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I saw some old threads discussing the idea of a big mek with shokk attack gun on a bike, and it got me thinking...

Equip your big mek as follows:

* Warbike
* Shokk attack gun
* Mega force field (unlike a normal kustom force field, you don't have to exchange your gun for this, so you can take both)

The idea is that he can keep pace with the battlewagons as they travel up the field, using his mega force field to give 2-3 of them a 4+ invulnerable save against shooting attacks, and because his warbike makes him relentless, he can blast targets of opportunity with the shokk attack gun on the way.

This would also have implications for target saturation. The big mek equipped in this way is a legitimate threat in his own right, as well as a boon to the battlewagons he escorts, so an enemy would have to divert sensible firepower from the wagons in order to take him out.

Thoughts?

Do you also paint a giant target on his T5 2W head?

the_scotsman wrote:
Do you also paint a giant target on his T5 2W head?

Well, I thought I might paint a giant target on his 185 point 4+ invulnerable save head so that he somewhat matches the massive targets on the 3-400 point battlewagon melee units either side of him

I have to agree that this is too large a points investment for one model. One big issue you have to contend with is the chance for rolling badly for the SAG strength rolls which you have no way to modify or re-roll because if you roll double 1's on turn 1 you not only lose your mobile gun platform but 75 points worth of shielding. I would rather have two separate big mek bikers with their separate gear than put all my eggs in one basket.

He might work in a list with several other scary units zooming towards the enemy at the same time, but otherwise, yeah, he's going to be the top priority target for the enemy's heavy weapons and so is unlikely to live long or prosper.

 Clang wrote:
He might work in a list with several other scary units zooming towards the enemy at the same time, but otherwise, yeah, he's going to be the top priority target for the enemy's heavy weapons and so is unlikely to live long or prosper.

Well yeah, as per the op, he is supposed to act as an escort for several battlewagons full of powerful melee units, hence the mega force field.

 Krusha wrote:

 Clang wrote:
He might work in a list with several other scary units zooming towards the enemy at the same time, but otherwise, yeah, he's going to be the top priority target for the enemy's heavy weapons and so is unlikely to live long or prosper.

Well yeah, as per the op, he is supposed to act as an escort for several battlewagons full of powerful melee units, hence the mega force field.

But then an enemy will still be shooting at the mek as top priority, hoping to kill him and thus remove the BWs' MFF protection before targeting them. To distract the enemy from the mek, you need other scary units which are independent of the mek's survival.

Can you put him in the battlewagon instead?
However, if the battlewagons block LOS to him he might live for one turn, which is really all the wagon should need.

 Clang wrote:

 Krusha wrote:

 Clang wrote:
He might work in a list with several other scary units zooming towards the enemy at the same time, but otherwise, yeah, he's going to be the top priority target for the enemy's heavy weapons and so is unlikely to live long or prosper.

Well yeah, as per the op, he is supposed to act as an escort for several battlewagons full of powerful melee units, hence the mega force field.

But then an enemy will still be shooting at the mek as top priority, hoping to kill him and thus remove the BWs' MFF protection before targeting them. To distract the enemy from the mek, you need other scary units which are independent of the mek's survival.

If they do that, then huge boyz/nobz/meganobz mobs are going to be on top of them next turn

 Clang wrote:

But then an enemy will still be shooting at the mek as top priority, hoping to kill him and thus remove the BWs' MFF protection before targeting them. To distract the enemy from the mek, you need other scary units which are independent of the mek's survival.

Like another mek!

 Krusha wrote:

the_scotsman wrote:
Do you also paint a giant target on his T5 2W head?

Well, I thought I might paint a giant target on his 185 point 4+ invulnerable save head so that he somewhat matches the massive targets on the 3-400 point battlewagon melee units either side of him

i am doing this but with the 5+. Im hiding behind 2 battlewagon AND either side of those is a squad of gun wagons (the closest to the enemy being the one near the force field to get the save)

Its reasonably easy to hide him out of LOS behind the BW's, then using the BW's move in the shooting phase to close up the gap you have just shot from.

IE; place the mek at the front between the two wagons in movement so he can see past and shoot out, then when you flatout the wagons they hide him again.

The mek with SAG on a bike is a great ork unit, yeh it can suffer from poor rolls, but equally I used it to double out a necron (previous dex) deathstar, insta-killing all his crypteks and dropping his HQs to a couple or single wounds. Yeh the bike SAG MFF mek is pricey, but if the enemy really goes out of their way to ignore your BWs in favour of killing your mek?? Well turn 2 you will be unloading and charging, at which point shooting at the BW's is pointless, so what was the point in killing the mek? yeh you killed a SAG, but now you have wagon loads of boyz right in your face.

Krusha - I should get a game soon, potentially friday, so i'll run mine and tell you how he does

I wonder if it wouldn't be simpler just to remove the SAG and burry him behind and between the 3 battle wagons. The SAG is nice, but the KFF escort is much more important in the larger scheme and it gives you some points to drop elsewhere (riggers & dozer blades for the wagons would be my choice).

 Gitsplitta wrote:
I wonder if it wouldn't be simpler just to remove the SAG and burry him behind and between the 3 battle wagons. The SAG is nice, but the KFF escort is much more important in the larger scheme and it gives you some points to drop elsewhere (riggers & dozer blades for the wagons would be my choice).

^^ all very good points.

But i'll counter with... if you aint got a SAG on a bike, you ain't playin orks!