Re: [Epic] Biker boys

From: Mark A Shieh <SHODAN+_at_...>
Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 14:59:18 -0500 (EST)

"DAVID C LADO, DEPT OF NEUROSCIENCE" <LADO_at_...> writes:
> >>Yeah, the eldar players actually have to *think* before they use them.
> >>That's why they complained so much about the change ;)
> >
> >I personally think that the new rules for the bikes make them about the
> >right cost. Yeah, they can be ahot in H2H, but they still were very good
> >value, especially with the dual purpose Vypers.
>
> I agree, they are a good point value given:
> 1 They have a decent morale

        Agreed, better morale than Orks. Our Imperial player just
finished modelling Yarrick.

> 2 They have a good caf coupled with a fast move, and they skim,
> ignoring screening units. This means they can go from 50+
> range and pop right over screening troops to attack units 10 cm
> behind the screeners.

        This doesn't work for me, because the screeners I see tend to
be either 360 degree units on FF, or my target is something like a
Colossus with heaping scads of bolters and autocannon on FF. You also
can't pick on parts of the rear line. By sending all 5 bikes at an
Imperial SHV, you're still exposing them to the fire from the other
two. Maybe other Eldar players are having better luck, but I've had a
complete lack of targets for my jetbikes the last few games. They
just tend to soak up fire no other unit is in range of anyways, as
they're in the middle of the board hoping for an opening.

> This means they can go move 15 cm forward
> on turn 1, leaving them outside the charge range of any non-
> flyer, and still charge things in the enemy deployment zone on
> turn 2. No other bike can do that.

        Yeah, 5 cm into the deployment zone directly in front of
you... I find this to not be very effective. Anything at the front
of his deployment zone is moving forward or on FF anyway. I'm
gradually learning that if I want any hope of reaching the back, I
have to either

1) deploy exactly opposite my target, and advance 35cm on the first
turn

2) charge forward at least 50 cm on turn 1.

        I suppose I must point out that we play on something like a
130cm to 140cm wide table, but I would still have similar problems on
a standard 120cm table. if you move up 35cm, you're still going to be
in range of far too many weapons. (What you need to get about 15cm
into their back line to get the units in the far rear)
 
> 3 They're cheap. They're the cheapest thing in the Eldar army
> Every shot spent on them is one less shot hitting the falcons,
> aspect warriors, tempest and other killing units. In that way
> they are equivalent to IG tacs and ork boyz: they don't have
> to kill any thing to be of great use.

        That's really what I'm using them for. I dump them on
rear-line objectives and hope they don't evaporate when the host
breaks. They have this nasty tendency to run off the board. Aaron
started being nice and started to let me ignore Overlords that are
about 100cm out when figuring out where to run to try to rally. We
also allow buildings to block flyer and popup LOS.

Mark
Received on Wed Jan 22 1997 - 19:59:18 UTC