White Scars Bike Command Squad Rogue Trader Style

I have been contemplating building the White Scars army I started collecting models for back in 2001. That was when US White Dwarf issue 256 had the Chapter Approved White Scars rules for the third edition Space Marine codex. With the release of the 6th edition Space Marine codex twelve years later the White Scars seem to be heading for a resurgence on the table top.

With the ability to mount a White Scars Command squad on bikes I thought about putting in some classic models from Rogue Trader days. I own a few of the MK II Black Shadow bikes and thought about using them.

First an Apothecary. One of my fondest Rogue Trader memories was by army buddy Becker's Apothecary on a bike dropping a Virus grenade in my buddy Will's Ork army and watching as it was almost wiped out from one side of the styrofoam fort to the other.

Next a Techmarine. He is missing his lower leg but I am sure I have it in the bits box and if not I can fix on a bionic one.

Last a Chaplain. If I use these for a command squad I will probably replace the Chaplain for a special weapon trooper. I really do need a few more of the old style MK II Bikes to field the squad but I have another option in my bits box.

I still have a half dozen or so of the old Imperial Jet bikes left after building my Praetorian Lancer rough rider squad awhile back. I have enough unbuilt Rogue Trader RTB01 to make riders for them so I might put the command squad on Jetbikes and that will let me use my newer bikes to field more or larger White Scar bike squads.

ColKg

White Scars the new Hotness? or A quick bits inventory.

The new Space Marine codex has dropped and the White Scars have taken the web by storm. I read on several different blogs how the White Scars are going to see a bunch of table time soon. You can say I am jumping on the band wagon but I hopped on in May of 2001 with US White Dwarf 256 and the White Scar Chapter approved rules for the third edition Space Marine codex.

This was back in the golden era when the White Dwarf was something you looked forward too each month because you never knew what kind of cool rules would appear. I liked these rules and dreamed of an all bike White Scars army. I just had to collect up some bikes. At the time I played my generic Space Marines and planned to use the White Scar rules with the bikes I already had.By the time I had enough bike models to start building the army the 4th edition Space Marine codex came out with new rules that took out most of the White Scar style from the army. I still collected up more bikes whenever I could get them cheap and squirreled them away in the Closet of Doom.  Now many years have passed but what was old is new again and the Khan will lead the horde onto the field of battle.

I saw several proposed lists on various blogs and most needed between twenty and thirty bikes depending on points level and different army choices. I wanted to get an idea of how many bikes I had on hand so I found my assembled bikes first. They were one five bike squad with two plasma guns, two multi melta attack bikes and my favorite Chaplain on a bike. The Attack bikes and Chaplain saw allot of play back in third edition but as it happens I moved on to other armies and they were side lined.

I knew I had a set of the White Scar commander bits and it is what originally started me digging through the Closet of Doom. I searched through several boxes but eventually found it in my attack bike bits box.

I found my box O' bikes and a quick count came up to sixteen, plus the five I had built would give me a respectable 21 bikers. a White Scar commander, four five model bike squads and two attack bikes.

Then it hit me I had the bits for three more attack bikes and a scout bike squad. I knew I had bikes set aside for these somewhere so back to the Closet.

After a not so short search I found the way ward bikes in my second box O' bikes. It had the nine bikes for the attack bikes and Scout bikers. adding them to the other it leaves me with twenty five unbuilt bikes.

I haven't picked up the new Space Marine codex so I am going on second hand information but what i have heard makes me want to get building. I like the White Wolves army proposed over on Sons of Sanguinius and I would have a couple bikes left over if I built that list. It depends on the army wide scout move from the Khan, a concentration of grav guns, and a couple biker Space Wolf Rune priests with Jaws. It will really be a fast army and give some people fits.

I have a couple other ideas on what to add to a list and a deep collection to make it happen. It seems the Thunderfire cannon has gotten a buff in the new codex and might give me the incentive to finish the one I have. I will need to add something to take care of those pesky Heldrakes and other flyers. I am leaning toward a couple storm talons or maybe a couple of the new anti air space marine tanks.

thanks for reading
ColKG