Mega/Meka-Dread discussion

[Seahawk]

Because of my love for the classic metal Kans and deff dread models, I'm planning on making a kan/deff/mega dread army.

 

How useful are the big clankers? I feel the Megas are good with double claws and they can just stampede into enemy lines with a biker boss letting them advance and charge, while some Mekas field double kannons because it LOOKS AWESOME, but also BS4 basically makes them leman russ battle tanks but with a few more wounds and better combat ability! 

 

What size base do people put their big dreads on, if at all?

[Magos Takatus]

Firstly, welcome to the B&C Dread mob err... mob? Always good to see another Big Mek join the party. :D

 

Last time I looked at the rules for Mega/Meka Dreads they were unable to take dual cannons, which is sad, since I would have armed my Mega Dread as such. Have the most recent rules reinstated that loadout? If so I'd be a tad annoyed. It would be an excuse to buy another one day though.

 

I stuck my Mega Dread on a 130mm large round base, it fits pretty comfortably. I pinned it in about three places per foot and stuck super glue and baking soda in the underside, I doubt the model is going anywhere now. :)

 

My Ork Army haven't been taken into battle since about 6th-7th edition and I didn't have a Mega Dread back then so sadly I can't talk tactics. It sounds like you've got a good idea using a biker boss slingshot them into combat.

 

I'll have to check Battlescribe and see what the most recent Mega and Meka Dread rules are. I haven't purchased the new Forge World book yet but the preview of the contents page seems to imply the Mega Dread and Meka Dread sheets have been separated back into two different entries. Maybe that twin cannon dream is alive again...? :)

[Seahawk]

It absolutely is!

 

You might be delighted to know that they are two separate units again, and both can take dual weapons!

 

The Mega-dread retains the 3D6 take the two highest for charges, which combined with Speedwaaagh should get it where you want it to go. 

 

The Meka-dread loses the KFF, but now gains the repair ability like a Mek! It also has an improved BS, so shooting seems to be the better choice with it. 

 

So my plan is to take three of each, and have the Mekas repair the Megas as they close the gap, with a couple big meks toting KFFs sprinkled in the middle so they all get shielded early on.

[Magos Takatus]

That's some fantastic news! Personally I always liked the idea of the Rokkit Bomm Launcha and it would look cool stuck on the back like a Katyusha launcher or Calliope Sherman.

I think I would be looting the rockets from Ork flyer kits and make the launcher using styrene or something like that. I would have to move the exhaust pipes from the engine and reposition them somewhere on the engine but that is probably all part of the fun.

 

That's a pretty scary plan for an army! I hope you start up a painting vlog here since that sounds like an amazing project.

[Seahawk]

I got in a game featuring the DREADZ, and it was quite fun. Here's what went down:

 

Orks

Patrol - Deathskulls

 

[115] Warboss on bike - Da Killa Klaw, Da Biggest Boss, Ard to Kill

[80] Big Mek - Kustom Force Field

 

[88] Nob with Waaagh Banner

 

[50] 10 Gretchin

 

[105] Deff Dread - 2 klaws, 2 saws

[250] 5 Killa Kans - klaws, big shootas, Orkymatic Pistons

 

Spearhead - Deathskulls

[80] Big Mek - Kustom Force Field

 

[45] 5 Kommandos

[45] 5 Kommandos

 

[60] 5 Stormboyz

[60] 5 Stormboyz

 

[175] Mega Dread - 2 Rippa Klaws

[175] Mega Dread - 2 Rippa Klaws

[175] Mega Dread - 2 Rippa Klaws

[165] Meka Dread - 2 Kill Kannons

[165] Meka Dread - 2 Kill Kannons

[165] Meka Dread - 2 Kill Kannons

 

vs

 

Imperial Guard

Battalion - Cadian

 

Commissar Yarrick

Knight Commander Pask - LR Executioner w/lascannon and plasma cannons

Tank Commander - LR Punisher w/3 heavy bolters

 

Commissar

 

10 Guardsmen

10 Guardsmen

10 Guardsmen

10 Guardsmen

 

3 Scout Sentinels - autocannons

Salamander Command Vehicle

 

LRBT - 3 heavy bolters

LR Demolisher - 3 heavy bolters

3 Basilisks

 

Chimera - 2 heavy bolters

 

 

We played Vital Intelligence. I deployed aggressively and he didn't, and when I scored first turn I was well placed to charge forward, so I did!

 

 

 

I lost two Mega Dreads before even getting into combat, but boy howdy do they pack a wallop! The one that finally made it into combat flipped a Russ over with its 21 damage (lol!) 

 

The warboss, not to be outdone, eventually found his way to Pask and punched a hole clean through him, consolidating into the Salamander tank. Of course they had none of that and he ate some Basilisk shells, but it's all good! By the end of the 3rd turn I was up 70pts to 30, so we called it. Orkish victory!

 

Takeaways:

- Orkymatic Pistons is fantastic! M9 Kanz got stuck in very quickly. They weren't great in combat, nor were they tough though, so I might swap around to have 3 dreads with it instead.

- Double Kill-kannon is great. The Meka Dreads were basically LRBTs, but stanky and clanky.

- The boss on bike was instrumental in getting punchers into combat. Dreads could advance, shoot, and then charge a long distance so that was awesome. 

- A T8 boss on bike is just so much fun!

- A deff dread with that loadout gets 6 attacks, and can easily wipe out a squad of guardsmen instantaneously with the stratagem from Saga

- Deathskulls is AWESOME on lots of walkers!

 

 

I think I'll change the list for next game to be a little more streamlined...

 

Orks

Patrol - Deathskulls

 

[115] Warboss on bike - Da Killa Klaw, Da Biggest Boss, Ard to Kill

[80] Big Mek - Kustom Force Field

 

[50] 10 Gretchin

 

[315] 3 Deff Dreads - 2 klaws, 2 saws, Orkymatic Pistons

[165] 3 Killa Kans - klaws, rokkit launchas

 

Spearhead - Deathskulls

[80] Big Mek - Kustom Force Field

 

[45] 5 Kommandos

 

[60] 5 Stormboyz

[60] 5 Stormboyz

 

[175] Mega Dread - 2 Rippa Klaws

[175] Mega Dread - 2 Rippa Klaws

[175] Mega Dread - 2 Rippa Klaws

[165] Meka Dread - 2 Kill Kannons

[165] Meka Dread - 2 Kill Kannons

[165] Meka Dread - 2 Kill Kannons

 

 

 

The nob with banner was just way too slow to do anything at all, so I dropped him, one unit of Kommandos (they were superfluous in that last game), and 2 Kanz in order to get two more dreads and rokkits on the kanz. 

 

Whatcha think?

[Magos Takatus]

Wow! I wasn't expecting the battle report to be in TTS so I thought you'd gone mad with the 6 Mega Dreads but when money is irrelevant I suppose you can make some really off the wall army lists. It sounds like you had a blast. 

 

I just ordered the Imperial Armour compendium so hopefully my Mega Dread won't become a shelf ornament for too long.

[Seahawk]

It was a very fun (and decently effect) game! Yea, I've been playing all my games on TTS since April, so trying out all my crazy ideas before purchase has been a breeze.

 

What do you think of my adjusted list? More Deff, fewer Killas, I'll be up against his insanely shooty Tyranids next.

Edited December 17, 2020 by Seahawk

[Magos Takatus]

I like the changes you have made but you have to consider that I haven't played with my Dread Mob for a long time, I'm still at the twin stages of buying what I think looks cool and messing about in Battlescribe. Have the Dread Mob rules been shelved now? I don't know if they were in the Vigilus expansions or the Psychic Awakening book. My models are painted as Blood Axes so it would be weird for me to use the Deathskull rules, though they seem to be pretty effective from what you've said. 

 

Good luck against the Tyranids, I've been struggling against them with my Mechanicus. I guess Orks have a lot better board control than Admech so hopefully it will go well.

[Seahawk]

Vigilus books have been demoted and relegated to the history pages at this point. Honestly the Dread Waaagh detachment's only value was in the shokka, and since I'm not using one then it's no big deal.

 

The PA books can still be used, so the Kustom Jobs are where it's at now. It's a quasi-hard choice to give the deff dreads +3M, or always-on smokes (-1 to hit them).

[Magos Takatus]

I got my compendium today and a little sad that there is no longer options to customise the Meka Dread like the Rokkit Bombs or Kustom Force Field and so on. I'm surprised they removed the unique weapons that the Meka Dread had too. There are pros and cons to what they have done to the two entries, I'm glad they are still supported instead of being relegated to the Warhammer Legends entries. I think it's interesting that they turned the twin big shootas into their own weapon, they look kinda fun now.  

[Seahawk]

The boombits are kinda fun! It helps accentuate it's close-nature even more. I was considering a kill kannon on a mega dread, but that would make it not able to advance and be useful so left it off. The boombits though, it's basically a double heavy flamer with no AP...not a bad thing!

 

Keep in mind too that they dropped 75-85 points from 250; at 165 and 175 points these things are amazing, lack of customization be damned! A leman russ battle tank clocks in at 165 and comes with a 2D6 battle cannon, heavy bolter, and T8, while the meka-dread for the same points has the same battle cannon (albeit at shorter range but that really isn't a worry anymore), better combat ability, four more wounds, and the ability to repair vehicles. It's appropriately costed now for sure I feel, and just allows more FUN stompy models in the list.

 

I'd consider a gorkanaut to get a durable KFF carrier, but it's twice the price of a FW dread while only adding two more wounds. Sure there are more guns and it transports, but it's a lot of points all the same.

Edited December 19, 2020 by Seahawk

[Magos Takatus]

Welp, it sounds like a bargain when you put it that way. Forge World never provided add-ons to the kit to back up those rules so only the people that converted their kits will really be missing out. If they are that fast I might have to buy a second and magnetize. It felt like a time-consuming kit to work on but I think the result is well worth it.

I'm glad the rules sound fairly costed. Historically people would either complain that FW models were not balanced or you had to pay the Forge World tax of a huge point markup for mediocre rules.

[Seahawk]

At the end of the day it's a T7 model with 16 wounds and a 3+ save. It's not much more difficult to kill than a predator really, not counting a KFF holder. 

[Seahawk]

So, the victory conditions have changed, and for the better. The big clankers now give out only 2 points, and each small dread only one. That's amazing!