Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

So I have been playing my dreadnaught and it usually sits back shooting infantry or ligght vehicles with the assault cannon.. i try assaulting tanks but its just not that great against fast vechicles... also , against horde armies, it ends up getting tied up most of the game.. what is a good build for a SM dread ?

I'm thinkin assault cannon and twin linked auto cannon.. any ideas on whats a better shooty dread ?

Dreadnoughts are awesome utility units. If you need a role filled and something that won't outright suck at it, a Dread is the unit you need.

They get four Strength 10 attacks on charge, so you have a strong assault unit that can fire on an enemy squad and then start beating them with a big metal hand. For the weapon attached to your DCCW, I think its personal preference. I personally used the flamer over the stormbolter because I use my Dreads aggressively and its worked pretty well for me so far. Plus, this means that carrying the Dreadnought with the flamer has the same points cost as using the missile launcher, which means you can swap the weapon if your limited on models. Use the flamer if your playing the dreadnought aggressively, attacking units with fire and then assaulting them. Use the launcher if your facing a horde army where you can fire frag missiles into crowds. Its helpful because the points cost is the same, so you don't have to rework your list to swap them. Thats just a minor thing though.

I also like the Multimelta, but the kit doesn't come with one (sad). You get one off the AoBR set, so you can use that dread, or you can convert your own multimelta pretty easy. I used the lascanon that came with the kit, cut off the barrels, glued on a pair of barrels from the meltaguns in the tactical squad box, and added a few extra cords to the arm. Custom multimelta, done.

Honestly though, a dread isn't something I'd pin in any one set up. Outfit them for whatever your fighting. They have the pegs for their arms, so swapping their weapons is simple modeling wise. Fighting Hordes? Pack the assault canon and the missile launcher and pour in the fire (If its a melee horde like Orks though you might want to keep the DCCW for when those guys get into melee range. Flammer/storm bolter, and then charge them). Mech army? Load up that close combat weapon and the multimelta. Put the dreadnought in a drop pod, and you have an awesome weapon that can be a great asset early in the game.

Multi-melta or Assault Cannon + Heavy Flamer + Drop Pod. Use "Drop Pod Assault" to drop in on turn 1 right next to a juicy enemy target of opportunity, blast it, and then let dreadnought sit in the middle of the enemy army.

Mr. DK wrote:So I have been playing my dreadnaught and it usually sits back shooting infantry or ligght vehicles with the assault cannon.. i try assaulting tanks but its just not that great against fast vechicles... also , against horde armies, it ends up getting tied up most of the game.. what is a good build for a SM dread ?

I'm thinkin assault cannon and twin linked auto cannon.. any ideas on whats a better shooty dread ?

Here is my 7 cents on Dreadnoughts and how to mix types with weaponns:

Standard Dreadnoughts
"RifleDread" = 2 TL Autocannons = great at busting transports and stunning heavier armor. A threat to MCs as well.
Plasma/Missile = flexible shooting with ability to hurt light armor or threaten heavy/light infantry with 2 blasts

Ven. Dreadnoughts
Multi-Melta or Assault Cannon + Power Fist = Multi-purpose durable Dread. Weapons benefit the most from BS5 and you keep the Power Fist for WS5. Good at walking behind a Tac squad as mobile backup.

Ironclad Dreadnoughts
Heavy Flamer/Meltagun/Pod = Drop in, fry a tank or burn some annoying infantry then make a pain of yourself. AV13 will keep you protected against anything thats not a Meltagun.

My dread gets good mileage, and I use the standard AoBR one. I find it a good balance against my friends 'Nids as long as I keep it in cover until I can charge his sniper 'Fex. And it has yet to really fail me against other armies. Just remember, Extra armor is your friend.

I tried 3 of the 'rifledreads' in an army and found good success with it.
The 12 TL STR 7 AP4 shots they had did wonders against MCs.

Just make sure to use magnets with your 'dreads arms so you can swap out depending on the list. Just pop on the configuration that your going to use that night.

i use a AOBR dread it is very effective against swarming army's like nids

I've used my one with a Heavy Flamer on it's close combat arm and an Assault Cannon for a fair while now and it usually works out pretty good. I usually battle Eldar, Blood Angels, Space Wolves and Tyranids. My AoBR Dreadnought seems cursed though, rarely hits and even more rarely kills anything. In assault it usually just stands there waiting to be killed. Sometimes the five man sniper Scout squad kills more in a game. Not to say that it's a bad configuration, just that all my bad luck seems to go into that one Dreadnought.

Wow, i haven't gotten a chance to get online in a while but thanks for all the replies ! i think i will try the heavy flamer.. and yea , n0t_u , haha i get the same thing in assault ! what are the chances of 3 ones every turn for 4 turns ? hmm...

I like twin-linke autocannon and multi-melta, that way you have a good long range anti-tank vehicle and as it gets closer the multi-melta becomes an excellent anti-tank unit.

TL autocannon with MM seems like a terrible plan. The dread is going to be confused as to what range he should be in. Obv the TL autocannon says he should stay as close to 48" away as possible, but the MM wants you to get close. Then, if you get to optimal MM range you are now within 12", but have no DCCW to fight your way out of a combat. While you are going to get some use from the heavy weapons, I doubt the effectiveness will be close to a dread that is outfitted to a particular task.

I use MM + DCCW+HF. This setup is begging for the dread to be allowed in close. Since the rest of my army is mech and also trying to get in that range (short of a couple long range support choices) and thus target priority becomes a problem.

Really, the best setups IMO are MM+DCCW+HF for a support unit for your assault, or dual TL autocannons for long range anti-tank.

Dracos wrote:TL autocannon with MM seems like a terrible plan. The dread is going to be confused as to what range he should be in. Obv the TL autocannon says he should stay as close to 48" away as possible, but the MM wants you to get close. Then, if you get to optimal MM range you are now within 12", but have no DCCW to fight your way out of a combat. While you are going to get some use from the heavy weapons, I doubt the effectiveness will be close to a dread that is outfitted to a particular task.

I use MM + DCCW+HF. This setup is begging for the dread to be allowed in close. Since the rest of my army is mech and also trying to get in that range (short of a couple long range support choices) and thus target priority becomes a problem.

Really, the best setups IMO are MM+DCCW+HF for a support unit for your assault, or dual TL autocannons for long range anti-tank.

i like what your saying for the long range dread , but how about add two more shots rending, for sacrificing a strenght and twin linkedness ? because a dread with TL AC and assault cannon can take out more infantry, and still stay at range and also pick on vechicles

Differing ranges make that build questionable. It suffers, to a lesser extent, the same issue as TL autocannon + MM. One weapon is 48" range and the other is 24".

Try to keep Dreads with a specific purpose. If you are going to be ranged, give them the 48" range. If you want them up close, MM or Asscan + DCCW (I prefer MM).

I find the autocannon better than the assault cannon largely because of its range. If I wanted to engage targets from 24" away, I wouldn't take a long-range Dreadnought configuration.

Any ironclads great overall. The best "gun" variant I'd say is CCW w/ melta and assault cannon on the other arm. That gives you anti-light vehicles, you can blast things like LR's, and then assault the inside. I've seen that thats the most well rounded variant in most games.

I don't think that configuration is legal.

I'll put in a vote for ironclads or venerables, which have always proved to be durable and a real pain.

I'd also second the idea of synergy. With my eldar grav tanks I always make sure that, for an example, the falcon has a second weapon that's the same range as the pulse laser so I don't find myself too close to nasty thing I'm shooting at.

Dracos wrote:TL autocannon with MM seems like a terrible plan. The dread is going to be confused as to what range he should be in.

What is so confusing about moving 6 inches forward firing your twin-linked autocannon until you are within range of the multi-melta which is usually turn two. For 10 less points you will have a tank that is a better tank hunter then the 2 twin-linked autocannon dread.

You can't always count on being able to move 6" every turn.

Grunt_For_Christ wrote:You can't always count on being able to move 6" every turn.

Nothing is a constant, but to say that the multi-melta is at a disadvantage because you cant reliable move every turn is extreme.

There's a 12" difference between the two weapons, which isn't insignificant.

More than that, I just don't see the two weapons working well together. One does well against heavy armour, one does virtually nothing. Basically you'll end up wasting one of your 2 weapons half the time most of the time (unless you're facing lots of MC's).

They work very well together, against transports av 12 or lower they both can get pens, and when you do come across av 14 you have the multi-melta, and because of the range of the autocannon you will be shooting everyturn.

And then have the autocannon which is useless... Since you can only shoot at one thing and S7 is incapable of dealing with AV14. Hence my point that it isn't an optimal build, but I guess it depends on what else you have to deal with armour and big nasty things.