(Citadel Journal)
The Underhive is a very strange
place, with a bizarre mix of extremely advanced technology, primitive
crossbows, and stone-age clubs. None of this technology was invented, all was
imported from the rest of the imperium. There are almost no means of
transportation in the underhive besides walking on foot (or being carried by
your slaves). However, some unhinged individuals adapt old space marine bikes,
or create new motorcycles from spare scrap metal. Only a few of the
under-hivers have the technical expertise to maintain these bikes, and fewer
still are crazy enough, or stupid enough to ride these bikes.
Any gang type from any house may use bikes (except for ratskins and scavvies).
Only heavies may ride bikes, because they are the only ones with the
mechanical expertise. Any heavy may INSTEAD of buying a heavy or special
weapon buy a bike to ride on. A bike costs 120 points, and are not rare.
Bikes have the following starting profile:
The bike and rider are treated
as one model for the purposes of movement. Bikes do not move normally -- they
do not charge or run either. Instead bikes move at three speeds. At the
beginning of each turn you must declare what speed your
bikes will be moving at (note that you can change from any speed to any speed
-- Necromundan bikers are very experienced):
Slow: the bike moves normally, up to its M value. The bike may make up to 4 90 degree turns (or 8 45 degree turns if you like). The rider may shoot any pistol weapons, or throw any grenades normally. He may also fight in hth normally.
Cruisin': the bike moves up to twice its move (usually 16 inches). The bike may make up to 3 45 degree turns. Any models shooting at the bike have a -1 to hit modifier. The rider may shoot any pistols, throw grenades at a -1 to hit modifier, and engage in hth normally, except he adds +1 to his S if he using a hth weapon (NOT a pistol).
Fast: the bike may move up to 3 times its move (usually 24 inches), but it may only make 1 45 degree turn. Any models firing on the bike have a -2 to hit. The biker may shoot pistols, at a -1 to hit. He may fight in hth, in which case he adds +1 to his WS, and +2 to his S.
Skid Turns:
Bikers are highly skilled with bikes, and are able to make daring high speed
maneuvers. Skid turns are one such manoeuver -- the biker leans over while
turning the bike, spinning the whole bike around, in a very dangerous display
of skill. Any bike may make any number of skid turns while it is traveling at
cruisin or fast speed, in addition to its normal turns. Each skid turn lets
the
bike turn 45 degrees. However you must roll on the skid turn table:
Hit and Run Attacks:
Models riding on bikes may not engage in hand to hand combat in the same way
as normal models -- they may not charge. However they may make hit and run
attacks (the biker swerves in close to the enemy, holding out a bludgeon or
other
similar weapon). These attacks occur during the bikers movement phase, when he
moves into base to base contact with an enemy model. After the attack, the
biker may continue with his movement. However he may not shoot or engage in
more hth.
You must declare hit and runs at the beginning of the turn, when you declare
charges. Hit and runs are moved before other models, at the same time as
chargers.
The combat is worked out as normal, except each model rolls only one die, regardless of how many attacks and weapons they have. Also, the biker may not parry, although hi opponent may. The rider counts as charging, so he gets +1 to his WS. In addition if he is moving and certain speeds his strength may be increased.
After the hit and run you may move your bike until you are out of movement, but you may not shoot or engage in more hit an runs.
DAMAGE TO BIKES:
Whenever you hit a biker model, you must roll to see if you hit the bike or
the rider. On a roll of 1-4 you hit the bike, on a 5-6 you hit the rider. When
an area effect weapon (flamer, shotgun, etc) hits the biker and his bike, roll
to see who is hit as you would normally. If the biker was hit, then the bike
will also be hit on a 4+, and vice a versa. The same holds true if the bike
model is only partly touched -- roll to see if it is caught under the blast,
and then see which part of the bike/biker was hit, and then proceed as
mentioned above. When the bike has been reduced to 0 wounds it must roll on
the injury table, just like a normal model. However count the results as
follows:
Pinned --> The bike is not harmed, but the rider must test to see if he ducks behind the handle bars. The rider must take an immediate LD test or be pinned himself.
Flesh Wound --> The bike is damaged, and swerves out of control. Roll a D6 -- 1-2 turn the bike 45 degrees to the left, 3-4 leave it, and 5-6 turn it 45 degrees to the right. In addition the bike may only move at SLOW speed for the rest of the battle.
Down --> The bike is badly damaged, and the rider must dismount. However he will not leave his precious bike, because it may be restored to working order. The biker must stay within 1 inch of his bike, but he moves as a foot model. The bike may not do anything. If he wishes, the biker may work on the bike -- he may not move or shoot or fight in hth, but the bike may roll on the injury table in the recovery phase. However if he manages to get the "Out" result only bike rolls on the injury table, but not the biker.
Out --> The rider and the bike are taken out, and both must roll on the injury table.
DAMAGE TO BIKERS:
When a rider is hit and damaged, his bike may go out of control, or waaay out
of control. If he is pinned, the bike goes out of control until he is no
longer pinned. If the biker is downed, then his bike goes waaay out of
control, and he must take an initiative test. If he fails the test he falls
off the bike, and takes a hit with a strength of half the distance he has
traveled so far (if he traveled 10 inches, he will take a S 5 hit). If the
biker goes down, then the bike will also go waaay out of control.
OUT OF CONTROL:
Roll on the following table:
1-2 turn the bike 45 degrees to the left, and move the bike D4 inches
3-4 it keeps the same facing and moves D4 inches forward
5-6 turn the bike 45 degrees to the right, and move it D4 inches
WAAAY OUT OF CONTROL:
Roll on the following table:
1 turn the bike 45 degrees to the left, and move the bike 2D6 inches
2 it keeps the same facing and moves 2D6 inches forward
3 turn the bike 45 degrees to the right, and move it 2D6 inches
4 The bike spins around, and faces a random direction, and then moves D6
inches
5 The bike moves D6 inches to the left
6 The bike moves D6 inches to the right
JUMPING:
Bike may make a special jump move at any point in their move, if they wish to
cross a gap. Bikes moving at slow speed may not jump, bikes moving at cruising
speed may jump D6 inches, and bikes moving at fast may jump 2D4 inches. Not
however that the distance you roll is deducted from your total movement
allowance. Move the bike the distance you roll over the gap, and if it makes
it to the other side you may continue moving. Otherwise the bike falls
straight down, until it lands. The bike takes damage as normal from falling,
and if you fall 7 inches or more the rider will also take damage. Note that
you are allowed too drive off the edges of buildings without jumping if you
wish to risk the hit from the fall (a S3 hit is not too much to worry about).
However when you do this (drive off the edge of a level) you must subtract the
vertical distance you fall from your total movement allowance (the rider must
recover from the fall, and the fall itself takes time).
CUSTOM BIKES:
Each time the biker/heavy goes up an experience level, instead of rolling on
the advance table, he may upgrade one of his bike's characteristics by one.
Note that he may chose which characteristic.
INJURY TABLE FOR BIKES:
Roll a D6:
1: unrepairable --> its dead
2: captured --> the bike has been captured by the enemy. The enemy may sell
the bike to the traders for 100+D6 credits, or the enemy may trade with your
gang (treat the bike how you would a captured human -- you could even attempt
to rescue it during a raid)
3: frame damaged -- subtract one from the bikes toughness.
4: engine damaged -- subtract one from its movement
5: armor buckled -- subtract one from the bike's saving throw.
6: perfect recovery.
MISCELLANEOUS:
Bikes may not use vents or tunnels to infiltrate.
Bikers may not use the stealth skill to infiltrate.
Bikers may not pick up loot unless they dismount (this takes one turn).
If a bike for some reason hits a solid object (like it goes out of control),
then it will take a hit equal with a strength equal to the distance it moved
divided by two, minus 1. So if a bike moves 12 inches, and hits a bulk head,
it will take a S 5 hit ((12/2)-1).
MODELLING YOUR BIKERS
You will have to convert some models to use as bikes. There are basically two
suitable bike miniatures -- the Space Marine bikes, and the Squat bikes. The
Marine Bikes are very cool looking, and look fast and maneuverable while being
big and imposing. You can mail order your bike from Games Workshop if you
can't find any near you. I have also heard some rumors that there will be some
new plastic marine bikes that look very cool (but this may not be true). The
Squat bikes are a little smaller, and look very different. They look more like
‘Harlies', and look more ramshackle (I prefer them to marine bikes). You
should also be able to mail order these.
Now that you have a bike, you
need a rider. If you play Orlock or Goliath, then you should use one of the
plastic minis. The goliaths only need a little converting to fit in the bike
seats, and the Orlocks just need a little more repositioning. You can also
repose one of the rider's arms so it resting on the handle bar -- the old
plastic imperial guard arm sprues are perfect for this
(these should also be available through mail order).
The bikers of the other houses will need more converting. It is probably to
base your rider on a miniature not from your house -- remember that plastic is
easier to convert. You could even use a plastic Orlock (most people have some
of these lying around since they come in the boxed set). You can remove the
head from the miniature with a saw, and then remove a head from a miniature
for your house (be careful not to harm the head), and glue the head to your
biker's body. You may
have some trouble with Delaque, Cawdor, and Escher minis, because they have
either collars, cloaks, or hair surrounding their necks. When you have
attached one of these heads to your biker, it is a good idea to use some
modeling putty and cover the neck join. Then you can sculpt the putty into
either a collar, a hood, or lots and lots of hair (depending on the house).
by Isaac Tobin isaac@aloha.com
