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In my making of a new rulebook and new codices, I've changed Bikes and Jetbikes so they're roughly weaker in close combat - right now I don't feel the need to explain.

So if they're weaker in close combat, what could they do?

I would prefer that the niche wasn't damage orientated but had something to do with general tactics, objectives or something similar. I would appreciate a completely new angle and I'm up to implement something completely new.

Thank you for your thoughts and ideas.

What's wrong with their current niche of fast tough infantry? Eldar Jetbikes can turbo boost to reach just about anywhere on the board, White Scars can get out of combat with Hit and Run and reposition themselves.

Well, if I have weakened their close combat skills - you would want them to excel at shooting, right?

Or just make them cheaper. There's better gunline units in most codexes than bikes.

The only thing they need is to be cheaper and be troops, for ObSec. They would make good first turn objective securers and contest/capture objectives later in the game.

Not necesserely. They should excell at being mobile.

Personally, i find bikes to be ott good since 6-th. Not just due to prices butalso to core rule changes. They flatout through DT and have armor for dangerous terrain tests, get jink. Furthermore, they can apparently climb ruins with their wheels now. Leading to such absurd things like a ton of bikes riding through rocks and woods full speed and than climbing narrow stairs and chopping stuff to death.

I'd plain disallow them climbing ruins and entering buildings unless they want to dismount. Oh, and no flatout through dt.

I agree koooaei.

They shouldn't be made worse in close combat because A.) they're already not great at it (hammer of wrath is nice but not amazing), and B.) They're good at evading or escaping melee, so it doesn't help to balance them much anyway. Guarddian jetbikes are already probably going to be losing melee.

They shouldn't be made cheaper because bikes are already quite good for their points. Speaking as an eldar player, I think bikes returning to their 4th edition points (with their 6th/7th edition benefits) is pretty reasonable. Marine bikers are probably a little too cheap for what you get. Mostly because of their high toughness. Bring down that toughness a bit, and we can talk.

Something mobility? How about all Bikes and Jetbikes get the USR ''Front-line recon'', all Bikes get Scout and may re-roll any mysterious terrain/objective rolls. Jetbikes may also Deepstrike.

How were you planning on making them worse in combat? I would suggest something that was based on there speed, for example if they moved more then 6'' in the movement phase, they must 1/2 their WS for the turn. It must be hard to hit something when moving at top speed. Be sure to add a special rule to Ravenwing Black knights and Shining Spears, they are the only bike units that deserve to be good at mounted high-speed combat.

Build bikes as either shock (fast assault unit, impact attacks, more durability, lances, fewer guns) or dragoon (more guns, less armour, jink, some way of move/shoot/move), don't set them up as a unit that does everything better than the equivalent infantry but costs more.

It started because I generally don't like Bikes as a weapon on the battlefield - well definitely not as close combat units and Attack Bikes just in general. Attack Bikes was here from the beginning but now I see them as a retro and too silly and goofy. In-game and lore-wise the Land Speeder is there, so I would never miss it.

I'd like to see the Bikes (and Jetbikes) having a niche which had nothing to do with dealing damage. Well in my game system Hammer of Wrath has been buffed and even more so for Bikes and Jetbikes reflecting it's not just infantry but infantry on small vehicles crashing straight into the enemy at great speed.
They've also gained Hit and Run reflecting the nature of their vehicles being able to shove back the enemy and speed away much better than normal infantry.
They're worse when it comes to every close combat phase in which they didn't charge in reflecting their lost momentum, the enemy surrounding them and the awkwardness of not being on your feet but instead need to hack left or slash right of the bike - surely weapon skill is reduced fighting like this.

As you've probably have noticed this is roughly the same drawbacks as cavalry and which were why cavalry were used less and less. Now they're Hit and Run units which should only be used against units which you know you can take on the charge. So what else could they be good for? Something with taking objectives or which could affect how missions were played would be good I think.


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@ALEXisAWESOME and AnomanderRake:

Nice posts - thanks a lot! You gave me something to think about...

Bike close combat will never be properly represented. The real life analog is 16th century cavalry. A cavalry battalion will never become locked in combat, they do strafing attacks. If they stop moving they're dead.

Hit and Run represents this somewhat, but it's not perfect. Bike Marines would never stop moving in real life, they'd go around or right through an enemy squad, then turn around for round 2 of combat.

2 bike squads charging at each other would be like jousting.