How to play Reaver Jetbikes

Red Grief is an all star Obsession IMHO, but Reavers only benefits from the reroll charge since they don't have a roll for their advance, so you can't add 2

I am building a list that includes 2x6 Reavers:
One with 2 blasters and one naked (but could easily see myself dropping the 2 blasters)
How I intend to use them:(in no particular order)
-- against a shooty opponent advance and charge their shooty elements (alongside BH transports)
- use them to retrieve Nachmund Data (6 model units auto pass) in far away corners
- use them to contest or capture far away objectives (6 models is usually one more than non obj.sec. 5 man units
- screen the backfield against deepstrikers to protect my 2 ravagers
-apply extra fire power or CC capability where needed (zoom in to support a push)
-- use them to move block CC armies that want to advance fast. They die in the process but I box them into their deployment zone for one extre turn of shooting / scoring.

Granted, I have to test how effective they are for all of this (and other units might do it better) but boy are they fun to swish, zoom, pew, zack! around the battlefield!!

I was using Reavers for harrasment, 5x naked.

But after the Quins, 2x3-4 Skyweavers in a Patrol are just better for thar role

Yeah, I am planning on running 3 (with a heat lance) because they look cool and might be a useful harassment or assassination unit… but they look like they lack teeth (unlike harlequin bikes).

Heck, hellions look better and are cheaper (just theoretically- haven’t gotten to get them in a game yet)

3 could be too small a squad. I usually run 6. Fully equipped. Sometimes 9, but 9 are hard to deploy.

Do they hit hard enough to be worthwhile ? I am a little worried by only damage 1.

Hmmm…. Maybe I should just get some more!

Depends. But they do damage in 3 Phases. Or at least could do.

AbsolutnotVect wrote:

Yeah, I am planning on running 3 (with a heat lance) because they look cool and might be a useful harassment or assassination unit… but they look like they lack teeth (unlike harlequin bikes).  

Heck, hellions look better and are cheaper (just theoretically- haven’t gotten to get them in a game yet)

Their lack in teeth it's ok, punching hard stuff it's not their role. They're a fast harrasment units, they bully all those monkey-action units that runs here and there keeping far objectives and do missions.
With Cursed Blade I've fielded units of 5, all melee oriented: 100 points for 25 attacks Sr4 vp-1 D1 or 20 at Sr5, zapping around. I like them, see them as a counterplay for the objective-mission plays.

We have other stuff for harder punch.


Not a fan on special weapons on them, I see them just like fast wyches that can zap 18"+8"+charge on T1 with an easy Animus. Keep them cheap is the way imho.
PS: special weapons are interesting on Ynnari tho. On big units, those 2-3 survivors will shoot at bs2+

Uh, with the 'Splintermind' combatdrug, they always have BS2+. And since they arent Infantry,
there is no penalty for moving before using your Heatlances. Move to the nearest HQ,
tap it, move a bit away, use flyby strat, then shoot. If it survives, charge, deal MSs on 4+.
Then finish the leftovers in CC...

Hmmm, somehow I’d forgotten all about splintermind. That is an interesting option!

9 bikes with 3 heat lances would be 210, compared to a raider with 10 kabbalites with 2blasters being 205.

Zenotaph wrote:

Uh, with the 'Splintermind' combatdrug, they always have BS2+. And since they arent Infantry,
there is no penalty for moving before using your Heatlances. Move to the nearest HQ,
tap it, move a bit away, use flyby strat, then shoot. If it survives, charge, deal MSs on 4+.
Then finish the leftovers in CC...

That's REALLY really difficult to connect, and you need a large unit because of the 1x3 lances.

Personally, I think Reavers are currently best as 3 man units, purely to tie things up and make life miserable for the opponent.

Unfortunately Reavers cant go inside transports, so in a Competitive environment, you got to be SUPER careful with them (T4, 4+ doesnt last long to the Artillery currently ruling the META).

Due to their fragility and lack of damage output, I find its best to leverage their speed. I would recommend looking at Incubi/Hellions if you want something that can output good damage.

Zenotaph wrote:

Depends. But they do damage in 3 Phases. Or at least could do.

4.

Movement
Shooting
Charge
Fight
...enemy movement if you're mad enough to use Cluster Caltrops.

I like them as an assassin unit of 9 with Heat Lances, Grav Talons and a Power Sword. That gives them enough potential to pick out enemy characters. Blasters give more flexibility to Advance and shoot, if you can afford it. The important thing is to give the Grav Talons to the same Reavers using the Blasters or Heat Lances.

Right, 4 phases. Anyone tried a naked pack of 12 with Touchness drug?
Could be a nice distraction.