Dreadnought

Overview
In the Warhammer 40,000 game system and its various derivatives, a Dreadnought is a cybernetic walker or mecha of intermediate size, commonly encountered in the 28mm scale game systems (Warhammer 40,000, Space Crusade, Space Hulk and similar games).

Even the superhuman Space Marines are mortal, and when the greatest of their number fall in battle, if there is a spark of life left in them, and they are experienced enough to be considered invaluable to their Space Marine Chapter, then their body will be repaired and transferred into the armoured cybernetic sarcophagus of a Dreadnought. They are often mistaken by observers to be huge armoured fighting suits or robots; they are similar to both and yet neither. Dreadnoughts are a combination of armoured walker and cybernetic life-support system; their pilots are neurally linked straight into the Dreadnought's cybernetic systems, and are able to use the walker as if it were their own body, although they are permanently entombed within its ceramite skin 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 the Primarch Leman Russ' retinue and fought in the Horus Heresy when he was still whole of body, making him well over 10,000 standard Terran years old. When the Dreadnoughts are not in use by their Chapter, they are placed back into the Chapter's chapel in its fortress-monastery to sleep away the centuries in a form of suspended animation until they are needed once more.

Current models
As with Space Marine Power Armour there are different "Marks" (iterative versions) of Dreadnoughts. The most common version and the one produced as a model by Games Workshop is the Mark V, a design that has been used since the introduction of the second edition of Warhammer 40,000 in 1993. Made of plastic, this is a generic model which can be used by any Space Marine Chapter. The right arm can either be armed with an assault cannon or twin-linked lascannon, while the left side can either be a Powerfist (with either a storm bolter or heavy flamer underneath) or missile launcher, allowing the player to build either a standard or fire-support (Hellfire) Dreadnought.

Chapter-specific Dreadnoughts such as the Blood Angels' Furioso and the Dark Angels' Mortis have also been released; these use the Mark V design.

There are also metal models for Venerable Dreadnoughts. The "generic" Venerable Dreadnought is an ornately-decorated war machine armed with an assault cannon and Powerfist. Interestingly, the Space Wolves' Venerable Dreadnought is similar in design to the standard Mark V Dreadnought, save for the Space Wolves tokens and unique Lightning Claw/Heavy Flamer on the left side. Space Wolves players may still use the new Venerable Dreadnought if they dislike the older one.

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 predates the current 25mm scale design.

Metal Mark V Dreadnoughts were released for Epic 40,000 and were carried over for the succeeding Epic: Armageddon game. There is some variation in the sarcophagi design, and the missile launcher consisted of eight "tubes" instead of the cells of the Warhammer 40,000 scale. Weapons include the twin-lascannon, assault cannon, and multi-melta for the right arm, and Powerfist, lightning claw, and missile launcher for the left side. Dreadnoughts had a unique blend of firepower and assault strength, making them useful for defending objectives. However, their slow speed otherwise proved a major hindrance on the vast Epic battlefield, though the introduction of transports able to carry Dreadnoughts, such as the Thunderhawk Transporter, should compensate for this.

The very earliest editions of Warhammer 40,000 had the Dreadnought's occupants as healthy individuals and they were common to both Imperial Guard and Space Marines forces.

Weaponry
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 either a storm bolter or heavy flamer fitted below the forearm. Though the Powerfist shares the same name, it is not at all similar to the melee weapons also called Powerfists used by other armed forces of the Imperium. Unrestricted by size or weight, Dreadnought Powerfists are vastly more powerful than ones carried by all infantry, even Space Marine Terminators. The Dreadnought's Powerfist is more effective as it does not force the user to strike last and (like the unwieldy infantry-borne Power Fist and Chainfist) it is deadly against heavy armour. This, combined with the Dreadnought's own impressive unmodified strength makes the fist deadly to all, even heavily armored foes (a Dreadnought can easily kill a tough commander model like a Space Marine Chapter Master outright with one hit). Also, the Dreadnought's heavy vehicle armor means that even those that survive the initial assault can do little more than wait for the inevitable. The Space Wolves Venerable 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, twin-linked autocannons or twin-linked heavy-bolters. Forge World produces a clawed version of the plastic Powerfist arm, which look like a newer version of the Space Wolves Power Claw. The arm can also be replaced with a bunker-busting assault drill arm, as detailed below.

Variants
There are two major variants of the standard Dreadnought in service within the Imperium.
 * The Hellfire Dreadnought replaces the Powerfist with a missile launcher, trading its close combat ability for long range, anti-vehicle firepower. The advantage of the Dreadnought's missile launcher over its Space Marine equivalent (which can only be fired when the Marine stays still and braces himself) is that the former can run at full speed whilst still laying down a barrage of missiles. Officially, Hellfire Dreadnoughts are usually referred to as Fire Support Dreadnoughts. The Hellfire term was first used in the computer game Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War, and was quickly adopted by players of the tabletop version as well. 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 Dreadnoughts, three stand out:


 * The Furioso was designed by the Blood Angels Chapter and is used by them and their Successor Chapters. It gives up the ranged heavy weapon for another Dreadnought Powerfist. This allows them to literally "tear apart" enemy vehicles when in melee combat. It is the antithesis of the Dark Angel's Mortis-pattern Dreadnought 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. A Furioso Dreadnought called Furibundus was used for the very earliest Dreadnought models of the late 1980's. Another unique aspect of the Furioso Dreadnought was the special character, Moriar the Chosen, who operates with the Blood Angels' Death Company. Also, as of 2010, there has been a new type of Furioso: the Librarian Dreadnought, capable of combining the powerful attacks of a Furioso with a set of psychic powers. Many Furiosos and Librarian Dreadnoughts are said to date back many millenia, some even back to the Horus Heresy, and their counsel is sought often by the Blood Angels Chapter Master, Commander Dante.


 * The Mortis is almost exclusively used by the Dark Angels Chapter and its Successor Chapters 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 mounts a pair of the same ranged weapons: twin-linked autocannons, twin-linked heavy bolters, twin-linked lascannons, or two missile launchers.


 * The Aegis, used by the Grey Knights Chapter that serves the Ordo Malleus of the Inquisition, is equipped with special Warp-resistant devices, and blessed armour that offers a degree of protection from the psychic powers of daemons and heretics. Aegis Dreadnoughts are also able to use the powerful Psycannon in place of their standard ranged weapon, and have the same psychic resistance as a Grey Knight Marine.

Venerable Dreadnoughts
Older Dreadnoughts are referred to by Space Marine Chapters as Venerable Dreadnoughts. Having earned many millennia worth of combat 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 and usually less effective 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 Mark V Dreadnoughts 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 powerful units left after the Drop Site Massacre on Istvaan V during the Horus Heresy.

One of the more notable examples of Venerable Dreadnoughts is the Space Wolves' Bjorn the Fell-Handed. He is the oldest Dreadnought in the Imperium and was a member of the Primarch Leman Russ' personal retinue and fought in the Horus Heresy when he was still whole of body. Oddly, the Space Wolves Venerable Dreadnought released by Games Workshop is similar in design to the standard Mark V Dreadnought (save for the Space Wolves tokens and possessing a metal blister instead of plastic), while the "generic" Venerable Dreadnought is an ornately decorated war machine.

Chaos
Chaos Space Marine 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 cybernetic sarcophagus as the power of Chaos warped his mind and spirit. They are used as insane behemoths to trample the enemy and are regarded with caution, as the madman within the Dreadnought can turn his wrath upon his comrades if there are no enemy units within range. Chaos Dreadnoughts' 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 standard, Chaos Dreadnoughts are usually designated as fire support or frontal assault units rather than elite soldiers like their Imperial Space Marine counterparts. In prior editions of the Warhammer 40,000 tabletop game, Chaos Dreadnoughts could 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. In the latest edition of the game, this is no longer possible.

Ork
The Orks also have noticed the usefulness of Dreadnoughts in battle, particularly their "shooty" and "stompy" aspects. Orkish Dreadnoughts, or "Deff Dreds" as they are called, are a crude parody of their Imperial namesake. Ork Dreds are armed with massive numbers of claws and guns. Due to the fact that Ork Meks have less understanding of technology than the Adeptus Mechanicus, most Orkish Dreds are simply robotic-controlled war machines with an array of buttons and levers to be used by the Gretchin pilot rather than the pilot being cybernetically interfaced with the machine. Smaller variants of Ork Dreds, named Killa Kanz, also exist. These cousins of the Deff Dreds are often fielded in squadrons of 3 and are just as devastating in combat as their larger cousins, except they have less armour. This is due to the nature of the Killa Kan's pilot who, being merely a Gretchin, still retains a healthy fear of being shot at.

Eldar
The Eldar also use large robotic walkers in combat called Wraithlords that are their equivalent of Space Marine Dreadnoughts. A Wraithlord contains no living warrior; rather, it is merely a robotic shell, a repository for the animating soul of a dead Eldar hero. Wraithlords are graceful but mighty giants that dwarf their Wraithguard cousins. These massive constructs are extremely precious to their Eldar Craftworlds and have a supernatural toughness due to being made from the psychically-active substance called wraithbone. Summoned into being by the necromantic processes and sorcery of the Eldar Spiritseers, only a true hero of the Eldar race has psychic power enough to animate the gigantic wraithbone shell of a Wraithlord.

An Eldar soul is drawn from the Infinity Circuit of a Craftworld and resides within the wraithbone construct until such time as its power begins to fade and it can no longer function or it is destroyed. The Eldar Wraithlords stand significantly taller than a man, carry an array of weaponry and are a terrifying sight on the battlefield. Wraithlords have incredible strength in any case, but also sometimes carry a wraithsword for close-combat.

If the animating soul within the Wraithlord specialized in close infantry assault when it was alive, it will seek to tear apart its enemies with great energized fists or cleave several apart with a swing from its massive sword, known as a Wraithblade. If the animating Eldar soul specialized in combat support during life, the ghostly warrior's energy core will instead be rerouted to power a devastating array of heavy weaponry such as a shuriken cannon. Either way, a single Wraithlord can turn the tide of battle for the Eldar; the legends of the fallen heroes within the construct continuing to grow even after death.

Previous versions
The first Dreadnought models produced were for the Space Marines and Imperial Guard armies. These were the Furibundus, Deredeo and Contemptor patterns which each had a different weapons configuration. 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.

In Warhammer 40,000 second edition, various bipedal, heavily armoured fighting machines belonging to numerous factions of the game were collectively called Dreadnoughts. Space Marines, Chaos Space Marines, Orks and the 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 (in fact even under the current rules Dreadnoughts are so heavily armoured they could be classified as medium armour rather than light armour, even when compared to vehicles such as the Chimera and Leman Russ). 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 introductory 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.

In the second edition, the four Dreadnought patterns released by Games Workshop were metal models of the Mark V design, distinguished by their weaponry and Chapter-specific banners and decals. They included an Ultramarines Dreadnought with an assault cannon and Powerfist/Stormbolter, the Dark Angels Dreadnought with a twin-linked lascannon and missile launcher (now known as the fire-support or Hellfire Dreadnought), the Blood Angels Dreadnought Furioso with a Multi-Melta and Powerfist/Stormbolter, and the Space Wolves' Bjorn the Fell-Handed Venerable Dreadnought with an assault cannon and lightning claw/heavy flamer. Bjorn the Fell-Handed is unique as he is fielded as a special character and his Space Wolves tokens make him specific to that Chapter. The model is still in release at the present but has since been renamed the Space Wolves Venerable Dreadnought since the third edition and now lacks the banner. The other themed Dreadnoughts can be used by other Chapters.

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 of walkers fielded by the Space Marines, Chaos Space Marines, and occasionally the Orks by that name. Eldar Dreadnoughts were now known as Wraithlords and the Orks, except for the appropriate army list entries, colloquially referred to their versions simply as Dreds or Killa Kanz, a name also given to smaller Orkish Dreadnought-style vehicles that they fielded.

It was in the third edition that variant Dreadnoughts such as the fire-support Hellfire, Mortis, and the Furioso were released. Along with the release of the Furioso, there was also the introduction of the special character Moriar the Chosen.

With the new fourth edition, Moriar the Chosen was removed from the Blood Angels army list. However the Blood Angels do receive the option of upgrading a Furioso Dreadnought into a Death Company Dreadnought, which has a similar ability to Moriar.