Games Workshop has unveiled a new Space Marine Captain mounted on a Raider bike, with three weapon options, five interchangeable heads, and a combat ability that rewards charging into battle. It will hit shelves alongside the upcoming Codex: Space Marines.
A new way to lead the charge
Space Marine Captains have never been limited to a single combat style, and this new miniature proves it once again: they can now lead their troops from a Raider bike, covered in ornamental details befitting their rank, with a cloak that adds motion to the pose. It’s a model designed to shine both on the tabletop and on the display shelf.
While this kind of unit is especially associated with Chapters that favor speed and close combat — White Scars and Blood Angels being the obvious examples — any Chapter can field motorcycle-mounted officers for scouting missions or lightning-fast strikes. So if your homebrew Chapter needs a narrative excuse to field a biker gang, here it is.
Kit customization options
This Captain ships with solid customization options, great news for anyone who enjoys conversions:
Weapons
- Power sword (with included scabbard)
- Thunder hammer
- Plasma pistol
Heads
- Three bare-headed options
- Two helmeted options
Bike pose
- Full throttle, mid-charge
- Stationary, with the rider’s foot planted on the ground
Rules and tactical role
On the rules side, the standout feature is that the Captain grants his unit the Cleave 1 ability on charge. In practice, this means his squad hits harder right at the moment it enters melee, rewarding an aggressive playstyle against larger units.
He’s a natural leader for Outriders units, and fits perfectly into lists built around hit-and-run tactics or punching a hole for the rest of the army to exploit.
Tactical breakdown: what pairs best with him?
Synergy with fast-assault units
Outriders aren’t just fast — their datasheet ability, Thunderous Impact, boosts the Strength and Damage of their melee attacks by 1 after they make a charge move. Combined with a Captain who adds Cleave 1 on the charge, a unit of Outriders hits harder per attack and it generates more attacks the bigger the enemy squad is (+1 every 5 models), turning a charge into a genuine threat against blobs of infantry rather than just lone tough targets.
How different Chapters make them even better
- White Scars: When deployed without Suboden Khan, White Scars Outriders in the Spearpoint Task Force still retain the baseline Storm-Swift Onslaught detachment ability, allowing them to declare a charge in a turn in which they Advanced or Fell Back. They also keep full access to powerful Stratagems like Spear Thrust and Sabre Wing for Lance and Lethal Hits, Evasive Manoeuvres for a -1 to hit/wound defensive penalty, and the ability to execute a 6″ reactive normal move or utilize Withdraw and Regroup into Strategic Reserves. However, without Suboden Khan leading the unit, the Outriders significantly miss out on his Spear of Chogoris ability, which allows them to shoot after advancing or falling back. Furthermore, they lose the incredible mobility of Skilled Riders to move straight through walls and ruins, as well as his unique Wrath of the First Khan feature that grants a bonus 6″ post-combat move after wiping out an enemy squad.
- Dark Angels: Dark Angels Outriders excel primarily through the Company of Hunters detachment, which elevates them to Battleline status (raising unit limits up to 6 units of Outriders) and grants them the ability to Advance and shoot or charge.
- Blood Angels: less about bike-specific bonuses, more about army-wide melee buffs (extra attacks, Feel No Pain, aggressive charge bonuses) that stack on top of Thunderous Impact, turning Outriders into a genuine alpha-strike unit. Outrider chainswords can reach Strength 7, -1 AP, and 2 Damage with extra attacks when charging in the right Blood Angels setup.
- Black templars: In 11th Edition, Black Templars Outriders perform exceptionally well in the specialized Righteous Crusaders detachment, where choosing the Suffer Not the Unclean to Live Templar Vow grants their melee weapons the lethal Lethal Hits keyword to bypass high-toughness profiles. Players can further hyper-charge this squad using Stratagems to give the unit reroll charges and Lance (+1 to wound on the charge), alongside a dedicated fight-phase Stratagem that unlocks an additional +1 Strength or Precision. While the Black Templars do not have a faction-specific character on a bike, they utilize the generic Space Marine Chaplain on Bike, who gains unique keyword synergies within the detachment; when leading the Outriders, his litany grants an additional +1 to wound, while a faction-specific Enhancement elevates his personal profile to a monstrous Strength 10, AP -3, and Damage 3 on the charge—transforming the entire bike squad into a high-speed, high-impact combat missile.
- Any other Chapter: even without a bike-specific detachment, Outriders remain a strong, durable, fast Battle-line option — the Captain on Bike simply makes that baseline even sharper.
What this looks like on the table
- Alpha strike against hordes: deploy Outriders (with the Captain attached) on a flank, advance turn one, and charge whatever overextends. Against high-model-count infantry, Cleave 1 pumps out bonus attacks while Thunderous Impact makes each one hit harder — a combination that can gut a full-strength squad before it can shoot back.
- Screen and reposition: use their speed and Fall Back-and-shoot tricks (where available) to bait an opponent into committing, then pull back out of retaliation range instead of trading in a bad fight.
- Objective grabbing: their mobility lets them contest or steal backfield or midboard objectives on turn one or two, something slower melee units simply can’t do.
- Flank protection: true to their fluff, they’re excellent at guarding the side of a bigger advance, intercepting enemy deep strikers or infiltrators before they can threaten the main force.
Weapon choice by playstyle
- Power sword: balanced damage and attack speed.
- Thunder hammer: ideal against tough, high-toughness targets.
- Plasma pistol: adds extra ranged damage before the charge.
Space Marines vs. Orks: battle of the bikers
Space Marines aren’t the only ones betting on two wheels this month: Games Workshop has also announced new Ork Nobz and Warbikes. If you’re into fast vehicles, it could be worth a separate post comparing both factions’ takes on biker warfare.
Release date
The Captain on Bike will arrive in stores alongside the upcoming Codex: Space Marines, announced for October 2026.
Source: Warhammer Community
