Description

The Assault Bike, also known as the Space Marine Bike, is a light vehicle that is used throughout the Imperium by most Adeptus Astartes Chapters, and even by Renegade and Chaos Space Marines. The Assault Bike is an extremely powerful machine, and is capable of propelling a fully armoured Space Marine at dizzying speeds while remaining responsive enough to perform a full-range of death-defying combat maneuvers. There are tales of experienced Space Marine Bikers who have driven their bikes through solid rockcrete walls at full speed without harm. Assault Bikes usually operate in squads of up to eight and are used for fast-moving assault missions, intelligence gathering, infiltration, and general reconnaissance. When Assault Bikes are used for assault missions they will attack the enemy at incredible speeds, using both surprise and unstoppable momentum to rip through enemy formations. Before the enemy can regroup and go on the defensive, the Astartes Bikers will turn around and attack once again from an unexpected direction. Bike Squad tactical strikes are often likened to thunderbolts, as by the time the enemy hears their approach, the damage has already been done. In order for Space Marine Bikers to use their mechanical steeds at maximum efficiency they must function flawlessly as one, and to this end the Codex Astartes dictates that all Assault Marines, Scouts, and the entire 6th Company of a Chapter must master the art of mounted warfare as part of their training regimen. There are several Chapters that take this further, with every Space Marine in the Chapter being required to maintain his mounted training, even if the Space Marine has long since passed into the ranks of the Chapter’s 1st Company. There is no Astartes Chapter that better exemplifies this philosophy better than the White Scars, who proudly employ Assault Bike Squads as the main body of their strike forces. There are many other Chapters who are less enamored of an Assault Bike’s tactical value, and prefer to send their assault forces into combat in Rhinos and Razorbacks instead.