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Hey Dakka, I'm a new-ish Tau player and am still learning the Codex. I seem to be having an issue with Marine Biker armies - especially Ravenwings.

I don't have any of the new big suits, Ghostkeels/Storm Surges, but have plenty of Broadsides/Crisis Suits/Riptides, so I'd like to try and deal with them with the tools I already have. I understand Ravenwing tends to fold under AP 3, Ignore Cover fire, should I focus on this or should I just throw S5/AP5 volume of fire? Is it better to focus on Pathfinder/Markerlights for Ignore Cover/Seeker Missile or should I rely on SMS and let them make Armor Saves?

Thanks Dakka!

it sounds like you could just take markerlights and shoot riptide ion accelorators at them with ignore cover

Breachers work well if you can use markerlights to ignore cover and you can get close enough. Of course, most Ravenwing players won't let you get that close, but I once made the mistake of overlooking a squad of Breachers while running a Ravenwing Command Squad...

While you can use things like Breachers and Riptides and ignore cover, quantity over quality is how you chase Bikers from capturing objectives. ML Broadsides are your friend on that one.

HYMPsides are your friends for this scenario. Biker armies will catch marker platforms too easy and as such relying of getting marks for ignoring cover is less effective.

Its less about bringing the right weapons and more about movement, positioning, target priority, and using/protecting your markerlights. Picking the right targets to ignore cover, focusing down the correct threats, sacrificing units to protect others, and all around good generalship will win the day more than bringing the proper counter. Its one of the reason bikes are used a lot in that they are versatile and function decently well even against list designed to counter them.