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There are traditionally three speedy armies out there... White Scars, Ravenwing and the Speed Freeks.

So, in 10th Edition (and leading into 11th), what's the most fun Speed Demons that are burning rubber across the tabletop?

Saim hann is the og fast army. Being Eldar they just get ignored, or had their idenity stolen by marines.

The wild riders of saim hann were the original jetbike box from 2nd ed.

 Hellebore wrote:
Saim hann is the og fast army. Being Eldar they just get ignored, or had their idenity stolen by marines.

The wild riders of saim hann were the original jetbike box from 2nd ed.

Eldar have bikes? Since when?

10th ed right now? White Scars only just got represented better with the release of their bike character and army detachment since prior to that they only had Kor'Sarro Khan who is on foot in his current Primaris incarnation. As far as competitive lists go, they're probably the most likely to be "fun" in the sense of being optimized to bring biker units, especially since their version of the Stormlance detachment is already one of the stronger marine detachments in their army.

Speed Freeks and Eldar are unfortunately paying for the sins of previous editions when bikers were much stronger than they are now, especially buggies for Orks and the Windrider Shuriken/Scatter Laser Spam of yesteryear. Orks got a bit better than before with some of the slight buffs to the Speed Freeks detachment, but the sad part is that it's relegated it to be a skew list where you just spam 3 squads of 6 deffkoptas and you dump all your strats into them. Warbikers are secondary caddies rather than the mainstay of the army and you basically have no real CC punch unless you rely on other units in transports.

The new rules for Shining Spears aren't bad but the issue for Eldar is that they removed the Autarch on Bike into Legends so you're basically stuck with just the Farseer or Warlock on Skyrunners to be the main leaders for only Windriders and Windriders are both too fragile and not hard hitting enough for their cost to justify taking that many of them in your list.

 Lathe Biosas wrote:

 Hellebore wrote:
Saim hann is the og fast army. Being Eldar they just get ignored, or had their idenity stolen by marines.

The wild riders of saim hann were the original jetbike box from 2nd ed.

Eldar have bikes? Since when?

Since the days of Rogue Trader.

 Grimskul wrote:
10th ed right now? White Scars only just got represented better with the release of their bike character and army detachment since prior to that they only had Kor'Sarro Khan who is on foot in his current Primaris incarnation. As far as competitive lists go, they're probably the most likely to be "fun" in the sense of being optimized to bring biker units, especially since their version of the Stormlance detachment is already one of the stronger marine detachments in their army.

Speed Freeks and Eldar are unfortunately paying for the sins of previous editions when bikers were much stronger than they are now, especially buggies for Orks and the Windrider Shuriken/Scatter Laser Spam of yesteryear. Orks got a bit better than before with some of the slight buffs to the Speed Freeks detachment, but the sad part is that it's relegated it to be a skew list where you just spam 3 squads of 6 deffkoptas and you dump all your strats into them. Warbikers are secondary caddies rather than the mainstay of the army and you basically have no real CC punch unless you rely on other units in transports.

The new rules for Shining Spears aren't bad but the issue for Eldar is that they removed the Autarch on Bike into Legends so you're basically stuck with just the Farseer or Warlock on Skyrunners to be the main leaders for only Windriders and Windriders are both too fragile and not hard hitting enough for their cost to justify taking that many of them in your list.

So, the Dark Angels Ravenwing and the White Scars running the Stormlance Detachments are currently the "best" example of the biker army?

 Hellebore wrote:
Saim hann is the og fast army. Being Eldar they just get ignored, or had their idenity stolen by marines.

The wild riders of saim hann were the original jetbike box from 2nd ed.

Yeah, I was gonna say. Some form of Eldar should be the fastest.

I think they screwed the Eldar with modelling heavy weapons for every model..makes it very hard to balance so they just make them bad.

They should have just made biker size weapon profiles so the actual heavy ones were superior to them to avoid this.


For the Orks, I'd love to see gutzmek come back leading a speed freekz detachment. Nothing cooler than an Ork riding a battle cannon with wheels

Eldar Jetbikes could have kept the 1-in-3 heavy weapon limit they had, despite the kit have parts for everyone.

Or with the 10th multiple datasheet answer, they could have basic windrider squads, maybe battleline, with twin cats, maybe a third heavy as old. Then have a separate windrider support squad will full guns, cost more, different special rule.

Eldar are crazy fast these days. And still can bring the heat.

I think OP means "bikes" and not "jet bikes".

Yeah, the multiple data sheet options would have probably been a better way of addressing their current loadout options in their kit, because as is you would never take twin shuriken catapaults over shuriken cannons and scatter lasers would be very niche since shuriken cannons just are so much more versatile in most instances.

It would also help with their detachment for the Wind Rider Host to give them more bike options to take advantage of the rules, since it's largely just Vypers, Windriders, Shroud Runners and Shining Spears that can take advantage of their rules.

Lathe Biosas wrote:There are traditionally three speedy armies out there... White Scars, Ravenwing and the Speed Freeks.

So, in 10th Edition (and leading into 11th), what's the most fun Speed Demons that are burning rubber across the tabletop?

BanjoJohn wrote:I think OP means "bikes" and not "jet bikes".

Bikes weren’t even mentioned in the OP. Just speedy armies. And if you are talking about “traditionally speedy armies” without mentioning Eldar, that’s an omission. Intentional or otherwise.

Although I will grant the mention of burning rubber implies tires. But could just be a turn of phrase…

Dark Eldar are still the fastest army in the game, with Craftworlds a pretty close second. Most DE armies have all the infantry start in transports and they have Reavers and Helions as fast mounted units.

For non-Eldar, it's hard to say. For useable, practical speed, Emperor's Children are pretty high up there. Advance and charge on everything and base M7 makes them very quick and that speed is not hampered forcing you to take sub-optimal units like Outriders.

One of the problems I have with modern 40k is how small the boards feel now. Ranges have increased and movement speed has gone crazy over the last few editions. That means there are several armies who are certainly very fast, but there comes a point where you just don't really need any more speed. My BA have a load of jump pack marines and access to advance and charge when needed. They're plenty fast enough without having a single unit with a base momvement above 12".

Nevelon wrote:Eldar Jetbikes could have kept the 1-in-3 heavy weapon limit they had, despite the kit have parts for everyone.

Or with the 10th multiple datasheet answer, they could have basic windrider squads, maybe battleline, with twin cats, maybe a third heavy as old. Then have a separate windrider support squad will full guns, cost more, different special rule.

Eldar are crazy fast these days. And still can bring the heat.

Yeah, as strong as windriders with shuriken cannons are at the moment, I really miss classic bikes. Move-shoot-move with 1 heavy per 3 bikes gave you an option to make the army feel very mobile and very hit-and-run.

Dark Eldar are still the fastest army in the game, with Craftworlds a pretty close second

Idk. I feel like craftworlders might actually be a smidge more mobile. Some drukhari units have an inch or two more movement, but craftworlders can use Battle Focus to move things an extra d6+1" or d6+2", potentially multiple times with the same unit in a given battle round depending on the opponent's decisions.

My gut feeling is that my drukhari sprint a little faster on my turn, but my craftworlders are actually the more "agile" army thanks to all their reactive movement, and might actually end up a bit speedier on the whole as a result.

I personally still like the idea of a ravenwing land speeder force floating over a jungle, "flight of the valkyries" blaring on the speakers, and unloading assault cannons and heavy bolters onto whoever they're against.

Reaver Jetbikes can advance 24" so I think "technically" they are faster, but ymmv on whether that really matters.

Not really sure why Wind Rider host doesn't do better for Eldar. Maybe as suggested it is that they are too fragile, so you can jump out and gun stuff down - but you are in turn very easy to delete.

But idk. Shuriken Cannon or Scatter Laser rerolling 1s - or all hits - for 27~ points seems kind of reasonable. I kind of think its just people don't want to buy 36 jetbikes only for GW to go "no, what are you doing". Plus shining spears and Shroud Runners etc.

To be 100 percent honest, I didn't even think about the Eldar or the Golden Jetbikes of the Custodes.

In my mind the Eldar aren't ones to speed across the tabletop and rush into melee. I see them dancing around, firing and always on the move.

So, is the answer truly the Eldar?

The shining spears are a pure melee biker unit which are pretty effective. Warlocks and farseers are basically only melee on jetbikes in an offensive capacity.

You could have 3 shining spear units, 3 wind rider units, shroud runners, vypers and farseers and warlocks for a pure speed army.

2nd ed allowed jetbikes to carry melee weapons so they could hit pretty hard.

In 3rd the only option was nuadhu firheart saim hann clan leader on modified vypers platform and later saim hann wild rider chief and kinsmen squad with power sword (on chief) and better stats.


It would be nice to see the unique craftworld units make a return. Having the kinsmen would give you some amazing jetbikes armies with all the other options. You could get them in squads of 10 and they even had banner bearers.