Master of the Forge

[Vel'Cona]

Without dropping points on a whole unit, another option is to simply lose a few bikes in some of your squads and maybe an AB or two. The MotF on Bike may not actually be necessary for a while Bike army. Are you using Kor'sarro? You didn't say either way but if you were the MotF is probably not necessary.

[Sgt.Larsen]

I used a MotF on a bike with a CB with a heavy shooty army against orks and he did well in blowing holes in vehicles and squads alike.

[Brother Pugnax]

As nice as the CB biker MotF is, I'm still a huge fan of the biker servo-harness MotF. He's really the swiss army knife of the army. Kitted on a bike with a power weapon and a pistol, he can dish out 3(4) PW attacks at Int. and two PF attacks, and shooting he has at least one weapon option that'll work well against almost anything. This build sold me:

 

MotF: Bike, PW, Pistol, Servo-harness

 

Ironclad x2 (flamer + 1 hunter-killer each)

+ 2x DP

 

Dread (2x TL Autocannons)

+ DP

 

Dread (flamer + AC)

+ DP

 

Sternguard x8 (PF, 2x combi-meltas + 2x combi-flamers)

+ DP

 

Tac Squad x10 (PW, plasma gun, ML)

+ DP

 

Scouts x10 (PW, CCW + Pistol)

 

Scouts x5 (snipers, hellfire shells, camo cloaks)

 

Bikers x 5 (PW, 2x meltas, MM attack bike, MB)

Total: 1850

 

Scouts infiltrated while the ironclads and sterns and assault cannon dread all hit home on turn 1. The left the MotF and the bike squad to TB up one side while the dreads made a mess of things. The master's unit took down a pred, a squad of chaos termies and a tac squad that game, plus the MotF fixed 2 dreads. Granted most of that bike squad got shot to ribbons, but what are escort units for?

[Silber]

Doesn't the lack of an invulnerable save hurt the MOTF too much in close combat? I haven't tried him out yet, but I'm looking at one since I discovered my dread-fetish.... I just have no idea how to make use of the model that comes attached to my 100+ points upgrade allowing me to take more dreads....

[Vel'Cona]

Well his lack of Invul save can be a mitigating factor in selecting the MotF. The Conversion Beamer/Bike setup overcomes this somewhat by differing him to ranged combat pretty much exclusively, and you can join him to smaller Bike Squadrons to help screen him. If you stick with the Servo-Harness, you'll be left with a very close range build and extra Servo-Arm attacks, which makes him very desirable for close range encounters, but somewhat fragile to MC's and tooled up IC's.

 

Another thought is to avoid the Bike entirely and just put him on foot with his generic equipment (joined to a squad in a transport to get him close enough to use it) or with a Conversion Beamer. Since you can Bolster Defences, a static Conversion Beamer isn't a bad idea; in general he'll be able to get a Cover Save that'll equal or beat the comparative Invulnerable Save. It's really a matter of how you built your army, and what tactics you employ. Keep in mind that the MotF opens up Servitors for use; this may not seem like a big deal, but these humble robots can add some good firepower (x2 MM for anti-tank or x2 PC for anti-MEQ) for a really reasonable point cost, and Bolster Defences goes a long way toward making them resilient enough to weather a bit of return fire.

[Coyote]

Well his lack of Invul save can be a mitigating factor in selecting the MotF...Another thought is to avoid the Bike entirely and just put him on foot with his generic equipment (joined to a squad in a transport to get him close enough to use it)...

I agree.

 

I've been using a standard MoF a lot lately in lists where I'm trying to be as points efficient as possible. I play drop pod lists, and tend to stick him into a unit of Assault Marines (-JPs +Drop Pod). I'll add only digital weapons (10pts.) for the reroll because this works on the servo-arm attacks too. So for 110pts. I'm filling my HQ requirement with model that has more firepower than most HQs (TLPlasma Pistol + Flamer + Bolt pistol), and gets 2xS4 + 2xPowerfist attacks with a reroll to hit. To get a similar statline in another HQ, you're at 150pts or more.

 

Yes, the WS4, W2 and no Invulnerable Save isn't technically as good as a Captain. But I figure that the digital weapons makes up for the WS5 in spades, and there's enough people fielding IC-instakillers in my area that the wound & save hardly matter. I want those 40+ points elsewhere in my list doing other things. The Servitors and Dreads as Heavy are bonuses at that point, as is the threat potential of him repairing a vehicle.

 

BTW, plain Servitors are GREAT for manning Planetstrike guns. Just leave them alone with the gun. Who cares if they mindlock. You get WS3 with the big guns 50% of the time. And if they die, who cares?

[Bannus]

[i'll add only digital weapons (10pts.) for the reroll because this works on the servo-arm attacks too. So for 110pts. I'm filling my HQ requirement with model that has more firepower than most HQs (TLPlasma Pistol + Flamer + Bolt pistol), and gets 2xS4 + 2xPowerfist attacks with a reroll to hit. To get a similar statline in another HQ, you're at 150pts or more.

I go for the power weapon instead. It is just five more points, gives him an extra attack (w/bolt pistol) instead of a re-roll and his Str4 attacks ignore armor saves as well.

[Andromalius]

Man this is a tormenting thread. I basically live and breath for the Dreadnought. I want 6 so bad. I have 4. I want more. I don't care that they are really not very efficient per cost, but they have that awesome cool factor of look and feel and grit that 40k is all about.

 

The Master of the Forge is basically the only HQ I consider because of this. I like some of the other chapter tactics and stuff that can really change the feel of a force (marines with fleet? dang!). But I loves me the dreadnoughts so naturally, he fits. I do however like the fact that he's only 120 for him with a beamer and doesn't need a command squad or a transport or any of that. Instead, he can lend Ld and a good heavy gun and the access to 6 dreads to whatever. Static with a tac squad bunkered in the defensive ruins for 3+ cover saves. Or, toss him in with a unit and send him off with a power weapon in a transport. They arrive, he throws down a lot of firepower (AP for MEQ, flamer for Horde... fantastic). Sure, he's a wimp in combat for survival, but he hits nicely with plenty of attacks and a built in fist with attacks. I like that he has it all for just 100 points and just gets a bit more with a power weapon. Or strip him and go beamer for a pure shooter. Really though, in a 6x Dread army that is all in their face (especially drop pods) with lots of troops on the table, who's going to waste time trying to shoot a single HQ model who likely has a 3+ cover save who's all alone instead of all the immanent threats and scoring models that are far more important. Easy kill point? Only if you think you'll see a failed 3+, or waste your dakka on a 2 wound character that cost less than the dakka that killed him.

 

I took wish he had at least a 5+ inv save naturally. I wish he had retinue options to protect him in melee. I wish you could take him, and a command squad, in a drop pod. I totally would do it. Flamer city, or plasma city, in a death pod. Alas.

 

Side note: I was reading about people talking about a dread with two autocannons. Where is this? That sounds awesome for anti-transport/skimmer duty. Or is this Imperial Armor or something? I surely didn't see that in the codex.