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Dreadnoughts

by Jonnel Mendiola

Just how do you use a dreadnought? How do you use it effectively? First let us look at the possible designs.

1. Devastator Dreadnought.

The Devastator dread is one with two heavy weapons. Usually it has a Twin Las cannon and a Missile launcher for very good anti-tank capability but poor anti- infantry. Replacing the Las cannon with an Assault cannon or Plasma cannon gives it better anti-infantry ability. This type of dreadnought stays as far behind and just shoots to its hearts content. Use it to plug gaps, and tie up close combat units getting to your side of the board.

2. The Assault Dreadnought.

The Assault Dread is one with a Power Claw and One heavy weapon. This heavy weapon is a matter of choice for the player but depends on what you want it to shoot at. Assault dreads have to be deployed forward in order to get it into assault. It will be taking a lot of fire from your opponent so don't expect it to survive if it hangs around in the open. YOU have to get this type of dreadnought INTO combat ASAP.

This brings me to a corollary rule I now have when using Assault dreadnoughts. KEEP THEM CHEAP. The chances of a dreadnought being destroyed or immobilized while it moves into assault is quite high. Your opponent is scared of your dreadnought reaching him, so he will put as much firepower as he can to stopping it before it does.

The dreadnought is therefore the ideal TERROR weapon. One that will attract the most attention from your opponent while your other squads try to get across to him. Use the dread as a fire magnet to keep most of your opponent's shooting away from your troops and assault squads. This for me is the best way of using your dread.

So what do you do when the dread does get to assault your troops? Just about the only thing that you can use to stop a dreadnought in close combat is the POWER FIST (or Power Klaw for the orks). This in itself is a tricky business because the character wielding it has to strike last. If you have Str 4, then you can try to hit it from the rear and hope for the glancing hit. If the dread is immobilized or stunned then you can use your melta-bombs. Aside from this, I say ignore the dread if you can and sacrifice the troops that it assaulted.

Of course the best way to stop a dread is before it gets to assault. Just Zap it with your best gun and watch it blow up or get stunned for a turn doing nothing. (A good upgrade for an assault dread is extra armor to keep it moving).

Okay that's it for now and Happy gaming!