Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I like the models and they can be made objective secured with coteaz but they still seem awful compared to space marine bikers. Is there any way to make them somewhat work ?

Bring their points down by 2 and simply make their hunting lances Power Lances (the least used power weapon). That way they at least have power weapons after the first round of combat.

Well, first off, you'd have to make morale actually matter in 40k. As things stand, every unit is fearless (and the removal of fearless wounds... wtf GW?)/stubborn/etc. to the point that the shock from a flanking cavalry charge is pointless, trivializing any purpose they might have as counter-assault units.

Next, Cavalry lances should be kept the same, but you should be able to buy additional ones. One problem that roughriders have is that even if they do manage to do something meaningful with their charge and win their combat, they've still lost all of their functionality after that initial charge.

After that, give them the extra wound and weapon skill that krieg rough riders get (really though, the Krieg codex should just be consolidated into a greater Imperial Guard codex that actually exemplifies the fact that the Guard are the most diverse and variable army in the entire 40k setting).

And then give them objective secured, so that they can pose a threat late game as objective rushers.

 oldzoggy wrote:
I like the models and they can be made objective secured with coteaz but they still seem awful compared to space marine bikers. Is there any way to make them somewhat work ?

Take St. Celestein. Let her tank for them. She is a really good combo for rough riders, and her latest rules are completely broken, so she can make up for the crappy rules of rough riders.

Play them as DKoK death riders, what codex rough riders wish they could be. And if you use the death rider FOC you even get to take them as obsec "troops".

 cuda1179 wrote:
Bring their points down by 2 and simply make their hunting lances Power Lances (the least used power weapon). That way they at least have power weapons after the first round of combat.

This could work, but this was more of a tactics question then it was a proposed rules one. Suppose I really wanted to make them work with their current rules.

 cuda1179 wrote:
Bring their points down by 2 and simply make their hunting lances Power Lances (the least used power weapon). That way they at least have power weapons after the first round of combat.

They wouldn't be worth it cause of the drop from ini5 to ini3 on t3 5+ models. There's a rule called jouste on dragoons that brings ini up on the charge. Could apply that.

 oldzoggy wrote:

 cuda1179 wrote:
Bring their points down by 2 and simply make their hunting lances Power Lances (the least used power weapon). That way they at least have power weapons after the first round of combat.

This could work, but this was more of a tactics question then it was a proposed rules one. Suppose I really wanted to make them work with their current rules.

Then definitely look at death riders. They're essentially a massively superior unit for p4etty much the same points, and you can field them as a standalone detachmeent.

If you must use guard rough riders, keep them back and hidden. Their toughness means you need to keep them in cover and use them reactively, not aggressively. As a counter-charge unit, their speed becomes a nice-to-have, not vital, so you could even consider attaching a priest - rerolls to hit (and potentially wound) could make a huge difference.

Their main problem is durability/price issue. They do hit hard and are quick. But if we want them to maintain the same price, we could make them t4 4+ armor so that they could make it to combat more often and it'd be ok.