Dreadnought (Warhammer 40,000)
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In the Warhammer 40,000 game system and its derivatives, a Dreadnought is a walking vehicle or mecha of intermediate size, commonly encountered in the 28mm scale game systems (Warhammer 40,000, Space Crusade, Space Hulk and similar).
Even the Space Marines are mortal, and when the greatest of their number fall in battle, if there is a spark of life left in them then their body will be transferred into the armoured sarcophagus of a Dreadnought. They are often mistaken to be huge armoured fighting suits or robots; they are similar to both and yet neither. Dreadnoughts are a combination of armoured walker and life-support system; their pilots are hooked straight into the Dreadnought's body, and are able to use it as if it were their own body, although they are permanently entombed until they are destroyed.
Dreadnoughts are often thousands of years old. The oldest Dreadnought in the Imperium, Bjorn the Fell-Handed, of the Space Wolves was a member of Leman Russ' retinue and fought in the Horus Heresy when he was still whole of body. When the Dreadnoughts are not in need by the Chapter, they are placed back into the Chapter's chapel to sleep away the centuries until they are needed once more.
As with Power Armour there are different "Marks" of Dreadnought. The most common version, and the one produced as a model by Games Workshop is the Mark V. Forge World makes a (resin) Mark IV model. the style of the Mark IV is close to that of the Epic scale dreadnought when first released - it predating the current 25mm scale design. The very earliest editions of WH40K had the Dreadnought occupants as healthy individuals and they were common to both Imperial Guard and Space Marines.
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[edit] Variants
The standard dreadnought carries a heavy weapon on its right side and the left arm acts as a close-combat weapon. The latter is usually a Powerfist with a storm bolter fitted below the forearm. Though it shares its name with melee weapons carried by Space Marine Terminators, the Dreadnought's powerfist is considerably more effective as it does not force the user to strike last and (like the chainfist) it is deadly against heavy armour. The Space Wolves Dreadnought's melee weapon is a Lightning Claw with an underslung heavy flamer, though the claw functions the same as a powerfist for gameplay purposes. Official models and accessories produced by Games Workshop have included the assault cannon, multi-melta, or twin-linked lascannon as the heavy weapon. Through customizations or conversions, players can produce "standard" dreadnoughts with plasma cannons, autocannons or heavy-bolters.
There are two major variants of the standard Dreadnought in service within the Imperium.
- Hellfire replaces the Powerfist with a missile launcher giving up close combat ability for long range ability. The advantage of the Dreadnought's missile launcher over its Space Marine equivalent (which can only be loaded up with one type of ordinance) is that the former can carry both Frag and Krak missiles (Frag missiles are useful against hordes of lightly-protected troops while Krak missiles are suited against heavily-armoured infantry and medium-armoured vehicles). Before 1998, the Hellfire was a Dark Angels-themed dreadnought with a twin-linked lascannon and missile launcher, though it can be used by other chapters.
- The Siege Dreadnought is designed exclusively for assaults against fortified positions. Its Inferno Cannon will devastate any infantry caught in the open, while its close combat weapon is modified with rock drills and an internal Heavy Flamer, allowing it to burrow through the walls of a bunker and roast anything inside in a single action.
Among the countless more specialised variants that are Chapter-specific, three stand out:
- The Furioso was designed by the Blood Angels and their successors. It gives up the ranged heavy weapon for another Dreadnought power fist. This allows them to literally "tear apart" enemy vehicles when in melee combat. It is the antithesis of the Hellfire in this respect. Prior to 1998, the Furioso was the Blood Angels-themed dreadnought with a Multi-Melta and Powerfist, though it can be used by other Chapters. Furibundus was used for the very earliest dreadnought models of the late 1980s
- The Mortis is almost exclusively used by the Dark Angels chapter and mounts two ranged weapons. Unlike the Hellfire variant, the Mortis has a considerably wider weapons selection, as the left arm strongpoint is not restricted to a missile launcher. It commonly mounts a pair of the same ranged weapon, commonly twin-linked Autocannons or Lascannons.
- The Aegis, used by the Grey Knights Inquisitorial Chapter, is equipped with special warp resistant devices, and blessed armour that offer a degree of protection from psychic powers.
[edit] Venerable Dreadnoughts
Though not truly a variant, it is worth mentioning as these are regarded with more honor and respect than most generals of the Imperium:
- Older Dreadnoughts are referred to as Venerable Dreadnoughts. Having millennia worth of experience, Venerable Dreadnoughts are even harder to destroy than their younger counterparts. However, as a trade off for their knowledge, they are armed with older, more volatile weaponry. Venerable Dreadnoughts are prone to malfunction and the parts needed to update them can no longer be manufactured. Some of these ancient behemoths no longer resemble the current mass production Dreads and are bulky and cumbersome. Others stand towering over their foes like elegantly crafted statues ready to smite their enemies.
The original design for scratch-building dreadnoughts have been long lost and so newer versions of these behemoths (if any exist) can only be built from spare/salvaged parts. This is evident in the Iron Hands chapter as they have very few of these beasts after the Drop Site Massacre.
One of the more notable examples is the Space Wolves' Bjorn the Fell-Handed. He is the oldest Dreadnought in the Imperium and was a member of Leman Russ' retinue and fought in the Horus Heresy when he was still whole of body.
[edit] Chaos
Chaos Dreadnoughts are not revered for their wisdom like their Imperial counterparts but shackled securely when not in combat as the Chaos Space Marine within has been driven insane by millennia of being trapped within the cold sarcophagus. They are used as insane behemoths to trample the enemy and are regarded with caution, as the madman pilot can turn his wrath upon his comrades if there are no enemy units within range. Their weapons are configured in the same way as Imperial Dreadnoughts but have no specific designations. As they are not wise or even reliable by any means, they are usually designated as fire support or frontal assault units rather than elite soldiers as the Imperial Space Marine Dreadnoughts are. However, Chaos Dreadnoughts can be configured into more powerful versions of their Imperial counterparts by the use of special marks dedicated to one of the Chaos gods, imbuing them with unholy powers.
[edit] Previous Versions
In Second Edition Warhammer 40,000, various bipedal, heavily armoured fighting machines belonging to numerous factions of the game were collectively called Dreadnoughts. Space Marines, Chaos Space Marines, Orks and Eldar all fielded a Dreadnought of their own design, generally carrying at least one Heavy Weapon and having armour and survivability characteristics roughly equivalent to a tank. Dreadnoughts were important support units in the game due to their prowess in close combat, being far more capable of defending themselves at close quarters than tanks or other vehicles, while being much harder to damage than infantry. A corresponding disadvantage was their size as tabletop models; this made them highly visible and particularly in the game's early days where large tank models were less common, dreadnoughts were highly vulnerable to being sighted from long distance and destroyed before they could retaliate.
A cardboard cut-out of an Ork Dreadnought was included in the Second Edition boxed game as a stand-in for new players to be able to play all the included introductory scenarios, as the metal Ork Dreadnought model was a fairly expensive purchase at the time of publication.
Following the release of Third Edition Warhammer 40,000, Games Workshop publications generally ceased the generic use of the word 'Dreadnought', instead referring only to the types fielded by Space Marines, Chaos Space Marines, and occasionally Ork dreadnoughts by that name. Eldar dreadnoughts were now known as Wraithlords and Orks, except for the appropriate army list entries, colloquially referred to their versions simply as 'Dreads'.
The first dreadnought models out were for the Space Marines/Imperial Guard. These were the Furibundus, Deredeo and Contemptor which had different weapons fit. There were a selection of arms (single or double bolter, lascannon or missile launcher) which fitted to the body, "wide" or "narrow" which in turn could have either long or short legs.
[edit] References
Priestley, R; Chambers, A: Warhammer 40,000 Rulebook, Second Edition, Games Workshop, Nottingham
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