

he isnt an attack bike. He is an HQ choice on a bike, so should be on a bike base

 curran12 wrote:

 Mentat wrote:
You use the bike to maintain long range. The bike isn't forced to moved towards the enemy.

I understand that, but how much is that needed, exactly? That's what I question here.

Considering that the typical tactic is to try and get closer to where the MotF is stationed, or bring in elements to shoot him, putting him on a bike so not only does he have a 12" range, when he is forced to reposition, or needs to move to get a better shot, he doesn't lose a turn of shooting.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Exergy wrote:

 Brother SRM wrote:
Putting Attack Bikes on 60mm bases is pretty common practice. I don't see why that means you wouldn't be able to play with him. Go for it.

he isnt an attack bike. He is an HQ choice on a bike, so should be on a bike base

Which is why I modified the Master of Ravenwing on hoverbike for mine - the conversion beamer is the underslung plasma cannon with some extra tricking out, and a MotF on a hoverbike is sweet, and while the metal version was a pain to balance correctly, I'm sure the finecast one would be a lot easier to convert, and balance on a bike base.

That's actually my next conversion project. I have one on foot with a beamer, but I haven't figured out what to do with this bike situation. I like the side car idea and I like the half track idea, but ultimately, do what you think is cool.

 MWHistorian wrote:
That's actually my next conversion project. I have one on foot with a beamer, but I haven't figured out what to do with this bike situation. I like the side car idea and I like the half track idea, but ultimately, do what you think is cool.

It has been a lot of fun so far. I really like the idea of balanced MOTF(they look so strange with the servo harness and lots of additional arms but nothing to help them stand up) Balancing them with a bike or some sort of mechanical feet really makes them more fun and seem more interesting to me.

I am going to make a second MOTF now with bike and servo harness. Probably only use him as a Techmarine on a bike, but it will be fun to convert.