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With the new Angels of Death supplement came rules for using the Contemptor Dread. Whilst it's obviously had forgeworld rules for ages some groups don't like using them and I don't own the expensive FW book.

Whilst the AoD version doesn't have all the options of the FW version it does offer a few things extra like more attacks, slightly cheaper and having the ability to be taken as part of special formation detachments as a replacement for any standard dread.

Weirdly it is also a heavy choice not an elite, typo?


So what do people think of the basic contemptor? I have an unashamed love of dreadnoughts (i have 9 now) and have picked up a cheap BaC version. After magnetising the weapons and cutting/repositioning the awful looking legs I'm really happy with the model.

I intend to run it with the Kheres assault cannon, it has good firepower that can threaten anything, lots of close combat punch with fleet and 5x S10 attacks on the charge and solid survivability with AV:13 and a 5++. Running in an Ironhands detachment for IWND and other formation bonuses.

Do we finally have a Dreadnought worthy of the name?

It’s expensive, but looks to be rather nice. Not sure if it will find it’s way into tournament lists, but should have a place in a more reasonable FLGS environment.

It's fairly good in a dread pod for the extra layer of defense. Outside of that, it suffers from 3-hull-point-itis just like many other vehicles. A D, a few melta, plasma, scatterlasers, haywire, gauss etc will knock it right out, and the extra points paid for it over a standard model are not insignificant.

True, but at least some of those points go into Atomantic Shielding. a 5++ save is not something to discount out of hand, and the fact that the frontal armour is enough to ignore scatter laser fire is useful too.

The issue with lasers and the like is that it's hilariously easy to get out of the front arc of a dread. The furiosos from BA are also 13/12/10, and it's very rare that some enemy on the board can't tag them on the side at least.

It's survivable to a point, as much as any vehicle is in the current edition. Compared to an Ironclad I think it brings quite alot extra to the table for the 40ish extra points.

I intend to use it in a very heavy armour saturation list with 10+ other vehicles most with AV13 or more, hopefully an assault deterrent than can add some good firepower into the mix.

It's a missed opportunity. There's no reason why we couldn't have had both an updated Contemptor to bring it inline with 7th Edition and also all of the same options provided by the original FW version.

 the_Armyman wrote:
It's a missed opportunity. There's no reason why we couldn't have had both an updated Contemptor to bring it inline with 7th Edition and also all of the same options provided by the original FW version.

Unless you bought the FW book.

The ironclad does the same job cheaper and better

 Fruzzle wrote:
The ironclad does the same job cheaper and better

The biggest reason why the contemptor is a very good dreadnought is a combination of armor 13 being invulnerable to scat bikes and 24 inch range giving you 1 turn of free shooting before they get an angle on you to do some damage. An ironclad derps around the middle of the board getting picked apart by everything while continously failing to get with 12 of useful targets that won't immediately nuke him down. 'But his side arc is still 13' rofl so? If you took him not in a pod he can be ignored until turn 3 90% of the time and then 1 quick round of haywire or rear arc fire and he's dead. If you do pod him he kills maybe 1 guy and then dies to bolters up his but before he can charge.

In short, a contemptor MIGHT get it's points back, a ironclad CAN'T

On the point about the AoD entry lacking the FW upgrade options, unfortunately nowadays GW only seems to put rules into place for models it produces and in this case the rules are for the BaC plastic contemptor thus very little options. I'd have love to be able to swap out the stormbolter for something useful.

In comparison to the ironclad it might be more expensive but its better in nearly all regards and with its weapon options can fill very different roles. It come with higher WS/BS, an 5++, fleet and obviously the Kheres and only really loses out on the side armour. Both have there place (I love the Ironclad) but the contemptor seems a much more versatile choice.

The Inronclad requires much less investment. MUCH less.

ERJAK wrote:

 Fruzzle wrote:
The ironclad does the same job cheaper and better

The biggest reason why the contemptor is a very good dreadnought is a combination of armor 13 being invulnerable to scat bikes and 24 inch range giving you 1 turn of free shooting before they get an angle on you to do some damage. An ironclad derps around the middle of the board getting picked apart by everything while continously failing to get with 12 of useful targets that won't immediately nuke him down. 'But his side arc is still 13' rofl so? If you took him not in a pod he can be ignored until turn 3 90% of the time and then 1 quick round of haywire or rear arc fire and he's dead. If you do pod him he kills maybe 1 guy and then dies to bolters up his but before he can charge.

In short, a contemptor MIGHT get it's points back, a ironclad CAN'T

Ironclad with 2 heavy flamera might do some work. Contemptor die the same way as you described but a least you have to get to the rear vs. Sides is enough(scatbikes). Dual keres mortis is another story of course

ace101 wrote:

 the_Armyman wrote:
It's a missed opportunity. There's no reason why we couldn't have had both an updated Contemptor to bring it inline with 7th Edition and also all of the same options provided by the original FW version.

Unless you bought the FW book.

I don't understand the point you're trying ro make.

WisdomLS wrote:On the point about the AoD entry lacking the FW upgrade options, unfortunately nowadays GW only seems to put rules into place for models it produces and in this case the rules are for the BaC plastic contemptor thus very little options. I'd have love to be able to swap out the stormbolter for something useful.

GW is FW, FW is GW. They're not separate entities except in people's minds. Why is it a good idea to have two completely different entries for the same model? Because one is plastic and the other is resin?

 the_Armyman wrote:


GW is FW, FW is GW. They're not separate entities except in people's minds. Why is it a good idea to have two completely different entries for the same model? Because one is plastic and the other is resin?

Other than the fact they have a different company name, website, availability, pricing structure, quality, design philosophy and attitude toward their customers

Don't get me wrong, I like forgeworld, use some of their models myself and am happy to play against them but unfortunatly it is a fact that some people don't like them or want to play against their units.
Take the new Eldar stuff, adding it into an army just turns the cheese up to 12 (it was already at 11), many people view forgeworld from the reputation that their worst offenses in rules writing have given them and apply that opinion to all their rules, this is not helped by people in general only using the most powerful units but thats human nature often it is just fear of the unknown.

My point being that I find it helpful to have some rules in a nice cheap GW rulebook for many reasons, like it or not it makes it more acceptable and available to everyone.


Back to the point at hand, I'm quite lucky in my playgroup that noone has really gone down the scatterbike spam route, one of our eldar players is old school and doesn't like proxying so just uses his old jetbikes which are still perfectly good just not killing machines and the other varies his list all the time. It makes the front AV alot more useful as many other S6 units don't have quite the speed the eldar have.

best use i can find for it is the ravenhawk. arriving from deepstrike with twin linked permanently and +1 cover if its night fighting, backed by a talon and sternguard makes for an absolutely lethal combo its essentially an on speed-dial fire team that shows up and obliterates whatever you point it at with short ranged death. and the ability to tool it based on your opponent makes it all the scarier. the raw tactical flexibility backed by the contempor is what i feel make it a match only the ravenguard could have dreampt up. and will probably be the best use of it. point it at a wraithknight, delte the knight with grav and assault cannon, point it at the leman russ squadron delete the whole squadron with melta, point it at the infantry melt them alive with bolter fire and flamers. douse the whole lot in dice and anything will topple over and i feel this is where he has the nicest fit. now it is a bit expensive clocking in at around 600p but if you brought say 3 of them in an 1800p game you could do quite a bit of damage before they even get to deciding how to tackle the triple talons flying around derping everyone with point blank gunfire

Unit of three.
Almost 600 points.
18 autocannon shots and 6 storm bolter shots.
12-15 str 10 attacks.
Ws Bs 5.
Fleet.
5+ invun.
Extra inch of explodey goodness for when it's killed by a nob with a klaw and you want more orks to explode.

Now take its AV, and increase it by one all around for the whole squad, from the new space marine psychic power. That power was MADE for this.

Does the Contemptor have a drop pod as a dedicated transport?

If not, that's a pretty big negative in it's factor.

 labmouse42 wrote:
Does the Contemptor have a drop pod as a dedicated transport?

If not, that's a pretty big negative in it's factor.

It cannot, but it's not impossible to work around that.

FW has Lucius Pods. That mitigates that issue.

 Tibs Ironblood wrote:

 labmouse42 wrote:
Does the Contemptor have a drop pod as a dedicated transport?

If not, that's a pretty big negative in it's factor.

It cannot, but it's not impossible to work around that.

Does it mean that you are forced to either take a CAD for additional FA slots, or give up another units dedicated transport for the dread?

If so, that can be worked around, but it's still a negative as this dread seems to really benefit from a drop pod.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Slayer-Fan123 wrote:
FW has Lucius Pods. That mitigates that issue.

Do they take up a force org slot, or are they free?

 labmouse42 wrote:

 Tibs Ironblood wrote:

 labmouse42 wrote:
Does the Contemptor have a drop pod as a dedicated transport?

If not, that's a pretty big negative in it's factor.

It cannot, but it's not impossible to work around that.

Does it mean that you are forced to either take a CAD for additional FA slots, or give up another units dedicated transport for the dread?

If so, that can be worked around, but it's still a negative as this dread seems to really benefit from a drop pod.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Slayer-Fan123 wrote:
FW has Lucius Pods. That mitigates that issue.

Do they take up a force org slot, or are they free?

Yes you would need an allied CAD or the classic Flesh Terror taxi service to get it in a pod. Also remember if you get a pod as a dedicated transport it can ONLY carry the unit it was taken as a dedicated transport for as far as deployment goes. So you cant give a dev squad a pod then put the dread in it.

30k version is soooooooooooo much better. At least you get several weapon choices.

How are they better? They have one less attack (or two less attacks outside the Talon), and you really aren't choosing anything else but the Assault Cannon.

Hm, just noticed that the new rules don’t have the searchlight/smoke launchers that the FW rules have.

The FW rules let you swap out the combi bolter for a HF. Deploying in a Talon is much better then a squadron in most cases. I’ll agree that the assault cannon is going to be the go-to weapon. The no searchlight and launcher really smaks of the “make rules for this specific model” issue. Is there any other Contemptor that lacks them? They are stock on pretty much every marine vehicle and dread.

I do bemoan the lack of opportunity. They could have taken this time to just port over the full rules with all the whistles and bells. They might not be used, but it would be nice to have. People could do a little modeling and be able to step outside the box a little. I’ll use what we got, but it would have been nice to get options.

Slayer-Fan123 wrote:
How are they better? They have one less attack (or two less attacks outside the Talon), and you really aren't choosing anything else but the Assault Cannon.

I don't care how many attacks my Mortis Pattern Contemptor dreadnought has. it could have zero attacks and I'd still take it.

It has 2 Kheres Assault Cannons and can get sky fire.

That's it's role in my lists.