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Hey mates. With my Bike list well underway and with finally getting both of my Ravenwing battleforce built for my Direwolves chapter using the White Scar Chapter Tactics, I have come into a debate I just wanted to run by you. Currently, I have been following some peoples advice and currently am running my bike squads of 6x w/2x Grav Guns, and a Sgt. w/Combi-Gravgun, PF, which has worked out well in the 3x small point games I played to test it out (3x wins btw against Chaos Marine, Space Wolves, and Orks ), however I am considering adding an attack bike to each of my bike squads. Reason I'm debating is that I could use the points for something else, however I like the idea of every bike squad having a Multi-Melta just in case, as I try to make my units as flexible as possible to cover anything that comes my way. Are attack bikes worth it in a bike squad? And note I will not be running any as fast attack, as currently I have 2x Stormtalons and a Landspeeder Typhoon Squadron already in place.

well you could add the Attack bike to a full 8man squad of bikes then combat squad them Then you use 5 bikes for a screen for the 2 special weapons/combi weapon/attack bike squad.

 Ninjacommando wrote:
well you could add the Attack bike to a full 8man squad of bikes then combat squad them Then you use 5 bikes for a screen for the 2 special weapons/combi weapon/attack bike squad.

Can't do that. It says in the book that when taking a Captain or a Chapter Master on a bike, then bike squads of 5+ are considered troop choices. If I combat squad them that way, then the squad of 3x wont count as troops then so thats why I wasn't planning on running them that way.

 Rommel44 wrote:

 Ninjacommando wrote:
well you could add the Attack bike to a full 8man squad of bikes then combat squad them Then you use 5 bikes for a screen for the 2 special weapons/combi weapon/attack bike squad.

Can't do that. It says in the book that when taking a Captain or a Chapter Master on a bike, then bike squads of 5+ are considered troop choices. If I combat squad them that way, then the squad of 3x wont count as troops then so thats why I wasn't planning on running them that way.

They still count as troops if you combat squad them.

 Ninjacommando wrote:
well you could add the Attack bike to a full 8man squad of bikes then combat squad them Then you use 5 bikes for a screen for the 2 special weapons/combi weapon/attack bike squad.

I run a melta bike squad with attack bike that I'll split the 2x melta bikes and the MM attack bike, along with a sarge with combi melta to have a blob of fast moving melta doom while the other 5 standard bikes tool around and do something else, like take objectives.

 Bookwrack wrote:

 Ninjacommando wrote:
well you could add the Attack bike to a full 8man squad of bikes then combat squad them Then you use 5 bikes for a screen for the 2 special weapons/combi weapon/attack bike squad.

I run a melta bike squad with attack bike that I'll split the 2x melta bikes and the MM attack bike, along with a sarge with combi melta to have a blob of fast moving melta doom while the other 5 standard bikes tool around and do something else, like take objectives.

Ah ok thanks for clearing that up. I thought about running meltaguns as my special weapons but everyone keeps telling me that Gravguns are the way to go and needless to say, with all of the troops running around, Im seeing less and less of vehicles these days which is why I opt for them. Why do you go with meltas mate?

Everyones Meta is different, melta is still the best tank killer and can instagib T4 multiwound characters.

When you see AV 13+ melta is worth its weight in gold.

On the topic of the attack bikes, the MM matches up with the usual bike special weapons (melta/plasma/grav) better then the HB,

If your seeing the common Riptide/wave serpent spam then grav gun spam is worth it (ie you just need 2 6's to wreck a Wave serpent with Graviton rule, the best part being that the Waveserpent doesn't get save). if you see a lot of av 14 spam in your area you may want to fill your FA slots with 3 attack bikes with MM, and keep your troops bikes armed to deal with other threats.

An attack bike is roughly equivalent to two bikes - you lose one Hammer of Wrath hit and an attack on the charge, but you can take a nonS10/ID wound without losing a model.

However, for 3 points more than two bikes, you're swapping TL bolters for a heavy bolter, giving you more shots at a higher strength and longer range - this is definitely worth it.

Alternatively for 13 poiints more you get a double range meltagun. A single meltagun is worth it for 10 points, the extra range is a bargain for 3 more.

Attack bikes are still entirely worthwhile in bike squads in my opinion...

 Hedgehog wrote:
An attack bike is roughly equivalent to two bikes - you lose one Hammer of Wrath hit and an attack on the charge, but you can take a nonS10/ID wound without losing a model.

However, for 3 points more than two bikes, you're swapping TL bolters for a heavy bolter, giving you more shots at a higher strength and longer range - this is definitely worth it.

Alternatively for 13 poiints more you get a double range meltagun. A single meltagun is worth it for 10 points, the extra range is a bargain for 3 more.

Attack bikes are still entirely worthwhile in bike squads in my opinion...

Agreed. I take 2 gravguns and a MM bike in TAC Whitescar lists for 3 of my squads, the 4th has 2 MG and the MM bike. I can see who/what I'm playing and then combat squad as needed to make it work

 Rommel44 wrote:

 Bookwrack wrote:

 Ninjacommando wrote:
well you could add the Attack bike to a full 8man squad of bikes then combat squad them Then you use 5 bikes for a screen for the 2 special weapons/combi weapon/attack bike squad.

I run a melta bike squad with attack bike that I'll split the 2x melta bikes and the MM attack bike, along with a sarge with combi melta to have a blob of fast moving melta doom while the other 5 standard bikes tool around and do something else, like take objectives.

Ah ok thanks for clearing that up. I thought about running meltaguns as my special weapons but everyone keeps telling me that Gravguns are the way to go and needless to say, with all of the troops running around, Im seeing less and less of vehicles these days which is why I opt for them. Why do you go with meltas mate?

Because I've been running this list for a long time. I have switched my command squad from running 4x plasma guns to running 4x grav guns, the relentless rule from the bikes meaning they're firing full salvo has made them ever worse murder on infantry than they were before, and no longer have to worry about 'gets hot.' For the bike squad, with the combimelta on the sarge, to meltas and a MM firing after full movement, if I need a vehicle, MC, or small, tough unit messed up, they're sill quite good for it.