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How do!

So it’s not secret Dreadnoughts are rock in Age of Darkness. Not just really tough, but typically carrying very nasty weaponry. But having run into a bunch yesterday, so are Battle Automata. And with plakkymachy* just around the corner, we’re going to be seeing a good deal more.

Rather than sit around moaning about it, I figured the constructive thing to do is have a think about what those units don’t like up ‘em.

And they are odd fish. Being statted as infantry (T, W, Sv etc), they’re just more resilient than tanks in a game where multiple wounds are rare. For instance I can’t use Scimitars carrying Multi-Melta to assassinate them. Unless it’s a large squadron.

Haywire works a treat as my poor Contemptor found out yesterday. And I think stuff like Autocannon, which has a decent S, rate of fire and rend might be handy against them.

Also Murderous Strike and Brutal should be helpful. But I need a deep dive into the various pieces of Wargear to see exactly what my options are there.

What’s your thinks on this, Dakka?

Pretty much everything you've said is correct. The complaints about Dreads have died down a lot now that the game has been out long enough for people to learn the rules and not just complain about stuff.
They're still good but not the unkillable gods people thought they were.

So, Shock Pulse doesn’t do what I thought it did…but it’s still pretty good. Any unsaved wound, and an Automata or Dreadnought is only making Snap Shots in the next turn.

It doesn’t necessarily kill them, but it does massively reduce their potential, which is always a good idea.

A common stopgap I've seen thrown around a lot is to just agree on a limit with your opponent, often 1 dreadnought or even just 1 Contemptor per 1000 points.

I don't think I've ever seen this brought up regarding Automata, but that could just be because of the difference in players between Marines and Mechanicum.

I think many people would say that Contemptors are the second most overpowered thing in HH2, the first being lascannons.

They're definitely not the game breaking unit people thought they were initially, that's for sure. They're killable alright, it just takes a bit of doing.
But that doesn't stop them being way undercosted for how tough they are and how much firepower they can dish out. This in turn gives way to the actual problem with Contemptors, and that's how ubiquitous they are. They're just too good not to take and therefore you see them all the time.

Massed Rending/plasma is defintely the way to go when dealing with Contemptors in my opinion.

I think people tend to forget about Legion rules and armouries as well.

Dreads aren't as scary to an Iron Warrior when all your guns from a Bolt Pistol upwards can do wounds to them.

Might invest in some Cenboium. Not exactly cheap points or pounds wise, but that 5+ Rend and Murderous Strike is…pretty awesome.

A unit of five has a reasonable chance of obliterating a Thanatar in a couple of rounds of combat. Which is deal, as if I kill to bits on the charge, I’m left open to counter fire as the lads stand around like lemons.

Also a Heavy Squad of Lascannons is…well let’s face it there’s not awful lot they’re not a solution too. And they’re nice models.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Might invest in some Cenboium. Not exactly cheap points or pounds wise, but that 5+ Rend and Murderous Strike is…pretty awesome.

A unit of five has a reasonable chance of obliterating a Thanatar in a couple of rounds of combat. Which is deal, as if I kill to bits on the charge, I’m left open to counter fire as the lads stand around like lemons.

Also a Heavy Squad of Lascannons is…well let’s face it there’s not awful lot they’re not a solution too. And they’re nice models.

Definitely. A Dark Angels player should always be aware of the option of Cenibium. Kinda OP for their price though. I'd suggest using them sparingly (same as Contemptors) for fairness sake.

Also, on Rend 5+ and that? Am I right in thinking that kicks in even if I’d normally need a 6+ to wound?

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Also, on Rend 5+ and that? Am I right in thinking that kicks in even if I’d normally need a 6+ to wound?

Correct.

Gadzilla666 wrote:Definitely. A Dark Angels player should always be aware of the option of Cenibium. Kinda OP for their price though. I'd suggest using them sparingly (same as Contemptors) for fairness sake.

Eh... Wouldn't say OP. Very strong, yes absolutely. OP, not quite.

Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:Also, on Rend 5+ and that? Am I right in thinking that kicks in even if I’d normally need a 6+ to wound?

Uh for Rending yes, Breaching no. Rending ignores toughness, breaching does not.

Also worth keeping in mind something I didn’t realise. Armourbane re-rolls wounds on Dreads and Automata.

Doesn’t necessarily kick melta into the “reliable” category, but a re-roll is a re-roll is a re-roll. Games have been decided by such.

I've found my double melta dread to be extremely reliable against tanks and contemptors. Great against terminators too!
I haven't used it enough against Mechanicum yet, (only once I think?) also I've no doubt it's the business.

Also? Fight fire with fire. A Leviathan, with Phosfex, can yield hilarious results against a charging Contemptor, or Automata, in my experience.

Try Disintegrators & MeltaBombs. Any unsaved wounds = insta-death

ccs wrote:
Try Disintegrators & MeltaBombs. Any unsaved wounds = insta-death

Atomantic Reactor drops Instant Death to D3 Wounds. It's still a viable if slightly less reliable way of doing it, but it's not an insta gib.
Which for melta bombs at least is bloody stupid. If I strap a fething fusion bomb to you, you're arse is slag whether you have a shield generator or not.