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I've been thinking of giving a dreadnaught heavy list some play testing.  I rarely use armour unless its ordnance, so I figure it would be a fun change.  I don't consider is very competative against most armies, but it seems like it would be very enjoyable to use. 

HQ

Master of Sanctity -  termie armour and storm bolter - 130

9 Terminator bodyguards - 2 assault cannons 400

Elites

Ven Dread Leonidas - assault cannon, heavy flamer,  tank hunter and pod 175

Ven Dread Varus - assault cannon, heavy flamer,  tank hunter and pod 175

Ven Dread Crassus - assault cannon, heavy flamer,  tank hunter and pod 175

Troops

8 Tactical Marines - missie launcher, vet and powerfist 160

8 Tactical Marines - missie launcher, vet and powerfist 160

8 Tactical Marines - missie launcher, vet and powerfist 160

5 Scouts - missile launcher 75

Heavy

Dread Aeneas - twin lascannon, missile launcher and smoke 138

1 Vindicator - extra armour and smoke 133

1 Vindicator - extra armour and smoke 133

How do you think  this list would do against  MEQ lists that are largely infantry based?  Excepting necrons of course who would eat it for breakfast.  The idea is to present my foe with too many big, threatening targets.  The venerable dreads drop into my opponent's front line and soften up his forces before the vindies go to work.  The troops form a firebase with good firelanes and the las dread and terminators are a mobile firebase that assaults when the enemy is weak enough. 

Sorry, forgot to add the total of 2014 points.

2014 seems like a weird point value, especially when you have units/toys that could be cut (e.g. the 5 'extra' termie bodyguards, the scouts, etc.). Why that point value?

I'd find a way to cut it down to 1500-1750 (or at least 2000). I'd also consider making it an all-pod list or an all-footslogger list. As it stands, it's kind of a weird mix, and while that may be 'fun' in some ways, I think It'd be frustrating after a while...

I'm thinking of dropping some of the terminators. The guys I play with don't get in a knot about being a few points over, they just add something extra. Thats why its the odd number and its the first write up. I like to play games of 2000+ for the most part even though they're few and far in between.

Nearly all my other armies are infantry heavy, so I decided to try another approach. I don't like the idea of an all pod list. It seems like to much of the battle relies on when everything gets in. I'd rather my podding elements not be essential in the early turns of the game. I'm also thinking about droping the las dread as I face very little armourand another vindie might be a better way to use those points.

Hmm. Without thinking about it too much: Run a Reclusiarch with a free hand in lieu of the MOS, split the Termies in two, accomplishing this by grabbing a Captain, points from the eleventh terminator become a pair of assault cannon for them. The scouts go and so does the dread-mounted TLLC - he's got an assault cannon, after all. Pull tank hunter off the vennies in favour of extra armour and lascannon in the infantry. You might have to lose a few smoke launchers - it might be worthwhile to trim vehicle upgrades more aggressively than that to make the Captain a Master; a Teleport Homer is another option worth considering, especially after playtesting. That'd up your rending pool and your LD, though at the expense of that rather lovely little Scouts squad - I've three just like it.

Why give the assualt cannon dreads tankhunter and not the las/missile dread? Why include Vindicators in a list that seems to be aiming at CC? Why have such a huge bodyguard? Why put heavy weapons and powerfisted vets in the same squad, but no specials? Your list seems sort of all over the place.

Okay, I guess the first thing is to figure out if you are planning on getting into close combat or staying at range. Having an 8 man tac squad with a vet and fist AND also having a missile launchers a bit much, but if you're willing why not just drop the missile launcher and throw in a melta gun or other assault weapon instead? Tactical marines are just as good on the assault as anything and with the combo you have now you're wasting either that fist or that missile launcher at least half of your game. It might work for guard armies but way too expensive for marines.

The scouts are nice but unecissary really. The Venerable dreads are good but you should probably drop tan hunter. Its unnecissary, you'll roll enough 6's with 12 shots to make it null and void anyway.

The Heavy Support dread is probably fine. You might want to upgrade one of your vet dreads with a missile launcher and lascannon instead and give him tank hunter, then just have a normal dread with assault cannon and a fist in a drop pod. Another dread wouldnt hurt really, with lascannon and a missile launcher. Vindicators are nice but I just like dreads better .

I would drop the Master of Sanctity for a Reclusiarch and find a way to add in a master. Probably want to drop most if not all of the terminators. Ones squad or terminators gets hurt quicker than you'd think. THe idea of splitting them in two squads of five and asslt cannons comes to mind. to be honest though you'd probably end up spending more points than you could handle.

Extra armor and smoke launchers are only moderately useful as you have enough armor to shoot at that either it will be blocked from fire or be less of a target than anything else in the field.

over all id say, pray you don't fight a guard army...

HQ

Epistolary - termie armour, storm shield, veil of time and fear of the darkness 195

4 Terminator bodyguards - 2 assault cannons 200

Epistolary - termie armour, storm shield, veil of time and fear of the darkness 195

4 Terminator bodyguards - 2 assault cannons 200

Elites

Ven Dread Leonidas - assault cannon and pod 155

Ven Dread Varus - assault cannon and pod 155

Ven Dread Crassus - assault cannon, heavy flamer and pod 165

Troops

8 Tactical Marines - missile launcher 130

8 Tactical Marines - misslie launcher 130

8 Tactical Marines - misslie launcher 130

5 Scouts - vet, telie homer and missile launcher 84

Heavy

1 Vindicator - extra armour and smoke 133

1 Vindicator - extra armour and smoke 133

Total 2005

The vindies will stay hidden as long as possible. The scouts will bring in the termies as needed. The tacs make a firebase and the dreads come in as isolated targets present themselves. I'm a much bigger fan of vindies than dreads (drool ordnance). I thought I'd give them a go since I only really ever use Moriar. It seems to me the average dread is ok at everything, but doesn't excell at anything, at least compared to infantry units kited for a particular role. At least you have to hit their front armour in cc these days. Just MHO though. The command units should b very scary when dropped in the right place/time. The only guard army I ever see is my own which infiltrates 100+ guard with HBs. Combined with a bassie or 3 its quite nasty.

Why so many bodies in the Tacticals? If you're going to have them shoot, strip out 2 Marines per Tac squad, give each squad a plasma gun, give the dreads extra armor, and do what you like with the remainder... like not going over 2000.