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!

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.

1000pt game: Tyranids vs Space Marines

I never know how these battles are going to pan out. My younger son can play a very canny & cunning game indeed... or he can bunch up his army and charge down a kill zone. With predictable results.

We rolled for mission type and deployment and ended up with seize ground & spearhead. Gabe had set up a fair amount of terrain (which suits him). His army consisted of a couple of zoanthropes, a shooty Carnifex, a broodlord with genestealers... and a fair number of gaunts/hgaunts.

I brought along 2 ten man tacticals with rhinos, a bike squad (with MM attack bike), a whirlwind (first time I have used one), a dev squad and a captain.

The objectives were placed with one being on top of a large hill more or less central on the board. I thought this would be the critical point to fight over. The other two objectives were close to the deployment areas and we would capture these on the first turn.

I swept the bikers around his left flank, hoping to take out the zoanthrope there, and then beat up the broodlord. My dev squad had a nice line of fire on the carnifex and started up a dual with that beast.

One tactical squad captured the right most objective and my other tactical unit, with rhino, captured the central objective. The capt rode with this squad.

Gabe wrecked this rhino and I lost two of my dev squad. In fact I started to lose causulties all over the place from his shooting. But my dev squad ultimately won the dual with the carnifex and the Bike squad took care of the zoanthrope. But although I had damaged his advancing troops & broodlord, he was still able to assault the central objective.

Predictably, the broodlord & genestealers finished off the captain and the remaining squad members - capturing the central objective.

This meant that he could benefit from the full fury of my other units, including the whirlwind. In one turn of heavy firing, the hill was cleared. But I couldnt capture the hill - I only had one troop left.

Gabe though decided to call it a day. He believed that he couldnt win. I tried to explain my problem but he was convinced. I think he was wrong. He had three surviving troops and he could have gotten within 3" of the central objective forcing me to move to get LOS. Arguably my bikes might have been able to clear the troops or at least contest the objective. It would have been hard for him, but he did have one surviving zoanthrope which could have done some serious damage to my bike squad.

In all I don't think he should have given up.

As for myself. I was wishing I had split one of the squads into combat squads. Oh well.

It was a good game. And its been a while.

The Three Wolves Chapter

Since it has been rather quiet round here of late I thought it a good idea to document some aspects of my home-grown Space Marines chapter.

The name is derived from what is supposed to be our family coat of arms which features three wolves (black wolves on a white background).

The chapter is from the second founding, from the Ultramarines. They are known (surprise, surprise) as the Wolves of Guilliman.

I wanted to give this chapter some unusual characteristics for Apocalypse play to entertain my own wee wolves - da boys.

So here are the colour schemes, courtesy of the excellent B&C.

First up the 1st Company & First Company Assault specialists, the Red Wolves (respectively):

The Second & Third companies (left to right):

The Fourth & Fifth companies (left to right):

The Sixth & Seventh companies (left to right):

The Eighth & Ninth companies (left to right):

More on the chapter's history, tactics and such later...