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I know about the psibolt autocannons. Are there any other good GK dread load-outs? I'm specifically wondering about things that are in some way specific to GK (as opposed to something that is just a good "normal" dread load-out).

No specific build in mind, just wondering if folks had some suggestions.

I have had success with a "psycannon" dread. 4 S7 rending shots plus 2 S5 shots jumping out of a stormraven with a strike squad can be very fun!

What is the specific load-out? A Psycannon arm and what else? Is that an autocannon with psybolts and a psycannon? Sorry for being dense... haven't played my GK's yet, just thinking ahead.

Ive run my venerables with a psycannon and autocannon or psycannon and dccw to good effect
though not as good as double autocannon it does give him a larger presence as he stomps up the board with his friends. Ive had opponents needlessly waste shots on him just because he is closer and more dangerous looking. (esp when being escorted by a grenade techmarine squad)

I've currently got a Ven Dread w/Assault Cannon (Psybolts) and a Heavy Flamer (Psyfuel) in my list, however I've not had much experience with it outside of 2 games.

2x TLAC and psybolts are the best choice for running a dread. Or if you running it in a storm raven assault cannon + single TLAC + psybolt is rather good as you fire 4+2 S7 shot with 2 being twin-linked and 4 being rending.

Agreed with Kylis, if you're going with a shooting platform take the 2xTLAC (best IMO) good range/str/and ok ap

I appreciate all the ideas guys. In that last config, is it worth psybolting up the AC to S8?? Or are the points better spent elsewhere?

Ven Dred with multimelta and DCCW running behind a Rhino for cover. Nice little punch unit that gives a much needed melta to the army.

The psyfleman. IMO anything else just doesn't compare to the cost/benefit of two tl psy-acs. It fills the hole that GK lists have: long range fire.

Gitsplitta wrote:I appreciate all the ideas guys. In that last config, is it worth psybolting up the AC to S8?? Or are the points better spent elsewhere?

there's really never any reason to not buy psybolt for deads, ever

Gitsplitta wrote:I appreciate all the ideas guys. In that last config, is it worth psybolting up the AC to S8?? Or are the points better spent elsewhere?

It is really worth the points as S8 can penetrate transports and another tanks easier. And also you can instakill Ork Nobs or similiar T4 units with more than one wound on their profile.

Makes perfect sense. So, the choice of weather to go with a rifleman variant or the assault cannon/ auto cannon variant is probably based on whether you anticipate standing back and shooting or piling in where the assault cannon's short range isn't a problem?

I didn't even know GK had the option of running any kind of dread other than psyfleman...

For long range anti tank the Psyriflemen is by far the best. If you aren't using them in this role then I would definitely favour the Multi Melta + DCCW (use aggressively). Melta is pretty hard to come by in the GK list, particularly BS4 melta and you generally have more than enough Psycannon shots from all your basic units.

I'm thinking of a conversion that embeds autocannon barrels in the FW psycannon dread arm... but off the top of my head I only seem to remember a right arm. I don't suppose there's a psycannon left arm...

Powerguy wrote:For long range anti tank the Psyriflemen is by far the best. If you aren't using them in this role then I would definitely favour the Multi Melta + DCCW (use aggressively). Melta is pretty hard to come by in the GK list, particularly BS4 melta and you generally have more than enough Psycannon shots from all your basic units.

So if sticking the dread in a Storm Raven, you'd go with MM and combat arm over Assault Cannon (psybolts) and combat arm? 4 Shots versus 1? Someome with math skills figure out which is better for each AV value.

AP1 makes a huge difference against vehicles. Mostly I was trying to point out that Melta weapons are widely regarded as the best weapons for killing (rather than suppressing) vehicles and that Grey Knights don't have plentiful access to it. When all your infantry will be packing Psycannons another 4 identical shots is far less valuable than the added flexibility against hard targets that the Multi Melta gives you.

My vanilla marines have meltas sticking out of every orifice... just can't do without them in the vehicle heavy meta-game.

I got bored of the psyrifle dread and tried my best to make psycannon/incinerator dreads and other variants work.

Out of maybe 7 games with non-psyrifle dreads, I had 1 game where they preformed well. A psycannon/incinerator/ccw dread dropped out of a storm raven, and shot/flamed and assaulted a 40 man IG platoon before wiping them out 2 turns later on his own.

Other than those 2 games, they were mediocre at best and a liability at worst. Except against the 1 IG horde list I played, I would rather have had psyrifle dreads to blow up tanks and finish off weakened squads from a distance, which is something the rest of my army really can't do. Our dreads simply aren't that good at close range or cc, and don't compare at all to BA furioso/death company, or SM ironclads at that range.

The big downside of other variants is that they do basically the same thing as the rest of the army, the only difference is being a walker.

Bruteboss wrote:I got bored of the psyrifle dread and tried my best to make psycannon/incinerator dreads and other variants work.

Out of maybe 7 games with non-psyrifle dreads, I had 1 game where they preformed well. A psycannon/incinerator/ccw dread dropped out of a storm raven, and shot/flamed and assaulted a 40 man IG platoon before wiping them out 2 turns later on his own.

Other than those 2 games, they were mediocre at best and a liability at worst. Except against the 1 IG horde list I played, I would rather have had psyrifle dreads to blow up tanks and finish off weakened squads from a distance, which is something the rest of my army really can't do. Our dreads simply aren't that good at close range or cc, and don't compare at all to BA furioso/death company, or SM ironclads at that range.

The big downside of other variants is that they do basically the same thing as the rest of the army, the only difference is being a walker.

GK Venerables are a pain in the rear to get rid of in CC though, they make decent tarpits.

Gitsplitta wrote:I'm thinking of a conversion that embeds autocannon barrels in the FW psycannon dread arm... but off the top of my head I only seem to remember a right arm. I don't suppose there's a psycannon left arm...

Forge world makes psycannons for right arm only, but autocannons are available for both hands.

@Kylis: hmmmm, problematic...

Yah, I know you want more loadouts then just 2 autocannons w/psbolt dreads, but that really is the best load out. Why go out of your way for something that is worse?

I appreciate all the advice guys... I was just looking at the neat other bits and was wondering if any were viable as load-outs... think I got my answer.

Besides the "psfyleman" the best seems to be Ven Dread, Psycannon, DCCW, psybolts. BS5 really helps that out.

Bruteboss wrote:I got bored of the psyrifle dread and tried my best to make psycannon/incinerator dreads and other variants work.

Out of maybe 7 games with non-psyrifle dreads, I had 1 game where they preformed well. A psycannon/incinerator/ccw dread dropped out of a storm raven, and shot/flamed and assaulted a 40 man IG platoon before wiping them out 2 turns later on his own.

Other than those 2 games, they were mediocre at best and a liability at worst. Except against the 1 IG horde list I played, I would rather have had psyrifle dreads to blow up tanks and finish off weakened squads from a distance, which is something the rest of my army really can't do. Our dreads simply aren't that good at close range or cc, and don't compare at all to BA furioso/death company, or SM ironclads at that range.

The big downside of other variants is that they do basically the same thing as the rest of the army, the only difference is being a walker.

I, too, have grown tired of playing and seeing others play only the psyrifle dread. One issue I have is that my army lacked any melta to deal with high AV stuff. To help offset that problem I'm trying out vanilla dreads. Just a ccw, melta and flamer. My two dreads ride in storm ravens (that sport twin linked meltas) - see a pattern

My first and only game so far using this configuration saw the SR's getting shot down on turn two doing nothing other than acting as transports. I ran them flat out and wanted to fire my TL melta but my opponent told me machine spirit didn't allow for that due to the flat out speed. I have since found an entry in the BA FAQ that says any SR can use machine spirit to fire one weapon at flat out. I also didn't think to use the libby's shrouding to get a 3+ cover save. So bad on me.

Anyway when the transports blew up the dreads fell out unscathed. One took on a couple of 7-10 man IG units - ate them up. The other dread took down two russ's before getting blow to bits. Had I played the SR's properly I would have done a lot better over all. Instead I had to rely on two cc dreads and one psyrifle dread in the back field to do almost all of the damage. IG won in the end by holding the objective that was located far in his backfield. Didn't help that we were playing spearhead and the SR's had to traverse a full 24" to get within reasonable striking distance. That and the IG player got first turn and alpha striked me with a basilisk, a standard russ and two plasma cannon russ's. Made for a really bad first turn.

Well that's another issue: delivery

Other marine armies get drop pods to send their dreads where they need to be, we have nothing but a storm raven. Storm ravens are awesome and I use 1 every game but being a dread transport is not their main purpose.

The beauty of psyrifle dreads is that they need no delivery to start being useful. They either walk on from reserve or start the game at your end of the board and get to blasting tanks off the table. Doesn't matter where you put them, they can do something useful right away.

I play a lot of dreads in my vanilla army and I'm coming to the conclusion that the standard dread w/ MM, HF & extra armor if you can afford it... is just a solid value for the cost. They key, as Bruteboss mentioned... is delivery. I have a good way of getting that thing right where I want it, on turn 1 even... But if you don't have a reliable way of putting where they need to be to be successful and supporting them at the same time (because on their own they're too easy to pop)... the short range variants become much less useful.

Psyfleman dreads are best, because they are basically a twin linked krak launcher walker, but if your looking for CC then you may want to run an Assault Cannon with Psybolts (Psycannon) and a DCCW with heavy flamer and Psyflames.