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It's 7th edition. New Ork Codex. Tactics have to be decided, rules have to be clarified, power-builds have to be built...
So, will Ork Bikers be amongst them?
To me, they seem like they're one of the no-brainer better choices in the Ork Codex. Unfortunately they do not have access to the same buffs and boosts that other armies can, but for 5 points less per model, Ork Warbikers are as durable as Space Marines against anything that doesn't ignore cover, have comparable shooting (Though we have nothing compared to Grav-Guns, Dakkaguns are pretty great,) and better Melee on the charge, a little worse otherwise. (4 Attacks on the charge next to 3, 3 next to 2 otherwise. Unfortunately we're S3 off the charge, so they beat us when not charging. Initiative is also a bit of a problem.) Additionally, we can fit more guys into a squad, and with the appropriate characters attached can build multiples of powerful squads. We can't compete with White Scars by any means, but we can take more units than them, and all of our units can be as buffed up as theirs. Additionally, with the amount of characters that can be taken, we're getting buttloads of S9 and S10 AP2 attacks on the charge.
A major weakness I'm seeing is that we either have to take multiple FOC and therefore will have excess Boys squads lying around, or else play unbound. Still, if you can get around these limitations, you can build fairly powerful lists for reasonable amounts of points. (Not top tier, but powerful, fluffy, and fun.)
Just for example, here's a dual-FOC 1850 list just using the Ork Codex, since I don't have the supplement.

HQ:
Warboss - Power Klaw, Finkin' Kap, Lucky Stikk, Blitzbike, Bosspole - 160
Big Mek - Bike, Kustom Force Field, Killsaw - 145
Painboy - Bike - 75
Painboy - Bike - 75
10 Ork Boys - Shootas, Trukk - 100
10 Ork Boys - Shootas, Trukk - 100
10 Ork Boys - Shootas, Trukk - 100
10 Ork Boys - Shootas, Trukk - 100
15 Warbikers - Nob, Power Klaw - 305
10 Warbikers - Nob, Power Klaw, Bosspole - 220
10 Warbikers - Nob, Power Klaw, Bosspole - 220
Lastly, since some AA is needed...
3 Mek Guns - Traktor Kannons, 3 Ammo Runts, 6 additional Gretchin - 117
3 Mek Guns - Traktor Kannons, 3 Ammo Runts, 6 additional Gretchin - 117

This leaves 16 points leftover. Assuming that the super Kustom Force Field in the Ghazkull supplement book only costs 66 points or less, you could easily have your second detachment come from that book and give him that relic. Then again, with a 3+ Jink, the only-against-shooting Invuln isn't the most important ability every. Another option is to drop him for yet another Painboy so that all three Bikes squads have one, and then use your extra 86 points on whatever you want. More boys in Trukks, 4 more Warbikes and some change, whatever. Maybe drop 5 points somewhere and take three Deffkoptas.

Tactics for this list are pretty simple: Warboss goes with the Mek and one Painboy (If you didn't take the mek, then just the Painboy). Painboy goes in one biker squad (Or a painboy goes in both.) The Traktor Guns sit back and knock down Flyers, Skimmers, and FMCs (If there are fewer fliers in your meta, feel free to swap these out for something else. Maybe 15 Lootas?), forming a sturdy firebase to support your army. Bikers are your main contingent, with lots of Power Klaws for destroying tanks. Ork Boys bee-line for Objectives giving map control, their Shootas making them a cheap firebase in a pinch. (They won't stand up against heavy enemies, but they can deny other light troops from taking the objectives.) Meanwhile, your Bike unit with the boss wrecks face against all but the toughest Close Combat nasties, and against these 'Toughest CC nasties' you just use all three bike squads and have them combine their firepower and assault into one death-train.

Seems to me you can only take one ork magic item per character.

An unbound speed freeks list could have a ton of bikes, kopta/buggy AT support and planes for anti-air. Painboyz seem mandatory for every bike unit, and some KFF:s are gonna help a lot.

There is literally nowhere in the Ork Book that says you can only have one per character. One per army, yes, not one per character.

Bike mobs with a painboy is scary. Jinx + FNP on a unit that moves 12 can mean bad news for any unit. Between the str 5 TL shots and ground they cover they are almost a must have.

BTW I dig the list. Speed Freaks!!!

Waaaghpower wrote:
There is literally nowhere in the Ork Book that says you can only have one per character. One per army, yes, not one per character.

Except for the part where it says:

Gifts of Gork and Mork
Only one of each of the following may be taken per army.
A model can take one of the following:

Compared to say

Orky Know-wots
A model can take up to one of each of the following:

&

Ork Vehicle Equipment
A model can take up to one of each of the following:

Yeah - I noticed in the new book there aren't character unlocks anymore. I guess with the move to Bound/Unbound, we're not going to see this anymore?

The speed freak formation in Escalation was awesome. I thought about it as well, but went with Ravenwing - The Dark Angel kind....

unfortunately theyre right, you cannot have more than one relic per character. Which is kinda dumb since most of them are supporty items and not THAT great on their own (fink kap for instance).
Hell, Da Finkin' Kap kinda needs a FAQ because it doesnt directly say it has to be your warlord that takes it to get the additional trait but it implies it by saying "in addition" and makes no mention if a non-warlord takes it.

Grrr, the Gifts list on P100 just says one of each per army, but yes, P53 additionally says one per model, which is where all the confusion has come from. A big thank you to GW's rules consistency checkers :(

Damn. It looks like such relics as Da Finkin' Cap or Da Shiny Shoota won't be rolled out all too often. :(

They will literally never exist unless they errata the codex to either remove the 1 per character or allow painboyz access to the relics.

Any Big Mek will have the Bike or Fixeruppers.
Any Warboss will have Da Lucky Stikk or Headwompa
Other two are stupid stupid weak in comparison. Only a couple strategic warlord traits actually help us, for 10pts why not but in addition to NOT taking another relic on our warlord....no thanks lol

If painboyz could take relics, i would gladly give him the Lucky Stikk in my warboss's unit so the warboss can tote the Headwompa around, or give the Painboy that isnt on a bike the Ded Shiny Shoota since to gak with sluggas lol

Warbosses might take the bikes too....

Anyway, the cap, shoota, etc become far more viable once you hit high number of bosses/big meks, then you really do get one for each (they are simply that good)

And you really underestimating the cap.
Another roll on strategic is insane, especially given how strong it is, and that CAD lets you re-roll warlord traits. with 2 rerolled traits on the strategic table (and you roll again on duplications, not reroll. so it does not block your rerolls) gives you a scary good chance at the OP "master of ambush" trait. and even without it, the rest are mostly good.
The only real cost here is oppotunity cost of not getting the amazing bike or lucky stikk.
Same hold true for the shiny shoota there. for 5 points its a massive steal, but the opportunity cost hurts.

Waaaghpower wrote:
There is literally nowhere in the Ork Book that says you can only have one per character. One per army, yes, not one per character.

Literally page 53, under Gifts of Gork and Mork

"A model can take one of the following:"

Now the relics in the Ghazzghull Waaaagh supplement don't have a limit per model. Those relics will probably be FAQ, but until then, have fun.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I've started running 2 15 bike units with 3 warbosses and 1 painboy.

The warbosses, and the painboy all go in one unit, which goes around killing things. The second until will harrass, and claim obj. once the unit one is depleted of boys, the characters jump into unit two and ere we go again.

one of the few powerbuilds out of the new book.

Is forge world allowed in your list, there is a biker boss in the dreadmob supplement that is allowed to be taken in the regular codex. Make those bikes troops and drop the trukk squads. And because your FA slots would be open some rokkit buggies/blitz bommas would be a good addition. I don't think you need the kff-bike, another painboy-bike might be better.