Help - with Bikes - Caltrops and or Lances/Blasters

Hi, I haven't managed a game this edition as I'm (slowly) rebuilding/painting my Kabal. I'd like to ask those who've had a few games if their experiences indicate whether their bikes have proven more effective when using both Caltrops and Lances/Blasters, or one of upgrades per unit.

I quite like my units cheap and cheerful and baulk somewhat at the price of both upgrades being taken on the same unit, but am unsure how effective the bikes would be with (say) just the assault guns.

I'm planning on using mine as emergency tank hunters, an assault support unit and general nuisance, if that helps?

You can take both upgrades on one bike if it helps, so you've got two 'meatshields' per special weapon/upgrade.

I like two ways of this unit:

-3 with caltrops and blaster. Perfect for an MSU stile

-12 with 4 caltrops and Champio for LD. Amazing unit, no blasters because they will always Jink.

The_Burning_Eye wrote:

You can take both upgrades on one bike if it helps, so you've got two 'meatshields' per special weapon/upgrade.

True, thank you both, I think I'll be taking assault weapons and caltrops after all.

+1 vote for both caltrops and nice gun.

Usually I would argue against a points sink such as equipping a model with both, but since Cluster Caltrops help with anti tank even against armor 14, its not a bad choice... Depending on how your locals argue the HoW on walkers, even better. Not hard to charge to get into the rear of a walkers smallish footprint

Had one game using 6 reavers, two lances, two caltrops. Very good unit. I like 6 for the added bodies and making the unit solid in combat, but could be split to 2x3.

In theory (as I havnt tested our Reavers yet) I would go with 9 Reavers 3 Lances and 3 Caltrops attached to a WWP carrier. The 30pts of Lances dropping down at a precise location to kill off something that is worth so much more in points is so valuable, then just Jink and continue the game as an assault unit, is likely the way I'd play them. You could run a Haemie with them to increase the pfp turn to get them FC a little earlier too....

I tried them last night, but both my blaster riders got barrage sniped by an adeptus mechanicus MC with some kind of mortar thing. Then they got roasted to death on the charge. They did manage to provide my best moment of the game though, deployed 6" on, failed morale check from shooting casualties but only fled 5" before regrouping!

i like to take them without any upgrades. I run 1 unit of 9 and have a second unit of 9 on the way. What really makes the difference for me is using the reavers as an aegis defense line.

I stretch the reavers infront of the bulk of my deployment and force the enemy to shoot at them. if its night fighting they will have a 2+ jink with a 3+ otherwise. This is the best save we can get for vehicles. If they choose to shoot anything behind the reavers then they get their 5+ cover save or 4+ if they have night shields. so basically anything behind the reavers gets a free jink without the snap shot.

In addition the rending is what makes the reavers HoW any good so I leave the caltrops at home and just rely on the bladevanes.

So far its worked out decently. Once my second unit of 9 comes in, I'll try three caltrops and see what they produce on the charge vs what bladevanes produce.

As for the guns, I also leave them with the splinter rifles. Bikes are relentless so I feel I'm losing that advantage when shooting anything other than rapid firing rifles before I assault. The things I want them to assault dont really warrant better than splinter rifles imo.

I am running two reapers and 2 units of heatlance scourges and run warriors with 1 blaster in a venom. I leave the AT to them and the voidraven.