40k editions haven’t always been kind to Dreadnoughts. However, we’re finally in one where they can see some play. Let’s take a look at some good options.
Dreadnoughts have always been in that “awkward middle class” as far as armor is concerned. They aren’t tanky enough to take dedicated Lascannon fire, but can also be brought down by a volley of bolt guns. Let’s go over a few ins and outs on Dreadnoughts and review a few of the best options.
8th Edition 40k: Still Serving Dreadnoughts After Death
Even though Dreadnoughts are still in that awkward armor-class, 8th edition made them playable. The main reasons that they can be a force to be reckoned with are because:
- there’s no more vehicle damage table
- they don’t degrade or suffer penalties after damage
- they can be transported inside other vehicles
Back in the days of 7th edition, Dreadnoughts could be one-shot off the board because of the vehicle table. Even if you managed to keep the Dreadnought around for one more turn, it was more than likely immobilized and effectively a boat anchor at that point.
Looking at 8th edition, Dreadnoughts offer a decent amount of attacks at high AP and high damage. They are also surprisingly mobile. If you play a faster army, a well-placed Dreadnought popping out of a Storm Raven can really cause some damage and disruption. If you want to take Dreadnoughts, there are two different approaches you can take. Survivability or all-out damage.
For argument’s sake, we are going to be talking about non-forge world Dreadnoughts here. We all know that Leviathans and Contemptors are solid options.
Option 1: Survivability
If you want to get the most bang for your buck over a long period of time, take a Space Wolves Venerable Dreadnought with a Storm Shield. It’s a Dreadnoughts that has a WS of a 2+, has a 3++ save, and a 6+ FNP. You really can’t beat that kind of survivability in terms of Dreads. The only thing that hurts it is that it’s still that awkward T7.
A Storm Shield on one of these bad boys almost guarantees that it’s not leaving for a couple of turns. It’s still able to do some damage in melee with its ax too. The downside to this Dreadnought is that it can be kited. You opponent may know it’s a waste of time shooting at it so he’ll just avoid it.
Option 2: Fast Damage
Death Company Dreadnoughts are no joke in terms of damage. If you NEED something dead, consider taking one of these. You can give them one of two weapons. Either Furioso Fists that let them reroll all failed hit rolls for 3 flat damage or Blood Talons that do D6 damage a pop.
The Dreadnoughts can also come with a Meltagun for an almost-free D6 damage in the shooting phase. They may not have a Storm Shield, but they do get the Black Rage ability. This lets them have +1 attack on the charge (total of 5) as well as a 6+ FNP. It essentially turns the Death Company Dreadnought into a 10-11 wound model instead of 8.
Just to add icing on the cake, whenever one of these guys wins combat, they can consolidate 6″ closer to an enemy. This can be huge considering you may be able to tie up one or two more units.
Characters too Good to Die
There are only a few Dreadnoughts out there that can be taken as HQ slots. These are especially potent because they’re a Dreadnought that you actually can’t target since they’re less than 10 wounds.
Bjorn the Fell-handed is a machine in his own right. He’s T8 which is already a huge deal (good luck doing anything with S4 weapons). On top of that, he gives you an additional CP just for taking him and has a 5+ FNP. He can also take the place of a Captain because he lets everyone else around him reroll 1s.
There are very few things that can stand up to his claw. at S+5, -4AP, D6 damage and rerolling failed wounds for the weapon, you’ll be killing things.
As for Blood Angels, they can take Librarian Dreadnoughts. They effectively are two units for the price of one. Libby Dreads are still less than 10 wounds so they can’t be targetted until they are the closest.
Their psychic powers let them buff themselves up and become fast wrecking balls, or they can beef up other units around them by giving them more attacks and an invulnerable save. You’ve got options.
If you really need something dead, you can cast Quickening on the Dreadnought giving him D3 extra attacks and letting him add 3″ to his charge roll. Then spend 1 CP and give him Red Rampage for D3 more extra attacks. That’s 3+2D3 attacks hitting on 2s at S12, -4AP, 3 Damage each.
All in all, you’ll still need a heavy backbone unit for your army because most Dreadnoughts weren’t meant to fill that role. However, they definitely have a place in your army. Of course, there’s still a lot more Dreadnoughts to cover, but we talked about the top ones we’d recommend that aren’t Forge World.
What do you think about Dreadnoughts in 8th edition? What is your favorite kind of Dreadnought? Will you be testing out some lists with Dreadnoughts now? Let us know in the comments of our Facebook Hobby Group.
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About the Author: Wesley Floyd
Wesley Floyd
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Joined: 2018
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Bio: Imperial fanboy, tabletop fanatic, and the self-proclaimed King of Sprues. Wes has been in the Warhammer hobby since 2015 and joined the Spikey Bits writing team in 2018. He knows for a fact that Mephiston red is the best-tasting paint and is the commission painting equivalent of a Wendy’s 4 for $4.
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