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Sorry I hope this isn't against the rules, I've been waiting a couple weeks for my new space marine codex and it should arrive this weekend but I'm playing a game friday for the first time in years and I was wondering if you guys could answer one question about how the current bike squads are set up, I don't need points or anything so I hope this is alright I was just wondering squad sizes, a general idea of what the sergeant can be equipped with, if I need a sergeant in the bike squad and how many special weapons I'm allowed to kit out on my bikers (Is it like the tac squads where if I remember correctly they could only have one special for every five and a heavy at ten).

Any help in this would be greatly appreciated, I know I wont have most of my salamanders painted by friday but I'd like them to at least be built if possible.

Thank you in advance and if this breeches any rules I'll immediately remove my post.

Most of what you're asking is written within the codex. The unit entry will detail the limits of how many special weapons, minimum and maximum squad size and so on.

But for this specific squad, here's something to help you out:

The basic squad size is listed under "Unit composition". It should list a number of models and what kind of models there is. There should also be a points printed in the top corner (forgot if it's the top left or top right). That's how much you pay for this bare minimum "Unit Composition". As for their equipment, it should be listed under Wargear. "Wargear" is the basic equipment those models have; special weapons and whatnot will be purchased under Options.

To add more models to the unit, look under Options and find the entry telling you how many more bikers you can add and their point cost per biker. The max unit size is, obviously, when you hit this max number + the amount of bikers listed in Unit Composition.

As for Sergeant's equipment, read the Options entry carefully. I think only Vet Sarges can take weapon options (not sure, I never buy equipment for my sergeants) and it will list specific sections in the Armory that you can purchase items from. The Armory section should be before all of the unit entries if I remember correctly. Note that there's a list with point costs and one that lists actual rules; only pick items from the list with point costs. The section listing the rules is for organization purposes only and do not indicate that a model has access to anything (so for example the Narthecarium is only available from the Apothecary upgrade, despite being listed in the wargear section).

Thank you for responding but not at all what i was asking, i played for years so reading a codex is no problem, im waiting on mine to arrive because the last one i have is either 4th or 5th edition but it wont get here until the day im supposed to have my first game in years, to the shop I'll be playing at no less so I'm trying to make sure the units i intend to use are legal in the game and i can find out on the day of how many points they are when i have codex in hand, what i need now because i don't have a codex until this weekend is how to make sure my squads of bikers are kitted out appropriately and that i wont, say, have too many special weapons if only a certain amount is allowed.

Google battlescribe, it can help you out with this big time. As for what load out options are best for a bike squad, I'm not a space marine player and can't really give you much load out or equipment advice that wouldn't be much better given by another dakkaite.

At any size, you can give two dudes a special weapon (grav gun, always a grav gun)

Requiet wrote:
Thank you for responding but not at all what i was asking, i played for years so reading a codex is no problem, im waiting on mine to arrive because the last one i have is either 4th or 5th edition but it wont get here until the day im supposed to have my first game in years, to the shop I'll be playing at no less so I'm trying to make sure the units i intend to use are legal in the game and i can find out on the day of how many points they are when i have codex in hand, what i need now because i don't have a codex until this weekend is how to make sure my squads of bikers are kitted out appropriately and that i wont, say, have too many special weapons if only a certain amount is allowed.

I'm unsure exactly just how far I can start quoting rules unless it's a rules debate, so that was the best I could give. If you have any of the older codexes though, I would say that they are pretty much the same, or at least within the ballpark (yes, even if it's way back from 5th or 4th edition. The bike squad didn't change that much in the intervening years).

Bikes are min 3 (and 1 of those is a sarge) and can take 2 specials regardless of size. Any HQ on a bike unlocks them as troops. The biker sarge has the same weapons selection as a tactical sarge (so basically anything), but if memory serves, he's only got 1 weapon to switch out (unless you count the twin linked bolter on the bike, some people argue that doesn't count).

Thank you guys that helped a lot, and ive been toying with battlescribe but for a lot of the thigs it wasnt telling me how many of something i could have, such as bike squads where it seemed i could add an infinite amount of special weapons which seemed off to me. Thank you again eveerybody