Dreadnoughts and Drop pods

[Knightsword]

What is everyone's experience with the Wulfen and Venerable Dreads so far? Which would you most recommend? And has anyone had any success with deploying them via drop pods? I'm looking at including two Dreads in my army and so I'm trying to decide on their delivery method.

[TiguriusX]

they cant use regular drop pods so problem solved

 

there is a special forgeworld pod for dreads if you want to go crazy but nobody really uses them because high points

[Rune Priest Jbickb]

Well to be clear the forgeworld pod is actually 5 points cheaper than the standard drop pod. The bigger truck is getting the model as they are not available on forgeworld anymore last I knew. But if your opponent will let you proxy I think it could be worth it for the points. I ran it a couple times with murderfang and it was actually decent I found.

[Karhedron]

I lean in favour of Wulfen Dreads with Shields. Their higher speed means they don't need dedicated transport so much and the 4++ makes them reasonably durable to anti-tank fire while remaining fairly cheap.

 

Like most things, they work best for target saturation so look to have other vehicles with them. If you are running a mechanised list with some Rhinos and/or Razorbacks, the Dreads will take the pressure off the transports and can lend some muscle to the troops inside when they reach their target.

[PeteySödes]

I still use my Lucius pod pretty frequently. The turn 2 drop doesn’t really bother me much, I just try to land the thing in an objective and I generally expect to burn a reroll on the charge.

 

Even if it fails the charge they have to kill both so I’m still a fan. I haven’t ran a wulfen dread yet mostly because I haven’t modeled one but I still like the venerable for the FNP and 2+ to hit now that the Axe got a modifier on the regular strike.

[Knightsword]

they cant use regular drop pods so problem solved

 

there is a special forgeworld pod for dreads if you want to go crazy but nobody really uses them because high points

 

It was Lucius pattern I was referring to in the op.

 

I lean in favour of Wulfen Dreads with Shields. Their higher speed means they don't need dedicated transport so much and the 4++ makes them reasonably durable to anti-tank fire while remaining fairly cheap.

 

Like most things, they work best for target saturation so look to have other vehicles with them. If you are running a mechanised list with some Rhinos and/or Razorbacks, the Dreads will take the pressure off the transports and can lend some muscle to the troops inside when they reach their target.

 

I still use my Lucius pod pretty frequently. The turn 2 drop doesn’t really bother me much, I just try to land the thing in an objective and I generally expect to burn a reroll on the charge.

 

Even if it fails the charge they have to kill both so I’m still a fan. I haven’t ran a wulfen dread yet mostly because I haven’t modeled one but I still like the venerable for the FNP and 2+ to hit now that the Axe got a modifier on the regular strike.

 

Now these are the two points of conflict for me. On the one hand the Venerable has better WS and an extra layer of survivability, but I'd have to reroll the charge most likely if it came down in a pod. On the other hand the Wulfen dread gets a free reroll on it's charge saving precious CP and making it more reliable coming out of the pod (if i was low on CP), but it would be hitting on 4s if using the regular attack.

 

How effective are you guys finding the two dreads right now? Do they tear through a lot of stuff? Or tend to get focused down?

 

Realistically I'd have to proxy for the pod or convert it. 

[Shas Oh Dear]

Don't forget that dreadnoughts benefit from hunters unleashed so the wulfen dread will still be hitting on 3's the turn it charges. With the new rules for the axe I think they're a pretty overlooked unit. 8 attacks at Str 6 hitting on 2's is a pretty good chaff clearer and the cleaving attacks mulch vehicles pretty handily. You do need multiplies and/or other support for them though, the 4++ will only fend off so much.

[Kasper_Hawser]

In the process of making a new Wulfen axe shield dread now, will try to combo with Bjorn in the next few weeks. For multiple threats, I'll run the Dread with the rest of my Rhinos full of plasma, or maybe a Repulsor and Stormfang, to give one of them a chance of surviving to unleash the hell.

[Knightsword]

I completely forgot about hunters unleashed... wow haha. Seems to be leaning in favour of the Wulfen dread. No matter which I put in a drop pod I was planning on having a Rune Priest with jump pack deploy with it and also some support from a unit or 2 set up with cunning of the wolf.

[Kasper_Hawser]

I'm not getting my hopes high though. I couldn't make my Axe Shield Dreadnoughts survive back when it was a 3++, and I'm not expecting the dread to survive with a 4++ when 4 or more Lascannon equivalents are hitting it per turn.

 

I completely forgot about hunters unleashed... wow haha. Seems to be leaning in favour of the Wulfen dread. No matter which I put in a drop pod I was planning on having a Rune Priest with jump pack deploy with it and also some support from a unit or 2 set up with cunning of the wolf.

 

I would suggest just Long Fangs for cover fire rather than another CP to outflank support, though perfectly viable. I just prefer the old wolves and their heavy weapons these days. Even in my assaulty lists, i always make sure I got two squads of Long Fangs with missiles/lascannons/plasma cannons.

[PeteySödes]

 

 

I still use my Lucius pod pretty frequently. The turn 2 drop doesn’t really bother me much, I just try to land the thing in an objective and I generally expect to burn a reroll on the charge.

 

Even if it fails the charge they have to kill both so I’m still a fan. I haven’t ran a wulfen dread yet mostly because I haven’t modeled one but I still like the venerable for the FNP and 2+ to hit now that the Axe got a modifier on the regular strike.

Now these are the two points of conflict for me. On the one hand the Venerable has better WS and an extra layer of survivability, but I'd have to reroll the charge most likely if it came down in a pod. On the other hand the Wulfen dread gets a free reroll on it's charge saving precious CP and making it more reliable coming out of the pod (if i was low on CP), but it would be hitting on 4s if using the regular attack.

 

How effective are you guys finding the two dreads right now? Do they tear through a lot of stuff? Or tend to get focused down?

 

Realistically I'd have to proxy for the pod or convert it.

Well I tend to use mine as a distraction carnifex as well as a beat stick so the survivability is key. Keep in mind wulfen dreads don’t have smoke launchers which to me is huge when they come in. The reroll charge isn’t a huge thing then since I get value out of both combat and having is talk crap from 20 yards drawing fire.

[Karhedron]

I'm not getting my hopes high though. I couldn't make my Axe Shield Dreadnoughts survive back when it was a 3++, and I'm not expecting the dread to survive with a 4++ when 4 or more Lascannon equivalents are hitting it per turn.

4 Lascannon hits averages 4-5 wounds through a 4++. That means your opponent will take 2 turns to burn one down by which time a second would be tearing through his ranks. Don't forget that 4 hits is 6-7 shots per turn so your opponent is already aiming the equivalent of nearly 2 Devastator squads at your Dread.

 

Given that the Wulfen Dread costs about 30 points less than a single quad-las Dev squad I would say you have the makings of a great distraction-carnifex. They are faster than most dreads, can threaten a good variety of targets are tough enough to require effort to put down and dangerous enough that your opponent cannot afford to ignore them.

 

I think a pair of Wulfen Dreads (possibly backed up by Bjorn and even an Iron Priest) are an excellent threat. I am not sure the extra 20 points and -2" movement for the Ven Dreads is a good investment if you want a dedicated melee Dread.

 

You can put a Ven Dread in a pod but that increases the price and you still only have a 28% chance of reaching melee on Turn 2 (before rerolls).

 

A Wulfen Dread that advances on Turn 1 will only be 4.5" away from your opponent's deployment zone on Turn 2 and can reroll failed charges meaning it is almost certain to get into combat on Turn 2 unless your opponent either puts 10 lascannon shots (average) into it or retreats from it. Either way, you are forcing your opponent to put a lot of points or tactical effort into killing/avoiding a 135-point model.

[TiguriusX]

I second what Karhedronuk said

The wulfen dread is a distraction and not the key to your army

If ignored it will run wild but expect it to die turn 1 or 2 every match to a competent opponent

The speed and charge after advancing make it too big a threat to ignore

 

*clarification

Because I honestly don't expect my dreads to survive past turn 2 I believe cheaper is better

I run the wulfen dread instead of venerable so I can pump those points into the rest of my army

[Kasper_Hawser]

I second what Karhedronuk said

 

The wulfen dread is a distraction and not the key to your army

 

If ignored it will run wild but expect it to die turn 1 or 2 every match to a competent opponent

 

The speed and charge after advancing make it too big a threat to ignore

 

*clarification

Because I honestly don't expect my dreads to survive past turn 2 I believe cheaper is better

I run the wulfen dread instead of venerable so I can pump those points into the rest of my army

 

are you sure wulfen dreads can charge after advancing? I think it is reroll charges, not advance and charge.

 

Eitherway, you are right, it is a distraction carnifex, something that can't be avoided by my opponent and so will force him to decide between it and the rest of my advancing army.

 

Will try out soon after I finish my wulfen dread. I use him as a boxnought as I'm not a fan of the exposed helmets.

[TiguriusX]

you are correct

 

wulfen dreadnought reroll failed charge not advance/charge

[Knightsword]

This is all proving very insightful, thank you very much. Going by the points descriptions you're giving I take it you use storm bolters on the Wulfen dreads rather than heavy flamers?

[Karhedron]

This is all proving very insightful, thank you very much. Going by the points descriptions you're giving I take it you use storm bolters on the Wulfen dreads rather than heavy flamers?

I would certainly favour the Storm Bolter. I think that the Heavy Flamer (and regular flamer) are rather overpriced in 8th edition. Keep them cheap IMHO. I guess if you have the points to spare, a Heavy Flamer does solve the problem of the Wulfen Dread's miserable BS5+ but let's be honest, you are not buying them to shoot with.