# Mega/Meka Dread Tactica



## DestroyerHive (Dec 22, 2009)

Mega Dread/Meka Dread Tactics:


I have created this short tactica because I love my huge Dread Mob, and when it came time to buy me a Meka Dread, I couldn't find any tactica on how to use it. Then I bought the Mega Dread, and decided it was enough. I wrote up this tactica from my own personal experiences to give an anxious Mekboy something to read while he waits impatiently for that package in the mailbox.


Overview:
Mega and Meka Dreads ARE NOT competitive due to their point cost, however they are tons of fun to use and look so darn cool. They can be used in both Apocalypse and 40K, however to use a Meka Dread in 40K, you also have to take a Mega Dread.


Tactics:

Fire Magnet: Mega/Meka dreads are huge, intimidating targets that may very well be the biggest model on the table at any given battle. Based on personal experiences, they tend to be the most targetted units in the army, thus taking fire away from my Kanz, Dreadz and Boyz. On their own, they have the same armor as a SM Ironclad Dreadnaught, with slightly better Rear Armor, therefore being fairly tricky to kill. On top of that, they have a 5+ Inv save due to their Ramshackle rule: That means an extra 1/3 chance of staying alive if their armor gets penetrated. As well, Mega Dreadz can purchase Grot Riggers to repair immobilized results, should something bad happen (Meka Dread gets it for free). Aaaand, they come with Armour Plates so "stunned" results are now "shaken". Despite these facts, however, they will still die pretty quickly if your opponent is focused on them, so I always run my Meka Dread right next to my Mega Dread with a KFF, however a normal Big Mek will do fine as well.

Close Combat Monster: Mega/Meka Dreads are great close combats units due to their high strength (even without a Rippa Klaw) and awesome armor, making them highly resilient to Power Fists. Despite their strengths, they have relatively few attacks, particularly the Meka Dread, so they would do better as tarpitters instead of straight-out assault units (keep in mind they're not super-heavies). They would also do well as Special Character hunters due to insta-death, but then again, so would any Deff Dread or Killa Kan. On another note, both can be bought Mega Chargas, which let you fleet for a turn on the roll of a 2+. On a 1... well, Ork tech, you know how it works.

Wrecker of the Metal Box: What's the one thing Orks have the most trouble in dealing with? That's right: Necr-ermm... AV14. The best anti-AV14 unit available to the Orks (aside from the Stompa) is the Mega Dread. Not only is it S10, but it also gets +1 on the vehicle penetration chart, meaning a Glancing hit can be cause a wreck at most, and a penetrating hit has a bigger chance of destroying/crippling the vehicle. Of course, this does not apply to Monoliths, in which case a mob of 'Kanz will do just as well.

Firing Platform: Mega Dreadz and Meka Dreadz have amazing weapons in their small arsenal, so even if they get immobilized, they can still pivot due to their legs (magnetize the torso onto the legs to make it more believable if you want), and shoot. The Mega Dread is equipped with a Killkannon by default, which is a blast weapon - nothing to sneeze at - with the same strength and AP as a Battlecannon. The Meka Dread has the option of three guns, all of which are worthless in their own way, but generally not quite as powerful as the Killkannon, but more on this later. Also on the Meka Dread, it comes equipped with Mek's Tools, so it can attempt to repair itself during the shooting phase as well as firing a weapon.


Mega Dread-specific tactics: The Mega Dread is my favorite of the Dreadz, because it is the most killy of them all. It has 3 base attacks, making 4 on the charge. They are also the best shooting choice (arguably) of the two, because they come equipped with a Kill Kannon and two Big Shootas base, the later of which may be upgraded to Skorchas, Rokkit Launchas, or KMBs, as well as the option of a third Big Shoota. The Killkannon makes up for the Ork BS because they are Ordnance blast weapons, that will rip through MEQ with ease. Whatever survives the shot will be taken out in close combat the following assault phase. The Mega Dread can replace its Killkannon with another Rippa Klaw arm for free or a second Killkannon, therefore making it twin-linked. The second Killkannon is a total waste in my opinion, because at the range you need to fire the weapon, you'll probably be in assault range where the Rippa Klaw is more beneficial. Two Rippa Klaws may also seem like a bad idea, that's not necessarily true. First, it looks awsome. Second, you get another attack in close combat, which is especially helpful against vehicles. If it gets immobilized, it still has at least 2 Big Shootas, so it can pump out 6 S5 shots a turn at 36".


Meka Dread-specific tactics: The Meka Dread is foccused more towards resilience and army-wide support instead of the Mega Dread's pure killy, like a Big Mek is to a Warboss. The Meka Dread is more resilient than the Mega Dread due to two features: Fixin' Klaws (Mek's Tools), Grot Rigger, and the option of a Kustom Force Field (despite its astronomical point cost, it is essential, or else just take a Mega Dread instead). It's always a good idea to keep the Meka Dread near a major concentration, like near Boyz, Kanz, or even a Mega Dread, because the KFF will offer much more resilience to your advancing WAAAGH!!!. In close combat, the Meka Dread usually comes equipped with a Killa Klaw and a shooting weapon. This makes 2 attacks base, and 4 on the charge due to the Fixin' Klaws. With an average WS, it will kill 1-2 MEQ, but then stay locked in combat for a while. As a shooter, it has the option of replacing a Rippa Klaw for one of three weapons: Big Zzappa, Rattler Kannon, or Shunta. Personally, I prefer keeping the Rippa Klaw, but I will post my insight regardless: The Big Zzappa is a 48", Heavy D3 Zzap Gun, therefore useful for dealing with tanks and heavy infantry, but with a BS of 2, it is simply not worth the points. The Rattler Kannon is 24", Heavy 2D6 goodness. It will deliver plenty of shots, but with a very low AP, average S, and its ability to jam, it too, is not worth the points. Finally, the Shunta. The Shunta is a small blast, 24" weapon. This is perhaps the most useful of the guns, because it is AP4 and S8, so dealing with Eldar or Tau won't be a problem, however the Mega Dread gets a large blast AP3 gun for free, so its usefulness is debatable.


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