Iron Hands: Dreadnought or Captain?

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**trephines**

I'm working on an Iron Hands 1k list and am looking for an anti tank unit to deep strike alongside some Sternguard and a Tactical squad. I've been torn between a melta dread (can't afford to run an Ironclad, and I don't really like them) and a terminator captain with a chain fist. Both seem to me valid options that' be maximising the chapter tactics that'd cost the same price (130 points), and I'd rather go with that than just chuck a load of combis on the Sternguard.

What'd you run? The terminator captain could be attached to either the Sternguard or the Tactical Squad and depending on the situation, get a 5 tactical marine meatshield. I know dreads aren't all that popular, but having a relentless multi melta as part of the drop seems useful to me.

**Slayer-Fan123**

Will the Dread have a Drop Pod at all?
Otherwise, I would need a list to really know what would fit better.

**Desubot**

Depends on the rest of the list.

Personally been enjoying Command squad melta pods over Sternguard.

But i do like me some Ironclad Dreads. can survive the turn they plop down and if they are dumb and dont move i can walk up and punch like no ones business.

**trephines**

Here's the list, yes the dread would be in a pod.

Librarian, 65
Dreadnought, multi melta and drop pod 135
Sternguard squad, drop pod 155
Tactical squad, plasma gun, 5 additional marines drop pod 190
Tactical squad, plasma gun, 5 additional marines rhino 190
Predator, tri las 140
Stormtalon, skyhammer missile launcher & assault cannon 125

**Desubot**

Knowing the law of the single dice roll. a single mm dread is probably going to fail to hit

Why not switch out the plasma on in the pod into a melta. to save some points.

you could also hand out melta bombs around as most people forget about that.

**Slayer-Fan123**

Yeah, the Captain would be wasted points here. Essentially, you just give somebody to tank wounds for the Sternguard and, while nice, that's an expensive way to add wounds, especially when Sternguard don't wanna be in melee, but the Captain you outfitted does. I'd just go for the Dreadnought because Drop Pods scare people.

**trephines**

I'm a plasma fan personally, I just need something in case of AV14. I don't really want to change the rest of the list. I just want to use those 135 points for something very Iron Handsy fluffwise and that utilises the CT.

**Desubot**

Then keep the Dread. should be fine 90% of the time

But im telling you that Multimelta at least for me is cursed

**trephines**

You think that it'd be more effective than the captain? Trying to way up the pro's & cons

Captain: 3 wounds, 2+ save, 4+ invul, 6+ FNP, ITWND. 2 str 8 power fist with 2d6 armour pen attacks. A stormbolter.

Dread: 12/12/10 3HP, MM, ST10 power fist, stormbolter, ITWND.

The dread isn't vulnerable to small arms fire and has ranged anti tank, the captain could get insta gibbed but would shrug off high AP hits thanks to the invul and is couldn't get busted up by krak grenades?

Choices...

**carldooley**

I don't suppose that you would be interested in a classic? Master of the Forge with Conversion Beamer & Space Marine Bike is 130. That extra five can go towards meltabombs as well, so that particular HQ slot can handle AV14 either at extreme range or up close.

**Desubot**

Well if it was an ironclad then you definitely wouldn't have an issue with krak grenades and medium fire

But realistically St6 wont break it that fast though insane rolls have happened

But gotta say the Captain wouldn't be too awful. though not as iconic as a dread for a ironhands list.

besides 3 attacks on the charge with armor bane is nice.

If it would be possible id drop 1-2 marines off a pod or rhino and get some melta bombs all over as redundancy. i know you loose out on combat tactics but at least they ALL can handle vehicles.
Edit: I dont think a single ST10 ap 1 would be able to deal with a landraider. as Must be looooonng distance, then 4+, then 5+ not really a sure thing.

**trephines**

Which has armourbane? The dread CC or the chainfist?
I could drop the pod, and go for a rifleman, then give the libby and tacs meltabombs?

**tankboy145**

If your captain is coming down in a pod it has to wait a turn to assault a tank, and if your opponent knows that one of only a few anti tank units you have they will kill him with weight of fire. The dread will come down and fire the MM right away and if it doesnt kill the tank and it lives to the next turn it will fire again and then get the chance to assault.

**Crazyterran**

Choice between a 2+/4++, with a stormbolter at ranged, and 3(4 on the charge) s8 ap2 arourbane attacks with toughness 4 and 3 wounds. He cannot sweep if he fights infantry.

Or, a Av12 walker with a s8 ap1 melta weapon, 2(3 on the charge) s10 ap2 attacks and 1 s6 hammer of wrath hit when it charges. It has 3 hull points, the ability to sweep but with the downside of the possibility of losing a weapon orating immobilized. (Which isn't the end of the world for the melta, but still...)

Depends what you will be playing against most often, but, one will be able. Die to small arms fire, while the other s weaker to enemy anti vehicle weapons. Of course, a melta will kill a termie captain as easily as a dreadnought (well, half the time, at least.)

**Haskell**

I'd say Dread, the more you throw into your opponents back field he/she will go to them next focusing all meta on making sure those units don't take objectives or kill Warlords,

**trephines**

I could drop the librarian and 5 rhino tacs and keep the dread, add an artificer armour and power fist captain and combat squad the pod tacs with a meltabomb for a meatshield?

**GKTiberius**

Id say do what you said above. you don't have enough psyker charges to make the librarian worth running.

**trephines**

I could keep the libby, but drop the dreadnought and go for 5 jump Vanguard veterans with melta bombs?