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Hi guys! I've played for bits and spurts of 1-2 years and I'm looking to start up again possibly. The thing that draws me most and I love the most are dreadnoughts!

I don't know much about the new Vanilla SM codex but I use to play Vanilla SM with 5~ish Dreadnoughts. Are they still pretty good/best army to run 5-6 dreadnoughts with? I know I can run 9+ or whatever with Blood Angels but I always felt like Blood Angels weren't that great compared to the versatility that Vanilla SM has. Is this still the case? Can Vanilla SM still take 5-6 Dreadnoughts competitively? Or have they changed drastically where it won't be that great of an option to take them anymore in that amount. (Ex. they have way better options in those slots now)


TLDR: Most competitive army to spam 5-6 dreadnoughts with? (Not MOST dreadnoughts... 5-6 dreads will satisfy me hahah)

Thanks ahead.

Vanilla can take 6 dreadnoughts with a Master of the Forge, and they are also able to take IronClad dreadnoughts.

Other than that, GK would probably be the best bet as they can spam Autocannon dreadnoughts without any special character and Autocannons get +1Str in the GK codex for 5 points making them S8, which is pretty good.

The current metagame is just bad news for vehicles and Dreadnoughts.

Iron Hands SMs now have IWND on all vehicles. That sounds like a good way to start towards a Dread spam list.

Well crap, I might have to make a small iron hands army just to have a buttload of dreadnoughts.

Blood Angels are pretty good for it too, with all the Dreads they get from the Death Company?

Space Wolves can get an HQ, but that's less, I suppose.

Well, the best "dread" in the game is the Soul Grinder. But that's probably not what you're looking for.

Run Dark Angels and take 3 Mortis contemptors in elite, that's probably the next best Dread.

Or GK psi riflemen are still pretty solid

Given the new Codex lets different chapters ally with each other, you could easily run 8 Dreads with just one codex. I'd say take a main force as Iron Hands with a MOTF and 6 Dreads, and then ally in another chapter with a MOTF and another 2 dreads (don't think it matters too much which chapter since IH are about the only ones whose tactics apply to vehicles).

Doesn't the army size have to be 2000+ in order to ally with the same army?

syypher wrote:
Doesn't the army size have to be 2000+ in order to ally with the same army?

That's for double force org. Ally is at any points level.

Blood Angels can field 9 Dreads.

Nillamarines can run 6 dreads with a MOTF, and they can be Ven, Ironclad or regular dreads, and now with IH they've gotten better.

Puscifer wrote:
Blood Angels can field 9 Dreads.

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/528501.page

11 at 2k, actually

Reclusiarch

X3 Furioso (Frag Cannon, Heavy Flamer)

X25 DC (Bolters)

X5 DC Dreads (Blood Fists)

X2 Regular Dreads(Assault Cannon)

Regular Dread(TL HB)

Lucarikx

 Lucarikx wrote:

Puscifer wrote:
Blood Angels can field 9 Dreads.

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/528501.page

11 at 2k, actually

Reclusiarch

X3 Furioso (Frag Cannon, Heavy Flamer)

X25 DC (Bolters)

X5 DC Dreads (Blood Fists)

X2 Regular Dreads(Assault Cannon)

Regular Dread(TL HB)

Lucarikx

Damn you now I have to buy blood angles just to troll. Y you do dis to my wallet!?

11 Ork Dreds in an FOC, 22 in double FOC.

Or 18 in a Dread Mob single FOC.

Plus 15 Killa Kans.

Plus 3 Mega Dreads

Plus 2 Mekka Dreads

Plus you can build them yourself for cheap, because buying double digit walkers ain't for the faint of heart

YOUR MOVE UMIES

I would look at running a IH MOTF based Space Marine army with an allied in Dark angels librarian and techmarine, both with power fields.

Now all your dreadnaughts have IWND as well as a 4+ invul.

Blood Angels can field 9 Dreadnaughts which is a entertaining list, not that effective for competitive but fun none the less.

The Blood Angels list can actually be surprisingly competitive if you build it cannily. You won't have any scoring units, but you can still contest - besides which, you should be rampaging through the enemy army enough to seriously strain their ability to get to objectives.

You want a lot of Death Company for starters, as you have to take these to get the DC Dreadnoughts - and as they're all Troops, you won't really have room for any Assault, Tacs or Scouts. I would suggest 15-20 bolter DC to keep them as cheap as is possible and also add a unit that's actually quite tactical in play - they can fire at full effect on the move while still charging and are not too shabby in combat. Take a Reclusiarch as your sole HQ to lead them, for obvious reasons.

Then load up on DC dreadnoughts as close-combat monsters - a combination of Talons/flamer for anti-infantry and DCCWs/meltagun for hard targets. If you have the points, give the latter magna-grapples as well for an extra S8 shot.
For the Elites slot you want Furioso dreads - the frag cannon is too good to pass up on - and perhaps a single Librarian dread if you think you'll face something you can use its force weapon on. Unfortunately, most ideal targets are also capable of smashing it to bits before it gets to strike - but it can still be worth taking for Shield as well.
For Heavy Support, give standard Dreads autocannons and/or twin lascannons - these should be used for big nasties like Daemon Princes but are also useful for potshots at flyers as well.

Most importantly - *put all your CC dreads in pods*. DC dreads are able to ignore shaken/stunned results, and Furioso dreads get AV13 on the front, so drop them aggressively - your opponent will only have one turn to take them all out and is not likely to do so. This split of attention should also let your foot DC get a bit closer. If you can, give your HS dreads and/or the foot DC a pod or two to run as empty so you can get more CC dreads in your first wave.

Lastly, be aware that as a very specialised list, this army will have very hard counters - flyers, Iyanden wraithhost for starters - but you'll find that with any dread-heavy list.