Blood Rodeo - the 6th edition transition

I think I've gotten more e-mails about this topic than anything else ever (yes, even Draigowing). Apparently it's a popular concept which has been brought into further light with 6th edition and...Allies. Everyone's favorite topic lately.

Blood Rodeo is about using a screen of biker models to protect the FNP/FC Assault Marines of a Blood Angels army for any unwanted assaults/attention and basically ferry them into combat. Concept and tactics for 5th edition outlined here.

Email in: Bikes and Ironclads army list @ 2K

"Howdy 3++ Team!

I recently played a 2k point tourney down in SA running a new list with some recently acquired bikers. I did as well as expected with a brand new army (1W/1L/1D) while battling with some pissed off dice gods... This was what I was running:

- Kor'Sarro Khan + Bike 205
- Command Squad, Kitted out for wound allocation, TH, LC's, PF and meltagun on a LC vet, 4 Storm Shields 370
- 3 x Ironclad w/ Heavy Flamer/Hunter Killers + Drop pod 180 (540)
- 3 x 8 Bikes, Attack Bike, multi-melta and 2 meltaguns 285 (855)

Email in: 40k Doubles Tournament - 1750pts Mech-Guard & White Scars

"Hi Kirby,

Love the blog, its been a real help getting up to speed with 5th edition as a long absent player. I was hoping for some feedback for an upcoming 40k Doubles I am attending with a friend in few months - he's taking Guard, I'm taking White Scars. We're pretty happy with the lists but it never hurts to get more feedback while there is still time to assemble and paint.

This is the Warhammer World doubles tournie and as 'Battle Brothers' we each get to add a USR to one of our squads in each Force - the options are skilled rider, move through cover, acute senses, counter-attack, furious charge, stubborn and stealth. We share a force organisation chart but both players have to have a minimum of 1 HQ and 1 Troops, 875 points each.

Email in: Bike Army @ 1750

"I just acquired a good sized Bike army, and am looking at Ravenwing vs White Scars for how to run these guys.

I have 1 Bike Khan (my club would let me use him as Sammael) , 1 Bike Libby, 4 LC/SS bikers, 1 Bike Apothecary, 12 Bikes w Meltas, 6 MMelta attack bikes, 6 Bike Power Fists, and 6 Bikes w Chainswords.

Email in: Question on SM Biker army

Call to Arms

"Hello Kirby,

Yet another first time question, long time reader here. I'll skip the usual wonderful blog etc. part as I'm sure you're tired of reading it by now :P.

I've been putting some serious thought in going for a SM (or other) biker style army. Mainly thinking either pure biker or biker + Dread style. I'll admitt Sons of Anarchy series has probably a great deal for the sudden insipration but before I throw down the money and get some 40 odd bikers I'm wondering if you can answer a few questions.

Email in: Vulkan Bike List-please critique

Dakka

"Hello Kirby,

I really like your blog. it is ful of inspiring tacticas, and isnt full of rubbish like many forums, blogs, etc. I also noticed that you have "Email in" lists, so i thought i would give it a go.

I was wondering if you could critique this list for me, which was inspired by an article you wrote involving the use of both Vulkan and Bikes:

Email in: Starting White Scars Bike Army

Heresy

"Hey Kirby:

I'm back asking for advice on a new army. After looking at your site on the different bike lists, and getting the chance at my LGS seeing a bike unit in action, the thought of an army of bikers sounds exiting and fun to play.

I have already purchased the models to create the below list (except scouts, i will proxy those), but I would like advice on how you would switch points around (upgrades on command squad, captain, regular units, etc).

The list, then my thoughts:

Email in: 2500 'Ard Boyz Biker List - Advice?

Dakka

"Hey Kirby,

So this is the first time I've asked for help on a list from anyone outside of my local gaming community but I figured I might give it a shot since this is for Ard Boyz semis. Your blog has been on of the only ones I've been able to keep up with and all your authors are great...anyway. First I'll drop you the list and then I'll go through my reasonings behind the list choices.

Guest Article: Robot Rodeo

Another article by Saramoff whilst I madly paint my blue Marines. *goes back to painting and waiting for Dan's article*.

It had been less than a week ago since it happened. I sat upon my Terminal, inputting data and conversing with colleagues over an internet portal. The name was peculiar, speaking of how Stormshields are Black and small, purple xeno monsters. As I glances through my legally acquired Imperium documents, I noticed something unusual. Both Space Marine Captains and their Masters of the Force were well versed and capable of taking to the field on bikes.

Had this idea not occurred to Chapter Masters of ages past? I had yet even seen a Master take to the battlefield, yet one on a bike was even more of a rarity. It was at this realisation that something unusual happened. The roof of my living hive came crashing down, and from rain-stricken skies did a halo of gold and blue descend upon me. A voice shimmered, booming from the heavens. It's tone fatherly and commanding, stern as it was nurturing. It was only one man that I could imagine; Robute himself.

Email in: Biker list!

"Hello again,

Back to the "something with Bikes" list V 0.1!

Don't be worried with dates, this is a long term project...Same Tournament, same date...December is the deadline!

This Tournament has a particular set of rules, in particular, a Squadron of Vehicles worth 1 KP for each vehicle... Tournament Missions are as Rulebook...so lets avoid squadrons!

I had the lucky to "acquire" a large quantity of 2handed space marine bikes (+/- 30...), a couple of Speeders and a pair of AoBR Dreads...

Not a big fan of Dual Command Biker Army, so no need to emphasize how awesome they are!

So...lets keep ti cheap!

Possible Event Horizon Options Part II

Yo playas, so me and Mr Taak have been working (for 4! hours) on a different White Scars list for EH to use. Rawrtime's list in chatbawks forced me to look at this one and make changes to it...

I must put in here that I can't take either IG list now as there is too much to buy and Mr Pink has maxed his credit card so I am limited in what I can buy from Wayland. So after extensive crying in the corner, I decided that I will aim to take the Scars to take some heads for Khannnn! Or whatever them do. Ahem...

So the initial list was comprised of thusly:

Vinsanity's Event Horizon List Options!!

Hai guise, I've got some Event Horizon lists today for your honourable perusal before me and the Great Pink One place our orders from Wayland... So I need your comments on the lists fairly quickly :) Anywho, all are 1850 no comp lists. Lets begin with:

White Scars 1850

Captain - Bike, Relic Blade
2 x 8 Bikes - PF, 2 x MGs, AB w/ MM
1 x 4 Bikes - 2 x MGs, AB w/ MM
1 x 4 Bikes - 1 MG, 1 Flamer, AB w/ MM
3 x 2 Typhoons - TML, HBs
2 x Predators - AC, HBs

29 Bikes
8 Vehicles

Pros: They are white scars! Plenty of bikes, MGs and MMs to take vehicles close up and speeders and preds to give some support from the back.

Cons: None, they are white scars! But srsly, 6 speeders are fragile, bikes are fairly fragile, bikes can't go up buildings, etc.

Email in: Robots with Wheels (and Hover Crafts)

"Now that my somewhat odd title hopefully has your attention I pray I get a good feedback or very good "Stop being so noobish damm it!"

I have been enjoying the fun that is my Blood Rodeo list, thank you 3++ for such an intresting concept, and I wished to branch out in my own direction and by god if this list has been done I shall murder the whole 3++ site and everyone associated with it including myself...wait never mind that last part. Anywho onto my list idea. It is using standard Nilla Marine dex and combining 2 of my fav type of units, Bikes and Walkers, so its a Dreadnought and Biker list hence the Robot with Wheels email title. Anywho here is my list and some of my thoughts.

Glad you're liking Blood Rodeo. I've actually done a Biker + Dread post before seen here. Let's see what your army is like.

Space Marines 1750 points

HQ

Space Marine Captain w/ Relic Blade, Storm Shield, Bike 180pts
Master of the Forge w/ Conversion Beamer, Bike 155 pts

Email in: comp score ruins tournaments

Today I got an e-mail about a comped tournament in New Zealand called Battlecry (I think this is the link; please inform me if this is incorrect). I was e-mailed by the Tournament winner, which seems odd considering the title of the e-mail. Then I read it... Let's see what you think...

"I've just won a tournament and I really don't deserve it.
The breakdown of the tournament was:
40% Battlescore
20% Sports
15% painting
25% Comp.

The problem is this, The guy who should have won the whole thing won all 6 games and only dropped 2 bonus points, so 88/90, he got a 2/5 for comp. I had 3 wins, 2 draws and a loss with 67/90 Battle points, but pulled a 5/5 comp. Because of this I won the tournament... The following is my list, which in my opinion deserves a 3-3.5.

Sammael - Land Speeder
Interrogator Chaplain - Fist, Bike

Space Marine Bikers & Terminators: 2500

I don't have a Fast'n'Slow Terminator based list on here as I usually reference Stelek's (...I reference?) at 2000 points. However, after the recent Vulkan Biker e-mail and a request for a 2500 list built around this concept for 'Ard Boyz, well it's time to make a post about them!

So to start with. Fast'N'Slow lists work around Bikes as the Fast aspect to dump models and meltaguns in your opponents face quickly. They have pretty good dakka with relentless twin-linked bolters as well. The main issue for Bikers is two-fold. They hate combat even with T(4)5/3+ and they are short-ranged. Most often you can only solve one of these issues. The 'standard' Fast'N'Slow list creates a Hybrid army of Bikes and ranged vehicle support such as Typhoons, Dreadnoughts and Predators. A normal Biker list has Command Squads which whilst very expensive do a very good job of beating things up in combat. What a Fast'N'Slow list with Termiantors does is aim to cover both of these weaknesses by taking Terminators as a combat unit to smash face and ranged dakka to support the Bikers. Let's begin.

Swiftclaws Viable List? Email Response

Okay, so Kirby forwarded on this Space Wolf email to me to have a go at so lets see what we can do!

[quote]Hi Kirby!


Well, after horrible sessions with TWC, I decided give Swiftclaws a chance. So, can you give some advice about it? Do you think it would work? I mean, the bikes would go after scoring units, while the scouts would go after tanks, heavy support, while the Wolf Lord would either help the Swiftclaws, or strike certain enemies(such as Demon Princes).

Guest Article:Space Marine Biker Tactica

"For the Khan and the Emperor!"

Check it people. Another guest article.

Good Afternoon everyone, my name is Jeremy  but you can call me by my Chogoris' name Mikhail, I am here to talk to you about a lesser known yet quite effective Vanilla Marine army based around the doctrines of war laid by Jaghatai Khan, an all SM Biker army. I have fantasized about this army since their first real Biker rules in WD256 Index Astartes -Lightning Attack but only played a White Scar army since 4th edition using Ravenwing rules and now back to Vanilla Marines. I had a large success with them and really love the dynamism of the army but they also have some strong short comings versus specific match ups. Key reasons why to play a White Scars theme army:

• The army will play fast, very fast, it will hit where you need it and it will redeploy where it needs to be.
• You can present turn 1 threats to your opponent and keeping a strong survivability.
• You are playing a Biker theme army which are Space Mongolians, how cool is that!
• The White Scars were the reason why the Emperor and Sanguinus got to face off against Horus

MotF List 3: Fast'n'Slow w/Dreads

Still not done with these lists! Especially considering my dilema currently with my 1750 Mech Marine list. So let's check out a Fast'N'Slow list using the MotF. Once again our opportunity cost is going to be based around losing the Libby as one HQ is going to be taken by the Captain on a bike to access Bikes as Troops. This means we have no psychic defense, no null zone (less of an issue here as there isn't much AP2 or good combat units) and no extra cool blast or template. We can live with that. The Fast'N'Slow list is based around the concept of throwing bikes into your opponent's face and supporting them with a bunch of mech firepower so this will essentially be a Mech list with the Tacticals replaced with the Bikes. The Bikes are better in comparison to Tacticals in every respect but are correspondingly more expensive. So let's see what we can build...

We'll start with the MotF and Captains on Bikes as they are both required for this list. The MotF could start on foot and start with a Scout squad and Beamer but for the moment we're going to run them both on Bikes. This sets us back 135 and 165 points respectively as we give the Captain a Relic Blade. Now let's take a look at the Dreads we want. Our force is quite aggressive with bikes zooming on T1 so we're going to need some combat support. We can do this with Dreads or Terminators if we wish... I'm going to lean towards Dreads atm as they can advance and help out the Bikes and then charge into combat. We'll therefore take two barebones Dreads w/MM and DCCW and the other four Dreads will be Rifledreads giving us an impressive amount of suppression fire. This will set us back a further 210 and 500 points respectively so we've used up just over 1000 already.

Email in: Biker list at 2000 points

"Hi Kirby

I’m a long time reader of 3++. I currently play raven-guard quiet fluffy with shrike and lots of scouts but I’ve had an itch for a while to do a biker army.

I’m staying with raven guard as I’ve already got 10 or so bikers and can’t afford to completely start from scratch. Also I’m looking forward to modelling a raven guard counts as Khan and his command squad I’m going to use the Forge world upgrade pack, command squad pack some extra storm shields from the Assault terminators and get the Ravenwing box set for the 6 bikes . I was hoping to get some feedback on a list before I sink cash into the models.

Here’s what I’ve got so far

Email in: Bikers & Sternguard

"Hey Will

Bit more to go on from previous e-mail - added sample list, aiming at 1750

Long-time lurker, first-time e-mailer. Love the blog, found you from YTTH.

Firstly, Happy Birthday!

Secondly, I am struggling to finalise my biker list.
I have loved the idea of Jumpers and Bikes since I first picked up a (4th ed) Space Marines codex.
I now have a Stelek-inspired vanilla-dex Raven Guard(-esque) army for jumpers (painted as 8th Co Ultramarines).
I want the biker list to be 6th Co Ultramarines (love that Orange), with a Deathwatch unit (or two) allied.

I can go the dual command squad pure bikers list (1 captain & command squad from each, with "troops" from the UMs).
Or, I can try to mix UM bikers with a gating DW librarian, with some DW Sternguard. Can a Biker/Sternguard mix work?