Update

Its been a while since I last posted. I must also remind Gabe to contribute again.

We have been busy. Or at least I have. During the past few weeks I finally completed that Tank Company box set I got nearly two years ago. Spearhead made that worthwhile.

The Russ are not as yet painted, but they are at least constructed.

More soon. Promise.

SM Biker army update

Apart from being side-tracked by some craters, I have made some decent progress on the bikes.

I will post some pics soon.

I am debating adding to my 5th Company units some heavy firepower in the shape of Multi-Meltas and Heavy Bolters - as an alternative choice. The missile launcher is a jack of all trades and master of none. It would be nice to have the chance to use a MM or HB - which like the missile launcher, is free. It means buying some more Devastator units to make up the required figures.

Or.

I could mix my 5th & 2nd Company units.

In other news (as they say), I have pre-ordered a copy of Space Hulk. Not sure its worth but I think my sons will enjoy playing it. We shall see!

GW Road show at the Metro Centre

It was the usual manic Apocalypse fun - only this time everything was provided.

It was an enjoyable couple of hours. Both Nick and Gabe participated - Gabe on the Ork side (of course) and Nick with the IG.

The IG side was being overwhelmed so I was asked to take over some boy scouts - the Ultramarines - to rescue the struggling Guard. Well true to form the GW guys managed to steer the game to a nail biting draw. Very nicely done methinks!

The road show was impressive. Some very nice models and check out that board!

A vid scanning across the board:

SM Biker army

I have spent the day pondering (ok - just part of the day!) what I might have in a 1500pt biker army. The trouble is you dont get many bikes for your money - or points. So I am left wondering if in fact any biker dominated list would ever be much more that a list for fun. Whatever the case may be I intend to proceed. I have the models. Just have to make them.

First up is my KOR’SARRO KHAN equivalent - Captain Fuller of the 5th Company. So bikers as troops.

I want a reasonable assault option so I am including a second HQ - a chaplain on a bike.

I will take a couple of Tactical squads and equip them with transport - a Rhino and two Razorbacks (LC & HB).

My first biker squad will be the assault unit. With seven bikes, two flamers a Sarge with a Power Fist and melta bombs they should be able to take on most opposition - particularly if the Chaplain joins them. Mind you I will be avoiding Genestealers and their like! Unless there is some very good reason to sacrifice the unit... I figure that catching a unit in enfilade with the flamers & bolters prior to the actual assault will be quite effective.

The next two bikers squads are similarly built. Six bikes with an attached attack bike (AB). One squad will have two plasma guns and the AB will have a heavy bolter (HB). The primary role of this squad is shooting up troops & light armour but the Sarge carries a power sword and melta bombs. Assault is possible...

The second squad is the primary anti-armour unit. It will have two meltas and the AB will carry the multi-melta. Again shooting is the role but the Sarge is similarly equipped to assist with close encounters. For this squad, the main target will be primary armour and montrous creatures.

And that is it. 21 bikes! It seems a lot but it is only three squads. With the tactical SM there are only five squads in all, seven units in total. Not a whole lot. It will be fun - I hope!

5th Company Bike Force Recon (1500)

HQ (2)

Captain Fuller [KOR’SARRO KHAN equivalent]

Chaplain [Combi-flamer, bike]

TROOPS (6)

(1) Squad Pugna (strife) : Rhino & Standard Squad (10)

(2) Squad Bellum (war) Alpha: LC Razorback & Tactical Squad (5)

(3) Squad Bellum (war) Omega: HB Razorback & Tactical Squad (5)

(4) Bike Squad Tigris (tiger): 6 Bikes [2 melta, SGT PW & melta Bombs] & Attack Bike [MM]

(5) Bike Squad Lamina (sword): 7 Bikes [2 flamers, SGT PF & melta Bombs]

(6) Bike Squad Pardus (leopard): 6 Bikes [2 plasma, SGT PW & melta Bombs] & Attack Bike [HB]

(19 bikes and 2 Attack Bikes - 21 total)

ELITE (3)

NONE

FAST ATTACK (3)

NONE

HEAVY SUPPORT (3)

NONE

EDIT: The list had an error in it - transports are dedicated. Now tweaked and corrected.

Alternative missions

One of the 'mission' types in Advanced Squad Leader (ASL) involved attempting to get as many armoured vehicles off the opposite board edge as you could by the end of the scenario. This was frantic fun and often quite hard.

A further variation was to have a 'meeting' engagement with both armies entering the board from opposite ends and attempting to exit as many vehicles as possible from the opposite side.

I fancy this would be fun for both Apocalypse, modified Planetstrike and normal games. But with a few tweaks.

Firstly and most importantly most armoured vehicles in WH40K are SLOW. Very slow. As in British infantry support tank slow (circa early WWII). If you assume entry along the 'short' edge of the game board then you face a journey of some 72". This would take a lumbering Leman Russ up to 12 turns to cross moving the minimum of 6" per turn.

Not really good enough. Even if you entered on the 'long' edge, moving the minimum distance per turn, getting to the opposite side would take up to 8 turns.

To make this kind of scenario/mission work, I think you need to up the speed of armour - say add 6" movement across the board.

Thus a lumbering Leman Russ would move 12" plus D6. Fast vehicles get VERY fast.

I rather think a battle based on this kind of scenario would be manic fun. I better get assembling and painting my tank companies... not to mention my SM Biker army. More on that later!