Success with dreadnought heavy lists?

[Luna707]

Is a list with a heavy dreadnought close combat emphasis (6+ dreadys without the Fury of the Ancients ROW) a viable option? Has anyone had success in running multiple full talons? Would you all suggest cortus or full prime contemptors?

[N1SB]

Played against an army of 9 Cortuses recently.  Although we won by a hair, we were very impressed by Cortus spam.

 

I definitely favour Cortuses over Prime Contemptors and even the Leviathan or a Knight Titan from a point-for-point perspective.  With the meta and the FAQs and everything, the weapons you use against a Cortus are pretty much the same as what you'd use against any of those, but you can afford more Cortuses.

 

At worst, a Cortus is a Distraction Carnifex.  More likely, they'll earn their points back while also being highly disruptive to your opponent.

 

The army we faced was a Armoured Breakthrough (i.e. Preds are Troops) + 9 Cortuses.  I thought initially it was an issue of Armour Value saturation (everything my opponent used had an AV), but in retrospect, the 9 Cortuses would have worked with a standard Force Org Chart or another RoW.

 

I think at 2000 pts, 6 Cortuses is enough and probably optimal.  At 2500 pts, 9 works.  I'm still trying to find the best hard counter and right now I think it might actually be Legion Rapiers, which are even cheaper and can also be spammed.

 

I also saw your point about NOT taking the Fury of the Ancients for the VP issues, and I agree.

[panascope]

I usually run 3 Contemptors - a couple Mortis and a regular one, and I find they work best with Outflank - which I usually get with Sacrificial Offering. The problem with Dreads has always been getting them into range, and being able to pop out wherever you need is really important. I would very much like to try a trio of Cortus Contemptors with grav weapons as a way to demolish vehicles.

[Withershadow]

I think at 2000 pts, 6 Cortuses is enough and probably optimal. At 2500 pts, 9 works. I'm still trying to find the best hard counter and right now I think it might actually be Legion Rapiers, which are even cheaper and can also be spammed.

Your meta sounds like a horrible horrible place. :(

 

Anyway, @OP: Define dreadnought heavy? You can't overspend too much, because then you only have like 20 guys worth of troops who are the only target for your opponent's anti-Infantry guns. That's why it works so well in Armoured Breakthrough. Cheap scoring units that contribute to armor saturation.

 

If taking Cortus, I always take a pair and walk them. Shoulder to shoulder with a slight angle creates a nice AV13/5++ wall against shooting, so as stated above they are basically as durable as a Contemptor Prime. Then the punching begins.

[Caillum]

Anyway, @OP: Define dreadnought heavy? You can't overspend too much, because then you only have like 20 guys worth of troops who are the only target for your opponent's anti-Infantry guns. That's why it works so well in Armoured Breakthrough. Cheap scoring units that contribute to armor saturation.

Guilliman is your friend here - take a bunch of Cortus and give them Implacable Advance. Lots of cheap, quick, resilient Scoring units. :)

[Withershadow]

Anyway, @OP: Define dreadnought heavy? You can't overspend too much, because then you only have like 20 guys worth of troops who are the only target for your opponent's anti-Infantry guns. That's why it works so well in Armoured Breakthrough. Cheap scoring units that contribute to armor saturation.

Guilliman is your friend here - take a bunch of Cortus and give them Implacable Advance. Lots of cheap, quick, resilient Scoring units.

I don't know about resilient once you get stuck in. They are more like cruise missiles that are hard to intercept on the approach, until they smash the crap out of something. But once they are flanked, they crumble like a Rhino.

But that's a nasty idea. Guilliman + Apothecary + Suzerain in Dreadclaw, another Suzerain squad in dreadclaw, Deredeo for anti-air, Leviathan with melta-lance and drill for AT and a 3rd pod. Spend the rest on scoring Cortus Contemptors in pairs. Seems legit.

[N1SB]

Guilliman is your friend here - take a bunch of Cortus and give them Implacable Advance. Lots of cheap, quick, resilient Scoring units.

Oh sh...the guy that brings 9 Cortuses IS an Ultramarines player.

I also found pairing Cortuses up is about right, that's about how it worked out in our games. One gets focused-fired/charged/etc., the other reinforces.

[shandwen]

Guilliman is your friend here - take a bunch of Cortus and give them Implacable Advance. Lots of cheap, quick, resilient Scoring units.

Oh sh...the guy that brings 9 Cortuses IS an Ultramarines player.

I also found pairing Cortuses up is about right, that's about how it worked out in our games. One gets focused-fired/charged/etc., the other reinforces.

Just whatever you do do not mention this to him. That way you will have at least another month to plan against it.

[RandomMarine]

Or be a ironhand and use the dread row as the iron father praetor count toward requirements so its not so rubbish.

 

Boxnaughts can bring the pain as well and are under estimated IMO as a cheap heavy weapon platform

[Gorgoff]

Or bring Thudd Guns. AV 11 sidearmour without any save is very easy to popp with them.

[Memento Of Prospero]

I find Head of the gorgon runs dreads best with Ferrus or without. With outlfanking tanks and the extra durability, the pressure is rather immense throughout the game.

[Newtoncain]

I usually run 2 cortis in a squad and run them up the field over charging until they die or make it into CC.