How to Equip Contemptor Dreadnoughts in Horus Heresy (August 2022 Edition)

[@andrewparker3996]

Gravis Melta + Fist with Inbuilt Melta Gun has been awesome at cracking open tanks and then bullying power armored units.

[@SonoVAo]

First one I built

[@starslayer2438]

I built my first Contemptor with melta cannon and fist with melta gun. It just made sense to pair such similar weapons. And the short range felt less of an issue, since I want to get close to punch stuff with that powerful fist. Seems like I unknowingly hit one of your recommended loadouts. My second Contemptor is supposed to be more anti-infantry, but I wasn't sure about the loadout. After watching your video, I think I will go with plasma cannon with fist and plasma blaster. Didn't realize that it works so well against high armor infantry. And the big plasma cannon on a dreadnought just looks really cool.

[@SonoVAo]

My contemptor talon plan for Imperial Fists is. Starter box Dread - Melta cannon and melta fist. Regular contemptor - double lascannon w/ helix Resin Imperial Fist Contemptor - Dual fist with Assault Cannons. Maybe a havoc launcher.

[@KevinMossman]

Absolutely cracking content, very concise and easy to digest. As a new player to Heresy, your videos are becoming invaluable to me

[@leandros817]

im more a painter than a gamer , i did not buy the rule book and i got a dreadnought as a gift. Your video showed me the way, GREAT Quality!

[@joaquinarias4915]

Since I run Salamanders, I’ve been using dual fist with hvy flamer, to quite good effect. Blast any troops with the flamers, then annihilate them in the assault phase. Plus that brutal(3) can wreck any hq characters, I like to use him as a praetor-killer

[@Red2Productions]

I think having a ranged weapon on a dreadnaught is always a good idea as, from what I’ve seen, opponents want to fire their big guns at them, and at least having the threat of returned fire (if not actually returning fire) will make them think twice (especially with something like a HSS). As they tend to move slowly up the table they are often seen as the most threatening as well as sometimes the only unit your opponent can shoot at.

[@Hearesy]

Absolutely!

[@sonicwingnut]

Since I'm doing Blood Angels I just thought outside of the usual magnetized options I'll keep available, do a melee build with a power fist, chainfist and Illiastus Assault Cannons in the fists as you can swap out the heavy flamer options for them. It's probably expensive but decent range and I just like the idea of a dreadnought with 2 assault cannon fists. Can use some of my spare rotor cannons to kitbash the parts.

[@warpaintjj]

Never tire of listening to these episodes - always learn something!

[@calumrobertson594]

My best performing contempter runs Gravis Fist, Chain fist and twin plasma blasters and a havoc launcher and HOLY it tears through almost anything that gets in its way.

[@sinisterpuddle6655]

Outflanking a dreadnought with gravis melta and fist w/ melta using the Emperor’s Children Maru Skara rite of war has been great. getting to blast vehicles in their rear armor makes melta really shine

[@stahly_taleofpainters]

And I just wanted to build a dual Kheres Contemptor! Thanks for providing some more sensible choices :)

[@Hearesy]

You should if you want to! Or Kheres and fist if you want it to be a bit more effective maybe? Also big fan of your content, thanks for all of the great reads over the years!

[@stahly_taleofpainters]

@@Hearesy You're welcome! And thanks for all your videos & positive vibe, helps me a lot in planning my army, as I don't have a clue about gameplay lol. Maybe you could do a video about allies soon, I'd love to add an allied contingent of Emperor's Children to my Sons of Horus at some point, would open up a few new painting and collecting possibilities :)

[@Hearesy]

Good idea, ill add that to my list!

[@lesbianmorgoth652]

Its 2am, I can't sleep, absolutely here for a video I do not need to watch because I'm only gonna use boxnaughts and leviathans lmfao. And thats only if I decide to fully fill out marines instead of just waiting for custodes, who I prefer from lore and looks!

[@Hearesy]

I was just thinking “I wonder if Lesbian Morgoth is awake, probably needs a video to watch, lets talk about Dreads”

[@lesbianmorgoth652]

@@Hearesy hell yeah! Always fun to know I'm being catered to 🥰

[@lesbianmorgoth652]

@@Hearesy I've really gotta make a discord account one of these nights so I can have even more 30k to talk about lol

[@graffpov]

I see new hearesy video - my day being good right away

[@Hearesy]

Thank you :)

[@DMHightower]

Another great, educational video! THANKS!!

[@mordredpendragon1235]

I've builded mine around what Iron Warriors can give me, so he has Shrapnel Cannon and a Graviton Fist. Which isn't bad per say but am definitely gonna have a 2nd one with one of the loadouts you suggested

[@NecromancerNightmare]

Another thing to consider is zone mortalis builds :). Flamers and template weapons get buffs in ZM, and range is obviously less of a consideration, etc etc. Generally speaking, I'm playing Eskaton Imperative Dark Angels, so any time I can run Grav guns, I'll do it, for that sweet +1 to wound when things are in dangerous terrain.

[@yagsipcc287]

Jaysus lad pumping these out :-P nice!!

[@lonelysandbar]

Just now noticed that upgrading the Gravis Plasma Cannon to warpfire in word bearers shrinks it from 5" blast to 3" blast. Been looking at other ways of incorporating warpfire into my army besides a tactical support squad, and debating if the smaller range is worth more pinning. A fist with warpfire blaster seems like a better source of ancillary pinning.

[@Hearesy]

I hadnt noticed that. Oof :(

[@AarenJable]

Two videos in one day? you're spoiling us. I'm going for a talon of three for my Alphas.

[@Hearesy]

Trying to make up for my sickness and holiday weeks recently, got to keep you guys in videos :) Alpha Legion FW dread is my fave model by far!

[@yinshaoloong2048]

Great video. Quite pleased to see my favoured loadout of chain/fist and double grav get rated so well. Really looking forward to using it for terrain disruption! I will take another look at the plasma cannon though.

[@Hearesy]

The template effect of grav is massively underrated for sure!

[@yinshaoloong2048]

I’m planning to build a list around it. Double grav contemptor and grav predators (whenever the models are out) with Iron Warriors Hammer of Olympia (buffs the predators) to pin what I with shrapnel and grav what I can’t so that shootier tyrants and havocs get more effective rounds of fire.

[@benjaminbrenner745]

Thank you!

[@marcmiddleton2277]

So make a Gravis Melta/Chainfist with Graviton and send him in...👀

[@pentacosttb2565]

You actually get 2 additional attacks by going twin melee. It gives you +1 to the base A stat, but then you'll also be getting another +1 for having 2 melee weapons, which is a sepeeate rule.

[@Birbinator2008]

That’s only if you charge, however. Still very good.

[@Furythrow2]

Cool to revisit topics now more games have been played. Keep up the good work 👌

[@TheExcessus]

As Alpha Legion, graviton guns are awesome at making that 2" minus range a 4" minus range for counter charges :)

[@etiennegarant7545]

Here I was, feeling silly for building multi-role flexible dreadnoughts because I enjoy their flexibility. Seems like this wasn't such a bad idea after all now!

[@cyberdan42]

As Salamanders, I think the Flamer-fist weapon gets an extra nod. Otherwise, all solid information I agree with.

[@Henevas]

Three Salamanders in the comments, and we're all saying the same thing. Why go sally if you aren't going to purify the enemy in flames anyway?

[@Hearesy]

Three CORRECT Salamanders players :)

[@Appolyon]

Good explanation for all weapons. Just a question: What do you think about Legion specific wargear, especially IW. The Gravis Shrapnel Cannon seems overpriced, but perhaps I underestimate pinning. The Graviton Maul looks good on paper. You trade one point of brutal for Haywire, which is good against other dreadnoughts, and some vehicles, but you lose power against infantry, especially terminators and independent characters. +15 points seems relatively expensive to me.

[@3v3rhard]

Grav is amazing on close combat contemptors you have a chance of reducing the ws. Which matters a lot.

[@n7xranger]

I magnetized mine but the main loadout that interests me is Melta Cannon/Power Fist w/Dragon's Breath Heavy Flamer. Its job is to get close and wreck anything in the way. At S6 the Dragon's Breath Heavy Flamer is nasty against infantry.

[@Hearesy]

Yep definitely much better with DB!

[@robertlamborn7518]

Grat work, thank you

[@Hearesy]

Thanks!

[@darraghheneghan2825]

Could you do a video talking about terminator loadouts in 30k?

[@Hearesy]

Yes I can! Not sure why I never thought about this before…

[@tumage8592]

8:07 counterpoint, I love it and my playmates regularly forget I have 72" and as consequence loose 5+ marines of range Support marines... Or their warlord because it randomly scatters on its head. L

[@piltonbadger9897]

Great video, really helpful with building my two Contemptors. Would this video more or less apply to Leviathans in regards to weapon balance?

[@Hearesy]

Leviathans are so different they need their own video, but thats coming soon!

[@piltonbadger9897]

@@Hearesy thank you, I thought they might! I will leave my leviathan for the moment and build my contemptors instead!

[@Hearesy]

I’ll make sure its high up the list so as not to keep you waiting :)

[@piltonbadger9897]

@@Hearesy Thank you again ^^ Until then time to build my contemptors!

[@MrMiserum]

@@Hearesy Wait, you have already done a Leviathan video 4 weeks ago or do you want to add more about them? Also thanks for all the videos!

[@dandowner7944]

awesome thank you

[@Hearesy]

Thank you sir!

[@Perturabo1981]

Any word on the Iron Warriors Gravis Shrapnel Cannon - the 5pts upgrade to the Bolt Cannon? Is it worth its points? Would it be better paired with a fist or with a second Shrapnel Cannon?

[@Hearesy]

It wouldnt be a terrible option for a cheap dreadnought with a fist and pinning potential although you probably have enough ways to get pinning in iw that you dont need to use a valuable dread gun on it.

[@James80312]

Hate to do it, but i gotta do the dual C beamer cannon dreadnought

[@Hearesy]

Legendary

[@3v3rhard]

Double C counts as D right.

[@reginaldgorpfist249]

Are you ever going to do a video going over Deredeo dreads, their my favorite.

[@Hearesy]

Sounds like an idea!

[@isitric]

@@Hearesy gonna add to this and suggest doing something for box dreads too. The point you made about dual gun contemptors is valid and, in the case of both the other dread types, they generally tend to make better gun platforms. Would love your thoughts.

[@stephantrumpp4489]

could you please tell me why you think a plasma canon with AP4 is excellent in killing marines ? i dont get the point so far 🤔. And its a blast weapon which is very likely going to somewhere and hitting not even one marine…only with extra gear wich costs additional points would reduce this probability… thanx for the video !

[@Hearesy]

Its breaching, and its blast. Thats all it needs!

[@stephantrumpp4489]

ah ok 😅 i see… didnt realize the breaching special rule…tx.

[@Cornivius]

afaik blast weaponc can't do reactions so I don't think I'd put a helical targeting array on a double plasma cannon dread. Maybe if the oppenint uses bikes or speeders but the plasma cannon seem way better to shoot at infantry with

[@Hearesy]

You can fire blast weapons in reactions. Usually (although weirdly not with interceptor) you cant use los-ignoring weapons like barrage, though.

[@lukeeaton2364]

Blast weapons can't be used for snap shots, but you can use them for reactions. The only reaction that forces you to snap shoot is the supress zone mortalis movement phase reaction.

[@liammorgan1413]

Mortis configurations (loadouts involving two ranged weapons) with helical targeting arrays are a bit pricy for a Contemptor platform, to be honest. For 50 points less you can get away with using a Castra-Ferrum Dreadnought with the same loadout. The hybrid and melee loadouts however are much more viable on Contemptors.

[@Hearesy]

It seems you mentioned a pdf unit that can be abused to make your army better and cheaper due to being poirly written and balanced. We dont talk about GW’s pdf homebrew rules round these parts :)

[@liammorgan1413]

@@Hearesy to each their own. The difference between the two dreadnought chassis is really that the Contemptor is objectively both tougher (+1S, +1T, +1W) and more mobile (+2M, +2I, lacks the Heavy sub-type) compared to the Castra-Ferrum. On a melee build, I'd say that's worth the 50 extra points. I do agree however that the "Legends" units were poorly written overall though.

[@crowmccarrionface670]

Nothing like a mad heavy metal box loaded up with close combat weapons and underslung melta. Hopefully I'll be fielding a castra ferrum with chainfist/ powerfist and meltaguns and a Leviathan with the drill, claw, meltas and phosphex discharger at 2500 points. They both get strength 12 attacks with the chainfist or drill if I'm reading that correctly.. Leviathan is replacing a lascannon squad, so hopefully it'll be worth it, losing all that firepower for an unkillable monster.

[@liammorgan1413]

A word of caution about the Castra-Ferrum: Initiative 2 and the Heavy sub-type make it far less mobile than its Contemptor counterpart, and at 1 less wound it's also not as durable, making it pretty bad as a melee dreadnought. It's still got WS5/BS5 though, so you may want to invest in ranged options for it as fire support, especially if you intend on dropping the lascannon squad.

[@crowmccarrionface670]

@@liammorgan1413 I'll still have 10 missile launchers, a Kratos with lascannons/ battlecannon, a landspeeder and rhino with multimeltas. Eventually I want 6 castra ferrums, mostly mixed loadout with the gravis lascannon and heliacl targetting array but still want 2 ironclad style ones with chainfists for the strength 12 armourbane attacks. Yeah the initiative sucks but any marine infantry with powerfist or termies with chainfist are still initiative 1 and I'll get to reroll to wound if I charge with the Raven Guard special rules on the first combat round.

[@liammorgan1413]

@@crowmccarrionface670 I feel that the operative word here is "if". Barring really good charge rolls, you can expect a savvy opponent to kite a talon of Castra-Ferrum dreadnoughts something fierce, with nothing to say of being the one to charge said talon with a WS5 unit (be it a contemptor talon or veteran squad, who will both get to strike before you) to deny you that legion bonus. If that's something you're okay with, then there's nothing more that I can say on the matter.

[@crowmccarrionface670]

@@liammorgan1413 I'm sort of OK with a sub-par list - I still have 10 dark furies with a Primus Medicae and Corvid jump pack, 20 assault marines that I'm building now , 20 despoilers and 7 marine command squad with Praetor. Together with the close combat talon I'm hoping this will overwhelm the enemy army with cheapish bodies. The cc talon is 2 ironclad dreads with meltaguns and the third is the AoBR dread with a mulimelta, cc arm and meltagun. TBH just running them to save money - already have some unassembled classic dreads lying around ;)

[@earnestwanderer2471]

Liverpool?

[@Hearesy]

Yep!

[@TimcPlays]

Whilst I watch the ads, let me just say, don't equip them with Conversion beams. They're shite.

[@Hearesy]

Conversion Beams are for people who dont need good models to win games!