Email in: Single Rock SM Bikers list, bribe inside

"Dear Kirby,

Along with this email you will find a picture of my very much work in process captain. You seem to mention often that you'd like to see people's models (especially models which need conversion) and yet no one ever seems to send any! :( I figured this would be a good time to get the ball rolling whilst making sure people realize not everyone is 'Eavy Metal standard when it comes to painting or converting. I'm also going to be setting a few rules for my list so I figured a bribe would be in order, as such you now lay eyes upon Shadow Captain Pallus of the Ravenguard 5th company.

Enough banter, on to the list!

Captain, Bike, Relic Blade 165
Librarian, Bike 135
Command Squad, Bikes, Company Champion, Thunderhammer, 2 Lightning Claws, 3 Storm Shields, 2 Melta guns 345

8 Bikes, 2 meltas, 1 multi melta attackbike 285
8 Bikes, 2 meltas, 1 multi melta attackbike 285
8 Bikes, 2 flamers, 1 combiflamer sergeant, 1 multi melta attackbike 285

Total: 1500

I've been quite the fan of your blog lately and between the talk of Blood Rodeo, Jumpers, Fast'n'slow and regular bikers I know exactly what I'm doing wrong in the list. Despite that I want to make it as good as possible. First off, we play 1700 points here so that's our limit, as you can see I'm 200 points under as of yet. Worth mentioning are the company champion and the triflamer squad. The company champion is mostly a modeling choice: 15 points cheaper than LC/SS with similar damage output but less protection, I realize a fourth storm shield would be better but both the budget-ness and planned conversion appeal to me. The triflamer squad is a personal favorite. Whilst you commonly see a single flamer so you can combat squad into a mutli melta / melta squad, I find the meshing of ranges to be messy and much prefer a triflamer combat squad.

I'm playing a single command squad, mostly because having 2 makes no sense to me (fluffwise). This did give me the option of taking a librarian which I gladly accepted. In my area space wolves with priests and lash are abundant. Whilst those lists aren't especially overpowered I do feel its a bad match-up for bikes. I've considered putting thunder hammer terminators in a landraider as a second rock but without any other vehicles that seems to just be worse than a double command squad list instead of 'different'. Infact, most balanced armies will be able to dissect such a dual-rock list far to easily for my liking.

So with that said I have a 1500 points list that's fairly close to your teachings par the company champ, triflamer and single rock. The remaining 200 points have me in a bind however. While I'd like some suppression fire, the absolute lack of armor thus far will make any vehicle a deathtrap. 'Naked' Thunder hammer Storm shield terminators deep striking are an option but I'm unsure if they will work. The idea appeals to me however. Short of that, the only way I can think to spend the points is more of the same (melta bikes) or deathtrap vehicles. What say you, what do I do to keep my list 'my list' but still as competitive as possible.

Regards, Sepharine

P.S. I'll send you some finished pictures when the model is actually finished."

First off, nice Captain =p. Looks like Sammael's body? Flows pretty well and yes I do like people sending in pics! Makes it easier for me to add pics to posts. So your list, is pretty solid though with a few inconsistencies as you noted which are fine. So let's see what we can do with those extra points. With only 200 pts it's prob not the best idea to go for a fast'n'slow type list, especially with a Command squad. Just not enough points lying around. With only one Command Squad though you want the rest of your Bikes to be at least somewhat capable in combat. 3 PFists is going to cost us 75 points and only leave us 115 left. A small bike squad w/2 meltaguns is 110 pts so that's possible but not sure I like a 3 man squad w/2 special weapons, it feels like throwaway points. We could add in 2-3 Speeders but as above, they'll be shot down early being the only armor out there. You could bring TH/SS Termies along akin to Blood Rodeo to drop behind enemy lines and add another rock but unlike Blood Rodeo you don't have a bunch of little squads which are decent at combat to back you up so eh on that idea.

So whilst all of the above are plausible ideas I'd simply go for another bike squad. 200 points will give you 5 bikes + MM AB w/a single meltagun. Your army on a whole will need to  be very careful with combat as you don't have PFists in the big bike squads but with a COmmand Squad running around you should be okay!

Oh and where is this article you promised me?!