Newest Dreadclaw rules?

[Brother Clavero]

  Could anyone tell me where to find the newest Dreadclaw rules? From what I hear they've changed a lot from the rules that I've been using (from the siege of vracks books)!! Is this true or are those rules still valid??

[Strazhakov]

The new, current Dreadclaw rules are in Imperial Armour 13.

[Forté]

Imperial Armour 13 I believe.

[Sception]

IIRC, seige of vraks still had the old wonky flier rules, so... yeah, they've changed a ton since then. They've changed only a little since their... what was their immediately prior incarnation? Imperial Armour Apocalypse (2e)?

 

Anyway, They're now AV12, 3HP fliers for around 100 points. They've got hover, daemonic possession (but you can cancel the eating-your-own-models thing if you put a warpsmith in), always deep strike, always arrive in hover mode, and have drop pod assault, but no inertial guidance. They've got capacity 10, assault transport, and frag launchers. Fast attack, but are dedicated transports for basic CSM and chosen units out of C:CSM (or its supplements), but not C:KD. It's also got a heat wave sorta thing that isn't really worth caring about.

 

It's better than what they were, but not by too terribly much, and they cost more. The big changes are are dedicated transport and drop pod assault, so they don't have to eat a FA slot, and half of them (rounded up) can always arrive on turn one. They're kinda pricey, so I generally wouldn't recommend more than one of them anyway. Sadly the units that most want them (possessed, berzerkers especially) don't get them dedicated, but they do offer a reasonable delivery vector that melee chosen and CSMs are otherwise lacking, making such builds worth considering.

 

They look like fancy drop pods, but with their large points cost and lack of inertial guidance they are terrible in that role. Instead think of them as cutrate storm ravens, which lose the guns and some of their capacity to focus on delivering a melee unit asap. Basically, you deep strike in the open turn 1, then flat out towards the enemy / out of los, and pray that target saturation and jink saves keep you afloat for a turn, and then assault on turn 2. Even if the enemy drops it, the unit that falls out can still assault next turn. Just don't end turn 1 so close to the enemy that they can surround the claw before popping it and kill the unit inside for free. If it's still alive after dropping off its contents, then fly around until the end of the game heat blasting things or waiting for an opportunity to swoop down onto an objective.

 

It adds another turn two threat to your typical modern CSM rush army already running maulers, bikes, and spawn. Those units are all significantly more points efficient, but the claw can get some power armored melee infantry into the mix if you feel like your 'chaos space marine' army is a bit lacking in 'chaos space marines'. IMO characters should still go on bikes, though, for the toughness and to prevent too many points from being concentrated in the claw. If the opponent dedicates themselves to bringing it down, they will succeed, and if you put too many points in it then they'll be able to afford to do so, because you won't have enough other threats to keep them honest.

[Brother Clavero]

Thanks for the replies guys!

[40kChrista]

...daemonic possession (but you can cancel the eating-your-own-models thing if you put a warpsmith in)

I thought the cancellation of possession was only possible if it has the Infernal Relic rule, and you can use Abaddon, a Malefic Sorc, or a Warpsmith for that. The big pod... The Kharybidisses-whatever... has it (Infernal Relic rule) but small pods don't have it, so an attached Warpsmith won't matter.

[Plaguecaster]

 

...daemonic possession (but you can cancel the eating-your-own-models thing if you put a warpsmith in)

I thought the cancellation of possession was only possible if it has the Infernal Relic rule, and you can use Abaddon, a Malefic Sorc, or a Warpsmith for that. The big pod... The Kharybidisses-whatever... has it (Infernal Relic rule) but small pods don't have it, so an attached Warpsmith won't matter.

Not so, all the rules say is that if the technomancer (Warpsmith) and an attached unit enter a vehicle whic has the daemon possession special rule then you can choose not to roll to see if it eats those inside. It actually does not mention infernal relics at all when concerning daemonic possessed vehicles so your dreadaws won't eat those inside them with a Warpsmith inside

[40kChrista]

That's just not the case teuton.  

 

Page 191 of IA:13, left column, describes what Infernal Relic is fluff wise with the first half of the column and the second half is the explanation of the special rule "Infernal Relic"...

 

"A number of vehicles presented in this book have the special rule "Infernal Relic".  The following rules apply to these vehicles."

 

So what you are referencing is the third bullet point, which is clearly part of the "Infernal Relic" special rule.

 

"If a Technomancer and/or their unit embarks a vehicle that has the Demonic Possession special rule, the controlling player need not to determine if if the vehicle consumes a member of the unit,..."

 

The Kharybdis Assault Claw has the "Infernal Relic" special rule in it's list of special rules, so the above bullet point applies to it.  The Dreadclaw does not have the "Infernal Relic" special rule in it's list of special rules, so the above bullet point does not apply to it.  Unless FW FAQs the Dreadclaw to have the Infernal Relic special rule, a Warpsmith will not prevent a member of a unit being consumed while disembarking.

[Plaguecaster]

hmmmmm tricky to be honest it could be interpreted as both mainly since the third point says vehicle with daemonic possession not infernal relic especially since the three points are more referring to the technomancer than the relic I think ill email forgeworld and see what they say

[40kChrista]

All three bullet points are components of the special rule called Infernal Relic... it's not an either or situation, if the vehicle in question has the Infernal Relic special rule than those bullet points apply. If doesn't have the Infernal Relic rule, then you don't use those bullet points.

 

That seems pretty cut and dry as RAW, and that's the way I play it.

 

Trust me... if you get a reaponse from FW that states otherwise then AWESOME! I'd love to have my Dreadclaw not potentially eat someone from the unit riding in it, but until they say otherwise with an FAQ or Errata I must respectfully disagree.

[Plaguecaster]

hey sorry you are right, in what is the quickest reply from forgeworld I have ever received they agree it only affects infernal relics a bit disappointing but oh well I feel like an idiot I just thought that since the Kharybidisses is pretty much the only transport with the rule then it must be some typo

[Sception]

Too bad, but so be it.

 

Frankly, I don't consider it a major loss. Again, as I mentioned, target saturation is is key to making use of the dreadclaw, so sticking an IC in is probably not an ideal move, regardless.