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So, now that 8th has changed a lot, which Space Marine chapter makes the best Bike Army now? Dark Angels Ravenwing, White Scars, Deathwatch, or has another chapter shown that it can make a better bike army in 8th?

Thanks

SG

Sadly bikers suck gretchin dick in 8th.

Ravenwing Bikers are now 2 wounds, and have double the inherent firepower they used to have - which I expect is true of SM Bikers across the board. Ravenwing retain a Jink rule, which gives them a 5++ on turns they advance. And Sammael is now a beast in close combat, particularly on turns he charges. I don't know how Ravenwing stack up against other SM bikers, but I've been happy to have them in my lists thus far.

 ServiceGames wrote:
So, now that 8th has changed a lot, which Space Marine chapter makes the best Bike Army now? Dark Angels Ravenwing, White Scars, Deathwatch, or has another chapter shown that it can make a better bike army in 8th?

Thanks

SG

Wait a little longer for the codex. you may or may not get a surprise inside.

At present Ravenwing probably have the crown; bikes generally are a bit worse than they were, but Ravenwing have better bike-mounted characters and better melee bikes than the competition, and the Darkshroud aura is a pretty big edge for them when drawing comparisons.

White Scars don't really have anything useful at present; Kor'sarro Khan supports a one-dimensional melee deathball and doesn't do a lot else. Deathwatch have pound for pound the best individual bikes (cost of a normal Marine veteran biker with the same statline, but getting special ammo and fall-back-and-charge instead of bodyguard), but since they can't have bike characters, bike special weapons, attack bikes, or Land Speeders you can't really build an army around them.

I suspect Deathwatch bikers would fit fairly well in a mixed-Imperial list designed around being fast, but it wouldn't be a pure SM list or a pure single-faction one. How well that works depends on your opinion of Assorted Imperial Random lists.

I don't really know, but aren't Wolves using Bikes now?

pismakron wrote:
Sadly bikers suck gretchin dick in 8th.

do fungi have genitalia?

that said bikes are certainly lackluster

 G00fySmiley wrote:

pismakron wrote:
Sadly bikers suck gretchin dick in 8th.

do fungi have genitalia?

that said bikes are certainly lackluster

"Inhaling gretchin spores" just doesn't have the same ring to it.

Bikes aren't lackluster, they're not just as broken and awful as they were in 7th. They're fine for what they are/do.

I'm reasonably sure that Ultramarines have the best bike army ATM

 Elbows wrote:
Bikes aren't lackluster, they're not just as broken and awful as they were in 7th. They're fine for what they are/do.

Agree. In 7th, bike armies started to grate on me after seeing quite a few in my local, though I'd like for the White Scars to have a bit more going for them. They are, to me, the most interesting loyalist chapter and I'd love to fight them more often.

Space Wolves Wolf Guard Bikers.
We got a bit snubbed in 7th having no access to a Troop option for Bikes - a downside of using the Codex as alcohol coasters I suppose.

Cons.
3ppm more than your standard vanilla bike and no access to Heavy weaponry.
No Combat Squad ability - questionable relevance.

Pros.
Base loadout is grenades, two Bolters, a Bolt Pistol and Chainsword.
Option to take a third Bolter - not swap for just take - that can be left as is or upgraded to any Space Wolves combi-weapon.
Two standard attacks, three for the leader.
Three and four if you didn't upgrade the Chainswords to Power Weapons.
Full access to the Space Wolves' melee weapon's list.
The ability to put a Storm Shield on any or all models in the unit.
Elite choice rather than Fast Attack - Don't know how that calculates for other Marine armies but for Space Wolves it's wonderful.

I think the Wolves definitely go in the running for best bike army.

 Elbows wrote:
Bikes aren't lackluster, they're not just as broken and awful as they were in 7th. They're fine for what they are/do.

lackluster does not mean awful, it just means dull, regular. lacking glitz or shine. they are not terrible, they are not great they are just fairly middle of the road

Wolfguard bikers, nuff said.

 Talamare wrote:
I don't really know, but aren't Wolves using Bikes now?

they always had Bikes, in the past they were just not worth it
now they are the best