Thinking of doing an all dreadnought army - is this madness?

[Andy Tea]

Hi,

 

some background first

I've not played much 40k in the last few years but 8th is pulling me back in (well it would if I could convince other people to play) anyway I've never played marines before and don't play against them very often so I only have a vague idea of what there like

 

I have however always liked the dreadnaught model and with the new big stompy dreadnought and vanguard detachments I'm considering doing an all dreadnought army

 

I've been told I'll have to use Blood angels as they are the only chaps that get a none unique dreadnaught HQ

I'm not bothered if its not massively competitive but id rather not loose every single game

 

my vague plan at the moment is something along the lines of

2x Librarian dreadnought

2x Death Company dreadnought

2x Redemptor (if I've remembered the name of the big stompy one right)

4x standard - most likely 2 pure range (missiles and lascannons) and 2 with gun and fist (plasma and assault cannon perhaps)

1 Furioso

 

that's 100pp, I'm just using power points at the moment to get a rough idea

 

I'm also thinking of swapping out something for an iron clad because it looks cool (with the big set of bolters) and that a venerable or contemptor (again assuming I've remember the name of the lanky one correctly) might be useful but then I'd need to rejig the points

oh and I don't use forge world stuff

 

so anyway what do you think, will an all dreadnought army be fun or will I just get my rear armour handed to me on a plate?

 

cheers

 

Andy

 

[Panzer]

Dunno if it's madness or not, but it's definitely planned for the future in my case. I'm just not sure whether I want to keep it Blood Angels only, or a Adeptus Astartes army. :D

[Xenith]

 

so anyway what do you think, will an all dreadnought army be fun or will I just get my rear armour handed to me on a plate?

 

 

There's no such thing as rear armour anymore, so you're good to go!

 

Seriously, it should be fun. The libbies will be well protected in all the other dreads, most of your dreads will have an 8" move, and I think will see a cost reduction when we get our own codex. Redemptors are good models, and with the heavy gatling, medium gatling, and 2x storm bolters, can put out a lot of dakka.

[N1SB]

Hi Andy, it's actually quite competitive EXCEPT for certain missions and this next point is inaccurate:

 

 

I've been told I'll have to use Blood angels as they are the only chaps that get a none unique dreadnaught HQ

 

 

You are NOT limited to Blood Angels.  There's 2 ways out, then why you should consider another Chapter.

 

Forgeworld offers a totally legit option that's just often overlooked.  It's the Chaplain Venerable Dreadnought, also an HQ choice, that's not an unique character or anything.  It can be of any Chapter and buffs units of its Chapter in close combat.  That's in the new 8th ed Imperial Armour - Index of the Adeptus Astartes.

 

Another option is you take a Blood Angels HQ Dreadnought, then Dreadnoughts of any other Chapter.  It's the way Faction Keywords work in 8th.  All Imperium is an army, so you can have an Inquisitor as HQ with Space Marines as Troops and Leman Russes as Heavy Support in the same Detachment.  Now, there is a trade-off there as often HQs buff units of its sub-faction, but in many cases it's fine.

 

+++

 

That opens up more options for you in case you want to consider other Chapters, but Blood Angel Dreads are pretty cool.

 

However, I'd also consider Iron Hands, both because of fluff and rules, for an all-Dread/Dread-heavy army.  Their Chapter Tactic really works well with multi-wounded models such as Vehicles in general, particularly Venerable Dreads specifically.

 

Let us know if that's something you want to consider, we can tell you why, but once you see the new 8th Space Marine codex you'll probably see exactly why.

 

+++

 

Finally, I'll mention an actual limitation of an all-Dread army because someone should let you know before you commit.

 

Some missions require actual Infantry to even do the mission objective.  For example, the Relic mission, where you have a centre objective that both sides can grab, actually require Infantry models to take and move it.

 

Is that absolutely necessary, especially since you're not out to be Win-At-All Costs?  No, of course not.  You can just park your Dreadnoughts around it or table your opponent.  But one of us needed to let you know this is an actual limitation you'll face.

 

+++

 

I actually did a Dread-heavy list last night (and won, obviously, otherwise I wouldn't comment so much on this).  I liked Dreads for fluff and modeling purposes, and with 8th, I even love them for game and competitiveness purposes.  NOW is the time to load up on them IMHO.

 

So you're not going to lose every single game except those where you don't even qualify to score the mission objective that need Infantry.  Those games might actually annoy you, so I suggest Techmarines with servitors or something just so that you're not doing nothing in those missions.

[Panzer]

Hi Andy, it's actually quite competitive EXCEPT for certain missions and this next point is inaccurate:

 

 

I've been told I'll have to use Blood angels as they are the only chaps that get a none unique dreadnaught HQ

 

 

You are NOT limited to Blood Angels.  There's 2 ways out, then why you should consider another Chapter.

 

Forgeworld offers a totally legit option that's just often overlooked.  It's the Chaplain Venerable Dreadnought, also an HQ choice, that's not an unique character or anything.  It can be of any Chapter and buffs units of its Chapter in close combat.  That's in the new 8th ed Imperial Armour - Index of the Adeptus Astartes.

 

Another option is you take a Blood Angels HQ Dreadnought, then Dreadnoughts of any other Chapter.  It's the way Faction Keywords work in 8th.  All Imperium is an army, so you can have an Inquisitor as HQ with Space Marines as Troops and Leman Russes as Heavy Support in the same Detachment.  Now, there is a trade-off there as often HQs buff units of its sub-faction, but in many cases it's fine.

 

+++

 

That opens up more options for you in case you want to consider other Chapters, but Blood Angel Dreads are pretty cool.

 

However, I'd also consider Iron Hands, both because of fluff and rules, for an all-Dread/Dread-heavy army.  Their Chapter Tactic really works well with multi-wounded models such as Vehicles in general, particularly Venerable Dreads specifically.

 

Let us know if that's something you want to consider, we can tell you why, but once you see the new 8th Space Marine codex you'll probably see exactly why.

 

That's right. You can play a mixed Dreadnought army just fine. Just keep in mind that if you mix different chapters units in the same detachment you won't get access to the chapter tactics, stratagems, relics and warlord traits of that chapter. So if you want a mixed Dreadnought army consider taking different detachments for different chapters.

[Andy Tea]

Thanks Chaps

 

I would consider the Iron Hands as it makes sense (to me anyway) that they would have lots Dreads. plus they would go nicely with my Ad  Mech

Although I would then need a Techmarine as HQ (assuming they are HQ) or take the Chaplin

 

Taking the Techmarine would kind of defeat the purpose of a full Dreadnaught army but I wont rule it out. he could sit at the back with the shooty dreads and patch them up, maybe with some heavy bolter servitors to discourage enemy deep strikers

Or take the Chaplin dread. I've never used forge world stuff before and I only generally play against the same guy (I really need more friends) so I'd need to see what he says about FW and whether he would allow it. On the plus side it does look like it would be easy enough to covert a normal venerable dread into one to avoid the resin

 

at the moment the hardest part is getting the power points to add up, when everything costs 7,8,10 or 11 PP there isn't much room to maneuverer

is any one able to tell me the PP of the Chaplin dread and a tech priest?

 

Cheers

 

Andy

[Aothaine]

Hi Andy, it's actually quite competitive EXCEPT for certain missions and this next point is inaccurate:

 

Forgeworld offers a totally legit option that's just often overlooked.  It's the Chaplain Venerable Dreadnought, also an HQ choice, that's not an unique character or anything.  It can be of any Chapter and buffs units of its Chapter in close combat.  That's in the new 8th ed Imperial Armour - Index of the Adeptus Astartes.

 

 

WHHHHAAAAA?!? That is awesome!  Do Blood Angels have access to the Chappy Dread? 

[Arkhanist]

Yup. BA have official access to everything in the astartes forgeworld book since the FAQ. It gives us mortis dreads, relic contemptors, leviathan too etc.

[Indefragable]

For what's it worth, in my experience, Chaplain Dreadnoughts are one of those "green" FW units that no one really seems to complain about. Combo of rule-of-cool and having rules that are good and fluffy, but nearly game-changing.

[N1SB]

 

That's right. You can play a mixed Dreadnought army just fine. Just keep in mind that if you mix different chapters units in the same detachment you won't get access to the chapter tactics, stratagems, relics and warlord traits of that chapter. So if you want a mixed Dreadnought army consider taking different detachments for different chapters.

 

 

 

Very important point, thanks for bringing that up.  For even the Chapter Tactics to take effect, a whole Detachment has to be of the same Chapter.

 

 

 

at the moment the hardest part is getting the power points to add up, when everything costs 7,8,10 or 11 PP there isn't much room to maneuverer

is any one able to tell me the PP of the Chaplin dread and a tech priest?

 

 

Techmarine is easiest to fit in and in fact got cheaper in PP with the new Space Marine codex, pls take note.

 

 

 

WHHHHAAAAA?!? That is awesome!  Do Blood Angels have access to the Chappy Dread? 

 

 

 

This was pretty much my own reaction when I found out.

 

Thanks, Brother Arkhanist, for pointing out the FAQ as well.  It's great they clarified that point.

 

 

For what's it worth, in my experience, Chaplain Dreadnoughts are one of those "green" FW units that no one really seems to complain about. Combo of rule-of-cool and having rules that are good and fluffy, but nearly game-changing.

 

 

I feel the same way.  It's buffs are relevant and fluffy without being OP, and mainly just is the best fit.  Keep in mind the potential problem I mentioned of objectives that need Infantry to score.  Just now I observed a game with an all-Tank army facing this problem.

[Boudan]

 

...will an all dreadnought army be fun or will I just get my rear armour handed to me on a plate?

 

 

Yes

[biglou666]

I too am wanting to make an all dreadnought army.

So far, for a 1500 point lists, (vanilla codex at the moment) this is an outline of what i would want to take:

 

2x primaris redemptors, both with gatling cannons and storm bolters.

3x venerable dreadnoughts, rifleman loadout (two twin autocannons)

3x Ironclad dreadnoughts with chainfists (meltagun) and hurricane bolters.

1x chaplain dreadnought

 

Its basically a very shooty dreadnought lists, that can comfortably throw out enough shots per turn to cut back hordes, but everything except the riflemen dreads can move forward and charge into vehicle heavy armies. 

 

I can imagine it being alot of fun, but i would also be tempted to take some troops somewhere, even if they were just a few smaller assault or dev squads in razorbacks to capture objectives.

 

My recomendation to you would be to have a few rifleman dreads in your lists, 8 str 7 ap -1 shots per turn at that kind of range is actually insane for the points, especially with a vendread hitting on twos.

 

Ironclads are also great as most basic infantry weapons (and CC strength) usually tops out at 4, so their extra toughness of 8 means they are being wounded on 6s by most enemies.

 

(on a side note, with so few units on the battlefield, your turns will be smooth and fairly quick, making life easier for you and your opponent.

[Andy Tea]

The problem with the rifleman is it isn't now in the main codex

although I suppose you can just use the Index entry. I just don't like the idea of using multiple books

 

but then again if your using a Chaplin dread I guess you have to

 

what's the Chaplin dread like?

can you just give me a rough idea of what it does and how many pp it is?

 

cheers

[biglou666]

I wouldnt worry about that for the rifleman, no-one is going to insist you buy another book for the sake of just a single weapon entry, just write the points and stats on a post-it and stick it in your book. xD

 

As for the chappy dread, he's pretty good, 11 Power, 2+ BS&WS, an extra wound compared to other dreads, 5+ invun and a 6+ FNP. Also a +1 Str bubble for friendlies in 6'. Comes with two CCW as standard and has all the weapon options of other dreads (except ML) aswell as the option to take an inferno cannon.

 

Personally i would give him a lascannon, as he doesnt really need two CCW, and my list mentioned above doesnt have much ranged anti armour weaponry.