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Alright so to elaborate on the title a bit more since it is rather vague, this post is to bring up the fact that I feel like so little is said about the marvel that is the Contemptor Pattern Dreadnought. So I'd like to discuss the fluff, game limits, Pricing of points along with just how overly godly and silly the pricing is to buy one of these things. Oh and how they have been updated in Imperial Armour Volume Two Second Edition - War Machines Of The Adeptus Astartes. I haven't read it or anything so I'd really really love it if one of you who have read it could let me in on how it's been changed up.

Fluff: They are suppose to be the oldest of the oldest correct? That like their fellow dreadnought brothers were from the Dark Age of Technology so much of the means of repair and maintenance, along with most importantly the means of recreating them were lost. Now what I'm really curious about is...are there still empty ones around right now? For I know during the HH many were destroyed in service and such. Hence why they are so few in number now. But are there still some, relatively new ones? Ones who have yet to play host to an honored Adaptus Astartes who was mortally wounded or staring death in the face?

Each chapter, at least when it came to the Blood Angels and Space Wolves, seemed to have some manner of feelings towards their honored fallen. These two chapters especially from how/what I've read. The Wolves looking at these warriors with distrust and caution. Blood Angels replacing them for the Furiso Dread, sending the old Contemptors to being monuments and anchor weights for successors.

it's fluff like this that makes me more interested in them. The mystery and dark story that hangs about them. Even more so that it engulfs those who lay within. Whats not to love about that right? I mean what do you guys think?


Pricing: Now I know, given fluff and the special rules I heard they had, these bad boys are very costly. Almost shy of 200pts if I'm right. Heck of a bite out of an army that's for sure. Not to mention I'm sure there are some highly competitive players/competitive players(Not trying to say all, just the few) who probably laugh at such things and bring up all the better options. Now I should say that I prefer fluff over such things. So if it's fluffy I'll run it most likely. Now that said I wlll admit the Contemptor is very costly and I do kinda scratch my head when I'm trying to see how would I work it in. Granted I don't own one yet, but do plan on doing so.

Now base cost is one thing, the weapons and gear you can give these bad boys really adds to them and will probably break them depending on what you give it. Do you think it's all justifiable? Do you think it's over priced for what it could potentially do? Please do share!


Wallet: Not only is it pricey in game, it's also pricey in reality! I've done the math and it's almost $100 to have one with two weapons. Since you have to buy the arms/weapons seperate it does kinda add up. Especially if you want to have a mix and match. Granted you can proxy but some people don't really approve of that./frown upon such things. Go to Ebay you say? Well Ebay isn't any better sadly

People charging a lot for the fact they painted and built the thing along with gluing it together which can come up to $200 or so. While those who sell it in pieces usually leave the base and such out which is kinda a bummer and means you have to go in search of another. Factor that with you will again, have to buy the weapon it's going to cost you a pretty penny. The model seems like any other to be honest. A bigger more rounded Dreadnought with a bit more positioning potential with a bit bigger or longer weapons. Sure in game they have a bit more then a normal dread, but you can still buy a normal one for a bit better of a price. Not to mention at least GW gives free shipping once the total goes past $50 unlike Forge World.

Pretty much your wallet will cry and probably need a vacation after you're done unless you just so happen to be lucky and have money to burn. How do you feel about the pricing? I know it's Forge World...but do you think it's over costed? Or is this very fair for what you will be getting? As with everything thus far, please, do share and tell!


Experinces: Do share experiences you've had with them if you can/have. Facing someone who used one or just having fielded them yourself! Buying, building the whole nine yards! Do share and discuss hence why this post is here! To have fun discussing about this model. I'm sure I'm not the only one who wants to

I can't really comment from a gaming perspective (never used/proxied one) but the pricing is something I can never quite decide over. On the one hand, the Contemptor is one of the best-looking models ever produced, and has amazing scope for painting/converting. On the other, it's close to £50 after shipping and arms.

I'd love to have one, especially for my Pre-Heresy Fists, but I just struggle to find a time where I have that kind of money to blow on something like that, considering I could get something like a Land Raider, 2 boxes of marines, or a Russ with change, all of which are probably more useful in the long run. If it were around £35 complete, I'd have one in a heartbeat, but as they are I just struggle to find a point at which I have that kind of money for 1 model.

 Paradigm wrote:
I can't really comment from a gaming perspective (never used/proxied one) but the pricing is something I can never quite decide over. On the one hand, the Contemptor is one of the best-looking models ever produced, and has amazing scope for painting/converting. On the other, it's close to £50 after shipping and arms.

I'd love to have one, especially for my Pre-Heresy Fists, but I just struggle to find a time where I have that kind of money to blow on something like that, considering I could get something like a Land Raider, 2 boxes of marines, or a Russ with change, all of which are probably more useful in the long run. If it were around £35 complete, I'd have one in a heartbeat, but as they are I just struggle to find a point at which I have that kind of money for 1 model.

I'm in the same boat my friend. A good comparison is definitely the one you made there regarding what you could get with the money. including seeing things in the scope of the long run. Though I gotta say that by rights, when you look at it from that perspective, a lot of things do seem worth it. I mean compare your current stand point regarding the army you've bought/built up from scratch. Truth be told I can't help but laugh every time I think back to before I got into this hobby and how I'd laugh at the thought that I'd ever get into something like this. Yet here I am now enjoying everything about it.

The Contemptor is bit of a stretch with money and yeah it'd be so amazing if it was £35 and complete with it's stuff. Heck I'm with you that I'd have rushed off to purchase it.

Though if I may ask how would you price it if you could?

Painted models unboxed costing more then unpainted ones :confused: ? how does that happen.

Makumba wrote:
Painted models unboxed costing more then unpainted ones :confused: ? how does that happen.

Trust me I was just as confused when I first saw it online Some people believe that their work stacks up to such levels. Even more so exaggerate a small bit regarding how much time is truly worth along with paint.

Now granted there are examples of some quite amazing paint styles and amazing looking models. I personally love the ones that are painted up and decorated to the point where they look realistic. Now those I can respect and say would cost a fair bit. But there those who simply don't stack to that extent and are simply over priced. I'd love to find a simple, unpainted, normal Contemptor Dreadnought or even for just unpainted simple models for a good deal. Which is why Ebay...is sometimes not the best place because trust me....sellers there make a robber look like a saint

I use one in my ultramarine's

The best equipment IMO is defiantly the kheres assault cannon ( six shot assault cannon ) it is seriously potent.

The added invulnerable gives it a lot more surviveability than a normal dreadnought

As for the price you can pick up cheaper ones on eBay unbuilt but beware of recasts because the eggnought is one of the worst for people recasting it. ( my friend has had 2 out of 4 be recasts )


But I love my eggnought there's so many poses you can make from the kit and he always does something cool in the game !!

brother marcus wrote:
As for the price you can pick up cheaper ones on eBay unbuilt but beware of recasts because the eggnought is one of the worst for people recasting it. ( my friend has had 2 out of 4 be recasts )


But I love my eggnought there's so many poses you can make from the kit and he always does something cool in the game !!

Eggnought? o-0???

Eggnought because his body is the same shape as an egg :p

brother marcus wrote:
Eggnought because his body is the same shape as an egg :p

.....Kinda want to change title now to Eggnought and You.... <.<

Hahahahah that's what I've always known them as tbh hahaha but yea if you get one you won't regret it !!

I don't doubt this llol

Uhh I don't know how you get your Contemptor to be about $100. It's current price is $78(arms included.) at the moment. Got myself a Contemptor Mortis an at least it was cheaper then getting a Centurion squad. It isn't that much of a wallet killer.

You can find them on ebay for $55 shipped if you keep at it. Thats really not a bad price for such a cool model

 The Grumpy Eldar wrote:
Uhh I don't know how you get your Contemptor to be about $100. It's current price is $78(arms included.) at the moment. Got myself a Contemptor Mortis an at least it was cheaper then getting a Centurion squad. It isn't that much of a wallet killer.

Probably tacking on FW's expensive shipping costs.

I personally love my relic contemptor-mortis. I got it on eBay sans arms for about $35 so I am sure it was a recast (but I couldn't tell the difference so it must have been a good one). I got two Puppets War Gattling Cannon arms for about $23 after shipping and used magnets. I plan on ordering some additional arms soon.

I use a named contemptor in my Minotaurs army; "Hecaton Aiakos," from IA12: Fall of Orpheus. He's a bundle of points (225 in this case), but actually has a 4+ invuln, allowing it to march across the table and not give a damn about pretty much anything with AV13. Non-optimal weapons though, but still fun; plasma cannon and close combat weapon. The combination of Fleet, which all Contemptors have, and the Minotaurs tactic which gives them an extra D3 run move and +1 to charge when in enemy deployment zones let him move like nothing else, and go smash things. Bikers are one of his favourite targets; so you've got an awesome jink save, improved toughness and good armour? Meet St10 AP2 on a 4+ invlun AV 13 walker.

Fluffwise, I rather like the contempors with the Minotaurs. Unlike other chapters, dreadnoughts don't represent "honoured brothers," but something darker. It's been aluded to that they're either traitor marines imprisoned in the dreadnoughts, gaining repentance through combat, or possibly causalities of the Minotaurs uncertain, and possibly traitorous geneseed. Because they're chapter forge is basically Mars, they can use such potent and rare pieces of wargear as disposable tools.

I'm thinking of getting a Kheres Contemptor Mortis with Cyclone missile launchers; expensive in points and money, but damned good looking and useful against just about everything. Maybe give it the Legacy of Mars upgrade from IA2: 2nd Ed, so it'd have Tank Hunters, and fit the dubious origin of the Minotaurs.

That....sounds like a pretty evil Dreadnought you have there friend o-o

As for the "How/where am I seeing them over $100 it is on Ebay. Which sadly is where I see them at these prices.

Had my sights on one that was around $50 but an Auto-Bidder pretty much won that :/ Which seems to be the case with a lot of the very good deal ones.

it is on Forge World that if you order the body and arms(at least two arms of just about any of the ones meant for it) it comes out to around $90 and something cents. This end price is shipping and Tax included hence why it's the end price.

it's reasons like these is why I say they are a bit of a Wallet killer. But from those who have commented thus far it does seem like a worth while investment. Which can also prove to be amazing on the Table Top as well as just looking amazing/being amazing in combination with your army.

So I'm glad so far someone has handled out to all my initial questions ^^

they look like the stay puff marshmallow man with some jewelry stuck on him to me but whatever.

kb305 wrote:
they look like the stay puff marshmallow man with some jewelry stuck on him to me but whatever.

Wait what lol? I'm confused

Wait, the contemptor pattern dread is supposedly OLDER than current dreads? Even Venerable dreads?

How does that make sense if you have Bjorn in a normal (well, venerable) dread, and the guy literally fought alongside Russ and the Emperor?

Because he wasn't interred until post-Heresy, and by that time I expect the number of surviving Contemptors was at a minimum, and if they were all occupied, I don't believe Marines evict Dread pilots to make way for someone more worthy - so he goes in a modern box dread.

Price is a bit off. My Mortis pattern contemptor for my dark angels, with 2 kheres pattern assault cannon came in under $60 after conversion not $100. The mortis version is what gives my Dark angels army AA capability, as I only have a single unit of tactical marines, which are the ones loaded down with plasma from the DV box, and no devastators to carry Missile launchers with flakk missiles. I also picked up one early on and carved off the Imperial markings and added it to my slaaneshi CSM army. The contemptor is a really nice looking model on the table to be sure.

The only thing that annoys me about the contemptor is all the different restrictions on the different variations of the dread. Just makes it confusing and tough to be fully aware of what forces of marines can use which variants.

Skriker

I've got three. Absolutly love the model.

I run a twin Kheres Assult cannon mortis with my marines and he's won back his points most games.

My spacewolf contemptor has been less successfull but mostly due to bad dice than anything else.

Just finishing a converted Alpha legion contemptor for my CSM, been having great fun painting scales on his panels.

It is and expensive kit, but i've magnetisd the weapons on all three and built up the parts over time so it's not been too bad.

Wether they're worth the points you pay, I'm not sure. They do however look great on the battlefield and to me that's more important.

There was a length of time, where it was cheaper to buy a FW contemptor dread than the standard plastic dreadnought in australia.

Also, gorgeous model

Again it's seeing how the pricing transfers over. I could be wrong if the exchange is off...

Just seems to cost around that from how I see it which is well...ya.

Though someday I wish I could say I have 3 of them... o-o That just sounds amazing even more so would looks so cool!


Also yeah personally I'd have loved it if Bjorn was in a Contemptor. That'd be so amazing! But sadly he got mauled after the heresy which, after Prospero, there wasn't many contemptors left in the chapter. Not to mention it's suppose to be that they were/usually are all occupied by Current 40K time line standards. Also Azreal is right that they don't really kick people out of Dreadnoughts. Usually just find some empty one lying around or make a new one and shove em in.