just wondering how to use them most effectively in a normal codex marines list.....

on initial inspection they seem like assault marines, slightly faster and with decent FF, but an inability to use terrain effectively, they also don't leave room for a 2nd formation in a thawk which IMO is a big disadvantage

so, who uses them, how effective are they? should I be frenziedly painting some?

if not, how do people think they can be made more effective?

are they better in large numbers in a whitescars list?

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In my own experience bikes are excellent, because they're speed 35cm and FF4+. They can also get attack bikes for ranged attacks (so they can put a BM and then support an assault, which they're good at). 5 for 200 points is cheap for marines. Tacticals and Devastators are perhaps even more effective at supporting engagements, but the bikes have a 35cm CC/50cm FF threat range if they need to do the job themselves - without having to risk sitting a turn inside a fragile Rhino.

I usually run mine with a Chaplain.

I use them in the majority of my games, usually with a Chaplain and 1-2 Attack Bikes. Most of the time they're clipping someone or providing support after I used them for a crossfire. If they're still alive at the end of the game they'll grab an objective.

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Squats 2019-10-17

I think they're good - decent all rounders whose mobility can not be degraded, which is really important IMO. Good in both assault and firefight (by marine standards). Good objective grabbers, less vulnerable defensively than assault marines, can place blast markers.

They can be drop podded, right? Ideal for that - flexible and fast when they hit the ground.

Like most marine formations, they are no good taking on assault specialists by themselves, but they can support or initiate just fine.

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Excellent for taking objectives late game
Solid CC - especially versus smaller formations
Good to cut broken enemy formation routes after an engagement or mop one up and for crossfiring
Decent support fire
Average formation size, so bigger is always better.
Boosting with a character is always helpful

not in epic-uk they can't, only units with 'plus transport' can be podded in

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It used to be Tacs, Devs and Scouts, now it's down to just the first two. Well them and Dreads.

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Dave

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Squats 2019-10-17

Bikes cannot be drop-podded.
The Transport rule is identical in both Epic-UK and the NetEA tournament pack allowing only Devastators, Dreadnoughts and Tacticals.

However Bikes can be taken on THawk and Landing Craft, where they are better than Assault marines having better FF and a slightly larger formation. Their mobility is their other main asset, and with an attack bike in the formation to lay a BM, they are a decent 'prep-&-support' formation that is better than Land Speeders for all but RA enemy.

Yup, Scouts were removed after the 5x scout drop pod abuse was discovered

Ah OK, I'm probably thinking of bikes in planetfalling landing craft.

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I personally find the bikes to be dump. But that is due to the lack of games I have played and the fact that we rarely enter into big CC/FF situations.

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Walk softly. And carry a big gun.

How can you make a value judgement if haven't played many games and the ones you have haven't included the specific situations they're designed for?

I've only played a couple of games but it seems obvious to me that assault is deadly and being able to potentially triple a high movement is highly beneficial.

@ MikeT - Hence why I said "but that is due to the lack of games I have played"

The guys I play against are very 40K in style. They all try and keep my SM army at arms length and avoid CC where possible. We are trying to get more games to overcome this

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Walk softly. And carry a big gun.

Point out to them that CC in Epic and CC in 40K are not the same thing. A (small) formation vs. (small) formation cc in Epic is the whole game they are thinking of in 40K scale; not just the 40K-scale base-to-base stuff.

-Allen McCarley