Horus Heresy 3e Review: Deredeo Dreadnought

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. A weapons platform that performs well enough, but looks a bit goofy to my eyes. 

Background.

The Deredeo is a heavy weapons platform that has its history in the Contemptor class and the earlier styles of Terran and Martian designs. It remained in high demand by both sides of the conflict in the Heresy, although there were few forges that could produce them.

Strengths. 

The customization here provides the player with some strong threats. 

The Anvilus autocannons have rapid tracking and sky fire (nice). They provide a good level of threat whilst keeping the points cost down. 

They can be replaced by the hellfire plasma cannonade which is attractive for the breaching and large blasts on overload, but otherwise I think the autocannons might have and edge for sky fire purposes. 

The las cannon battery is worth it for the improved strength and sky fire (but reduced rate of fire compared to the autocannons. I haven't run the numbers, but I think both are viable, but the las cannons are simply deadlier for the higher S). 

Volkite Falconet has a high S and pinning which makes it very interesting anti-infantry and worth a look if you are headed in that direction. 

The Aiolos missile launcher is the baseline entry which is nice for barrage and ranged threat. 

The missiles can be upgraded to four lots of Boreas air defence missiles instead which have sky fire and rapid tracking, but obviously they are limited use. 

Replacing the heavy bolt guns with flamers is a player taste choice. The former gives slightly enhanced ranged fire power, the latter is more defensive to my mind. 

Weaknesses. 

Not as good a stat line as the contemptor, with losses in S and A. But so what. It is a weapons platform not a close combat array. 

It also explodes. 

Builds.

Deredeo with Autocannons, Missile Launcher (190 points). 

Effective and baseline. I like it. Occasionally I'd be tempted by the plasma or volkite, but not often. 

Deredeo with Las Cannons, Boreas Air Defence Missiles (215 points).

Pure air defence. I'd pair it with the heavy flamers.