Are Dreadnoughts any good? Why or why not.

[Voltaire]

I've been mulling over the codex lately and stared at both spacemarine and spacewolf dreads for a while. I came to the conclusion after some time that for there supposedly cheap price they dropped like flies from most heavy weapons.

 

 

This bothers me, however I'm curious as to how people would use, or do use their dreads. Why they use dreads and if not; why not.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Discustinate.

[Captain Idaho]

I find them to be invaluable. They provide my army mobile heavy weapons fire and counter assault capacity all on a fairly durable weapons platform.

 

The problem players may find with them is when to mix them into a list. If you have just a single Dreadnought or even a pairing of them, in a footslogging, infiltrating list, then you will find they are neutralised fairly quickly as the opponent targets them with all of their firepower, knowing that they won't be needing to dilute their firepower amongst other vehicles.

 

However, if you have an army with a couple Landspeeders, several Rhinos and the like, or even heavier armoured units, then you will find the Dreadnoughts survive longer. And even if they don't, you know your other vehicles still live, so it's not the end of the world.

 

It's worth noting that their firepower won't break squads on their own, but like Tactical squads, they are great at chipping away units and vehicles, and finish off weaker/weakened units. Dreads in pairs do well in partnership with Tacticals.

[Myxx]

I use dreads, mostly cause I really dig the model. And they can bring some serious heavy firepower to bear, I prefer the Rifleman loadout. And they are pretty nasty if you pod them into the enemies zone and start wrecking stuff from behind.

[the jeske]

rifle mans are ok. drop dreads are good in some builds [both as tar pits or extra targets , along side blowing up a transport/tank].

 

hth dreads on the other hand are rather bad [without lucius dreads that is] . iron clads maybe not totaly bad in vulkan lists , but then again even with the higher armor they still do cost a lot.

[Captain Idaho]

Yeah true they aren't going to win any games based purely on their close combat power, but they provide a useful option in addition to their heavy weapons fire. In my example above, where they can be with a Tactical squad, they can turn the tide against an opposing squad bearing down on them.

 

The threat of being invulnerable to opposing attacks (or almost, as Krak grenades have to be very lucky!) can make them great at holding up an enemy assault force (like those 8 Bloodcrushers bearing down on you!) and can really help out if there are a few bigger monsters out there with a few wounds left, or Nobz and Tyranid Warriors.

 

Its all about flexibility.

[the jeske]

but against SW or IG which are the top tier armies right now hth dreads are dead weight. doesnt matter how much they help tacs , if against the two hardest match ups they do nothing [or close to nothing they can always LoS block a bit or at least give cover].

[Voltaire]

Albiet they are great counter assault units, yet it seems like a waste in points to leave your dreadnought to mash a squad of enemy troops.

[Hubernator]

Ironclad dreadnought in a pod. Enemies of the Imperium, say your Prayers :) When it lands it normally kills something before some mucker turns a lascannon to my face. If not I get to plod about and ruin someone's day for a long time :yes:

[vonny]

Well, have your dreadnought standing right where the SW's lord on a thunderwolf wants to go. Does he really want to risk getting the I4 S10 instakill attack on him before he completely wrecks it with the power fist?

 

I got my podded dread to take out my opponents 240-something pts lord this way :D

[calgar101]

Twin podding Iron Clads -Hurricane bolter, seismic hammer and 2 hunter killers(each)- behind enemy lines makes a mess of quite a few things and usually makes up their points. I love it :D

[Zeller]

I very much love dreadnoughts but unless I am slogging my way to the enemy or happen to be defending a base they are simply to slow for me to use. I do not have any drop pods either so that doesn't help.

 

As far as FOC slot usage goes I'd usually take TDA over dreadnoughts simply because for just a bit more in cost I get more shots, DS, and so many more close combat attacks. Unfortunately this means plasma weapons hurt me on a 2+ vs a 5+ and my powerfists strike at I1 vs I4.

 

They also make great tarpit units against squads of low strength creatures that can't hurt it but would otherwise be a pain the butt for your infantry. For example, send them against huge units of plague bearers, rippers swarms, hormagaunts, any ork squad without a PK nob, or any eldar squad outside of scorpions, hawks, and dragons. You will either keep their huge squad locked for most of the game or they will kill themselves off as they tend to be fearless.

 

Dreadnoughts are extremely deadly but it's simply a matter of putting them into the position where they can be deadly. Though this is true of any unit. Shooty dreads stay in cover, assaulty dreads ride in pods or storm ravens. Whichever you choose just make sure there is some other armor in the area to suck up some shots or VV to assault AT squads via HI.

[WarriorFish]

Dreads need support but this is true of all Marine units really. Give them a break by including other armour in your list (mech should be an "all or nothing" thing in my mind) and they survive just fine, and they partner well with a Tactical squad. Heavy weapon Dreads (LC/ML or Mortis) can walk up behind other units picking off transports/MCs and DCCW Dreads murder vehicles and tarpit brilliantly.

 

Dreadlocking enemy units is a favoured tactic of mine and has given me a real edge in many battles. As a supporting unit they're core to most of my lists :)

[minigun762]

I think the best thing about Dreadnoughts besides the fact that they look cool, is the ability to move and fire 2 heavy weapons.

Until Predator tanks are not just used as cheap pillboxes, Dreads will provide a safe way to include mobile long range fire in support of your Rhino squads.

[chaplain belisarius]

i like the models...in my marine list im running a ven dread in a pod with a plasma cannon...or an ironclad in a droppod with 2 hunter killer missiles and a heavy flamer...or a pair of dreads with multimeltas (it really depends on the opponent and how im feeling but at 1k points a dread in a pod makes a good suicide unit to draw enemy fire...)

 

hope this helped! :P

[Jackelope King]

I think the best thing about Dreadnoughts besides the fact that they look cool, is the ability to move and fire 2 heavy weapons.

Until Predator tanks are not just used as cheap pillboxes, Dreads will provide a safe way to include mobile long range fire in support of your Rhino squads.

Dreads are nice, yes, but what exactly do you mean by the last line, minigun?

[chaplain belisarius]

i think he means that as dreads can move and fire they make good mobile heavy weapon platforms to support the tacticals (whereas the predator cannot move and fire, making it a less mobile heavy weapon platform)

 

Hope this helped...(am i right minigun?:P

[Jackelope King]

i think he means that as dreads can move and fire they make good mobile heavy weapon platforms to support the tacticals (whereas the predator cannot move and fire, making it a less mobile heavy weapon platform)

 

Hope this helped...(am i right minigun?:P

If that's the case, it's not quite true.

 

Predator tanks lose more when they move and fire compared to Dreadnoughts. But Predator tanks also have the option of rolling 12" and popping smoke when no targets of opportunity present themselves, while Dreads are going to waddle an average of 9.5". I surprised myself with the mobility of Predators recently when I rolled them up to screen my Bikers from a gunline which had castled up in a Spearhead deployment. It only took one turn to get them close enough to fire on the enemy, even in Spearhead.

 

In a "classic" Mechanized Marines list, Predators function well because they can either hang back on turn 1 and spray fire (if the enemy has closed within 36" already), or move up 6" in support of the Rhinos moving to midfield, fire the autocannon, and be set up on turn 2 to fire everything against (hopefully) dismounted enemy infantry. Dreads will actually fill a similar role in turns of mobility and positioning, with the Rifleman Dread actually being better at popping light vehicles.

 

They fill very similar roles, but their mobility comparison is quite situational (even if I'd agree in giving the edge to the Dreadnought on a turn-by-turn basis).

[chaplain belisarius]

good point..but the dread can move and fire every turn..if the predator moves, its wasting firepower...i think thats what was meant?

 

(this doesnt apply to blood angels...obviously...)

[ShinyRhino]

I like taking them in pairs, as "bouncers" for my home base units. Two Dreads flanking a Tactical in a Rhino, or a Devastator squad on foot, seriously deter most assault units from deciding to tanlge with my scoring or firebase units. Those S10 DCCWs put the hurt on MEQ units.

 

I'm also prone to running my Dreads as Venerable, because I like being annoying and forcing damage rerolls, as well as hitting on 2s with ranged weapons.

[The_son_of_Dorn]

i like dreads, i would often drop pod them into light armoured enemy formations and use they as a psycological weapon to screen my other forces movements, but sadly they always get destoryed every game, dreadnoughts.....more like dead-noughts :P

 

*badum tish*

[ShinyRhino]

i like dreads, i would often drop pod them into light armoured enemy formations and use they as a psycological weapon to screen my other forces movements, but sadly they always get destoryed every game, dreadnoughts.....more like dead-noughts :P

 

*badum tish*

 

lol, that's because you're dropping them in as sacrificial lambs or using them as bullet-catchers. ;)

[Jackelope King]

i like dreads, i would often drop pod them into light armoured enemy formations and use they as a psycological weapon to screen my other forces movements, but sadly they always get destoryed every game, dreadnoughts.....more like dead-noughts :P

 

*badum tish*

I know, man. And I tell you, Chocolate Easter Bunnies are seriously defective. I mean, mine can't even spend five minutes in the oven!

[The_son_of_Dorn]

I said sadly they will get destoryed (because i know they will) and btw chocolate bunnies dont go in the oven they go in your mouth (likely all in one bite in your case because you obviously have that capacity)

 

so they do what i require of them :P

 

But when playing with them tactically (back in the day....kind of) id use a few screened by death guard as a mad rush and crush stratagey on compact built up tt games.

[minigun762]

Predator tanks lose more when they move and fire compared to Dreadnoughts. But Predator tanks also have the option of rolling 12" and popping smoke when no targets of opportunity present themselves, while Dreads are going to waddle an average of 9.5". They fill very similar roles, but their mobility comparison is quite situational (even if I'd agree in giving the edge to the Dreadnought on a turn-by-turn basis).

 

Yes that was my point.

I'll admit I was underestimating the Predator's ability to re-position itself as it seems that few players actively do that. The majority of them treat the Predator as an armor version of a Dev squad.

 

I could agree that its situational but I'd also say that the situations that favor the Dreadnought's movement and shooting are more numerous then the Predators.

[Captain Idaho]

but against SW or IG which are the top tier armies right now hth dreads are dead weight. doesnt matter how much they help tacs , if against the two hardest match ups they do nothing [or close to nothing they can always LoS block a bit or at least give cover].

 

Well if you believe that I doubt I will convince you otherwise. Personally, I would find the weaponry of a Dreadnought very useful, and if someone is shooting the Dreadnought they aren't shooting the transport.

 

And against Space Wolves the counter punch of a Dreadnought is very important. It forces them to focus on it for fear of it charging in. Even Thunderwolves have to be careful lest a counter charge claim a coulple of their expensive models through instant death.