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So I was inspired by a thread on building a Librarian Dreadnought. Mainly I was inspired to mix and match bits from all the SM Dreadnought kits, but also to make an over-the-top firepower based Dreadnought. The notion would be to have it as wish-list option for a future Codex: Dark Angels.

Warhammer Dreadnought
Characteristics
Warhammer Dreadnought: WS4 BS4 S6 F13 S12 R10 I4 A2(3)

Unit Composition
1 Warhammer Dreadnought...115pts

Unit Type
Vehicle (Walker)

Wargear
Two Multi-Meltas with built in Stormbolters (note that if one Multi-Melta or replacement weapon is destroyed, the Warhammer is reduced to A2)
Anti-Personnel Mines (Defensive Grenades)
The Power of the Machine Spirit
Smoke Launchers
Searchlight

Options
May be upgraded to Venerable (WS+1, BS+1, Venerable)...60pts

Upgrade both Storm Bolters to:
-Heavy Flamers...20pts
-Melta Guns...20pts

Upgrade both Multi-Meltas to:
-Flamestorm Cannons...10pts
-Plasma Cannons or Assault Cannons...20pts

Take two Hunter-Killer Missiles...20pts

Take Extra Armour...15pts

Background
The Warhammer Dreadnought is a Dreadnought configuration unique to the Dark Angels and their Successor Chapters, the Unforgiven. Many of the Dark Angels' foes have mistaken its bulky silhouette with that Ironclad and Furioso Pattern Dreadnoughts fielded by other Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes, only to discover its lethal capacity for ranged fire when they attempt to keep their distance.
Sacrificing the close combat ability of powered close combat weapons for sheer firepower, the Warhammer Dreadnought carries two weapon pods mounting side-by-side weapon systems for the delivery of brutal amounts of firepower. Thanks to their articulation and armoured cowling the weapon pods can be used as clubs in close combat, but their main purpose (in combination with additional logic-engines) is to allow the Dreadnought to engage multiple targets. Those enemies attempting to assault a Warhammer often discover that its firepower only increases at short-range. Finally, at point blank range those attempting to assault a Warhammer will find it studded with anti-personnel mines and surprisingly agile.

Force Organization Chart Placement
Heavy Support

Mortis Dreadnought
Characteristics
Mortis Dreadnought: WS4 BS4 S6 F12 S12 R10 I4 A2

Unit Composition
1 Mortis Dreadnought...105pts

Unit Type
Vehicle (Walker)

Wargear
Two Twin-Linked Autocannons
Auto-Targeting System
Smoke Launchers
Searchlight

Options
May be upgraded to Venerable (WS+1, BS+1, Venerable)...60pts

Replace Twin-Linked Autocannons with:
-Two Twin-Linked Heavy Bolters...free
-Two Cyclone Missile Launchers...20pts
-Two Twin-Linked Lascannons...40pts

Take two Hunter-Killer Missiles...20pts

Take Extra Armour...15pts

Background
The Mortis Dreadnought is another Dreadnought configuration unique to the Dark Angels and their Successor Chapters, the Unforgiven. Like the Warhammer-Pattern Dreadnought, the Mortis-Pattern variant sacrifices close combat ability for firepower. However, instead of close-support, it is optimized for a longer-ranged and anti-aircraft role by utilizing a more traditional weapon pod configuration and additional logic-engines calibrated for tracking high-speed targets. While clearly no match for a Predator Main Battle Tank in terms of speed and firepower on open ground, the Mortis can provide valuable air-cover for forces at the forefront of an orbital drop, and its utility in urban/jungle pacification is incomparable.

Force Organization Chart Placement
Heavy Support

I like it. I notice how you resisted the temptation to whack 2 Tl lascannons on the warhammer.

Doesn't the Mortis pattern dread already exist? or is this a re-imagining of it?

Praxiss:

I'll admit that my first idea was to put two Twin-Linked Lascannons on each arm, but it occurred to me that the Mortis-Pattern Dreadnought already existed and has Twin-Linked Lascannons in the traditional pod rather than an arm like a Dreadnought Close Combat Weapon. But then it seems like having an underslung heavy/assault weapon would overload such an arm.


The Mortis-Pattern Dreadnought does exist as right-arm Forgeworld add-ons to the MkIV and MkV chassis, but this is re-imagining it as being a specialization of the regular Dreadnought rather than just a cosmetic change of options.

So yeah, a Rifleman and a Warhammer...

Gotcha. So for the warhammer you're thinking of the weapons moutned on an arm instaed of the normal DCCW? That woudl look Mean! it woudl be like a mini-titan. I love it.

i demand that you make it and post pics.

I have a vision of a dread with a Plasma Canno on each arm, with an underslug melta on each.

Why has the dreadnought got 3 attacks for? It hasn't got any close combat weapons unless it's going to smack people on the head with the multi meltas! lol. The ironclad gets 3 attacks because of it's two c.c weapons, and LOSES attacks because of ranged weapons, not gains.

Also power of the machine spirit? I'm not sure how this will help as a walker can move and fire all weapons, and it can only move 6". The only benefit would be able to fire at seperate targets and still fire one weapon when crew stunned or shaken.

Upgrading the storm bolters to heavy flamers is a lot, same price for meltaguns! Should be a straight swap for the flamers.

Why does it get extra attacks for two Multi-Melta's? This does not make any sense. i also think Power of the Machince Sprite is too cheap for only 115pts. That use to be a 30pt upgrade and BS2. Now it's BS(sames as unit) and you can fire at a different unit. Combine that with cheap Flamestorm Cannons for under costed 10pts, and your hosing two squads a turn.

Remove the PoMS, and up the cost of the Flamstorm Cannons, and it's not bad.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

mercer wrote:

Upgrading the storm bolters to heavy flamers is a lot, same price for meltaguns! Should be a straight swap for the flamers.

The standard price for Heavy Flamers for Stormbolters are 10pts.

And you beat me by secs on the other points.

Ah, I thought it was a straight swap normally. I stand corrected!

Looking at it again i have to agree about the number of attacks, sorry.

If it is a pure shooty- dread i would think about keeping PoMS as it is what makes the dread unique - being able to hit 2 different units.

So i would say keep that and lose the extra attacks, maybe up the points to make it fair. but i still love the idea,

The extra attack is there to represent the articulate arms that can be used as clubs in combat. It's basically bundling them with an extra close combat weapon much like Dreadnought Close Combat Weapons are bundled with the underslung weapons.

The Power of the Machine Spirit is intended to only benefit the Warhammer by allowing it to split fire and continue firing while under fire itself.

I am intending to make a model, and I'm compiling a list of bits to buy so this may take a while...

Nurglitch wrote:The extra attack is there to represent the articulate arms that can be used as clubs in combat. It's basically bundling them with an extra close combat weapon much like Dreadnought Close Combat Weapons are bundled with the underslung weapons.

quote]

Sorry but I don't agree with this reasoning. You give up close combat attacks for the extra shooting. This is the best of both words, for a cheaper model.

This model needs to be in the 150 range before upgrades to be even close to balanced.

Nurglitch wrote:The extra attack is there to represent the articulate arms that can be used as clubs in combat. It's basically bundling them with an extra close combat weapon much like Dreadnought Close Combat Weapons are bundled with the underslung weapons.

The Power of the Machine Spirit is intended to only benefit the Warhammer by allowing it to split fire and continue firing while under fire itself.

I am intending to make a model, and I'm compiling a list of bits to buy so this may take a while...

If you take a normal dreadnought with 2 autocannons or a lascannon and a missile launcher you do not get a extra attack. This is the same case with yours. You don't get a extra attack because you have no close combat weapons. In fact the standard dreadnought loses a attack because the dccw gives a extra attack already included in it's profile; as the dccw is lost it's attacks are reduced to one.

I would drop machine spirit and just make a special rule saying it can fire and two seperate targets. Space Wolves Long Fangs can do this.

mercer:

Yes, a normal Dreadnought doesn't have built-in close combat weapons though, and since the Power of the Machine Spirit also lets the Dreadnought fire a weapon while Stunned or Shaken, as well as splitting fire, I would keep it.

Why POTMS? it's a walker.

it's kind of unfair, I can't see a walker getting POTMS other then that though, I like it.

mercer wrote:I would drop machine spirit and just make a special rule saying it can fire and two seperate targets. Space Wolves Long Fangs can do this.

why don't we just give long fangs PotMS ?

Maybe because the Power of the Machine Spirit is vehicle wargear?

Besides letting it split fire, the Power of the Machine Spirit allows it to fire one weapon if Shaken or Stunned, which is rather important if the Dreadnought is neither as effective at ranged combat as the Mortis, nor as effective at close combat as a regular Dreadnought.

nurglitch! embrace your inner tool.

I can totally see LF with POTMS.

It would TOTALLY work.

I think it is a good idea jus reduce the number of attacks and it would be great

I'm curious: What is it about an extra S6 attack that people are finding overpowered?

Awesome!!!

The only little niggle I have is that I think that the cyclone missiles are a bit over powered on the Mortis.

phantommaster:

How do you figure? It's the same price as the Cyclone Missile Launcher mounted on a Terminator, and the Typhoon Missile Launcher mounted on a Land Speeder.

I don't think it should be 20pts more than 2 TL Heavy Bolters.

phantommaster:

The pair of Cyclone Missile Launchers is 20pts, each Cyclone being 10pts more than a Twin-Linked Heavy Bolter. On a regular Dreadnought the Heavy Bolter is +5pts and the Autocannon is +10pts, and the Autocannon is equivalent to a regular Missile Launcher. This means that Twin-Linked Heavy Bolters on a Mortis Dreadnought would be paying a premium (since the Mortis should be paying -10pts to have the pair replace the Autocannons). So really it's 30pts more than the Twin-Linked Heavy Bolters, which is good because that means 15pts each, and Heavy Bolters are 15pts each, and Cyclone Missile Launchers are 30pts each.