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Just something I was thinking about. Do you prefer to run your HQ choice(s) foot-slogging, on a bike, or in TDA, and why?

I regularly use all three, though my preferred (and most useful) load out is mega armour or a warbike. The mega armour gives my Warboss a 2+ re-rollable armour save with Da Lucky Stikk relic and the bike makes him a mini MC at T6 with all the other benefits bikes get, included a twin-linked S5 ranged weapon. Big Meks are usually on foot with a KFF or a SAG, Weirdboys are only footsloggers and Painboys either on foot or on a bike. I like variety so occasionally I try a Warboss on foot without mega armour but that's just asking to draw heavy firepower and plan on trying a Big Mek on a warbike soon for more mobile KFF coverage.

Mobility is more important. Bikes all the way.

Foot slogging but I usually play Drop Pods or an outflank army so I get where I want to be.

None of the above...My HQ flies in from above spewing acidic brain devouring worms at the head of my army :-)

Jump Packs and bikes mostly these days. On foot occasionally, and almost never in TDA.

I tend to mix. One is always on bike or jump pack, another one usually palanquin or TDA. Since my sorcerer blew up after two perils in a row I give him the palanquin...

BA: Jump Packs, Artificer Armour.
Orks: Big Meks have MA always. Warbosses are either MA, 'eavy armour or Bike depending on list.
Tyranids: Only take Hive Tyrants, Wings if points are 1000 < x, footslogging with Tyrant Guard if 1000 > x

I've never cared much for bikes (edit: aesthetically). The only HQ I have on a bike is my Farseer, because of course. Otherwise, Lord Ghandi (Lord Inquisitor turned Chaos Sorcerer) is in Terminator Armour, white Big Mek Killa Dakka (and Big Mek Dakka Killa) are just on foot. I've also got most of the Chaos Space Marine special characters, but they don't get options on changing that up.

Well I run my Warbosses in Mega Armor 100% of the time. Then I pop him in a Battlewagon with at least 5 MANZ

I like making vroom vroom noises, so I've been putting my space marines on bikes every since I started building my army back in ye olde days of yore. I even put my IG rough riders on bikes... well, because I thought bikes were cooler than horses.

Swarmy in a pod. He is just awesome.

For my marines though normally footslog inside a rhino or terminator armour with a squad of terminators.

I play quite casual games so I typically use Terminator Armor on my Chaos Lord, running him as Zhufor with a bodyguard of Lightning Claw Terminators. It's cool and very 40k but not very competitive. Sometimes I use a dual LC Chaos Lord with a jump pack in a unit of Warp Talons/Flesh Hounds.

Currently painting Kharn as well, who I love from a fluff perspective as well as a rules one. If they'd just give him Eternal Warrior (seriously, he's died and come back at least twice) he'd be fantastic, but as of now he's decent if not great.

I make him generally match everyone else. If he is faster, slower, or less armored than the rest of your army he will die.

Orks: Usually its a Mega Armor Warboss who is slogging around with a unit of boyz/lootas or they are catching a ride in a Battlewagon (Blitz Brigade lists). Painboyz and Weirdboyz tend to ride in the battlewagons or footslot/da jump around the board.

Tau: Commander suits are usually deep striking in so I guess it counts as jetpack slogging? . Ethereals tend to either hang out with Fire Warriors or Broadsides on foot depending on the risk of them being shot to death.

Grey Knights/Inq: Libby must take TDA and tend to walk/gate around the board. Inquisitors tend to hang out with said gating/slogging terminator squads.

Space Wolves: Who needs bikes when you have WULVS because WULVS ARE STRONG. Got my Wulf Lord on a Thunderwulf wearing the Wulfen Stone riding with his Wulf Guard who also have Thunderwulves with Wulf Claws while being affected by the Curse of the Wulfen from the Wulfen Murderpack.

I almost always run buffing HQs. Only exceptions are Pedro (+1 attack and ob sec sternguard) or an Artificer/SE bulletsponge captain. I almost always run Libbys on bikes and the Chappys in TDA or with JPS because

1. Libbys need to buff units when they need it, where they need it. So mobility is very important, as is the extra T point as they don't have an invul.

2. Chaplains need to survive to get into combat. I absolutely detest bikestars so I usually run my chaplains in TDA, a JP or plain old PA (if in an assault transport ).

I like bikes for the extra mobility. I also run orks so having some HQ's with a squad of boys isnt something too strange to do.

 Vankraken wrote:

Space Wolves: Who needs bikes when you have WULVS because WULVS ARE STRONG. Got my Wulf Lord on a Thunderwulf wearing the Wulfen Stone riding with his Wulf Guard who also have Thunderwulves with Wulf Claws while being affected by the Curse of the Wulfen from the Wulfen Murderpack.

We get it, Space Wolves like wolves. A lot.


Edit: These are some interesting choices. I originally intended this to be a Space Marine thing, but I'm actually glad to get input for other factions. Also, I forgot jump packs existed, which shows how much I use them

 Ond Angel wrote:

Edit: These are some interesting choices. I originally intended this to be a Space Marine thing, but I'm actually glad to get input for other factions. Also, I forgot jump packs existed, which shows how much I use them

The problem with JPs (and to a lesser extent TDA) these days is that they are second class citizens. What does a JP do that a bike doesn’t? Both give you the mobility you need. The JP lets you deep strike (often a trap choice that will just get you shot up) while the bike gives you +1T and jink. The bike always will HoW, while the JP will only let you if you don’t need it’s movement boost. You also get some free guns on the bike, for what that’s worth. And with all the points you are sinking into your HQ, the extra 5 for the vastly superior bike is well worth it.

Terminator armor is another one that plays second fiddle. Especially for captains. Deep strike, once again, is an option, but why? Better off on foot in a drop pod. That way at least you can hang out with guys who can get something done. DSing CC troops is not often a good plan, and none of our quality shooting units can DS naturally. TDA also gives you a 5++. Which is redundant for captains/chaplains, as they get a 4++, but good for librarians. The 2+ save is nice, but captains are better off in artificer armor.

 Nevelon wrote:

 Ond Angel wrote:

Edit: These are some interesting choices. I originally intended this to be a Space Marine thing, but I'm actually glad to get input for other factions. Also, I forgot jump packs existed, which shows how much I use them

The problem with JPs (and to a lesser extent TDA) these days is that they are second class citizens. What does a JP do that a bike doesn’t? Both give you the mobility you need. The JP lets you deep strike (often a trap choice that will just get you shot up) while the bike gives you +1T and jink. The bike always will HoW, while the JP will only let you if you don’t need it’s movement boost. You also get some free guns on the bike, for what that’s worth. And with all the points you are sinking into your HQ, the extra 5 for the vastly superior bike is well worth it.

^This is why I've never bothered with JP on HQs, and only really put my librarians in TDA. If I put one on a bike it's to keep up with my CM, because all the buffs! Half the time it isn't even necessary with the range of most powers (barring LoS).

 Nevelon wrote:
Terminator armor is another one that plays second fiddle. Especially for captains. Deep strike, once again, is an option, but why? Better off on foot in a drop pod. That way at least you can hang out with guys who can get something done. DSing CC troops is not often a good plan, and none of our quality shooting units can DS naturally. TDA also gives you a 5++. Which is redundant for captains/chaplains, as they get a 4++, but good for librarians. The 2+ save is nice, but captains are better off in artificer armor.

I agree entirely with this. Plus AA w/ bike == TDA points wise, so I see no compelling reason to take TDA.

At least It looks better than (most) PA I guess.

I think there still is a place for JP HQs. Some of it is formations and chapter tactics. I think there is still a place for a CC unit, and some of our options as SM wear JPs. So gearing your HQ to match the squad makes a lot of sense. Some chapters, like Ravenguard, give a boost to jump troops. And units like VV get a good discount on CC toys with some nice special rules. While you could gear up a bike command squad for CC, it gets expensive fast.

Tossing a JP on a naked chaplain to hang with an assault squad can turn them into a fun little unit. You end up taking two “tax” choices and putting them together to gain some synergy. Plus they look cool.

It’s worth noting that with the new capheractii terminator captain, you can exploit some S&P shenanigans. Plus he gets a nice perk for his invuln.

Edit:
I remember having a similar conversation over in my blog a while ago. I want back and tallied up what I actually put down on the table in the course of a year. This represents about 5/6ths of 2015:

Captain
-Bike 2
-JP 2
-Foot 1

Chaplain
-Bike 2
-JP 3
-TDA 1

Librarian
-JP 1

Techmarine
-Full harness 1

Chronos 1
Calgar 1
Cassius 1

Now this does stretch back over the last codex, so the techmarine was actually there as a MotF, for my all-dread list, and Calgar was not a LOW. Mostly bike and JP. Not terribly surprising, as most HQs want to be in CC, and those help them get there. Plus it’s hard to fit them into transports with a full squad. The one time I fielded TDA was in an intentionally “soft” list playing a new guy. I’d use it more often, but I can’t fit a HQ in my LR with the termi assault squad these days. I guess I could take the shooty ones more often and tag him along there. Librarians have been collecting a lot of dust. Still not a fan of rolling powers. Their heyday was back in 5th.

Some options will probably never see the field. With access to artificer armor, TDA captains fill a very narrow niche. And I’ll probably never take a generic foot chaplain, as I can field Cassius instead. Not to say it won’t ever happen. Particularly with my policy of dusting off forgotten models to take them for a spin periodically.

I’m a fairly casual, fully WYSWYG guy, which does affect my numbers. At the time I didn’t have the full matrix of HQs/options available. Here is what I had at the time of counting:


I need to get a new picture, that one is quite dated at this point.