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Hey folks!

Wrapping my head around 8th edition, reading the codex and the rules....trying to learn before I've played yet.


A scout biker is armed with a bolt pistol, a shotgun, frag and krak grenades, a combat knife, and a twin bolt gun; their bikes have twin-bolters. It has a 16" move profile. After reading through the rules, please tell me if I have understood these situations.

1. A scout biker may move, then fire the bolt pistol and the twin-bolters.
2. A scout biker may move, then fire the shotgun and twin-bolters.
3. A scout may move and advance, then fire the shotgun. But not the twin bolters or pistol.
4. A scout biker can move 16", fire, then assault 2D6.
5. A scout biker can move 16", advance 6", but not assault.

Any missing logic? Wrong logic? Can scout bikers assault more than 2D6 because they're bikes? Anything?

Answers below.

 Dashofpepper wrote:
A scout biker is armed with a bolt pistol, a shotgun, frag and krak grenades, a combat knife, and a twin bolt gun; their bikes have twin-bolters. It has a 16" move profile. After reading through the rules, please tell me if I have understood these situations.

1. A scout biker may move, then fire the bolt pistol and the twin-boaters. Incorrect. If you fire a Pistol, you may only fire all your Pistols weapons.
2. A scout biker may move, then fire the shotgun and twin-boaters. Correct. A unit may fire all it's ranged weapons, except for Pistols or Grenades.
3. A scout may move and advance, then fire the shotgun. But not the twin bolters or pistol. Correct. You may only fire Assault Weapons after Advancing
4. A scout biker can move 16", fire, then assault 2D6. Correct.
5. A scout biker can move 16", advance 6", but not assault. Correct.

Pedant point, it’s “Charge” not “assault”. Might confuse someone. Otherwise it’s as alextroy has answered.

 alextroy wrote:
Answers below.

 Dashofpepper wrote:
A scout biker is armed with a bolt pistol, a shotgun, frag and krak grenades, a combat knife, and a twin bolt gun; their bikes have twin-bolters. It has a 16" move profile. After reading through the rules, please tell me if I have understood these situations.

1. A scout biker may move, then fire the bolt pistol and the twin-boaters. Incorrect. If you fire a Pistol, you may only fire all your Pistols weapons.
2. A scout biker may move, then fire the shotgun and twin-boaters. Correct. A unit may fire all it's ranged weapons, except for Pistols or Grenades.
3. A scout may move and advance, then fire the shotgun. But not the twin bolters or pistol. Correct. You may only fire Assault Weapons after Advancing
4. A scout biker can move 16", fire, then assault 2D6. Correct.
5. A scout biker can move 16", advance 6", but not assault. Correct.

I was assuming #1 because the model profile distinguishes between it having a pistol and shotgun, and the bike having a twin-bolter. So a scout biker can't fire all three because the use of the pistol precludes the use of the shotgun...but the twin-bolter is part of the bike?

And I was expecting more movement capability. In 5th edition, you assaulted your full assault, (be it 6" or 12") and had modifiers for difficult (2D6) and dangerous (1s wound)....I thought I'd be missing something. Bikes can assault 2" to 12". There's no turbo-boost? No bike rule that bikes assault further?

 Dashofpepper wrote:
I was assuming #1 because the model profile distinguishes between it having a pistol and shotgun, and the bike having a twin-bolter. So a scout biker can't fire all three because the use of the pistol precludes the use of the shotgun...but the twin-bolter is part of the bike?

And I was expecting more movement capability. In 5th edition, you assaulted your full assault, (be it 6" or 12") and had modifiers for difficult (2D6) and dangerous (1s wound)....I thought I'd be missing something. Bikes can assault 2" to 12". There's no turbo-boost? No bike rule that bikes assault further?

There is no rules distinction between the bike, the crew or the model as a whole, it's all one model in 8th. Same for Cavalry. The Bolters being on the bike doesn't have any rules effect. The reason you can't fire the Pistol is due to the Pistol weapon type rule. I agree it's confusing considering the whole point of 8th was to streamline.

In 8th all models charge 2D6" unless some other rule says otherwise. There is no rule that grants bikers as a whole any special movement rules, it's all bespoke rule or rules referring to the BIKER keyword (such as Ruins).

Normal ones has no buff for charge or something. But a bike can move and advance 22". White scars bikes can also fall back and charge.

Personally I love scout bikers. Cheap, fast, not bad firing and a cheap strat for MW. And W2 and T5.

Don't forget that the shotguns fire at -1 to hit if you Advance

Alex_85 wrote:
Normal ones has no buff for charge or something. But a bike can move and advance 22". White scars bikes can also fall back and charge.

Personally I love scout bikers. Cheap, fast, not bad firing and a cheap strat for MW. And W2 and T5.

Hey Alex! A few clarification requests...

1. You noted bikes can move and advance 22". If it does that, it can't fire its twin-bolter right?
2. If it does that it can't assault either right? According to the guy who helped me build my first list, which I'm starting to buy models for, a big part of my scout biker utility is to get in and assault vehicles to keep them from firing after other stuff of mine clears away their screening units.
3. What cheap stratagem for mortal wounds are you talking about?

 Dashofpepper wrote:

Alex_85 wrote:
Normal ones has no buff for charge or something. But a bike can move and advance 22". White scars bikes can also fall back and charge.

Personally I love scout bikers. Cheap, fast, not bad firing and a cheap strat for MW. And W2 and T5.

Hey Alex! A few clarification requests...

1. You noted bikes can move and advance 22". If it does that, it can't fire its twin-bolter right?
2. If it does that it can't assault either right? According to the guy who helped me build my first list, which I'm starting to buy models for, a big part of my scout biker utility is to get in and assault vehicles to keep them from firing after other stuff of mine clears away their screening units.
3. What cheap stratagem for mortal wounds are you talking about?

1) Yup. ONLY Assault weapons can fire after advancing.
2) Also yup. Unless you have a rule that states you can, you CANNOT charge after advancing.
3) Cluster Mines, I think.

1. A scout biker may move, then fire the bolt pistol and the twin-bolters.

He can move and fire the shotgun and twin boltgun, OR move and fire the bolt pistol. This is because of specific rules for pistols.


2. A scout biker may move, then fire the shotgun and twin-bolters.

Yes.


3. A scout may move and advance, then fire the shotgun. But not the twin bolters or pistol.

Yes, the shotgun is an assault weapon. You'll take a -1 penalty to hit.


4. A scout biker can move 16", fire, then assault 2D6.

If you mean charge 2D6, yes.


5. A scout biker can move 16", advance 6", but not assault.

The bikes advance 6" automatically, yes, but unless they are White Scars with Born in the Saddle or some other rule that lets them advance and charge, they can't charge.


As an aside, the Scout Bike Sergeant can replace his Bolt Pistol with a Storm Bolter, giving him the Shotgun, Twin Boltgun, and Storm Bolter to shoot with all at once.

 BaconCatBug wrote:
the whole point of 8th was to streamline.

Hahaha... I had a 1500pt game take 4hrs... In 3rd, 4th or 5th edition the longest and playing slow at 1500pts I ever did was maybe tops 2hrs. I had a 'ard boyz tournament round that took 3.5hrs, but only because my opponent brought 200+ guardsmen to the table and nearly got himself booted for delaying the game (by putting all his models on the board, and then going all OCD on me, by organizing all the different weapon types together, then counting all 200+ of them, then moving all 200+ of them into their actual units, then removing all 200+of them from the table and finally after an hour declaring he was ready to deploy... at which point he put a demolisher tank, partially on the table and half hanging off the table... oh the glorious days of yore, miss them like an extra hole in the head.) But yeah... 8th might be the slowest edition yet, but its good.